ORD. RAPTORES. 



FAM. STRIGIDM. 



GEN. SCOPS. 



PLATE XLL 



SCOPS SUNIA. 



RED SCOPS OWL. 



Synon.— /5cops sunia — Hodgson, As. Res. xix. 174. Sc. pennaia H., apud Jerdon, 2d 



Suppl. Cat. 



When I referred this bird to S. pennata of Hodgson, I did so on the ground 

 of the great similarity of one of the states of plumage of this beautiful little Owl to 

 an imperfect specimen of pennata kindly lent me by Mr. Blyth. Mr. Gray of the 

 British Museum now refers pennata to the European Scops Owl, S. xorca, though he 

 previously placed it as distinct; and on again examining this species I recognise many 

 points of distinction between the two birds, viz., sunia and xorca. Mr. Blyth has 

 obtained several specimens in the neighbourhood of Calcutta, all in the red state of 

 plumage, and naturally doubts any change taking place, at least normally. The fact 

 of this change is well established I believe in the American Scops Owl, figured by 

 Wilson, and as the majority of specimens I have obtained were in the grey plumage, 

 and some much more rufous than others, I am myself confident of the identity of the 

 two birds. Whether, however, the red be the young plumage, as in the American 

 species, or the adult, I cannot determine satisfactorily, but I suggest that it may be a 

 seasonal garb, and shall endeavour to ascertain this. 



This Owl appears to be widely distributed through India. The first specimen 

 I procured was found dead in my compound at Madras. I have since seen specimens 

 from Malabar and Travancore, and obtained several others from the Eastern Ghats 

 near Nellore. Mr. Blyth has got it at Calcutta, and Mr. Hodgson in Nepal, but it 

 has not yet I believe been sent from any of the Malay Countries. It is stated to 

 be quite nocturnal in its habits, and to live chiefly on insects. Mr. Hodgson's specific 



