Oedee ACCIPITEES.] [Fam. STEIGID^E. 



SCELOGLAUX ALBIFACIES. 



(LAUGHING-OWL.) 



Athene albifacies, Gray, Voy. Ereb. & Terror, p. 2 (1844). 

 Sceloglaux albifacies, Kaup, Isis, 1848, p. 768. 

 Ieraglaux albifacies, Kaup, Tr. Zool. Soc. iv. p. 219 (1852). 

 Athene ejidans, Potts, Trans. New-Zeal. Inst. vol. iii. p. 63 (1870). 



Native names. 

 Whekau, Ruru-whekau, and Kakaha ; " Laughing- Jackass" of the colonists. 



Ad. supra laste fulvescens, plumis omnibus medialiter late nigro striatis : uropygio ltetius fulvo : scapiilaribus 

 et dorso postico brunnescentioribus, late albido marmoratis : tectricibus alarum magis ferrugineo tinctis, 

 fulvo marmoratis : remigibus brunneis, extiis ferrugineo lavatis et fulvo maculatis : cauda brunnea, 

 fasciis fulvis conspicue transnotata : fronte, superciliis, gula, cum collo laterali griseo-albidis, anguste 

 nigro striatis : regione oculari et auriculari brunnescentibus : eorpore reliquo subtiis lsete aurantiaco- 

 fulvo, plumis medialiter brunneo striatis : tarso plumulis albidis induto : rostro nigro, versus apicem 

 corneo : pedibus corneo-brunneis, setis fulvescentibus ornatis, unguibus nigricantibus : iride rufescenti- 

 brunnea. 



Adult. Forebead, throat, ear-coverts, and sides of tbe bead greyisb white, with black shafts and hair-like 

 filaments; sides of the neck white, each feather having a narrow central streak of black; upper parts 

 dark brown, the feathers of the crown and nape broadly margined with yellowish brown towards the tip ; 

 those of the lower part of the back streaked, spotted, and barred with fulvous and white ; lower part of 

 the fore neck and the whole of the breast dark brown, each feather narrowly margined with bright fulvous 

 or yellowish brown ; on the abdomen, sides of the body, and under tail-coverts the latter colour predo- 

 minates, the centre of each feather being dark brown ; the soft ventral feathers and the short plumage 

 covering the thighs and tarsi light fulvous, without any dark markings ; primaries dark brown, marked 

 on the outer web with equidistant angular spots of white, and on the inner web with obsolete bands ; 

 secondaries dark brown, with broad transverse bands of white, and clouded in the centre ; scapulars 

 dark brown, handsomely variegated with ocellated spots of white. The feathers forming the mantle are 

 all differently marked, some having two broad approximate lateral bars of white, others a double series 

 of spots on each web, while others again have a narrow lateral bar of white on one side of the shaft, and 

 broad angular spots on the other ; a few of them are transversely barred and margined with a narrow r 

 terminal crescent ; upper wing-coverts dark brown, with numerous oval spots of fulvous white more or 

 less distinct ; tail-feathers dark brown, with five equidistant transverse bands and a terminal margin of 

 fulvous white. Irides dark reddish brown ; toes fleshy brown, and covered with coarse yellow hairs 

 bill black, horn-colour towards the tip ; claws black. Extreme length 19 inches ; wing, from flexure, 11 

 tail 6 - o ; bill, along the curvature to anterior edge of cere, 2'75; cere "25; middle toe and claw 1*6 

 hind toe and claw - 75. 



