154 W. T. Blanford — On Birch from SiJcJcim. [No. 2, 



as April, and I suspect the bird to be a permanent resident in the plains, 

 and probably spread over the northern and eastern part of India. Like 

 other Chinese birds, it may be wanting in Western India. 



My observations on the habits of M. melanotis differ from those of Mr. 

 Hume so far, that although at times it is certainly wary and difficult of 

 approach, in other cases I have met with it close to human habitations. 

 I shot one flying over my tent, and another a few paces away, near a village 

 in each case, and a third, a fine adult female, I shot sitting on a tree in the 

 middle of a village. I expect Milvus govinda, if it found itself hmited, 

 would prove equally wary. 



71. HUHTJA NlPALENSIS, HodgS. 



I obtained a single specimen of this fine owl in the Tista valley, Sikkim, 

 a little below Chungtam at an elevation of about 4000 feet. It was sitting 

 on a high tree, in lofty, rather open forest, and calling at about 3 o'clock 

 in the afternoon.* The cry is a single deep hoot. Unfortunately the body 

 was thrown away without my determining the sex. I took measurements 

 before skinning, and the following is a brief description of the plumage which 

 differs somewhat from that noted by Dr. Jerdon. 



Above dark hah brown, all the feathers, except those of the head, having 

 the margins mottled with pale fulvous, the amount increasing on the lower 

 back, until some of the feathers are mottled throughout. Upper tail coverts 

 with several rather broad fulvous bars. Scapularies with broad irregular 

 mottled bands and tips, and some of the largest with nearly the whole outer 

 web pale isabelline fulvous, forming a distinct bar. Ear tufts 3i inches long, 

 blackish brown on the greater portion of the outer webs, mottled with white 

 on the inner and base of the outer, the white prevailing towards the base on 

 the longest feathers. Lores with long bristly plumes, which are dirty white 

 near the base, and tipped brown ; ear coverts greyish white, the upper ones 

 tipped brown ; quills earthy brown, the primaries faintly banded, secondaries 

 with broad mottled bars on the outer webs becoming white on the inner. 

 Outer tail feathers similar to the secondaries, central with about six mottled 

 bars ; all the rectrices tipped pale brown, whitish at the extreme end. Chin 

 with greyish bristly feathers like the lores, all the rest of the under parts, 

 under wing coverts, tibial and tarsal feathers white with huge brown spots. 

 Toes feathered nearly to the base of the claws. Iris brown, bill and toes 

 yellow, claws dusky at points, pale at base. Length (of fresh specimen) 21-J, 

 expanse 58, wing 175, tail 9 # 25, tarsus 3,f bill from gape 2'1, from end 



* Mr. Hodgson, in his original description of this bird, As. Ees. XIX, p. 172, 

 mentions its diurnal habits. 



f This I find in my note book, but I make the dried tarsus about 2£ to 2f, it is 

 very difficult to measure on account of the thick feathers. Jerdon gives 2 in., which is 

 certainly too little, but his measurements are those of H. pectoraMs, 



