STEIX. 



95 



Messrs. Davidson aud Wenden remark: — " Commonisli at all 

 seasons, aud although we know them to breed about Sliolapoor, we 

 were not fortunate enough to secure their eggs. D. got a nest 

 with seven young birds in the Satara Districts in February." 



" In Jafna," says Colonel Legge, writing from Ceylon, " I 

 understand this Owl breeds in June and July, nesting in the 

 drains in the escarpmeut of the Fort ditch, without fear at that 

 time of their nests being washed away." 



Mr. Gates records the following note from Pegu : — " January 

 18th. Six young birds, varying much in age, were brought to ine. 

 They were found in a hole in the ground. 



" lli^ January. Five eggs in a large hole in a peepul-tree. I 

 took a sixth, perfect egg from the oviduct of the female."' 



The eggs, like those of all Owls, are unspotted white, but most 

 oE the specimens that I have seen had, like many of our larger 

 Owls' eggs, a very faint creamy tinge. In shape the eggs appear 

 to be more oval and less round than those of the European Stric 

 jlammea, to which they closely approximate. Of all our Indiau 

 Owls, too, so far as my experience goes, this species lays the least 

 spherical egg. The texture is compact and fine, but there is less 

 gloss than in most species of this family. 



The eggs vary from 1'55 to 1'79 inch in length, and from 1"2 to 

 1"35 inch in breadth ; but the average of thirteen eggs measured 

 was 1-69 by 1-28 inch. 



Strix Candida, Tickell. The Grass-Owl. 



Strix Candida, Tick., Jerd. B. Ind. i, p. 118. 



Glaux Candida {Tick.), Hume, Hough JDraft N. <^ E. no. 61. 



Mr. 0. H. Parker, to whom I owe the only egg of the Grass- 

 Owl contained in my museum, has favoured me with the following 

 note: — " When I was in Tirhoot, I found whilst out partridge- 

 shooting near Shapur, on the 26th of October, 1866, a nest of the 

 Grass-Owl in long grass ; both the old birds rose from the nest, 

 aud one was shot as a specimen. There «ere live eggs much in- 

 cubated and two young ones just hatched in the nest. The 

 following day another nest was found in a similar locality con- 

 taining live eggs ; these were fresh, and measured about 1*5 inch 

 long by 1'25 inch broad. The eggs from the first nest appeared 

 broader than those from the last, but I did not measure them." 



Colonel Tickell, in his paper on the nidification of certain species 

 in the plains of India, remarks iu regard to the present bird : — 

 " Little or no nest, at most a little grass scattered and smoothed 

 down in the midst of heavy grass-jungle; always on the ground. 

 Eggs usually four in number, round, pure white ; size 1'75 by 1-37 

 inch ; November or December." 



The eggs of this species with which I have been favoured by 

 Mr. Parker are pure v\hite, \\ith xerj little gloss, and of more 



