STRIX. 101 



abdomen. Uiidei- wing-coverts buffy white, with a few dark streaks. 

 Tail dark brown, whitish at tip, and with 6 bars of ochraceous buff 

 mottled with brown. Cere and bill brownish black. 



Length. — 14 to 15 inches, wing 13, tail 5 to 6, tarsus 1-75. Female, 

 length 15"5 inches, wing 12'5, tail 6' 7, tarsus 1"85. 



Hnh. — Throughout Europe, and neai-ly all India ; it occurs in 

 Beloochistan, Persia, Egypt, East Turkistan, Gilgit, (Cashmere) and 

 Nepaul ; also in the Punjab, N. W. Provinces, Oudh, Bengal, Central 

 and Southern India, Kutch, Guzerat, Rajputana, the Concanand Decoan. 

 In Sind it is a winter visitant, and is not uncommon, especially in the 

 Northern and Central parts, keeping to low jungle and long grass. 



Family, STRIGID^. 



Head large, densely feathered. Eyes surrounded with a circle of 

 radiating feathers ; between the anterior portion of the facial area a frontal 

 patch of small stiff feathers always present and broad. Bill short, 

 covered by stiff bristles. Feet feathered to the toes. 



Sub-Family, STRIGIN^. 



Disc complete ; ears operculated. 



Gen, Strix.— Lhiw. {in pt.) 



Nasal fosSEe large ; nostrils lunated. Wings reaching far beyond 

 the tail; tail short, slightly rounded ; 2 nd quill longest; tarsi scantily 

 feathered. 



Sirix flammea, Lin S. N. i. p. 133; Tem. Man. d'Orn. i. 91; 

 Gould. B. Eur. i. pi. 36. Strix Javanica, Gm. 8. N. i. p. 295 ; Jerd. 

 Mad. Journ x. p. 85; id. Birds of Lnd. i. p. 117, No. 60; Hume, 

 Nest and Eggs, Indian Birds; Murray, Edbk., ZooL, §-c.. Bind., p. 119. 

 Strix indica, Blyth, Ibis, 1860, p. 25; Hume, Bough Notes, ii. p. 342; 

 id. Str. F. 1873, p. 163 eM875, p. 37.— The Indian Screech Owl. 



Head pale buff, mottled with light grey, each feather tipped with 

 a white spot and edged darker. Neck silky white, sometimes tinged 

 yellowish and with small brown spots; the ruff the same, with darker 

 tips; chin, throat, and breast, and under parts white, the feathers of 

 the breast and abdomen with small black specks. Scapulars and back 

 pale buff, mottled with grey, each feather with aterminal dark-edged white 

 spot. Primaries buff on the outer web and paler on the inner, edged 

 with white and barred with brown, the outer web finely speckled. Tail 

 pale buff with 4 — 5 dark bars, the tip whitish, and the inner web of the 

 lateral feathers pure white. Under tail-coverts and tarsal plumes white; 

 under wing and thigh-coverts white with small dark spots; facial disc 

 pure white with a rufous spot in the corner of each eye. Bill yellowish 

 white ; irides black ; cere flesh coloured. 



Length.— 13 to 14 inches, wing 11, tail 2-5, tarsus 2'5 to 275. 



jya6.— Throughout Europe, India and Ceylon, extending through 

 Burmah to Mulayana, In Sind it is perhaps a resident, specimens 

 having been obtained in April, July and November. 



