266 



Sir Oliver St. John records it (Ibis, 1889, p. 155) as found near Kandahar in April; and 

 Col. Biddulph states (2nd Yarkand Miss., Aves, p. 13) that he shot a specimen between Sirhud 

 and Panjah, in Wakhan. In India it has been recorded by Mr. Blanford (Str. Feath. v. p. 245), 

 and by Mr. Doig (op. cit. vii. p. 505) from Sind, by Mr. Vidal (op. cit. ix. p. 36) from Khed, on 

 the west coast of India, south of Bombay, and, according to Davidson (Str. Feath. x. p. 291), it is 

 common in the Akrani and in the deep valleys running into the Satpuras (Western Khandesh). 

 Eggs were brought to him early in March, and numbers of young birds in April. 



Col. Biddulph records it from Gilgit, where Mr. Scully obtained specimens in March, April, 

 and September ; and in the British Museum there are examples from Sultanpur, Gurgaon, and 

 Ahmednuggur. Finally, I may add that, according to Dr. Cabanis (J. f. O. 1875, p. 126), there 

 is a specimen in the Berlin Museum which was obtained by Ehrenberg in Syria. 



In habits this Owl is said to resemble Scops giu, of which it appears to be a desert form, 

 and, like that species, it breeds in hollow trees, its eggs also being pure white. 



According to Messrs. Radde and Walter three nests of this rare Owl were found at Sary-jasy, 

 on the Murghab, which were in holes in the trunks of poplars (Populus diver si folia), which had 

 been made by Gecinus Jlavirostris and taken possession of by the Owls. One of these nests 

 contained two fresh eggs, and on the other two the females were captured. The eggs resembled 

 those of the European Scops Owl, but were larger, measuring 31^ by 27-J millirn. 



The specimen figured and described is the one in my own collection. 



In the preparation of the above article I have examined the following specimens : — 



E Mus. H. E. Dresser, 

 a, ? ad. Amu-Darja, March 10th, 1887 (Br. G. Radde). 



E Mus. Brit. 



a, £ ad. Near Gilgit, September 20th, 1876; b, $ ad. Gilgit, March 23rd, 1880 (Biddulph). c, £. Chaman, 

 S. Afghanistan, April 23rd, 1880 (/. A. Murray), d, $ juv. Chaman, June 3rd, 1880 (H. E. Barnes), 

 e, J . Hyderabad, Sind, December 16th, 1878 (S. Doig). f. Sultanpur, December 7th, 1877 (TV. N. Chill), 

 ff, J 1 . Ahmednuggur, January 20th, 1870 (H.J. Bruce), h, £ , i, ad. Ahmednuggur (S. B. Fairbank). 



