ATHENE BACTRIANA. 



(EASTERN LITTLE OWL.) 



Athene nudipes, G. E. Gray, Cat. Mamm. &c. Nepal, pres. Hodgs. p. 50 (1846). 



Athene bactriana, Hutton, J. As. Soc. Beng. xvi. p. 776 (1847). 



Athene (Surnia) noctua (nee Scop.), Radde, Reis. Slid. Ost-Sib. ii. p. 123. 



Athene noctua, var., Dybowski & Parvex, J. f. Orn. 1868, p. 331. 



Athene plumipes, Swinhoe, P. Z. S. 1870, p. 448. 



Athene persica (nee VieilL), David, Nouv. Arch. Mus. vii., Bull. p. 4 (1871). 



Athene noctua orientalis, Severtzoff, Turk. Jevot. p. 63 (1873). 



Athene orientalis, id. op. cit. p. 115 (1873). 



1 Carine glaux (nee Savign.), Dresser, Ibis, 1875, p. 110. 



Carine plumipes (Swinhoe), Sharpe, Ibis, 1875, p. 358. 



Carine bactriana (Hutton), id. Ibis, 1875, p. 358 (footnote). 



Athene plumipes meridionalis, Zarudny, Ois. de la Contree Transcasp. p. 22 (1885). 



Athene noctua plumipes, Taczanowski, Faun. Orn. Sib. Orient, p. 130 (1891). 



Ay-chay, JJay-leis, Kirghis ; Sirin mochnonogey, Russian ; Kutruz, Mahr. 



Ad. Athena glauci similis, sed pedibus cum digitis dense plumosis. 



Adult Male (Charni, January 10th). Resembles the adult of Athene glaux, but the legs and toes are 

 densely feathered, whereas in A. glaux the legs are sparsely feathered and the toes are bare with only 

 a few scattered hair-like feathers. Total length about 8 - 6 inches, cuhnen TO, wing 6 - 45, tail 3 - 3, 

 tarsus 1*35. 



The present species resembles Athene glaux, except that it has the legs and feet densely feathered, 

 and is an eastern representative of that species, ranging from Transcaspia eastward to China, and 

 northward to Dauria. 



According to Mr. Zarudny (Bull. Soc. Mosc. iii. p. 749) this Owl is " common in Transcaspia, 

 and found everywhere in ruins, woods, and on steep river-banks. It does not affect the high 

 mountains, but prefers the hot bare plains in the vicinity of water. The plains of Tedgend, the 

 Murghab and Atrek, and the lower part of the Soumbar and Tschandyr suit it best ; the fissures 

 on the river-banks offer this Owl a nesting-place all ready, and a refuge during the daytime, and 

 the plains furnish it with, an abundance of food." He saw the first young which had left the 

 nest on the 5th June at Merv. The family remains together long after the young have left the 

 nest, and near the Pinde and Murghab oases he saw family-parties early in July. 



Dr. Aitchison met with it on the Afghan frontier, Mr. Seebohm records it (Ibis, 1882, 

 p. 420) from Samarcand, and Dr. Severtzoff from Turkestan. According to Col. Swinhoe (Ibis, 

 1882, p. 100) it is common at Kandahar, where it commences nidification about the middle of 

 March, and Dr. Duke obtained it near Quetta in October. According to Mr. Scully (Str. Feath. 



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