86 Catalogue of the Birds [Jult 



and rivers. Though generally spread, it is not very common. It utters 

 a harsh shrill cry at night ; Mr. Elliot in his notes says, "The natives 

 assert that in doing so, drops of blood are forced from its bill, and should 

 any of these fall on the backs of cattle, they become weak in the loins." 

 The chief food of this owl is rats and mice. Whilst at Madura lately, 

 one flew into my room at an open win. low after a rat that was running 

 about, and I secured it alive ; length of one specimen from tip of bill 17 ; 

 (from top of disk 14) wings 12 j tail 5; tarsus 2^ ; middle toe 2£; ex- 

 pansion of wings 3 feet. 



33. — S. Lo?tgimembris. — New species? — S, Javanicn, var. ? 



On the Neilgherries, near Coonoor, in a bushy valley, [obtained a spe- 

 cimen of an owl very similar to the 1 ist, but differing in some structural 

 points, as well as in the shade of plumage. If it should be considered 

 a distinct species it m iy be named as above, from the comparative length 

 of both wings and legs. 



Description.— The ground tint of the plumage is similar to that of 

 £. Javanka, bat lighter or more yellow. The grey tint on the upper 

 plumage of the latter is replaced by a deep brown colour, and the white 

 spots a°e less numerous. Below, the white is much tinted with one- 

 rous, and the brownish red spot on the disk of the common speci !8 is 

 here of a very deep brown. The most important differences, however, 

 are structural, as will be seen by comparing the measurements with thos3 



of the last. 



Total length about \1\ ; of wing Uh ; tail 5\ ; tarsus 3| ; middle toe 

 2\. The wings reach two in shes an 1 more beyon 1 the tail, whilst in 

 Javanica they only reach half an inch or so. A similar spe -ies to this 

 is indicated in Griffith's Cuvier as follows—" Tuidara, owl-S perlata, 

 Licht.— S. Tuidara, n. &c. Like 5. Jlammea, but the legs are longer— 

 Brazil." 



Gencs OTUS, Auct. 



39._0. bracht/otos, Cuv.— Short cared OvL-Chota Ghooghoo, H. 



I have hitherto only obtained this species on the table-land, though 

 I am informed it is also found in the Carnatic and Northern Circarsin 

 B uitable ground. It is not very common-frequents Ion- grass on the 

 open plains, and is occasionally flushed when beating for flonkm. Of 



