184 Notices and Descriptions of various new [No. 159. 



as particularly about the aigrettes, that is very apt to induce a sus- 

 picion of its identity with Sc. sunia. From the other grey species, 

 it is generally distinguished by the delicacy of its pencillings, and by 

 those of the crown scarcely, if at all, differing from the markings of the 

 back, instead of blending into a large black mass : but without a se- 

 ries of the Sc. zorca for comparison, it is quite useless to attempt 

 giving a satisfactory minute description of this Indian bird, which is 

 an inhabitant alike of the Himalaya and Southern India. A Malacca 

 specimen in Lord A. Hay's collection also approaches very nearly both 

 to this little Indian Scops and to Sc. zorca, of which latter I had a 

 specimen on loan when I took the following brief description of his 

 lordship's bird : " Darker-coloured and more uniformly pencilled (i. e. 

 less variegated) above, than either Sc. zorca or Sc. pennata ; and the 

 tail marked with four or five distantly placed, and well defined, nar- 

 rowish chesnut bands. Probably a distinct species." In the speci- 

 mens of Sc. pennata before me, the tail-markings are comparatively 

 ill defined, but consist of pale chesnut bands, margined with dusky, 

 and the intervening spaces dotted with the same. 



A Sc. gymnopodus, from India, is mentioned in Mr. Gray's catalo- 

 gue, but which does not appear to have been yet described : and the 

 same gentleman gives two new species from the Philippine Islands, Sc. 

 philippinensis and Sc. megalotis. 



The genus Athene is scarcely less developed in this part of the 

 world. In India, we have 



1. Ath. cucidoides, (Vigors). Common in the Himalaya, in the 

 hill ranges of Assam, Sylhet, Arracan, and the Tenasserim provinces, 

 and extending eastward to Chusan : but unknown in the ranges of 

 peninsular India. 



2. Ath. Brodiei, (Burton) : Noctua tubiger, Hodgson ; Strix passe- 

 rina ( ? ), mentioned in Royle's list. Himalaya. 



3. Ath. radiatus, (Tickell) : Ath. erythropterus, Gould ; Noctua per- 

 lineata, Hodgson ; N. cuculoides apud Jerdon, Catal. Himalaya, and 

 the ranges of Central India. 



4. Ath. castanopterus, (? Horsfield) : Strix spadicea, (? Reinwardt). 

 Malabar range, and the upland districts of Ceylon. This species differs 

 from the last in its more rufous general colouring, especially on the 

 whole wing, the basal portion of the primaries (except the three first) 



