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ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY, ( CEYLON BRANCH.) 



white, that of the rest of the body not so pure or tinged 

 with grey ; I noticed that the bird did not elevate its crest 

 but slightly above the level of the head. Wings when closed 

 reach within If inch of the end of the tail; weight, If lb.; 

 spread of wings, 45 inches; carpal joint, 14 J inches; length, 

 I9J inches; tail, 9 inches; longest crest feather, 2\ inches; 

 tarsus, 3 inches; greatest spread of foot, 5 inches; depth of 

 closed beak, 1 inch ; eye rich dark brown and ll-16th of inch" 

 in diameter. 



A few of the upper wing-coverts and the 5th to the 10th 

 primaries have a decided brownish tinge; the 9th and 10th 

 also have a terminal edge of albescent. These feathers I 

 should say, though quite perfect and shew no signs of abra- 

 sion, and are quite consistent with adult plumage, indicate 

 that the bird has lately worn a browner livery. Probably the 

 plumage of the first two or three years may bear a resem- 

 blance to that of commoner species, and in which stage 

 may not be readily distinguished from them, and thus 

 possibly this rare bird has been overlooked, and suffered 

 their too often inglorious fate in this Island of being stuck 

 on a tall pole as a warning to their congeners that an 

 Appu's rusty gun is only too ready to protect his master's 



fowls. 



Ninox Hirsuta, Temm. 



On the 12th November about noon, when making my way 

 through a dense jungle, I suddenly came upon three owls 

 sitting together on a horizontal branch of a low-tree, well 

 shaded with foliage. The instant they knew they were ob- 

 served, they dashed off in a sudden manner in different 

 directions. I secured one which proved to be an adult male 

 of this species. Three years since, I received a pair in the 

 flesh from Kotte near Colombo, shewing that it frequents 

 both the low and hill country; they are said to be rare in 

 Ceylon. The above are the only instances I have met 



