Ceylon Ornithology. 169 

 Ephialtes Scops, Linn. The Scops Eared Owl. 



Syn. Scops pennata, Hodgson. 

 Scops Aldrovandi, Ray. 

 Scops Europeus, Lesson. 



Rufous brown, minutely speckled and streaked with dusky 

 brown and rufous. Lower parts paler; abdomen, vent and 

 lower tail coverts more white spotted; small white spots on 

 the outer web of primaries ; inner web of secondaries white 

 barred. Tail barred and speckled with white and rufous. 

 Bill brown. Irides yellow. Toes brown; claws dark brown. 



Length 5 J inches. Wing 4 inches. 



This elegant little owl is rare in Ceylon. I met with only 

 one specimen (alive) at Trincomalie which Mr. Blyth has seen 

 and identified with Scops pennata, Hodg. Mr. Layard has 

 not been so fortunate as to meet with this species, nor has he 

 seen the next. 



Ephialtes Sunia, Hodgson. The Yellowish Red Eared 



-Owl. 



Syn. Ephialtes scops, apud Blyth. 



General colour, a bright ferruginous red, with black shafts 

 to most of the plumage. It is less speckled and barred than 

 Scops pennata. An albescent line on the scapularies, with 

 black tips. Abdomen whitish yellow. Rather smaller than 

 the last. 



I have not seen this beautiful owl lower than Dimboola 

 (4000 feet). It is not common. Mr. Layard has not met 

 with it in Ceylon. The specimen I sent Mr. Blyth was 

 identified by him with Scops sunia of Hodgson, which he still 

 thinks is only a variety of Ephialtes scops. Linn. 



VOL. II. Z 



