THE NIPAL SCOPS-OWL. 
155 
536. SCOPS LETTIA. 
THE NIPAL SCOPS-OWL. 
Scops lettia, Hodgs. As. Res. xix. p. 176 ; Hume, Nests and Eggs, p. 167 ; Sharpe, 
Cat. Birds B. Mus. ii. p. 85 ; Bl. Sf Wald. B. Burm. p. 65 ; Oates, S. F. vii. p. 45 ; 
Hume, S. F. vii. p. 357, viii. p. 83 ; Scully, 8. F. yiii. p. 232 ; Oates, S. F x. 
p. 183. Ephialtes lempiji, apud Jerd. B. Ind. i. p. 138. Epliialtes lettia, 
Hume, Rough Notes, ii. p. 393. 
Description. — Male and female. General colour of the upper plumage 
ricli fulvous, vermiculated and freckled with brown and black ; the bases 
of the feathers on the upper back pure fulvous, forming a broad collar ; 
forehead and sides of the crown pale creamy fulvous, almost unmarked ; 
eyebrow rich chocolate-brown ; chin and cheeks white ; ruff fulvous, 
fringed with black ; lower plumage fulvous, delicately stippled with brown, 
most of the feathers with black centres. 
The above is the ordinary plumage of the Burmese bird ; there is, how- 
ever, another plumage, which is usually called the grey phase ; it is not 
of very common occurrence. In this phase the bird is marked in much 
the same wny as above described, but the brown marks on the plumage 
are replaced by a greyish brown, giving the whole bird a different aspect. 
Bill pale green, the gape yellowish ; cere dusky pink ; iris dark brown ; 
eyelids plumbeous, the edges dusky red ; toes pale brown ; claws pale 
horn-colour, the tips dark. 
Length 9 inches, tail 3'1, wing 6*5, tarsus 1*2, bill from gape °9. The 
female is rather larger. 
This species and the next may be recognized by their general rufous or 
fulvous coloration, and by the presence of a broad pale half -collar round 
the hind neck ; and whereas in lempiji the junction of the toes with the 
tarsus is bare, in S. lettia the junction is concealed by feathers. 
The Nipal Scops-Owl is recorded from Arrakan by Mr. Blyth, and it 
appears to be common over the greater part of Pegu, for I found it 
abundantly near Kyeikpadein and the town of Pegu, and Capt. Wardlaw 
Bamsay procured it at Bangoon and on the Karin hills east of Tonghoo. 
The specimens sent to Mr. Hume from Thayetmyo by Capt. Eeilden are 
stated (S. E. iii. p. 38) to belong to S. lempiji, but their dimensions are 
very large for this species. 
This Owl appears to be found in Nipal and Sikhim, and probably in the 
Indo-Burmese countries. 
This species was very common near my house at Kyeikpadein, making 
its appearance at sunset and retreating in the morning to the shelter of 
thick clumps of bamboo. I found its nest in March in a hole of a mango 
tree. 
