Genus GLAU CIDIUM. 
Of small size. Bill short, rapidly curved from the cere. Cere tumid. Nostrils circular. 
Facial disk obsolete, the loral plumes very long. Wings short, rounded, falling short of the 
tail by more than the length of the tarsus ; 1st quill short, as in Ninox, 4th and 5th quills sub- 
equal and longest. Tail moderate. Tarsus stout, longer than the anterior toes, well feathered. 
Toes covered with hairy plumes, claws rather long and acute. 
GLAUCIDIUM CASTANONOTUM. 
(THE CHESTNUT-BACKED OWLET.) 
(Peculiar to Ceylon.) 
Athene castanoptera, Blyth, J. A. S. xv. p. 280 (1846, nec Horsf.). 
Athene castanotus , Blyth, Cat. B. Mus. A. S. B. p. 39 (1849) ; Kelaart, Prodromus, Cat. p. 116 
(1852); Layard, Ann. & Mag. Nat. ITist. 1853, xii. p. 105; Blyth, Ibis, 1866, p. 259. 
Tcenioglaux castanonotus, Bp. Kev. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p. 544. 
Noctua castanonota , Schl. Mus. P.-B. Striges, p. 34 (1862). 
Athene castaneonotm, Blyth, Ibis, 1867, p. 295; Hume, Rough Notes, p. 412 (1870). 
Athene ccistaneonota, Gray, Hand-1. B. i. p. 39 (1869); Holdsworth, P. Z. S. 1872, p. 418. 
Athene castanonota, Legge, Ibis, 1874, p. 11. 
Glaucidium castanonotum, Sharpe, Ibis, 1875, p. 259; id. Cat. Birds, ii. p. 215 (1875). 
The Ceylon Chestnut-winged Owl , Kelaart, Prodromus ; Chestnut-winged Owl, Europeans in 
Ceylon. 
Punchi-Bassa, Sinhalese ; Sin-Anda, lit. “ Small Owl,” Tamils in Ceylon. 
Supra castaueo-rufus, scapularibus extus nigro et fulvo fasciatim notatis, interdum sed rarius albo maculatis : tectri- 
cibus alarum extus obscure nigro transfasciatis, majoribus vix fulvo apicatim notatis : primariis fuscescenti-nigris, 
extus rufescenti-fulvo indentatis, secundariis castaneis obscure nigro transfasciatis : supracaudalibus et rectricibus 
nigricantibus, anguste fulvo apicatis et 9-fasciatis : pileo cum nucha et collo postico, colli et capitis lateribus 
nigricanti-brunneis, anguste rufescenti-fulvo transfasciatis, interscapulio quoque paullo nigricanti fasciato : torque 
collari albo indistincto, pluinis quibusdam longitudinaliter et irregulariter albo notatis : plumis anteocularibus 
albidis, scapis elongatis nigris : plumis oeulo circumdatis albidis : inento albo, utrinque ad genas anticas 
triaugulariter extenso : maculfi, jugulari magna alba : plaga lata gulari nigricanti-brunnea fulvescenti-albo trans- 
fasciata : pectore summo et laterali nigricante, castaneo lavato et rufescenti-fulvo transfasciato : pectore medio, 
abdomine et subcaudalibus pure albis, his medialiter nigro notatis : hvpochondriis rufescenti-brunneo longitudi- 
naliter maculatis : tibiis et plumis tarsalibus albis brunneo maculatis et faseiatis : margine alari albido : subalaribus 
et axillaribus albis flavo vix lavatis, illis conspieue subterminaliter nigro notatis : rostro pallide olivaceo, rictu et 
cera plumbeis : pedibus olivaceis : iride laetc flava. 
Adult male and female. Length to front of cere 7 - 0 to 7'4 inches ; culmen from cere O' 6 to 0'62 ; wing 4-9 to 5'55 ; 
tail 2 '3 to 2'6 ; tarsus 0'9 to 1-1 ; middle or outer anterior toe 0'8, its claw (straight) 0 - 55 ; height of bill at 
cere 0'3. Expanse 18 - 7 inches ; weight 4 oz. 
The above measurements are taken from a series of seven examples, in which the males exceed as a whole the females, 
although one of the former has the wing 4-9 inches. 
Iris primrose-yellow, in some slightly mottled with brown at the outer edge ; eyelid dark olive-brown ; cere and gape 
dusky greenish ; bill greenish horn-colour ; feet olivaceous, in some “ woody ” green, soles yellowish : claws 
brown, pale at base. Layard erroneously describes the iris of this species as reddish brown. 
