Okdee STEIGES.] 
[Eam. STEIGID^E. 
SCELOGLAIIX ALBIF ACIES*. 
(LAUGHING-OWL.) 
Athene aliifacies, Gray, Yoy. Ereb. & Terror, p. 2 (1844). 
Sceloglaux alhifacies , Kaup, Isis, 1848, p. 7 68. 
Ierccglaux alhifacies, Kaup, Tr. Zool. Soc. iv. p. 219 (1852). 
Athene ejulans , Potts, Trans. New-Zeal. Inst. vol. iii. p. 63 (1870). 
Native names. 
Whekau, Kuru-whekau, and Kakaha ; “ Laughing-Jackass” of the colonists. 
Ad. supra laete fulvescens, plumis omnibus meclialiter late nigro striatis : uropygio laetius fulvo : scapularibus et 
dorso postico brunnescentioribus, late albido marmoratis : tectricibus alarum magis ferrugineo tinctis, fulvo 
marmoratis : remigibus bruimeis, estus ferrugineo lavatis et fulvo maculatis : cauda brunnea, fasciis fulvis 
conspicue transnotata : fronte, superciliis, gula, cum collo laterali griseo-albidis, anguste nigro striatis : 
regione oculari et auriculari brunnescentibus : corpore reliquo subtus Isete aurantiaco-fulvo, plumis media- 
liter brunneo striatis : tarso plumulis albidis induto : rostro nigro, versus apicem corneo : pedibus corneo- 
brunneis, setis fulvescentibus ornatis, unguibus nigricantibus : iride rufescenti-brunnea. 
Adult. Forehead, throat, ear-coverts, and sides of the head greyish white, with black shafts and hair-like 
filaments ; sides of the neck white, each feather having a narrow central streak of black ; upper parts dark 
brown, the feathers of the crown and nape broadly margined with yellowish brown towards the tip ; those 
of the lower part of the back streaked, spotted, and barred with fulvous and white ; lower part of the fore 
neck and the whole of the breast dark brown, each feather narrowly margined with bright fulvous or yellowish 
brown ; on the abdomen, sides of the body, and under tail-coverts the latter colour predominates, the centre 
of each feather being dai’k brown ; the soft ventral feathers and the short plumage covering the thighs and 
tarsi light fulvous, without any dark markings ; primaries dark brown, marked on the outer web with equi- 
distant angular spots of white, and on the inner web with obsolete hands ; secondaries dark brown, with 
broad transverse bands of white, and clouded in the centre ; scapulars dark brown, handsomely variegated 
with ocellated spots of white. The feathers forming the mantle are all differently marked, some having two 
broad approximate lateral bars of white, others a double series of spots on each, web, while others again 
have a narrow lateral bar of white on one side of the shaft, and broad angular spots on the other ; a few of 
them are transversely barred and margined with a narrow terminal crescent; upper wing-coverts dark 
brown, with numerous oval spots of fulvous white more or less distinct ; tail-feathers dark brown, with 
five equidistant transverse bands and a terminal margin of fulvous white. Irides dark reddish brown ; toes 
fleshy brown, and covered with coarse yellow hairs; bill black, horn-colour towards the tip; claws black. 
Extreme length 19 inches ; wing, from flexure, 11 ; tail 6'5 ; hill, along the curvature to anterior edge of 
cere, 2'75 ; cere '25; middle toe and claw 1'6; hind toe and claw '75. 
Ohs. The above description is taken from one of the specimens in the Colonial Museum. In the British- 
Museum example, figured in my former edition, there is less of the spotted character on the upper surface, 
and the plumage is stained with ferruginous. The accompanying drawing is from a fine specimen, in my 
own collection, obtained near Timaru in 1874. 
.* Inadvertently named Sceloglaux novee zealanclice on the accompanying Plate. 
