251 
on Dr. Jerdon’s ‘Birds of IndiaJ 
licatula apart from S.javanica (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. Phil. 1849); 
but then all his specimens were Indian, and of course S. indica : 
yet he cites the beautiful and correct figure of S. javanica, pub¬ 
lished by Messrs. Gray and Mitchell, as representing his supposed 
S. javanica, Finally Mr. Gould, in his f Handbook to the Birds 
of Australia/ retains S. delicatula, but refers to S.javanica “of 
India ” (i. e. S. indica ), and not to the true S. javanica of the Ma¬ 
layan subregion. Numerous specimens of S. delicatida in the 
British Museum seem to make a very close approach to S. indica, 
and not to S.javanica, which latter is a small Scelostrix (as dis¬ 
tinguished from Strix), with white bill and claws like the Indian 
Neophron. S. affinis, nobis (Ibis, 1862, p. 388), from South 
Africa, proves to be S. poensis, Eraser. Mr. Wallace has a fine 
true Strix from Macassar which is still more robust than S. 
indica , and closely approximates S.personata of Australia (Gould^s 
B. Austr. i. p. 29). 
61. Scelostrix Candida. 
I never obtained this bird in Lower Bengal; but I remember 
that the late Professor Wallich had a coloured drawing of one 
that, as I understood from him, had been killed in the Calcutta 
Botanic Garden; and Mr. E. Moored supposed S. capensis , re¬ 
presented in one of Buchanan Hamilton^ drawings, refers, as a 
matter of course, to this species. In the c Ibis ^ (1865, p. 30) 
I mentioned that I found S. Candida among the Philippine 
specimens in the Derby Museum of Liverpool, two very fine 
examples (collected by the late Hugh Cuming); but since I have 
come to understand the differences of the kindred species, I feel 
that I should like to reexamine the Philippine bird, which is 
likely to prove another distinguishable species, however close to 
S. Candida, and the more so as the latter would otherwise appear 
to be one of the peculiar species of the Indian subregion*. 
/ 
. /re 
/ 
62. Phodilus badius. 
Prof. Schlegel refers this species to his Ulula as distinguished 
* The species of Scelostrix are distinguished by their long and slender 
tarsi, which are not feathered on the lower half. They are ground-birds, 
which conceal themselves in long grass during the day, and affect the open 
country away from human habitations—habits considerably diverse from 
those of the birds which constitute the genus Strix as here limited. 
