257 
on Dr. Jerdon’s ‘Birds of India. 1 
76. Athene brama. 
I believe that Dr. Jerdon is mistaken in noting this bird from 
Ceylon, as also from “ Persia and other parts of Asia 11 west of 
India. Noctua indica, one of the synonyms of this species, is 
described as being “ common about the foot of the mountain 
near the town of Erzeroum 11 (P. Z. S. 1839, p. 119). This, 
I believe, is the only authority for noting it from Persia; and the 
species was doubtless A. persica (Vieillot), Noctua meridionalis 
of Risso, Athene bactriana , nobis, A. gymnopus , Hodgson, and 
&Urine numida, Levaill., jun., which inhabits Middle and Western 
Asia, Southern Europe, and Africa north of the Atlas; it is 
common in Afghanistan, but does not enter the Indian sub- 
region, nor even the Himalayan province of the South-Turanian 
subregion, Mr. Hodgson’s specimens having been obtained north 
of the snow. A. sonnerati (Temrn. PL Col. 21) is stated to have 
been sent from Pondicherry by M. Leschenault, but no such 
bird is known in India or Burma. Dr. Pucheran identifies it 
with Strix superciliaris, Vieillot (Rev. Zool. 1849, p. 19), which 
is therefore different from Ephialtes sagittatus, Cassin (Ibis, 
1863, p. 21); and Prof. Kaup designates it Ieroglaux super ciliaris, 
but without mentioning its particular habitat, which was un¬ 
known to M. Vieillot. The same individual specimen in the Paris 
Museum was described by Temminck, Vieillot, and Lesson. 
77. Athene radiata. 
“ A single specimen of this pretty little owl was obtained 
at Keddah (Malayan Peninsula), agreeing in every respect 
with those obtained from India” (P. Z. S. 1854, p. 262). A. 
castanoptera , Horsf. ( Strix spadicea , Reinwardt, Temrn. PL Col. 
98), might be expected to inhabit the Malayan peninsula, but I 
have never seen it from thence, though Heifer (a loose au¬ 
thority) notes it from the Tenasserim provinces (J. A. S. B. vii. 
p. 861), and his identification might perhaps suffice for a species 
so remarkable in its colouring, were it not that he might have 
met with a straggler of the nearly allied A. castanotus , nobis, 
of Ceylon, even as Dr. Cantor procured a stray individual of 
the Indian A. radiata at Keddah. A. castanotus is recognized 
as distinct from A. castanoptera by Prof. Schlegel. 
N.S.—VOL. II. 
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