Luzon (Cuming, Heriot, Möllendorff, Steere Exp., Whitehead, McGregor).

“Adult (type of species).—Above tawny-rufous, the feathers mesially dark brown, giving a closely striped appearance; the wing-coverts rather darker, some of the scapulars and greater-coverts externally creamy buff, forming a kind of longitudinal bar down the latter; entire head and auricular-tufts colored like the back, but somewhat more narrowly streaked; quills dull brown, tipped with fulvous, more plainly on the secondaries, the primaries spotted on the outer and barred on the inner web with pale tawny-rufous, the bars more distinct on the secondaries; tail-feathers dull brown, tipped with fulvous and crossed with a few bars of tawny-buff, the middle feathers nearly uniform, with only one bar and indications of a second, the bars gradually increasing in number toward the outer tail-feather, which has five bars on the inner web, and is externally tawny-buff; lores white, the anterior bristles black toward tip; sides of face tawny, with white shafts; facial disk tawny, with central streaks of brown to the feathers, which are fulvous at base; under surface of body buffy white, longitudinally streaked with dark brown centers to the feathers, each mesial streak having a narrow edging of rufous on each side, and decreasing in width toward the abdomen and under tail-coverts, the tarsal feathers entirely uniform; under wing-coverts buffy white, the outermost longitudinally spotted with dark brown, the greater series whitish at base, brown at tip, resembling the inner lining of the wing. Bill horn-blue at base, yellow at tip; feet fleshy brown, claws light horn-color. Length, 546; auricular-tufts, 33; culmen, 58; wing, 356; tail, 178; tarsus, 68.” (Sharpe.)

An adult male was taken near Irisan, Benguet Province, Luzon. Iris yellow; bill pale horn-blue, cere similar but darker; feet pale dingy blue; nails blackish. Length, 483; wing, 350; tail, 185; culmen from base, 47; tarsus, 77.

Mindanao (Everett).

Adult male.—“Sides of face bright pure unmarked rufous; lengthened stiff plumes springing from base of maxilla rufous, mixed with tawny, and many with dark brown shafts and tipped with dark brown; space above front of eyes, uniting on forehead and extending back over eyes, pale tawny-rufous; crown and occiput dark rufous, many of the feathers with a broad dark brown mesial stripe; nape and sides of neck pure rufous; lengthened ear-tufts rufous, some with very narrow brown mesial linear markings near their apices; plumes bordering facial disk albescent tawny, some almost pure white, tipped with dark brown; chin and upper throat tawny-rufous; middle of throat white; breast and remainder of lower surface pure rufous, more dilute on lengthened tibial plumes and under tail-coverts; a few pectoral plumes with large, dark brown, terminal drops; many abdominal plumes, with elongated dark brown, central stripes; back rufous, minutely freckled with brown, each feather with a bold, irregular, dark brown central stripe; scapulars like back, but some of the shorter and outer ones albescent tawny on outer webs; dark brown central marks so arranged that the back, together with the scapulars, appears to have three parallel dark brown stripes running down it; rump and upper tail-coverts rufous brown, with darker shafts; rectrices brown, minutely freckled with pale rufous, and with eight or nine rufous cross-bands; lesser and median wing-coverts brown, freckled with rufous, each with a narrow central brown line; greater coverts brown on inner web, freckled with rufous on outer web; quills brown, alternately banded with freckled brown and pale rufous; tertiaries pure rufous, with traces of dark brown along the shafts; edge of wing white; lining yellowish white; some of the under carpal coverts rufous; thigh and tarsal coverts pale rufous and tawny white. ‘Iris warm brown; bill grayish white; feet pale gray; claws white tipped with dark gray.’ (Everett.) Wing, 236; tarsus, 46; culmen without cere, 28; middle toe, 35.” (Tweeddale.)

This species differs from P. philippensis in its smaller size, more rufous under surface, darker upper surface, and finer dark markings of the mantle.

Mindanao (Goodfellow).

Adult male.—“Nearly allied to P. philippensis, from which it differs in being somewhat larger and in the following points: General color of upper parts much darker, the feathers being brownish black, and rather narrowly margined with sandy rufous, instead of bright tawny-buff; primary quills dark brown, with only faint traces of buff markings; secondaries similar with faintly indicated grayish buff transverse markings; tail-feathers brown, with whitish or whitish buff transverse markings, rather faintly indicated on outer webs; under parts more heavily streaked with blackish. ‘Iris light brownish gold; bill whitish toward the tip, bluish gray at base; feet pale gray; nails white at base, gray at tip.’ (Goodfellow.) Length, about 495; culmen, 51; wing, 371; tail, 185; tarsus, 76.” (Grant.)

Luzon (Cuming).

“Adult (type of species).—Everywhere light rufous-fawn, with separate vermiculations of dull blackish, a little coarser on the auricular-tufts and on the wing-coverts, almost obsolete on the under surface of body; tarsal feathers fulvous, slightly mottled with rufous; greater and primary wing-coverts rufous-fawn color, very coarsely and thickly vermiculated with blackish, forming five or six indistinct bars; quills blackish, with six or seven bars of fawn-color, very distinct on the outer primaries, but gradually becoming more and more obscured with blackish frecklings till the bands are obsolete on the secondaries; tail blackish, with six or seven bars of fawn-color, more or less obscured with frecklings of blackish, which are plentifully distributed over the whole tail; under wing-coverts uniform fulvous; the under surface of the wing ashy brown, with bands of fulvous. Bill pale horn-color, yellowish on under mandible; feet yellowish brown. Length, 279; culmen, 33; auricular tufts, 37; wing, 165; tail, 89; tarsus, 37.” (Sharpe.)

The type, secured by Cuming in “Manila,” is the only known specimen.

Basilan (Everett); Mindanao (Everett); Palawan (Whitehead, Platen); Samar (Steere Exp.).

Description.—“May be described as being a large form of Scops [=Otus] lempiji as it occurs in Java. Above it has the deep rich brown coloring of the Javan species; the same broad dark brown mark in the form of a parallelogram on the head and nape; the same pale colored forehead, stripe above each eye and round the nape, and the broad dark stripe leading from behind the eye, and including most of the ear-tufts; there are no pale uniform tawny or fulvous scapulars. Underneath, the markings differ from those of the Javan bird by being more confused, and by the absence of regular dark brown cross-markings on the abdominal plumes. The general coloring of the under surface is of a ruddier brown. Male: ‘Iris deep brown; feet whitish.’ (Everett.) Wing, 165; tail, 89; tarsus, 30; culmen, 16. Female: ‘Iris warm brown; bill pale greenish leaden, nearly white; feet whitish gray; claws dark gray.’ (Everett.) Wing, 171; tail, 92; tarsus, 30; culmen, 17.” (Tweeddale.)

“A single male specimen, secured in Palawan, measured 203 in length; wing, 137; tail, 73; culmen, 15; tarsus, 29; middle toe and claw, 26. Bill pale horn, darkest at base; feet dirty white; nails black at tip, gray at base; food insects. This specimen started within a meter of the head of the collector, and flew less than three meters before alighting.

“If S. everetti is a smaller race of S. lempiji it is hard to understand the above measurements. We were at first inclined to identify our Palawan specimen with the latter species, but after comparison with Dr. Steere’s specimen of S. everetti from Samar, find ourselves unable to do so.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Palawan (Whitehead).

Diagnosis.—Similar to Otus umbratilis but much smaller, and entirely rich brown; vermiculated and spotted as in typical Otus but auricular region uniform rufous-brown; and with frontal and cervical bands pale and obsolete.25

Whitehead, who collected the type, refers this species to Scops (=Otus) everetti and says: “I find that Mr. Sharpe has not much faith in his Scops fuliginosa, which in all probability is only the young of S. everetti.” Sharpe retains the species in his “Hand-List” and therefore it is given here.

Sibutu (Everett).

Diagnosis.—Similar to Otus mantananensis but upper side of wings scarcely spotted with white and quills but faintly banded below. “Bill blackish brown; feet brown; iris yellow.” (Everett.) Length, 203; wing, 152.26

Everett collected an adult male and female and a young bird in Sibutu. Sharpe makes the following observations: “This race is intermediate between S. menadensis [from Celebes] and S. mantananensis [from Mantanani Island, Borneo] which I described last year; the white wing markings, however, are altogether smaller and not so distinct, the under surface of the quills being almost devoid of markings. From S. menadensis the Sibutu bird differs in having all the markings of the upper surface very fine and not all over as in that species. The quills have also more bars in the Celebean bird than in the species from Sibutu.”

Ban͠g-aó, Benguet.

Luzon (Whitehead, McGregor).

Adult male.—Upper parts bright rufous, the feathers with streaks and irregular bars of blackish brown, mostly near their tips; forehead, line over each eye, and complete collar white, the feathers blackish at their tips; collar narrow but distinct on hind neck, wider on breast; loral plumes with white bars and black tips, the longest plumes about 28 mm.; ear-tufts colored like the head, longest feathers 31 mm.; ear-coverts barred with white, blackish brown, and rufous; chin whitish; throat and sides of throat white, each feather with a black tip and subterminal rufous line; breast rich rufous boldly mottled with black and less white; abdomen, flanks, and under tail-coverts largely white, the feathers mottled with blackish and rusty brown; thighs rufous; wings blackish, mottled and speckled with fulvous and rusty brown, tail similar. Bill dingy dull green, tip and cutting edge dark brown; cere dirty flesh at base but dull yellowish green over nostrils; legs whitish flesh; nails gray; iris bright yellow. Length, 184; wing, 145; tail, 72; culmen from base, 17; tarsus, 33.

Adult female.—Similar to the male. Length, 190; wing, 153; tail, 71; culmen from base, tip broken, 18; tarsus, 30.

Downy young.—The natal down is pure light gray; this soon gives place to a soft gray plumage barred with brown, darker on head and upper parts. A nest with three downy young was found in Benguet, Luzon, on May 26.

“A single male specimen of this remarkable little owl was obtained. It most nearly resembles Scops pennatus, but may be instantly recognized by having the basal half of the tarsi entirely devoid of feathers, as well as by the length of the horn-like feathers on the head, which measure 38 mm., whereas in S. pennatus the longest are only 23. The markings on the feathers of the head are coarse and form black bands, and the whole of the markings on the back and under parts are coarser and less neat. Length, 203; wing, 142; tail, 74; tarsus, 29; of which 15 is naked and covered with small octagonal scales.” (Grant.)

The subject of Grant’s remarks, quoted above, was a long-horned screech owl collected by Whitehead in “North Luzon.” The same collector secured specimens in Lepanto and I have seen a living example which was reported as having come from Nueva Ecija.

Mindoro (Whitehead).

Adult female.—Similar to Otus longicornis but smaller; hair-like feathers on each side of mandible shorter, the longest less than 25 mm.; forehead and space above eyes almost uniform pale buff; ear-tufts shorter, the longest feather about 30 mm.; white nuchal band obsolete; lower parts mostly buffy, and almost entirely devoid of white. Length, 183; wing, 135; tail, 63; tarsus, 29. Male unknown. (Whitehead.)

This species is known from the type only, a badly damaged skin obtained by Whitehead.

Luzon (Whitehead).

Description.—“This remarkably fine new species is most nearly related to Scops everetti of Tweeddale, from the Island of Mindanao, but it is very much larger, and is, in fact, the largest Scops at present known to inhabit the Old World. The feathering on the tarsi extends over the basal joints of toes; the light cross-bars on the inner webs of the quills are much less conspicuous; and the middle of the lower breast and belly is uniform whitish buff, in marked contrast to the sides. Both the gray and rufous phases of plumage are represented. Adult male. Length, 241 to 254; wing, 185 to 188; tail, 91 to 94; tarsus, 42. Adult female. Length, 279 to 289; wing, 195 to 203; tail, 99 to 102; tarsus, 42 to 48.” (Grant.)

“Iris golden brown; bill brownish white, tipped with white; feet dull white, nails white.” (Whitehead.)

Known from Whitehead’s specimens only, which were collected in Lepanto, northern Luzon.

Sulu (Burbidge). Malay Peninsula, Greater Sunda Islands.

Adult.—“Everywhere bright tawny-rufous, browner on the head and upper parts generally, these also varied with small triangular cross-bars of fulvous, which become larger and more distinct on the wing-coverts; the outer margin of the scapulars paler and more inclining to tawny-fulvous; ear-coverts 25 mm. long, and colored like the head; lores and forehead clear fulvous, with little black spots along the shaft of the feathers; sides of face rufous; inclining to dark brown around the eye; behind the ear-coverts a line of black feathers running down the sides of the neck; under surface of body tawny-rufous, paler on the lower parts, and varied with little tiny spots of black along the shafts, less distinct toward the abdomen, and absent on thighs and under tail-coverts, which are uniform tawny-buff; quills dark brown, barred across with fulvous, paler on the outer margin of primaries, but less distinct on the secondaries, which are almost uniform rufous like the back, but with indistinct bars of dark brown on the inner web; tail rufous, mottled with dark brown vermiculations, making it look darker than the back, with remains of five or six, more or less plainly indicated, fulvous bars; under wing-coverts buffy white, more tawny on outer edge, and having a line of dark brown feathers near the outer margin. Length, 239; culmen, 229; wing, 132; tail, 66; tarsus, 27.” (Sharpe.)

This species is included in the Philippine list because of the single specimen collected by Burbidge which, however, may really represent an undescribed species. Sharpe says: “This bird seems to me to differ slightly from Bornean and Malaccan examples in having a much darker face, the ear-coverts shaded with black. I do not, however, propose to found a new species on a single example, and must wait for more specimens. The measurements of the Sooloo [=Sulu] bird are as follows: Length, 178; culmen, 18; wing, 122; tail, 66; tarsus, 22.”

Bu-caó, Cuyo.

Cuyo (McGregor).

Adult male, light phase, type.—Feathers of head and neck heavily streaked with blackish brown, the edges more or less notched with whitish and light rufous; ear-tufts also blackish, but edges rufous; back dark rufous, finely speckled with blackish, clearer rufous on upper tail-coverts; each outer scapular with a large white spot on outer web followed by a blackish spot on tip and bordered toward base by a dark brown line; chin and upper throat whitish with narrow brown shaft-stripes, the webs marked more or less with cinnamon; remainder of under parts dark cinnamon, more or less cross-barred with white and dark brown, each feather with a blackish brown shaft-stripe; the coloration heaviest across upper breast because of the greater width of the shaft-stripes and reduction of the white areas; middle of abdomen almost pure white; flank-feathers with narrow shaft-lines and wide white bars; thighs rufous-brown; wings mostly sandy cinnamon more or less mottled with brown; outer webs of primaries regularly notched with five or six spots of white or whitish cinnamon, bordered with dark brown; similar notches on secondaries but less prominent owing to darker color of spots; quills below brownish with slightly lighter, irregular, and almost obsolete bars; alula with similar light notches on outer webs, on the first feather the notches are white; coverts generally uniform, but some feathers of median series with large white patches on outer webs; tail similar to the back with about eight irregular and nearly obsolete cross-bars; short plumulaceous feathers below and behind the eye finely mottled with pale cinnamon, brown, and whitish; behind ear, feathers of the incomplete ruff broadly tipped with blackish brown forming a prominent dark band on side of head; bristle-like feathers of lores with bases whitish, tips blackish brown, the longest about 20 mm.; anterior bristles pale cinnamon; tarsus feathered to base of toes. Bill, cere, and feet dirty brown; nails horn-brown; iris yellow. Length, 235; wing, 170; tail, 82; culmen, 23; tarsus, 35; middle toe with claw, 33.

Adult female, light phase.—Not greatly different from the male, but white notches on primaries and alula with a cinnamon wash. Length, 235; wing, 175; tail, 88; culmen (tip broken), 21; tarsus, 35; middle toe with claw, 32.

Red phase.—The pattern of coloration is the same as in the light phase; white and whitish markings nearly all replaced by rufous; chin and upper throat and modified feathers below and behind eye almost clear rufous; blackish brown markings on breast very wide; a few whitish bars on abdomen and flanks.

Cok-cok bá-buy, Calayan.

Calayan (McGregor).

Adult male, light phase; type.—Lower parts dark cinnamon finely mottled with brown and white, a few feathers on throat and breast with dark brown shaft-stripes or spots; abdomen, flanks, and under tail-coverts extensively white with very little cinnamon and the brown mostly reduced to fine speckles; thighs and tarsi cinnamon with cross-lines of dark brown; upper parts dark rufous finely mottled with blackish brown, producing a rather uniform coloration; lores, continuous with a line above eyes, white; tips of nasal and loral bristles dusky brown or cinnamon, the longest about 20 mm.; modified feathers of ear-coverts and below eye finely speckled with white and dark brown; behind this the incomplete ruff forms a conspicuous rufous band along side of head, but most of the feathers tipped with dusky brown; feathers of ear-tufts dark rufous with irregular blackish spots toward tips; wing-coverts and scapulars about same as back, some of the latter with a large white area on outer web; exposed surface of quills and tail similar and a little lighter than back; tail crossed by several irregular lighter bars; quills dusky brown; outer webs of outer primaries notched with pale cinnamon; inner webs of quills crossed by pale cinnamon bars which become very wide on secondaries; tarsi feathered nearly to toes. Bill, feet, and nails brown, the feet with a slight green wash; iris bright yellow. Length, 216; wing, 169; tail, 85; culmen, 21; tarsus, 31; middle toe with claw, 29.

Female.—In every way similar to the male. Length, 203; wing, 164; tail, 81; culmen, 21; tarsus, 31; middle toe with claw, 28. In the red phase, the white markings, except a few bars and freckles on abdomen and flanks, are replaced by rufous.

Banton (Celestino); Romblon (McGregor).

Adult female, type.—Feathers of upper parts rufous with median black stripes on head, neck, and back, heaviest on head; ear-tufts colored like neck and inconspicuous; white spots on scapulars washed with pale fulvous; lower parts and wings patterned as in O. cuyensis but more rufescent; black band on side of head narrower and less marked than in cuyensis. Length, 222; wing, 158; tail, 76; tarsus, 29; middle toe with claw, 28.

This species is similar to Otus cuyensis from which it differs in having shorter wings and tail.

Bohol (McGregor).

Female, type.—Crown, nape, and interscapular area, conspicuously blackish, the feathers sparingly vermiculated and notched with sandy buff; basal portion of a few feathers sandy buff forming a narrow and hidden nuchal band; forehead whitish, the whitish marking continued as a wide band over each eye to tips of ear-tufts on inner webs, outer webs blackish spotted with fulvous, these white bands more or less broken by fine vermiculations of dark brown; loral plumes whitish with blackish tips; ear-coverts grayish, shaded with fulvous and narrowly barred with dark brown, the hinder ear-coverts tipped with black forming a short band; side of neck whitish with fine blackish cross-lines and wide blackish tips to the feathers; behind ear-coverts an imperfect ruff of whitish feathers with wide terminal or subterminal black bars; chin whitish; feathers of throat somewhat modified in continuation of the ruff; breast, sides, and abdomen rufescent cinnamon with fine vermiculations and irregularly shaped median stripes of blackish brown, each feather with one or two rounded spots of light buff on each web; under tail-coverts light sandy buff with a few wavy blackish lines near their tips; legs sandy buff crossed by distinct wavy blackish lines; feathering of tarsi extending nearly to basal joints of toes; primaries dark brown; the outer webs with large clear and distinct spots of sandy buff, six in number on short first primary, and corresponding faint bars on inner webs; secondaries dark brown with sandy buff bars somewhat obscured by darker vermiculations; the primary-coverts resemble the secondaries, and first quill of alula is marked like the primaries; secondary-coverts, scapulars, and back vermiculated with sandy buff, light buff, and blackish brown and marked with large irregular blackish brown spots; under wing-coverts nearly white, inner ones uniform, the outer buff mottled with blackish; edge of wing white; tail dark brown, mottled with sandy buff and with seven or eight poorly defined bars of sandy buff. Wing, 155; tail, 82; tarsus, 30; culmen from base, 24; culmen from anterior margin of cere, 16; ear-tuft, 29.

This owl is clearly allied to Strix lempiji Horsfield, and doubtless it is closely related to Scops everetti Tweeddale, with which it should be compared. The type was taken in the interior of Bohol and is the only specimen known.

Basilan (Steere Exp.); Luzon (Heriot, Steere Exp.); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Steere Exp.); Negros (Keay); Sulu (Bourns & Worcester). Himalayas, Indian Peninsula, Burmese countries.

“Adult female.—Above ashy brown, the head very much grayer, the sides of the face and neck being decidedly light gray; forehead, lores, fore part of cheeks and chin very conspicuously white, the loral plumes with hair-like black shaft-lines; feathers round the eye grayish; scapulars marked externally with large bars of white, not very distinct, and often half concealed; upper wing-coverts ashy brown like the back, the outer median-coverts and the primary-coverts deeper and more inclining to sepia-brown; quills dark brown, a little deeper than the back, barred across with light ashy or grayish brown, inclining to whitish on the outer web of some of the primaries and inner secondaries, most of which are narrowly tipped with white; tail very pale grayish brown, inclining to white at the base, and also tipped with white, crossed with six blackish brown bands; under surface of body white, the throat yellowish buff, streaked longitudinally with grayish brown, the chest broadly streaked with rufescent brown, the abdomen spotted, and each feather subterminally barred with the same; under tail-coverts pure white, the basal ones with a few brownish bands; leg-feathers rufous-brown, very slightly mottled with whitish cross-markings; under wing-coverts white, barred across with dark brown, the outermost almost entirely brown, the edge of the wing white; the greater series dusky grayish brown, barred with buffy white, thus resembling the inner lining of the wing, which is grayish brown, barred with buffy white on the inner web, these bars inclining to fulvous near the base. Cere and bill green, the tip of the latter dusky; feet grayish or reddish yellow; iris bright golden yellow. Length, 343; wing, 232; tail, 145; tarsus, 34.

“Adult male.—Smaller than the female, and having only five blackish bands on the tail. Length, 292; wing, 216; tail, 142; tarsus, 29.” (Sharpe.)

“The two specimens collected measure 294 in length; culmen, 15; wing, 222; tail, 123; middle toe with claw, 30; tarsus, 28. Iris yellow; legs and feet yellow; bill black along gape, elsewhere dirty greenish. Food insects.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Palawan (Platen). Southern India, Malay Peninsula, Greater Sunda Islands, Ceylon, Tenasserim.

“Adult (type of Athene malaccensis27).—Above deep chocolate-brown, the head slightly darker, the scapulars with concealed white bars; wing-coverts exactly like the back and equally uniform, the primary-coverts blackish, quills dark brown, slightly washed externally with ocherous, the primaries inclining to rufous-ocherous toward their tips, all the wing-feathers nearly uniform, with no lighter cross-bands, the inner secondaries barred with white, but these bars entirely concealed; upper tail-coverts uniform chocolate-brown like the back; tail-feathers ashy brown, rather paler at tips, and crossed with five blackish bands (one basal and concealed); sides of face chocolate-brown, as also the sides of the neck, the latter slightly washed with rufous; forehead and lores whitish, the latter obscured by blackish shaft-lines; chin whitish, slightly streaked with brown; rest of under surface rufous-chocolate, the throat washed with buff, the breast varied with white, generally as if streaked, the margins to the feathers being whitish; on the abdomen the white predominating and cutting across the feather, so as to form an oval spot of brown at the tips of the abdominal plumes, leg-feathers brown; under tail-coverts whitish; under wing-coverts rufous-chocolate, the inner feathers washed and barred with ochraceous-buff, the edge of the wing whitish; the greater series sepia-brown, nearly uniform, excepting for a few ochraceous bars near the base, thus resembling the inner lining of the wing, which is sepia-brown, with a few ochraceous bars near the base of the quills. Length, 317; wing, 213; tail, 122; tarsus, 28.” (Sharpe.)

Cuá-go, Manila; cok-cok, Calayan; n͠gi-n͠gi-aó, Cuyo.

Basilan (Mearns, McGregor); Calayan (McGregor); Camiguin N. (McGregor); Cebu (Bourns & Worcester); Cuyo (McGregor); Fuga (Whitehead, McGregor); Mindanao (Everett, Celestino); Mindoro (Whitehead). China, Japan, Indo Malayan islands; in winter to Celebes, Ternate, and Sangi Islands.

Adult.—“Above vandyke-brown, washed on the head with grayish, and with rufous on the back, sides of neck, throat, and wings; wing-coverts unspotted, the outer ones dark purplish brown, the inner ones like back, scapulars with concealed white spots; outer web of primaries light cinnamon-rufous with two or three partially obliterated yellowish bars; tail reddish brown crossed with five dusky bars and terminally margined with buff; under parts white with long oval light chestnut-brown spots; under side of wing banded on the inner webs of the feathers with yellowish isabelline except on the ends of the primaries. ‘Iris golden yellow; bill dark lead-gray; feet light yellow.’ (Platen). Wing, 218 to 235; tail, 115 to 136; tarsus, 25 to 29; culmen from cere, 13 to 17.” (Meyer and Wiglesworth.)

“A male of the Japanese hawk owl was obtained on the Island of Fuga. It differs from the typical N. japonica from Japan and the Loo Choo Islands in having the predominating color of the under parts white instead of reddish brown, all the feathers being white, with an oblong reddish brown spot, about 15 mm. long, at the end of each. Examples from Luzon and Mindanao, however, approach the Fuga Island bird, having less reddish brown and more white on the under parts.

“N. japonica appears to be perfectly distinct from the Indian N. scutulata, the markings on the sides and flanks in the latter species taking the form of wide bars with a detached heart-shaped spot or bar at the tip of each feather. The sides and flanks thus appear spotted, not longitudinally streaked, as in N. japonica.” (Grant.)

The Japanese hawk owl is a common species. In Calayan Island I killed a number of specimens on the beach and in both Fuga and Camiguin I found it common in the forest. The number of bars on the wings and tail is by no means invariable and must not be depended upon in identifying this species.

Bu-caó, Ticao and Masbate.

Guimaras (Steere Exp.); Leyte (Whitehead); Luzon (Meyer, Heriot, Steere Exp., Whitehead, McGregor); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Negros (Steere Exp., Whitehead); Siquijor (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Ticao (McGregor).

“Adult.—Above brown, the head slightly darker and more chocolate-brown, the scapulars with large oval marks on the outer webs, some of the inner ones barred with ochraceous; wing-coverts dark brown, slightly washed with ochraceous, all of them distinctly spotted with white or ochraceous white, those on the median and greater series large and oval in shape; quills brown, margined narrowly with ochraceous, and barred across with paler brown, almost obsolete on the inner web, but indicated on the outer one by a distinct white spot, very plain, and producing a checkered appearance; upper tail-coverts rather more ochraceous brown than the back; tail-feathers sepia-brown, crossed with six narrow bands of pale ochraceous, the last one subterminal; frontal plumes whitish at base, but this color not visible; sides of the face brown like the head, the ear-coverts rather more dusky; under surface of body ochraceous brown, the chin whitish, and the throat marked with a few blackish streaks; the abdomen whiter, the centers to the feathers being ochraceous-brown, producing a broadly streaked appearance; under tail-coverts white; leg-feathers ochraceous-brown; under wing-coverts ochraceous, the edge of the wing white, those coverts nearest the margin being marked with dark brown; the lowest series sepia-brown, barred with pale ocher on the inner web, thus resembling the inner lining of the quills. Length, 216; wing, 176; tail, 102; tarsus, 51.

“Young.—Above rufous-chocolate, the upper surface almost entirely uniform, with the exception of a few buffy white bars on the outer scapulars; wing-coverts uniform like the back, and only a little darker, the greater series distinctly spotted on the outer web with ochraceous or white; primary-coverts uniform dark brown; quills dark brown, notched on the outer web with ochraceous or buffy white; tail darker brown than the back, with a fulvous tip and crossed with six narrow bars of fulvous-brown; forehead whitish, with long hair-like black bristles over the lores; side of face uniform rufous-chocolate like the head; under surface of body fawn-color, the feathers of the chest margined narrowly with whitish, causing a slightly streaked appearance, the abdominal plumes white, with broad fawn-colored centers, causing this part to appear very broadly streaked; thighs fawn-color; under tail-coverts white; under wing-coverts fawn-color excepting the lower series, which are brown, spotted with fulvous on the inner web, exactly resembling the inner lining of the quills. Length, 203; wing, 164; tail, 86; tarsus, 30.” (Sharpe.)

“Five specimens average, 206 in length; wing, 177; tail, 89; tarsus, 28; middle toe with claw, 35; culmen, 14. Iris yellow; legs and feet light yellow; bill yellow at tip, greenish at base. Food insects.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

“Mr. Whitehead’s Negros collection contains three adult examples of a little hawk owl, and I am in considerable doubt as to whether this form should not be separated from typical examples of N. philippensis from Luzon. I have before me at the present time nine examples from Luzon, two from Guimaras, four from Negros, and one from Siquijor. All seven birds from the last three mentioned islands differ very considerably from Luzon specimens. The latter have the chest and breast mostly tawny brown, shading into pale tawny toward the edges of the feathers, and the belly and flanks whitish, with rather ill-defined brownish red middles. In Negros birds, as well as those from the other central islands already mentioned, the feathers of the breast and chest are chocolate-brown edged with white, and the rest of the under parts are white, with fairly wide and clearly defined shaft-stripes of a dark brownish red color.

“The general impression conveyed is, that the Luzon birds have the under parts tawny brown, suffused with white on the belly and flanks, while in birds from the central islands, the chest and breast, as well as the rest of the under parts, are white, clearly striped with reddish brown. These birds remind one of small examples of Ninox japonica, though of course the latter has the stripes on the underparts of a much darker color. It is quite possible that it may be found necessary to separate the birds from Negros, etc., under some distinctive name, but before doing this I should like to have more material from the adjacent islands.” (Grant.)

Siasi (Everett).

Diagnosis.—Similar to Ninox reyi but pale spots of primaries few, fulvescent, very slightly spotted with white; and abdomen, flanks, and thighs ocherous-fulvous, not white spotted with brown. Length, 241; wing, 195.28

This is a little-known species of which more specimens should be examined and compared with Rey’s hawk owl.

Basilan (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Mindanao (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino).

Adult.—Very similar to Ninox philippensis from which it differs in having the head and neck spotted with rufous or tawny brown and the white spots on primary- and secondary-coverts larger; decomposed feathers below eye unusually long and entirely covering the true ear-coverts. A male from Basilan is 230 in length; wing, 177; tail, 83; culmen from base, 22; tarsus, 26. Female, length, 230; wing, 158; tail, 82; culmen from base, 21; tarsus, 28.

“Very common in the islands where it occurs. Hides among thick vines or bushes during the day. Feeds on beetles, grasshoppers, and the like. Iris yellow; legs and feet dirty, light yellow; bill pale greenish horn-color. Ten specimens average, 214 in length; wing, 162; tail, 76; culmen, 15; tarsus, 28; middle toe with claw, 22.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Cebu (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Mindoro (Platen, Everett, Bourns & Worcester); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester).

“Sexes alike.—General color of upper surface fulvous-brown; feathers of head, nape, interscapulars, and wing-coverts spotted with light rufous-brown giving the parts in question a decidedly speckled appearance; rump fulvous-brown, upper tail-coverts faintly spotted with pale rufous-brown; tail nearly black with nine narrow transverse bands of light rufous-brown; quills like tail but spotted, instead of barred, with light rufous-brown; scapulars like back, some of them with large nearly white spots on outer webs; a few of greater series of wing-coverts also spotted with white on outer webs; chin and throat whitish, almost pure white in one specimen, in others light rufous-brown, the feathers always with black shaft-stripes; auriculars fulvous-brown somewhat mixed with light rufous-brown; sides of neck like head; breast, abdomen, flanks, thighs, under wing-coverts, and axillars rufous-brown, the depth of the color subject to great individual variation, many feathers of breast and abdomen with fulvous-brown spots and all with blackish bases; under surface of wing fulvous-brown. Inner webs of feathers, especially of secondaries, spotted and barred with light rufous-brown; a spot of white on bend of wing; tarsus feathered for rather more than half its length. Iris yellow; legs and feet pale yellow; bill black at tip, gray at base. Two females measure, 241 in length; culmen, 13; tarsus, 31; wing, 181; tail, 102.

“A single specimen of this species was secured in Cebu by Mr. Worcester in 1888. Its curious mottled back and under surface were suggestive of immaturity, and Dr. Steere thought it to be the young of some undescribed species. We have altogether too much material now to make such a theory tenable.” (Bourns and Worcester.)

A rusty brown male was taken in Sibuyan. Iris yellow; bill and legs pale dirty greenish; cere a little darker; nails gray, blackish at tips. Length, 285; wing, 210; tail, 114; culmen from base, 23; tarsus, 32.

A male from Cebu is in the light phase. Chin, throat, and forehead mostly white; rictal bristles with white bases; scapulars spotted with white; abdomen and flanks very largely white and with no fulvous nor rusty brown wash.

Bongao (Everett); Sulu (Montano & Rey, Marche).

Diagnosis.—Distinguished at once from the common species (Ninox philippensis) by its greater length (290 mm.), by its much longer wings passing even the tip of the tail, and finally by its reddish brown plumage and transverse brown bars on head and on shoulders.29

“A female from Bongao. ‘Iris light yellow; bill greenish plumbeous; feet greenish yellow.’ The specimen now sent appears to be not quite adult, but it shows the distinctness of the species from Ninox philippensis in the barred upper surface. The upper breast is barred with white and dark brown, and the flanks are white, with longitudinal pear-shaped mesial streaks of pale rufous-brown. The tail has likewise ten dark bands, much narrower than in N. philippensis, which has six broad bands of dark brown.” (Sharpe.)

Mindoro (Whitehead, McGregor, Porter).

Adult.—In color and color pattern very similar to Ninox spilonota but very much smaller; it also resembles N. spilocephala in size and pattern of upper parts but differs from the latter in having the breast and abdomen cross-barred instead of boldly striped. Both rufous and light phases occur in this species.

Male.—Iris yellow; bill, cere, and legs greenish; nails dark brown. Length, 225; wing, 167; tail, 88; culmen from base, 20; tarsus, 30.

Female.—Length, 220; wing, 158; tail, 78; culmen from base, 20; tarsus, 23.

“An adult female of this little Mindoro hawk owl was obtained in the lowlands, and is nearly allied to N. spilocephala Tweeddale, from Mindanao and Basilan, resembling that species in having the top of the head and nape barred with buff. It may, however, be at once recognized by having the whole of the under parts, including the belly and flanks, tawny-buff, transversely barred with brown, while in the female of N. spilocephala, though the breast is generally like that of the present species, the belly and flanks are always white, with longitudinal reddish brown shaft-stripes. Length, 203; wing, 152; tail, 76; tarsus, 28.

“I have of course carefully compared this species with Bourns and Worcester’s description of N. spilonotus, specimens of which were obtained in Mindoro, but the much smaller size of this bird serves to at once distinguish it.” (Grant.)

Mindoro (Platen).

Adult female.—Above reddish brown, slightly shaded with olive; top and sides of head, hind neck, sides of neck, and mantle lighter, pale reddish, and narrowly banded; on lower back and rump the bands inconspicuous so that these parts appear nearly uniform; chin light; throat-feathers light fawn-color with dark shaft-stripes, ground color of chest and belly bright red-brown, with narrow blackish stripes; bend of wing white; scapulars and greater wing-coverts with some larger opaque white spots on outer webs; primaries with inner webs uniform black, outer webs with broad dark brown and smaller pale reddish band spots; on the tertials appear very inconspicuous, broad, darker bands, and on the whole length of the edges of the outer webs, pale fawn spots; tail-feathers with darker brownish bands of equal width; under tail-coverts light fawn; inner wing-coverts light reddish brown with darker spots. Legs light yellowish; iris yellow. Length, 250; wing, 169; tail, 80.

Male.—Differs only in the following that the bands on the lower belly and thighs are on a lighter background; and the reddish brown ground-color of chest and epigastrium is somewhat lighter. Wing, 168; tail, 80.

Another female.—The brownish red of abdomen very fiery with irregular and less distinct bands. Wing, 168 mm.; tail, 78.30

I doubt very much if this species is really distinct from Ninox mindorensis; the size is nearly the same and specimens of the two do not seem to have been actually compared.

Palawan (Whitehead, Platen, Bourns & Worcester, Celestino).

“Adult male.—General color above chocolate-brown, spotted with white, the spots arranged in pairs, the one on the inner web often fulvescent; scapulars forming a light patch of tawny-buff, covered with narrow bars of chocolate-brown; lesser wing-coverts dark chocolate-brown, with scarcely any white spots; median and greater coverts more reddish chocolate-brown, transversely barred with white, slightly tinged with tawny-buff; alula and primary-coverts uniform blackish brown; quills brown, crossed with lighter and more rufous-brown bars, whiter near the edge, especially of the secondaries, which are slightly freckled externally; the innermost secondaries spotted with white, like the back; upper tail-coverts like the back, but barred with tawny-buff or whitish; tail-feathers dark chocolate-brown, barred with tawny-buff or creamy white, with which the tail is conspicuously tipped, the light bars, seven in number, on the center feathers, broader and coalescing on the remainder; crown of head like the back, thickly spotted with white, the spots arranged in pairs; feathers of the hind neck with concealed bases of tawny-buff; the mantle somewhat more uniform brown; sides of face chestnut, deeper about the eyes and on the ear-coverts, which are whiter posteriorly; ruff dark chocolate-brown, barred across with rufous; chin rufous, followed by a broad white patch, narrowly barred with black; remainder of under surface of body tawny-rufous, narrowly barred across with blackish brown including the thighs and under tail-coverts; fore neck with broad bands of white and chocolate-brown; under wing-coverts and axillars like the breast; quills below dusky brown, barred with yellowish buff, these bars broader toward the base of the inner web. Length, 444; wing, 330; tail, 190; culmen, 34; tarsus, 58.

“Of this fine owl Mr. Whitehead obtained several specimens. Its nearest ally is Syrnium sinense, but it is easily distinguished from that species by its rufescent under surface, with the absence of white bars.” (Sharpe.)

Female.—In colors similar to the male, but size slightly greater. “Iris brown; eyelids dark carmine; bill and nails black.” (Celestino.) Length, 460; wing, 340; tail, 200; culmen from base, 39; tarsus, 50.

“We heard a large owl, in all probability of this species, hooting at night in the Calamianes Islands; a single specimen was secured in Palawan; it measured, 432 in length; wing, 202; tail, 186; culmen, 26; tarsus, 61; middle toe with claw, 48.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)