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.

214. OTUS MINDORENSIS (Whitehead).
MINDORO SCREECH OWL.