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J. A. S. B. xvii. p. 5o6; Jerd., B. Ind. i. p. 119, No. 105 ; Str. F. ii. p. 350; iv. p. 376; vi. p. 55. Podargus Javensis, Jerd., 2nd Suppl. Cat. 253. Batrachostomus Javensis, (Horsf.), Str. F. vii. p. 147. -

The Wynaad Frogliouth.
 

Above with the throat and breast bright bay or chestnut; a torque of white spots edged black on the upper part of the breast and another below it; belly and lower tail coverts pale isabelline with similar but smaller spots; flanks mottled with dusky; coronal feathers long; occipital feathers tipped white and edged black, forming a nuchal ring continuous -with the pectoral collar; supercilium pale rufescent; loral plumes tipped black and white; wing coverts tipped white and edged black; tertiaries pale, mottled dusky, with a minute terminal black and white spot; primaries black ; scapulars like the tertiaries; tail mottled and obscurely banded, each band ending in a series of white spots, successively more developed on each outer feather, the lateral halves of the tail separated into two distinct lobes. (Jerd.) Bill black; irides hazel.

Length. - 10 inches; tail 4.25 ; wing 4.75 ; tarsus 0.7; bill from gape 1.2; width at gape 1.1.

Hab. - The Malabar Coast, Wynaad, Coorg, Travancore and the Central Provinces. Very little is known of its habits or of that of any other species of the genus, being a nocturnal bird. Mr. Bourdillon, however, says that, if he is not mistaken, the habits of this species is very shy and retiring, for it never appears to venture into the open, and only commences calling in the breeding season some considerable time after dark, and lives entirely in dense jungle. He adds that it is a very difficult bird to secure.

 

The Ceylonese Frogmouth.

Podargus javanicus, apud Blyth, J. A. S. B. xi, p. 798. Podargus javanensis, apud Jerdon, Madr. Jour. L. S. xiii, pt. 2, p. 143 ; Blyth, J. A. 8. B. xiv, p. 309 (nec Horsfield). Batrachostomus moniliger, Layard, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xviii, p. 806; Layard, A. M. N. H. (2) xii, p. 165; Jerdon, B. I. i, p. 189; Holdsiv. P. Z. S. 1872, p. 420 ; Legge, Ibis, 1874, p. 12; id. S. F. iii, p. 198; Hume & Bourd. S. F. iv, p. 376 ; Tweeddale, P. Z. S. 1877, p. 439, pis. xlviii, xlix; Hume, Cat. no. 105; Legge, Birds Ceyl. p. 331; Oates in Hume's N. & E. 2nd ed. iii, p. 38; Hartert, Cat. B. M. xvi, p. 644. Batrachostomus punctatus, Hume, S. F. i, p. 432; ii, p. 355; iii, p. 199; iv, p. 377; id. Cat. no. 105 bis; Blanford, Ibis, 1877, p. 252; Tweeddale, ibid. p. 391; Hume, Ibis, 1878, p. 122.

The Wynaad Frogmouth, Jerdon.

Coloration. Male. General tint mottled grey, with a more or less rufous tinge; supercilia whitish; black spots, each terminated by a buff speck, on the crown and back; a white collar on the hind-neck; scapulars and tertiaries whitish, quills dark brown, with buff or rufous spots on the outer webs ; tail with pale and dark cross-bands; lower parts much like the upper, with an imperfect white gorget, and much white on the abdomen.

Female. Dull rufous, like B. affinis ; supercilia pale; an indistinct white collar on the hind-neck; scapulars with very small subterminal black spots tipped with minute white specks ; some white spots at the ends of the wing-coverts; beneath, the abdomen is much paler; there is a band across the throat of feathers white at the end with a somewhat irregular subterminal black bar; similar feathers are scattered over the abdomen. The upper parts are usually more or less mottled with blackish, and there are indications of cross-bars to the tail-feathers. Young birds are greatly mottled throughout.

Bill olive-brown, the lower mandible paler; irides yellow; legs and feet fleshy grey (Legge). Tarsus feathered for the greater part of its length.

Length about 9 ; tail 4.5 ; wing 4.75 ; tarsus .6; width of bill at gape 1.3. The type of B. punctatus was exceptionally small, tail 4, wing 4.3.

Distribution. Throughout Ceylon, in Travancore, and doubtless in the Wynaad.

Habits, &c. A shy nocturnal bird, living in forest, and very seldom seen. Legge, in Ceylon, once found one sleeping perched across a bamboo in the daytime. "When thus perched its bill was turned upwards and its eyes closed. Both Legge and Bourdillon noticed a loud chuckling cry, which they attributed to this bird, and both think this species less rare than it appears to be. Bourdillon obtained a young one and the nest in Travancore on February 24th; the nest was a pad, inches broad, of dead leaves, fragments of bark, dry wood, and lichen interwoven with vegetable down, in the fork of a sapling about 15 feet from the ground. Fragments of the egg showed that it was pure white, smooth, and glossless.

 

The Ceylon Frogmouth.

Batrachostomus moniliger (Layard) Blyth, J. A. S. B., xviii, p. 806 (1849) (Ceylon); Blanf. & bates, iii, p. 196.

Vernacular names. None recorded.

Description. - Male. General colour above grey-brown, the feathers being very finely vermiculated pale buff and brown; crown, nape and back spotted with black, those on the crown and nape edged with white; an obsolete pale rufous collar followed by a much better defined white one; scapulars and innermost secondaries white with black subtips and narrow wavy bars of blackish; tail with alternate bands of mottled grey and mottled chestnut, each bar edged with black; primaries dark brown, the outer webs marked with rufous and the tips mottled : chin, throat and breast vermiculated buff and dark brown; an imperfect band of white and black below the throat; abdomen much paler and more mottled with white and with black spots or bars.

Colours of soft parts. Iris yellow, or marbled yellow and grey; bill pale brownish, olive-brown or fleshy-horny, the base and gonys paler and more pink; legs and feet fleshy-grey to fleshy-pink.

Measurements. Wing 110 to 125 mm.; tail 101 to 112 mm.; tarsus about 15 mm.; culmen 17 to 18 mm.; breadth at gape 32 to 34 mm.

Female. Similar to that of B. affinis hut with the median and greater coverts boldly spotted with white, margined with black; scapulars and innermost secondaries with tiny black and white apical spots; under plumage a much deeper rufous.

Some males are rather chestnut in tinge, probably due to youth.

Young birds are barred above with narrow bars of brown.

Nestlings covered with pure white down (T. B. Bell).

Distribution. Ceylon, Travancore and the Wynaad.

Nidification. This Frogmouth breeds in Travancore from January to May and again in September and October whilst Bell took nests in Karwar in March. The nests are exactly like those of B. j. hodgsoni, but rather smaller, and are placed in similar situations though Stewart, who has taken numerous nests, says that occasionally these are placed in deciduous forest and are quite conspicuous. The cock bird sits as close as do the other members of this genus and allows itself to be photographed without trouble. Only one egg is laid, which only differs from that of Hodgson's Frogmouth in being larger. Thirty eggs average 29.9 x 20.6 mm.: maxima 31.1 x 23.0 mm,; minima 27.6 x 19.0 mm.

Habits. Those of the genus except that it is not so entirely confined to dense evergreen forest. Its ordinary call has been likened to " a soft Kooroo-koroo," repeated several times.

 

Batrachostomus moniliger Blyth, J. A. S. B., vol. xviii, p. 806, 1849, ex Layard MS.: Ceylon.

Batrachostomus punctatus Hume, Str. Feath., vol. i, p. 432, 1873.