SCOPS ZORCA.
Scops Eared Owl.
Strix scops, Linn. Syst. N a t, xii. edit. tom. i. p. 132.
— zorca, Cetti, Ucc. di Sardegn., p. 60.
carniolica, Grnel. edit. Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. p. 290.
— gui, Scop. Ann. Hist. Nat., tomfipno. 9.
Asio scops, Briss. Orn., tom. i. p. 495, pi. xxxvii. fig. 1.
Scops zorca, Swains. Class, of Birds, vol. ii. p. 217.
— Aldrovandi, Willugh. Orm, p. 65, tab. xii.
— ephialtes, Savig. Descr. de l’Egypte, Hist. Nat., tom. i. p. 107.
— europceus, Less. Traité d’Orn., p. 106.
asio, Steph. Cont. of Shaw’s Gen. Zool., vol. xiii. part 2. p. 51.
Bubo scops, Boie, Isis, 1822, p. 549.
scops, Schleg. Rev. Crit. des Ois. d’Eur., p. xiv et 38.
Ephialtes scops, Keys, und Bias. Wirbelth. Eur., p. 33.
We find in the great family of B B H as much diversity of form and colouring i in any other group of
birds of similar magnitude and equally general distribution8 and it ,s especially .nterestmg to s a y
structural variations and marked differences. Although generally nocturnal many are diurnal the
visionary powers of some I the genera enabling them to see as well by day as by n ig h t; some, as we all
know have bright yellow or orange irides, while in others they are as black as sloes. Some genera so
M M M H I adorned with graceful tafts of feathers springing from above the eye, wh iledm
f B i have fall and rounded heads, without a trace o f such appendages. The members of the genus Afm,
W m oar Barn-Owl may he M as a typiea, example, are distinguished by
and lovely oencilliogs o f their plumage. Some genera have bare tarsi, as Ketupa, while others ha
The area over which the present species ranges was formerly considered to be much more exten
h e re ; I mast not, however, «m ..Jo ^ ^ ^ u ,ands was e8pecially bea„tifal,
purposes of the present work. Mr. R. • P ,1#.- telv marked Nightjar or of the
its pencilled markings rivalling in a,muteness those of the J ' , f whlch had
Wrvneck; and another, eqoa.ly heantifid, was presented to me b I heiieve,
been caught alive under a tarnip-leaf m a field on h.s Lordship Cloaguoford House,
the year 1858. Lastly, at the moment I am Hurlestoa Leehe,
K c ^ l r r c h ^ a it"headmhaeee „ T e ^ , several evenings before it was obtained, uttering its
« ■ M M M this I abundant; every H g | 1 M
one or more individuals. Several, which had been caught on their nests, were brought y