of Western Africa, recently published, is, as that gentleman
has stated, a distinct species from that found in Europe, and
both of them are distinct from that named capensis by Dr.
Smith, which is found at the Cape. By the kindness of Dr.
Smith, I have been enabled to compare the European Scops
with both the African species.
The beak is black ; the irides bright yellow ; the feathers
of the facial disk minutely speckled with greyish white and
brown, the margin of the disk on each side defined by a
darker brown line ; from the beak over the top of the head
are several longitudinal streaks of dark brown on a pale brown
ground, forming a central band passing over the head between
the tufts, which are short, made up of a few feathers slightly
elongated, differing but little in colour from the grey speckled
feathers of the facial disk ; the back chesnut and pale wood-
brown, mottled with grey, and barred with dark lines; the
outer web of the wing-feathers barred alternately with white
and speckled brown ; tail barred and spotted with black,
brown, and pale wood-brown ; the whole of the breast and
belly varied with greyish white and pale brown, with several
decided streaks and patches of umber brown ; under tail-
coverts and under surface of tail-feathers greyish white, mottled
and barred transversely with brown ; thighs and legs to
the junction of the toes covered with short speckled feathers ;
toes brown; claws white at the base, nearly black at the tip.
The males and females are very similar in plumage, but
young birds have a more rufous tinge.
The whole length of a specimen is about seven inches and
one quarter.
R APTORES. S'T RIGID M.
LONG-EARED OWL.
Strix otus, Long-eared Owl, P enn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 258.
,, ,, Montagu, Ornith. Diet.
() „ ,, Bewick, Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 60.
Otus vulgaris, Long Horn ,, F lem. Brit. An. p. 56.
,, Long-eared ,, Selby, Brit.3) Ornith. vol. i. p. 85. „ ,, ,, J enyns, Man. Brit. Vert. p. 91.
,, ,, ,, Gould, Birds of Europe, pt. viii.
Strix otus, Hibou moyen Due, T emm. Man. d’Ornith. vol. i. p. 102.
Otus. Generic Characters.—Head furnished with two tufts, more or less
elongated. Beak curved, bending from the base ; cere large ; under mandible
notched. Nostrils oval, oblique. Facial di$k complete. Auditory opening
large, covered by an operculum. Wings long ; the second quill-feather generally
the longest. Legs and toes feathered to the claws.
T he L ong-eared Owl, from the variety and beauty of
the markings on its plumage, is a very handsome species, and
though probably not numerous anywhere, is by no means