an addition by migration in autumn. In Scotland, according
to Mr. Robert Gray, it is less common on tlie western than
on the eastern side, but it breeds in some of the Hebrides,
though altogether absent from the outer islands of the
chain. I t has occurred twice in the Orkneys, and Mr. Saxby
mentions (Zoologist, s.s. p. 1762) his having obtained one
in Shetland in October, 1868. In Ireland, Thompson says
that it commonly inhabits old wooded districts in all parts of
the island.
This species is found in all the countries of continental
Europe and over a great part of Asia. It has been received
from Iceland, and has occurred in the Faeroes. In Norway
and Sweden, according to Herr Wallengren, it breeds as far
to the north as lat. 64°, and Wahlberg shot one near Lulea,
while it remains throughout the winter near Upsala. It is
tolerably common in southern Finland and throughout the
Russian Empire to the Sea of Ochotsk. Mr. Henry Whitely
obtained it at Hakodadi in Japan, and Mr. Swinhoe says it
is more or less common in many parts of China. Mr. Hume
believes it to be a permanent resident in the Himalayas,
where it occurs from Nepaul to Cashmere, and Mr. Jerdon
informed him that it is by no means rare in low jungles near
Delhi and thence through the Punjab. Menetries found it
in the forests of Georgia, and Mr. Abbott obtained it at
Trebizond. I t occurs in Palestine, but not often and only
in the wooded districts and highlands. According to Dr.
von Heuglin, it is a common, but apparently not an annual,
winter-visitant to Arabia Petraea and Lower Egypt. I t occurs
also in Algeria, but is not marked by Loche as breeding
there; and, according to Dr. Bolle, it is found in the Canaries,
while Mr. Frederick Godman obtained a young bird, taken
from the nest, in the Azores. In Portugal Mr. A. C. Smith
says it is common; and it is generally distributed and breeds
throughout Spain. In France it appears to be the most common
of all the Owls. Within the limits thus traced it would
seem to occur in every suitable district, breeding as far south
as Sicily and the Peloponnesus. In the Cyclades it is a
regular winter visitor, and according to Mr. Wright it has
occurred at Malta. The Long-eared Owl of America formerly,
and still by some ornithologists, regarded as identical with
the species of the Old World, is now usually considered distinct,
and, in Mr. Gurney’s opinion, the American bird, the
Ohis wilsonianus of Lesson, constantly differs from our own
in being darker, while, according to Prof. Sclilegel, the bars
of the plumage are wider and deeper in colour.
Brisson’s genus Asio, of which the present species is the
type, takes precedence of Cuvier’s Otus, and is therefore here
retained, though the latter has been usually accepted.
The exposed portion of the beak is dusky liorn-colour ;
the base and cere are hidden by the feathers of each inner
side of the facial d isk ; the irides orange-yellow; radiating
feathers of the facial disk on each outer side pale brown,
with a half circular boundary line of darker brown; on
the inner side varied with dusky brown at the base, and
white towards the tip s ; the tufts on the head, an inch and
a half in length, are formed of about seven or eight feathers,
longer than wide, dark brownish-black in the middle, with
the inner edges greyish-white, the outer ochreous; top of
the head between the tufts a mixture of brownish-black,
greyish-white and ochreous ; nape, round the neck, and the
upper part of the back marked with longitudinal streaks
of brownish-black on an ochreous surface; the back, wing-
coverts, secondaries and tertials, a speckled mixture of black,
greyish-white and brown on ochreous; primaries light
oclireous-brown, barred and speckled with darker brown ;
the second quill the longest, and the wing when closed
reaching a little beyond the end of the ta il; upper surface
of the tail nearly the same but more ferruginous; the breast
and belly a mixture of greyish-white and pale brown, with
longitudinal streaks and imperfect bars of umber-brown ;
under tail-coverts, legs and toes nearly to the tip, uniform
pale ochreous-brown; tail beneath greyisli-wliite tinged with
oclire, with narrow bars of dusky brown ; claws horn-colour.
The whole length is about fourteen inches.
The asymmetry of the ears in Tengmalm’s Owl has been
already briefly mentioned and in that bird it seems to attain