ASIO. 7 
Little is known of this remarkable species, which is quite distinct from all other 
American Owls, its large size and dark colour rendering it easily recognizable. 
Very few specimens have come under our observation. It was described by Wagler 
in 1832 from a bird ascribed to Brazil or South Africa; the latter locality being no 
doubt erroneous. The only specimen that we have received from within our limits is 
one recently sent us by Mr. Richardson from Nicaragua, where he obtained it near San 
Rafael in the mountains of Matagalpa, in the central part of the country. 
In South America A. stygius has been found at various widely remote places. In 
the British Museum birds from Colombia, British Guiana, and Brazil are now to be 
seen. In the Vienna Museum there were eight specimens when Von Pelzeln wrote his 
‘Ornithologie Brasiliens’ 2, most of which were obtained by Natterer during his travels 
in Brazil, some of them in the sonthern provinces, some in the valley of the Amazons 
or those of the Madeira and Rio Negro. 
In the island of Cuba it would appear to be more abundant, as Gundlach tells us 
that he obtained many individuals of all ages, though he never found a nest ®. Those 
that he met with by day were resting on a branch of a tree in thick foliage, generally 
in the woods, but sometimes in fruit-trees on the outskirts. 
The cry resembles the syilable ha, which can be heard at some distance, though not 
penetrating, and inspires terror among superstitious people. The food of this Owl 
consists of mice and birds, and probably reptiles and larger insects. 
f 
/, 
“4. Asio accipitrinus. 
Stryx accipitrina, Pall. Reise Russ. Reichs, i. p. 455°. 
Asio accipitrinus, Newton, in Yarr. Brit. Birds, ed. 4, i. p. 163°; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. ui. 
p- 234°; Sumichrast, La Nat. v. p. 237‘; Ferrari-Perez, Pr. U.S. Nat. Mus. ix. p. 164°; 
Herrera, La Nat. (2) i. pp. 178, 321°; Bendire, Life Hist. N. Am. Birds, i. p. 382, t. 12. 
f.37; Fisher, Bull. U. 8. Dep. Agr. no. 9, p. 145, t. 21°. 
Strix brachyotus, Forst. Phil. Trans. Ix. p. 384°. 
Otus brachyotus, Scl. P. Z. 8S. 1857, p. 212”. 
Otus (Brachyotus) brachyotus, Ridgw. in Baird, Brew., & Ridgw. N. Am. Birds, iii. p. 22”. 
Brachyotus cassini, Brewer, N. Am. Ool. i. p. 68; Scl. P. Z.S. 1859, p. 890; Salv. Ibis, 1866, 
p- 196"; Gund]. Orn. Cub. p. 51”. 
Supra fuscus, cervino variegatus ; subtus cervinus, fusco striatus; loris et mento albis, oculorum ambitu fusco, 
genis fusco striatis; alis ad basin cervinis, ad apicem fuscis, tectricibus subalaribus majoribus fusco 
terminatis ; tarsis et digitis plumosis cervinis ; cauda fusco et cervino transfasciata. Long. tota circa 14:0, 
alee 126, caudee 6:0, tarsi 1°8. (Descr. exempl. ex Volcan de Agua, Guatemala. Mus. nostr.) 
Hab. Temperate and tropical regions of nearly the whole world!!; NortH AMERICA 
generally, from the Arctic Regions southwards !4.—Mexico, Guadalajara (Dr. A. 
C. Buller, in mus. Rothschild),Valley of Mexico (Sumichrast +, Herrera ®), Chapulco, 
Llano de San Baltazar (Lerrari-Perez °), Orizaba (Botteri !°), Oaxaca (Boucard 1%) ; 
