44 BUnONIDJE. 



Pisorhina, Kmtp, lsi,% 1848, p. 7UU S. meuadensis. 



Megascops, Kaitp, Ms, 1848, p. 769 S. lempiji. 



Acuemis, Kaup, Isis, 1848, p. 7G9 S. gyinnopodus. 



rtilopsis, Kiiiip, Isis, 1848, p. 709 S. leucotis. 



Lempijius, Bp. Eev. ct Mag. de Zool. 1854, p. 542 S. semitorques. 



Eancie. The whole of the Old World excepting the extreme north ; 

 absent'also in Australia and Oceania, but probably present in New 

 Zealand. The whole of the New World, excepting the extreme 

 southern portion of South America. 



Ohs. Difficult to understand as all Owls are, the species of the 

 genus Scops are in every way the most difficult to identify. Tlie 

 impossibility of procuring series of some of the species to study at 

 the same time, the absence of information as to the sequence of 

 plumages from the young stage to that of the adult, and the puzzling 

 way in which some species seem to possess rufous phases, while 

 others do not — these are all problems which time alone can solve. 

 Thanks to many kind friends, I have been able to compare with 

 the series in the Museum the specimens of Scops Owls in the pri- 

 vate collections of Lord Walden, Messrs. Salvin and Godman, Mr. 

 Swinhoe, and Captain Shelley, as well as many of the rare species 

 contained in the Norwich Museum. These advantages have, I 

 trust, not been without some benefit in my studies of these difficult 



p. 13; Finsch, J.f. 0. 1874, p. 222; Sharpe, Voy. Ereh. # Terror, 

 Birds, 2nd ed. p. 

 Pisorhiua novaB-zealandice, Bp. Rev. et Mag. dc Zool. 1854, p. 543. 

 Stris parvissima, Ellm. Zoologist, 1861, p. 272. 

 Adult (type of species). Upper surface brown, very minutely vermiculatod 

 with darker brown, sometimes forming an irregular spot, and varied with a few 

 wavy lines of dull fulvous, rather brighter and more ochraceous on the outer 

 margin of the scapulars, where the alternate bars of dark brown and fulvous are 

 a little more regular ; greater wing-coverts mottled witli ashy grey, especially 

 towards the tips ; primaries darker brown, externally notched with ftilvous, these 

 marks tolerably distinct, except towards the tips, where they are obscured by 

 greyish mottling, the secondaries more ashy brown, mottled profusely with darker 

 brown and with indications of five lighter and more fulvous bars across them ; 

 under surface of wing uniform brown, with slight ashy mottUngs towards the 

 tip, the under wing-coverts almost entirely ochraceous, this shade extending some 

 way along the inner web of the quills, which are also barred with gi-eyish brown ; 

 tail brown, mottled with darker brown, with indications of seven fulvescent 

 bands ; erovra and hind neck, as well as sides of face and ear-tufts, darker brown 

 than the back ; lores and ear-coverts rufescent ; an indistinct superciliary line 

 indicated by fulvous mottling, which also appears on the inner webs of the ear- 

 tufts ; round the hind neck a narrow collar produced by fulvous mcittling ; under 

 surlace of body rid'ous ochre, becoming paler and more fulvous on the abdomen, 

 thi'dis, and under tail-coverts; feathers of lower breast mesially streaked with 

 blackish brown, a little varied with whitish, and mottled with darker brown ; 

 the throat and chest blacker, much mottled with irregidar wavy lines of this 

 colour, especially on the sides of the breast. Total length 10 inches, cuhnen 

 U 85, wing 7, tail 3-8, tiirsus 1-2, middle toe 6-8, ear-tufts M. {Mus. Lugd.) 



Professor Schlegel (' Revue,' p. 13) says that it is to be distinguished ii-oui all 

 the other Scops Owls by the " absence of light spots on the scapulars. The upper 

 parts are very dark, the top of the head being brownish black ; nape ornamented 

 with a baud of rufous feathers, vermiculated with black, and followed by a black 

 collar." 



