4. SCOPS. 51 



black, these black markings much more distinct on the crown, but 

 less so on the ear-coverts (0-9 inch long), the latter being paler 

 orange than the rest of the upper surface, and for the most part 

 uniform on the inner web ; facial aspect grey, washed with orauge- 

 rufous above the eye and behind the ear-coverts, vermiculated cross- 

 wise with brown ; the lores white with blackish shafts washed with 

 orange ; under surface of body whitish, the chest and sides washed 

 ■with orange-rufous, all the feathers minutely vermiculated with 

 ashy brown, a few of the chest-feathers with broad mesial streaks 

 of black, narrower on the flanks, the markings disappearing on the 

 under tail-coverts, which are almost entirely white, with only a few 

 transverse vcrmiculations of greyish brown ; legs whitish, inclining 

 to orange at the summit of the tarsus, which has a few transverse 

 markings of brown ; under wing-coverts yellowish buff, as also the 

 axillaries, the outermost washed with orange and spotted with 

 brown, the lower scries fulvous at base, greyish brown at tip, re- 

 sembling the inner Lining of the wing, which is ashy brown, barred 

 ■with butfy white on the inner webs of the quills ; upper wing- 

 coverts a little duller than the back, the transverse vcrmiculations 

 very indistinct, but the central streaks plain, the greater coverts 

 ■with a few white spots on the outer web, in this respect resembling 

 the scapulars, which are more coarsely transvermiculated with brown 

 than the back, and have white spots on the outer web, which is 

 otherwise orange at base ; primary coverts dull orange-brown, ver- 

 miculated with greyish brown ; quiUs brown, orange on the outer 

 ■web, and irregularly vermiculated ■with greyish browu ; the pri- 

 maries barred with lighter brown on the inner web, this bar being 

 represented on the outer one bj' a bar of white more or less tinged 

 with orange, the interspaces orange-brown, with darker brown vcr- 

 miculations ; the secondaries decidedly greyer than the primaries 

 and more minutelj' vermiculated ; upper tail-coverts resembling the 

 back ; tail darker browu, barred with orange, of which about five 

 bands can be distinguished, becoming more distinct towards the tip, 

 ■where they are obscured by the greyish vcrmiculations of the inter- 

 spaces; bill horn-colour. Total length 6-7 inches, wing 5-8, tail 3, 

 tarsus 1-05. 



In the Paris Museum there is another specimen marked as from 

 Kamtschatka, and absolutely identical with ordinary European 

 specimens. 



Another supposed closely allied species is the Scops seim/aleusis 

 of Swainson, which must next be inquired into. On this bird Dr. 

 Fiusch (Tr. Z. S. ■vii. p. 210) writes : — " The African Scops agrees 

 in every respect with our European S. zorca [=r/nt of this work], 

 except in the shorter wings, this being, as far as I could find out, a 

 permanent character, common also to specimens from the west and 

 noith-east as well as to those from the south (Striu- Jatqjennis, Licht.). 

 I do not hesitate to regard this pecuharity as of specific value."' I 

 have before me specimens from Africa, the measurements of which 

 I give, in order to test the above-mentioned character : — 



e2 



