15. Asio. 239 



classified having slight poculiarities, but none of them possessing 

 sufficient characters to allow of their being specifically separated, 

 AU over Europe and Asia there is but one type, according to my 

 observations ; but in America the general run of the specimens is 

 rather darker and more ochraceous : hence the Short-eared Owl of 

 the New World has been called A. cassini. I have seen specimens 

 from ditferent parts of America which 1 could not separate in the 

 least from European examples ; and in comparing specimens from 

 the Old and New World care must be taken that birds of the same 

 sex are examined, as the females of both are always more rufous 

 than the males ; thus if a female of the American Short-eared Owl 

 were compared with a male of the European kind, the impression 

 would be that the former was more rufous, and ^nce versa. I have 

 seen, however, birds of both sexes from British Columbia and from 

 Chih which were absolutely similar to British-killed specimens. 



In the Falkland Islands the Short-eared Owls seem permanently 

 rufescent, but cannot be distinguished from some Chilian skins ; and 

 as some of the latter agree perfectly with European examples, no 

 hue for specific separation can be drawn : I must say, however, that 

 at present I have never seen a light-coloured bird from the Falk- 

 lands. 



The Owl from the Galapagos is by far the most different of any, 

 by reason of its small size, dark coloration, golden forehead, and 

 striped thigh-feathers. I have never seen a specimen from any 

 other locality exhibiting the latter character ; at the same time a 

 Bogota skin in every other respect approaches it in appearance ; and 

 therefore, although I admit that at present it would appear to be 

 specifically distinct, I should like to be sure that the New-Granadan 

 Short-eared Owl would not form a connecting-link. 



The specimens from the Sandwich Islands form an interesting pair 

 on account of their locality ; but they cannot be separated as a spe- 

 cies. They are rather small, and have a very dusky frontal pitch : 

 this I have found in other Asiatic specimens ; and therefore the 

 Sandwich-Island Owl can only be considered a small race of A. ac- 

 cipitrinus. The following are the measurements of the pair : 



Total 



length. Wing. Tail. Tarsus. 



,,,.,, in- in. in. in. 



a. d" ad. Honolulu 148 12 62 1-65 



b. $ ad. Honolulu ],5-,5 \\q q j.j 



5. Asio capensis. 



Otus capensis, Smith, S.-Afr. Q. Journ. ser. 2, no. 4, part 1, p. 31G • 

 id. Zool. S. Afr. pi. C7 ; Gray, Gen. B. i. p. 40 ; Brve, B. Eur. 2n(i 

 ed. 1. p. 148 ; Schl. Mm. P.-B. Oti, p. .5 ; Grmj, Hnnd-l. B. i. p. ,51 ; 

 Heufil. Orn. X.O.-Afr. i. p. 109; Finsch 8,- Hartl Von. Ostafr. 

 p. lOit. 



Braehyotus capensis, Bp. Consp. i. p. 51 ; Fritsch, Voq. Ein: tab. 11. 

 fi?. 7. 



Phasmoptyiix capen-^is, Kmip, Contr. Orn. 1852, p. 11 

 iv. p. 2.J(i: Luche, F.rpl. Sci. A/t/er. Ois. i. p. 1)9. 



1 : id. Tr. Z. S. 



