15. Asio. 241 



inner lining of win? yellowish oelire, with two or three dark brown 

 bands, merging into a dark brown tip ; iris light reddish brown. 

 Total length l:J-o inches, wing IMl, tail 7, tarsus 2-35. 



Hah. Southern Africa, ranging into A^'orth-western Africa, and 

 even penetrating into Southern Spain ; .said also to have occurred in 

 the Sinaitic peninsula. 



a. Ad. St. South Africa. South-African Museum. Type 



of species. 

 h. Ad. St. South Africa. Purchased. 



c. Ad. St. South Africa. Massena collection. 



d. (S ad. sk. Bloerafonteiu, Sept. 10, F. A. Barratt, Eiq. [C.]. 



1872 (Dr. Elton). 



e. Ad. sk. Lydenburg, S.E. Africa. F. A. Barratt, Esq. [C.]. 

 /. Ad. sk. Shupinga, lliver Shire. Dr. Kirk [P.]. 



//. Ad. sk. Angola. J. J. Mouteiro, Esq. [C.J. Cf. 



Ibis, 1802, p. 3.36. 

 h. Ad. sk. Tangiers. M. Olcese [C.]. 



Ohs. Professor N'ewton has kindly lent me a specimen of this bii-d 

 from ^ladagascar ( 0<«s cnpensis major, Schl.), where it has been sup- 

 posed to constitute a large race of the African species. This example 

 measures as follows — total length 15-5 inches, wing 12-7, tail G-9, 

 tarsus 2-25. The difference in size is not suificient, however, to 

 make one think that the Madagascar bird is really distinct. 



6. Asio stygius. 



Nyctalops stygius, Waijler, Isis, 1832, p. 1221 ; Grai/, List, Gen. B. 



p. 6 : Scl. 'i^- S'alo. Nomencl. Av. Neotr. p. 1 16. 

 Otus sigLiapa, UOrh. in Ramon de la Sru/ra's H. N. Cuba, Ois. p. .31, 



pi. 2 ; Graij, Gen. B. i. p. 40 ; Bp. Conqy. i. p. 50. 

 Otus stvgius, Packer. Rev. Zool. 1849, p. 21) ; Grai/, Gen. B. i. p. 40 ; 



Kaup, Contr. Orn. 1852, p. 113 ; id. Tr. Z. S. iv.'p. 232; Schl. 3Ius. 



P.-B. Oti, p. 6 (1862) ; Gray, Hand-l. B. i. p. 50 ; Pek. Orn. Bras. 



pp. 10, 400 ; Ridgw. N.-A. Birds, iii. p. 17 (note;. 

 Otus melanopsis, Licht. Nomencl. Av. p. 6. 

 Asio stygius, Strickl. Orn. Si/n. p. 207. 

 Asio siguapa, Strickl. Orn. Si/n. p. 212. 



Adult. Above of a nearly uniform chocolate-brown, the hinder 

 neck and wig with a few longitudinal spots of light ochre, rather 

 more oval in shape on the latter, the rest of the upper surface having 

 concealed spots and vermiculations of whitish buif, rather larger and 

 more distinct on the outer margin of the scapulars ; wing-coverts 

 uniform with the back, with the same more or less concealed vermi- 

 culations, these being absent on the primary-coverts, which are 

 uniform brown ; quiUs chocolate-brown like the back, with obsolete 

 bars of hghter brown, more distinct on the secondaries, where they 

 are often replaced by ochraceous spots or vermiculations, the inner- 

 most uniform with the back, and slightly freckled with vermicu- 

 lations of whitish buff or light ochre, the primaries with a few spots 

 of deep ochre on the outer web, only distinct or of any size near the 

 base ; upper tail-coverts brown, with distinct bars of bright ochre ; 



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