THE BARN OWL 



THE barn owl is a cosmopolitan bird. It 

 is an adaptive species, and so has been able 

 to make itself at home all the world over. 

 Like every widely distributed species, in- 

 cluding man, it has its local peculiarities. The barn 

 owls of India are somewhat different from those of 

 Africa, and these latter, again, may be readily distin- 

 guished from those that dwell in Europe. This any 

 one may see for himself by paying a visit to the 

 Zoological Gardens at Regent's Park, where barn owls 

 from all parts of the world blink out their lives in 

 neighbouring cages. Needless to say, species-mongers 

 have tried to magnify these local peculiarities into 

 specific differences. The European bird is known as 

 Strix flammea. An attempt was made to differentiate 

 the Indian barn owl. If you look up the bird in 

 Jerdon's classical work you will see that it is called 

 Strix javaiiica. Jerdon's justification for making a new 

 species of it was its larger size, more robust feet and 

 toes, and the presence of spots on the lower plumage. 

 If such were specific differences we ought to divide up 

 man, Homo sapiens, into quite a large number of 

 species : Homo major, H. minor, H. longirostris, H. 

 brevirostris, etc. 



140 



