STRIGES. 187 



166. STRIX BRACHYOTUS. 

 (SHORT-EARED OWL.) 



Strix brachyotus, Forster, Phil. Trans. Ixii. p. 384 (1772). 



The Short-eared Owl measures from 13 to 12 inches in length of 

 wiug from carpal joint. Its ear-conch has an operculum, but its 

 ear-tufts are small. Its fii'st primary is nearly as long as the third, 

 but the feathers of the underj)arts have no transverse bars, though 

 most of them have conspicuous longitudinal stripes. 



Figures : Dresser, Birds of Europe, v. pi. 304. 



The Short-eared Owl is common to all the Japanese Islands, and 

 is probably only a summer visitor to Yezzo, but a resident in the 

 more southerly islands. Captain Blakiston has sent an example 

 from Hakodadi (Seebohm, Ibis, 1879, p. 41), and it has been pro- 

 cured in Yezzo by native bird-catchers (Whitely, Ibis, 1867, p. 195). 

 In the Pryer collection there are three examples from Yokohama, 

 besides one from Yezzo; and Mr. Ringer has sent examples to the 

 Norwich Museum procured near Nagasaki (Blakiston, Am. List 

 Birds of Japan, p. 65). 



The Short-eared Owl breeds in the British Islands, and may 

 almost be regarded as cosmopolitan, its breeding-range comprising" 

 most of the temperate regions of the world. 



167. NINOX SCUTULATA. 



(BROWN OWLET.) 



Strix scutulata, Raffles, Trans. Linn. Soc. xiii. p. 280 (1822). 



The Brown Owlet is one of the smaller species (wing from carpal 

 joint 9 to 8 inches). No other Japanese Owl has the projecting cere 

 of this species. It is chocolate-brown, with barred wings and tail ; 

 the underparts are streaked with white, and the under tail-coverts 

 are nearly all white. 



Figures: Temminck and Schlegel, Fauna Japonica, Aves, pi. 9b, 

 sub nomine Strix hirsuta japonica. 



The Brown Owlet is very doubtfully recorded from Yezzo (Blakis- 

 ton and Pryer, Trans. As. Soc. Japan, 1882, p. 177), but it is not 

 uncommon in summer near Yokohama and Nagasaki. There are 

 eight examples in the Pryer collection from Yokohama, and two 



