152 STRIGID.E. 



northward as lat. 67° ; but lat. 64° is the limit assigned for 

 its breeding-range both in that country and in Sweden, where 

 it is, in Prof. Nilsson's opinion, the commonest species of 

 Owl. Whether it has occurred in Finland seems doubtful. 

 In Russia, according to Pallas, it is much less frequent than 

 in the rest of Europe, but though seen by him in the southern 

 provinces was never observed in Siberia. Major Irby saw 

 it two or three times in the Crimea. Von der Mlihle and 

 Dr. Lindermayer state that it occurs in Roumelia, the latter 

 adding that it breeds in Greece. Strickland procured it 

 at Smyrna, and Canon Tristram states that he saw many 

 about the celebrated cedars of Lebanon and heard its hoot 

 night after night in the forests of Gilead, where its nest 

 was found. The assertion that it is common in Egypt is 

 probably incorrect, but Loche gives it as breeding in the 

 wooded parts of Algeria, and Mr. Tyi'whitt Drake found it 

 in numbers in caves at Tetuan. In Portugal, according to 

 Mr. A. C. Smith, it is nowhere common, but in the higher 

 wooded districts of southern Spain Mr. Saunders says it is 

 not uncommon, and this also seems to be the case in Sicily. 

 It does not appear to be found in Sardinia ; but it occurs 

 in Italy and thence in suitable situations and with greater 

 or less frequency throughout the remainder of the continent. 

 The adult male has the beak whitish-horn colour : the 

 eyes large and full ; the irides very dark brown, almost 

 black : the facial disk greyish-white, defined by a dark 

 brown marginal line ; top of the head, neck, back and wings, 

 a mixture of ash-grey, mottled with two shades of bro^\ii ; 

 a descending line of white spots at the edge of the scapulars, 

 and another on the end of the wing-coverts ; primaries 

 barred with dull white and dark brown, the wings only 

 reaching half-way down the tail ; upper surface of the tail- 

 feathers barred with two shades of brown, the middle pair 

 being the most uniform in colour. The under surface of the 

 body greyish- white, mottled and streaked longitudinally with 

 pale and dark brown ; under tail-coverts white ; under sur- 

 face of tail-feathers greyish-white, barred transversely with 

 reddish-brown ; legs and toes covered with short greyish- 



