STRIGID^. 39 



Woodpecker, as it was scarcely jarring or hollow enough ; 

 still there the sound was. At last, when I was on 

 the point of giving up the search, I espied in a small 

 cavity, caused by the breaking off of a branch close to 

 the stem, a small, dark, and all but immovable mass ; I 

 fired at once, and down came one of the prettiest and 

 most perfect little Owls 1 had ever seen. Undoubtedly 

 this was the bird which had attracted my attention in 

 so peculiar a manner ; and the noise was probably caused 

 by the opening and shutting of its bill. At long 

 intervals I obtained three more specimens in the same 

 locality ; and as the four consisted of an adult male and 

 female and two young, I inferred that they all belonged 

 to the same family. 



The iris in this species is bright yellow, darkest on the 

 outer side of the ring ; the bill and toes are a bluish 

 horn-colour. 



Measurements of two specimens, both males : — 



in. lin. in- lin. 



Entire length of one 7 .. of the other G 10 



Length of folded wing ... „ 54.. „ 53 



„ tarsus „ 11.. „ 10 



„ middle toe ... „ 08.. „ 08 



„ tail „ 2 7.. „ 24 



biU „ 8.. „ 08 



[I am not aware that any figure of this species has yet been 

 published ; a specimen brought from Abyssinia^ by Mr. Jesse, 

 and now in the collection of Viscount Walden, though referred 

 by Dr. Finsch {loc. cit.) to S. senegalensis, appears to me to 

 belong to this species, as it exactly agrees with those obtained in 

 Damara Land by Mr. Andersson. I have seen several Damara 

 specimens of this bird, all of which, as well as the Abyssinian 

 example above referred to, exhibit a much darker tint of grey 

 over the entire plumage than is to be found in any other Old- 



