42 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 



in pairs, and perches on large trees ; it utters at night, 

 and sometimes during the day, a most formidable, 

 hollow, and sepulchral cry or hoot. Its food consists of 

 mice and other small quadrupeds, birds, lizards, and 

 large beetles. The iris is very dark hazel. 

 Measurements of a male : — 



in. lin. 



Entire length 23 10 



Length of folded wing 16 7 



„ tarsus 3 



„ middle toe 2 3 



„ tail 8 



„ biU 2 



[I believe that no figure of this South-African species has yet 

 been publislied^ though the nearly alhed but smaller and more 

 northern race, Huhua lacteus (Temm.) is figui'ed in the ' Planches 

 Coloriees/ pi. 4. — Ed.] 



52. Bubo maculoSUS (Vieill.). Spotted Eagle-Owl. 

 ^trix africana, Temminck's PI. Col. pi. 50. 

 Bubo mactdosus, Layard's Cat. No. 59. 



„ „ (part.), Finsch & Hartlaub's Vogel Ost-Afrika's, 



p. 103. 



This Owl is sparingly met with in Damara and Great 

 Namaqua Land ; its food comprises rats and large beetles. 

 The irides are bright yellow, and the bill black. 



[Some naturalists, including Drs. Finsch and Hartlaub,/oc.«^., 

 have supposed this species to be identical with Bubo cinerascens, 

 of (juerin, from Equatorial Africa, a very distinct species be- 

 longing to the genus Huhua (or Nycta'etns) , and having, like the 

 other species of Huhua, dark brown irides, very diflcrcnt from 

 the golden-yellow iris which is universal in the genus Bubo. — 

 Ed.] 



