THE DOWNY OWLETS. 



103 



toes distinguishes Nydala from Syrnlum^ as far as the British 

 avifauna is concerned. 



The Saw-whet Owl {N'yctala acadicd) of North America has 

 been said to have occurred in Yorkshire, but the occurrence is 

 not considered genuine. 



I. tengmalm's owl. nyctala tengmalml 



Strix tcw^uialmi^ Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 291 (1788) ; Seeb. Br. 



B. i. p. 164 (1883). 

 Uliila feng/nal/ni, Macgill. Br, B. iii. p. 445 (1840). 

 Nyctala tengnial/jii, Newt. ed. Yarr. Br. B. i. p. 154 (1872); 



Dresser, B. Eur. v. p. 319, pi. 313 (1872); Sharpe, Cat. 



B. Brit. Mus. ii. p. 284 (1875); B. O. U. List Br. B. p. 



88(1883); Saunders, Man. Br. B. p. 289(1889); Lilford, 



Col. Fig. Br. B. part xxx. (1895). 



[Plate XXXIX.) 



Adult Male. — General colour above light brown, plentifully 



spotted and mottled with white, especially on the scapulars, 



where the white markings are very conspicuous ; fore-part and 



sides of crown rather darker than the back, with numerous 



Skull of Tengmalm's Owl, to show the position of the ear-conches 

 (after Collett). 



triangular spots of white, with a "wig" of looser plumes on the 

 hind-neck, where the plumage is fuller, these parts being barred 

 with white ; the median and greater coverts with large oval 

 spots of white on the outer web; quills brown, tipped with 

 greyish, spotted on the outer web, and broadly notched oa 



