Mr. T. Ayres on Trans- Vaal Ornithology. 149 



the Limpopo during a recent journey through that district. 

 About sunrise individuals may be heard making a low hooting 

 "goo, goo," repeated at intervals. 



The stomach of the specimen sent contained the remains of 

 a Guinea-fowl [Numida coronata, Gray), a species which is ex- 

 ceedingly plentiful all along the Limpopo, and roosts at night 

 on the trees by the side of the river. 



72. (L. 61.) Scops leccotis (Temm.). White-faced Scops 

 Owl. 



I met with only one of these Owls during my trip to the 

 Limpopo, which was brought to me by a Caffre in a starving 

 state ; it was a female, and measured in entire length 10^ inches, 

 the wing 7^, tail 4, and tarsus 1|. Another specimen was shot 

 by my brother in the month of August, amongst some willows 

 at Pochtefstroom. 



73. (L. 56.) Athene perlata (Vieill.). Pearl-spotted 

 Owlet. 



Male. — Length 7$ inches, wing 4, tail 2|, tarsus ly^; iris 

 yellow. 



This little Owl is tolerably common along most of the rivers 

 in the Bush, and especially on the banks of the Lipopo; it 

 often occurs in pairs ; it is partly diurnal, and whistles loudly, 

 more frequently by day or on moonlight nights; when the 

 Jackals begin to cry, it almost invariably utters its short song, 

 which somewhat resembles that of the Golden Cuckoo, Chryso- 

 coccyx auratus (Gmel.). Its notes run thus, or nearly so, do, re, 

 mi, fa, sol, sol, sol, sol. 



The grasp of this Owl is extremely powerful, considering its 

 small size. One that I wounded made its claws meet through 

 the tip of my finger. In most of the specimens sent I found 

 the remains of mice. 



[I cannot find any sufficient ground of specific distinction 

 between southern specimens of this Owl, to which Lichtenstein 

 assigned the name of " licua," and more northern examples, on 

 which Vieillot founded his " Strix perlata." See also Dr. 0. 

 Finsch^s recent remarks on this point in the Trans, of the Zool. 

 Soc. vol. vii. p. 209.— J. H. G.] 



