Ornithology of the Egyptian Soudan. 361 



often brushing the papyrus on both sides, the Owls flap out 

 in front of it, and dive into the cover again fifty yards ahead, 

 only to be driven on again in company with others as the 

 vessel catches them up. 



I never saw so many Owls together before or since as I did 

 at this place in February 1902. 



188. Glaucidium perlatum (Vieill.). 



a. ? . Jebel Melbis, April 15, 1904. 



b. ? . „ „ April 17, 1904. 



The little Pearl-spotted Owlet was abundant in the large 

 trees along the khor between El Obeid and Jebel Melbis. 

 Its note is very like that of some of the Scops Owls — a jerky 

 liquid " hoot-coorroo ! " I also heard the bird at Bara. 



189. Scops giu (Scop.). 



a. ? . Tewfikia, White Nile, March 27, 1902. 



b. <J . Roseires, Blue Nile, April 26, 1904. 



I have noticed the Scops Owl only in the winter and spring 

 months (between October 13th and April 26th). 



I have seen it at Khartoum, on the White Nile and Bahr- 

 el-Ghazal, on the Blue Nile and its tributary the Dinder. 



All the birds which I noticed at Khartoum were sitting 

 asleep in lime-trees, but the specimen shot at Tewfikia was 

 asleep on the ground, rather an unusual resting-place for a 

 Scops Owl. 



190. Scops leucotis (Temm.) . 



I saw an individual, close enough to recognise, sitting in a 

 thorn-tree at Gallabat on April 13th, 1903. I had a good look 

 at it, but it flew away just before I could get my collecting- 

 gun, which was on a lagging camel. I have seen no other 

 specimens except those collected by Mr. Rothschild at 

 Shendi, some of which he shewed me in the flesh. 



191. Bubo ascalaphus Sav. 



The Desert Eagle-Owl is not an uncommon bird on the rocky 

 hills or " Jebels " which are scattered over the sandy wastes of 

 the Soudan. I have seen it at Shendi, west of Omdurman, 

 and on Jebel Melbis in Kordofan. Sometimes, though rarely, 

 an individual wanders into the town of Khartoum from the 



