A DAY IN KHAMA'S COUNTRY 13 



possible to drive out. They squat immovable as 

 stones, or sit up among the thickets out of reach of 

 the dog, or, where trees are about, they will take 

 shelter in the branches. Their colouring is a dull, 

 greyish drab, and even up in a tree, right in front of 

 the gunner, they are hard to make out — they sit so 

 close, and their colouring is so protective. 



However, Don pokes about eagerly, and at last 

 succeeds in flushing another bird, which, again, I 

 bag. The remainder of the covey effectually defy 

 discovery, and we leave them secure in their protect- 

 ing shelter. A hundred yards further along the 

 ridge of the kopje a biggish brown bird flies slowly 

 out, and settles a little beyond. Advancing cauti- 

 ously, I approach the spot. The bird tumbles rather 

 clumsily out upon the wing ; it is an owl, and I have 

 no difficulty in bringing it down. It turns out, upon 

 examination, to be a handsome, rather small owl, 

 known as the African Pearl-spotted owl {Athene 

 perlata), La Chevechette Perlee of Levaillant's 

 Oisecmx d'Afrique. Although not well known in 

 Cape Colony, this small owl, with its notable spotted 

 plumage, is pretty common in the interior. It is, I 

 think, more often seen in daylight than any other 

 species. Andersson remarks that it is nearly as 

 much at home in daylight as at night, and can see 

 its way perfectly in dazzling sunshine. This is 

 rather a strong assertion concerning a creature so 



