406 CORACIIFORMES 



>S'. nehulosum of eastern and S. occidentale of southern North America 

 extend to Mexico ; whence >S'. virgatum, S. 2)erspicillatn,in, S. alhi- 

 gulare and other species range to the middle of South America. >S^. 

 rufi.pes is a native of Chili and Patagonia. ■ Finally, S. nuchale 

 inhabits Western, S. woodfordi Southern and North -Eastern Africa. 

 Asio otus, the Long-eared Owl, is buff, streaked, mottled and 

 vermiculated with brown and grey, especially on the upper parts, 

 which appear almost brown. The buff facial discs are complete ; 

 the feathering of the legs extends more or less over the toes ; the 

 two long head-tufts are erectile. It occurs throughout Europe, 

 in Asia ordinarily north of the Himalayas, in China, Japan, 

 the Atlantic Islands, and North Africa, being replaced in 

 America southwards to Mexico by the sub-species A. amcricamis 

 {vnlsonianns). A. acciioitrinus, the Short-eared Owl, one of the 

 most widely distributed of birds, inhabits or visits nearly the 

 whole globe (p. 400). It is lighter and less streaky than the last 

 form, with much shorter tufts. A. mexicanus, ranging from 

 Mexico to Brazil, A. inadagascariensis, peculiar to Madagascar, 

 A. capensis of that island and most of Africa, which sti^ays to 

 Spain and Arabia, A. stygius, found from Mexico and Cuba to 

 Brazil, and its Jamaican representative, A. grammicus, complete the 

 genus. The last three have comparatively bare toes. The Long- 

 eared Owl resembles the Wood-Owl in general habits, and even, it is 

 said, breeds at times upon the earth ; but it almost invariably relines 

 deserted habitations of other birds or of squirrels with a scanty 

 supply of twigs, grass, fur, down, or feathers, and lays from four to 

 six oval eggs from the end of February onwards. Pies' nests are 

 in great request, especially those of the preceding season. This 

 somewhat silent species utters a single hoot, or else a mewing 

 cry, often erroneously attributed to the young alone ; the parents 

 sit on the tops of trees when the nursery is disturbed, and 

 click their beaks, just as the nestlings do. The Short-eared 

 or Marsh-Owl makes a nest of the surrounding substances, with a 

 few feathers, among heather, sedge, or marshy herbage, sometimes 

 sheltered by some tussock or bush, and normally deposits from four 

 to eight eggs ; but during the vole plague on the Scottish Borders 

 in 1890-92, when these birds abounded, they produced as many 

 as thirteen each. In Unalashka a similar structure is made in 

 holes in banks. Should the sitting parent be disturbed, it 

 commonly utters a harsh scream, and hovers or circles around 



