STRIGID.E. 41 



covered with small scales at the base, and with three or four 

 transverse scales at the tip ; the claws moderate, strong, 

 and curved. 



60. Ephialtes Senegalensis. (Sav.) Scops 



Senegalensis, Swain., B, of W. Af., Vol. 1, p. 127 ; 

 Le petit Due, Le Vail., Vol. 1 . 



" Variegated with grey, ferruginous, and black ; ears grey, 

 without any marginal band ; marginal base of shoulders 

 whitish ; second quill shorter than the fifth." (Swain, 

 loc. cit.) 



This bird was mistaken by Le Vaillant for "Le petit Due" of 

 Europe {Scops Europceus). Mr. Swainson seems to liave been the 

 first to discriminate between them, and to point out the specific differ- 

 ences ; his type specimen is in the Cambridge Museum. Le Vaillant 

 states he saw it in the Camdeboo. I saw a bird in the possession 

 of the Count de Castelnau, said to have been procured at the Knysna, 

 which was either this species or the common Damaraland Scotophilus 

 Perlatus. I could not, however, obtain a description of it at the time, 

 and quote from memory. 



61. Ephialtes LeUCOtis. Strix Leucotis. Tem. 

 PI. Col. PI. 16. Swain, Birds of W. Af., Vol. 1, 

 p. 124. 



General colour brownish grey, longitudinally striped with 

 black. Face white ; margined with a black band. Egrets 

 Tery long, more or less tipt with black. Under plumage 

 with a deep black line dowTi the centre of each feather. 

 Legs white, faintly mottled. Length, 11"; wing, 8"; 

 tail, 4". 



This pretty little owl is apparently common in Damaraland, and I 

 have received specimens from Mr. David Arnot, procured in Mahura's 

 country. Mr. Ayres also obtained it at Natal. It does not come into 

 the colony ; I therefore know nothing of its habits, except that it 

 roosts in trees and feeds on coleoptera. 



The Sub-Family, SYRNIN^, or Owlets, 



have the head large, smooth, and furnished with two small 

 tufts ; the facial disk moderate and complete, or nearly so. 



Genus SYRNIUM, Savigny. 



Bill moderate, strong, with the base broad, and concealed 



by the frontal plumes ; the sides compressed, and the culmen 



arched to the tip, which is hooked ; the nostrils basal, lateral, 



and medial, with the opening large and oval. Wings long 



