THE SCOPS OWL. 193 
SCOPS SCOPS. 
THE SCOPS OWL. 
(PLATE 7.) 
Asio scops, Briss. Orn. i. p. 495, pl. xxxvii. fig. 1 (1760), 
Strix scops, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 132 (1766); et auctorum plurimorum— 
Temminck, Nawmann, Yarrell, (Keyserling), (Blasius), (Gray), (Salvadori), 
(Schlegel), &e. 
Strix giu, Scop. Ann. I. Hist. Nat. p. 19 (1769). 
Stryx pulchella, Pall. Reise Russ. Reichs, i. p. 456 (1771). 
Strix zorea, Gmel. Syst. Nat. i. p. 289 (1788). 
Strix carnioliaca, G'mel. Syst. Nat. i. p. 290 (1788). 
Scops ephialtes, Sav. Syst. Ois. de ? Egypte, p. 47 (1810). 
Bubo scops (Linn.), Bote, Isis, 1822, p. 549. 
Scops aldrovandi, Flem, Brit. An. p. 57 (1828). 
Scops europzeus, Less. Trazté, p. 106 (1831). 
Scops senegalensis, Swains. Classif. B. ii. p. 217 (1837). 
Scops zorca (Gmel.), Swains. Classif. B. ii. p. 217 (1837). 
Ephialtes scops (Linn.), Keys. § Blas. Wirb. Eur. p. xxxiii (1840). 
Otus scops (Linn.), Schl. Rev. Crit. pp. xiv, 38 (1844). 
Scops vera, Finsch, Journ. Orn, 1859, p. 881. 
Ephialtes zorca (G'mel.), Jaub. § Barth. Lap. Rich. Orn. p. 78 (1859). 
Scops longipennis, Kawp, Trans. Zool. Soc, iv. p. 223 (1862). 
Scops giu (Scop.), Newt. Ooth. Wolley. p. 153 (1864). 
The Scops Owl was first recorded as a British bird in the spring of 
1805, from specimens killed in Yorkshire. One of those examples was 
killed near Wetherby, and formed the subject of Bewick’s woodcut of this 
species. Since that period a score or more examples have from time to 
time been obtained in England, the bird being now sufficiently well known 
as an accidental visitor to render a detailed account of each occurrence 
unnecessary. From Scotland but one specimen has been recorded, which 
was shot in Sutherlandshire in the early summer of 1854. The Scops Owl 
has also occurred twice in Ireland: one, mentioned by Thompson, was shot 
at Loughcrew, in co. Meath in 1837, and another at Kilmore, in Wexford, 
in the spring of 1847. 
The Scops Owl breeds throughout Europe south of the Baltic, wintering 
in North-east Africa as far south as Abyssinia. Eastwards it breeds in 
Asia Minor, Turkestan, and Persia. In North-west and West Africa 
there is a resident race which is slightly smaller, but does not differ in 
colour; whilst in North-east Africa and South Africa another smaller 
variety (S. capensis) occurs, with shorter wings and of a dark grey colour. 
In the North-west Himalayas a pale form occurs (8S. drucii), which is most 
probably a fairly distinct species. In Nepal, Madras, and Malacca three 
VOL. I. ) 
