116 STRIGID.E. 



of Western Africa, recently pviblislied, is, as that gentleman 

 has stated, a distinct species from that found in Europe, and 

 both of them are distinct from that named capensis by Dr. 

 Smith, which is found at the Cape. By the kindness of Dr. 

 Smith, I have been enabled to compare the European Scops 

 with both the African species. 



The beak is black ; the irides bright yellow ; the feathers 

 of the facial disk minutely speckled with greyish white and 

 brown, the margin of the disk on each side defined by a 

 darker brown line ; from the beak over the top of the head 

 are several longitudinal streaks of dark brown on a pale brown 

 ground, forming a central band passing over the head between 

 the tufts, which are short, made up of a few feathers slightly 

 elongated, differing but little in colour from the grey speckled 

 feathers of the facial disk ; the back chesnut and pale wood- 

 brown, mottled with grey, and barred with dark lines ; the 

 outer web of the wing-feathers barred alternately with white 

 and speckled brown ; tail barred and spotted with black, 

 brown, and pale wood-brown ; the whole of the breast and 

 belly varied with greyish white and pale brown, with several 

 decided streaks and patches of umber brown ; vmder tail- 

 coverts and under surface of tail-feathers greyish white, mot- 

 tled and barred transversely with brown ; thighs and legs to 

 the junction of the toes covered with short speckled feathers ; 

 toes brown ; claws wdiite at the base, nearly black at the tip. 



The males and females are very similar in plumage, -but 

 young birds have a more rufous tinge. 



The whole length of a specimen is about seven inches and 

 one quarter. 



