ASIO BRACHYOTUS. 79 
lity for this bird ; but we have ascertained that it is pretty generally 
distributed, though nowhere very common: it frequents dry vleys, in 
the flags of which it lies concealed. We killed a couple in such a situ- 
ation at ‘ Naght waght,” near Bredasdorpin June. Mr. H. Trevelyan 
tells us that it is apparently common near Kingwilliamstown, where 
he flushed seven or eight from some long grass in October, 1874. 
Mr. Ayres has found it in Natal and also in the Transvaal Republic. 
He says:—‘‘ This owl occurs in the swamps near Potchefstroom, where 
I have occasionally come across its nest, whilst beating for snipes 
among the long grass and rushes. The nest is merely a small cavity 
in the ground, snugly situated under a clump of grass or rushes, with 
a few blades of dry rushes at the bottom. The bird flies from its 
nest in a great hurry at the near approach of danger. The eggs are 
two or three in number, pure white and slightly glossy; size about 
- 12 by 12 inches. I found a male bird sitting on a nest which con- 
tained three eggs a good deal incubated; this was in the month of 
April.” Dr. Kirk found it in the Zambesi district, where he observes 
that it is ‘‘a common owl in the clumps of trees bordering the 
valley, over the grass plains near which it hunts, during the dusk of 
the evening, in search of small animals.” It is probably owing to 
the more suitable country on the eastern and central portions of 
South Africa that this owl is more common there, for it is a scarce 
bird on the west coast, as Mr. Andersson only obtained it once in 
Ovampo Land (Cf. Gurney in Anderss. B. Damara Ld. p. 43), and 
Mr. Monteiro procured but a single specimen in Angola. 
Upper parts of head, neck, back, upper tail-coverts, breast, and 
lesser wing-coyerts reddish-brown, varied with a more yellow shade. 
Body and legs pale yellow-ochre, barred with brown. Wings 
chiefly brown, barred with yellow; most of the feathers with a much 
paler margin. Tail barred brown and yellowish-white. Facial disk 
pale, dull-yellow, marked with brown ; deep-brown round the eyes. 
Collar deep-brown. Iris, as observed by Mr. Ayres, “ light reddish- 
brown ;” as observed by the late Mr. Favier at Tangiers, “ blackish- 
brown.” 
Fig. Smith, Ill. Zool. 8. Afr. pl. 67. 
74, AsIo BRACHYOTUS. Short-eared Owl. 
This species has been known to occur once in South Africa, as 
recorded by Mr. Gurney (Ibis, 1868, p. 150) :—“ The Zoological 
