68 BIRDS OF TFXISTA 



Iris orange-yellow ; bill and claws blackish-bvown ; tarsus feathererl to 

 the claws. 



Total length 14'50 inches, wing 12, culmen 1-20, tarsus 2. 

 Adult female similar to the male, but slightly larger. 



The Long-eared Owl, although nowhere abundant, is not unfre- 

 quently met with in the more wooded and mountainous districts of 

 North Tunisia, where it is resident and breeds. The species, 

 however, appears to be also migratory to a certain extent in the 

 Regency, and according to the naturalist Blanc, is more often met 

 with during the winter and early spring, than at other times of the 

 year. 



South of the Atlas it has been found by Baron v. Erlanger in the 

 Aleppo-pine woods of Ain-bou-dries, where the species was breeding 

 in the month of June. There appears to be no record of its occurrence 

 in any of the more desert-districts of Tunisia, and possibly the southern 

 range of the bird may not extend beyond the above-named district. 



Loche mentions the species as being common in Algeria, and 

 particularly in the mountainous and wooded parts, but whether he 

 includes the Sahara districts as well, is not clear. My collection 

 contains specimens from North Marocco obtained in the month of 

 March. 



In its habits the Long-eared Owl is almost entirely nocturnal and 

 arboreal, frequenting for the most part thick pine-woods and evergreen 

 forests, where it passes the day, only coming forth when evening sets 

 in. Mice and other small mammals form its principal diet, but small 

 birds and even insects are also sometimes eaten. The species seems 

 to be more silent than most Owls, and its note is not often heard. 



High trees are generally chosen by this Owl for its nest, but it is 

 said occasionally to breed in the clefts of rocks as well. The old nests 

 of other large birds are often made use of, with a slight addition of 

 wool or feathers as a lining. The eggs, usually three in number, are 

 pure white and rather glossy; they measure about 40 x 33 mm. 

 Those in my collection from Tunis were obtained in May, and in 

 some parts of the Eegency eggs of the species may even be found in 

 June, which is later than is usually the case in England. 



