70 BIRDS OF TUNISIA 



the same as that of most Owls, consisting chietiy of mice and other 

 small rodents. 



I have no note of the Short-eared Owl breeding in Tunisia, but 

 Loche says it breeds in Algeria (Expl. Scient. Alg. Ois. i, p. 98), and 

 Favier mentions it as breeding near Tangier (Orn. Strs. Gib. p. 139). 

 The latter naturalist also states that this species interbreeds with Asio 

 capensis, a statement which requires confirmation. 



In Europe the present species breeds on open moorland, or on 

 the borders of marshes, depositing from three to six eggs in a slight 

 depression in the ground, surrounded by grasses. The eggs are white 

 and measure on an average 39 x 31 mm. 



So far as I am aware, there is no instance on record of the 

 occurrence of Asio capeiisis A. nisuella (Daudj] in Tunisia, although 

 the species appears to occur in Algeria and Marocco, as well as in 

 South Spain. 



SYRNIUM ALUCO (Linnaeus). 

 TAWNY OWL. 



Strix aluco, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 132 (1766). 



Syrnium aluco, Boic, his, 1828, p. 315; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. 



i, p. 2il ; Loche, Ex^.. Sci. Abj. Ois. i, p. 91 (1867) ; Eoenig, J.J. 0. 



1888, p. 141 ; id. J.f. 0. 1892, p. 286 ; Erlangcr, J.f. 0. 1898, p. 488. 

 Strix (Syrnium) aluco, Malherbc, Cat. Bais. d'Ois. Alg. p. 7 (1846). 



Description. — Adult male, spring, from North Tunisia. 



Facial disc greyish-white, barred with dark brown ; bristles round bill 

 dull white, tipped with black ; ruff grey, mottled with buff and blackish- 

 brown ; general colour above grey, thickly streaked and marked all over, 

 but particularly on the crown, with blackish-brown ; back, wings and tail 

 rather more rufous and pencilled ; underparts greyish-white, streaked and 

 slightly barred with blackish-brown. 



Iris black ; bill greenish-grey, becoming yellow at tip ; claws brown ; 

 feet feathered down to the claws. 



Total length 16 inches, wing 11, culmeu 1-40, tarsus 2. 



Adult female similar to the male, but larger, the wing measuring 11'75 

 inches. 



Ohsercations. — This Owl is subject to both rufous aud grey phases of 

 plumage. Specimens in my collection from Tunisia are all of the grey 



