500 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1909. 
we well know, that those species inhabiting the regions of snow and 
ice are white or very nearly so. Of South African owls, all those 
with which I can claim persona] acquaintance are certainly protec- 
tively colored: Strix capensis, Strix flammea, Scops capensis, Asio 
capensis, and Bubo maculosus. With reference to the last named, 
which is a fairly common bird in the district in which I reside, I have 
had some correspondence with Mr. W. L. Distant, the editor of the 
Zoologist magazine. He is of the opinion that this species does not 
possess protective resemblance in the same sense as this term is gen- 
erally understood, and ascribes to the bird what he calls “ active 
mimicry; ” as he says the bird consciously conceals itself. Perhaps 
it does this—the instinct implanted in every dumb creature would lead 
it to do this; but with all due respect to Mr. Distant’s superior knowl- 
edge in matters zoological, I must contend that if its coloration was 
not of the protective order, of what use would the conscious conceal- 
ment of the bird be, unless it crept into a hole or otherwise completely 
hid itself? Therefore why should the mere fact of its conscious con- 
cealment be against the theory of “ protective resemblance?” I will 
just relate two instances in brief detail to illustrate my meaning and 
prove my theory. On July 30, 1898, while out shooting I put up 
from almost under my feet an eagle owl. It settled a short distance 
ahead; so I followed it. When I reached the spot I commenced 
searching for the bird and after some minutes succeeded in flushing 
it again, but very nearly treading on it in so doing. This invisibility 
of the owl somewhat puzzled me, so I determined I would see it on 
the ground before firing at it. I followed this bird from place to 
place for over half an hour before I could see it clearly enough to be 
sure of its identity, and then even it was more its “ ears,” momen- 
tarily erected, that betrayed it,as,although it was only sitting among 
the grass tufts, I could not make out anything like the outline of an 
owl, so beautifully did the tints of its mottled gray and brown plum- 
age harmonize with the surrounding grass and stones. It was a clear 
case of “ protective resemblance,” as had the bird been of any other 
color—red, green, or black, for instance—I must surely have seen it 
repeatedly from a much greater distance than I was from it when it 
was flushed. I have noticed this fact repeatedly since, but will only 
relate one other instance in further defense of my assumption. On 
the 18th of October, 1903, I found a nest (if such the depression in the 
soil can be termed) of this species on a ledge or platform in a rocky 
hollow. This ledge was covered with ground on which several of the 
ordinary veldt plants grew. I flushed this bird from her two eggs 
quite suddenly, and was certainly not more than 10 feet distant when 
it flew up. I returned to the spot later with my camera, but in try- 
ing to get it properly focused on the bird had perforce to drive it up 
to find its exact locality. I was above the owl’s position at the time 
