Letters, Extracts, Notices, fyc. 



127 



house, and was the only individual of this species seen by 

 him at Chagga ; the other is an example of Scopus um- 

 bretta, a species which Mr. Fitch informs me frequents in 

 small numbers the streams which descend the mountain's 

 side. 



Another matter to which I am desirous of alluding is the 

 difference in size between the African Short-eared Owl, Asio 

 (Phasmoptynx) capensls, and the allied Madagascar race, which 

 Schlegel (Mus. P.-B. Revue, Noctuse, p. 3) called " Otus 

 capensis major." Mr. Sharpe, in his Catalogue of the 

 Striges (p. 241), gives it as his opinion that " the difference 

 in size is not sufficient to make one think that the Madagascar 

 bird is really distinct." 



I have been led to a conclusion the reverse of Mr. Sharpe's, 

 after taking the following measurements from specimens of 

 both races in the Norwich Museum : — 



Smaller Race. 



Wing. Tarsus. Middle toe s. u. 



in. in. in. 



c?,Casa Vieja, Spain 11-30 2-10 1-15 



c? , Tangier 11-80 2-10 1-10 



Tangier (not sexed) 11-45 2-00 1-05 



6 , Natal 11-85 2-10 1-10 



KingWilliam'sTown, South 



Africa (not sexed) 11-35 2-10 1-20 



2 , Potchefstrooni 11-70 2-10 1-10 



2, Potchefstrooni 11-65 2-10 1-00 



2 , South Africa 11-50 1-90 1-10 



Larger Race (all from Madagascar). 



Wing. Tarsus. Middle toe s. u. 



in. in. in. 



6 13-10 2-30 1-30 



6 12-40 2-20 1-20 



6 ■-.., 13-80 2-20 1-20 



2 13-80 2-20 1-10 



Not sexed 13-20 2-30 1-40 



Do..., 13-10 2-30 1-35 



Do 13-40 2-40 1-40 



I may add that the Spanish example above referred to, 



