Mr. Layard's * Birds of South Africa.' 147 



quisite to ascertain the precise condition of the soft parts of the 

 joint, with the modification of the tendons crossing it, connected 

 with the pecuhar extent of motion of the part. Certainly an 

 inspection of the bones only would never have suggested the 

 possession of the faculty " *. 



I have mentioned somewhat at length this remarkable pecu- 

 liarity of the genus, as Mr. Layard does not refer to it, and in 

 the hope that the anatomy of recent specimens may be examined 

 by South- African naturalists, as suggested by Professor Owen 

 in the remarks above quoted. 



The Norwich Museum possesses a nestling of P. typicvs, ob- 

 tained on the Niger by the late Dr. Baikie j but I am not aware 

 that its mode of nidification has yet been recorded. 



55. T^NiOGLAUx CAPENsis (A. Smith). Cape Owlet. 



This little Owl must not be confounded (as in Mr. Layard^s 

 footnote, p. 38) with the next species, from which it is very 

 distinct, having been correctly included by Dr. Kaup (Trans 

 Zool. Soc. iv. p. 212) as the only African species of his sub- 

 genus Tcenioglaux. It appears to be a rare species, but occurs 

 in the vicinity of the River Zambesi as well as in the Cape 

 Colony. J have not seen it from Natal. 



56. Glaucidium licua (Licht.). Damara Owlet. 



This species, of which Prof. SchlegeFs Noctua perlata capensis 

 (Mus. P. B., Striges, p. 37) is a synonym, is frequent in Damara 

 Land; but I have not seen it from any more southern locality. 



Dr. Kaup (Trans. Zool. Soc. iv. p. 205) treats it as distinct 

 from its nearly allied but more northern congener, G. perlatum 

 (Vieill.). I regret that I have not had sufficient opportunities 

 of examining the northern race to justify me in expressing an 

 opinion on the subject. 



57. Huhua verreauxi (Bp.). Verreaux's Owl. 



This species seems to me to be most properly referable to 

 Hodgson^s genus Huhua, which should comprise all the large 

 Owls allied to the genus Bubo but with dark-brown irides. The 

 detailed definition of this genus is well given by Dr. Jerdon 

 (B. Ind. i. p. 131), to which I would refer my readers. 

 * Cf. Cat. Kapt. B. Norw. Mus. pp. 14, 15. 



