1919-] Birds of the Canary Islands. 479 



It is included in this list as a Rare Visitor, but further 

 investigation may prove that it is an exceedingly scarce 

 resident. 



As I am uncertain which form occurs^ no original 

 reference is given. 



Cabrera mentions that specimens of this Owl were killed 

 in the Barranco del Agua de Dios in Teneiife (Catalogo, 

 p. 34). 



Polatzek included this species in his list of breeding birds 

 (Orn. Jahrb. 1908, p. 161), but never met with it himself 

 in the islands. Writing later (Orn. Jahrb. 1909, p. 119), 

 Polatzek notes that " this species was erroneoushj included 

 as a breeding bird, which statement is iiere corrected." 



Von Thanner (Orn. Jahrb. 1913, p. 189) wrote :— " Until 

 now the ' Wald Kanz ' Syrnium aluco (Luin.) was not 

 specially authenticated as a breeding bird. I saw a female 

 which had been * taken away from its eggs. It breeds in 

 the lava caverns.'' The above statement in regard to the 

 nesting of the Tawny Owl must be received with caution. 

 Von Thanner evidently did not take the bird from its 

 eggs himself, and the native Sjiauiards have very elastic 

 imaginations. 



Range. Typical Strix aluco aluco is a European species 

 ranging to the Mediterranean. It does not occur farther 

 south. Strix aluco mauritanica takes the place of the typical 

 species in northern Morocco. It is possibly this species 

 which occurs in the Canary Islands. 



Asio otus canariensis. Canarian Long-eared Owl. 



Asia canariensis Madarasz, Orn. Monatsber. 1901, p. 54 — ■ 

 Type locality : Gran Canaria. 



A Resident subspecies. 

 Hab. in Archipelago. 



Western Group: Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Palma. 

 Range beyond the Archipelago. 



Does not occur. 



* Note that Thauner writes in the past tense, " had been." 



