238 



STRIGID^E 



STRIX 



The Barn Owl is found throughout the greater part of South 

 Africa except perhaps the coast-lands of Natal. It is common 

 throughout the Colony ; the Cape division (S. A. Mus.), Port 

 Elizabeth, East London (Rickard), Port St. John's and Beaufort 

 West (S. A. Mus.), Orange river (Bradshaw), being recorded locali- 

 ties. In Natal it was obtained at Camperdown, near Maritzburg, 

 by Reid, and is common according to the Woodwards in the upper 

 districts. Other localities are : Transvaal Barberton (Rendall), 

 Potchefstroom (Ayres) ; Bechuanaland Palapye (Buckley) ; Rho- 

 desia Tati (Oates), Shongo river near Gwelo (Ayres), Sibanini 

 (Holub), and Chiquaqua (Sowerby). 



FIG. 80. Strix flammca. 



According to Audersson it is scarce throughout German south- 

 west Africa, though recorded from Reheboth by Fleck; finally 

 there is an example from Tete on the Zambesi, obtained by Kirk, 

 now in the British Museum. 



Habits. The Barn Owl, as its name implies, is generally asso- 

 ciated with outhouses and buildings and breeds in the roofs and 

 lofts of most of the farmhouses in South Africa ; in Mashonaland 

 Marshall has found it occupying disused mining shafts and drives. 



