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This little Owl, according to Dr. Smith, goes as far 

 south in Africa as Senegal ; but the species described by 

 Mr. Swainsoii under the name of Scops Senegalensis, in 

 his Birds of Western Africa, is, as that gentleman has 

 stated, a distinct species from that found in Europe, and 

 both of them are distinct from that named capensis by 

 Dr. Smith, which is found at the Cape. By the kindness 

 of Dr. Smith, I have been enabled to compare the Euro- 

 pean Scops with both the African species. 



The beak is black; the irides bright yellow; the 

 feathers of the facial disk minutely speckled with greyish 

 white and brown, the margin of the disk on each side de- 

 fined by a darker brown line ; from the beak over the 

 top of the head are several longitudinal streaks of dark 

 brown on a pale brown ground, forming a central band 

 passing over the head between the tufts, which are short, 

 made up of a few feathers slightly elongated, differing but 

 little in colour from the grey speckled feathers of the 

 facial disk ; the back chestnut and pale wood-brown, mot- 

 tled with grey, and barred with dark lines ; the outer web 

 of the wing feathers barred alternately with white and 

 speckled brown ; tail barred and spotted with black, brown, 

 and pale wood-brown ; the whole of the breast and belly 

 varied with greyish white and pale brown, with several 

 decided streaks and patches of umber brown ; under tail- 

 coverts and under surface of tail-feathers greyish white, 

 mottled and barred transversely with brown ; thighs and 

 legs to the junction of the toes covered with short speckled 

 feathers ; toes brown ; claws white at the base, nearly 

 black at the tip. 



Adult males and females are very similar in plumage, 

 but young birds have a more rufous tinge. Length about 

 seven inches. 



