Birds. 315 



Otus ascalaphus. Egrets or horns rudimentary and slender ; 

 setaceous feathers of the cheeks directed upwards and very 

 short above the eyes, and assist in giving a flattened appear- 

 ance to the forehead and top of the head ; beak black ; body, 

 wings, and tail, whitish red varied with different shades ; the 

 whole body spotted and striped with brown-black, the spots 

 lanceolate on the head and nape, confluent on the ears ; the 

 quills and tail feathers with broad bands and narrow zigzag 

 brown stripes ; breast dashed with the same ; the rest of the 

 under part with fine transverse stripes. Under surface of tail 

 white, with five or six narrow dusky transverse bands ; throat 

 and middle of breast white ; tarsi long, and as well as the toes 

 covered with whitish feathers. Length about eighteen inches. 



Inhabits Egypt. 



Strix Ascalaphus, Savig. Egypt. Temm. pi. col. 57. 



Otus leucotis. Egrets placed above the eyes, long and point- 

 ed, which, with the feathers of the head and nape, are dull 

 white varied with reddish zigzag lines, and a longitudinal black 

 stripe in the direction of the shafts, the tip of each feather is 

 black ; face and cheeks white with a rufous tinge under the 

 eyes and a broad black band behind, extending to the egrets ; 

 edges of wings and large coverts white, upper and under parts 

 of body light rufous, variegated with black and vermiculated 

 with brown ; quills and tail feathers ashy, delicately marked 

 with brownish zigzag lines and broad transverse stripes ; vent 

 white, with brown stripes. Bill awhitish horn-colour, andnearly 

 covered by pure white bristles. Length six inches. 



Inhabits Senegal. 



Strix leucotis, Temm. pi. col. 16. 



Otus maculosus. Above brown or black-brown; the upper 

 parts of head, neck, and interscapulars, irregularly spotted with 

 white or tawny- white ; the back, scapulars, and shoulders, 

 mottled with white or tawny- white undulated bars or blotches. 

 Face grey, the feathers crossed by black bars ; egrets brown, 

 spotted with white ; chin white ; cervical collar dark brown, 

 mottled with white in front of neck ; in front of breast a large 

 white crescent. Breast and flanks white, barred with brown and 

 blotched with black ; belly and legs tawny or pure white, more 

 regularly barred with narrow brown lines. Tail slightly 

 rounded, two centre feathers brown with four or five irregular 

 tawny- white bars ; lateral feathers brown with the transverse 

 tawny bars more distinct. Eyes fine yellow ; bill and claws 

 black. Length eighteen inches. 



Inhabits South Africa, common. 



Strix maculosus, Vieill. Gal pi 23. Strix Africanus, Tern. 

 pi 56. 



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