318 African Zoology. 



sides of neck dark brown, mottled with fulvous, the latter in 

 large spots upon both vanes ; back and shoulders blackish 

 brown dashed with fulvous or tawny-white. Wing feathers 

 black-brown with tawny bands, the latter often brown in the 

 middle, particularly on the secondaries. Facial disc principally 

 pale tawny-brown, at inner angles of eyes white ; the rostral 

 feathers tipt with black ; cervical collar blackish, mottled with 

 white at the throat, towards extremities brown ; chin, and a 

 large crescent in front of breast, white ; breast and belly black- 

 ish brown, variegated freely with large transverse tawny 

 blotches, which, towards the thighs, exhibit a whitish tint ; legs 

 rufous-white with -small brown blotches; toes rufous- white, 

 without variegations. Tail slightly rounded, the outermost 

 feathers of each side banded black-brown and tawny- white, the 

 bands of the latter colour brown in the middle, the centre 

 feathers blackish brown with tawny bands, dusky in the middle ; 

 tips of all the feathers tawny- white, finely mottled with brown. 

 Bill black ; eyes yellow ; claws light horn-coloured, darkest 

 towards points. Length twenty-two inches. 

 Inhabits South Africa. 



Obc. This bird I am convinced is distinct from the Bubo Europens. 

 Adult specimens are said to be marked nearly as the young ones. 



ORDER INSESSORES. Vigors. 



Bill various ; legs short or moderate ; tarsi usually clothed 

 with feathers ; toes flat beneath ; claws slender, moveable, 

 somewhat retractile, curved and acute. 



TRIBE FISSIROSTRES. 

 Bill broad at the base, gape very wide ; legs short. 



FAM. MEROPID^E. 



Genus MEROPS. 



Bill longer than the head, curved, rounded, slightly compressed 

 on the sides, and pointed; nostrils lateral, rounded or in the 

 form of a longitudinal fissure. Wings long and pointed, first 

 or third quill the longest. Tail long, even, graduated or forked, 

 often the two middle feathers longer than the others and termi- 

 nating in narrow points. Tarsi short, slender, and scutellated. 



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