SCOPS. 291 



will recognize how very doubtful many of the nominal species are, 

 and I think the 14 remaining species may with advantage be 

 reduced by one-half. 



All species of Scops are thoroughly nocturnal, and generally 

 make their presence known in the dusk of the evening or after 

 nightfall by a peculiar monotonous, monosyllabic or dissyllabic call, 

 repeated at regular and rather long intervals, generally from inside 

 a bush or tree with thick foliage. 



These Owls are insectivorous as a rule, though they occasionally 

 capture and eat small birds or mammals. They are found in most 

 tropical and temperate regions, but are wanting in Australia. 



Key to the Species. 



a. 3rd quill longest, 1st longer than 8th. 



a'. Feathers on tarsus stop short at base of 



toes : spots on scapulars white 8. giu, p. 291. 



b' . Feathers extend on to base of toes ; spots 



on scapulars buff S. brucii, p. 294. 



b. 4th or 5th quill longest j 1st much shorter 



than 8th. 



c'. No distinct collar on hind-neck ; pale 

 spots on upper surface ; no black shaft- 

 stripes. 

 a". Size moderate: wing about 5 - 5, tail 



about 3. 

 a'". Tarsus feathered to base of toes. ... 8. spilocephalus, p. 295. 



b'". Lower third of tarsus bare 8. balli, p. 296. 



b". Size large : wing over 7, tail 4*8 S. sagittatus, p. 296. 



d'. A distinct pale collar on hind-neck ; black 

 shaft-stripes usually distinct. 



c". Toes naked S. bakkamcena, p. 297. 



d". Toes feathered above S. semitorques, p. 300. 



1173. Scops giu. The Scops Owl. 



Strix scops, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 132 (1766). 

 Strix giu, Scop. Ann. i, p. 19 (1/68). 

 Strix zorca, Gmel. Syst. Nat. i, p. 289 (1788). 

 Scops aldrovandi, Flem. Brit. An. p. 57 (1828) ; Blyth, Cat. p. 36. 

 Scops sunia, Body*. As. lies, xix, p. 175 (1836) ; Blyth, J. A. S. B. 

 xiv, 



P- 

 no. 



p. 408; Davidson, Jour. Bom. N. H. Soc. i, p. 179. 

 Sc )ps pennatus, Hodgs. J. A. S. B. vi, p. 369 (descr. nulla) ; 

 myth, J. A. S. B. xiv, p. 183 (1845) ; Hume, N. $ E.v. 65; 

 if/. S. F. iii, p. 38 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. J/. ii, p. 53 (subsp.) ; Hume $ 

 Dav. S. F. vi, p. 34 ; Butler, S. F. vii, p. 180 ; ix, p. 376 ; Ball, 

 S.F. vii, p. 201 ; Cripps, ibid. p. 255 ; Hume, Cat. no. 74 : Biddulph, 

 Ibis, 1881, p. 46 ; Scully, ibid. p. 428; Biwjham, S. F. ix, p. 147 ; 

 Hume $ Dav. S. F. x, p. 343 ; Oates, B. B. ii, p. 154 ; id. in 

 I [nines N. 8f E. 2nd ed. iii, p. 103 ; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 70; 

 Littledak, Jour. Bom. N. II. Soc. \, p. 196 ; Salvadori, Ann. Mus. 

 Cir. Gen. (-2) iv, p. 573 ; v, p. 557 ; vii, p. 375 ; Hume, S. F. xi, 

 p. 21. 



u2 



