THE SCOPS OWL. 193 



SCOPS SCOPS. 

 THE SCOPS OWL. 



(PLATE 7.) 



Asio scops, Briss. Orn. i. p. 495, pi. xxxvii. fig. 1 (1760). 



Strix scops, Linn. St/st. Nat. i. p. 132 (1766) ; et auctorum plurimorum 



Temminck, Naumann, Yarrett, (Keyserliny), (Blasius), (Gray), (Salvation '), 



(Schleyel), &c. 



Strix giu, Scop. Ann. I. Hist. Nat. p. 19 (1769). 

 Stryx pulchella, Pall. Reise Russ. Reichs, i. p. 456 (1771). 

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

 Strix carnioliaca, Gmel. Syst. Nat. i. p. 290 (1788). 

 Scops epliialtes, Sai\ Syst. Ois. de FEyypte, p. 47 (1810). 

 Bubo scops (Linn.), JBoie, Isis, 1822, p. 549. 

 Scops aldrovandi, Flem. Brit. An. p. 57 (1828). 

 Scops europaeus, Less. Traite, p. 106 (1831). 

 Scops senegalensis, Swains. Classif. B. ii. p. 217 (1837). 

 Scops zorca (Gmel.), Swains. Classif. B. ii. p. 217 (1837). 

 Ephialtes scops (Linn.), Keys. $ Bias. Wirb. Eur. p. xxxiii (1840). 

 Otus scops (Linn.), Schl. Rev. Crit. pp. xiv, 38 (1844). 

 Scops vera, Finsch, Journ. Orn. 1859, p. 381. 



Ephialtes zorca (Gmel.), Jaub. $ Barth. Lap. Rich. Orn. p. 78 (1859). 

 Scops longipennis, Kanp. Trans. Zool. Soc. iv. p. 223 (1862). 

 Scops giu (Scop), Neict. Ooth. Wottey. p. 153 (1864). 



The Scops Owl was first recorded as a British bird in the spring of 

 1805, from specimens killed in Yorkshire. One of those examples was 

 killed near Wetherby, and formed the subject of Bewick's woodcut of this 

 species. Since that period a score or more examples have from time to 

 time been obtained in England, the bird being now sufficiently well known 

 as an accidental visitor to render a detailed account of each occurrence 

 unnecessary. From Scotland but one specimen has been recorded, which 

 was shot in Sutherlandshire in the early summer of 1854. The Scops Owl 

 has also occurred twice in Ireland : one, mentioned by Thompson, was shot 

 at Loughcrew, in co. Meath in 1837, and another at Kilmore, in Wexford, 

 in the spring of 1847. 



The Scops Owl breeds throughout Europe south of the Baltic, wintering 

 in North-east Africa as far south as Abyssinia. Eastwards it breeds in 

 Asia Minor, Turkestan, and Persia. In North-west and West Africa 

 there is a resident race which is slightly smaller, but does not differ in 

 colour; whilst in North-east Africa and South Africa another smaller 

 variety (S. ^apensis) occurs, with shorter wings and of a dark grey colour. 

 In the North-west Himalayas a pale form occurs (S. brucii), which is most 

 probably a fairly distinct species. In Nepal, Madras, and Malacca three 



VOL. i. o 



