37 



Polyboroides Typicus, or the West-African Astur Monogrammicus, 

 Swain., and has confounded its habits with those of Circus Maurus, 

 as his account of them exactly agrees with what I have observed 

 of the latter. 



The Third Family, STRIGID^E, or Owls, 



have the bill short, the sides compressed, the base concealed 

 by projecting bristles, and the culmen much arched to the 

 tip, which is hooked ; the wings usually moderate and 

 rounded ; the tail broad and of various lengths ; the tarsi 

 generally short, and feathered to the toes ; toes usually short, 

 and either clothed with plumes or slightly covered with 

 hairs ; the claws long and acute. The eyes large, and 

 encompassed with a radiated circle of slender, hairy feathers, 

 forming a facial disk. 



The Sub-Family, SURNIN-SJ, or Hawk Owls, 



have the head small, without tufts, and the facial disk 

 imperfect above the eyes. 



Genus ATHENE, Boie. 

 Bill short, partly concealed by the projecting plumes, the 

 sides compressed, the culmen much arched to the tip, which 

 is hooked and acute ; the nostrils basal, lateral, and hidden 

 by the frontal plumes. Wings rather long and rounded, 

 with the third and fourth quills the longest. Tail moderate 

 and nearly even. Tarsi longer than the middle toe, and 

 covered with plumes. Toes short, and covered with scattered 

 hairs ; the claws long, arched, and acute. 



55. Athene CapensiS. (Sav.) Noctua Capensis, 

 Smith, Zool. S. Af., p. 33. 



HEAD and neck red chesnut-brown, with imperfect white 

 bars ; from neck to end of tail umber brown, glossed with 

 purple ; some feathers have large white blotches, others 

 yellowish bars ; wings similarly coloured and variegated. 

 Breast, of all these colours, but each paler. Belly white, 

 with large brown blotches ; under part of tail pale-coloured ; 

 legs white, faintly marked in brown. Length, 85"; wing, 

 5" 9'" ; tail, 3J". 



The few specimens known to Dr. A. Smith were all killed in forests 

 in the Cape Colony. I have not met with it ; neither does M. Victorin 

 appear to have found it at the Knysna. 



