STRIGID^. 39 



Atmore procured it at Blanco. This latter gentleman's account I 

 transcribe : 



"Meiring's Poort, June 19th, 1863. I have at last obtained the 

 large owl'described to be as ' big as a vulture.' I send him herewith. 

 Eyes black, with a narrow brick-red ring round the iris. He is very 

 destructive to poultry, and judging from the capacity of its swallow, 

 could take down a chicken at a gulp. The throat is of a peculiar con- 

 struction, and I now regret I did not send it to you in spirits. The 

 fat all round it was half an inch thick. His call-note is often mistaken 

 for that of a leopard. One killed a dikkop (JEdicnemus Capensis), 

 and left his skeleton close to the house, so it appears he victimises 

 them as well as poultry. He throws up no quids." 



Mr. Jackson corroborates Mr. Atmore's statement of its being 

 destructive to poultry. He had many hens sitting in boxes in a build- 

 ing with high walls, and closed doors, secure from every prowler but 

 a winged one, for the window in the roof being left open, each night a 

 hen disappeared. Mr. Jackson set a wire snare over each box, and 

 soon had the satisfaction of noosing the robber, who, even with the 

 wire round his leg, would not let go his prey, and was killed " red- 

 handed.'' 



58. Bubo Oapensis, Smith, Zooi. s. Af., PL 70 , 



Le Moyen-duc, Le Vail. The large Eared Owl. 



GENERAL colour umber-brown, the under side being the 

 lightest, variegated with irregular spots of dark-rufous on 

 the head and shoulders, and with bars and spots of deep 

 orange on the rest of the body. Wings umber-brown, much 

 varied by pale buff bars of irregular width ; each bar is 

 spotted, or speckled brown. Feathers of tail yellowish- 

 white, with narrow dark bars. Legs and toes "ochreous- 

 yellow ; collar brown ; spot on the breast white. Facial disk 

 yellow-brown, with white wiry feathers near the beak. 

 Length, 23" ; wing, 16" ; tail, 9". 



Its food consists of moles, rats, and small birds. Le Vaillant says 

 it makes a nest in a rocky locality, of branches, dried leaves, and moss. 

 Eggs three. 



I shot a specimen on the Cape Flats in the day-time on the 25fch 

 May, 1855 ; it appeared to see perfectly well. Since I made this old 

 note in 1855, I have only obtained one other specimen ;, the species 

 must, therefore, be rare. The example alluded to above was shot in 

 broad daylight in the bright sun, and gave me a long chase, after being 

 wounded at the first shot. He rose put of some rushes in the first 

 instance, and then perched in several different places, but always keep- 

 ing me well in view, and flying off' on my approach. Two eggs were 

 lately given me as the " eggs of the large owl," which probably belong 

 to this bird : they were taken from a nest in the rocky sides of the 

 Winterhoek Pass, by Mr. Short, the Superintendent of Convicts, to 

 whom I am indebted for many good specimens. Eggs pure white, 

 smooth, but not shining: axis, 2 ; diam., 1" 9'" ; ends Iboth alike 

 rounded. 



