142 STRIGID^E. 



mentioned by Arevalo as an Andalucian bird ; but Mr. Stark saw 

 one in April, 1876, near Algeciraz, and another was obtained by 

 Mena in winter near Malaga. 



Facial disk complete ; no tufts ; operculum large ; toes feathered ; 

 iris blackish. Two phases of plumage occur : grey and rufous. Length 

 18-19 inches. 



171. Scops giu (Scopoli). The Scops Owl. 



Moorish, Maroof ("the well known"). Spanish. Corneja, 

 Corneta, Cuquillo. 



" Occurs near Tangier on passage, crossing to Europe in March, 

 returning to winter further south in September and October. 

 Many pass the breeding-season in Morocco." Favier. 



The Scops Owl is very plentiful, both in Morocco and Anda- 

 lucia, but is almost entirely migratory. I was much surprised to 

 hear one on the 13th of January, 1872, near the Goto del Rey, 

 and another nearer Seville on the 15th ; but from what I after- 

 wards was told at Seville, there is no doubt a few sometimes 

 remain there during the winter ; I never observed them during 

 that season at Gibraltar, the earliest date of the vernal migration 

 noticed being the 4th of March, the first nest being on the 4th 

 of May. This Owl always nests in holes of trees, at least I do 

 not know of any instance of their nesting in rocks or ruins, like 

 Carine noctua, which breeds by preference in those places. 



Abundant in the Cork-wood ; the nest is easily discovered by 

 going round and hammering at the old cork-trees with a stick, 

 when, if a Scops Owl flies out, ten to one there is a nest. They 

 are strictly arboreal, and their monotonous single note may be 

 frequently heard repeated at regular intervals by day as well as by 

 night ; they even frequent trees in the midst of towns, being often 

 heard in the trees which fringe the Delicias, the drive and Rotten 

 Row of Seville. 



They chiefly feed on Coleoptera, and I believe are entirely 

 insectivorous. 



