4 Mr. W. L. Sclater on Birds collected 



very mucli a bird of tlie woods and forests, aud conse- 

 quently cannot easily be obtained, I have not succeeded in 

 finding the nest. 



The soft parts of an adult are : — Irides rich yellow ; bill 

 dull black.] 



497. Bubo maculosus. 



CC. Klipfontcin, June (1) ; Durban Rd., Mch., Sept. (2) ; 

 Z. Ngoye Hills, Sept., Oct. (1 & 3 juv.) ; Tv. Woodbush, 

 May, June (2) ; Legogot, Apl. {\); P. Coguno, July (1). 



The birds from the Cape and Zululand are strongly 

 washed with rufous below, while those from the Transvaal 

 and Coguno have the ground-colour pure white without 

 rufous. These two phases are probably of some geographical 

 significance. 



The young birds from the Ngoye Hills ai'e much more 

 extensively marked with narrow transverse bands both above 

 and below than are the adults. 



[This species is widely spread, aud was found in most 

 localities visited, notably Namaqualand, the Cape Penin- 

 sula, Zululand, the Transvaal, and in the Inhambaue, 

 Beira, and Tete districts of Portuguese East Africa. It 

 usually occurs in pairs, and rests throughout the day amongst 

 the bushes and rocks on the mountains and kopjes, often 

 sitting on the ground, while iu country devoid of mountains 

 it roosts concealed in the thick foliage of the larger trees. 

 At night it is seen cither sitting on some prominent rock 

 or bare tree or post, uttering at intervals its melancholy hoot, 

 or slowly hawking backwards and forwards within a few feet 

 of the ground. I have not succeeded in finding the nest, but 

 young birds were taken in Zululand, in the forest on the 

 Ngoye Hills, in September and October. 



The soft parts of an adult and a young bird are : — Irides 

 yellow ; bill dull black.] 



499. Scops capensis. 



C. Grant, Bull. B. O. C. xxi. 1908, p. 6G. 



Tv. Klein Letaba, Aug. (1) ; P. Beira, Dec. (1). 



The example from Klein Letaba is in the typical grey 



