by Mr. Claude. Grant in South Africa. 5 



phase, the one from Beira is in the rufons phase, which in 

 this species is very rare. There is no example in the British 

 Museum resembling it. The whole of the back is suffused 

 with rufous except a broad band above and in front of the 

 eye, the ground-colour of which remains almost white ; the 

 black markings are far less strongly marked ; below, the 

 rufous is fainter and the black streaks are much more feeble ; 

 the leg-feathering is white and unspotted. The rufons bird 

 is also slightly smaller than the grey, the wing measuring 

 127 mm. against 136^ though both are sexed as females. 



[Only on the two occasions that I have secured specimens 

 have I come across this little Owl. The one from the Klein 

 Letaba was shot from a small tree situated in a dry river- 

 course, and that from Beira was put up on the side of an 

 ant-heap in bamboos and was sitting on the gi'ound. Neither 

 of these uttered a sound, and both were remarkably tame. 



The soft parts are : — Irides bright yellow ; bill dark horn- 

 coloured ; toes slaty. 



In the specimens from Beira the soft parts were considerably 

 paler in colour ; which is in keeping with the plumage.] 



500. Glaucidium perlatum. 

 Tv. Klein Letaba^ Sept. (1). 



[The occasion on which I secured the specimen was the 

 only time I saw this little Owl ; it was shot in the daytime 

 in a small tree in a dry water-course, and was solitary. 



The soft parts were : — Irides clear yellow ; bill greenish 

 yellow ; toes dirty yellowish, nails pale horn-coloured, ti^Ds 

 blackish.] 



501. Glaucidium capense, 



P. Coguno, July, Aug, (2) ; Z. Beira, Jan. (1), 

 [Only in the Portuguese country did I find this Owl, 

 In the Inhambane district it was not common, but around 

 Beira several pairs were seen and many heard calling at 

 night. One pair was seen near Tete, This species is 

 always observed in pairs, and is often flushed in the daytime 

 from the thick foliage of the densest parts in the patches 

 of forest or dense clumps of bush. It is by no means wild, 



