DISTRIBUTION OF BARN-OWLS. 281 



Balearic Islands. A. von Homeyer (J. f. O. 1862, p. 252) mentions its 

 occurrence near Palma, Mahon, and Ciudadela. 



Spain. Mr. Howard Saunders (Ibis, 1871, p. 64) says that it is 

 resident throughout the year in Southern Spain, and common everywhere. 

 Colonel Irby also says that on the Andalusian side of the Straits of Gibraltar 

 it is common and resident, nesting at the latter place in the Moorish castle 

 (B. Gibr. p. 57). 



S. In the British Museum is a specimen collected by Mr. Howard 

 Saunders in Granada. It is an orange-coloured bird, the grey mottlings 

 being distributed over the upper surface, and the white spots tolerably 

 distinct ; on the quills remains of Jive bars ; tail with four bars, and some- 

 times the trace of a Ji/th ; face white, rufous in front of the eye, the feathers 

 of the ruff adjoining the disk also white ; the upper feathers of the ruff 

 orange, the lower ones tipped with blackish brown. Total length 12 inches, 

 wing 12, tail 5"1, tarsus 2"55, middle toe 1*2. 



Portugal. Professor Barboza du Bocage records it as very abundant in 

 Portugal ; and the Rev. A. C. Smith also says that it is the commonest of all 

 the Owls in that country (Ibis, 1868, p. 437). Schlegel mentions that a 

 specimen from near Lisbon is very pale-coloured (Mus, P.-B. Revue Accipitr. 

 p. 15). 



Northern Africa. 



Morocco. Favier's notes, as given by Colonel Irby (B. Gibr. p. 56), are 

 as follows : — 



" This Owl, resident near Tangier, is nearly as abundant as the Little 

 Owl, inhabiting ruins and holes in rocks, and nesting twice a year, between 

 April and November." 



I have seen many specimens sent from the neighbourhood of Tangier by 

 M. Olcese; and the British Museum contains four of his collecting. The 

 first appearance of these birds is small ; but I believe that this arises from 

 the peculiar " make-up " of the skins ; but they are certainly very pale. 



