200 ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL 



of the Barn-Owl in Africa, give Mauritius as one of its habitats ; but this 

 requires confirmation (r/". Vog. Ostafr. p. 113). 



The British Museum contains three specimens from Madagascar: — 



M'. A male, collected in the north-eastern part of the island by Messrs. 

 Pollen and Van Dam, resembles South-African birds in general appearance, 

 but has very broad dark tips to the plumes of the lower ruff ; it is plentifully 

 spotted below, and on the flanks and axillaries are indications of the same 

 brown horseshoe bars which are seen sometimes in African specimens ; bars 

 Jive, both on the quills and tail. Total length 13 inches, wing ITS, tail 50, 

 tarsus 26. 



N'. A specimen procured from Mr. Whitely, is not nearly so dark as the 

 foregoing example, but is much more orange on the upper surface ; bands on 

 quills five, on tail four ; under surface of body washed with rich orange, 

 plentifully spotted with brown, some of the feathers streaked and others 

 irregularly barred with brown ; the tips of the feathers on the lower part of 

 the ruff dark brown. Total length 13 inches, wing 12'8, tail 5 4, tarsus 2-7. 



O'. A third skin, sent to the Museum by M. A. Bouvier, is dark in 

 general appearance, the under surface being very thickly spotted and showing 

 here and there indications of w^avy bars ; bands four on quills and on tail. 

 Total length 15 inches, wing 12'4, tail 5*2, tarsus 2-5. 



Indian Region. 



India. Without denying that Indian Barn-Owls present certain differ- 

 ences from the European ones, a series shows them to be intermediate 

 between S. flammea and -S. delicatula of Australia, especially in the nearly 

 uniform light grey of the upper surface ; and they form one of the many 

 races of the Barn-Owl found in the world ; but while in the grey shade of 

 plumage they approach the Australian form, in the frequent tendency to 



