278 



Obs. An adult male obtained in South-eastern Siberia by Dr. Radde. agrees closely in coloration and 

 markings with examples from Archangel and Sweden ; but a female in my collection from Southern 

 Germany, evidently a younger bird, is much darker, the underparts being pale buffy brown instead of 

 white, and the upper parts are suffused with that colour, the lighter margins to the feathers being but 

 narrow ; the facial disk is also brownish grey in colour. I have not had a specimen of the young or 

 nestling bird to describe. 



Lv Northern and Eastern Europe the present species is not uncommon in some localities, though 

 but rare in others. It does not range into Asia Minor or Africa, but is found far east in Northern 

 and Central Siberia, being replaced in Mongolia, China, and Japan by a closely allied form 

 (Syrnium fuscescens), which differs in being smaller, darker, and more reddish in colour. 



So far as I can ascertain, the Ural Owl has not been met with in Western Europe, nor has 

 it occurred in Great Britain. In Scandinavia, though not common, it does not seem to be very 

 rare. On several occasions it has been met with near Christiania. Mr. Collett states that one 

 was sent to Professor Esmark from Holand in 1841, a second was 6hot in the same locality in 

 the winter of 1843, and a third in Urskoug in the autumn of 1846. Since then it has spread 

 sparingly, and has been obtained in several places, such as Arendal, Mandal, &c. One was 

 procured in Elverum in 1862, and one in the botanical gardens at Christiania in November 

 1865. In Sweden, Nilsson says, it has been shot in Dalecarlia, Jemtland, and Lycksele 

 Lapland, at Karesuando, and in Northern Wermland, where it appears to breed. It also occurs 

 near Upsala, where, however, it is very rare. Von Wright states that it is now and again met 

 with in Southern and Central Finland. 



In Eussia it is not uncommon. Mr. Meves says that there are several specimens, both in 

 adult and young plumage, in the Archangel Museum ; and I have received examples from the 

 vicinity of that town. Sabanaeff writes that it is only seen near Moscow during migration, but 

 that it breeds in the Government of Jaroslaf, and, according to Meshakoff, also in the Government 

 of Vologda. In the Governments of Kazan and Simbirsk it is very numerous ; in the Ural he 

 met with it numerously in all the conifer-forests of the Government of Perm ; but it does not 

 appear to breed in the black-soil country. In Poland it is extremely rare ; for Mr. Taczanowski 

 knows of but one example obtained there, which was killed on the mountain of Swientykrzyz 

 (Holy Cross). Borggreve does not include it in his list as having occurred in North Germany ; 

 but Mr. Wiese states (J. f. O. 1860, p. 215) that there is a good series of specimens in the 

 Konigsberg Museum, said to have been collected principally in the vicinity of Gerdauen. It 

 has been stated to have occurred in Denmark ; but Mr. Benzon assures me that there is no proof 

 that this is the case, and he disbelieves it. 



In South-eastern Germany it appears to be a permanent resident, more especially in the 

 Bohmer Wald, where {fide Fritsch, J. f. O. 1871, p. 184) it occurs regularly, and breeds, 

 Mr. Hojdar states, " in the districts of Kusvarda, Fiirstenhut, Ferchenhaid, Salnau, and Tusset. 

 The brown-coloured young specimens were described and figured by Mr. Hejrovsky in a sporting- 

 periodical as a new species under the name of Strix schumavensis. In the Museum at Frauen- 

 berg are numerous examples of this Owl in great variety of plumage. That this species occurs 

 also in other large forests of Bohemia is proved by H. Hiittenbacher having received two speci- 

 mens from Piirglitz." Von Tschusi-Schmidhofen received one from the Bohmer Wald, which 



