334 



6 



or date. I have often tried to shoot these birds ; but as they keep to the thickest trees, never 

 stir abroad in the day, and do not commence to call till it is just too late to see them, it is not 

 easy to secure specimens." Dr. Severtzoff says that it breeds throughout Turkestan, except in the 

 south-western portion, where it occurs only during passage, but may possibly breed there also. 

 In localities at an altitude of from 3000 to 4000 feet it is a migrant — but breeds at an altitude 

 of from 4500 to 8000 feet, where only the larch, apple-, and ash trees are met with. 



Mr. R. B. Sharpe, who has lately been working at the Owls, and whose catalogue of the 

 nocturnal birds of prey has just been published, enumerates, besides Scops capensis, six subspecies 

 of the Scops Owl — Scops pennatus, Scops stictonotus, Scops japonicus, Scops malayanus, Scops 

 rufipennis, and Scops brucii, all of which inhabit Asia. The first of these, Scops pennatus, 

 Hodgs. (J. A. Soc. Beng. vi. p. 369), is said to be " similar to S. giu, but of a very dark grey 

 colour, and distinguished by its grey ear-coverts ; the ear-tufts for the most part rufous-ochre, 

 and not mottled with white as in European examples." It is said to inhabit the Indian 

 peninsula. 



Scops stictonotus, Sharpe, op. cit. p. 54, should, it appears to me, stand under the name of 

 Scops bakkamoena, Swinhoe (Ibis, 1860, p. 47), although this latter gentleman's description is 

 somewhat vague and indistinct. I have examined a specimen in the collection of Mr. Swinhoe 

 which comes exceedingly close to our European bird ; and I scarcely feel justified in keeping it 

 apart even as a subspecies or a local form. Mr. Sharpe gives a very accurate description of the 

 differences between it and true Scops giu as follows : — " This little Owl belongs to the same 

 group as S. giu, and is quite different in appearance without giving very tangible characters for 

 specific separation. Its general colour is ashy brown above, without any greyish shade ; the 

 ear-coverts dusky grey; the collar round the neck is very indistinct, and is represented by 

 certain pale buff-coloured bars or spots without any appearance of white whatsoever ; on the 

 back, however, are several very distinct spots and bars of the same pale buff colour, giving a very 

 marked character to these peculiarities." It is said to inhabit China, ranging westwards to Siam 

 and the eastern Himalayas. 



Scops japonicus, Bp. (Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1854, p. 543), is said by Mr. Sharpe to be a 

 larger and browner bird than S. giu, in general plumage darker, especially on the ear-coverts, 

 which are dusky as in S. stictonotus, and not silvery grey as in S. giu ; and " the lower part of the 

 tarsus is naked." It inhabits Japan. 



Scops malayanus, Hay (Madr. Journ. xiii. ii. p. 147), is, Mr. Sharpe says, " a well-marked 

 form of the S. giu group, and by no means so very different in appearance from S. capensis ; but 

 it is chiefly remarkable for the ocellated appearance of the head and hind neck, the latter having 

 very broad white bars so as to form a striking contrast to the head and back ; the ear-coverts are 

 dusky as in S. stictonotus." Lord Walden in his original description says, " the under surface 

 is distinctly divided into two equal portions — the first, including the chin, throat, and breast, 

 being wood-brown, mottled with a little white, light rufous, and black, irregularly distributed ; 

 the lower division, including the belly, vent, thigh-coverts, and under tail-coverts, is white, 

 speckled with deep brown and light rufous." It is stated to inhabit the Malayan peninsula, 

 ranging northwards into Southern China. 



Scops rufipennis, Sharpe (op. cit. p. 60), is said by Mr. Sharpe to be " very closely allied to 



