BUBONID^ ASIO 



243 



occasionally found in southern Spain. There is a closely allied if 

 not identical owl in Madagascar. 



In South Africa it is generally distributed throughout, though far 

 more abundant on the eastern side, which is better watered and 

 therefore more suitable to its habits. 



The following are recorded localities : Cape Colony — Bredasdorp 

 (Layard), King Williams Town (Trevelyan), Transkei where common 

 (Oakley) ; Natal — Common throughout Maritzburg and Newcastle 

 (Gates) ; Orange Eiver Colony — Bloemfontein (Bt. Mus.) Eoodeval 

 and Vredefort Ed. (B. Hamilton) ; Transvaal — Lydenburg (Bt. Mus.), 

 Potchefstroom (Ayres), Limpopo river (Eriksson in S. A. Mus.) ; 

 Bechuanaland — Linokana near Mafeking (Holub) ; Mashonaland 

 (Ayres) ; German south-west Africa — Eare (Andersson and Fleck) ; 

 Portuguese east Africa — Senna (Alexander) and Shupanga (Kirk) 

 on the Zambesi. 



Habits. — These Owls are confined to swampy places where they 

 conceal themselves among the rushes and long grass during the day. 

 They are generally found in small parties of five and six individuals ; 

 when flushed they make short flights like a covey of partridges, 

 settling down again almost immediately ; though apparently flying 

 well by day, and not minding the sunlight, yet they naturally appear 

 more frequently at evening time when they search for their prey, 

 which consists of frogs, lizards, swamp-mice and aquatic insects. 

 The cry is a harsh screech not a hoot. 



Ayres found these Owls breeding in the swamps near Potchef- 

 stroom ; the nest merely consists of a slight cavity or depression in 

 the ground, lined with a few dry rushes and hidden under a clump 

 of reeds or long grass. The eggs, two to four in number, are pure 

 white and slightly glossy, measuring about 1-6 x l-d. Ayres 

 found the male bird assisting in incubation. 



Eriksson also found this Owl breeding on the Limpopo near its 

 junction with the Marico during the months from February to April, 

 and gives a similar account. 



494. Asio lencotis. 'Vihite-faced Owl. 



Strix leucotis, Temm. PL Col. i, pi. 16 (1820). 



Ephialtes leucotis, Gurney, Ibis, 1862, p. 26 [Natal] ; Layard, B. S. 



Aft: p. 41 (1867) ; Buckley, Ibis, 1874, p. 362 [Serule] ; Holub §• 



Peheln, Orn. Siid-Afr. p. 47 (1882). 

 Otus leucotis, Gurney, Ibis, 1868, p. 149. 

 Scops leucotis, Ayres, Ibis, 1871, p. 149 [Potchefstroom] ; Ourney in 



Andersson's B. Damaraland, p. 40 (1872) ; Sharpe, ed. Layard's 



