258 BUBONID^ GliAUCIDIUM 



Iris bright yellow ; bill greenish-yellow ; toes yellowish ; claws 

 pale with dusky tips. 



Length about 7-0; wing 4-10; tail 2-75; tarsus 095; culmen 

 0-55. 



The female resembles the male in size and coloration. The 

 young bird has no white spots on the head and back; the white 

 nuchal collar is without the rufous edging, and the white on the 

 thighs and throat is washed with rufous. 



Distribution. — The Pearl-spotted Owl is found over Africa south 

 of the Sahara from Gambia, Abyssinia, and Somaliland southwards 

 in suitable localities, but it does not occur in the great equatorial 

 forests of west Africa. 



Within our limits it does not seem to be found south of the 

 Orange river or in Natal proper, but north of this is everywhere 

 abundant up to the Zambesi. 



Fig. 86. — Glaucidium perlatum. x ^5. 



The following are the chief recorded localities : Cape Colony — 

 Orange river near Upington (S. A. Mus.), north of Colesberg 

 (Ortlepp), Vaal river in Griqualand West (Atmore) ; Zululand — 

 Ulundi and Black Umfolosi rivers (Woodward) ; Transvaal — Sabi 

 river, and Komatipoort in Lydenburg (Francis in S. A. Mus.), 

 Lehtaba river drift in Zoutspansberg ( W. Ayres), Eustenburg (Ayres) ; 

 Bechuanaland — Kanye (Exton) ; Ehodesia — Tati (Buckley and 

 Oates), Umfuli river (Ayres), near SaHsbury (Marshall) ; German 

 south-west Africa — common throughout (Andersson) ; Zambesi 

 valley, common (Alexander). 



Habits. — This little Bird is common everywhere along the rivers 

 of the bush- and thorn-countries; it is at least partially diurnal 

 in its habits and may be often seen in bright sun-light. It is usually 



