ASIO. 7 



Little is known of this remarkable species, which is quite distinct from all other 

 American Owls, its large size and dark colour rendering it easily recognizable. 



Very few specimens have come under our observation. It was described by Wagler 

 in 1832 from a bird asciibed to Brazil or South Africa; the latter locality being no 

 doubt erroneous. The only specimen that we have received from within our limits is 

 one recently sent us by Mr. Richardson from Nicaragua, where he obtained it near San 

 Rafael in the mountains of Matagalpa, in the central part of the country. 



In South America A. stygius has been found at various widely remote places. In 

 the British Museum birds from Colombia, British Guiana, and Brazil are now to be 

 seen. In the Vienna Museum there were eight specimens when Von Pelzeln wrote his 

 ' Ornithologie Brasiliens ' ^, most of which were obtained by Natterer during his travels 

 in Brazil, some of them in the southern provinces, some in the valley of the Amazons 

 or those of the Madeira and Rio Negro. 



In the island of Cuba it would appear to be more abundant, as Gundlach tells u& 

 that he obtained many individuals of all ages, though he never found a nest ^. Those 

 that he met with by day were resting on a branch of a tree in thick foliage, generally 

 in the woods, but sometimes in fruit-trees on the outskirts. 



The cry resembles the syllable hu, which can be heard at some distance, though not 

 penetrating, and inspires terror among superstitious people. The food of this Owl 

 consists of mice and birds, and probably reptiles and larger insects. 



4. Asio accipitrinus. 



Stryx accipitrina, Pall. Reise Russ. Reichs, i. p. 455 \ 



Asio accipitrinus, Newton, in Yarr. Brit. Birds, ed. 4, i. p. 163 ^ ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. ii. 



p. 234 ' ; Sumichrast, La Nat. v. p. 237 " ; Ferrari-Perez, Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. ix. p. 164 ' ; 



Herrera, La Nat. (2) i. pp. 178, 321 "; Bendire, Life Hist. N. Am. Birds, i, p. 332, t. 12. 



f. 3 " j Fisher, Bull. U. S. Dep. Agr. no. 9, p. 145, t. 21 \ 

 Btriw brachyotus, Forst. Phil. Trans. Ixii. p. 384'. 

 Otus.br achy otus, Scl. P. Z. S. 1857, p. 212". 



Otus {Brachyotus) brachyotus, Ridgw. in Baird, Brew., & Ridgw. N. Am. Birds, iii. p. 22". 

 Brachyotus cassini. Brewer, N. Am. Ool. i. p. 68''; Scl. P. Z. S. 1859, p. 390"; Salv. Ibis, 1866, 



p. 196 " ; Gundl. Orn. Cub. p. 51 '\ 



Supra fuscus, cervino variegatus ; subtus cervinus, fusco striatus ; loris et mento albis, oculorum ambitu fusco 

 genis fusco striatis ; alis ad basin, cervinis, ad apieem fuscis, tectricibus subalaribus majoribus fusco 

 terminatis ; tarsis et digitis plumosis cervinis ; cauda fusco et cervino transfaseiata. Long, tofca circa 14-0, 

 alse 12'6, caudse 6*0, tarsi 1-8. (Descr. esempl. ex Volcan de Agua, Guatemala. Mus. nostr.) 



Hob. Temperate and tropical regions of nearly the whole world ^^ ; North America 

 generally, from the Arctic Regions southwards ^i. — Mexico, Guadalajara {Dr. A. 

 C. Buller, in mus. Rothschild), YaUej of Mexico (Sumichrast *, Herrera ^), Chapulco, 

 Llano de San Baltazar {Ferrari-Perez ^), Orizaba {Botteri ^% Oaxaca {Boucard ^^) ; 



