269 



takes the place of the Eagle-Owl of Northern Europe, and is, he says (Ibis, 1865, p. 262), " the 

 most common Owl of Palestine next to Athene persica, and, like it, adapts itself to the ever 

 varying physical geography of the country. In the rolling uplands of Beersheba it resorts to 

 burrows in the ground; at Eabbath Ammon it has its home among the ruins; in the ravines of 

 Galilee and the Ghor it retires in security to the most inaccessible caverns. Mr. Upcher shot 

 one which dashed out of a cave as we were climbing for Griffons' nests in the Wady Hamam, 

 and with the other barrel brought down a Woodcock which rose from another cave at the same 

 time. We had two eggs brought to us near the Jabbok, which could only have belonged to this 

 bird. In the uplands of Beersheba it is very common, and I frequently have put it up at noon- 

 day. It invariably disappeared into some burrow after a short flight." 



From the above notes it will be seen that the Egyptian Eagle-Owl frequents desert and 

 rocky places, and in general habits resembles its congener Bubo ignavus. In Egypt it breeds in 

 March or early in April. Mr. E. Cavendish Taylor procured a nest containing two eggs, together 

 with the female bird, on the third Pyramid on the 21st March. 



I have in my collection two eggs of this Owl obtained by the late Mr. S. Stafford Allen with 

 the parent birds at Abooroash, Lower Egypt, on the 6th and 12th April respectively. These 

 eggs are considerably smaller than those of the Eagle-Owl, and about the size of the eggs of the 

 Lap Owl. The grain of the shell is much finer than in those of the Eagle-Owl, and one is 

 roundish oval, whereas the other is rather pointed towards the ends. 



Gray, in his ' List of Genera of Birds ' (1841), gives the genus Ascalccphia as established by 

 Geoffr. St.-Hilaire in 1830, and in his 'Genera of Birds' (1845) as in 1837; but the earliest 

 reference I can find, excepting that of Gray, to this genus is that by Lafresnaye in 1844, as 

 above cited. 



The specimen figured and described is in my own collection. 



In the preparation of the above article I have examined the following specimens, besides 

 those in the British Museum : — 



U Mus. H. & Dresser, 

 a. Egypt (/. H. Gurney). 



E Mus. H. B. Tristram. 

 a. Thebes, March 1858 (H. B. T.). 



2p 



