90 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Characters and allied forms. — 0. s. pulchellus (north-east 

 Europe, west Asia) is a doubtful form tending to be greyer with 

 more prominent white marks on upper -parts but differences are 

 not constant ; 0. s. sibiricus (middle Siberia) is stated to be pale 

 grey without rufous tinge on upper -parts; 0. s. cyprius (Cyprus) 

 is very distinct with dark grey upper -parts and prominent white 

 markings and grey under -parts with broad black shaft-streaks 

 and black cross-bars and vermiculations. Small size, long " horns," 

 and much vermiculated plumage distinguish Scops from other 

 British Owls. 



Field -characters. — Its presence is generally first detected by 

 its monotonous single -syllabled note, uttered at rest, occasionally 

 during day, and always towards evening : when at rest small 

 size and .prominent horns are, taken together, distinctive. More 

 nocturnal than Little Owl, smaller, and has not the heavy, blunt 

 head of that species. (F. C.R.J.) 



Breeding-habits. — -Haunts old timber where holes are plentiful t 

 No nest, eggs being laid on floor of hole of cork oak, olive, elm, date- 

 palm, terebinth, etc. Sometimes also inside old nests of Raven, 

 Magpie, etc., also in holes of ruins and walls. Eggs. — Generally 4-5, 

 sometimes 3 only or 6, white, slightly glossy. Average of 100 eggs, 

 31.3x27. Max.: 33x25.5 and 31.5x28.7. Min. : 28x25 and 

 31.5x22.5 mm. Breeding-season. — From end April to mid -June, 

 but mostly about mid -May. Incubation. — By female only ; period, 

 24-25 days. Single brooded. 



Food. — Chiefly insects, especially coleoptera and orthoptera (grass- 

 hoppers), but also lepidoptera (large moths). Mice and small birds 

 rarely eaten. Exceptionally lizard and remains of crab found in 

 stomach. 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Rare vagrant. England. — Cornwall 

 (2), Wilts., Hants. (4), Kent (4 or 5), Berks., Bucks., Middlesex, 

 Essex, Norfolk (6), Northants., Yorks. (about 5), Cheshire, Lanes., 

 Cumberland (2). Wales. — Pembroke. Scotland. — Fife, Perth. (2), 

 Aberdeen (2), Sutherland, Orkneys, Shetlands (3). Ireland. — Nine 

 times. 



Distribution. — A broad.— Europe from south Germany to Medi- 

 terranean, north Africa. Replaced by other races in parts of Asia 

 and Africa. Palasarctic forms and their distribution not yet suffi- 

 ciently known. Migrates through Sahara ; winters in Senegambia, 

 Abyssinia, Uganda and East Africa. Accidental Madeira. 



Genus STRIX L. 



Strix Linnseus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 92 (1758 — Type by subsequent 

 designation of Newton 1874 and 1876 and by tautonymic quotation of " Strix " 

 of ancient authors, i.e. Strix aluco, the common European species). 



