. Hand-book to the birds of Great Britain . to say nothing of suchcurious sites as a disused dog-kennel, as related by Mr. A. in Mr. Seebohms work on British Birds. The samegentleman also states that he has known the eggs to be laid onthe bare ground, somewhat concealed by the thick foliage ofthe lower branches of a fir. Eggs. - Three or four in number ; white, smooth, and ratherglossy. Axis, i-75-r95 inch; diam., i-5-r6. THE DOWNY OWLETS. GENUS NYCTALA. Njcfala, Brehm, Isis, 1828, p. 1271. Type, N. tengniahni (Gm.). The species of the genus Nydala are diminutive represen-tatives of
. Hand-book to the birds of Great Britain . to say nothing of suchcurious sites as a disused dog-kennel, as related by Mr. A. in Mr. Seebohms work on British Birds. The samegentleman also states that he has known the eggs to be laid onthe bare ground, somewhat concealed by the thick foliage ofthe lower branches of a fir. Eggs. - Three or four in number ; white, smooth, and ratherglossy. Axis, i-75-r95 inch; diam., i-5-r6. THE DOWNY OWLETS. GENUS NYCTALA. Njcfala, Brehm, Isis, 1828, p. 1271. Type, N. tengniahni (Gm.). The species of the genus Nydala are diminutive represen-tatives of the ^Vood-Owls, but they differ from all the speciesof the genus Syrnium in their small size, and in the curiousconformation of the ear-conches, which are different on eitherside of the head, as has been pointed out by Professor Collett,of Christiania. This may have something to do with the sense of hearing inthe genus Nydala, but nothing is known on this point. Apartfrom the small size of the birds, the thick feathering of the PLATE XXXIX. .^ TENGMALMS OWL. THE DOWNY 0WLP:TS. 16^ toes distinguishes Nydala from Syrniuni^ as far as the Britishavifauna is concerned. The Saw-whet Owl {Nydala acadica) of North America hasbeen said to have occurred in Yorkshire, but the occurrence isnot considered genuine. I. tengmalms owl. nyctala tengmalmi. Strix teii^uiahni, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 291 (1788) ; Seeb. Br. B. i.^p. 164 (1883).Ulula tengniahni^ Macgill. Br. B. iii. p. 445 (1840).Nydala tengmalmi, Newt. ed. Yarr. Br. B. i. p. 154 (1872) ; Dresser, B. Eur. v. p. 319, pi. 313 (1872); Sl^arpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. ii. p. 284 (1875); B. O. U. List Br. B. p. 88(1883); Saunders, Man. Br. B. p. 289(1889); Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. B. part xxx. (1895). {Plate XXXIX.) Adult Male.—General colour above light brown, plentifully spotted and mottled with white, especially on the scapulars, where the white markings are very conspicuous ; fore-part and sides of crown rather darker than the back, with nume
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