332 NATURAL HISTORY OF BIRDS. 



It was in the cavity of a live aspen, and the young birds were feeding on a freshly- 

 killed chipmunk (Tamias). 



A pigmy-owl, G. nanum, the Cdbure of Azara, which inhabits southern South 

 America, is believed by the natives of that country to attract small birds about it by 

 its bewitching song, after which it picks out and pounces upon one of the fattest of 

 its admirers, which it proceeds to devour. This story, which we have ourselves 

 repeatedly heard in the Province of Entre Rios, is easily accounted for, with the 

 exception of the song, for nearly all owls are objects of curiosity to other birds, many 

 a one of which pays dearly for his inquisitiveness. It does not become us, moreover, 

 in the light of certain facts with regard to the musical ability of some hawks, and the 

 imitative powers of at least one species of owl, to smile too incredulously at these 

 tales ; for, while we may have little or no faith in their trustworthiness, it is certainly 

 not impossible that birds so slightly known as these owls may possess vocal powers 

 not yet officially recognized. 



From the larger pigmy-owls, especially those with bare feet and somewhat bristly 

 legs, it is but a short step to the owls of the genus Ninox, which differ mainly in 

 larger size, much longer and pointed wings, and in having the lower part of the tarsus 

 mostly hairy instead of covered with feathers. The bristles of the feet are so notice- 

 able in most of the species that they are often called the hairy-footed owls. Were it 

 not for the long and sharp-pointed wings it would be difficult to separate this genus 

 from the preceding, to which it is certainly A r ery nearly related. The wings, however, 

 in Ninox, when folded naturally, reach considerably beyond the middle of the tail ; 

 while in Glaucidium they rarely reach even to the middle, usually falling far short of 

 it. In size the species vary fi'om that of a rather large pigmy-owl, say eight or nine 

 inches long, up to more than two feet in length, a size only attained, however, by the 

 powerful-owl, Ninox strenna, of New Zealand. 



The genus seems to be nearly confined to the Indo-Malayan and Australian regions, 

 ranging from Japan to New Zealand, and reaching Ceylon and the Himmalehs 

 on the west. A single species also, JV. superciliaris, is credited to Madagascar. It 

 is almost impossible at present to do more than guess at the actual number of species 

 included in the genus. As many (twenty-five or thirty) have been described as in 

 the preceding genus, perhaps with no better grounds, and species-makers are still 

 publishing new ones on the strength of single, and oftentimes young or imperfect, 

 specimens. Much of the territory lying within the range of the genus is also as yet 

 unexplored, and may reasonably be expected to yield one or two new forms, as Avell as 

 some new light on the relationship of the various doubtful members of the group. 



One widely-ranging species, J\ r . scutulata, is found throughout the whole extent of 

 the Indo-Malayan region, but is absent from Australia, while a second and closely 

 allied species inhabits the Himmalehs ; Australia has several large species ; New 

 Guinea is credited with as many more, while nearly every good-sized island among 

 the East Indies claims at least one peculiar species. Some of these seem to be well 

 marked, while others are unquestionably only local forms of well-known species, or 

 even mere individual varieties. 



Many beautiful birds are found among the species of Ninox, the colors being 

 usually soft grays and browns, with black or white touches here and there, and the 

 wings and tail often barred with light and dark. Russet-browns, and even brighter 

 rusty tints, are so common that one cannot help suspecting that dichromatism is 

 common here as well as among the pigmy-owls, though it has not yet been recognized 



