ACCIPITRES — STRIGIDiE — SURNIA. 21 



FAMILY STRIGIDJE. 



Beak short, strong, compressed, bent, acutely hooked ; its base surrounded by a small cere, 

 almost concealed by incumbent setaceous feathers. Head very large, globular, much 

 feathered. Nostrils rounded, in the anterior edge of the cere. Ear-openings excessively 

 large, simple or operculate. Eyes very large, surrounded by a disk of feathers. Tarsus 

 short, feathered to the toes, of which the outer is versatile. First quills more or less 

 dentated on their outer edge ; the third and fourth longest. Plumage soft. The greater 

 part nocturnal. 



GENUS SURNIA. Dumeril. 



Head small ; facial disk incomplete. Tail rather long. Ear-openings oval, moderate, with 

 no operculum. Lower mandible with a sinus on each side. No egrets. Third quill 

 longest ; the first scarcely dentated. Diurnal. Connecting this family with the preceding. 



THE HAWK OWL. 



* 



SURNIA FTJNEREA. 



PLATE IX. FIG. 19. 



(CABINET OF THE LYCEUM.) 



Hawk Owl. Penn. Arct. Zool. Vol. 2, p. 234. 



Strix hudsonica. Wils. Om. Vol. 6, p 64, pi. 50, fig. 6. 



S. funerea. Sabine, App. Franklin's Journey. 



Hawk Owl. Nuttall, Man. Orn. Vol. 1, p. 116, figure. 



American Owl. Richardson, F. B. A. Vol. 2, p. 92. Add. folio, pi. 378; B. of A. Vol. 1, p. 112, pi. 27. 



Characteristics. Blackish brown, thickly spotted with white ; beneath barred. Tail wedge- 

 shaped, long, with several lighter bars. Feet thickly feathered and 

 barred. Female larger, with the tints not so clear. Young, rusty 

 brown. Length, 17 inches. 



Description. Bill short, curved from the base, and nearly concealed by the bristly fea- 

 ftiers. Third and fourth primaries subequal. Middle feathers of the tail nearly two inches 

 longer than the outer ones. 



Color. Bill yellow, with occasionally yellow spots. Cheeks white or cream-colored. 

 Summit of the head barred, or spotted with black and white. The rudiments of a black 

 curved band over the eye, and two other black spots on each side of the neck, which vary, 



