68 Dr, A. Hall on the Mammals and Birds 



hair of the cere; eyes large, orbits surrounded by feathers which 

 are erect, or in a stellated form around them, giving the appear- 

 ance of a flattened disk ; tarsi feathered, often as far as the talons; 

 feet 4-dactyle, three before and one behind ; outer toe versatile ; 

 3rd primary longest. 



Suh-gen. Surnia, 



Sub-gen. char. External auditory apertures oval — of moderate 

 size — naked — facial disk small and composed of slender feathers 

 which are repressed along the cheeks. This genus forms a con- 

 necting link between the hawks and true owls. 

 1st. Subdivision. 



Heads without ears or tufts. 



S.funerea. Hawk owl. 

 S. Hudsonia of Wilson. 

 Surnia ulula. Lemm. ! Bonap. ! Baird ! 



v.s.p. Ridge of the upper mandible yellow ; its inferior por- 

 tion, with the lower mandible black; claws black; irides bright 

 yellow ; eggs two, white. 



Dorsal aspect. Hair-like feathers of the cere gray, with black 

 mucronate shafts ; facial disk composed of grayish white stiflf 

 feathers, bounded by black posteriorly ; upper surface of head 

 and neck deep blackish brown, with numerous white spots. Dorsal 

 region ; scapulars, wing coverts and rump, brown, with less 

 numerous white spots, except on the scapulars which appear 

 almost barred with white; tail rounded, brown, with seven im- 

 perfect white bars. 



Ventral aspect. Chin grayish black ; the black line bounding 

 the facial disk, continued to the fore part of the neck ; behind 

 this a white streak, the feathers composing which are tipped 

 with black ; this again is bounded by another black line ; the two 

 black lines meeting behind the ear, and thence diverging to the 

 neck; breast, belly, and vent grayish white, intersected by numerous 

 narrow rusty brown bars ; under the wings, these bars assume a 

 darker tint, which is continued to the inner wing cover:s; 

 femorals and tarsals silky, of a dirty yellow colour and faintly 

 barred, the feathers continued to the extremities of the toes ; tail 

 itself brownish slate colour with distinct white bars; primaries 

 and secondaries barred internally ; the bars composed of white 

 spots on the vanes of all the feathers; the outer vane of the 1st. 

 primary has its barbs slightly recurved. 



