ASIO. TUFTED-OWL. 451 



Nostrils large, medial, lateral, oblong, oblique. Eyes very- 

 large, obliquely placed ; eyelids with broad crenate thin mar- 

 gins, and ciliary fringes of small feathers having distant fila- 

 ments. Conch of the ear extremely large, extending from over 

 the middle of the eye to the base of the lower mandible, and 

 of a curved elliptical or semilunar form, with an anterior semi- 

 circular flap or operculum in its whole length, and a broad 

 membranous margin behind, both beset with recurved feathers. 

 The aperture of the meatus elliptical, in the lower part of the 

 conch, bounded anteriorly by the eye, above by a ligament 

 stretching to the operculum, and behind by a ligament extend- 

 ed along the edge of the temporal bone. Above the meatus is 

 a deep depression, above which another ligament passes to the 

 operculum. 



Head very large, short, somewhat triangular, with the sides 

 flattened and sloping forwards. Neck short ; body short, 

 deeper than broad, much compressed behind. Legs short, 

 moderately stout ; tibia muscular ; tarsus short, and with the 

 toes covered with soft somewhat silky feathers, having the fila- 

 ments disunited. First toe very short, with much lateral mo- 

 tion ; the fourth next in length, the third longest ; all with 

 two terminal scutella. Claws long, moderately curved, slen- 

 der, tapering, extremely acute, compressed, with the sides con- 

 vex ; the lower surface of the first rounded, of the second and 

 fourth narrow, flattened or slightly grooved ; the third with a 

 dilated inner edge. 



Plumage full, and extremely soft. Facial disks very large, 

 complete, composed of linear-oblong softish loosely-barbed fea- 

 thers. The ruff complete, and composed of oblong, compact, 

 but very soft, recurved feathers. Bill partially concealed by 

 bristly feathers directed forwards ; cere bare above. A tuft of 

 elongated feathers on each side over the eye. The feathers in 

 general oblong, rounded, loosely margined, almost downy ; 

 those of the abdomen downy ; of the feet soft and glossy. 

 Wings very long, broad, and rather pointed ; primary quills 

 broad and rounded ; the second longest, the first and fourth 

 about equal, the first only having a slight sinus in the inner 

 web close to the tip ; its outer barbs free and recurvate, as are 



