412 



OWLS 



Eag-le-Owl ^^^ ^^^^ foregoing representatives of the Striges, with 



(Bubo iffnavus) ^^^^ exception of the barn-owl, which, as ah'ead\- 

 stated, t)-pifies a family b}- itself, are included in 

 the Asionina.', or first subfamily of the Asionidx' ; and are collectivel)- 

 characterised by the openings of the ears being larger than the eyes, 

 crescentic or oval in shape, and capable of being closed by a cover, 

 while the face-disk is well developed, with a distinct marginal frill, and 



extending nearly as much 

 above as below the eyes. 

 With the eagle-owl or 

 great horned owl (the 

 Bh/h) maxiiims of some 

 authors and the Bubo 

 bubo of others) we come, 

 however, to a second sub- 

 family group, the Bubo- 

 ninai, in which the ear- 

 openings are not larger 

 than the eyes, and with- 

 out covers, while the face- 

 disk is generally more 

 or less ill defined, with- 

 little or no marginal frill, 

 and never extending so 

 far above as below the 

 eyes. 



The eagle-owl itself 

 in general colouring and 

 the presence of large ear- 

 tufts recalls the long- 

 eared owl, from which, 

 however, in addition to 

 the general characteristics mentioned above, it is distinguishable at 

 a glance by its greatly superior size, the length varying between 34 and 

 27 inches against about 14^ inches in the smaller specie.s. The general 

 ground-colour of the plumage is silvery white deepl)' tinged with golden 

 buff, blotched with dark brown, and barred with fine wavy transverse 

 dusky bars ; the greater wing-coverts arc thickly barred with dark, the 

 pale buff interspaces being mottled with grey, while the quills are bufif 

 with broad bars of greyish brown, thickly mottled in the interspaces of 

 their outer webs with dusky on a pale buff or silvery ground ; the rich 



Me ROWLAND WARD SlUOlQS 



KAGLK-OWL 



