MORPHOLOGY OF THE OWLS. 231 



besprinkled with feathers. Tlie inner branch arises from the inner border of the median 

 at a point rather in front of the level of the anterior end of the carina stcrni, and runs 

 backwards and inwards to join its fellow of the opposite side in front of the cloacal 

 aperture. It is widest on the breast, and contracts suddenly on the abdomen, to form a 

 narrow band at some distance from the middle line. Its anterior end is ()l)li([uely trun- 

 cated ; the lower and outer angle receives the feathers forming the preaxial border of the 

 pt. marginalis ;. the vipper and inner angle is formed l)y a single row of feathers of the 

 pt. veutralis at the shoulder. 



Fi. femoralis (PI. 25. fig. 2). — The limits of this tract are not sharply dehued. It is 

 continued forwards to form a pt. Imnhalis. Along the posterior border of the thigh there 

 runs a strongly-marked band of stout feathers, which is continued forwards to terminate 

 below the knee-joint. This band I shall call {hafemoro-cruralh^xiix. 



Ft. cruralis (PI. 25. fig. 2). — The feathers of this tract are slender and do not invest 

 the leg completely, but leave the inner surface bare. This tract is continued downwards 

 over the acrotarsium and acropodium, to terminate over the penultimate phalanx of 

 each digit. The planta is bare. 

 Pt. alar is (PL 24) :— 



Metacarpo-digitals (primaries) 11; 9th longest (reckoning from within 

 outwards) ; outer vane of the 10th serrated, with the tip of the inner vane emarginate ; 

 distal end of the 9th with the outer vane serrated; 11th reduced to the condition of a 

 remicle. Cubitals (secondaries) 14, the innermost small, not easily distinguished from 

 their major coverts. The wing is aquintocubital. 

 Tectrices : — 



T. major es. — The major coverts of the dorsal surface of the manus large; the lltli 

 much longer than its remex (the remicle), but least of all the coverts of the hand 

 belonging to this row. Carpal covert and remex large, closely attached by their 

 base one to another and to the base of the 1st metacarpo-digital. The covert is larger 

 than the remex. 



The dorsal major coverts of the cubital remiges are of imiform length throughout ; 

 sometimes, however, there is a distinct break in the continuity of the line formed by the 

 distal ends of these coverts. In such cases the break is found to be due to the fact that 

 the coverts 1-5 are slightly longer than the rest of the row, whilst no. G is slightly 

 shorter *. The row terminates at the elbow-joint, and is not carried inwards on to the 

 humerus. The overlap is distal. 



On the ventral surface the feathers of the manus, with those of the cubital remiges, 

 gradually increase in length from without inwards. Overlap distal. 



T. medicc. — On the dorsal surface of the manus this row commences at the 3rd meta- 



* As will be shown later, in the Owls the cubital major coverts of the dorsal surface are usually of uniform length 

 throughout, locquality in the length of the major coverts is never found except in aquintocubital wings. The 5th 

 major covert is distinctly longer than the 6th in Lc[itoiitilus javanicns, Griis (ntstraliensis, (J. ciiurea, Ardea ciiicrea, 

 Palamcdea cornuta, Ccryle torquata, and Conurus. 



The 5th major covert is shorter than cither the 4th or (ith in Megapodius n'uvliariensis. 

 SECOND SERIES. — ZOOLOGY, VOL. VII. 32 



