MOEPHOLOGY OF THE OWLS. 237 



Ft. colli dorsalis. — Lateral neck-folds considerable ; with a retractor muscle as in 



Asio. 



Ft. spinalis. — Arms of the interscapular fork arising- about the middle of the inter- 

 scapular region ; branches short, running almost parallel, not widely divergent, extending 

 to the end of the scapula. 



Lumbar fork. — Arising behind the middle of the preacetabular region of the 

 ilium; well developed, extending forwards on to the axillary membrane. Stem cleft 

 posteriorly into two long arms, not extending to the oil-gland. 



Pt. colli veutraUs. — As in the other si^ecies of Bubo, branching about the middle of 

 the neck to join the Pt. ventralis at the shoulder. 



Pt. ventralis. — Outer branch strong, arising low down from the outer border of the 

 median branch. Median extending backwards as far as the posterior f of the carina 

 sterni. Inner branch broad, but more sharply defined than in B. maximus or B. lacteus. 

 Pt. alaris : — 

 Bemiges. — Metacarpo-digital 11 ; cubitals 19 ; the innermost 2-3 cubital remiges 

 scarcely differing in size from their coverts. 

 Tectrices : — 

 T. nuijores. — The major coverts of the dorsal surface vmiform in length. 

 T. medicc. — With a distinct break in the uniformity of the length of the series, the 

 6th being much shorter than the 5th. 



T. minores. — With a l^reak in each row, similar to that seen in the T. medice. 

 Parapteron. — Made uj) of some 10 obliquely-transverse rows sloping from without 

 inwards. Each row composed of 4 feathers, the most postaxial a semiplume, and over- 

 lapping the next, a true contour -feather, and much longer ; this in turn overlaps the 

 one next above and longest of the series, which is overlapped by the most preaxial 

 feather. Proximally these humeral feathers rest upon the muscles of the arm; distallv, 

 upon the humerus ; running along the upper surface of the humerus is a row of 

 semiplumes, all with the tips directed towards the tip of the wing. 



Between each of the transverse rows just described, and on the extreme postaxial 

 border of the humerus, are two semiplumes, one lying a little above the other. The 

 uppermost one runs parallel with the lai-ger feathers of the parapteron; the lower is 

 pressed close to the arm, Avith its tip directed towards tlie end of the wing. Whether 

 these feathers are really serially homologous with the dorsal and ventral major coverts 

 and the dorsal row of median coverts, and a ventral row of minor coverts, as represented 

 by the semiplume, or not, remains to be proved. It will be noted that in this case the 

 x-emiges are wanting. 



The coloration of the feathers of the parapteron is not to be distinguished, save in 

 minute points of detail, from those of the fore arm. 



Hypoptei'on. — Three parallel rows along the arms, somewhat semiplumous in texture. 



Pt.femoralis. — Femoro-crural band terminating considerably below the knee. 



Pt. eruralis. — Toes thickly feathered. Terminal phalanx covered by 3 broad scutes. 



