MOEPHOLOGY OP THE OWLS. 2il 



Rhamphotheca. — Cere of considerable size, slightly inflated at the base ; aperture of 

 the nostrils circidar, looking slightly downwards. 



Podothcca. — Acrotarsium feathered. Acropodium covered with warty protuberances. 

 Terminal phalanx with the base sheathed by three scales. 



Uropygium. — The oil-gland is conical, as in Bnho- 



The pterylosis closely resembles that of Buho maculosus, but the vertical and lateral 

 neck-folds are much less in extent than in this species. Bubo torquatus * and Syriiium 

 aluco compared together prove conclusively the affinities of the former with Bubo rather 

 than with Syniium, with which it appears to have been generally associated. 



Bubo nyctekus, L. {Nyctea scandiaca, PI. 26.) 



Fteryla capitis : — 



P r n t a 1 area shorter and wider tlian in Bubo ; it is also much arched. 



Parietal area. — Feathers of the " ear "-tufts in a single longitudmal row, some 6 

 in number ; their bases conspicuously larger than those of the surrounding feathers, and 

 hounded on the inside by an elongated lenticular apterium. 



Loreal area merging above with the frontal are;i. 



Circumaural are a. — Preaural fold feebly developed, with a double row of feathers 

 along its free edge. Postaural fold as in Bubo, e. g. B. igiiavus. The periphery of the 

 disc, as demarcated by the cut Ijases of the feathers, arising just above the postaural 

 lold, rather helow the level of the toj) of the eye, runs dowmvards and forwards along 

 the postaural fold on to the mandible, terminating midway between the gape and the 

 rhamphotlieca. 



Ramal area extending backwards to the articular end of the jaw; bi-oad poste- 

 riorly, exteading downwards to join the interramal tirea. 



Inter ramal area. — The anterior end giving off a narrow lateral branch on each 

 side, at right angles to the main axis of the tract, from the region rather in front of the 

 angle of the gape ; behind this the tract is constricted, expanding again immediately 

 after to join the hinder end of tlie ramal area. 



Apt. colli latenUe extending forw ard on to the base of the postaural fold, but entirely 

 cut oh' from the apterium at the base of the feathers of the " ear "-tufts. 



Pt. colli dorsalis very broad anteriorly. Vertical and lateral neck-folds considerable. 



Pt. spinalis. — Interscapular fork arising in the upper fifth of the interscapular region. 

 Arms long, wide apart, extending to the end of the scapula, and almost joining the arms 

 of the lumbar fork, so as to enclose a space. 



Lumbar fork. — Arms sharply defined (PL 26), arising in about the middle of the 

 preacetal)ular region of the ilium ; they extend forwards on to the axillary membrane, 

 meanwhile expanding so as to assume a conical form. Stem sharply defined, broad 

 posteriorly, forked, the arms wider apart than the width of the oil-gland and terminating 

 in front of this. 



* Cf. footnote at bottom of p. 270. 



