MOEPHOLOGT OF THE OWLS. 245 



Pt. sjmialis.— Arms of interscapular fork long, arising higher up, not widely divergent. 

 Stem of lumbar fork veri/ wide. Seven feathers, forked posteriorly. Arms short, 



Fis. 1. 



.if. 



Portion of the upper end of the lumbar fork of SceIo(/lau.r alhifiicies, to show the extreme breadth of the 

 stem and short arms. i.f. Interscapukir fork. l.f. Lumbar fork. 



closely approximated, running almost parallel, at their distal ends expanding, so as to 

 clothe the axillary membrane. 



Ft. veil trails.— Inner branch not sharply differentiated from median, distinguishable by 

 reason of their more sparse distribution and semiplumous character. They form a 

 narrow band on the abdomen. 



Apteria generally thickly sprinkled with semiplumes. 



Perhaps the most characteristic feature of the pterylosis of Sceloglaux is the great 

 width of the stem of the lumbar fork. 



Mhamphotheca. — Cere slightly swollen ; nostril pierced in its anterior margin. 



Podotheca. — Feathers on the acropodium reduced to bristles. Scales on the acropodium 

 more distinct than on the acrotarsium. Claw^. — The inner side of the claw of the middle 

 toe with a flange. 



Syrnium alitco, L. (PI. 26.) 



Pteryla capitis : — 



Loreal are a. — Upper limb continued backwards to join the confluent feathers of 

 the pre- and postaural tracts. 



C i r c u m a 11 r a 1 are a. — The preaurai fold is well developed and forms an operculum 

 (see p. 229 and PL 28- figs. 1-2). It supports numerous strong, well-developed feathers, 

 arranged in 4 jmrallel semicircular rows ; rows 1 and 2 are bound closely together, their 

 bases forming a rim to the free edge of the fold ; rows 3 and 4s are placed further 

 forwards. At some distance from the most anterior row, and separated by an apterium, is 

 a single row running from the gape, backwards and iipwards, to the anterior corner of 

 the base of the oiwrculum. This row is with difficulty distinguished anteriorly from the 

 feathers of the ocular area. 



Postaural fold almost as cxtens.ive as m A. acci2)itrinHS. Likewise the feathers 

 seated along its free edge are densely packed, and their bases form a rim to the free edge of 



