Nomenclature of the British Owls. 347 



■vvliy I have ventured to difier from Prof. Newton^s views on 

 certain points. 



Firsts as regards the type of the Linnean genus " Strix," 

 I agree with my fellow-Editor of this Journal, who has 

 already expressed his dissent from the author of the new 

 edition of 'Yarrell's Birds ^ on this point "^ ; and Mr. Sharpe 

 has clearly explained the reasons t Avhich have induced us to 

 follow^ the nearly universal practice of modern naturalists on 

 this question. I will therefore now only repeat that I am 

 decidedly of opinion that the Barn-Owl; Strixflammea, should 

 be regarded as the type of the Linnean (not Brissonian) genus 

 Strix, as restricted by Savigny in 1809. It follows that 

 " Strigidse '' will be the name of the family of the order 

 " Striges '^ to which the Barn-Owl and its congeners belong, 

 while '' Asionidas " will be the name of the larger family 

 which embraces all the remaining Owls. 



'I'he serious question now arises, What is to be regarded as 

 the type of the genus Asia of Brisson ? Now Brisson in- 

 cluded in his " Asiones " species of several different genera of 

 modern authors. The Great Horned Owl [Bubo) is, it is true, 

 put first in the list ; but the Long-eared Owl, being called 

 " Asio" only, may, I think, be fairly taken as the type of 

 the Brissonian genus " Asio ;" and the Long-eared Owd will 

 thus stand as Asia otus (Linn.). 



Next as regards the specific name of the Short-eared Owl^ 

 for which I am pleased to be able to agree w ith Prof. Newton 

 in adopting the generic name " Asio " of Brisson. Prof. 

 Newton casts overboard the venerable and universally known 

 name, " brachyotus," in favour of " accipitrinus" of Pallas; 

 and other authors have blindly followed his lead. Now Strix 

 accipitrina is a name given by Pallas to an Owl which he 

 " observed ^^ on the Caspian Sea during his travels in those 

 regions, 1 768-69, and described in the appendix to his " Reise 

 durch verschiedene Provinzen des Bussischen lleichs (erster 

 Theil, St. Petersburg, 1771), along with other plants and 

 animals, under the head " Descriptioncs fagitivae animalium 



* (?/Ibis, 1875, p. C6. 

 t Ibis, 1875, p. 324. 



2c 2 



