FAMILY 11. STRIGIN.E. 

 OWLS. 



Four species of this family are of common occur- 

 rence in Britain, one is found more particularly in the 

 north-eastern islands of Scotland, and four more have 

 occasionally been met with in diflPerent parts of the 

 country. They agree in possessing the following cha- 

 racters. Their body is ovate, very short, much broader 

 and deeper before, very narrow behind ; their neck 

 short and slender, although, being covered with very 

 long feathers, it seems extremely thick ; their head ex- 

 tremely large, much broader than that of any other fa- 

 mily ; their wings long, very broad, and more or less 

 rounded ; their tail short. 



The skeleton does not exhibit so much diversity as 

 in the Falconine family. The cranium is remarkably 

 short, and of extreme breadth, being much larger than 

 in any other tribe of birds ; but its bulk is in a great 

 measure produced by the numerous cells that exist be- 

 tween its tables ; the orbits are still larger than those 

 of the Falconine birds, and are separated by a bony 

 septum, which is generally complete ; the lachrymal 



