OWLS. 327 



occupies only a portion of its posterior margin. The 

 feathers of the neck are long, soft and elastic ; those 

 of the lower parts looser than those of the upper, the 

 abdominal entirely downy. There is an elongated tuft 

 over the femur, but none on the tibia, as in hawks. 

 The shafts of the feathers are so feeble that they 

 break on being bent in a small degree, their downy 

 portion extends nearly to the end, and in many species 

 the surfoce of the feathers is tomentose or covered with 

 projecting barbicels, which are more especially appa- 

 rent on the quills. The whole body is thus covered 

 with a thick layer of soft down, among which are nu- 

 merous very slender hairs having a few barbs at their 

 extremity. 



" An owl," as Mr Waterton remarks, " is an owl all 

 the world over ;" by which, whatever may be his mean- 

 ing, mine is, that no person who has seen two or three 

 species can fail to recognise at a glance any other as 

 belonging to the family. The facial disks, large eyes, 

 thick soft plumage, and general aspect, distinguish 

 these birds from all others. 



They prey upon quadrupeds, birds, reptiles, fishes 

 and insects ; but their favourite food is small quadru- 

 peds, which they clutch and perforate with their curved 

 and extremely sharp claws. They carry off their prey 

 when large in their talons, when small frequently in 

 their bills. In the latter case, they swallow it entire. 

 The bones, hair and feathers, which remain undigested, 

 are cast up in pellets. 



Their vision is extremely acute, but their eyes are 

 so constructed that they can in general see distinctly 



