332 STRIGIN^. 



rest of the body ; aperture of the ears oval, and scarce- 

 ly larger than in the diurnal birds of prey ; bill curved 

 from the base. 



2. Bubo. Dues. Feathers on the upper part of the 

 head as in the last genus ; the disk very incomplete ; 

 an erectile tuft on each side of the head ; apertures of 

 the ears rather large, but not nearly so much so as in 

 the genera of the second section ; bill curved from the 

 base. 



3. Phodilus. Phodiles. Feathers on the upper part 

 of the head as in the preceding genera ; disks imper- 

 fect ; no tufts ; apertures of the ears large, the conch 

 smaller than in the genus Strix ; bill straight at the 

 base. Strix badia, Horsf. 



Section II. — Disks complete or nearly so. 



4. Syrnium. Chats-Huans. Disks incomplete, but 

 very distinct ; ears larger than in the preceding genera, 

 smaller than in the following ; no tufts ; bill curved 

 from the base. 



5. Ulula. Chouettes. Disk complete ; conch ex- 

 tending from the bill to near the top of the head. Two 

 genera, Otus and Ulula of Cuvier, have been formed 

 of species having this character, according as they have 

 tufts or not. Strix brachyotos forms the transition 

 from the one to the other. 



6. Strix. Effrayes. Disk complete ; conch very 

 large ; bill straight in a great part of its extent, &c. 



This arrangement, like all others, is liable to objec- 

 tions ; but, in our present imperfect knowledge of the 

 structure of owls, might be adopted without much im- 



