334) STRIGIN^. 



Bubo might with propriety be left as a specific name, 

 more especially as unobjectionable names may be had. 

 Syrnium being the Latinized Greek for an owl, seems 

 to be perfectly eligible. This first genus Syrnium 

 would naturally be divided into two sections, the first 

 containing the smooth-headed, the second the tufted 

 species. In this manner four of our nine British owls 

 would be disposed of, viz. Strix nyctea, St. passerina, 

 St. Bubo, and St. Scops. 



Another genus might be composed of St Hilaires 

 Syrnium and Ulula united, the former being smooth- 

 headed, the latter both tuftless and tufted ; so that in 

 this genus, to which I would give the old and approved 

 name Ulula, there would also be two sections ; the first 

 including Strix Aluco and St. Tengmalmi, which are 

 smooth-headed, the other St. otus and St. brachyotos, 

 which have tufts on the head. 



All these birds have the bill curved from the base ; 

 but one remains, in which the upper outline of that or- 

 gan is straight as far as the end of the cere. This spe- 

 cies, Strix flammea of Linnaeus, being perhaps the best 

 known, and I believe that which is most extensively 

 distributed, might retain its name unaltered. It would 

 form the third genus of British o wis. 



Now, this arrangement would answer remarkably 

 well, were it certain that the structure of the organs 

 corresponded in the different species of the genera 

 within certain limits. This, however, can be ascer- 

 tained only by examining them, and that neither by a 

 mere field naturalist, nor by any means by a closet na- 

 turalist, but by a* person handling and examining the 

 objects and parts, comparing and contrasting, describing 



