346 SYRNIA. 



rather short, stout ; tibise of moderate length ; tarsi 

 short, covered with feathers ; toes also short, and co- 

 vered above with feathers having hair-like separated 

 barbs, in some species reduced to bristles having only 

 a few lateral filaments, with two scutella at the end, 

 tuberculate and covered with flattened papillae beneath ; 

 the first very short and admitting of much lateral mo- 

 tion, the fourth next in length and reversible, the third 

 longest, but not much exceeding the second ; claws 

 long, curved, tapering, very acute, rounded above, com- 

 pressed, slightly convex on the sides, narrow beneath, 

 excepting that of the third toe, which has a thin di- 

 lated inner edge. 



Plumage soft and full, compact on the upper parts, 

 blended beneath. Facial disks incomplete above the 

 eyes, their feathers with loose barbs, those directed 

 forwards and partially concealing the bill longer and 

 more bristly, with elongated shafts ; the ruff inconspi- 

 cuous and incomplete. The feathers in general are ob- 

 long and rounded, those of the abdomen downy, of the 

 legs with soft disunited barbs. Wings of moderate 

 length, broad, rounded ; primary quills broad and round- 

 ed, the first three or four deeply sinuate on the inner, 

 slightly so on the outer webs, the third longest ; secon- 

 dary quills fifteen, broad, rounded. Tail of varied 

 length, broad, of twelve rounded, slightly arched fea- 

 thers. 



Some of the birds of this genus are those of the fa- 

 mily of owls that approach nearest to the falcons in 

 their structure. Such, in particular, are the Hawk- 

 Owl, Strix funerea of Gmelin and Latham, and the 



