422 



BUBO. EAGLE-OWL. 



Bill short, robust, very high, compressed towards 

 the end ; upper mandible with the cere large, the dor- 

 sal line slightly convex as far as the edge of the cere, 

 then curved in the fourth of a circle, the ridge broad 

 and convex along the cere, afterwai'ds narrowed but 

 convex, the sides sloping at the base, towards the end 

 nearly erect and convex, the edges soft at the base, 

 sharp and inflected towards the end, having a slight 

 festoon anterior to the curvature, the tip strong, sub- 

 trigonal, acute ; lower mandible straight, its crura short 

 and widely separated, the angle broad and rounded, 

 the short dorsal line slightly convex, the back broadly 

 convex, the edges soft, and meeting those of the upper 

 mandible until towards the end, where they are sharp 

 and inflected, their outline nearly straight, towards the 

 end decurved, with a distinct sinus on each side close 

 to the abrupt tip. 



Mouth very wide ; palate depressed in the centre, 

 and sloping upwards at the sides, with a central and 

 two lateral papillate soft ridges converging forwards ; 

 upper mandible soft within until near the tip, and ha- 

 ving an elevated central tuberculated ridge; lower 

 deeply concave, with a slight central ridge ; the aper- 

 ture of the posterior nares short, elliptical, anteriorly 



