320 SPOLIA ZEYLANIGA. 
in Ceylon, the skull is long and narrow, and the “ fureula,” or 
merrythought is united to the keel of the breastbone. In 
the Asionide the skull is broader, and the fureula is not in 
contact with the keel of the breastbone. 
Family STRIGIDz. 
Genus Strix. 
Screech Owls. 
This is a small family, containing only twe genera, one of 
which—WStria—is world-wide, the other confined to Madagascar. 
Inthe genus Strix there are no ear tufts, the facial disk is large 
and full, and completely surrounded by a ruff of stiff feathers. 
The bill is weak and compressed, the nostrils are oval ; the 
wings are long and pointed, and when closed reach beyond 
the tail. The legs are long, the upper part of the tarsus is 
feathered ; on the lower tarsus and toes the feathers become 
bristles. The middle toe is of about the same length as the 
inner ; the middle claw is serrated on the inner margin. Only 
one species, the familiar English Barn Owl, is found in the 
Island. It may be distinguished from all other Ceylon Owls 
by its pale plumage, and by the combination of the long 
pointed wings with the slightly serrated comb on the middle 
claw. The Bay Owl has a serrated middle claw, but the 
wings are comparatively short and rounded. 
STRIX FLAMMEA (Blanford, Vol. III., p. 264; Legge, p. 164). 
The Barn Owl ; Screech Owl. 
Description.—Facial disk white, a rufous patch in front of 
the eye ; ruff feathers white, the outer feathers rufous towards 
the end and with dark brown tips ; back and upper parts 
tawny-buff and stippled-gray, with a small eye-shaped spot of 
black and white at the end of each feather ; wing quills tawny- 
brown with mottlings and irregular cross bands of dark 
grayish-brown and a large amount of white on the inner webs ; 
tail tawny brown with four wavy, slightly mottled bars of 
dark brown, the tip mottled-white and dark brown, with some 
traces of eye spots as on the back ; the underside of the tail 
feathers white. Lower parts white, more or less tinged on 
