2G2 AVKS : KAITOr.KS. — XLI. 



cc. Ear-tufts not evident; cere slmrt. 

 d. Tail about i wing, 

 e. Eyes not small, the iris dusky; 5 outer primaries emarginate. 



Syk.mum, 430. 

 «e. Eyes rather small, the iris yellow; six outer primaries sinuate; 



bill small Scotiaitex, 431. 



dd. Tail short, nearly even, about half wing ; iris yellow. 



Nyctala, 432. 

 bb. Eye nearer top than bottom of a more or less incomplete disk; external 

 ear not lar-jer than eye, without developed opercle; iris yellow. 

 J'. Head with very conspicuous ear-tufts. 



g. Tail about i wing ; bill pale Megascops, 433. 



gf^. Tail about j wing; bill blackish BuBii, 434. 



jy. Head without evident "ear-tufts;" (these rudimentary in 

 Nyctea). 



h. Tail rounded; plumage chiefly white. . Nyctea, 435. 



hh. Tail gruduated ; plumage not white. . . Suk.nia, 436. 



aa. Tarsus nearl}' naked, its length more than twice middle toe; facial disk 



imperfect; no ear-tufts Speotyto, 437. 



429. ASIO Brisson. 

 a. Ear-tufts well developed, of 8 to 12 feathers. {Asia.) 



827. A. wilsonianuB (Lesson). Long-eared Owl. One 



primary I'lniir^inate. Dusky, more or less mottled and streaked 

 ■with biiffy and fjrayish, much varii'jiatod below. L. 15. W. 12. 

 T. G. N. Am., often usinjij deserted erow's nests. 

 aa. Ear-tufts inconspicuous, few feathered. {Brachyotus Gould.) 



82.S. A. accipitrinus (Pallas). Siiout-kakkd Owl. Two 

 outer primaries usually emarjiinate. BufTy whitish, striped with 

 dark brown, the dark streaks narrower below. L. 15. W. 12. 

 T. 6. Nearly cosmopolitan, not rare in V. S. iEu.) 



430. SYRNIUM Savigny. 



829. S. nebulosum (Forster). Bakued Owl. Toes not con- 

 cealed. Olive brown, barred with white above ; breast similarly 

 barred ; belly streaked. L. 18. W. 14. T. 9. E. N. Am., com- 

 mon ; the most noisy of our owls, but rather mild in temper. 



431. SCOTIAPTEX Swainson. (afcdnor, dark ; nripv^, ^ng-) 



830. S. cinerea (Gmelin). (Jijkat Okay Owl. Spectral 

 Owl. Toes concealed by long feathers. Cinereous brown al)ovc, 

 waved with white; breast streaked, belly barred. L. 30. W. 18. 

 T. 12. Nortliern, oc<'asionaIly S. in winter to N. J. and 111.; a 

 huge bird, one of the largest of owls. (ICu.) (Lat., ashy.) 



432. NYCTALA Bnhm. (pvKraXot, drowsy.) 



831. N. tengmalmii ((Jniclin). Spakicow Owl. Bill yellow ; 

 cere not tuniui ; iiusLrils obliijuely ov;il, opening laterally. Choco 



