STRIGID^E — THE OWLS. 



47 



covered the bird at the entrance of a small hole in a birch-tree, where it 

 was calling to its mate. As he stood at the foot of the tree, in full sight of 

 the bird, he observed the singular power it possessed of altering its voice, 

 making it seem near or remote, — a faculty which he had never noticed in 

 any other bird. 



An eo'cr oiven me by ^Mr. liufus It. Winslow as one of this bird, and figured 

 in the North American Oology, was undoubtedly that of a Woodpecker. 

 It is of a crystalline whiteness, nearly spherical, and measures 1.13 inches 

 in length by .87 of an inch in breadth. 



A well-identified egg in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution, 

 taken by Mr. E. Christ at Nazareth, Penn., (No. 14,538, S. I.,) measures .95 

 of an inch by .88. The two ends are exactly similar or symmetrical. The 

 egg is white, and is marked as having been collected April 25, 1867. 



Genus SCOPS, Savigny. 



Scops, Savigny, 1809. (Type, Sirix scops, L. = Scops zorca (Gm.) Swains.) 

 Ephialitis, Keys. & Bl. 1840, nee Schkank, 1802. 

 Mecjaseops, Kaup, 1848. (Type, Strix asio, L.) 



Gen. Char. Size small, the head provided with ear-tufts. BiU light-colored ; iris 

 yellow. Three to four outer quills with inner webs sinuated. Wings long (more than 

 twice the length of the 



tail, which is short and ^^^''^^'^'^''^"^^rri^ j^^'] 



.slightly rounded) ; second ^==y^^ 



to fifth quills longest. 

 Toes naked, or only 

 scantily feathered. Ear- 

 conch small and simple. 

 Plumage exceedingly va- 

 riegated, the colors dif- 

 ferent shades of brown, 

 with rufous, black, and 

 white, in fine mottlings 

 and pencillings ; feathers 

 above and below usually 

 with blackish shaft-streaks, 

 those beneath usually with 

 five transverse bars ; 

 primaries spotted with 

 whitish, and outer webs 



of the lower row of scapulars the same edged terminally with black. 

 banded. 



Scops asio. 



Tail obscurely 



The species of this genus are cosmopolitan, the greater number, howcA'er, 

 being found in tropical regions. All the American species differ from 

 >S'. zo7xa of Europe in having the fourth and fifth quills longest, instead of 

 the second, and in having three to four, instead of only two, of the outer 



