152 BRITISH BIRDS. 
Genus STRIX. 
The genus Sériv was founded in 1766, by Linnzus, in his ‘ Systema 
Nature,’ i. p. 133, to contain all the Owls. Linneus had the good luck 
to adopt a binomial system of nomenclature ; and consequently his twelfth 
edition has been selected as the starting-point of the present system, all 
previous specific names being under the Stricklandian Code absolutely 
ignored. Under the auctorum plurimorum system which I have 
adopted this restriction is no longer necessary, so far as regards specific 
names. In the selection of generic names I propose to try and follow the 
Rules where it is possible to discover their meaning. Much ingenuity has 
been expended in the endeavour to find the type of the restricted genus 
Strix. Whatever credit is due to Linneeus for his system of nomenclature, 
there can be no doubt that his knowledge of birds was very limited, and 
his attempts at the diagnosis of species in most cases a complete failure. 
In no group is this more clearly shown than in the Owls. Their synonymy 
is consequently in the greatest confusion. It seems almost incredible, but 
there can scarcely be a doubt that Linnzus was unacquainted with either 
the Short-eared Owl, the Ural Owl, the Lapp Owl, or Tengmalm’s Owl, 
all four species more or less common in Sweden. An equally surprising 
circumstance is the fact that, out of the twelve Owls which Linnzeus 
attempted to describe, the identifications of five have been or still are 
subjects of dispute. As an ornithologist Brisson stands head and shoulders 
above Linnzeus ; and it was doubtless a consciousness of this superiority 
that induced Strickland to write the illogical and inconsequent explana- 
tion to Rule 2, under which Brisson’s genera, though dating prior to 1766, 
are admitted whenever they are additional to those of Linnzus. Brisson 
divided the Owls into two genera, making the Wood-Owl (his Stria striz) 
the type of Striv, and the Long-eared Owl (his Asio asio) the type of Asio. 
As, however, I consider these two Owls to be congeneric, I am obliged to 
regard Brisson’s two genera as synonyms of each other; the alleged 
additional genus falls to the ground ; and, consequently, by the rules his 
names are out of court. ‘The first subdivision of the genus Strix was in 
1767, when Gerini, in his ‘ Ornithologia Methodice Digesta,’ pp. 90, 91, 
restricted the genus Siriz to nine species, placing the Wood-Owl first as 
Strix aluco. As this species is also the Sériz striz of Brisson, the 
arguments in favour of its being accepted as the type are almost 
conclusive. 
The Wood-Owls may be distinguished from all other Owls except the 
Barn-Owls by their large ears, half the size of the head, protected by an 
