Birds. 311 



collar towards lower part of neck above. Length of male 

 eleven inches. 



Young. — Upper parts dark brown, feathers bordered with 

 rufous; tail blackish, with five narrow brown-red bands; the 

 bands of primary quill feathers rufous white. 



Inhabits Egypt, Porto Rico, and Europe. 



Falco aesalon. Liun. Le Rochier, Buff. Ois. 



Fam. STRIGIDiE. Vigors. Owls. 



Bill straight at base, curved towards the point ; cere mem- 

 branous covered with stitl" hair or setaceous feathers ; sides of 

 npper mandible a little dilated towards edfj^cs, the lower mandi- 

 ble shorter than the upper, truncated and notched at point ; 

 nostrils rounded, oblique, entirely open or covered by the seta- 

 ceous feathers of the cere ; tarsi mostly feathered, when not 

 feathered, reticulated ; the anterior toes nearly equal, the ex- 

 ternal versatile, moderately robust; claws strong and retractile. 

 Tail generally moderate, even, rarely elongated and graduated. 



Genus Surnia. JJumeril. 



Head rounded without enlarged conch or egrets ; tarsi and toei 

 feathered to the claws; tail long, graduated. 



Surnia choucou. Base of bill surrounded by fine feathers 

 resembling hairs ; npper part of head, back of neck, intersca- 

 pulars, and wing coverts, reddish grey-brown ; the latter va- 

 riegated with white spots ; wing feathers lipt with white Tail 

 composed of twelve feathers, the two centre ones grey-brown 

 like the wings, the rest grey-brown, the outer vanes banded 

 with pure white, the inner vanes pure white without bands. 

 Throat and under parts pure white ; the feathers of the legs 

 very long; insides of shoulders white. Bill small, and like the 

 claws black ; eyes bright orange. Length eight inches and a 

 half; figure slender. Wings when folded reach to the middle 

 of the tail. 



Inhabits South Africa, — towards the Knysna. 



Strix choucou. Lath. Le Choucou, Le Vaill. Ois. d'Afriq. 

 pi. 38. 



Surnia nisudla. Plumage above brown, of different tints, 

 passing insensibly from the deepest to the lightest shades, or 

 even in some to white ; throat with a sort of collaret or white . 

 blotch. Breast, and under parts of body, of the same colour 

 as the back, but disposed in somewhat regular transverse bars, 

 lightest towards the legs ; the latter covered with fine silky 

 grey-white feathers. Tail beiieuth banded brown-black and 



