1920 



THE OWLS 



Oriental 

 Hawk 

 Owls 



in the shortness of the first primary quill of the wing, the interval 

 between its tip and that of the third primary being in all the group 

 either equal to or greater than the length of the metatarsus. Whereas, 

 however, in the pygmy owls the wing was short and rounded, in the 

 present genus it is long and pointed, the interval between its points and the end of 

 the tail being not more than equal to the length of the metatarsus. From their 

 nearest allies, the Oriental hawk owls are distinguished by the short metatarsus, 

 of which only a very small portion is bare. Most of them have relatively small 



BURROWING OWI,. 



(Two-fifths natural size.) 



heads, in which the face disc may be very imperfectly developed, and short bills, 

 while the tail is long and firm, and the plumage of the wings likewise hard. 

 The genus comprises a large number of species, ranging from India through 

 China, Japan, and the Malayan region to Australia and New Zealand, and likewise 

 represented in Madagascar. The species vary greatly in size, the great Australian 

 hawk owl (Ninox strenua) attaining a length of twenty-four inches. Writing of 

 the Indian species, Jerdon remarks, that in the small size of its head, the slight 

 development of the disc, the firm plumage, and the length of the tail, these owls 

 approach the diurnal birds of prey. 



