298 SCOPS 



parts of the belly, vent, flanks, and under tail- 

 coverts, the shaft is black, and the feather is 

 crossed with numerous irregular bars of brownish 

 black, nine or ten sometimes being counted on 

 one feather. The tarsi and toes are clothed as 

 in Oto, and are crossed with indistinct bars of 

 brownish black. The irides are brilliant and 

 bronzed orange. Length of the male about 

 twenty-two inches. 



THE genus Scops, Savigny, forms a beautiful 

 little group, which seems distributed over Europe, 

 Asia, and parts of Africa ; it is composed of indi- 

 viduals distinguished by their small size, their 

 imperfect disk, egrets on the head, very thin 

 lengthened legs, and soft plumage. Habits are 

 arboreal and nocturnal. 



SCOPS, generic characters. Bill curved from the 

 base, weak; nostrils round ; facial disk very in- 

 complete, wanting above the eyes ; head with 

 egrets ; conchal opening very small ; wings 

 long, third quill longest, first and second 

 slightly cut in near the tip of the inner webs ; 

 tail short, even, or slightly rounded ; legs 

 rather long > feathered with short plumes tc 

 the insertion of the toes ; toes reticulated, 

 except the extremity of the first joint. 



