SURNIA. 301 



posing the face, is smoke gray, very delicately 

 penciled with brown. The feathers on the back 

 which immediately lie over the wings, are rich 

 yellowish white, with dark edges and tips, and 

 form a conspicuous mark as in the Tawny Owl. 

 The secondaries have an oval white spot on the 

 outer web of each, which forms an interrupted 

 bar across the wing. The quills are mottled with 

 brown, or pale yellowish, or grayish brown, on the 

 inner webs having bars formed by the markings 

 being darker, more solid, and more arranged as 

 blotches ; on the outer webs interrupted by alter- 

 nate bars of white, generally edged with a deeper 

 shade. The tail is very slightly rounded, barred 

 alternately with a mottled space, one of a deeper 

 tint, and more clouded arrangement, and one of 

 yellowish or reddish white. The tarsi are covered 

 with narrow yellowish white feathers, streaked 

 with brown down the centre ; feet are of a bluish 

 yellow ; claws horn colour. Irides are described 

 to be of king's yellow. Length from crown of 

 head to extremity of tail about seven inches and 

 a half; from same point to end of quills, about 

 eight inches. 



THE genus Surnia^ Dumeril, exhibits the form 

 which leads from the nocturnal, again to tfie 

 diurnal, birds of prey. The form is very powerful ; 

 the head small, the ruff nearly wanting, the facial 



