RAPTORES. 293 



THIRD FAMILY. OWLS. 

 Strigida. (Gr. or^/l, strix, a screech-owl.) 



The family of Strigidce comprise the Hawks of the night, 

 (Accipitres nocturni.) They have the head very large, with great, 

 dilated and projecting eyes, looking forwards, and capable of 

 taking in every ray of light. The power of vision is increased 

 by the manner in which the eye is fixed in a bony socket, just like J 

 the watch-makers glass. The pupil is so long that the bird is daz 

 zled in full day, and hence in part arises the stupid appearance 

 which Owls exhibit in the sun-light. Each eye is encircled by 

 a concave disk, or circular fringe, formed of singularly diverg 

 ing feathers, and assisting these birds to concentrate their whole 

 faculty of sight upon the object directly before them, just as we 

 use a tube in looking at a painting, or some object which we wish 

 to see more distinctly. In those Owls which are partly diurnal 

 in their habits, this circular fringe is scarcely discernible. When 

 the feathers which form the hinder part of the disk are separated, 

 the great ear is seen, enclosed between two valves of thin skin, 

 from whose edges these feathers grow, and which are capable of 

 being widely opened, at the bird s will, so as to catch every 

 sound that may give notice of its prey amidst the silence and 

 darkness. The plumage is loose and downy, a character 

 which reaches even to the wing-quills; hence the flight of 

 the Owl is almost, or entirely noiseless. The downy feathers 

 present various tints of dull yellow, and brown and white ; 

 often they are spotted minutely, and very delicately penciled. 

 The Owls have the strong hooked beaks and acute claws of 

 the raptorial birds. 



In some species of this family, there is a series of feathers 

 more or less lengthened, on each side of the top of the head, and 

 which can be erected at pleasure ; when raised, they have some 

 little resemblance to horns, or to the erect ears of a cat. These 

 are called HORNED, or EARED OWLS. (PL IX. fig. 1.) 



The geographical distribution of the Owl family is very wide, 

 species being found in Europe, Asia, Africa, America and Aus 

 tralia. They feed on birds and quadrupeds, and some species 

 on fish. The large-horned Owls, of Europe and America, at 

 tack hares, partridges, grouse, and even the turkey ; but mice, 

 shrews, small birds, snakes and crabs, suffice for the inferior 

 strength of the smaller Owls. 



THE OWL FAMILY may be arranged into three divisions: (1.) 

 the BARN OWLS ; (2.) the TUFTLESS OWLS ; and (3.) the HORNED 



