262 AVES: RAPTORES. XLI. 



cc. Ear-tufts not evident; cere short. 

 d. Tail about wing. 

 e. Eyes not small, the iris dusky; 5 outer primaries emarginate. 



SYKNIUM, 430. 

 ee. Eyes rather small, the iris yellow; six outer primaries sinuate; 



bill small SCOTIAPTEX, 431. 



dd. Tail short, nearly even, about half wing ; iris yellow. ' 



NYCTALA, 432. 



bb. Eye nearer top than bottom of a more or less incomplete disk ; external 

 ear not larger than eye, without developed opercle ; iris yellow. 

 f. Head with very conspicuous ear-tufts. 



g. Tail about wing ; bill pale MEGASCOPS, 433. 



gg. Tail about wing; bill blackish BUBO, 434. 



fj. Head without evident "ear-tufts;" (these rudimentary in 

 Nycted). 



A. Tail rounded; plumage chiefly white. . NYCTEA, 435. 



hh. Tail graduated ; plumage not white. . . SURNIA, 436. 



aa. Tarsus nearly naked, its length more than twice middle toe ; facial disk 



imperfect; no ear-tufts SPEOTYTO, 437. 



429. A3IO Brisson. 

 a. Ear-tufts well developed, of 8 to 12 feathers. ( Asia.) 



827. A. wilsonianus (Lesson). LONG-EARED OWL. One 

 primary emarginate. Dusky,, more or less mottled and streaked 

 with buffy and grayish, much variegated below. L. 15. W. 12. 

 T. 6. N. Am., often using deserted crow's nests. 



aa. Ear-tufts inconspicuous, few feathered. (Brachyotus Gould.) 



828. A. accipitrinus (Pallas). SHORT-EARED OWL. Two 

 outer primaries usually emarginate. Buffy whitish, striped with 

 dark brown, the dark streaks narrower below. L. 15. W. 12. 

 T. 6. Nearly cosmopolitan, not rare in U. S. (Eu.) 



430. SYRNIUM Savigny. 



829. S. nebulosum (Forster). BARRED OWL. Toes not con- 

 cealed. Olive brown, barred with white above ; breast similarly 

 barred ; belly streaked. L. 18. W. 14. T. 9. E. N. Am., com- 

 mon ; the most noisy of our owls, but rather mild in temper. 



431. SCOTIAPTEX Swainson. (O-KOTIOS, dark ; nrcpv, wing.) 



830. S. cinereum (Gmelin). GREAT GRAY OWL. SPECTRAL 

 OWL. Toes concealed by long feathers. Cinereous brown above, 

 waved with white; breast streaked, belly barred. L. 30. W. 18. 

 T. 12. Northern, occasionally S. in winter to N. J. and 111. ; a 

 huge bird, one of the largest of owls. (Uw.) (Lat., ashy.) 



432. NYCTALA Brehm. (j/uicraXos-, drowsy.) 



831. N. tengmalmii (Gmelin). SPARROW OWL. Bill yellow ; 

 cere not tumid ; nostrils obliquely oval, opening laterally. Choco- 



