TOO ALLEN'S NATURALIST'S LIBRARY. 



THE WOOD-OWLS. GENUS SYRNIUM. 



Syrnium, Savign. Descr. de PEgypte, p. 208 (1809). 



Type, S. aluco (L.). 



Although the Wood-Owls have the same curious ear-conch 

 as the Horned Owls, they may easily be distingushed from 

 the latter by the absence of ear-tufts, and by the cere being 

 shorter than the culmen. The bony shell of the ear-conch 

 is similar in form on either side of the skull, both sides of 

 which are symmetrical, whereas in Nyctala (vide m/rd, p. 103) 

 the opposite is the case. 



The Wood-Owls are found all over the New World fron 

 north to south, and also over the greater part of the Olc 

 World, with the exception of the Australian Region. 



I. THE WOOD-OWL, OR TAWNY OWL. SYRNIUM ALUCO. 



Strix ahico, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 132 (1766); Newton, ed 



Yarr. Br. B. i. p. 146 (1872). 

 Ulula ah...), Macg. Br. B. iii. p. 438(1840); Seeb. Br. B. i 



p. 154 (1883). 



Syrnium aluco, Sharps, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. ii. p. 247 (1875) 

 Dresser, B. Eur. v. p. 271, pi. 306 (1879) ; B. O. U. Lis 

 Br. B. p. 87 (1883); Saunders, Man. Br. B. p. 28- 

 (1889); Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. B. partxi. (1889), parts xxii 

 and xxv. (1892-93). 



(Plate XX XVI 11^ 

 Adult Male. General colour above ashy-grey, with generallj 

 a slight tinge of rufous, the feathers with dark longitudina 

 centres and zigzag cross-lines, imparting a vermiculated ap 

 pearance to the whole of the upper surface ; outer scapular 

 with a large oval spot of white ; quills light brown, barre( 

 with darker brown, the quills freckled with dusky at the tips 

 and on the light ashy or rufescent bars which are seen on th 

 outer web ; tail brown, mottled with ashy spots and lines, th 

 outer feathers with dark brown bars, about six in number 

 head rather greyer than the back, considerably mottled wit! 

 white spots, especially on the hind-neck ; lores and feather 

 round the eye whitish ; ear-coverts ashy with dusky-brow 

 bars ; tail-feathers profusely barred with white or buffy-whit 

 and dusky-brown ; under surface of body ashy-white, wit 



