168 LECTURE V. 



have any gayety of colours, but some are pos- 

 sessed of a high degree of elegance, especially 

 some of the smaller kind of Falcons and Ha?cks> 

 among which latter may be particularized the 

 Kestril, a well-known British species of a reddish 

 brown colour above, spotted with black; with 

 the head and tail dove-coloured, the latter marked 

 by a black bar. The female is brown, with black 

 variegations, and the tail is brown also, with 

 numerous blackish bars. 



The third genus of the Accipitres is that of 

 Strix or Owl. The bill in this genus is hooked, 

 but without cere at the base : the nostrils are 

 covered by reversed bristly plumes, and the head, 

 eyes, and ears are very large. The genus is 

 pretty numerous ; and the largest or principal 

 species is nearly equal to a small Eagle in size, 

 and of a rich chesnut-brown colour, elegantly 

 marked and spotted with very numerous blackish 

 variegations of different sizes: the head is dis- 

 tinguished by a large pair of feathered tufts, 

 rising above each ear, and the irides or circles 

 of the eyes are of the finest golden yellow. This 

 bird, generally known by the name of the Eagle- 

 Owl, or Great Horned Owl is not very uncom* 



