148 



STRIGIIXE. 



in their oesophagus being of uniform width throughout and 

 devoid of the large dilatation which forms the crop. Further, 

 they possess large C03ca, while these are wanting in all the 

 Hawk-tribe so far as is known. 



The Owls have usually been arranged in two principal 

 groups, one in which all the species exhibit two tufts of 

 feathers on the head the so-called "horns" or "ears," 

 and the second in which the head is not tufted. However 

 convenient this plan may be, it helps their classification but 

 a short way, and when it is considered that these tufts 

 are but superficial appendages and occasionally wanting in 

 species otherwise closely resembling those that are tufted, 

 it is plain that more essential characters must be sought 

 before a natural arrangement of the whole family is reached. 

 Such characters may doubtless be found on a closer exami- 

 nation of the structure which the various groups present ; 

 but hitherto no person seems to have placed on record the 

 results of a sufficient investigation of this subject. It is 

 therefore with some diffidence that the Editor proposes to 

 depart from the arrangement followed in former issues of 

 this work; but, having been favoured by Mr. Salvin and 

 Mr. Sclater with an abstract of their scheme for classifying 

 the Owls, he trusts that his adaptation of it in the following 

 pages will be at least of some service in directing attention 

 to a matter which has long been a puzzle to systematic 



are those afforded by the investigations of Dr. Altum as communicated by him to 

 the German Ornithologists' Society during its meeting in 1862 : 



1 1 Tree-Creeper, 1 Yellow Bunting, 1 Wagtail, 15 small species undetermined. 

 * Species of Titmouse. 3 19 Sparrows, 1 Greenfinch, 2 Swifts. 



4 Besides a countless number of Cockchafers. 



