Order 1. 



ACCIPITRES. 



163 



which is exceeded in size only by others of this genus. It is little less than the Golden Eagle, and very destruc- 

 tive to Grouse, Hares, and even Fawns : inhabits thr mountainous parts of Europe, and is seldom seen in 

 Britain.] Add 



The American Bubow (Str. virginiana. Baud.)— [Smaller than the preceding, with the grey colour predominatinij 

 over the fulvous : the Arctic Eagle-owl of the Fauna Amrricana-borealis appears to be only a serai-albino variety. 

 Another species is 



The Small-tufted Bubow (Sir. ascalaphus, Savig-ny), ina<lvertently placed by the author in his division Olus. It 

 is proper to Asia and Africa, and is occasionally met with in the south-east of Europe, There are several njore, 

 certain of which appear to compose the lluhua and Urrhun of Hodgson.] 



Other species occur, in which the aigrettes, widei apart and placed further backward, are elevated 



with less facility above the horizontal line. Species occur in both continents ; as 



Str. griseata, Shaw, from Guiana ; and Sir. strepitans, 

 Tem., from Batavia. 



NocTUA*, Savigny. 



Neither tufts, nor an open and deeply set conch to 

 the ear ; the aperture of which is oval, and scarcely 

 longer than in other Birds : the disk of fringed fea- 

 thers is smaller and even less complete than in the 

 Bubows. Their relations to the diurnal Birds of 

 prey are evident, even in their habits, [but not in 

 their internal conformation]. 



Some are remarkable for a long cuneiform tail, 

 and have their toes densely feathered. They are 



The SuRNS (Stirtiia, Dumeril) — 



The Rayed .''urn (Str.nisoria, Wolf; fitr. funerea, Lin.). 

 — This, the best-known species, from the north of tlie 

 whole globe, is about the size of the Sparrow-hawk. It 

 hunts more during the day than the night. 

 The species of the Uralian mountains {Sir. uralensis, 

 Pallas), is nearly as large as the Harfang. It also huntsduring theday, and is sometimes seen in Germany. It 

 is i)robabIy the Ili/hris or Ptyiix of Aristotle. t 



There is a species termed Arcadian (titr. acadicd, Naum), but which belongs to the whole north of the Globe [ ? ] 

 It is the smallest of its tribe, being hardly larger than a Sparrow. It does not avoid the light of day; but Le Vail- 

 taut has made known another, from Africa (le Choucou, No. xxxviii.), which, according to his account, is very 

 nocturnal. [The former is the Sir. passerina of Linnaeus, but not of British authors, and the Str. acadica of 

 Temminck, but not of Gmelin ; it is referrible to the Gtaiicidium of Boie, 

 and is not found in America: the Str. acadica, Gm., is peculiar to 

 America, and pertains to a very different subdivision, Nijctale of lirehm, 

 the members of which are considerably more nocturnal in their habits 

 and adaptments. To the latter group the Choucou of Le Vaillant 

 should also probably be referred. AinOci' of Hodgson seems to be iden- 

 tical with Glaucidium.] 



Others have the tail short, and the toes densely feathered : 

 the largest of which, and also the largest night-bird witltout 

 head-tufts, is 



The Harfang {Sir. nyctea, Lin.), or Great Snowy Owl, which almost 

 equals the European Bubow in its dimensions. It inhabits the north 

 of both continents, nestles on elevated rocks, and preys on Hares, Ca- 

 percalzies, and Ptarmigan. [This bird forms another very distinct 

 division, and is most nearly allied to the Buboes: like them, it does 

 possess head-tufts, which however are small and inconspicuous, though 

 we have seen -the bird erect them; its plumage is remarkably firm. 

 The term Nyctea, Swainson, has been generically applied to it, with the 

 specific appellation Candida.] 



Fif. 83.— Hovvlct's Ear. 



Fig. 34. — Sterunm of Harfaiiir. 



• This term is fallinij into disuse, from its having been prcviouslv 

 bestowed on a group of insects ; it is moreover far from being feli- 

 citous, as applied to tlie most ditirtiai of the Owls. — Ed. 



t The Prince of IVIusignaiu) places this reinarl^able bird in Sifriiitim. 

 I hAve never seen a specimen, but — to judge from Mr. Gould's 'igure 



of it, in the Birds nf Btiropp, — should be disposed to elevate It to the 

 rank of a separate division {Ptyn.r); its large and complete ruff distin- 

 guishes it from Surnui, as its accipitriue form and lengthened tpil do 

 from Syrttium or Ulitla. — Ed. 



