66 STRIGIN.E. ASIO. 



large, extending from over the middle of the eye to the base 

 of the lower mandible, and of a semilunar form, with an 

 anterior semicircular flap in its whole length, and a broad 

 membranous margin behind. Head very large, short ; neck 

 short ; body short, much compressed behind. Legs short, 

 moderately stout ; tarsus short, and with the toes covered 

 with somewhat silky feathers ; toes short, with two terminal 

 scutella ; claws long, moderately curved, slender, compressed, 

 extremely acute. Plumage full, extremely soft ; facial disks 

 very large, complete ; ruff complete ; a tuft of elongated 

 feathers on each side over the eye ; wings very long, broad, 

 rather pointed ; the second quill longest, the first and fourth 

 about equal, the outer only having a slight sinus in the inner 

 web close to the tip ; tail rather short, a little rounded. 



The species of this genus are less robust than those belong- 

 ing to Bubo. They are nocturnal, and incapable of seeking 

 their prey by day. Both our species occur also in North 

 America. 



28. ASIO OTUS. MOTTLED TUFTED-OWL. 



Tufts conspicuous, projecting an inch and a half beyond the 

 plumage of the head ; upper parts light reddish-yellow, longi- 

 tudinally streaked, transversely barred, and finely undulated 

 with brown and greyish-white ; lower parts light reddish- 

 yellow, with oblong brown streaks, and faintly undulated ; 

 facial disks whitish in their anterior half, pale yellowish- 

 brown behind, the eye half surrounded by dark brown. Young 

 with the facial disks yellowish-brown, and the dark markings 

 on the lower parts broader. 



Male, 14^, 36, 1H, 1 r %, lj, l, T V Female, 16, 40. 



A constant resident, occurring in the wooded parts of both 

 England and Scotland, it being, next to the Barn Owl, our 

 most common species. It is strictly nocturnal ; feeds on 

 small glires, moles, birds, and insects ; reposes by day in 

 thick woods ; generally appropriates the deserted nest of a 

 crow or other bird, and lays from three to five eggs, which are 

 pure white, an inch and nine-twelfths long, an inch and four- 

 twelfths in breadth. The young, at first covered with light 

 grey down, faintly barred with brown, are generally abroad in 

 June. 



Long-eared Owl. Common-eared Owl. Horned Owl. 



Strix Otus, Linn. Syst. Nut. i. 132. Strix Otus, Temm. 



