Q XORTII AMERICAN" BIRDS. 



Fivo quills oiiiiuyinalcil ; tors soaiilly fcatluMvil, tlii' 

 tcruiiiiiil s('iilcli:i> i'.\|ici>c(l ; iris l>lack. Size iiKMlinin . tSijriiiiim. 



4. Nyctale. 'I'wu (Hilcr (|iiilis wilh iiiuci- wclis I'liiiir- 

 pinalud. T(i[) dl' I'civ less lliaii iiall'lli(; ciiliucil, Icvol. Willi- 

 1)111 uai'-tiirtti. IJill yellow (ir lilackisii ; ii-is yellow. Si/o 

 small. 



ft- Aiitciior cdu-c (if the cai'-rcinrli willioiit an operculum. The two 

 ears syimuetrical. Tail sli^hlly i-iiiiuiled, only about huU" as loni; 

 as the ^\■in[s. 



5. Scops. Two 111 live ijiiills willi inner welis einai\L;iuateil ; 

 seeoud to tilth lonucst. ]!ill wi.'alc, liyht-enliiicd. ]']a]--eoiieh 

 ehiiitieal, almiit onu-thiid llio height of the head, with a 

 slightly elevateil friuired anterior niartiiu. Size small ; ear- 

 tul'ts usually well cleveloped, .sometimes nidiineutary. 



(). Bubo. Two to t'ouf outer i|iiills with inner webs em.ar- 

 ^'iuateil; third to fouiih longest. ' .1 robust, blaek. Ear- 

 foneh elliptical, simple, I'roin one thii.. to one half the height 

 ol' the .skull. Size large. Ear-tufts well developed or rudi- 

 mentary. 



Ear-tufts well developed. Two to three outer rpiills 

 with inner weli.s emarginated ; lower tail-coverts not 

 reaching end of the tail. Toes covered with short feathers, 

 the claws exposed, and bill not concealed by the loral 

 feathers .......... Bubo. 



Ear-lufis rudimentaiy. Four outer quills with their 



inner webs (■marginated ; lower tail-coverts reaeb'ug end 



of the tail. Toes covered with long feathers, which hide 



the claws, and bill nearly concealed by the loral feathers . Kijciea, 



i+t- Similar to the last, but the tail graduated, nearly eipial to the 



wing. 



7. Suruia. Four outer rpiills with inner webs emarginated. 



Third (piill longest. Rill si rung, yellow; ear-coneh simple, 



oval, less than the diameter of the eye. .Size medium; no 



ear-tufts. 



II. Nostril, a small circular ojieniiig into the surrounding iullated membrane 



of the cere. Kar-i.'onch small, simple, oval, or nearly round, without all 



operculum. 



First (piill shorter than tin' tenth. 



(^. Glaucidium. Third to fourth quills longest ; four emargi- 

 nated on imic'i- webs. Tarsus about equal to the middle toe, 

 den.sely feathered. Tail much more than half the wing, 

 rounded, l^ill and iris yellow. Size veiy small. 

 !). Micrathene. Fom-lh quill longest ; four einai'ginated on 

 iimer webs. Tarsus a little longer than middle toe, scantily 

 liaired. Tail less than half the wing. even. Rill light (green- 

 ish ?) : iris yellow. !^ize very small. 

 First quill longer than si.xth. 



lit. Speotyto. Second to foiu'th (piills longest; throe cmar- 

 giuatcd oi: inner webs. Tarsus more than twice as long as 

 middle toe, clo.sely leathered in front to the toes, naked 

 lieliind. Tail le.ss than half the wing, slightly rounded. Rill 

 yellowish ; iris yi'llow. Size small. 



