ACCIPITRES. 995 
Waders; but its legs completely invested with feathers, its hooked 
and cleft bill, projecting eye-lids, and all its anatomical details, place 
it in the present order. The tarsus is scutellated, its toes short in 
proportion, and the circumference of the eye devoid of feathers; it 
has a long stiff crest on the occiput, and the two intermediate quills 
of the tail extend much beyond the others. It inhabits the dry and 
open grounds in the vicinity of the Cape, where it hunts reptiles on 
foot; its nails thus become worn by the effect of this exercise. Its 
chief strength lies in the foot. It is the Falco serpentarius of Gmel. 
Enl. 721; Vieill. Galer. 260. The inhabitants of Martinique have 
endeavoured to multiply the breed, for there it does great service in 
destroying the Lance-headed Viper with which that island is infested. 
THE NOCTURNAL BIRDS OF PREY, 
Have a large head; very large eyes, directed forwards, surrounded by a 
circle of fringed feathers, the anterior of which cover the cera of the bill, 
and the posterior the opening of the ear. Their enormous pupil permits 
the entrance of so many rays of light, that they are dazzled by the full 
light of the day. Their cranium, which is thick, but formed of a light 
substance, is excavated by large sinuses, which communicate with the ear, 
and which probably assist in strengthening the sense of hearing; but the 
apparatus connected with flight possesses no great strength; their four- 
chette is weak in its power of resistance; their feathers being soft, and 
covered with a fine down, make no noise in flying. They have the power 
of directing their external toe either forwards or backwards. These birds 
are chiefly on the wing during twilight, and when the moon shines. When 
attacked in the day time, or struck by some fresh object, they do not fly 
off, but stand more erect, assume odd postures, and make ludicrous gestures. 
Their gizzard is tolerably muscular, although their prey is wholly ani- 
mal, consisting of mice, small birds, and insects; but it is preceded by a 
large crop; their ceca are long and wide at bottom, &c. Small birds 
have a natural antipathy to them, and frequently assemble from all quar- 
ters to attack them; a circumstance which causes them to be employed as 
baits, to attract these nocturnal birds to nets. They form but one genus. 
Strix, Hin. 
The Owls may be divided according to their tufts, the size of their ears, 
the extent of the circle of feathers which surrounds their eyes, and some 
other characters. 
Those species which have a large and complete disk of fringed feathers 
round the eyes, itself encircled by a ring or small collar of scaly feathers, 
between which is a large opening for the ear, are removed, as to form and 
habits, from the diurnal birds of prey, further still than those in which the 
ear is small, oval, and covered by fringed feathers, which spring only from 
under the eye. Traces of these differences may be seen even on the ske- 
leton. Among the first species we shall particularize— 
