246 AVES. 
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 collerette of 
scaly feathers, between which is a large opening for the ear, are 
further removed, as to form and habits, from the diurnal birds of 
prey, than those in which the ear is small, oval, and covered by 
fringed feathers, which spring from under the eye. ‘Traces of these 
differences may be seen even on the skeleton. Among the first spe- 
cies we will particularize, . 
Orus, Cuv. 
The Horned Owls, or those which have two tufts of feathers on 
the forehead, (vulg. horns,) which they can erect at pleasure; the 
conch of whose ear extends in a semicircle from the beak to the 
top of the head, and is furnished in front with a membranous oper- 
culum. Their feet are feathered down to the nails. Suchin Europe 
are the 
Str. ascalaphus, Savig. Eg.; Brit. Zool. tab. B, 3. A fourth 
larger than the common one, and like it, fulyous spotted with 
brown, and vermiculated on the wings and back ; but the belly 
transversely striped with narrow lines, and the crests.or tufts 
very short. It properly belongs to Africa, but is sometimes 
seen in Europe.(1) 
Str. otus, L.; Moyen Duc, Buff.; Frisch, Ixxxix; Brit. Zool. 
tab. B, iv, f. 1; Naum. 45, 1. (The Common Owl.) Fawncolour- 
ed, with longitudinal brown spots on the body and underneath ; 
wings and back vermiculated with brown ; horns half the length 
of the head ; eight or nine bands on the tail. 
Str. ulula and Str. brachyotos, Gm.; Moyen Duc a huppes 
courtes, Enl. 438 3; Frisch, c ; Naum. 45, 23 Brit. Zool. tab. B, 
iv, f.2; Wils. IV, xxxiii, 3. As to colouring, nearly similar’ 
to the preceding ; back, not reticulated; narrow longitudinal 
lines on the belly, and four or five brown bands on the tail. 
The tufts or horns are only found on the male, and are so small 
and so seldom erected, that this bird was for a long time left 
among the species without tufts, and even formed two species. 
Found almost every where.(2) 
(1) Witness the one represented in Brit. Zool. whose figure has so much em- 
barrassed the naturalists. 
(2) Add the American Owl, (Str. mexicana,) Gm. or Str. clamator, Vieill. Am. 
20, or Str. longirostris, Spix, 1X, which only differs from our Common Owl in the 
greater blackness of the spots—The Hibow tacheté du Cap, (Str. africana, T-) 
