672 SHUFELDT—OSTEOLOGY OF THE STRIGES. [Dee. 7, 
“T find by a series of measurements of the skulls of the following 
ty pes— 
Strix flammea Bubo bengalensts 
Strix sp? Syrnium indrant 
Asio mexicanus Syrnium woodfordt 
Speotyto cunicularia Ketupa javanica 
Athene noctua Sceloglaux albifacies 
Bubo maximus Nyctea nivea 
that while S/zxr has the narrowest skull (the proportion of the greatest 
breadth to length being in S¢rzx sp. inc. as 37.5: 62, in Strix flammea 
36: 56), the other genera show a progressive widening of the skull ; this 
culminates in Sfeotyto cunicularia, where the breadth is to the length 
as 37:38. I do not give the exact measurements in the other species 
mentioned in the present list, for the reason that such a table of measure- 
ments would only be of value if it embraced the results of a study of a 
larger number of species and of individuals. I may state, however, 
that I have examined a large number of Owls’ skulls in the British 
Museum Collection, including those of two other species of S¢rzx (viz., 
S. perlata and S. delicatula), and in no case do I find so long and nar- 
row a skull as in the genus S/#zx. It may be worth while mentioning 
that Sceloglaux albifacies has a skull which comes nearer to that of 
Strix in its relative proportions than do the skulls of many other 
genera. The reason which leads me to lay some stress upon this fact 
is the opinion of Prof. Newton! that this curious Owl may prove to be 
intermediate between the Sézg7dz@ and other Owls. I hope, however, 
to be able, at some future time, to compare the skeleton of Sce/oglaux 
with that of Szrzx. 
‘Prof. Milne-Edwards, in his memoir upon Phofodilus, shows plainly 
that this genus belongs to the Bubonine and not to the Strigine group 
in the proportions of the skull and in the possession of a flattened 
interorbital septum, 
“There is one feature in the skull of the Striges, serving to distin- 
guish the Sivzeid@ from the Budbontde, which has apparently escaped 
the attention of Prof. Milne-Edwards. In Sé¢rzx? the prefontal processes 
of the ethmoid are rounded and much swollen. In Sxéo and in all 
other genera of Owls which I have had the opportunity of studying the 
same processes are thin, leaf-like expansions, as they are in the Acc?- 
titres diurne. With regard to the other points of difference in the 
skull, I must refer the reader to Prof. Milne-Edwards’ memoir.” ... . 
1 Encycl, Brit., art. « Owl.” 
2 Mr. Beddard gives very excellent figures in this paper of the basal views of 
the skulls of Strix flammea and Bubo bengalensis, but I have not reproduced 
these, and the reader can find the points referred to in other figures illustrating 
the present memoir and two views of the skull of S¢vzx in the Plates. 
————o 
