1900. ] SHUFELDT—OSTEOLOGY OF THE STRIGES. 673 
Of the bones of the foot, Mr. Beddard also says that 
‘a comparison of the relative length of the phalanges of the third 
digit appears to afford another character for the discrimination of the 
Striging and Bubonine. 
“In Strix (Fig. 1) the first phalanx of that digit is markedly shorter 
than the second, phalanx. In Ado (Fig. 2) and in the other genera 
the two phalanges in question are subequal.” ... 
According to Beddard, in the paper we have been quoting, 
“the principal osteological characters of the genus S7#zx, and which 
apparently distinguish it from all others, are the following : 
(1) The skull is relatively long and narrow. 
(2) The palatines are straight, nearly parallel to each other ; they are 
of approximately the same width throughout ; they almost conceal the 
underlying maxillo-palatines, which are broader from above downward 
than from side to side. 
(3) The prefrontal processes of the ethmoid are rounded bones of 
some width. 
(4) The interorbital region of the skull does not form a thin plate 
anteriorly, but is of considerable width from side to side. 
(5) The sternum has but one notch on either side. 
(6) In the foot the second joint of the third toe is considerably longer 
than the basal joint. 
(7) There is no bony ridge upon the tarso-metatarsus. 
‘‘On the other band, in the Bubonide the skeleton has the following 
characters : 
(1) The skull is relatively broad and short. 
(2) The palatines are curved, the hinder part of the bone being much 
wider than the anterior region; the maxillo-palatines are very broad 
from side to side. 
(3) The prefrontal process of the ethmoid is a thin plate. 
(4) The interorbital plate is thin and often fenestrated. 
(5) The sternum has two notches on either side. 
(6) In the foot the second joint of the third digit is subequal in size 
to the basal joint. 
(7) There is a bony ridge upon the under surface of the upper end of 
the tarso-metatarsus.”’ 
1 In Athene noctua and Sfeotyto cunicularia these processes are very small 
and are hidden by the palatines when the skull is viewed from the ventral 
surface. The skull is broader in these two genera than in any others exam- 
ined by me, and the maxillo-palatines are smaller. 
