70 CLASS AVES. 



no noise in flight. The external toe is capable of a 

 forward or backward direction, at the will of the ani- 

 mal. These birds fly, generally^ during twilight and 

 moonshine. When attacked, or struck by any new 

 object, in the daytime, they .raise themselves up 

 without flying, and assume ridiculous postures. 



Their gizzard is muscular, although they subsist on 

 animal matter, principally mice, little birds, and 

 insects, but it is preceded by a large crop : their coeca 

 are long and enlarged at the bottom. Some birds 

 have a natural antipathy to these, and unite from all 

 parts to assault them ; hence, they are employed to 

 draw birds to the net. There is but one genus made 

 of them — 



Strix, Lin. 



Which may be divided by their tufts of feathers 

 usually called horns, the size of their ears, the extent 

 of the circle of feathers which surrounds the eyes, and 

 some other characters. 



The species which have round the eyes a large 

 complete disk of fringed feathers, surrounded itself by 

 a circle or collar of scaly feathers, and between the 

 two a large opening for the ear, are more removed in 

 form and manners from the diurnal birds of prey than 

 those whose ear is small, oval, and covered by fringed 

 feathers, which extend only below the eye. Traces 

 of this difference are distinguishable even in the ske- 

 leton. 



Among the first species we shall name 



