1837.] On some new Genera of Raptores. 363 



Types, C. Flavipes et C. Nigripes, nob. Nos. 55 and 56. Habitat, 

 the lower region of the hills. Habits diurnal and piscivorous. Size 

 large. 



Remarks. In my judgment, Huhua is the equivalent of Aquila, and 

 Cultrunguis of Pandion, among the diurnal Raptores, which are, no 

 doubt, represented by the nocturnal Raptores in nature, though not 

 yet in our systems. Those systems wholly want a Strigine sub-family 

 answering to the Aquilince. 



The section, therefore, standing at the head of my two genera must 

 be understood as resting on no better authority than my own. It is 

 probable that the evanescent character of the disc and conch with the 

 absence of the operculum, belong to the hawk and falcon owls as well 

 as to eagle owls ; and that the contradistinctive marks of the latter 

 must be sought, in their great size, their prolonged but strong bill, 

 their formidable legs, feet and talons, their ample gradated wings, and 

 their medial and even tails. All these marks, not less than the former 

 ones, characterise our Huh la and Cultrunguis : whereas our Ninox, 

 which is small, and has its bill, wings and tail formed on the 

 Falconine model, is yet equally distingushed with Huhua and Cul- 

 trunguis, by evanescent disc and conch, and perfectly simple small 

 ears. Hence my impression of the very great prevalence of the latter 

 characters, which seem to extend over all the aberrant sub-families of 

 the Strigida, accompanied by egrets in the eagle owls, but not so in 

 the hawk and falcon owls — witness Noctua and Ninox. The presence 

 or absence of egrets cannot be taken as a. primary mark of the aberrant 

 group ; for to it Huhua and Cultrunguis unquestionably belong, and 

 both these types are egretted. Whether the egrets even constitute a 

 secondary or sub-family mark of this group, may be doubted : but, at 

 present, this would seem to be the case, and in conformity with this 

 notion I have inserted egrets as one of the sub-family marks. There 

 is no uniting accuracy with precision in generic characters, so long 

 as we want family and sub-family characters. How then to charac- 

 terise our Ninox ? — a falconine type in its own circle of the Strigida?, 

 and as expressly equivalent to the lesser insectivorous falcons, as 

 Cultrunguis is to Pandion. When recently defining Ninox I begun 

 with, ' bill, disc, conch and feet, as in Noctua,' considering that genus 

 — which is so remarkable in the family for its firm plumage and short 

 wings as well as for the absence of those pre-eminently Strigine 



is eminently calculated, with the aid of the spinous sole of the foot, to clutch 

 the bodies of fish. No analogy can be more beautiful than that of Cultrunguis 

 to Pandion. 



