ACCIPITRILS. 



173 



chiefly during twilight, or hy the hght of the moon. "Wlien attacked by day, or struck by the 

 appearance of some new object, they [the majority of them] do not fly off, but stand more 

 erect, assume grotesque attitudes, and make the most Uuhcrous gestures. 



Their stomach is tolerably muscular, [as compared with the Falconsj although their Jirey 

 is wholly animal, consisting of Mice, small birds, [even fish in some instances,] and msects ; 



but is preceded by a large craw, [an inadvertent statement 

 of the author, as the absence of any expansion of the 

 gullet, which is wide, but always of uidform diameter (see 

 fig. 7!' «), invariably distinguishes the nocturnal from all the 

 diurnal birds of prey] ; the coeca (h) are long, and enlarged 

 tO'i\ards the extremity, &c. Small Birds have a natural 

 antipathy to them, and assemble from all parts to assail 

 them ; hence they are employed to attract Birds to the 

 snare. [It may be added, that their tarsi are in no iii- 

 o stance scaled, even when denuded of feathers, as in the 

 subdivision Ketupa ; all of them lay round white eggs.] 

 They form one genus, that of 



itnry caniil of an Owl 



The 0"\vls {Siri.v, Linn.), — 

 Which may be divided according to their head-tufts, the size of 

 their ears, the extent of the circle of feathers which surrounds 

 their eyes, and some other characters. 



Tliose species which around tlie eyes liave a large complete 

 disk of fringed feathers, itself surrouaded liy a circle or collar of 

 scaly feathers, and between the two a large opening for tlie ear 

 (see fig. 80), are more removed in their form and manners frora 

 the diurnal Birds of Prey, than tl)ose in wliich tlie ear is small, 

 oval, and covered by fringed feathers wliieli come from helow 

 the eye. Traces of these differences are perceptiljle even in the 

 skeleton, [though only as regards the degree of stoutness of the 

 1^, hones (see tigs. 81 and 84), there being no gradation or transi- 

 tion into the Falcons, either in the skeleton or digestive organs. 

 Tlie following arrangement of the Owls, based on the comparative size of the aperture of the ear, is 

 halde to the objection of dispersing some nearly allied groups, and approximating others that are less 

 so, which is almost necessarily the result of too exclusive attachment to any single character.] 

 Among the first species, we will distinguish 



The Hiboux (Otus, Cuv.), — 

 Wliich have two tufts of feathers (vulg. horns) which they 

 can erect at wdl, and the ear-conch of which (fig. 80), 

 extends in a semicircle from the lieak almost to the top of 

 the liead, and is furnished anteriorly with a membranous 

 opercuhim. Their feet are feathei-ed to the toes. Such, in 

 Europe, are 



The Long-tufted llibou {Sly. oliix. Lin.).— Very widely distri- 

 buted ; it inhabits woods, especially those of fir and other ever- 

 greens, and breeds generally in deserted Crows' nests : and 



The Short-tnt'ted Hibou (.SVr. brac/n/otm, Lin.).— Found almost 

 every where, [if indeed the same species, which tliere is reason to 

 doubt : it inhabits open moors, breeds on the ground, and exhitiits 

 trifling: sexual disparity of size. This bird is scarcely, if at all, 

 dazzled by 6uii-lig;ht : it is the BracJtyotu^ paluslris of Gould]. 



^ ^\ 



We apply the dcsi^atiou of 



■ Copied from M. M'GUlivr.iy's Ra] 



Fi£. ) 

 Lious Birds . 



