NOCTUA. 173 



Genus NOCTUA. 



The Little Owls were first separated from the genus Strix by Geriui in 

 1767, in his ' Ornithologia ]\Icthoclice Digesta/ i. p. 87, under the name 

 of Noctua, a name which was afterwards adopted (in 1810) by Savigny. 

 Neither of these ornithologists indicated any type ; but inasmuch as the 

 Little Owl is the Noctua vulgaris of Gerini and the Strlx iwctuu of 

 Scopoli, it has every right to be considered the type. 



The Little Owls may be distinguished from all other Owls by the 

 nostrils being placed in a projection formed by an inflation of the cere. 

 Their habits do not differ from those of the other Owls ; but their food is 

 more insectivorous. Their eggs are pure white in colour. 



The genus Noctua contains upwards of fifty species, which are distributed 

 over the whole world — principally confined to the tropical regions, a few 

 species being found in the Nearctic and Pala^arctic Regions. Only two 

 or three are European, of which but one has been found in the British 

 Islands. 



