216 | ON THE CLASSIFICA oy. OF a 
length of the bill. Nostrils a obli ‘cruel ly 
Wings lengthened; the third quill lon ages 
rather short. Tarsi slender, feathered eye 
knees ; the front and back smooth. Arias a 
aahiveris.s posterior as if in one entire piece ; la a 
scales, and those at the base of the toes, very sm: 
and indistinctly reticulate. Toes strong; inner 
the shortest of all. Claws grooved beneath, oneqtil 
hinder and inner nearly of the same size, oute 
most much smaller than the middle. Tail broad, 
rounded. (fig. 196.) 
H. Pondicerianus. Pl. Enl. 416. 
Note.— How far the other species, placed in this group by authors, agree 
with the above definition, cannot be ascertained. I have, therefore, taker 
the characters entirely from this one species, which seems to have an equal, 
and perhaps a greater, claim to a station in the genus Pandion. 
Famity STRIGIDA. Ouls. 
Head very large. Eyes surrounded with a circle of ra- 
diated feathers, forming a facial disk ; plumage soft, lax. 
Ears large. Feet generally feathered to the toes ; outer 
toe directed outwards. Bill more or less short, thickly 
protected by basal bristles: upper mandible entire, lower 
notched. Feed and fly during night. 
Srrix, Linn. Typical Owls. Head and facial disk very 
large: the former generally : ; 
without egrets; the latter com- 
plete, andmargined by a border 
of narrow stiff feathers. Ears 
very large; the conch pro- | 
tected by an operculum or lid. 
Feet moderately long, scantily 
feathered. 
Strix. Head enormous, wider than the body, without 
egrets. Bill somewhat lengthened, and straight at the 
base. Tarsi rather long. The middle claw serrated. 
Ears and operculum very large. gl 
S. flammea. Selby, Pl.124.  badia. Horsf. Java. 
Scotiaptex, Sw. Head smaller, without egrets. Oper- 
