﻿328 ON THE CLASSIFICATION OF BIRDS. 



evidently intervenes between the A. Virginiana and the 

 Nyctia Candida. It is, in fact, so closely connected to the 

 latter, that, but for its egrets, both would stand in the 



same genus : the fa- 

 cial disk has now al- 

 most disappeared ; the 

 head is not much 

 bigger, in propor- 

 tion, than that of a 

 falcon of the same 

 dimensions ; and the 

 ears are very small. Like the great cinereous owl, which 

 it seems to represent, its tail, although not much gra- 

 duated, is longer than usual. Last of all come the 

 little Scops owls, a diminutive group in point of size, 

 but of which there are many species. We are disposed 

 to believe that these may form a subgenus of them- 

 selves ; although we cannot at present detect any very 

 prominent character by which they are separated from 

 their congeners. They seem to differ, indeed, from the 

 great-horned owls above mentioned by the superior 

 length of their legs, and by the nakedness of their toes. 

 From the hornless passerine owls of Europe (S. Teng- 

 malmiy &c), which they seem to represent, they are at 

 once known by the diminished size of their ears, and 

 by their egrets ; while, from the corresponding group in 

 South America (Nyctipetes), they are immediately re- 

 cognised by the last of these characters. For the pre- 

 sent, therefore, we may retain the group until the whole 

 genus is properly analysed. Several species, apparently 

 belonging to the subgenus Scops, are found in South 

 America, and one in Western Africa. For the other horned 

 owls we can only refer the reader to their published 

 figures. One of the most remarkably horned species is 

 the Asio superciliosa ; and there are several from India 

 which have the tarsi or legs nearly naked. 



(263.) We now come to the aberrant group, com- 

 posed, as usual, of three divisions, which we shall view 

 as genera. Hitherto the owls of which we have spoken, 



