﻿330 ON THE CLASSIFICATION OF BIRDS. 



the first is the typical, the second the sub-typical, and 

 the third the aberrant group of the whole family. 



(264.) The genus Nyctipetes is placed between 

 Nyctia and Surnia. Of these little owls we possess four 

 species from tropical America, and are acquainted with 

 three more : they bear such an external resemblance to 

 the European race, represented by S. Tengmalmi, that all 

 writers have failed in perceiving how truly they differ, 

 by having very small ears, no operculum, and no in- 

 dication of the marginal ruff of feathers. The want of 

 egrets, on the other hand, separates them at once from 

 the Scop owls. Their general structure, in short, is 

 certainly very like that of the great white owl, but the 

 legs are only feathered to the base of the toes ; and 

 these latter, except in being thinly clothed with white 

 shining hairs, might be termed naked : the wings are 

 also short, and reach only to the base of the tail, which 

 is moderately long and slighted rounded. It is clear, 

 therefore, that these birds cannot possibly be arranged 

 with the true nocturnal, or with the horned, owls ; and 

 we are therefore led to decide that they form part of a 

 genus, of which the burrowing owl of America (£. cu- 

 rium lata 7 Mollini) is probably the type. This latter 

 bird differs from the structure just described in having 

 the legs much longer, more naked, and the claws less 

 hooked ; the tail is shorter and quite even. But in the 

 more essential characters, drawn from the ears, bill, and 

 head, it quite agrees with the little birds just mentioned; 

 so that one species, with legs of an intermediate length, 

 would be sufficient to complete the link of connection, 

 and such a bird will probably be soon discovered. 



(265.) The genus Surnia of Dumeril designates the 

 hawk owls, represented by that of America.* These 

 differ from the other two aberrant types in having a 

 long wedge-shaped tail, which, with their small head 

 and obsolete facial disk, gives them more the appearance 

 of being hawks than any others of this family. Dr. 



* Strix funeria. Northern Zoology, ii. p. 92., and vignette, p. 94. 



