50 



STRIGIDiE. 



the under parts of the body, which disappear when 

 the bird puts on his adult plumage. 



GENUS XXX. 



Rostrimi mediocre, debile, 

 supr^ subangulare ; naves 

 obliquae, ellipticse. 



Tarn breves; acrotarsia sen- 

 tellata. 



Alee longissimse ; remex 



quarta iongissima. 

 Cauda furcata. 



MILVUS Auctorum. KITE. 



Beah mediocral, weak, above 

 somewhat angular; nos^ 

 trils oblique, elliptic. 

 Tarsi short ; acrotarsia scu- 



tellated. 

 Wings very long ; the fourth 



quill longest. 

 Tail forked. 



Sp. 1. Mi. ictinus. 



Falco ictinus. Shatv, v. vii. p. 103. 

 V. vii. p. 107. — Britain and Europe. 

 Sp. 2. Mi. ater. 



Falco ater. Shaw, v. vii. p. 105.- 

 V. vii. p. 1 78. — Egypt. 



•Falco austriacus. Shatv, 



-Falco Forskalilii. Shatv^ 



FAMILY IV.— STRIGID-^. 



Cdi^wt grande, plumosum; oculorum ambitus decotnpositis 

 (in utroque capitis latere circulum efformant) ornatus; rostrum 

 breve, aduncum ; ad basin plumis antrorsum inciimbentibus 

 tectum ; cera absconditum ; nares ohlongce; auricularum fora- 

 mina amplissifna, valvd obtecta ; digitus e.vternus retro mobilis. 



The Strigidee have the head large and plumose ; the region of the 

 eyes furnished with decomposed feathers, forming a circle on 

 each side of the head 3 the beah short, and hooked 5 clothed at 

 its base with incumbent feathers pointing forwards ; cere hid- 

 den ; nostrils oblong ; the opening of the ears very ample, and 

 furnished with a valve ; the outer toe moveable backwards. 



These birds usually prey upon the smaller mam- 

 malia ; but some of them attack birds, and even in- 

 sects : they genei^ally search for their food by twi- 



