64 
STRIGINJ3. ULULA. 
the abruptly rounded tip. Mouth very wide ; tongue short, 
narrow, deeply sagittate and papillate at the base, covered I 
above with minute papillae, the sides nearly parallel, the tip 
rounded and emarginate ; oesophagus wide, without crop ; | 
stomach very large, roundish, very thin, its inner sui^face soft ( 
and slightly rugous ; pylorus with a semicircular flap ; intes- 
tine of moderate length, rather wide ; coeca large, oblong, | 
narrowed at the base ; cloaca globular, very large. Nostrils ; 
roundish, with the cere tumid behind. Eyes very large, ; 
oblique, slightly mobile. Conch somewhat elliptical, extend- 
ing from the level of the upper part of the eye to the base i 
of the lower jaw, and having an anterior semicircular oper- 
culum. Head extremely large, broad, rounded ; neck short ; 
body short, much compressed behind. Legs of moderate 
length, stout ; tarsus short, feathered ; toes short, feathered, 
all with two scutella at the end ; claws long, well curved, i 
tapering, compressed, very acute. Plumage very full andt' 
soft; facial disks very large, complete ; ruff complete andi 
conspicuous ; wings long, very broad, much rounded ; the n, 
first five quills abruptly cut out on the inner edge, the fourth ill 
longest, the first and tenth about equal ; tail broad, rounded. 1 
These birds reside chiefly in wooded districts, are strictly Vi 
nocturnal, and prey on small quadrupeds, birds, insects, and (j 
occasionally fishes. | 
26. Ulula Aluco. Tawny Hooting Owl. 
Upper parts brownish-red, more or less tinged with grey, i 
marked with longitudinal dark brown streaks, and transverse tj 
lines of a lighter tint ; the lower parts reddish- white, or yel- | 
lowish, with longitudinal linear-lanceolate and transverse; 
undulated dark brown markings ; large white spots on some s 
of the scapulars and wing-coverts ; bill greyish-yellow ; iris i| 
bluish-black. Young birds more tinged with red, old birds 
more grey. 
Male, 14, 31, lOj, 1/^, lif, 1/^, Female, 16, 34. 
This, next to the Mottled Tufted Owl, and Barn Owl, is 
the most common species in Britain, where it is generally ' 
dispersed in the wooded districts. At night it emits a loud 
and doleful cry, termed hooting, besides which it occasionally ' 
utters a harsh scream. Its food consists of young hares, rats, ! 
mice, moles, birds of various species, beetles, and other in- 
