274 
NAKED-FOOTED NIGHT OWL. 
Scotopliilus nudipes. 
PLATE XXX. 
Strlx nudipes, Nikon, Om. Sur Gould's Birds of Europe. 
— Noctua passerina, Little Night-Owl, Selby Strix and 
Noctua passerina of modern ornithologists. 
There is little doubt that the name passerina, 
applied by Lin naeus to a small Owl, has, I may 
say, carelessly been given to several diminutive 
species on account of their size only, and without 
looking whether it was properly applied or not. 
The bird of which we have endeavoured to give 
a representation, Is the Strix or Noctua passerina 
of most modem ornithologists, but it is not the 
S. passerina of Linnasus, or the bird to which 
that title was originally applied ; neither can it be 
the Noctua minor of Ray, for that naturalist says, 
“ parvitate sua ut qum merula minor sit, nec 
alaudam magnitudine multum excedat.” * We 
are not satisfied, also, that it is the Little Owl of 
Willoughby, (Eng. edit. p. 105,) although in some 
points the description agrees tolerably. He says, 
“ The ears great," + which would coincide much 
* Kay, Syn. Method. Av. p. 26. 
+ Willoughby, Ornitli. pi. i. p. 105. 
