298 
SCOPS. 
parts of the belly, vent, flanks, and under tail- 
coverts, the shaft is black, and the feather is 
crossed with numerous irregular bars of brownish 
black, nine or ten sometimes being counted on 
one feather. The tarsi and toes are clothed as 
in Otiis, and are crossed with indistinct bars of 
brownish black. The irides are brilliant and 
bronzed orange. Length of the male about 
twenty-two inches. 
The genus Scops, Savigny, forms a beautiful 
little group, which seems distributed over Europe, 
Asia, and parts of Africa ; it is composed of indi- 
viduals distinguished by their small size, their 
imperfect disk, egrets on the head, very thin 
lengthened legs, and soft plumage. Habits are 
arboreal and nocturnal. 
Scops, generic characters . — Bill curved from the 
base, weak ; nostrils round ; facial disk very in- 
complete, wanting above the eyes ; head with 
egrets ; conchal opening very small ; wings 
long, third quill longest, first and second 
slightly cut in near the tip of the inner webs ; 
tail short, even, or slightly rounded ; legs 
rather long, feathered with short plumes to 
the insertion of the toes ; toes reticulated, 
except the extremity of the first joint. 
