Birds of Celebes: Asionidae. 
93 
? Gryps sp. 
In the Nat. Tdschr. Ned. Iiid. 1876, XXXVI, 381, van Musschenhroek mentions 
his having encountered a Vulture at Kwandang, North Celebes, uuthout his being able to 
identify the sjDecies. He suggests Oyps hidieus. 
ORDER STRIGES. 
The Owls are nocturnal or crepuscular in habits and are best characterized 
by their eyes, which are very large and not placed laterally on the sides of 
head as in most other birds, but directed forwards, each eye being surrounded 
by a disk of feathers radiating from it. The four toes are placed two in front, 
one behind, and the outer one laterally on the foot; the last capable of being 
completely turned backwards. The plumage is very soft and fluffy, the most 
prevalent tints being brown — rufous brown or yellow-brown, — grey, and 
white; and the patterns are often completely broken up, chequered and ver- 
miculated. The round, white eggs are usually laid in cavities in trees or rocks. 
The larger species prey upon vertebrates of various kinds, some on fish, many 
of the small Owls on insects. In size the Owls vary from that of a Lark to 
that of an Eagle. 
FAMILY ASIONIDAE. 
The sternum furnished with a manubrial process; the furcula, not attached 
to the keel of the sternum, often consists of but two stylets which do not even 
meet one another, the posterior margin of the sternum with two pairs of pro- 
jections, one pair on each side, with corresponding fissures between them; the 
tarsus furnished with a bony ring or loop bridging the channel holding the 
common extensor tendon of the toes (Newton, Diet. B. 672). Basal and second 
joints of middle toe subequal in length (Blanford). 
GENUS NINOX Hdgs. 
Owls of rather small size, facial disk wanting, causing a very Accipitrine 
appearance ; bill moderate, the nostrils formed by semi-tubular swellings of the 
cere placed well forward; wings long; tail long, more than 3 times the 
length of the tarsus; toes bristly, rather long, the soles covered with 
rough horny points and laterally fenced with stiff bristles; tarsus 
feathered to an extent varying in different species. They prey upon insects, small 
mammals, bii-ds, lizards. Eggs 2 — 4, About 30 — 40 species, one at least of them 
migratory, distributed from India and China, to Australia, New Zealand and 
Madagascar. 
