STRIGIDJ3 — THE OWLS. 
117 
9. Micrathene. Fourth quill longest; four emarginated on 
inner webs. Tarsus a little longer than middle toe, scantily- 
haired. Tail less than half the wing, even. Bill light (green- 
ish ?) ; iris yellow. Size very small. (Page 122.) 
First quill longer than sixth. 
10. Speotyto. Second to fourth quills longest ; three emar- 
ginated on inner webs. Tarsus more than twice as long as 
middle toe, closely feathered in front to the toes, naked 
behind. Tail less than half the wing, slightly rounded. Bill 
yellowish ; iris yellow. Size small. (Page 122.) 
Genus STRXX, Savigny. (Page 115.) 
S. flammea. Face varying from pure white. to delicate claret-brown ; facial 
circle varying from pure white, through ochraceous and rufous, to deep black. 
Upper parts with the feathers ochraceous-yellow basally; this overlaid, more or 
less continuously, by a grayish wash, usually finely mottled and speckled with 
dusky and white. Primaries and tail barred transversely, more or less distinctly, 
with distant dusky bands, of “variable number. Beneath, varying from pure 
snowy-white to tawny-rufous, immaculate or speckled. Wing, 10.70-13.50. 
Nest placed in hollow trees, old buildings, crevices of wall, excavations in 
banks, etc.* (never built externally in trees, or on bare ground ?). 
Wing, 10.70 - 12.00 ; tail, 4.80-5.50 ; culmen, .75-.80 ; tarsus, 2.05 -2.15 ; 
middle toe, 1.25 - 1.30. Tail with four dark bands, and sometimes a trace 
of a fifth. Hob. Europe and Mediterranean region of Africa . var. flammea . 
Wing, 12.50-14.00; tail, 5.70-7.50; culmen, .90- 1.00; tarsus, 1.55- 
3.00. Tail with four dark bands, and sometimes a trace of a fifth. Colors 
lighter than in var. flammea. Hab. Southern North America and Mexico. 
( American Barn Owl) var. pratincola. 
~ Genus OTUS, Cuvier. (Page 115.) “ 
A. Otus, Cuvier. Ear-tufts well developed ; outer quill only with inner web 
emarginated. 
Colors blackish-brown and buffy-ochraceous, — the former predominating 
above, where mottled with whitish ; the latter prevailing beneath, and 
variegated with stripes or bars of dusky. Tail, primaries, and secondaries 
transversely barred (obsoletely in O. stygius). 
O. vulgaris. Ends of primaries normal, broad ; toes feathered ; face 
ochraceous. 
Dusky of the upper parts in form of longitudinal stripes, con- 
trasting conspicuously with the paler ground-color. Beneath with 
ochraceous prevalent ; the markings in form of longitudinal stripes, 
with scarcely any transverse bars. Hab. Europe and large part of 
the Old World var. vulgaris. 
Dusky of the upper parts in form of confused mottling, not con- 
* trasting conspicuously with the paler ground-color. Beneath with 
the ochraceous overlaid by the whitish tips to the feathers ; the 
markings in form of transverse bars, which are broader than the 
narrow medial streak. Wing, 11.50-12.00; tail, 6.00-6.20; 
culmen, .65; tarsus, 1.20-1.25; middle toe, 1.15. Wing-formula, 
2, 3-4-1. Nests external, in trees ; frequently an old nest of 
