of the United States . 
35 
and covered with feathers ; toes entirely divided ; the outer 
versatile ; hind toe shortest ; nails strong, very sharp, re- 
markably retractile. Wings ample, subacute ; first primary 
short, second a little shorter than the third which is longest : 
first three primaries generally with loose recurved barbs on 
the outer edge. 
Young with a darker face, so as to appear masked ; but 
after the first moult re'sembling the adults. 
Solitary : nocturnal : hunt during the evening and nighty 
. (with the exception of a few species which are diurnal) and 
see well in fhe dark. Eyes resplendent, pupil very large, 
contractile ; dazzled by the light of day ; moving awkwardly 
when exposed to it : hearing acute : feathers soft and loose ; 
fly short distances without noise, and pounce upon their 
prey unexpectedly ; feed on small birds, mice, bats, and in- 
sects, chiefly nocturnal lepidoptera ; swallow their prey alive, 
and cast up the indigestible portions in small pellets; voice 
disagreeable, and believed by the superstitious to be of bad 
augury ; breed in fissures of rocks, or in holes of old trees. 
Eggs from two to six. Analogous to the mammiferous genus 
Felis. 
Spread all over the globe. 4 
§ 1. Bill curved from the base. 
« 
' SUBGENUS I. SURNIA 
Surni , Dum'ril. JYoctua , Scops , Syrnium , Cuv. 
Opening of the ears oval and of moderate size, not oper- 
culated ; disk of slender feathers, rather small and not re- 
markably distinct. 
Approaching nearer to Falco than any other subgenus, 
f Head without tufts of feathers ( JYoctua , Cuv.) 
Feathered to the claws; quill feathers with the outer webs 
not recurved or loose at their tips. Tail reaching beyond 
the wings. The North American species are all diurnal. 
23 . Strtx funerea, Gm. Blackish-brown, thickly spotted 
