. On the natural history and classification of birds . horned owls above mentioned by the superiorlength of their legs, and by the nakedness of their the hornless passerine owls of Europe (S. Teng-malmiy &c), which they seem to represent, they are atonce known by the diminished size of their ears, andby their egrets; while, from the corresponding group inSouth America (Nyctipetes), they are immediately re-cognised by the last of these characters. For the pre-sent, therefore, we may retain the group until the wholegenus is properly analysed. Several species, apparentlybelonging to the
. On the natural history and classification of birds . horned owls above mentioned by the superiorlength of their legs, and by the nakedness of their the hornless passerine owls of Europe (S. Teng-malmiy &c), which they seem to represent, they are atonce known by the diminished size of their ears, andby their egrets; while, from the corresponding group inSouth America (Nyctipetes), they are immediately re-cognised by the last of these characters. For the pre-sent, therefore, we may retain the group until the wholegenus is properly analysed. Several species, apparentlybelonging to the subgenus Scops, are found in SouthAmerica, and one in Western Africa. For the other hornedowls we can only refer the reader to their publishedfigures. One of the most remarkably horned species isthe Asio superciliosa ; and there are several from Indiawhich have the tarsi or legs nearly naked. (263.) We now come to the aberrant group, com-posed, as usual, of three divisions, which we shall viewas genera. Hitherto the owls of which we have spoken,. ABERRANT GENERA OF THE 0TVLS. 329 however imperfect may have been their facial disk, havenevertheless had its circumference indicated by a lineof stiff scale-like feathers, more or less distinct, accord-ing to the degree in which the conch of their ears wasdeveloped. But in those which follow, even this remnantof the typical character is lost, together with all ap-pearance of egrets, and even much of the nocturnalhabits of the typical owls. Many of those, indeed,which follow, hunt as much during the clay — perhapsmore than they do in the night; and from this circum-stance, no less than from their general physiology, theyhave been called hawk owls. We have already inti-mated that but for the egrets of the Heliaptex arcticus itwould be a Nyctia, the genus to which belongs thegreat white owl—that e< northern hunter of thepoetic Wilson. This magnificent owl at present standsalone as the representative of this type, which is dis-tin
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookidonnaturalh, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1836
