. Key to North American birds. Containing a concise account of every species of living and fossil bird at present known from the continent north of the Mexican and United States boundary, inclusive of Greenland and Lower California, with which are incorporated General ornithology: an outline of the structure and classification of birds; and Field ornithology, a manual of collecting, preparing, and preserving birds . m Strigidcs. The prime character is anchylosis ofthe furculum with the sternum, which latter bone is entirebehind (unusual; compare fig. 56). External charactersare : facial disc a
. Key to North American birds. Containing a concise account of every species of living and fossil bird at present known from the continent north of the Mexican and United States boundary, inclusive of Greenland and Lower California, with which are incorporated General ornithology: an outline of the structure and classification of birds; and Field ornithology, a manual of collecting, preparing, and preserving birds . m Strigidcs. The prime character is anchylosis ofthe furculum with the sternum, which latter bone is entirebehind (unusual; compare fig. 56). External charactersare : facial disc and outer ear-parts highly developed, theformer not circular, but rather triangular, the latter sym-metrical ; middle and inner toes of about equal lengths ; inneredge of middle claw serrate or jagged, simulating the pecti-nation seen in Caprimulgidce, to which birds these owls arecuriously related through Steatornis. The pattern of color-ation is peculiar; the plumage is very downy; the habitsof the species are eminently nocturnal. Tlie leading genus,AIhco, of several species or races, is nearly cosmopolitan,being absent only from high latitudes and some insular regions; the other, of one species, Phodilus hadius, inhabitsFig. (From Dixon.) ^^^^^■^^^^ ^,f ^^^^^^^ Asia, Ceylon, Java and Borneo. - N. B Adoption of the name Aluco for the Barn Owls, instead of Strix, requires the present family tc. ALUCONIDJE: BARN OWLS. 501 160. be called Aluconidce, instead of Strigidcc ; wliieli latter naiiie is to bo applied to the succeediiii^ family. ALUCO. (Ital. aZoc/io, some kind of owl. Figs. 47, 351.) Barn Owls. To above characters add : Wings very long, pointed, folding beyond the tail, the 1st or 2d primary longest, and none emarginate. Tail short, nearly even or emarginate, abont \ as long as the wing. Tarsus nearly twice as long as middle tue without claw, closely feathered, the plumage becoming scant and
Size: 1383px × 1806px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1896
