File:The royal natural history (1893) (14761827996).jpg

Identifier: royalnaturalhist47lyde (find matches)
Title: The royal natural history
Year: 1893 (1890s)
Authors: Lydekker, Richard, 1849-1915 Sclater, Philip Lutley, 1829-1913 Frostick, W. B., former owner. DSI Brooks, W. T., former owner. DSI
Subjects: Zoology Natural history
Publisher: London and New York : Frederick Warne & Co.
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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troyed, tlieowls breed in the deserted nests of eagles, hawks, or crows, but elsewhere nest inhollow trees. Usually there are but two or three eggs, although occasionally fouror Ave; and so early in the year are these laid that in Nova Scotia and Newfound-land they are not unfrequently found frozen in the nest. The Indian eagle-owl orrock horned owl (B. bengalensis), may be taken as an example of the second groupof the genus, in which the covering of the feathers on the toes is more or less i68 OWLS. scanty, the last joint and sometimes the whole toe being bare. This species attainsa length of 20 inches, and is confined to India. Its habits appear to be very similarto those of the other species, the nesting-season being from February to April, andthe eggs usually laid on a shelf of rock near water, although occasionally in a holein the ground. That the eagle-owls are an old group is proved by the occurrenceof remains of extinct species in the Lower Miocene Tertiary of France; those of
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INDIAN MSH-OWL (i Hat. Size). the existing European species occurring in the Pleistocene deposits of Norfolk.The metatarsus may be distinguished from that of the snowy owl by its longei*and more slender form. The fish-owls of the Oriental region and Africa form a groupdistinguished from all other members of the order by the undersurface of the toes being covered with a number of small spicules, thus presenting-an admirable holding surface. In most cases the metatarsus is naked. These owlsare divided into two genera, one of which (Cetufta) is confined to Palestine, Fish-Owls. FISH-OWLS. 169 India, Malayana, and China, and is characterised by the possession of largeear-tufts; while the second (Scotojielia) is African, and lacks those appendages.Of the Oriental genus one of the best known species is the Indian fish-owl(C. ceylonensis), which inhabits Palestine, India, Ceylon, the countries on theeast of the Bay of Bengal, and part of China. It is a large bird, measuring25 inches in lengt

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