HORNED OWLS, ETC. 



187 



Distribution. Valleys and southern coast of California, and east to San 

 Francisco Mountain. Arizona. 

 Egg*. Usually ">. 



GENUS NYCTEA. 



376. Nyctea nyctea (Linn.). SNOWY OWL. 



Ear tufts rudimentary ; ear openings small, without anterior flap, the 

 two ears not distinctly different ; tail not reaching beyond tips of longest 

 under coverts ; four outer quills emarginate ; toes covered with long 





From The Osprey. 

 Fig. 250. 



hair -like feathers, partly or wholly concealing the claws ; bill nearly 

 concealed by loral feathers. Adult male : body pure white, sometimes 

 almost unspotted, but usually marked more or less with transverse spots 

 or bars of slaty brown. Adult female : nmch darker, pure white only on 

 face, throat, middle of breast and feet, the head spotted, and the rest 

 of the body barred with dark brown. Male : length 20-2:), wing 15.50- 

 17.30, tail 9.00-9.70, bill 1. Female : length 23-27, wing 17.30-18.70, tail 

 9.70-10.30, bill 1.10. 



