PIGEOXS AXD ALL ABOUT THEM. i;>3 



OWL STANDARD. 



SIZE OF BODY To be governed by weight; the English 

 Owl to weigh not less than eleven ounces ; the African and 

 Chinese Owl to weigh not more than ten ounces. 



SHAPE OF BODY Chest broad ; neck rather short and thick, 

 but symmetrically shaped ; wing-butts and shoulders well 

 tucked in, giving a rounded appearance; nights and tail 

 r.ither short; plumage very tight and close; body plump, 

 and standing low in the smaller varieties. 



CARRIAGE Upright, with the head thrown rather back, 

 showing a broad and prominent breast; bold and active. 



SKULL Short, broad, and globular, nicely rounded in 

 every direction, and free from any narrowness behind the 

 beak, or flat on top. 



BEAK Short and thick, with an even downward curve, 

 forming continuation of curve of the skull, with the upper 

 mandible hanging over the lower. The more these points 

 are observable the better. The lower mandible stout, meet- 

 ing and fitting well into the upper. 



BEAK WATTLE Smooth, rather full and even on each side; 

 neatly made, and to rise high from the beak, as its projec- 

 tion fills up and rounds off the even convex profile, called 

 "down-face;" free from any straight lines or dent. 



EYES Prominent and very full, set in center of side of 

 head. 



GULLET OR DEW-LAP Should be as full and deep as pos- 

 sible, commencing at tip of lower mandible, and reaching 

 down the throat to the frill. 



FRILL Ample, and well-developed as po'ssible ; oval in 

 shape, and reaching from gullet to breast; the feathers curl- 

 ing in every direction, and nicely parted from the center, 

 forming the "rose."' 



In the Chinese Owl the frill differs; instead of stopping at 

 the gullet, it parts and extends up on each side of the neck 



