OWLS. 



347 



To these must be added the wide differences in si/o, but these lose much of their 

 significance iu view of the very great variation in this respect among the different 

 races oiflammeus. A small specimen of the European barn-owl (typical flammeus) is 

 perhaps not more than thirteen inches long, with a wing measuring eleven indies and 

 tail five. Its general color may be very nearly white, especially below ; the tail per- 

 fectly white, or with only the faintest suggestion of orange, without dark bars. The 

 back and-upper surface of wings is pale orange or buff, delicately mottled with silver 





FIG. 157. Aluco flammeus, barn-owl. 



gray, and with many distinct white spots, each accompanied by a black one. Com- 

 pare such a bird with a lai'ge female of the barn-owl of Van Dieman's Land, A. cas- 

 tanops. The latter is twenty or twenty-one inches long ; the wing measures from 

 fourteen to fifteen inches, and the tail about eight. The lower parts are " deep golden 

 buff," with spots and bars of blackish ; the upper parts, including the wings, choco- 

 late brown ; the tail even darker, but crossed Avith five or six bars of " golden buff," 

 while the face, instead of being pure white as in flammeus, is light chestnut, with a 

 black patch in front of the eye. 



