SNOWY DAY-OWL. 409 



twelfths loDger than the fourth ; the secondary quills broad 

 and rounded. The tail is rather long, moderately rounded, 

 and exceeds the closed wings about an inch and a half. 



The bill and claws are black ; the inside of the mouth deep 

 flesh-colour, the tongue paler, the iris pure yellow, the thin 

 edges of the eyelids blackish-brown. The general colour of 

 the plumage is pure white ; the upper part of the head, and 

 the back spotted with dark brown, the scapulars and wing- 

 coverts having two transverse spots toward the end ; the quills 

 and tail-feathers are banded, and the breast and sides narrowly 

 barred, with the same. To speak more particularly: — The 

 forehead, fore-neck, part of the breast, lower wing-coverts, ab- 

 domen, and lower tail-coverts are white- The rest of the lower 

 parts are transversely barred with blackish-brown, the bars 

 varying in breadth from one to two twelfths, and placed at in- 

 tervals of about half an inch. The feathers on the upper part 

 of the head are tipped with brown, on part of the hind-neck 

 without markings ; the rest of the upper parts banded ; the 

 quills banded on both webs, as are the tail-feathers, except the 

 outer, the rest having toward the end a number varying from 

 one to four. 



Length to end of tail 28 inches, to end of wings 21^ ; extent 

 of wings 56 ; wing from flexure 171 ; tail 9? ; bill along the 

 ridge 1^%, along the edge of lower mandible 2; tarsus 2^^ ; 

 first toe j%, its claw 1^% ; second toe 1^'^, its claw lj\ ; third 

 toe lij^i its claw li% ; fourth toe ^"g, its claw lj\. 



Female. — The female greatly exceeds the male, but in co- 

 lour differs only in having the dark markings larger. 



Length to end of tail 26 inches, to end of wings 24 ; extent 

 of wings 65; wing from flexure 18; tail 9f ; bill along the 

 ridge 2 ; tarsus 2^ ; first toe j%, its claw 1 ^ g ; second toe 1/^, 

 its claw 1 j^*2 ; third toe 1/g, its claw lj\ ; fourth toe j%, its 

 claw l/g. 



Variations. — Some individuals are almost entirely white, 

 the spots on the head and back being very small, and those on 

 the wings and tail almost obliterated. Others have the mark- 



