GREAT EAGLE-OWL. 431 



only a median longitudinal blackish-brown band. The small 

 wing-coverts at the flexure, the alula, and the primary coverts, 

 are almost entirely dusky. The quills are barred with brown- 

 ish-black, and in the intervals yellowish-red, nearly pure on 

 the inner webs, but on the outer closely and minutely undulat- 

 ed with brown. The tail is similar, but with less yellow. The 

 feathers on the upper part of the throat are white ; a band of 

 barred and mottled feathers then crosses the throat, being con- 

 tinuous with the ruff; and on the middle of the neck is a white 

 patch, with some dusky spots. The rest of the neck is reddish- 

 yellow, each feather with an oblong brownish-black longitu- 

 dinal band, and transverse lateral undulated bars. On the 

 thorax and sides the feathers are similar, the central dusky 

 patch gradually becoming narrower, and on those farthest back 

 ceasinsr ; while the narrow transverse bars become numerous 

 in the same proportion. The large tibial feathers and lower 

 tail-coverts are greyish yellow, mixed with red, and barred 

 with dusky ; those of the tibiae more tinged with yellow, and 

 more faintly barred. The downy or concealed part of the 

 plumage is dark greyish-blue. 



Length to end of tail 24 inches ; extent of wings 58 ; wing 

 from flexure 19 ; tail 11 ; bill along the ridge 2^ ; cere ^^ ; 

 edge of lower mandible 2 ; tarsus 2^% ; hind toe Ij, its 

 claw ly'^ ; second toe 1|§, its claw l^^^ ' third toe 2/^, its 

 claw lj% ; fourth toe ly'g, its claw 1^%. 



Female. — An adult female, which was presented to me by 

 Mr Audubon, and which I killed for the purpose of examin- 

 ing its digestive organs, was in all respects similar to the above- 

 described male, but somewhat darker in its tints. The tongue 

 fleshy, oblong, an inch and two twelfths in length, deeply 

 sagittate and papillate at the base, having the posterior half of 

 its surface covered with small papilla?, its lower free part horny, 

 the tip slightly emarginate. The entire length of the alimentary 

 canal five feet two inches. The pharynx two inches wide, the 

 mouth an inch and three-quarters. The oesophagus, Plate XXI, 

 Fig. 4), a be, nine inches and a half in length ; its outer coat very 

 thin ; its width from two inches to an inch and a half, when mo- 



