456 ASIO OTUS. 



end, their inner edge white, mottled with dark-brown. The 

 rest of the upper parts may be described as longitudinally 

 streaked with dark brown, barred and finely undulated with 

 the same, and with greyish- white. The first row of coverts is 

 tipped with white on the outer web ; and the edge of the 

 wing, and the outer margin of the first alular feathers are of 

 the same colour. The alula and primary coverts are greyish- 

 brown, barred with darker ; the quills and scapulars pale grey, 

 barred with dark brown, and having more or less buff toward 

 the base of the outer web, that colour being conspicuous on the 

 outer six primaries. The tail is barred and dotted in the same 

 manner ; the dusky bars narrow, eight or ten in number. The 

 facial disk is white anteriorly, with the tips black, reddish- 

 yellow behind ; and the feathers on the upper eyelid are black. 

 The ruff is reddish, mottled with black. The lower parts are 

 in genera] similar to the upper, but with more buff, and fewer 

 spots, each feather with a linear-oblong dark-brown streak, and 

 several irregular transverse bars. The feathers of the tibiae, 

 tarsi, and toes are pure buff. The lower wing-coverts are light 

 buff; the primary coverts white, largely tipped with dark- 

 brown ; the quills yellowish- white, banded with brown toward 

 the end. 



Length to end of tail 14^ inches, to end of wings 15^; ex- 

 tent ©f wings 86; bill along the ridge lj%, along the edge of 

 lower mandible 1^% ; wing from flexure II5; tail 5f ; tarsus I5; 

 first toe 5, its claw ^% ; second toe 1, its claw ^% ; third toe H, 

 its claw j"| ; fourth toe f, its claw j\. 



Female. — The female, which is considerably larger, has the 

 upper parts lighter, but in other respects is similar in colouring. 



Length to end of tail 16 incli£S, to end of wings 17 ; extent 

 of wings 40 ; bill along the ridge 1^ ; wing from flexure 12 ; 

 tail 5f ; tarsus l^'^ ; hind toe ^^j, its claw ^% ; middle toe 1^, 

 its claw j^. 



Variations. — This species exhibits little variation in its co- 

 lours, some individuals merely having more grey than others 



