461 



ASIO BRACHYOTUS. THE STREAKED TUFTED- 

 OWL. 



SHORT-EARED OWL. HAWK OWL. WOODCOCK OWL. MOUSE-HAWK. 



Strix Ulula. Lath. Ind, Orn. I. 60. 



Strix brachyotos. Lath. Ind. Orn. I. 55. 



Short-eared Owl. Mont. Orn. Diet. 



Hibou brachiote. Strix brachyotus. Temm. Man. d'Orn. I. 99. 



Short-eared Owl. Otus Brachyotos. Selb. lUustr. I. 88. 



Otus brachyotos. Short-eared Owl. Jen. Brit. Vert. An. 92. 



Tufts inconspicuous, projecting about half an inch beyond the 

 plumage of the head ; upper parts light reddish-yellow^ with broad 

 longitudinal streaJcs and transverse bars of deep brown ; lower 

 parts light reddish-yellow, with narroio longitudinal brown streaks; 

 facial disk ichitish in its anterior half, pale yellowish-broicn be- 

 hind, the eye completely surrounded with brownish-black ; middle 

 tail-feathers icith a brown central patch in each of the light-colour- 

 ed spaces between the dark bands. Young similar to the adult. 



Male. — This species closely resembles that already described, 

 being of nearly the same size, and agreeing in the tints of its 

 plumage, but is easily distinguished by attending to its pecu- 

 liar markings, independently of the less elongated tufts on its 

 head. Although seemingly robust, when covered with feathers, 

 its body on being denuded is found to measure only two inches 

 and a quarter in its greatest depth, two inches in its greatest 

 breadth, and to be so much compressed behind as to measure 

 no more than ten twelfths in the abdominal region. The head 

 is very large, and somewhat triangular ; but it is proportionally 

 smaller than that of any other of our Owls. The bill is short, 

 moderately stout, and considerably compressed ; the upper 

 mandible with its dorsal outline decurved from the base, bulir- 

 ing a little on the cere, the sides sloping and but little con- 

 vex, the edges soft as far as the nostrils, then direct, sharp, and 



