THE HORNED OWLS. 97 



Asio accipiirinus^ Newt. ed. Yarr. Brit. B. i. 163 (1872); 



Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. ii. p. 234 (1875) ; l^rcsser, B. 



Eur. V. p. 257, pi. 304 (1876); Saunders, Man. Br. B. p. 



285 (18S9). 

 Strix brachyoiiis^ Seeb. Br. B. i. p. 167 (1883) 



Adult Male.— General colour above pale ochraceous-buff, with 

 longitudinal dark brown centres to the feathers, imparting a 

 streaked appearance ; scapulars much paler on their outer mar- 

 gins ; quills rufous-ochre, tipped with whitish, and inclining to 

 fulvous near the base, all the feathers chequered with dark brown 

 bars, much narrower on the inner web; tail-feathers ochraceous, 

 tipped with whitish, and crossed with seven continuous brown 

 bars on the centre ones, reduced to five on the outer ones, 

 where the bars are much narrower and disappear near the 

 base ; plumes of forehead dark brown, narrowly margined with 

 ochraceous ; facial ruff whitish, slightly washed with ochre, and 

 having minute triangular spots of dark brown ; facial aspect 

 dull white, the lores brownish, the region of the eye black ; 

 ear-tufts half an inch long and coloured like the crown ; chin 

 whitish ; remainder of under surface of body buffy-white, 

 washed with golden-buff on the breast and sides, the breast- 

 feathers broadly streaked with brown down the centre, these 

 streaks becoming very narrow on the lower breast and abdo- 

 men, and disappearing on the thighs and under tail-coverts ; 

 under wing-coverts white, faintly tinged with ochre, with a 

 blackish patch on the outer lower greater coverts ; bill brown- 

 ish-black ; claws brownish-black ; iris orange. Total length, 

 14 inches; wing, 12-4; tail, 6-5; tarsus, 175. 



Adult Female.— Similar in colour and markings to the male, 

 but deeper in colour, especially on the under surface, which is 

 rich ochre ; the bands on the centre feathers six in number, 

 four or five on the outer ones. Total length, 15-5 inches; 

 wing, 12-5. 



Young Birds.— Similar to the adults, but much darker, and 

 having the quills underneath clouded with brown, without any 

 transverse bars, and having a dark brown spot or bar about 

 half way down the first primary. 



The Short-eared Owl is easily distinguished from the Long- 

 8 ^ H 



