Mr. D. G. Elliot on Nyctale Kirtlandi. 51 



from each other ; a white ring around the eyes ; bill covered with 

 black bristly feathers ; facial disk white, some of the feathers 

 blackish on their edges ; a brown narrow ring at the outer edge 

 encircles the disk ; breast and under parts white, mottled with 

 rufous brown ; centre of breast and abdomen nearly pure white ; 

 under tail-coverts white, with a few rufous brown streaks. The 

 specimen described was obtained from Sweden. A specimen 

 from America is precisely similar, so that one description will 

 answer for them both. 



Adult Female. — Upper parts rufous brown, with small white 

 spots on the forehead, larger ones on the nape and back ; secon- 

 daries with white spots at equal distances on both webs, 

 largest on the inner webs ; primaries with rufous-white spots 

 on the outer webs only; facial disk light brown on the 

 outer side, surrounded by a line of dark reddish-brown ; white 

 above the eyes, black between the eyes and bill ; throat white, 

 the outer brown edge of the facial disk extending across the 

 upper part of the breast; lower parts white, mottled with 

 reddish brown ; tail same colour as the back, with five equi- 

 distant white spots on each web ; tarsi and feet yellowish white. 

 This is the red variety of this species, and may not in any way 

 be considered a sexual plumage, or belonging particularly to 

 the female. The red and brown styles of dress, as in the Scops 

 asio of North America, are apparently assumed without regard 

 to sex or age. 



Young Female. — Head and upper parts dark umber-brown, 

 unspotted; wings same colour, spotted with white on both 

 webs of secondaries, and primaries like the adult; tail also same 

 as the adult ; stripe over the eye from the nostrils, and also 

 a patch under the eye at base of bill, white; facial disk 

 blackish brown ; upper part of breast same as the back, rest of 

 underparts yellowish white, the feathers having broad central 

 lines of dark brown ; flanks and under tail-coverts yellowish 

 white ; feet and tarsi yellowish white, spotted with rufous brown; 

 bill blackish at base, horn-colour at tip. A specimen still 

 younger than the preceding has head, entire upper parts, and 

 upper part of the breast blackish brown ; spot over the eyes 

 and base of bristly feathers at the bill white ; lower part of 



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