COMMON WOOD-OWL. 37I 



middle feathers of the tail. Some of the outer scapu- 

 lars, and smaller wing-coverts, with a few of the outer 

 secondary coverts, have a large white spot on the outer 

 web towards the end. The quills are broadly barred 

 with umber brown and dull yellowish-red tinged with 

 grey ; the primary coverts similarly barred and darker. 

 The tail feathers arc marked in the same manner, their 

 tips yellowish-white ; both they and the quills are mi- 

 nutely mottled with yellowish-brown towards the end. 

 The lower parts are light yellowish-red, fading behind 

 into yellowish white ; the breast and sides longitudi- 

 nally streaked, and transversely undulated or mottled 

 with dark brown, the latter also spotted with dull 

 white. The legs are buif-coloured, externally mottled ; 

 the feet yellowish-white tinged with grey, also mi- 

 nutely mottled with brown. 



Length to end of tail 15 inches, to end of wings IS{ ; 

 extent of wings 32 ; wing from flexure 10| ; tail 6i ; 

 bill along the back 1^'^^, along the edge of lower man- 

 dible 1/^ ; tarsus If; first toe /j, its claw /_ ; second 

 toe l^^, its claw i§ ; third toe 1/^, its claw _^| ; fourth 

 toe 1%, its claw M. 



The above description is that of a recently killed in- 

 dividual obtained in the beginning of December. 



Female. — The female is considerably larger than 

 the male, and resembles it in colour. This I have de- 

 termined by dissection, and not merely conjectured. 

 Let them who allege the contrary come forward. The 

 following is the description of an individual obtained 

 fresh in June 1835. 



The bill yellowish-grey ; the claws of the same co- 



