432 BUBO MAXIMUS. 



recurved at their extremities. TJie number of quills 

 is twenty-seven. The third quill is longest, the fourth 

 nearly equal, the first an inch and a half shorter than 

 the second. The tail is broad, rounded, decurved, of 

 twelve broad, rounded feathers. 



The bill is black, tinged with greyish-blue, and paler 

 at the base, its soft edges flesh-coloured, the cere dusky. 

 The inside of the mouth bright flesh-colour, the fore 

 part of the tongue paler. The iris is bright orange. 

 The bare edges of the eyelids, and the margin of the 

 nyctitant membrane, are dusky. The scutella are pale 

 blue, edged with yellowish ; the claws light greyish- 

 blue at the base, changing to black towards the end ; 

 the soles are pale ochre or flesh-colour. 



The facial disks are dull greyish-brow^, being faintly 

 barred with dusky and dull yellowHsh-red, their ante- 

 rior part greyish-white with black shafts. The fea- 

 thers of the eyelids are greyish-white, the anterior 

 marginal feathers of the upper black ; there is a spot of 

 the same on the middle of the upper eyelid, which is 

 conspicuous when the eye is closed. The feathers over 

 the upper eyelid, and the long tufts, are brownish- 

 black, the latter internally edged with reddish. 



The general colour of the upper parts is reddish- 

 yellow, spotted, barred, and minutely mottled with dark 

 brown, the latter colour approaching to black on the 

 fore parts, and becoming paler and tinged with grey 

 behind. The hind neck is more tinged with red, and 

 many of the feathers there have merely a central 

 oblong brownish-black spot. The fore edge of the 

 wing, the alula, and the primary coverts, are darker 

 than the rest, having very little yellow. The quills are 



