AO BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 
coverts and tertials irregularly spotted and marked 
with the same two colours and white; rump and tail- 
coverts buff, faintly marked with pale brown; pri- 
mary quills pale chestnut, barred with dark brown, 
towards the end dark brown and speckled ash-grey 
and white; tail barred and spotted buff (very hight 
buff, almost white) and brown; breast streaked light 
buff and brown; rest of the under parts light buff, 
with a very few narrow brown streaks on the shafts 
of the feathers; under tail-coverts the same, but 
paler; legs and toes feathered nearly to the claws, 
light buff; claws dark horn. 
The eggs of this species are white, and very hke 
those of the Barn and Longeared Owls, both in size 
and shape. 
Wurst or Barn Own, Strix flammea. This well- 
known species is, I am glad to say, still tolerably 
common, though, like all the rest of our Raptorial 
birds, it suffers a good deal of persecution, the more 
undeserved in the case of this and the other Owls, 
as, on account of their nocturnal habits, they are not 
likely to do very much damage either to the game- 
preserve or to the hen-roost, as the young chickens 
either are or ought to be shut up, and the young of 
the game- birds are generally hovered by the time the 
Owls begin their search for food. 
The Barn Owl is the last of the Owls mentioned 
by M. Prevost, in his series, and according to him 
this poor bird does not rejoice in any great variety 
