LITTLE OWL. 145 



colour ; feathers of the facial disk greyish white, passing into 

 brown on the outer side of each eye ; chin, and sides of the 

 neck, below the ears, nearly white ; top of the head and 

 neck clove brown, Avith numerous spots of greyish white ; the 

 back and wings clove brown, with roundish white spots 

 arranged in several lines on the scapulars and wing-coverts, 

 and varied with other white spots Avhich are less distinct, each 

 brown feather having a white spot, which is partly concealed 

 by the brown end of the feather over it ; wing-primaries um- 

 ber brown, barred with yellow brown or wood brown : the 

 first quill -feather short; the second and fifth longer, and equal 

 in length ; the third and fourth the longest, and also equal : 

 upper surface of tail-feathers clove brown, barred with pale 

 wood brown ; upper part of the breast with an indistinct 

 brown and Avhite transverse band, below greyish Avhite with 

 longitudinal spots of clove brown ; under tail-coverts white ; 

 under surface of tail-feathers dull greyish brown, barred with 

 yellow brown : legs very long, covered with close short white 

 hair-like feathers, — from which circumstance this species has 

 received the name of nudipes from M. Nilsson ; the toes are 

 very slightly covered ; the claAvs sharp and black. 



The whole length of this bird is about eight inches and a 

 half. The females are rather larger than the males, and the 

 genenal colour of their plumage is paler. 



According to Bechstein, in the young birds before the first 

 moulting, " the head is of a soft reddish grey, clouded with 

 Avhite. The large round spots on the back become gradually 

 more marked ; and the reddish white of the under part by 

 degrees acquires long streaks of brown on the breast and 

 sides. 



VOL. I. 



