SCOPS-EARED OWL. 145 
rufous white and brown on the inner webs; and on the outer 
webs with alternate bars of white and speckled brown, the 
former shaded at the edges with the latter. The third is the 
longest, the second nearly as long, the fourth the next, the 
first intermediate between the fifth and the sixth. The 
secondaries have an oval spot of white on the outer webs, 
which together form an interrupted bar across; tail, slightly 
rounded, and barred alternately with a lighter and a darker 
mottled space, and one of yellowish or reddish white; under- 
neath it is, as are the under tail coverts, greyish white, 
mottled and barred with brown. The legs, which are feathered, 
are dark yellowish or rufous white, streaked and speckled with 
brown on the centre of the feathers; (Mudie says that they 
are bare of feathers, from which fact he supposed that this 
species belongs to warmer climes;) toes, bluish yellow, not 
feathered, but covered with scales: the outer one is capable 
of being turned backwards; claws, horn-colour. 
The female does not differ much in plumage from the male; 
length, eight inches and a half. 
The young are said to be at first grey, and the iris light 
yellew. 
VOL. ¥ L 
