26 STTIIGID^. 



145. Long-eared Owl. Asio otas (LinnjBus). Sylvan. Eesident. 



Facial disk complete ; ear-tufts very lontj, equal to hind toe and 

 claw ; operculum semicircular ; iris orange. General colour orange- 

 buff ; above mottled with blackish brown, below streaked and faintly- 

 barred with brown. Length 14 inches. 



146. Shokt-eared Owl. Asio accipitrinus (Pallas). Not sylvan. 

 Autumn to spring ; but breeds in a few marshy or moorland localities. 



Disk and operculum like last ; ear-tufts very short. 

 Above tawny, each feather with dark brown down the centre ; below 

 buff, streaked with blackish brown ; iris yellow. Length 14-16|j inches. 



147. Tawny or Brown Owl, Syrnium aluco (Linnajus). Sylvan. 

 Resident in Great Britain ; not yet observed in Ireland. 



Facial disk complete ; no tufts ; operculum large ; toes feathered ; 

 iris blackish. 



Two phases of the plumage occur : the grey and rufous. Length 

 18-19 inches. 



N. & C. Europe 148. Tengmalm's Owl. Nyctala tengmalmi (J. F. Gmelin). Eare 

 wanderer to England ; twice in Scotland : not yet in Ireland. 



Disk nearly complete ; tuftless ; ears with operculum, of unequal 

 size on either side, i. e. not symmetrical ; toes feathered to the claws. 



Above brown, spotted on the head and blotched on the back with 

 white ; below greyish white, spotted and barred with rufous brown ; 

 tail brown, crossed with five white bars. Length 9-10 inches. 



Arctic. 149. Snowy Owl. JVyctea scancUaca (Lmnseus). Winter straggler to 



Great Britain and Ireland, chiefly to the northern districts. 



Facial disk incomplete ; no operculum ; tufts above eyes rarely 

 visible ; feet covered to the claws with long feathers. 



White, or white with blackish-brown spots or bars, varying much in 

 number of these markings ; younger birds most marked ; iris yellow. 

 Length 21-26 inches. 



N. Europe and l^O, Hawk-Owl. Surnia ulula (Linnaeus). Very rare straggler. 

 ^^'^^- Facial disk nearly obsolete ; tuftless ; no operculum. 



Above dark brown, spotted with white ; underparts with numerous 

 small narrow dark-brown bars. Tail lour/ and graduated, narrowly 

 barred and tipped with white. Feet feathered to the claws ; iris light 

 yellow. Length 14 inches. 



The American form, S. fanerea, which has chiefly occurred, has 

 broad chestnut bars on the breast and belly. 



C.& S.Europe, 151. Scops OwL. Scops giu (ScopoK). Sylvan. Eare straggler on 

 Asia Minor, migration to England and Ireland ; doubtfully in Scotland. 

 wintering in t n ^ 



Africa. Facial disk incomplete above eyes ; tufted ; no operculum. General 



colour grey, with minute marks of brown and spots of dark brown. 



Legs feathered ; toes bare. Iris yellow. Length 8^^-10 inches. 



