140 ' A HANDBOOK OF EUROPEAN BIRDS. 
streaked with dark brown ; wings and tail barred irregularly 
with shaded brown ; feathers above and in front of the eyes, 
blackish ; face otherwise dull™buff; beneath buff, marked with 
white, striped and (some feathers) vermiculated with brown ; 
bill black ; down on legs and feet buff; irides orange ; eav-tufts 
very long. Length rginches ; culmen 1; wing 11°5 ; tail 5°75 ; 
tarsus 1°05. 
Young: Facial disc yellower, and markings on under parts 
more noticeable. 
Distribution: Resident in most parts of Western Pale- 
arctic Region, also in Central Asia. 
Habitat: Fir woods, or small plantations. Nocturnal. 
SHORT-EARED OWL. i 
Asio accipitrinus (fa//). 
Adult: General colour rich éuf; on upper parts patched 
and broadly streaked with dark brown ; wing and tail-feathers 
broadly barred with brown ; eav-tufts short, hardly apparent, 
not exceeding half an inch in length; hinder part of face 
richly marked with black ; ~7zg completely round eves blackish ; 
throat and breast striped with brown ; flanks also streaked, but 
narrowly ; bill and claws almost black ; irides yellow. Length 
£4)t0 15 anches culmen « ; wine 12." tall 5°75 3 tabsusu. 
Young: Resemble adults but are darker and more of 
a rufous-buff, with bolder brown markings ; irides pale yellow. 
Distribution : Occurs in most of Palearctic region, and also 
in the Nearctic region. 
Habitat: Moors, marshes and cultivated (open) country. 
Note.—This species is liable to considerable variation in tint. 
Genus SYRNIUM. 
TAWNY OR WOOD OWL. V 
Syrnium aluco (Lznz). 
Adult: Feathers of upper parts rich rufous-brown, centres 
of feathers marked with dark brown, outer webs of many of wing- 
_coverts chiefly white ; wings and tail-feathers browner than back, 
barred with dark brown ; edges of primaries silvery-white ; ruff 
