130 SPARROW OWL— RICHARDSON'S OWL. 



Sr. CiiAR. The largest of this genus. Wings long. Upper parts pale reddish-brown tinged 

 with olive, and with partially concealed spots of white, most numerous on the head and neck 

 behind, scapulars and rump ; head in front with numerous spots of white ; face white, with a spot 

 of black in front of the eye ; throat with brown stripes ; under parts ashy-white, with longitudinal 

 stripes of pale reddish-brown ; legs and toes pale yellowish, nearly white, sometimes barred and 

 spotted with brown ; quills brown, with small spots of white on their outer edges and large spots 

 of the sime on their inner webs ; tail brown, every feather with about ten pairs of white spots. 



Bill, a yellowish white on the ridge and at the tip ; dark-colored on the sides 

 (never all yellow, as often described ) ; irides orange and sometimes lemon-yellow. 



Dimensions '•ariahle. Length, from loU to 12 inches ; wing, 7 to 8 ; tail, 3/4 to 4J4 inches. 



Several of these Owls have been caught alive on the island 

 of Montreal this winter (1876). 



