200 SHORT-EARED OWL. 



also larger and of a purer tint, and on the secon- 

 daries they assume the form of irregular bars. 

 The quills are nearly pure white at the base of the 

 outer webs, shading into pale buff orange ; for half 

 their length nearly free from spots or bars, but 

 towards the extremity distinctly marked with 

 three or four bars of liver brown, after the fifth 

 quill they become more clouded ; the inner webs 

 are pale buff orange, clouded with liver brown 

 and gray, which becomes near the tip the prevail- 

 ing colour. The tail is pale buff orange, the feathers 

 becoming nearly pure white to the outside ; they 

 are marked with distinct bars of liver brown ; the 

 two centre feathers clouded in the pale intervals 

 with the same colour ; the outer web of the last 

 feather is often altogether spotless. The under 

 parts are pale buff orange, shading into pure white 

 on the vent and lower tail-coverts ; the throat and 

 breast broadly streaked with liver brown along 

 the centres of the feathers ; the streaks narrowing 

 in breadth on the belly and flanks, becoming 

 nearly linear on the vent, and finally disappearing 

 entirely. The interior of the wing nearly pure 

 white, on which the dark bars on the inner 

 webs appear more conspicuous and decided ; the 

 tips of the under wing-coverts are liver brown, 

 and form a lengthened spot or bar across. The 

 tarsi and feet, to within the third scale, are 



