l6 THE BIRDS OF RAINHAM. 



black bar across its wings; 6 varieties have been 

 obtained in my district. 



No. i. Old male with a black bar across wings. 



No. 2. Old female dressed in shades of brown. 



No. 3. Immature male, ash coloured with some 

 light brown feathers intermixed. 



No. 4. A dark coloured variety, chocolate, almost 

 black. 



No. 5. Dark chocolate mixed with brown. 



No. 6. Light brown on the back, on the breast 

 white slightly tinged with red. 



Perhaps it may be of interest to note the date of 

 each occurrence. 



No. i. June 8, 1866. No. 4. May 18, 1867. 



No. 2. May 17, 1869. No. 5. July , 1870. 



No. 3. May 15, 1866. No. 6. May , 1888. 



LONG-EARED OWL. 



Asio otus (Linn.). 



Not so common with us as the next to be described, 

 they are shot in our woods occasionally, and on one 

 occasion when hunting with beagles several flew from 

 a leafy oak. I have never heard of their breeding in 

 my district, we have no fir plantations. 



SHORT-EARED OWL. 



Asio accipitrinus (Pallas). 



Not uncommon, comes in the autumn, visits our 

 salt-marshes where they are shot nearly every year. 



