382 THE OWLS 



aperture of the~external ear; and from all, except the barn-owl, by the large, 

 dark brown, almost black eyes. (PI. 82.) Length 15 in. [381 mm.]. The 

 coloration of this bird is very variable, presenting distinct grey and red phases, 

 as well as intermediate hues. In the typical grey phase the ground-colour of the 

 plumage is ash-grey, the disc is also grey and vermiculated with darker grey, with a 

 peripheral band of dark brown. The plumage above is striated with dark brown, 

 and mottled with paler brown and white. The outer scapular feathers have each a 

 large patch of white on the outer web, the combined patches of several feathers 

 forming a more or less complete longitudinal white bar ; the rest of the scapulars 

 have dark brown shaft-streaks, and coarse vermiculations of dark brown. The 

 lesser wing-coverts are indistinctly mottled and barred with dark brown, the 

 median, with large patches of white at their tips, forming a more or less distinct 

 white bar. The major coverts are greyish brown, heavily barred with sepia, and 

 with a large white spot at the tip of the outer web. The major coverts of the 

 primaries have no white patch, and are darker brown. The primaries are pale brown, 

 transversely barred with pale sepia, the outermost feathers with the outer webs 

 barred alternately with brown and white. The secondaries are pale brown, barred 

 across both webs with pale sepia, the bars on the outer and inner webs alternating ; 

 the interspaces between the bands of sepia on the outer webs are white with irregular 

 vermiculations of sepia, and tinged with brown. The tail is greyish brown heavily 

 barred with pale sepia, and tipped with white, but in the middle feathers the barring 

 is indistinct, giving place to vermiculations. The under parts are broadly striated 

 and indistinctly barred with dark brown, and faintly mottled with pale brown. 

 In the red phase the ground-colour of the upper surface is of a red-brown hue, 

 with dusky striations and bars arranged much as in the grey phase, but more 

 sharply defined, while the breast and flanks are of a dull white with dusky striations 

 and faint rust-coloured bars. The abdomen is white. The first down (protoptyle) 

 plumage is of buff-coloured, umbelliform tufts, the second (mesoptyle) of buff- 

 coloured, semi-plumous feathers marked with dusky transverse bars. The first 

 teleoptyle plumage is like that of the adults, [w. p. P.] 



2. Distribution. Resident in Great Britain and throughout the greater 

 part of the European continent, but in the southern part of its range known chiefly 

 as a mountain-haunting species. A paler form inhabits North-west Africa, and 

 to the east this species ranges into Asia Minor and Turkestan, but is absent from 

 Siberia. Northward its range extends to Trondhjems Fjord in Norway and lat. 

 64-65" N. in Sweden, beyond which limits it is rare, while in Russia it is found up 



