The Owl.] OF ORKNEY. 43 



a most beautiful colour, commonly yellow ; the pupil large, 

 with a nictitating membrane ; the eyelids covered with black 

 bristles, round them a circle of white, mixed with tawny ; 

 the crown of the head brown, variegated with lighter colours. 

 Above each eye stood a single feather, taller than the rest, the 

 half of which (or one web) was black and the other white. 

 While the bird lived, and was suddenly startled, it would erect 

 these like small horns, and fall a hissing like a cat ; but the 

 horns were scarce discernible when it died, unless to a nice 

 inspection, in which it would be seen that they covered more 

 of their neighbours than they ought. The ears were surpris- 

 ingly large, opening from the neck to the throat, surrounded 

 with a set of small parti-coloured feathers. The back of the 

 head was covered with brownish feathers, edged with grayish 

 yellow ; the back and coverts are brownish, edged with a 

 dull yellow. The legs, to the nails, are covered with whitish 

 yellow feathers ; the quills are dusky, barred with red, the se- 

 cond feather serrated ; the tail brown and spotted ; the breast 

 and belly a dirty yellow. 



