WHITE, OR BARN OWL. 137 



and spotted with black and white ; upper surface of tail- 

 feathers pale huff, with five transverse grey hars ; all the 

 under parts pure white ; tarsi covered with short white 

 hair-like feathers, a few of which are spread over the upper 

 surface of the toes ; the claws brown, the inner edge of 

 that of the middle toe being slightly serrated. The wings 

 reach beyond the end of the tail, and the edges of the wing 

 and tail-feathers have the appearance of being worn, the 

 fibres forming the web being of unequal length, and the 

 wings of these birds therefore when moved in the air make 

 very little or no noise. In some specimens, generally found 

 on dissection to be females or young males, the under sur- 

 face of the body is fawn colour. The whole length of the 

 bird is about fourteen inches. 



The vignette below represents the actual size and form 

 of the sternum or breast-bone of the Tawny Owl, the 

 species figured on the next page, to be contrasted with 

 the same part of the Peregrine Falcon at page 113. It 

 will be observed that the bones of the Owl are compara- 

 tively deficient in surface and strength : the keel has but 

 little depth, the sides are narrow, while the forked bone, 

 which in the Falcons is circular, broad, and strong, will be 

 found in this Owl, and in all the species of Owls, to be 

 angular, slender, and weak. The powers of flight are 

 diminished in proportion. 



