SHOET-EAltED OWL. 133 



the outer edge; the two or three first have one or two dusky 

 bars, the next two or three, and the rest two, three, or four, 

 on the outer webs; and all have one irregular bar, or part of 

 one, on the inner the bars are only on the outer half of the 

 quills. Secondaries also broad, dusky buff, spotted with dull 

 white, forming irregular bars; tertiaries, dusky buff; larger 

 and lesser under wing coverts, as the wings; underneath, the 

 feathers edged with brown, with a few brown spots. 



Tail, rather short, buff, with four or five broad bands of 

 dusky brown on the six middle feathers; the two centre ones 

 spotted with dusky on the interstices; the bars on the outer 

 feathers are fewer and imperfect, and the yellow on the outside 

 feathers is shaded off to whitish; those have only two irregular 

 brown bars on the inner webs; the tip yellowish white. Tail 

 coverts, yellowish brown, faintly edged with a darker shade; 

 under tail coverts, white. Legs, feathered, pale buff, short 

 and thick; the third and fourth toes are united at the base 

 by a short web; the first is the shortest, and has an extensive 

 lateral motion, the third is the longest, the second and fourth 

 nearly equal. Toes, the same, the feathers assuming a hairy 

 appearance. Claws, much . hooked, blackish grey, the middle 

 one grooved beneath, with a sharp inner edge. 



Female; length, about one foot four inches; the breast is 

 rather deeper tinted than in the male, and the streaks 

 broader. The back is rather lighter than in the male. The 

 wings expand to the width of three feet one or two inches. 



