SCOPS-EAEED OWL. 145 



rufous white and brown on the inner webs ; and on the outer 

 webs with alternate bars of white and speckled brown, the 

 former shaded at the edges with the latter. The third is the 

 longest, the second nearly as long, the fourth the next, the 

 first intermediate between the fifth and the sixth. The 

 secondaries have an oval spot of white on the outer webs, 

 which together form an interrupted bar across; tail, slightly 

 rounded, and barred alternately with a lighter and a darker 

 mottled space, and one of yellowish or reddish white; under- 

 neath it is, as are the under tail coverts, greyish white, 

 mottled and barred with brown. The legs, which are feathered, 

 are dark yellowish or rufous white, streaked and speckled with 

 brown on the centre of the feathers; (Mudie says that they 

 are bare of feathers, from which fact he supposed that this 

 species belongs to warmer climes;) toes, bluish yellow, not 

 feathered, but covered with scales: the outer one is capable 

 of being turned backwards; claws, horn-colour. 



The female does not differ much in plumage from the male; 

 length, eight inches and a half. 



The young are said to be at first grey, and the iris light 

 yellow. 



VOL. I. 



