40 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 



coverts and tertials irregularly spotted and marked 

 with the same two colours and white ; rump and tail- 

 coverts buff, faintly marked with pale brown ; pri- 

 mary quills pale chestnut, barred with dark brown, 

 towards the end dark brown and speckled ash-grey 

 and white ; tail barred and spotted buff (very light 

 buff, almost white) and brown ; breast streaked light 

 buff and brown ; rest of the under parts light buff, 

 with a very few narrow brown streaks on the shafts 

 of the feathers ; under tail-coverts the same, but 

 paler ; legs and toes feathered nearly to the claws, 

 light buff; claws dark horn. 



The eggs of this species are white, and very like 

 those of the Barn and Longeared Owls, both in size 

 and shape. 



WHITE or BARN OWL, Strlx flammea. This well- 

 known species is, I am glad to say, still tolerably 

 common, though, like all the rest of our Raptorial 

 birds, it suffers a good deal of persecution, the more 

 undeserved in the case of this and the other Owls, 

 as, on account of their nocturnal habits, they are not 

 likely to do very much damage either to the game- 

 preserve or to the hen-roost, as the young chickens 

 either are or ought to be shut up, and the young of 

 the game-birds are generally hovered by the time the 

 Owls begin their search for food. 



The Barn Owl is the last of the Owls mentioned 

 by M. Prevost, in his series, and according to him 

 this poor bird does not rejoice in any great variety 



