I 12 BRITISH BIRDS. 



outer webs with conspicuous white spots ; tail barred 

 (except two central feathers) with dark brown ; facial 

 disc greyish-white with a narrow dark brown rim ; under 

 parts greyish-white, mottled with buffish-brown and 

 longitudinally streaked with dark brown ; bill and claws 

 whitish ; feet clothed with greyish-white feathers ; iris 

 dark brown. Length 15-00. A grey phase sometimes 

 occurs in which the tawny hue is largely replaced by 

 smoke-grey. Female : length 16*00. 



Resident and tolerably common in Great Britain, but 

 has not yet been identified in Ireland. For breeding 

 purposes hollow trees are most commonly resorted to, 

 but it has been known to make use of old nests of 

 Crows, etc., and holes in ruins. Eggs : often 4 ; nearly 

 globular, of a smooth dull surface and white ; size 1*80 

 by i '5 5. The common " hooting " owl; of distinctly 

 nocturnal habits. 



GENUS LXXVIIL NYCTEA, Stephens (1826). 

 Facial discs very incomplete ; ear-tufts almost absent ; 

 openings of ears not large ; wings moderate, 3rd primary 

 longest ; tail moderate, ample, rounded ; tarsi and toes 

 clothed with large feathers. 



153. Nyetea nyetea (Linn.). SNOWY OWL. 



Hab. . Circumpolar regions ; north of lat. 60 in Europe. 



Male : snowy white, barred and spotted with blackish- 

 brown ; bill and claws black ; iris bright yellow. Length 

 2 3 'oo. Female : larger and decidedly more heavily 

 barred. Length 26 'oo. 



Occurs almost every winter in North* Scotland, Orkneys 

 and Shetlands ; also at intervals down the east side of 

 England, but only once in the south. In Ireland eight 

 examples have been shot, four of them in Co. Mayo. 



