IN JERDON OR STRAY FEATHERS. 345 



deep ferruginous, each feather with a dark shaft-line ; under 

 wing-coverts rufous, varied with deep brown ; bill blackish 

 horn, yellowish at the base of the lower mandible ; cere pale 

 3'ellow ; iris greyish, with a yellow tinge surrounded by a 

 black line ; legs pale yellow j claws black. Total length about 

 2i inches; culmen, 1*6; wing, 17*0; tail, 11*2; tarsus, 225. 



Female. — Resembles the male, but is somewhat larger in 

 size, rather darker and a trifle more rufous in general colora- 

 tion. 



Young. — Upper parts of a much duller brown than the 

 adult ; the feathers tipped with yellowish white, which gives it 

 a very spotted appearance ; crown and nape with these terminal 

 spots much larger, so as almost to hide the rest of the feathers ; 

 throat brownish white, the feathers with dark shafts ; rest of 

 the underparts dull dark brown, becoming dull reddish brown 

 on the abdomen, every feather with the terminal portion, 

 except on the edge, dull honey -colour, which gives the under 

 parts the appearance of being marked with elongated oval 

 spots of this latter colour ; quills and tail as in the adult ; 

 but the latter is tipped with dull brownish white, and the bars 

 are more conspicuous. — Dresser, u Birds of Europe." 



68 bis— -Nyctea scandiaca, Lin. 



Adult Male. — Absolutely snowy white above and below, with 

 only a few remains of longitudinal brown spots on the hinder 

 part of the crown and on the wing-coverts, the quills with also 

 a few remains of bars ; tail pure white, with a small brown 

 spot remaining near the tip of the centre feathers ; bill and 

 claws blackish horn-colour ; iris deep yellow. Total length, 

 23 inches ; wing, 16*7 ; tail, 96; tarsus about 2*1. 



Female. — Total length, 26 inches ; wing, 18'3 ; tail, 10 ; 

 tarsus about 2 "5. 



Immature Male in second year's Plumage. — General colour 

 above pure white ; the head almost immaculate, and only show- 

 ing one or two dusky brown markings ; the hind neck with a 

 larger number of brown barred feathers ; back and wing- 

 coverts transversely barred with pale dusky brown, less dis- 

 tinctly characterized on the primary and outermost greater 

 coverts ; quills pure white, with a few more or less distinct 

 spots of pale brown on the outer web ; the inner web of the 

 longest primaries having also some brown bars near the tip of 

 the inner webs ; the innermost secondaries obscurely clouded 

 with pale brown ; the cross bars very indistinct on all of these; 



