Eared Owl. RAPTORES. OTUS. 87 



Plate 20. A male bird, and nearly of the natural size. 



Bill blackish-grey ; bending from the base, and forming General 

 an elliptic arch ; with the culmen rather broad and ^j^^n"^' 

 round. Irides Dutch orange, inchning to orpiment- 

 orange. The bristly feathers covering the nostrils and 

 base of the bill are white, with black shafts. Above 

 the eye, and at the inner angle, black. Cheeks tawny. 

 The circle of small feathers surrounding the face mot- 

 tled with white, black, and orange-brown. Above each 

 eye is a tuft of six or eight elongated feathers, of a liver 

 brown, margined with yellowish-brown and white, which 

 the bird can erect or depress at pleasure. Upper parts 

 of the body pale orange-browii, streaked with blackish- 

 brown, and beautifully powdered with black, white and 

 grey specks. Quills barred with brownish-black, the 

 bases of the primary ones orange-brown. Exterior web 

 of the outer quill serrated, and the points of the barbs 

 reverted. Second quill-feather the longest ; the first be- 

 ing equal to the fourth, which is about half an inch 

 shorter than the third. First quill having its inner web 

 notched at about an inch from the tip. Tail pale 

 orange, with a greyish tinge, barred and spotted with 

 black ; square and straight. Under parts ochreous-yel- 

 low, passing into white, with oblong and arrow-shaped 

 streaks and spots. Legs and toes clothed with pale 

 buff-coloured feathers as far as the two last scales upon 

 the toes. Claws long, very sharp, and moderately cur- 

 ved ; the middle one grooved beneath, and having a 

 sharp edge; the inner one imperfectly grooved; the 

 outer and hind claw rounded. 



