366 GREAT CINEREOUS OWL. 
large disks surrounding the eyes ; besides which there is a ruff of 
softer linear, denser feathers from the forehead, behind the ears, to the 
chin. The conch of the ear is very large, although greatly exceeded 
by that of many other Owls, and furnished with an anterior semicircu- 
lar operculum, beset with slender feathers. Wings very large, con- 
cave; primaries, decurved toward the end, the first with the tips of 
the filaments separated, and recurved in its whole length, the second 
in its terminal half; the first quill short, being of the same length as 
the sixth, the second 23 inches longer, the third 14 inch longer than 
the second, 1 inch shorter than the fourth, which is the longest, or 
equals the next. ‘The first five have their outer webs more or less cut 
out towards the end, and the first seven have their inner webs sinuate. 
The tail is long, ample, rounded, of twelve broad rounded feathers. 
Bill yellow. Iris bright yellow. Claws brownish-black. The ge- 
neral colour of the upper parts is greyish-brown, variegated with grey- 
ish-white in irregular undulated markings ; the feathers on the upper 
part of the head with two transverse white spots on each web; the 
smaller wing-coverts of a darker brown, and less mottled than the 
back; the outer scapulars with more white on their outer webs; the 
primary quills blackish-brown toward the end, marked in the rest of 
their extent with few broad light-grey oblique bands, which are dotted 
and undulated with darker. ‘Tail-feathers similarly barred, darker to- 
wards the end, the middle ones more intricately marked. The fea- 
thers of the ruff are white towards the end, dark-brown in the centre. 
The disks are on their inner side grey, with black tips; in the rest of 
their extent greyish-white, with six bars of blackish-brown very regu- 
larly disposed in a concentric manner; feathers on the chin or upper 
part of throat greyish-white. All the under parts are greyish-brown, 
variegated with greyish and yellowish white; the feet barred with the 
same. 
Length to end of tail 303 inches, to end of wings 271, to end of 
claws 22; extent of wings 483; wing from flexure 194; tail 122; bill 
along the ridge 1, along the edge of lower mandible 13; breadth of 
gape 14; tarsus 24; hind toe 7%, its claw 4; middle toe 1, its claw 
5 
15. 
