560 TENGMALM’S OWL. 
the edges inflected, towards the end incurved, with a notch on each 
side close to the abruptly-rounded tip. Nostrils broadly elliptical, 
oblique, in the fore part of the cere, which bulges considerably behind 
them. 
The head is extremely large, roundish, when viewed from above 
somewhat triangular ; the eyes large. The conch of the ear very large, 
of an elliptical form, extending from the base of the lower jaw to near 
the top of the head, being an inch and a quarter in length, with an an- 
terior semicircular operculum stretching along its whole length, and an 
elevated margin behind. The neck is very short and thin; the body 
very slender ; but both appear very full on account of the vast mass of 
plumage. The feet are rather short, and strong; the tarsi and toes 
covered with very soft downy feathers, the extremities of the latter with 
two scutella. The claws are slender, tapering to a fine point, com- 
pressed, and curved. 
The facial disk is complete, as is the ruff. The plumage is full, 
very soft, and blended ; the feathers broadly oblong and rounded. The 
wings are rather long, very broad, much rounded; the third primary 
longest, the fourth almost equal, the second four-twelfths of an inch 
shorter, the first equal to the seventh; the barbs of the outer web of 
the first, of half the second, and the terminal part of the third, free and 
recurved. Tail of moderate length, arched, slightly rounded, of twelve 
broad, rounded feathers. 
Bill greyish-brown, yellowish-white at the end; claws yellowish- 
brown, their tips dusky. The general colour of the upper parts is grey- 
ish-brown tinged with olive. The feathers of the head have an ellip- 
tical central white spot ; those of the neck are similarly marked with 
larger white spots, of which some are disposed so as to form a semicir- 
cular band ; the scapulars have two or four large round spots near the 
end, and some of the dorsal feathers and wing-coverts have single spots 
on the outer web. All the quills have marginal white spots on both 
webs, arranged in transverse series, there being six on the outer web 
of the third quill. On the tail are five series of transversely elongated 
narrow white spots. The disk is yellowish- white, anteriorly black ; the 
ruff yellowish-white, mottled with dusky. The throat is brown, the 
chin white. The general colour of the lower parts is yellowish-white, 
longitudinally streaked with brown, some of the feathers of the sides 
