SNOWY OWL. 139 



Bill and claws black. Ii-is bright yellow. The general colour of the 

 plumage is white, the face, forehead, nape, fore neck, anterior part of the 

 breast, abdomen, and rump, with the upper and lower tail-coverts, un- 

 spotted ; the upper part of the head and the back marked with lunated um- 

 ber brown spots, and the breast, sides, and thigh-coverts, with transverse 

 curved lines of the same. Wing-coverts, wings, and tail, barred with 

 transverse oblong dark-brown spots. 



Length 21 inches, extent of wings 53 ; bill along the ridge 1^%, along 

 the edge 2 ; tarsus 1-^^, middle toe with the claw 2^. 



Adult Female. Plate CXXI. Fig. 2. 



The female is similar in external appearance, but much larger. 



Length 26 inches, extent of wings 65. 



Individuals of either sex vary according to age, the spots gradually 

 disappearing the older the birds become, so that not unfrequently speci- 

 mens of a uniform white may be found. 



