270 LITTLE NIGHT OWL. 



decurved toward the end, with an abrupt notch close to the truncate 

 tip. 



Head extremely large, broader than deep ; eyes very large ; aperture 

 of ears elliptical, four-twelfths of an inch long, without operculum ; neck 

 short ; body slender. Feet rather short ; tarsus rather short, stout, co- 

 vered with fine soft feathers ; as are the toes, on which however the 

 feathers soon become reduced to the shafts. First toe shorter than the 

 fourth, which is much exceeded by the second ; claws moderately curved, 

 slender, compressed, tapering to a fine point, that of the middle toe 

 having the inner edge considerably dilated. 



Plumage full, very soft, blended ; facial disks incomplete above ; 

 ruif distinct ; feathers at the base of the bill terminated by long bristly 

 points. Wings long ; the third quill longest, but slightly exceeding 

 the fourth^ the second two and a half twelfths shorter, and nine-twelfths 

 longer than the first ; the outer four cut out on the inner web ; the se- 

 cond, third, fourth, and fifth sinuate on the outer ; the filaments of the 

 outer web of the first thickened, free, and slightly recurved, as are 

 those of the second and third beyond the sinus, but in a less degree. 

 Tail of moderate length, arched, slightly rounded. 



Bill greyish, its ridge and tip greyish-yellow. Iris dark. Claws 

 brownish-black, lighter at the base. The general colour of the upper 

 parts is chocolate-brown ; the feathers of the head have an oblong white 

 median mark, and as they are small this part is marked with numerous 

 spots ; on the hind neck the white spots are very large, forming a con- 

 spicuous patch ; on the back most of the feathers have a single large 

 subterminal roundish spot, which is also the case with the scapulars 

 and wing-coverts, some of which, however, have two or more spots. 

 All the quills have marginal reddish- white spots on both webs, the third 

 quill with six on the outer and four on the inner, with two very faint 

 pale bars toward the end. The tail is similarly marked with four bands 

 of transversely oblong, reddish- white spots. On the anterior part of the 

 disk, the feathers are whitish, with black shafts, on the lower part 

 whitish, on the hind part brown tipped with greyish-white. A broad 

 band of white crosses the throat and curves upwards on either side to 

 the ear ; there is also a patch of white on the lower part of the fore 

 neck, and between them is a brownish-grey band. The general colour 

 of the lower parts is dull yellowish-white, each feather with a broad 

 longitudinal band of chocolate-brown; the abdomen and lower tail- 

 coverts unspotted ; the tarsal feathers dull white 



