272 LITTLE COLUMBIAN OWL. 



lique ; the nasal membrane tumid behind them ; the upper mandible 

 with its dorsal line curved from the base, the ridge rather narrow, the 

 sides convex, the tip decurved and acute ; lower mandible, with the 

 angle very wide, the dorsal line short, ascending, convex, the edges 

 inflected, slightly decurved, with an abrupt notch close to the truncate 

 tip. 



Head very large, roundish ; neck short ; body slender. Eyes large ; 

 aperture of ear elliptical, two-twelfths and a half at its greatest length, 

 without operculum. Feet short ; tarsi very short, feathered, as are the 

 toes, on the greater part of which however, there are only stiff bristles 

 or shafts ; the first toe short, the second longer than the fourth. Claws 

 well curved, very slender, compressed, tapering to an extremely acute 

 point. 



Plumage full, very soft, blended. Facial disks indistinct, and in- 

 complete above ; the feathers at the base of the bill linear, with bristle- 

 shafts ; ruff indistinct. Wings rather short, concave, much rounded, 

 the first quill eight-twelfths of an inch shorter than the second, which 

 is three and a quarter twelfths shorter than the third, the fourth slight- 

 ly exceeding the latter ; the outer three abruptly cut out on the inner 

 web, the second, third, and fourth cut out on the outer ; the first with 

 its outer filaments thickened but not recurvate, those of the second and 

 third also thickened toward the end. Tail of moderate length, slight- 

 ly rounded. 



Bill greyish- yellow, dusky towards the base. Iris yellow. Claws 

 greyish-yellow at the base, dusky toward the end. The general co- 

 lour of the upper parts is olivaceous-brown ; the head with numerous 

 small, roundish, yellowish- white spots margined with dusky, of which 

 there are two on each feather ; the rest of the upper parts marked with 

 larger, angular whitish spots ; the quills generally with three small and 

 five large white spots on the outer and inner webs ; the tail barred with 

 transversely oblong white spots, of which there are seven pairs on the 

 middle feathers. The facial disk is brown, spotted with white, the 

 throat white, then with a transverse brown band, succeeded by a white 

 one ; the lower parts white, with longitudinal brownish-black streaks, 

 the sides brown, faintly spotted with paler ; the wing-coverts white, 

 with black streaks. 



Length to end of tail 7 inches ; bill along the ridge || ; wing from 

 flexure 3^7| ; tail i'? ; tarsus j% ; hind toe r% its claw ^^ ; middle toe I'j, 

 its claw 1*2. 



