WHITE, OR BARN OWL. 137 
and spotted with black and white; upper surface of tail- 
feathers pale buff, with five transverse grey bars ; all the 
under parts pure white; tarsi covered with short white 
hair-like feathers, a few of which are spread over the upper 
surface of the toes; the claws brown, the inner edge of 
that of the middle toe being slightly serrated. The wings 
reach beyond the end of the tail, and the edges of the wing 
and tail-feathers have the appearance of being worn, the 
fibres forming the web being of unequal length, and the 
wings of these birds therefore when moved in the air make 
very little or no noise. In some specimens, generally found 
on dissection to be females or young males, the under sur- 
face of the body is fawn colour. The whole length of the 
bird is about fourteen inches. 
The vignette below represents the actual size and form 
of the sternum or breast-bone of the Tawny Owl, the 
species figured on the next page, to be contrasted with 
the same part of the Peregrine Falcon at page 113. It 
will be observed that the bones of the Owl are compara- 
tively deficient in surface and strength: the keel has but 
little depth, the sides are narrow, while the forked bone, 
which in the Falcons is circular, broad, and strong, will be 
found in this Owl, and in all the species of Owls, to be 
angular, slender, and weak. The powers of flight are 
diminished in proportion. 
