The Eagle Owl. «7 



blinking and drawing the nictitating nienibranes over its eyes, sometimes condes- 

 cending to hiss and snap its beak at tlie spectator, jx-t Init little is known of its 

 habits in its wild forest seclnsions. In British Columbia its near relation, liiiho 

 viroiniaims, when it pays a predatory visit, as it d(;es very commonly, to the poultry 

 yard, is accnstomed to alight on the ground some twelve or fifteen paces away 

 from its intended prey, and after gazing about for a second or so, to advance to- 

 wards it by two or three long hops and pounce- u])on it. 



The Eagle Owl varies greatly both in size and in the colour of its plumage. 

 There appear to be two extreme forms, a grey, or north-eastern form, and a dark, 

 rufous-brown form, common in the west and south, with intermediate forms be- 

 tween the two. In this fine Owl the plumage is very full and soft. The head 

 is vei-y large and roundish, with two elongated tufts : the ears are large, without 

 an operciilum ; the facial disks are incomplete above the eyes, which are ver^' 

 large, the irides of a deep rich orange ; the ruff is incomplete ; wings long, of 

 great breadth, and rounded ; tail broad, arched, and rounded ; tarsi short and 

 strong, and with the toes densely feathered. The colour of the upper parts is 

 reddish brown, variegated with dark brown, and with some dark orange tints ; a 

 patch of white on the throat ; lower parts sandy yellow, with longitudinal blackish 

 brown streaks, and numerous transverse, undulating lines ; the tufts on the head 

 are dark brown, barred with lighter brown ; wings and tail browm, barred and 

 vermiculated with black ; feathers covering tarsi and toes rufous 3'ellow ; beak 

 and toes dark horn colour. 



The female is considerably larger than the male. Length of male 24 inches, 

 of female 26 inches. 



