272 ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL 



species of Owl in Ireland, and takes up its abode in towns as well as in 

 country districts. It is very rare in the island of Rathlin (^Dr. Marshall). 



My notes on the Bi'itish-Museum series are as follows : — 



A. The adult male described in the ' Catalogue ' is from Shropshire, 

 where it was procured by Mr. Gould. It is pure white below, the wings 

 being perfectly uniform underneath and the quills and the tail not banded. 

 Total length 13 inches, wing \\9, tail 5"0, tarsus 2*2, middle toe 1"1. 



B. A female bird, also from Shropshire (October 16th, 1868), has the 

 under surface white, but shows a few tiny spots on the flanks and under 

 wing-coverts ; chest slightly washed wdth buff ; quills barred, though not 

 very distinctly, except on the inner web near the shaft, showing four dark 

 spots on the lower surface of the quills ; tail orange, tipped with white, and 

 having four distinct bands of ashy-black. The upper surface much greyer 

 than in the preceding bird. Total length 13"5 inches, wing 11*8, tail 54, 

 tarsus 2*3, middle toe ri5. 



C. Another female, from Sarsden, Oxfordshire (November 18th, 1868), 

 is very pure white below, but has numerous small dots on the sides of the body 

 and under wing-coverts ; quills with indications of bars, but none perfectly 

 formed ; tail also barred, the centre feathers completely, but the others 

 imperfectly ; face white, with a rufous patch in front of the eye ; the ruff 

 w^hite, very distinctly tipped with orange-buff, especially on the upper parts. 

 Total length 14 inches, wing 12-0, tail 5"2, tarsus 2'2, middle toe 1"15. 



D. A second female, killed at Sarsden on the 7th of October, 1868, is 

 very dark-coloured both above and below, especially on the lower parts, which 

 are deep orange-bufl^, covered with numerous small brown dots on the chest 

 and flanks, as well as on the axillaries and under wing-coverts ; quills with 

 remains of bars below, represented by blackish spots on the inner w'eb ; tail 

 rich orange-bufF mottled at the tip with greyish and crossed w'ith four dark- 

 grey bars ; rufl" very rich orange, the lower plumes whitish and tipped with 

 brown ; face silvery white, the feathers round the eye rufous, deeper in front 



