320 



annulo plumarum postauriculari lato saturate brunneo maculis parvis albis ocellato : collo laterali et 

 corpore subtiis toto albis, pectore superiore et laterali brunneo irregulariter notatis, abdomine et sub- 

 caudalibus cum tibiis purius albis sparsius notatis : rostro sordide flavo : iride lsete flava. 



Juv. ubique fuliginoso-brunneus, dor si pluniis lanugine albida terminatis : remigibus et cauda maculis albis 

 parvis transnotatis : facie antica albicante : subtiis pallidior, abdomine et hypochondriis fulvescentibus, 

 tibiis aureo fulvis. 



Adult Male (Norrland, Sweden, February 1871) . Entire upper parts dull umber-brown, tbickly spotted 

 on the bead with drops of dirty white ; nape marked with larger, more scattered, and irregular spots ; 

 back, scapulars, and wing-coverts spotted with drops like those on the head, but larger, whiter, and more 

 scattered ; tail the same colour as the back, each feather having four spots of white on each web, 

 which form four bars on the tail when spread ; primaries the same as the back, but the markings on 

 the inner web are much larger ; bill covered with bristly black feathers ; a white ring round the eye ; 

 facial disk greyish white, many of the feathers being tipped with black ; a ring round the disk and the 

 fore part of the head dark umber, closely covered with small distinctly defined white spots ; breast and 

 underparts white, mottled with reddish brown, the centre of the breast and abdomen being almost pure 

 white ; under tail-coverts white, slightly marked with rufous streaks ; bill dirty yellow ; legs thickly 

 covered with whitish feathers, marked with pale brown ; iris bright yellow. Total length 9--A0 inches, 

 culmen 0-70, wing 6'70, tail 4-40, tarsus 075. 



Adult Female (Bosjo Kloster, 27th of March, 1870). Similar to the male, excepting that the colours are, 

 if any thing, purer, and the facial disk is much whiter ; but we consider these differences merely a sign 

 of age. 



Young Female (Lake Onega, Russia, 3rd of July, 1869) . Head, back, and upper parts generally dark umber- 

 brown, much darker than in the adult; on the nape and upper part of the back the feathers have 

 indistinct lighter centres ; wings and tail the same as in the adult ; facial disk dark dull umber-brown ; 

 a patch under the eye at the base of the bill and a broad stripe from the nostrils bordering the facial 

 disk white; upper part of the breast dark umber-brown, marked here and there with light yellowish 

 brown ; rest of the underparts yellowish white, marked irregularly with dull pale brown ; under 

 wing-coverts white, spotted and tipped with dark brown ; under tail-coverts dirty yellowish white, 

 marked with brown ; beak dull blackish at base, dirty yellow at tip. 



Nestling. Entire upper parts uniform dull sooty umber, a few scattered white spots on the quills, and signs 

 of lighter markings on the short tail ; an indistinct white streak from the nostril ever each eye ; lower 

 portion of breast, abdomen, and under tail-coverts dull yellowish brown. 



The general range of this Owl may tersely be given as the Northern and Central portions of the 

 Western Palsearctic and Eastern Nearctic Regions, in the former extending as far east as the 

 Ural range, and probably straggling to some extent into the adjoining countries of Asia. It has 

 also been recorded as far out of its regular limits as Nepal and North-eastern Africa ; but these 

 are very exceptional cases. It has, however, as below stated, been on several occasions met with 

 in Southern Europe, though, with the above-mentioned exception, we know of no instance of its 

 having occurred below the Mediterranean. 



It is included in our British list as an occasional straggler; and Mr. Harting enumerates 

 twenty instances of its having been procured or seen, several of which, however, require further 



