POINTS OP THE OWL. 1C5 



aud the sole occvuTence of powdered blues and silvers in the 

 larger English birds, the points are the same in all Owls. 



The beak of the Owl gives the bird its name, being short 

 and stout, turned down, and with the upper mandible curving 

 down over the lower in as even a curve as possible with the 

 whole profile of the head. When young, the mandibles are 

 more equal in length. The whole head should be as globular 

 as possible in every direction. There is apt to be a protuberance 

 over the eye and also at the back of the skull, but either is so 

 far a fault. The eye, of course, should stand out well, flat 

 cheeks detracting from roundness of head; and the beak- 

 wattle must for the same reason be even, convex, and fairly 

 developed, so as to " fill up " the forehead. A. young bird, 

 therefore, does not look quite so well in forehead as an old one, 

 the wattle filling up with age. 



Beak and head are the most difficult points to procure in 

 Owls. Next comes " gullet," or a development of loose skin 

 under the beak or chin, like a dewlap. This should come as 

 low as possible, and adds to the apparent shortness of the head. 

 Mr. Hairison Weir and one or two other good authorities 

 prefer a bird without gullet, with a clean-cut throat ; but the 

 vast majority both of judges and breeders consider a gullet one 

 of the properties. 



The fourth and last property is frill ; and here we touch 

 on delicate ground. There is no great difierence any way 

 between Owls and Turbits ; and many have implied that there 

 is none but peak and colour : that if Turbits were bred whole- 

 coloured and without peaks they would be Owls. We 

 thoroughly agree with Mr. Harrison Weir that this is wrong, 

 and has arisen from ignoring differences that were recognised 

 by the older fanciers. If the frill, or group of re-curved feathers 

 on the breast, is to extend as far up and down as possible, as in 

 the Tm'bit, there is so far no difference, as may be seen by 

 comparing the engravings of Owls aud Turbits; and Mr. Fulton 



