YELLOW OWL. 123 



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RAPTURES. STRIG1DJE. 



PLATE XXV. 



YELLOW OWL. 



Strix Flammea {Linn.) 



This well-known species is the most beautiful of all the 

 European Owls. Its face, which is surrounded by a most 

 perfect frame of peculiarly-shaped feathers, is in the form 

 of a heart, which, however, retains that form only as long 

 as the bird is alive, as it becomes completely circular when 

 the bird is dead. Its feathering is particularly soft, and most 

 beautifully pencilled towards the tips of the feathers on the 

 upper parts, with black on a white ground. The legs and 

 toes are of a peculiar appearance, the wings are long, and 

 the tail short and narrow ; the first quill feather is much 

 serrated, the third and fourth quills are the longest. The 

 outer part of the ear is particularly large, and the frontal 

 ear muscle forms a perfect covering or flap. 



The Yellow Owl measures from fourteen and a half to 

 fifteen inches in length, and thirty-nine inches in expanse ; 

 the tail is five inches long, and the wings extend an inch 

 and a half beyond it when closed. The beak is somewhat 

 lengthened and beautifully hooked towards the tip, measuring 

 one inch and an eighth in length, and is white horn colour 

 approaching to flesh red; the nostrils oval. The eyes are 

 placed very deep, and are not so enormously large as in 

 some owls, the iris is dark brown, and the pupil bluish black. 

 The legs are thin, closely covered to the ancle with most 



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