84 NORTHERN ZOOLOGY. 



are equal, and very little shorter than the third, which is the longest. This struc- 

 ture must be productive of a weaker flight than that of the Short or Long-eared 

 Owls (Strix otus and brachyota). — Sw. 



DESCRIPTION 



Of a specimen killed at Fort Chepewyan. 



Colour. — Bill and claws pale bluish-black. Irides bright-yellow. Facial circle of a deep 

 black immediately round the orbit ; composed of white, mixed with black bristly feathers at 

 the base of the bill, and posteriorly of yellowish-brown wiry feathers, tipped with black, and 

 having black shafts. The black tips form a conspicuous border to the facial circle posteriorly ; 

 but the small feathers behind the auditory opening differ little in colour and appearance from 

 the adjoining plumage of the neck. Egrets composed of ten or twelve dark-brown feathers, 

 spotted at the base of their outer webs and along their whole inner ones with yellowish- 

 brown. Forehead and crown dark blackish-brown, finely mottled with greyish-white, and 

 partially exhibiting the yellowish-brown base of the plumage. The whole dorsal plumage 

 is yellowish-brown for more than half the length of each feather from its base, and dark 

 liver-brown upwards, finely barred and indented with undulated white lines. More of 

 the yellowish-brown is visible on the neck and between the shoulders than elsewhere. The 

 primaries present six or seven bars of dark umber or liver brown, alternating with six bars, 

 which on the outer webs are brownish-white, finely speckled with dark-brown, and on the 

 inner webs are of a bright buff-colour, sparingly speckled with the dark-brown near the shafts. 

 The tips of the feathers have the same mottled appearance with the paler bars of the outer 

 webs. The secondaries and tail feathers are similarly marked to the primaries, but show 

 more white on their outer webs. There are six liver-brown bars on the tail, the last of 

 which is nearly an inch from its end. 



Under surface. — Chin white, succeeded by a belt, extending from ear to ear, of liver-brown 

 feathers, having pale yellowish-brown margins. Behind the belt there is a gorget-shaped 

 mark of pure white. The rest of the lower surface of the body is crossed by very regular 

 transverse bars of white, alternating with bars of equal breadth (three lines) of liver-brown, 

 shaded with chocolate-brown. The yellowish-brown base of the plumage is likewise partially 

 visible ; there is a white maesial line on the breast, and, when the long feathers covering the 

 abdomen are turned aside, a good deal of white appears about the vent. The outside thigh 

 feathers are yellowish-brown, with distant cross bars of liver-brown ; and the legs and feet are 

 brownish-white, with brown spots. The linings of the wings are white, with bars of liver- 

 brown, margined by yellowish-brown. The insides of the primaries are bright-buff, crossed 

 by broad bars of clove-brown. On the under surface of the secondaries the clove-brown bars 

 are much narrower. The under tail coverts are whitish, with distant bars of liver-brown. The 

 under surface of the tail has a slight tinge of buff-colour, and is crossed by mottled bars of 

 clove-brown. 



Form, &c. — Head of moderate size. Bill very strong, curved from the base with an obtuse 

 ridge ; its cutting margin very obtusely lobed in the middle. Cere moderately long. Nostrils 



