THE SNOWY OWL. 65 



bars here and there especially on scapulars, wing -coverts, secondaries 

 and primaries ; these brown markings vary in number in individuals 

 but are always few in adult males and are sometimes restricted 

 to one or two small marks on primaries (there is no proof that birds 

 get whiter after their 2nd winter) ; base of feathers mouse-brown ; 

 facial disk incomplete, feathers over eye being normal and not 

 radiating ; a few feathers on each side of crown somewhat elongated 

 forming more or less ill -defined " horns." This plumage is acquired 

 by complete moult June-Nov. 



Adult female. Winter and summer. — Facial disk, chin, throat, 

 vent, axillaries, under wing-coverts and legs uniform white, also 

 sometimes centre of breast and belly, under tail-coverts and rump ; 

 rest of plumage white with broad bars of brown, rather darker, 

 broader and more prominent on upper-parts than on under-parts. 

 Moult as in male. There is some variation in amount of barring 

 and in much worn plumage in summer many of the bars disappear 

 or become much paler by fading and wearing and bird has a 

 considerably whiter appearance. 



Nestling. — Down white, fairly short, soft and plentiful, covering 

 whole body fairly well and tarsi and toes to base of claws, with 

 a bare patch at back of tarsal joint. 



Juvenile. — Feathers of body, and greater, median and lesser 

 wing-coverts of very loose and downy structure especially on head 

 and under-parts, where they are very much like down. When 

 not fully grown this plumage has general appearance of down as 

 distal portions of rami appear as though they were separate fila- 

 ments. In this stage much white nestling down is still adhering 

 to tips of rami. Upper -parts, greater, lesser and median wing- 

 coverts and under-parts dark mouse-brown, feathers tipped and 

 speckled greyish -white, those of scapulars and mantle not so loosely 

 constructed as rest and faintly barred whitish ; facial disk and 

 chin white, feathers tipped brown ; toes white ; wing -feathers, 

 primary-coverts and tail-feathers of norma] structure, white, 

 barred brown like adult female but tips of innermost secondaries 

 and primary -coverts considerably mottled brown. 



First winter and summer. Male. — Very much like adult 

 female but with a small patch of heavily barred feathers in centre 

 of nape, tips of inner secondaries mottled brown and usually some 

 brown mottling on greater coverts and primary -coverts, belly 

 also usually more barred than in adult female. The juvenile 

 body-plumage, greater, lesser and median coverts are moulted, 

 the body -plumage commencing before the wing- and tail-feathers 

 are fully grown but often not complete until Oct., the wing- and 

 tail-feathers and primary -coverts are not moulted. 



First winter and summer. Female. — Considerably more heavily 

 and closely barred with dark brown both on upper- and under- 

 parts than in first winter male, tips of inner secondaries, greater 

 and primary-coverts more heavily mottled. Moult as in male. 



VOL. II. F 



