The White Owl. 



467 



two extreme outside feathers. The face, sides of neck, throat, 

 breast, legs, and all the under parts, are white ; the face is 

 surrounded by a circle of soft, white, downy feathers, forming 

 a raised ruffle, which is bordered with a band of bright cinna- 

 mon yellow or fawn ; the facial ruffles, meeting in the centre, 

 form a ridge at each side of the beak, extending to the fore- 

 head, and this gives the bird the appearance of having a 

 nose. From the corner of each eye is a yellowish brown mark, 

 descending to the bill, which forms a sort of channel for the 

 tears to drain from the eyes ; the face, or cheeks, are concave in 

 appearance. The legs are feathered to the toes ; the feet are 

 mouse colour, and the claws blackish brown, or horn black, and 

 much hooked. There are three claws in front, and one behind ; 

 the edges of the middle claws are serrated. White Owls vary 

 considerably in appearance, according to age and sex. The 

 description given is from a bird about three years old. 



Young birds have pale whitish fawn-coloured breasts, marked 

 irregularly with longitudinal dusky spots. The breast becomes 

 whiter after each moult ; at first it is creamy white. In old 

 birds the breast markings generally disappear. Young birds are 

 likewise darker in the upper plumage than matured specimens. 



Habits and Breeding. — The White Owl is widely distributed, 

 being found in most latitudes, and in both hemispheres ; it 

 is very common in both Norway and Sweden, and in other 

 Continental countries. It is indigenous to Great Britain. 



It is a well-known bird, and familiar to most people ; it 

 haunts old ivy-clad ruins, churches, malthouses, barns, and 

 dilapidated buildings of every description, and not infrequently 

 resorts to decayed trees, more particularly those that are 

 covered with ivy. The ¥/hite Owl reposes by day, as its 

 eyes are so constructed that it is unable to bear the light 

 of the glaring sun. When in a state of somnolency, it makes 

 a singular noise, which greatly resembles the snoring of a human 

 being. 



Although a dull, mopish-looking bird when seen by day, 

 the White Owl is most active and energetic when twilight has 

 begun, and is rapidly fading into the shadows of night ; it 

 then goes off at full spetd, but phantom-like, and quite noise- 

 lessly, its wings being so formed as to permit of this being done. 



The White Owl has keen and observant eyes, and readily 

 espies its prey : a rat or mouse that has silently stolen out of 



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