290 
SHORT-EARED OWL. 
also larger and of a purer tint, and on the secon- 
daries they assume the form of irregular bars. 
The quills are nearly pure white at the base of the 
outer webs, shading into pale buff orange ; for half 
their length nearly free from spots or bars, but 
towards the extremity distinctly marked with 
three or four bars of liver brown, — after the fifth 
quill they become more clouded ; the inner webs 
are pale buff orange, clouded with liver brown 
and gray, which becomes near the tip the prevail- 
ing colour. The tail is pale buff orange, the feathers 
becoming nearly pure white to the outside ; they 
are marked with distinct bars of liver brown ; the 
two centre feathers clouded in the pale intervals 
with the same colour ; the outer web of the last 
feather is often altogether spotless. The under 
parts are pale buff orange, shading into pure white 
on the vent and lower tail-coverts ; the throat and 
breast broadly streaked with liver brown along 
the centres of the feathers ; the streaks narrowing 
in breadth on the belly and flanks, becoming 
nearly linear on the vent, and finally disappearing 
entirely. The interior of the wing nearly pure 
white, on which the dark bars on the inner 
webs appear more conspicuous and decided ; the 
tips of the under wing-coverts are liver brown, 
and form a lengthened spot or bar across. The 
tarsi and feet, to within the third scale, are 
