SNOW OWL. 
95 
most brilliant golden yellow, and the counte- 
Jitoj from the propoi'tiouate smallness of the head, 
at tl?**^*®‘* of the eyebrow, and (souoavity of the plumage 
otlj“® angle of the eye, very different from that of any 
genus ; general colo\ir of the body, white, 
with lunated spots of pale brown above, and 
'‘"(1 1 *’*^'*iieircular dashes below; femoral feathers, long, 
^'^ir.pn** covered, even over the claws, with long shaggy 
down, of a dirty ^vhitc; the clan's, when 
a])pear large, much hooked, of a black colour, 
'at [i^freniely sharp ])oint.ed; back, white; tail, rounded 
t* slightly dotted with pale brown near 
wings, n'hen closed, reach near the extremity 
a.'ctp^'l.fail ; vent feathers, huge, strong shafted, and 
tlij; 1 '^'ng also to the point of the tail; ixpper part of 
Jjj “*'«ast and belly, plain white ; body, very broad and 
I'll 
4v(, P female, xvhich measures two feet in length, and 
f'vo inches in extent, is covered more thickly 
‘'>al(> of a much (barker colour than those on the 
faip ’ frm chill, throat, face, belly, and vent, are white ; 
^ few 1 white, long, and shaggy, marked xvith 
1*1 the , ■'O'f-shaped spots of brown ; legs also covered 
Wiipj,iJ^*®"'s with long white hairy down ; rest of the 
white, every feather spotted or barred xvith 
^Ht f largest on the wing ()uills, where they arc 
j'tiirl^ I o inches apart ; fore part of the crown, thickly 
f with roundish black spots ; tail, crossed with 
Hit ? j^^oad brownish spots ; shafts of all the plumage, 
■ ***tli' '‘“‘f claws, as in the male, black ; third and 
Hhg^ '*'*Ug quill the longest ; span of the foot, four 
■ 
‘^Vg**** frm various individuals of these birds which I 
1 have reason to believe that the male 
fi!tii^ “PlWoaches nearly to white in his plumage, the 
(If ■’arcly or never. The conformation of the eye 
tlilf forms a curious and interesting subject 
’'Otiiov anatomist. The globe of the eye is 
^ ^ fixed in its socket, by a strong elastic hai d 
dnious case, in form of a truncated cone ; this 
