_Strix (Bubo) Arctica_, SWAINSON.
This very beautiful owl appears to be rare, only one specimen having
been seen by the members of the Expedition. It was observed flying at
mid-day in the immediate vicinity of Carlton House, and was brought down
with an arrow by an Indian boy. Dr. Richardson could obtain no
information respecting its habits.
From Mr. Swainson's minute description we learn that the colour of the
bill and claws is blueish black. The face is white, and a band of
blackish-brown and white crosses the throat. The egrets or ear feathers
are tipped with blackish-brown, the inner webs being white varied with
wood-brown. The whole of the back is marked with undulated lines or fine
bars of dark umber-brown, alternating with white: on the greater wing
coverts the white is replaced by pale wood-brown. The primary and
secondary feathers are wood-brown, margined inwards with white. They are
crossed by umber-brown bars on both webs, the intervening spaces being
finely speckled with the same. On the tertiary feathers, the wood-brown
is mostly replaced by white. The tail-feathers are white, deeply tinged
inwards by wood-brown, and crossed by bars of umber-brown; the tips are
white. The chin is white. The throat is crossed by the band already
mentioned, behind which there is a large space of pure snow white, that
is bounded on the breast by blotches of liver-brown situated on the tips
of the feathers. The belly and long plumage of the flanks are white,
crossed by narrow bars of dark brown. The under tail coverts, thighs,
and feet are pure white. The linings of the wings are pure white with
the exception of a brown spot on the tips of the great interior coverts.
The bill is strong, curved from the base, moderately compressed towards
the tip, with a very obtuse ridge. The facial disk is small, and
incomplete above the orbit. The egrets are more than two inches long,
each composed of six or seven feathers, and situate behind the upper end
of the black band bounding the face. The folded wings fall about three
inches and a half short of the tail, which is rounded, the outer
feathers being an inch shorter than the central ones. The plumage of the
sides of the belly is long, and hangs down over the thighs. The thigh
feathers are very downy, but are not long. The tarsi are rather long,
and the toes are moderately long; they are clothed to the roots of the
nails by a close coat of hairy feathers. The claws are strong, sharp,
and very much curved.
The length of the bird from the tip of the bill to the end of the tail
is 21 inches 6 lines; and the length of the longest quill feather is 12
inches six lines.
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