Mr. W. Thompson on the Migration of the Snowy Owl. 109 



Nov. 22. Wind S.E. by S., light breezes ; no Owls seen these two 



days past, nor were any afterwards met with. 

 Dec. 4. Vessel arrived at Belfast. 



The captain describes the migration of these Owls to have 

 been an extremely beautiful sight, and more particularly, from 

 his never having seen such birds before, was greatly interested 

 about them. Sometimes they kept flying about the vessel 

 without alighting, and again there would be one or two on 

 every yard-arm, with others hovering just above ; on alighting, 

 they fell asleep, apparently from exhaustion. Numerous as 

 were these beautiful creatures, it was only when occasional 

 bickerings took place among those which had alighted on the 

 yard-arms, and in the stillness of night, that they were heard 

 during their entire presence. Their flight, described to me as 

 inaudible, could not but call to mind the finest and most 

 poetical description of this characteristic trait applied to the 

 owls generally, " How serenely beautiful their noiseless 

 flight ! A flake of snow is not winnowed through the air 

 more softly silent!*" Occasionally they remained for a day 

 about the ship, when but little way was made, and again, as 

 reported to me, u went off for a day and returned next morn- 

 ing," greatly to the surprise of the beholders how they could 

 find the ship after a night had intervened. What must have 

 added much additional interest to their appearance, was the 

 idea entertained* that these birds blown from the coast of La- 

 brador, and finding, like the dove of old, (i no rest for the sole 

 of her foot," had, after traversing the pathless waters, sought 

 the vessel for this purpose, loitering about her course, disap- 

 pearing for a day, and again hastening to repose upon her 

 yards and rigging. But however pleasing such imaginings, it 

 is not for the naturalist here to pause, but in search of truth, 

 assuredly not less attractive, to pursue inquiry further. 



If by reason of storms or otherwise he cannot perceive why 

 the same birds should, after having rested on and left the ves- 

 sel, re-appear another day, he may perhaps conclude, that the 

 Owls thus seen, were bodies successively migrating to more 

 southern latitudes, and that different birds appeared on each 

 occasion, or at all events that it was not the same individuals 

 which presented themselves during the whole period. 

 * Blackwood's Magazine, vol. xx. (1826) p. 671. 



