116 BIRDS OF PREY. 



in Siberia and around Hudson's Bay. A few stragglers, 

 now and then, at distant intervals, and in the depths of 

 winter, penetrate on the one side into the northern parts 

 of the United States ; and, on the other, they occasion- 

 ally appear in Germany, and more rarely in France. At 

 Hudson's Bay they are observed flying high, and preying 

 on the White Grous and other birds, sometimes even at- 

 tending the hunter like a Falcon, and boldly taking up 

 the w^ounded game as it flutters on the ground. They are 

 also said to feed on mice and insects, and (according to 

 Meyer) they nest upon trees, laying 2 white eggs. 



The length of the male of this species is about 15 inches. The 

 bill yellow, varied with black spots, according to the age, and almost 

 hid among the feathers. The iris also bright yellow. Cheeks 

 white ; crown and hind-head scattered with round spots of dusky 

 brown) a black band commences behind the eye, extends to the ori- 

 fice of the ears, and terminates angularly on the sides of the neck. 

 The upper parts variously spotted with dark brown and white. 

 Throat whitish ; below, white, transversely barred with greyish brown. 

 Tail rounded, near 7 inches long, extending 3 inches beyond the 

 points of the wings, the feathers greyish-brown, crossed by 6 or 

 7 narrow bars of whitish, and tipped with the same. Feet 

 thickly feathered to the toes ; the nails horn-color. 



SNOWY OWL. 



(Strix nydea, Linn. Wilson, iv. p. 53. pi. 32. fig. 1. [male]. Philad. 

 Museum, No. 458.) 



Spec. Charact. — White, more or less spotted and barred with 

 dusky-brown according to sex and age ; tail rounded, reaching 

 but little beyond the wings ; feet thickly clothed with long feath- 

 ers ; the bill black. 



This very large, and often snow-white, species of Owl 

 is almost an exclusive inhabitant of the arctic regions of 



