SNOWY OWL. 117 



both continents ; being common in Iceland, the Shetland 

 islands, Kamtschatka, Lapland, and Hudson's Bay. In 

 these dreary wilds, surrounded by an almost perpetual 

 winter, he dwells, breeds, and obtains his subsistence. 

 His white robe renders him scarcely discernible from the 

 overwhelming snows, where he reigns, like the boreal 

 spirit of the storm. His loud, hollow, barking growl, 

 'whowh, 'whowh, 'whoicli, hah, hah, hah, hah,* and 

 other more dismal cries, sound like the unearthly ban of 

 the infernal Cerberus ; and heard amidst a region of cheer- 

 less solitude, his lonely and terrific voice augments rather 

 than relieves the horrors of the scene. 



Clothed with a dense coating of feathers, which hide 

 even the nostrils, and leave only the talons exposed, he 

 ventures abroad boldly at all seasons, and like the 

 Hawks seeks his prey by day-light as well as dark, skim- 

 ming aloft, and reconnoitring his prey, which is com- 

 monly the White Grous or some other birds of the same 

 genus, as well as hares. On these he darts from above, 

 and rapidly seizes them in his resistless talons. At times 

 he watches for fish, and condescends also to prey upon 

 rats, mice, and even carrion. 



It is very rare that this species leaves its dreary do- 

 main to penetrate even into the north of Europe. They 

 appear to have a natural aversion to settled countries ; for 

 which reason, perhaps, and the still greater severity of 

 the climate of arctic America, they are frequently known 

 to wander in the winter south through the western thinly 

 settled interior of the United States, as far even as the 

 the confines of Florida. They migrate probably by pairs; 

 and, according to Wilson, two of these birds were so 

 stupid, or dazzled, as to alight on the roof of the court- 



* These latter syllables with the usual quivering sound of the Owl. 



