178 NYCTEA MVEA. 



NYCTEA NIVEA (Daudin). 

 SNOWY OWL. 



[^ bS6. One. — "Labrador." From Dr. N. Kjserboelling's 

 Collection, 1859. 



This egg I obtained at Copenhagen. I was somewhat sceptical concerning 

 it at first, but I was subsequently led to consider it genuine. It was probably 

 imported to Europe by the correspondents of Ilerr Miischler.] 



[§ 587. One. — "Labrador." From Dr. E. Baldamus's Collec- 

 tion, 1861. 



Sent to me by Dr. Baldanius in March 1861, wth the information that he 

 obtained it from Herr Moschler, who had received it from Labrador.] 



[§ 588. One.—" North-Eastera Russia." From Dr. E. Bal- 

 damus's Collection, 1861. 



P. Z. S., 1861, p. 395. 



This egg I received at the same time as the last-mentioned. Dr. Baldamus 

 informed me he had got it from Ilerr Moschler, to whom it was sent from 

 Archangel by Count Centurio Hoffmansegg, as I afterwards learned from Herr 

 Moschler himself.] 



[^ 589. Otie.—OVk&k, Labrador, 1860. From Herr H. F. 

 Moscliler's Collection, 1861. 



P. Z. S., 1861, p. 395. 



Being very desirous of learning all the particulars I could respecting the 

 many reputed Snowy Owls' eggs which I had seen in various collections, on 

 the 22nd September, 1861, 1 went to Ilermhut, and had the jileasure of seeing 

 Herr Moschler. He kindly showed me his cabinet, and allowed me to select 

 from it this specimen, which he told me he had the preceding autumn received 

 direct from Labrador, and which he assured me had been in no other hands 

 but his own, he having been himself the first to open the box containing it. 

 HeiT Moschler was careful to tell me that he had no positive testimony of the 

 genuineness of this or other presumed eggs of the species which had passed 

 through his hands ; but the circinnstantial evidence was to my mind con- 

 vincing. He infonned me that he had had in all more than two dozen eggs 

 sent him from Okkak, the most northerly but one of the four missionary 

 stations maintained by the Linited Brethren on the Labrador coast. These 

 eggs, together with a few received by him from Archangel, of which I have 

 already mentioned one (§ 588), all closely agi'se in general character. They 

 are about midway in size between those of the Eagle-Owl and the Lapp Owl, 

 or their New World representatives Bubo virrfinianvs and Syrniion cinereum. 



