HAWK-OWL. 299 



Isles it is a rare straggler which, it may be safely inferred, 

 seldom escapes attention when it appears. 



This large and conspicuous bird, that is, conspicuous when 

 met with away from its snow-covered normal surroundings, 

 cannot be confused with any other species. Its flight is with 

 strong measured beats, but rapid ; its call, according to 

 Wheelwright, a loud kraii-aii^ and its alarm rick^ rick^ 7'ick^ 

 rapidly repeated. Its food in the Arctic consists of variable 

 hares, lemmings, Ptarmigan and Willow-Grouse, but in the 

 British Isles it will eat rabbits, mice and insects. It is 

 described as an expert at fish-catching, waiting for them by the 

 holes in the ice and snatching them with its feet. It nests on 

 the ground. 



The Snowy Owl is dimorphic, having a light, almost white 

 form with only a few brown marks on v/ings and tail, and 

 another in which the prevailing colour is white, but barred 

 and spotted with brown ; both forms are shown on the plate. 

 The feet are feathered on the soles as well as the toes. The 

 bill and claws are black, the irides orange-yellow. The young 

 in down are sooty and not white. The female is a much larger 

 bird than the male. Length, 22 to 25 ins. Wing, 15-5 to 

 17*5 ins. Tarsus, 2*4 ins. 



Hawk-Owl. Surfiia uhila (Linn.). 



Both the European Hawk-Owl and the American sub-species, 

 6". u. caparoch (Miiller) have occurred in the British Isles as 

 rare visitors on migration, generally in autumn or winter. The 

 former, distinguished by the narrower bars on the under parts, 

 is found in summer in northern Europe and Asia, migrating to 

 central Europe and Asia to winter. The American bird occurs 

 in northern Canada and Alaska, and winters so far soutH as the 

 States. Some eight examples have been recorded, and of 

 these three have been European birds — one each in the 



