LAND BIRDS. 331 



some doubt with regard to them remains. In the summer of 1904 the 

 University of Michigan party took four specimens, one in Ontonagon county, 

 July 26, and three on Isle Royale, August 26, which have been determined 

 by Mr. Ridgway as Bubo virginianus pallescens Stone, of the new (1910) 

 A. O. U. Check-list. Another specimen of the same race was taken by Mr. 

 C. McLaughUn, at Robbins, Ontonagon county, January 5, 1906, and was 

 determined by Mr. H. C. Oberholzer as Bubo virginianus occidentalis [Stone?] 

 (Swales, Auk XXVII, 1910, 208), which would therefore seem to make 

 this latter subspecies equivalent to pallescens of Stone (Auk XVIII, 1901, 

 300). In reply to an inquiry as to the status of these specimens Dr. C. W. 

 Richmond, of the U. S. National Museum, writes, under date of December 

 1, 1911: "The Owls identified by Mr. Ridgway are Bubo virginianus 

 pallescens of the new Check-list, but Mr. Oberholzer claims that B. v. 

 occidentalis is a definite, recognizable form occupying the middle west 

 (north of the range of true pallescens), and from his point of view the 

 Michigan birds are occidentalis." 



The habits of this subspecies, as observed by Mr. Peet, on Isle Royale, 

 do not seem to differ much from those of the common Great Horned Owl. 

 It seemed to feed mainly on white-footed mice and northern hares, both of 

 which were abundant. It was not shy in the dusk of evening, but rather 

 curious, perhaps because most of those seen were young, or because they had 

 been Httle disturbed by man (Adams' Rep. on Isle Royale, Mich. Geol. 

 Surv., 1908, 353). 



159. Snowy Owl. Nyctea nyctea (Lmn.). (376) 



Synonyms: Arctic Owl, White Owl, Ermine Owl.— Strix nyctea, Linn., 1758, Vicill., 

 Wils., Bonap., Aud. — Nyctea nivea, Cass. — Strix arctica, Bartr., 1792. — Nyctea scandiaca 

 var. arctica, B. B. & R., 1875. 



Figure 82. 



Mainly snow white, but always more or less barred with brown; no ear- 

 tufts or only mere traces; large. 



Distribution. — Northern portions of northern hemisphere. In North 

 America breeding wholly north of the United States; in winter migrating 

 south to the middle states, straggling to South Carolina, Texas, California 

 and Bermuda. 



This beautiful owl, not to be mistaken for any other species, comes to 

 us from the north late in autumn and is met with occasionally until early 

 spring. Sometimes one is seen as early as the middle of October, but more 

 often they do not come until late in November, and although a stray 

 loiterer may be seen in April (St. Clair Flats, April 5, 1906, Taverner) the 

 greater number retire to the north before the beginning of that month. 

 Usually very few are seen, and in the interior of the state several winters 

 may pass in any given locality without the record of a single one. They 

 prefer the shores of the Great Lakes and the courses of the larger rivers, 

 perhaps because they are decidedly fond of fish and these localities afford 

 them a fairly good supply. 



At long intervals they appear in much larger numbers, and several of these 

 invasions have been recorded within the past thirty years. In the Avinter 

 of 1876-77, they were unusually abundant over all the northern United 

 States, being thus reported from'localities where previously they had been 

 extremely rare. Again in the winter of 1892-93, there was another large 



