382 BULLETIN 17 0, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Winter. — Hawk owls usually spend the winter well within their 

 breeding range, even as far north as Alaska and the fur countries. 

 But, on rare occasions, shortage in the northern food supply forces 

 large flights of these owls southward for a limited distance. One such 

 memorable flight occurred in 1884, of which William Brewster (1885) 

 writes: 



Although the months of October and November, 1884, do not seem to have 

 been characterized by any special meteorological phenomena, they will be long 

 remembered by ornithologists and collectors throughout Northern New England 

 from the fact that they brought to this region a flight of Hawk Owls altogether 

 unparalleled in any previous year of which we have definite records. The inroad 

 seems to have begun late in October and to have lasted nearly through November. 

 It apparently extended over most of Northern Maine and New Hamsphire, but I 

 have no evidence that it reached Massachusetts. Some idea of the abundance of 

 the birds may be had from the fact (for which I am indebted to Mr. Manly Hardy) 

 that a single taxidermist in Bangor, Maine (Mr. Bowler), received no less than 

 twenty-eight freshly-killed specimens in the course of a few weeks. Most of our 

 Boston taxidermists also had from three to six each (all from Northern Maine or 

 New Hampshire) , and at Lake Umbagog, Oxford County, Maine, I secured four, 

 shot respectively Oct. 25, Oct. 31, Nov. 15, Nov. 16. 



These figures doubtless represent but a small proportion of the total number 

 killed, for in the region over which the birds spread few persons are aware that an 

 Owl has any commercial value, although every one shoots the despised bird at 

 sight. Thus for every one preserved a dozen were probably thrown away. As 

 instancing this, I quote the following from a short note in 'Forest and Stream', 

 signed Ned Norton, and dated at Colebrooke, N. H., Dec. 1: — 'Hawk Owls came 

 three weeks ago in greater numbers than ever seen before. Farmers' sons have 

 been killing them all over the country.' 



Frank L. Farley writes to me, from Camrose, Alberta: "The hawk 

 owl has become exceedingly rare during the past 25 years. The 

 winter of 1896-97 witnessed a real invasion of these owls into central 

 Alberta, when in one day's drive I counted as many as 30 of the birds 

 as they hunted over the prairie, or perched on the tops of trees and 

 haystacks watching for mice." 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range.- — The northern parts of North America. 



Breeding range.- — The American hawk owl breeds north to Alaska 

 (Jade Mountains, Bettles, Coldfoot, and Fort Yukon); Yukon (La 

 Pierre House); Mackenzie (Fort Good Hope, Fort Anderson, and 

 Lake Hardisty); northern Saskatchewan (Fond du Lac); probably 

 northern Manitoba (Lake Du Brochet); northern Quebec (Fort 

 Chimo and Whale River); and Labrador (Okak). East to Labrador 

 (Okak and Nain) ; probably Newfoundland (Nicholsville) ; and south- 

 ern Quebec (Lochaber). South to southern Quebec (Lochaber); 

 Ontario (Lake Temiskaming, probably Cochrane, and probably St. 

 Ignace Island); northern Michigan (Isle Royale); probably northern 



