STRIGID.E — THE OWLS — SURNIA. 447 



Nyctea nivea, Daudin. 



THE SNOWY OWL; THE WHITE OWI. 



Sirix nivea, Daudin, Traite d'Orn. II. 1800, 190. — yi/ctca nirea, Breiim, Isis, 1834, 108. — 

 Cassin, Baikd, Birds N. Amor. 1858, 63. 



Strix nijclea, Linnjscs, Syst. Nat. I. 1766, 132. 



Slrix Candida, JjKTiix-ii, Ind. Orn. Supp. 1801, 14. — Duessed, Ibis, 1865, 330. (San An- 

 tonio, Texas.) 



Strix ei-minea, SilAW, Gen. Zool. VII. 1809, 251. 



Slrix arctim, Bartram, TravcLs, 289. (1791, bnt not of Sparrmann, 1789.) 



Strix scandiaca, " LiNN.EUS," Malmgren, Cab. Jour. 1865, 396. 



Figures. — Wilson, Am. Orn. IV. pi. 32, fig. 1 ; Audubon, Birds Amcr. pi. 121 : oct. ed. 

 I. pi. 28 ; Nat. Hist. New York, Birds, pi. 9, fig. 20 ; Gould, B. of Eur. I. pi. 43. 



Sp. C'n.VR. Bill nearly concealed liy projecting i)himes ; eyes large. Entire plumage 

 white, tVeipiently with a few spots, or ini]ierlect Ijanils, only on the upper parts, dark 

 brown, and on tlie under parts, with a few irregidar and imperfect bars of the same ; quills 

 and tail with a few spots or traces of bands of the same dark brown. The prevalence of 

 the dark brown color varies much in different specimens ; frequently both upper and un- 

 der parts are very distinctly banded transversely, and sometimes this color predominates 

 on the back. Plumage of the legs and toes pure snowy-white ; bill and claws dark horn- 

 color ; irides yellow. Total length, 24.00 to 27.00; wing, 16.00 to 17.00; tail, 10.00. 



Hah. Northern regions of both continents ; migrating southward in the winter almost 

 to the Gulf of Mexico. 



Although there i.s as yet wo intimation of the occuiTeuce in California of 

 this large owl, its abundance througliout the Arctic regions generally, and 

 the extreme southward migrations along the Atlantic and ]\Iississippi States 

 to the Gulf of JMexico, render it very probable that it will yet be detected 

 south of British Columbia in the winter season, especially along the moun- 

 tains. Like the hawk owl, this species is abroad at all hours of the day, 

 and in the high north makes its prey of ptarmigan, or white grouse, rabbits, 

 mice, and other animals so abundant in the same region. The nest is made 

 on the ground, and the eggs are astially five or six in nundier, white as in 

 all owls, and rather small for the ajijiarent size of tlie bird. 



GeXU.S SURNIA, DlMERIL. 



Surnla, DrHERU., Znoln^ie Analytii|ue, ISOG, 34. (Type. Strir ulula, Linn.eus.) 



Gen. Ch.\r. General form rather long, but robust ; size median. Head moderate, 

 without ear-tufts; facial disk obsolete ; bill moderate, curved from the base, covered with 

 projecting plumes ; wings long ; tail long, wide, graduated ; legs rather short, and with the 

 toes densely feathered ; contains one species only, which inlndiits the Arctic regions of 

 both continents. 



