416 SYRNIA NYCTEA. 



friend Mr Langtry received in October three Snowy Owls which 

 had been taken in the previous month of August, from a nest 

 on the coast of Labrador, at which time they were covered 

 only with down. 



" On arrival, when they were in good condition, the birds 

 under consideration were as follows : — One much smaller than 

 the others, and presumed to be a male, was considerably whiter 

 than the specimen shot in a wild state (which was white, with 

 the upper parts spotted and barred, and the breast and sides 

 finely and distantly undulated with brownish-black), but dis- 

 played two markings which it does not possess ; the back of the 

 head where it joins the body being blackish-brown, and another 

 patch of this colour on the body just before the carpal joint of 

 the wing. The supposed females, which are much larger than 

 the last mentioned, differ exceedingly from it in markings. 

 They have the facial plumage, or that within the disk, the 

 throat, body beneath the wings, under surface of the latter, and 

 the legs and toes pure white. The plumage of the head from 

 the disk posteriorly, back, upper side of wings, and whole 

 under plumage between the folded wings, presents as much of 

 a blackish-brown colour as of white, the former being disposed 

 in the same manner as described in the specimen above alluded 

 to ; but the bars and other dark markings are so broad as to 

 occupy equal space with the white or ground colour." 



Progress toward Maturity. — According to Mr Audubon 

 and Dr Richardson, the brown spots and bars on the plumage 

 gradually contract as the bird advances in age. Those indi- 

 viduals which are almost entirely white are therefore sup- 

 posed to be very old ; and this change is in analogy with that 

 undergone by the Jer Falcon. 



