THE SNOWY OWL. 483 



Recognition Marks. — Large size ( Brant size ) ; snowy white with chisky 

 bars : no ear-tufts. 



Nesting. — Does not breed in Washington. Xest: on the ground. Eggs: 

 3-10, w'hite. Av. size, 2.24x1.77 (56.9x45). 



General Range. — Northern portions of the Northern Hemisphere. In North 

 America breeding wholly north of the United States ; in w-inter migrating south 

 to the Middle States, straggling to South Carolina, Texas, California, and 

 Bermuda. 



Range in Washington. — Not uncommon winter visitant, sporadically al)und- 

 ant. 



Authorities.— ;Vv(-/ri( itirca. Allen, 1'.. N. O. C. VL (i88n, p. 128. T( ?). 

 L. Ra. B. E. 



Specimens.— (U. of W. ) P', Prov. E. 



STRAGGLERS of this species are occasionally reported from any of 

 the northern States in winter, but it is only upon the occasion of widely con- 

 certed movement that general attention is tlrawn to iheir jtresence. Such 

 an extended flight occurred in tlie East in the W'inter of 1901-2, when 

 information of the capture of more than four hundred specimens was com- 

 piled by Mr. Ruthven Deane. The last noticeable movement* in the Pacific 

 Northwest occurred in 1896-7, being noted by Dr. jMerrill at Et. Sherman, 

 Idaho; Rathbun at Seattle; Bowles at Tacoma : and others. They were 

 especially noticeable upon the Tacoma tide-flats, since these reproduced on a 

 minature scale the tundra of their native haunts. Tliey were, however, 

 very w-ary and difiicult of approach, in spite of the glare nf bright sunshine 

 on the snow. 



No opportunity is ever lost of killing one of these handsome midwinter 

 visitors; and one might suppose, from the number of specimens which adorn 

 store windows and taxidermists' shops, that the bird is much mure common 

 than it really is. 



"The home of the Snow_\' 0\v\ is on the immense moss- and lichen- 

 covered tundras of the boreal regions, where it leads an easy existence and 

 finds an abundant supply of food during the short Arctic summers. It 

 hunts its prev at all hours and subsists principally upon the lemming, and 

 it is said to be always abundant wdierever these mammals are found in 

 any numbers. Small rodents are also caught, as well as Ptarmigan, Ducks, 

 and other water fowd, and even the .Vrctic hare, an animal fully as heavy 

 again as these Owds, is said to be successfully attacked and killed by 

 them" (Bendire), 



a. Again abundant thruout State in winter of 1908-9; number trilled near Walla Walla in Dec. 1908. 



