304 SNOWY OWL. 



but it is resident on Jan Mayen, and is only absent for a few months 

 in winter from Spitsbergen, Franz Josef Land, Novaya Zemlya, 

 Vaigatch, and the Kola Peninsula. Where small mammals are 

 wanting it feeds on birds, and on the fells of Scandinavia it follows the 

 lemmings on their migrations ; while of late years it has been found 

 breeding in many places where it had previously been unnoticed. 

 In Russia it inhabits the tundras, nesting down to the Governments 

 of St. Petersburg, Livonia, and even Orenburg; while in winter 

 it occurs as far as the Caspian and Azov Seas. In the western 

 half of Europe, it visits Pomerania, the north of Germany and 

 Denmark in some numbers during cold weather, though hardly 

 known on Heligoland ; and its wanderings have extended to Hol- 

 land, France, and Lower Austria. In Asia, it is found across 

 Siberia to Kamchatka and Bering Island ; while in winter it regu- 

 larly visits Turkestan, and an example has even been obtained at 

 Mardan, not far from Peshawur. On the American continent it 

 breeds on the barren-grounds and the verge of the wooded districts, 

 from Alaska to Labrador ; on Grinnell-Land Col. Feilden found it 

 nesting as far north as 82° ^:^', though it abandoned those high 

 latitudes at the end of August to reappear on March 29th ; and it 

 inhabits Greenland. In winter it has occurred in Texas, as well as 

 the Bermudas ; while a flock, perched on the spars of a vessel, has 

 voyaged from Labrador half way to Ireland. 



The Snowy Owl deposits its eggs on the bare ground or in a 

 mere hollow scraped in the reindeer-moss, generally on some slight 

 eminence. The white eggs, 10 of v.-hich have been found together, 

 are often laid in pairs and at intervals, and are rather more elongated 

 than usual: measurements 2-3 by 175 in. Prof. Collett .says that 

 the female and young are fed by the male, which exhibits great 

 boldness and even ferocity when the nesting-place is approached. 

 The food consists of lemmings and other rodents, Arctic hares. 

 Ptarmigan, Willow- and other Grouse, Little Auks &c. ; wounded 

 birds being often picked up before the sportsman can reach them ; 

 carrion is also eaten, and the bird is an expert catcher of fish. Its 

 flesh is highly esteemed by the inhabitants of the Arctic regions. 

 The cry is a loud and repeated krau-au. 



The plumage is white, barred and spotted with an amount of black 

 or dark brown which varies greatly in different individuals; the 

 female being more profusely marked than the male. Small but 

 almost invisible tufts exist ; there is no operculum ; bill black ; iris 

 orange-yellow. Length : male 22 in., wing 15-5 in. ; female 25 in., 

 wing 17-5 in. 



