168 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 7-No. 21 



Snowy Ovtl (JVyctea, scandiaca.)- — Six 

 teen years ago I saw my fii-st Sno^vy Owl 

 alive. It was in a wild snow storm out in 

 the open prairie. I had no pfiin with me at 

 the time, bnt I knew the locaUty well, and 

 thought I should have no trouble in finding 

 the bird again. The next morning I took 

 my gun and started after the bird. The 

 snow was deep and the weather was veiT 

 cold. I foimd the owl, but to capture him 

 was another thing. I had never tried to 

 kill a bird that was so sliai-j) and wary. I 

 spent all day in the pursuit and then did 

 not get the bird. I saw other Snowy Owls 

 that Wintei- liut did not get one. The next 

 Winter found me trying my luck again. I 

 saw some owls, but was not successful. 

 The more I saw of them the more I wanted 

 to get one. 



The third Winter foiind me after the owls 

 again. I was bound to get one if I had 

 to go and live with them. I began to 

 study their habits and soon found that they 

 were fond of being around some old de- 

 cayed hay or straw stacks, away from anj' 

 house. The Prairie mice were there, and 

 they were after them for food. I found 

 that they went to those old stacks from 

 one to four o'clock p. m. I made up my 

 mind if I could hide myself near one of 

 those stacks, when the birds came I would 

 have my bird. I found a stack where I 

 thought a bird would come, and watched it 

 closely after the snow came. I soon had 

 the pleasure of seeing a bird in that neigh- 

 borhood, and one afternoon saw him on 

 the stack. I did not trouble him then, but 

 the next day I was on hand. The day was 

 all that I could wish for the business I had 

 on hand. We had a strong wind and light 

 snow the day before the bird came, from 

 the northwest. I went to the stack, dug a 

 hole on the southwest side and got into it. 

 The snow storm soon made me white and 

 covered up the old hay that I had thrown 

 out of the hole. 



I waited about two hours before I saw 

 my owl, but he came, little suspecting 



what was in store for him. I did not shoot 

 him when he first came to the stack, as I 

 wanted to see how he would look alive and 

 close to me. I am a sure shot and I had 

 no fears of his getting away when once with- 

 in range of my gun. He looked very fine 

 as he perched on the top of the stack as 

 straight as an arrow. After I had a good 

 look at him 1 started him and when he was 

 about forty yards away I brought him 

 down. I now had my prize. It had cost 

 me a great deal of time, lots of hard work 

 and exj)ense, but I tell you I was well sat- 

 isfied. The bird was beautiful to look at. 

 Almost pure white. 



I have since learned to shoot Snowy Owls 

 with less trouble, and when I can find one, 

 am almost sure to kill it. I go out into the 

 prauie, and take with me a powerful field 

 glass, and when I discover my bird, find 

 out which way it is sitting. If its back is 

 towards me I creep directly to it, keeping 

 very low, but if it sits any other way I 

 make a very large cu'cle aroimd it so as not 

 to attract the liird's attention, liecause if it 

 found out that I was after it, it would be 

 sure to leave for another locality. 



The Snowy Owl likes to be alone. It is 

 seldom that more than one is found in the 

 same locality. I have seen three in the 

 same neighborhood, but not often. In re- 

 gard to the color of the birds, in warm 

 Winters the owls are darker in color, and a 

 Uttle larger m size. But when we get a 

 rough, cold, stormy Winter, vrith deep 

 snows, than we see the smaller and nearer 

 pure white birds. My idea has always been 

 that the very white owls never came east 

 as far as this unless they were compelled 

 to get food. I have seen the darker owls 

 here when there was not snow enough to 

 cover the ground. — J. G. Smith, Joira. 



Albino House Spaeeow, was eaptm-ed re- 

 cently in the streets of Philadelphia. It 

 was evidently a young bird and pure white, 

 while its nest mates were of the ordinary 

 color. It was captured alive by a street 

 car conductor after a short chase. 



