80 NOIITII AMERICAN OOLOGY. PART I. 



ami Western continents. It is only met with in the United States in midwinter, 

 and is mnch more abundant in some years than in others. Individual specimens 

 have been occasionally noticed as far south as South Carolina, but very rarely. It 

 has also been observed in Kentucky, Ohio, the Bermuda Islands, and in nearly every 

 part of the United States. On the Eastern continent it appears to be much less 

 abundant, and its visits south are neither so frequent nor to the same extent. Al- 

 though in one instance it has been known to breed on the Shetland Islands, very 

 few instances are on record of its having been obtained in Great Britain, and only 

 one in Holland. It is found in Iceland, Sweden, and Norway, and probably also 

 throughout Northern Euroj^e and Asia. 



In the Arctic regions of North America and in Greenland it is quite abundant, 

 and has been observed as far to the north as Arctic voyagers have yet reached. Sir 

 John Richardson, who, during seven years' residence in the Arctic regions, enjoyed 

 unusual opportunities for studying the habits of this Owl, says that it hunts its prey 

 in the daytime. It is generally found on the barren grounds, but is always so wary 

 as to be approached Avith difficulty. In the Avooded districts it is less cautious. 



It nests on the ground, and lays three or four globular white eggs, only two of 

 which, Richardson states, are in general hatched. 



I am unable to represent the egg in my plates, having never seen a specimen. I 

 have only a drawing, made by Mr. Audubon, of a specimen in an English cabinet. 

 It is nearly spherical, and its color is a dull white with a slightly yellowish tinge. 

 It measures 2-^^ inches in length by 2 inches in breadth. 



SURNIA ULULA. 



Strix ulula, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 133. 

 Slrix uralensis, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 295. 

 Strix hudsonica, " " " " " 



" " WiLS. Am. Orn. VI, 1812, 64, pi. 1, fig. 6. 



Strix doliata, Pallas, Zool. I, 1811, 316. 

 Slrix lorealis. Lesson, Traite d'Orn. I, 1831, 100. 

 Strix funerea, Bonap. Syn. 1828, p. 25. 



EicH. & Swains. F. B. A. II, 1831, 92. _ 

 " " NuTTALL, Manual, I, 1832, 115. 



" " AuD. Orn. Biog. IV, 1835, 350, pi. ccclx.wiii. 



De Kay, Nat. Hist. N. Y. 1844, pi. ix, fig. 19. 

 Surnia funerea, Bonap. Geog. and Comp. List, 1838, p. 6. 

 AuD. Syn. 1839, p. 21. 

 " Birdsof Am. I, 1840, 112, pi. xxvi. 

 Surnia ulula, Cassin, Syn. N. A. Birds (Illust. Birds of Cal.), 1854, p. 191. 



Vdlg. — The Hawk Owl. Little Haivk-Owl. Le Chat-Huant du Canada (Brisson). 



I AM unable to illustrate the egg of this species. The only knowledge that I 

 possess, which seems to be authentic, in regard to the nest of these birds, as well as 



