SNOWY OWL. 357 



ing at first " covered with brown down, " and as having 

 their " first feathers also of a light brown." 



Progress toward maturity. — Those who have had 

 opportunities of observing this species, state that the 

 brown spots and bars on its plumage gradually disap- 

 pear, as it advances in age. Mr Edmondston's speci- 

 men, which he presented to Professor Jameson, and 

 which forms a conspicuous ornament of the beautiful 

 museum which owes its formation to him, was consi- 

 dered by the donor as a young bird. It agrees in co- 

 louring with another specimen in the same collection, 

 from one of the Arctic expeditions. 



In middle age, then, the general colour is white ; the 

 forehead, disks, throat, sides of the head, abdomen, tar- 

 si and toes, unspotted. On the upper part of the head 

 each feather has a brown spot ; on the hind part of the 

 neck two or tlu-ee spots appear on each feather ; and on 

 the fore part of the back, the scapulars, and the wings, 

 all the feathers and quills are trans v^ersely banded with 

 brown, so that the upper parts in general appear marked 

 with transverse lunulate spots. On the tail there are 

 four bands. The breast, sides, and long feathers over 

 the thighs, are marked with narrower transverse bars ; 

 the lower tail-coverts have each a small spot near the 

 end. 



Remarks. — The snowy owl is, in form, intermediate 

 between those species, such as Strix funerea, which 

 have a decided resemblance to hawks, and the other 

 generally smaller kinds, which, having a broader head 

 and a shorter tail, resemble the species of the genus 



