184 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
SNOWY OWL. 
GROUP VIII.—SNOwy OWLS, Nyctea. 
In all countries of the north—America, Europe, and Asia— 
this is a typical owl, Nyctea nyctea (Linn.), of the Arctic plains— 
the frozen tundras. It is white in color, more or less barred with 
brown, these dark markings being more abundant in the female. 
The old male birds are sometimes almost pure white in color. Of 
such a specimen shot in Alaska, Mr. Nelson writes, that its plu- 
mage was suffused with “a rich and extremely beautiful shade of 
