l78 NYCTEA NIVEA. 



NYCTEA NIVEA (Daudin). 

 SNOWY OWL. 



[^ 586. 0;?^. ---"Labrador." From Dr. N. KJ8erba3lling's 

 Collection, 1859. 



This egg I obtained at Copenhagen. I was somewhat sceptical concerning 

 it at fii'st, but I was subsequently led to consider it genuine. It was probably 

 imported to Europe by the correspondents of Ilerr Moschler.] 



[§ 587. O^e.— "Labrador." From Dr. E. Baldamus's Collec- 

 tion, 1861. 



Sent to me by Dr. Baldaniua in March 18G1, with the information that he 

 obtained it from Ilerr Moschler, who had received it from Labrador.] 



[^ 588. One.—" North-Eastern Russia." From Dr. E. Bal- 

 damus's Collection, 1861. 



P. Z. S., 1861, p. 395. 



This Q^^ I received at the same time as the last-mentioned. Dr. Baldamus 

 informed me he had got it from Ilerr Moschler, to whom it was sent from 

 Archangel by Count Centurio Iloffmansegg, as I afterwards learned from Herr 

 Moschler himself.] 



[§ 589. 0//^.— Okkak, Labrador, 18G0. From Herr H. F. 



Moscliler's Collection, 1861. 



P. Z. S., 1861, p. 395. 



Being very desirous of learning all the particulars I could respecting the 

 many reputed Snowy Owls' eggs which I had seen in various collections, on 

 the 22nd September, 1861, 1 went to llermhut, and had the pleasure of seeing 

 Herr Moschler. He kindly showed me his cabinet, and allowed me to select 

 from it this specimen, which he told me he had the preceding autumn received 

 direct from Labrador, and which he assured me had been in no other hands 

 but his own, he having been himself the first to open the box containing it. 

 Ilerr Moschler was careful to tell me that he had no positive testimony of the 

 genuineness of this or other presumed eggs of the species which had passed 

 through his hands ; but the circumstantial evidence was to my mind con- 

 vincing. He infoi-med me that he had had in all more than two dozen eggs 

 sent him from Okkak, the most northerly but one of the four missionary 

 stations maintained by the United Brethren on the Labrador coast. These 

 eggs, together with a few received by him from Archangel, of which I have 

 already mentioned one (§ 588), all closely agree in general character. They 

 are about midway in size between those of the Eagle-Owl and the Lapp Owl, 

 or their New World representatives Buho iirf/iiiiaiiKf and Si/rniitvt cineremn. 



