■^j^^l"^] THAYER AND BANGS — BIRDS 35 



in fine condition. It certainly seems remarkable that the bird 

 should withstand a winter in one of the coldest regions of the world, 

 where the thermometer often reaches 85 degrees below zero Fahr. 

 No others were seen. 



This specimen is identical with skins from western Europe. 



Scotiaptex nebulosa barbata (Pallas). 



One individual (which on geographical grounds must have be- 

 longed to this subspecies) was seen at Pontelij, March 25, 1912, but 

 could not be secured. The natives informed Mr. Koren that 

 the species was common in the hilly, forested country of the upper 

 Kolyma. 



Nyctea nyctea (Linn.). 



Two specimens, one an adult male, the other a fully grown young 

 (sex not determined), were secured at Nijni Kolymsk, Oct. 24, 1911, 

 and Big Diomede Island, Nov. 19, 1912. 



The species was observed along the entire Arctic Siberian coast, 

 except in very low or swampy country, which it did not seem to like. 



Surnia ulula ulula (Linn.). 



One adult female was taken at Shornoy Myss, Kolyma, Jan. 5, 

 1912. The bird was caught in a trap set for ermine. Apparently 

 it is a rare species in this region. 



This specimen we cannot refer to S. ulula pallasi Buturlin (see 

 Hartert, 'Die Vogel der palaarktischen Fauna,' Vol. II, p. 1012). 

 It is rather exceptionally dark, much darker than the usual run of 

 European examples, but can be matched exactly by one skin in the 

 Museum of Comparative Zoology, from Finmark. S. u. pallasi is 

 said to differ from S. u. ulula only in being somewhat paler brown 

 above. 



