296 HAWK-OWL. 



Neither variety of the Hawk-Owl is found in Greenland or Iceland; 

 but the European race inhabits the pine-forests of Scandinavia and 

 Northern Russia. In the latter it is found up to 68° N. lat., and 

 though only breeding occasionally in the Baltic Provinces, it does 

 so regularly as far south as the Governments of Moscow and 

 Smolensk, and in the mountain forests of the Ural down to Oren- 

 burg. In winter it occurs in Poland and Northern Germany ; less 

 frequently in Denmark, Belgium, Northern France, Lorraine, and 

 Alsace ; rarely in Austria. In examples from between the Ural 

 Mountains and the Pacific, the colours are purer and more strongly 

 contrasted — as in the case of many other species ; and this North- 

 Siberian form, distinguished by Pallas as ^. doliata, is said to inhabit 

 Alaska. There it meets with the American race already mentioned, 

 which ranges eastward to Labrador, and as far south as Pennsylvania 

 in severe winters. 



The Hawk-Owl begins to breed by the middle of April; and 

 Wolley, to whom we owe the earliest details respecting its habits, 

 found that it occupied holes in trees, and the nesting-boxes set up 

 by the peasants for the use of Ducks, in which it lays from 5 to 8 white 

 eggs: average measurements i"55 by i'2 in. In Arctic America 

 these are said to be deposited in nests built of small sticks and twigs, 

 in pine-trees ; doubtless the deserted habitations of other birds, 

 such as are utilized by the Long-eared Owl. The male bird fiercely 

 attacks any intruder upon its domain, and both sexes appear to 

 take part in the task of incubation. The cry is similar to that 

 of a Hawk, which, from its long tail, sharp wings and quick 

 flight, this species much resembles in appearance. It flies much in 

 the daytime and has been seen to strike down the Siberian Jay on 

 the wing ; its food consists of lemmings and other rodents, large 

 insects, and birds up to the size of Ptarmigan or a Willow 

 Grouse ; to obtain the latter of which jt will sometimes attend 

 upon the sportsman. 



The general colour of the upper parts is dark brown, spotted with 

 white ; facial disk incomplete ; tail long and graduated, narrowly 

 barred and broadly tipped with white ; under parts white, barred 

 with dark reddish-brown ; feet covered to the claws with greyish- 

 white feathers ; bill yellowish-white ; irides straw-yellow ; no oper- 

 culum. Length 15 to 16 in. ; the female being larger than the 

 male, and having the dark bars on the under parts slightly broader 

 and more rufous. 



