ACCIPITRES. 



SNOWY f)W[, 



187 

 STRIGIDJ':. 



Nyctea scandiaca (Linnaeus*) 

 THE SNOWY OWL. 



Surnia nijctcai. 



Nyctea, Stephens X.— Beak decurved from the Viasc ; nostrils large, oval; cere 

 short ; upper mandible smooth, lower mandible notched. Facial disk incomplete. 

 Orifice of the ears moderate, without operculum. Wings of moderate size ; the 

 third quill-feather the longest, second and fourth nearly equal. Tail rounded 

 and of moderate length. Legs and toes thickly covered with feathers. Head 

 large, round, not furnished with tufts of feathers. 



This beautiful species was first ascertained to occur in 



* Strix scandiaca, Linnseus, Syst. Nat. Ed. 12, i. p. 132 (176G). 



f St7-i'x nyctea, Linnaeus (loc. cit.) . 



X General Zoology, xiii. part li. p. 62 (1820). 



