82 SNOW OWL. 



These lie seizes with a sudden and instantaneous stroke of the foot, 

 seldom missing his aim. In the more southern and thickly settled parts 

 he is seldom seen ; and when he appears, his size, color, and singular 

 aspect, attract general notice. 



In the month of October I met witli this bird on Oswego river, New 

 York, a little below the falls, vigilantly watching for fish. At Pittsburgh, 

 in the month of February, I saw another, which had been shot in the 

 wing some time before. At a place on the Ohio called Long Reach, I 

 examined another, which was the first ever recollected to have been seen 

 there. In the town of Cincinnati, state of Ohio, two of these birds 

 alighted upon the roof of the court-house, and alarmed the whole town. 

 A people more disposed to superstition, would have deduced some dire 

 or fortunate prognostication, from their selecting such a place; but the 

 only solicitude was how to get possession of them, wliicli after several 

 volleys was at length cifectcd. One of these, a female, I afterwards ex- 

 amined, when on my way through that place to New Orleans. Near 

 Bairdstowii, in Kentucky, I met with a large and very beautiful one, 

 which appeared to be altogether unknown to the inhabitants of that 

 quarter, and excited general surprise. A person living on the eastern 

 shore of Maryland, shot one of these birds a few months ago, a female, 

 and, having stuffed the skin, brought it to Philadelphia, to Mr. Peale, 

 in expectation no doubt of a great reward. I have examined eleven of 

 these birds within these fifteen months last past, in different and very 

 distant parts of the country, all of which were shot either during winter, 

 late in the fall, or early in spring ; so that it does not appear certain 

 whether any remain during summer within the territory of the United 

 States ; though I think it highly probable that a few do, in some of the 

 more northern inland parts, where they are most numerous during 

 winter. 



The color of this bird is well suited for concealment, while roaming 

 over the general waste of snows ; and its flight strong and swift, very 

 similar to that of some of our large Hawks. Its hearing must be ex- 

 quisite, if we judge from the largeness of these organs in it ; and its 

 voice is so dismal, that, as Pennant observes, it adds horror even to the 

 regions of Greenland by its hideous cries, resembling those of a man in 

 deep distress. 



The male of this species measures twenty-two inches and a half in 

 length, and four feet six inches in breadth ; head and neck nearly white, 

 with a few small dots of dull brown inters])ersed ; eyes deep sunk under 

 projecting eyebrows, the plumage at their internal angles fluted or 

 pressed in, to admit direct vision, below this it bristles up, covering 

 nearly the whole bill ; the irides are of the most brilliant golden yellow, 

 and the countenance, from the proportionate smallness of the head, pro- 

 jection of the eyebrow, and concavity of the plumage at the angle of 



