148 SNOWY OWL— WHITE OWL. 



plains north of the Godbout river, north shore of the St. Lawrence, 

 where it is said to breed. It has been also observed by Dr. 

 Bernard Gilpin in the month of August (1854) on Sable Island, 

 sitting watching rabbit burrows in the hot sand ; but Mr. Gilpin 

 adds that he knows that they do not breed there. So few, then, 

 are the authentic instances of the occurrence of this Owl in Canada 

 during the summer months that for the present we cannot regard 

 it as a resident bird, and as I have stated above, there is no record 

 of its nest or eggs having yet been found within our borders. 



Sr. Char. Doi-sal aspect. Facial disc \\'hite ; head, neck, and whole dorsil region, pure 

 white, with more or less distinct umber brown, in some instances 'blackish bars; rump and tail 

 coverts white ; primaries and secondaries while, with bars on the vanes of the former, and black 

 spots on the inner webs of the latter. 



Ventral aspect. Throat, vent, tail coverts, wing linings, and tail, white ; breast and belly 

 white, and like the back, variously barred. 



Nostrils large and oval, obliquely situated at the margin of the cere ; femorals as long as the 

 tarsi ; tarsus feathered to the talons, the feathers here being long and soiled ; claws black, long, 

 curved, and very sharp ; plumage of the legs and toes pure snowy white. 



Bill and claws bluish-black ; irides bright yellow. 



Total length, 24.00 to 27.00; wing, 16.00 to 17.00 ; tail, .about 10.00. 



The female is invariably larger than the male, and more 

 regularly barred. Occasionally the old males are nearly altogether 

 pure white. 



