288 Deane, Unusual Abundance of Snowy Owls. [jiiiy 



few having come from as far inland as the Rangely Lakes. He 

 reports all the birds as fat and in good condition. 



Capt. Herbert L. Spinney, keeper of Sequin Light Station, Me., 

 writes under date of Dec. 11, 1905, as follows: "November 15, 

 the wind blew very hard from the northwest and continued from 

 that quarter for a number of days, and was quite cold. On the 

 morning of the 18th I saw a Snowy Owl, which I shot. In the 

 evening at twilight of the same day, I saw another, which I also 

 secured and when returning to the house saw another poising in 

 the air over my hen-pen. On the 20th another was taken during 

 the forenoon by a gunner who visited the island and in the after- 

 noon I took still another. On Dec. 3, I observed two, one of 

 which I took. I also received a specimen taken at Georgetown, 

 some four miles from the station. They seemed to be in pairs, 

 those which I shot representing three males and three females. 

 Of the four which I have skinned, two had nothing in the stomach, 

 but were in good condition. Of the other two, one contained a 

 small roll of hair, from a mouse I should judge, and the other 

 contained the feathers, legs and feet of a small gull which I identi- 

 fied as those of Lctrus philadelphia. The head and bill were 

 missing, though all the wing feathers and bones were among the 

 remains." 



Mr. Robt. W. Bazin, Maiden, Mass., reports one specimen from 

 York, Me. Mr. Wm. Cooper, taxidermist, Milo, Me., writes under 

 date of Dec. 24, 1905, that two specimens, received about Nov. 30, 

 1905, were very fat, while one taken near Milo, Nov. 18, 1905, was 

 very thin and swarming with parasites. 



Mr. G. H. Hoxie, taxidermist, Foxcroft, Me., writing under date 

 of Jan. 4, 1906, states that there are quite a number of Snowy Owls 

 in his section. He had received four for mounting which were 

 killed between Dee. 20 and 30, 1905. Mrs. W. R. Gilford of Skow- 

 hegan, Me., writing Dec. 19, 1905, reports three having been re- 

 ceived from Skowhegan, Athens, and Cambridge, Me., between 

 Nov. 20 and Dec. 11, 1905. Mr. C. R. Combs, of Belfast, Me., 

 received one on Nov. 20, 1905, killed at Ilesboro, Me., and Mr. 

 Homer R. Dill of Gardiner, Me., writes Dec. 11, 1905, that he had 

 received five or six of these owls in the previous three weeks. 

 The average mean temperature at Portland and Eastport, Me., for 

 November and December, 1905, was 32.28°. 



