SNOWY OW'U 



Surnia nyctea. SELBY. 



PLATE XXXIV. 



Strix nyctea, Gmel. La chouette Harfang, Buflfon, Temmwck* 

 Man. cT Ornith Snowy Owl of British ornithologists. 



THIS magnificent species is of very rare occur- 

 rence on the mainland of the British islands, being 

 more particularly a native of the countries verging 

 upon the arctic circle, whence it reaches to our 

 own more northern islands, and whence, again, 

 occasional stragglers have been captured in the 

 interior of Britain and Ireland. Mr Bullock, in 

 1812, during his tour to Orkney and Shetland, 

 met with this species, and seems to have been the 

 first to have directed our attention to the fact -of 

 their being resident and breeding there. He first 

 met with the species among the sand-hills of 

 Orkney, to which they had resorted for the sake 

 of preying on the rabbits, and afterwards succeeded 

 in procuring specimens on Unst in Shetland, and 

 ascertaining that it bred there and on the island 

 of Zell. Mr Edmonstone, about the same period, 



