54 THE GREAT NORTH-WEST 



they keep to their holes or retire to the dense woods. 

 They harbour in holes in trees, and, I suppose, breed there, 

 but I have no certain evidence of this. 



A much more numerous, as well as a much larger 

 bird, is the snowy owl. The splendid white plumage of 

 this fine owl (which is as large as a turkey) is spotted 

 with black, and the expanse of wing is more than five 

 feet. It is by far the most splendid of all the American 

 owls, and probably of all others. It is more often seen 

 solitary than the great grey owl, but is also often in pairs. 

 Like all the big owls of this district, it is very destructive 

 to birds of the grouse family, which form the bulk of its 

 prey. It is not a noisy bird, but occasionally it may be 

 heard uttering cries at night time. It is less nocturnal 

 than the other owls, but its favourite preying time is the 

 dusk of evening, when it captures the ptarmigan and 

 partridges (Canadian grouse) as they are seeking their 

 roosting-places. This owl breeds amongst rocks and hi 

 clefts, a little rough grass, roots, &c., forming the nest ; 

 and it has the strange habit, for a bird of prey, of laying 

 its eggs in succession at considerable intervals of time, 

 so that there are sometimes an egg or two and an un- 

 fledged and a fledged young one all in the nest at the 

 same time. The usual number of eggs laid in one season 

 seems to be from four to six. I have known the nest to 

 be placed on the top of a broken tree-stump ; but the 

 snowy owl is found in the most desolate spots of the great 

 North- West, and throughout boreal America. It moves 

 southward to a certain extent in the very severe cold 

 season, but its migrations are very partial. 



Throughout the winter there were no ducks or geese 

 in this district, and scarcely any small birds. I noticed, 

 however, a few snow-buntings, here called snow-birds, 

 snow-finches, or snow-flakes. These pretty little birds 

 also make partial migrations ; and a spell of cold weather 

 will cause the few which remain behind to disappear. 

 They, however, return when the weather moderates. 



