144 THE GREAT NORTH-WEST 



I do not say that this difference was universal, though 

 it was very noticeable. I do not know if eels inhabit 

 the waters north of the Canadian frontier; but I never 

 caught or saw any, nor did I ever see a snake of any 

 description without the bounds of Canada proper. 



Amongst the owls frequenting the banks of the 

 Albany was one that was even larger than the great 

 snowy owl. This was the great grey owl, Syrnium 

 cinereum, odd specimens of which were seen at times all 

 over the North- West region; but it is much less numerous, 

 or at least frequently seen, than the snowy. It must be 

 remembered, however, that it is much more a nocturnal 

 bird than the latter. I saw a snowy owl attack one of 

 these grey owls which did not wait to settle the dispute, 

 but beat an immediate and ridiculous-looking retreat, 

 hooting and fluttering while the snowy made the feathers 

 fly in a crowd. I suppose that the grey owl was a tres- 

 passer on the other's hawking ground ; for presently the 

 snowy came back and took up its perch on the top of 

 a young spruce tree, staring at me with glaring eyes that 

 seemed to ask, " What do you think of that ? Mind 

 your turn doesn't come next." There was no shyness 

 in this owl, for it was not forty yards from me. I 

 afterwards saw this same bird devouring a grouse on 

 its perch ; and it seems that both this, and the grey 

 species, have all the habits of hawks in seeking their 

 food. By-the-by, the snowy owl attains a much greater 

 size than the stuffed specimens I have seen in London. 

 If these are European snowies, the North- West Territory 

 bird is probably a distinct variety ; but it is a bird that 

 varies a good deal in size. 



There was another large owl in these forests, and one 

 or two smaller ones of which I did not learn the specific 

 name. But in addition to those mentioned I may add, 

 as being certainly identified, the saw-whet owl, Nyctala 

 acadica, called the Acadian owl by British naturalists, 

 and the owl called the screech-owl in the United States, 



