SYRNIUM. NYCTEA. 87 



Syrnium aluco, TAWNY OWL. 



Strix Aluco, Linnaeus, S. N. i. p. 132 (1766). 



Strix aluco, Naum. i. p. 473 ; Newton, i. p. 146. 



Ulula aluco, Macg. iii. p. 438. 



Syrnium stridula, Hewitson, p. 63 ; Yarr. ed. 2, i. p. 138 ; id. 



ed. 3, i. p. 145. 

 Syrnium aluco, Gray, p. 25 ; Gould, i. pi. 29 ; Harting, p. 8 ; 



Dresser, v. p. 271. 

 The Tawny Owl, Yarr. ed. 1, i. p. 131. 



Aluco, a word formed, says Gesner, by Gaza (1476) from the Ital. Alocho, to 

 translate Aristotle's eXeos (H. A. viii. 3, 3). The modern Italian Allocco = an 

 Owl, is possibly cognate with Germ. Eule, our "Owl." 



An inhabitant of the western part of the Palaearctic Region; 

 a permanent resident in Great Britain, but of very rare 

 occurrence in Ireland. 



Genus NYCTEA, Stephens in Shaw's Gen. Zool. xiii. pt. 2, 

 p. 62 (1826). 



Nyctea, from vu? = night. 



Nyctea scandiaca. SNOWY OWL. 



Strix scandiaca, Linnaeus, S. N. i. p. 132 (1766). 



Strix nyctea, Naum. i. p. 417. 



Syrnia nyctea, Macg. iii. p. 407. 



Surnia nyctea, Hewitson, p. 64 ; Yarr. ed. 2, i. p. 141 ; id. 



ed. 3, i. p. 150. 



Nyctea nivea, Gray, p. 21 ; Gould, i. pi. 34 ; Harting, p. 89. 

 Nyctea scandiaca, Newton, i. p. 187; Dresser, v. p. 287. 

 The Snowy Owl, Yarr. ed. 1, i. p. 134. 



Scandiaca = of Scandia or Scandinavia. 



Inhabits the circumpolar area, straying south in winter. 

 An occasional winter visitant to Great Britain and Ireland ; 

 most commonly met with in the north of Scotland. 



