312 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 
Charlotte islands. TheZminers and traders about Cook inlet, Alaska 
say that snowy owls have frequently been killed there in winter. 
It is a regular winter visitor at the base of the Alaskan peninsula. 
(Osgood.) From the Sitkan region north to the farthest point of 
Alaska this species keeps mainly to the more barren portions of 
the coast and interior, and always is found less numerous where 
trees are abundant. It occurs also on the islands in Bering sea 
and more sparingly on the Aleutian chain. (Nelson; Turner.) This 
bird may be said to be a resident at Point Barrow, although in the 
depths of winter it retreats with the ptarmigan back to the ‘‘deer 
country,” that is, to the valleys of the large rivers running into the 
Arctic ocean east of Point Barrow. (Murdoch.) I found the 
snowy owl unexpectedly scarce in the vicinity of Kotzebue 
sound and when seen were mostly single individuals. (Grinnell.) 
Usually seen on the Pribylof islands, Bering sea in winter but 
occasionally in summer. (Wm. Palmer.) 
BREEDING NoTEes.—In Bendire’s ‘‘Life Histories of N. A. Birds” 
is a record of a snowy owl nesting in Manitoba and having eggs 
advanced in incubation in the middle of February, but the time 
of the year—Manitoba midwinter—is sufficient to pronounce this 
record as a pure invention of the alleged finder of the nest—one 
calling himself Le Grand T. Meyer—this, no doubt, being a fictitious 
name. The nest is described as being made of hay, grass and sticks, 
warmly lined with feathers and eighteen inches high above the 
level prairie. The alleged finder of this nest evidently was never 
in Canada or he would know that the ground is usually covered 
deep with snow at this time of the year and that it would be an 
impossibility for the snowy owl to prevent itself being buried in 
the snow drifts; besides if the bird left its eggs for a few minutes 
they would get frozen and burst. I have a clutch of seven eggs 
and another of four eggs taken by Mr. Young, on Herschell island, 
west of Mackenzie bay. This bird nests on the highest parts of 
Herschell island, laying its eggs in a hollow lined with grass and 
feathers. I have another clutch taken at Baillie island in Franklin 
bay, June 20th, 1900 by Capt. Bodfish; the nests were on raised 
ground, the bird choosing sites so that it can overlook the sur- 
rounding country. (W. Raine.) This species is not plentiful in the 
Anderson country, while every effort made to secure even one speci- 
men nest with its eggs proved unsuccessful; on one occasion we 
