THE LANDING. 227 



strength remained lie pounded the door and called, in 

 husky tones, for help. 



In a moment the family were aroused, and as excited 

 as he, and it was long before they could get a word in 

 reply to their many questions. Eegaining a little of his 

 usual composure, he whispered, " The snow's alive, and 

 chased me off the boat." 



The record of this occurrence, a mere fragment now, 

 concludes thus : " Father found that James had been 

 scared by a number of great white owls, not quite of the 

 bigness of turkey-cocks. Father saw them the day fol- 

 lowing in the woods near by, and they were very tame. 

 No one of us had seen birds like to them, but an Indian 

 told us their name in his own tongue." 



My impression, twenty years ago, was that these 

 snowy owls came into New Jersey every winter, but I 

 now am equally confident that such is not the case. 

 That, being arctic birds, they should remain until sum- 

 mer, is remarkable, yet several such cases have come to 

 my knowledge. My first meeting with these owls was 

 in December, 1857. It was a perfect winter day, with 

 a steel-blue sky, and every object covered with snow. 

 Even in the sun not a flake melted; yet the perfectly 

 still air did not feel cold. The chinkapin swamp, with 

 its bush-like growths, was full of sparrows, and to hear 

 them sing I wandered thither. The snow-birds twit- 

 tered merrily ; the white-throats whistled, and the dear 

 old foxy finches warbled now and then. I was repaid 

 for my tramp, but in time longed for novelty. " Is there 

 nothing else?" I asked myself, and, boy-like, began to 

 grow impatient. At last, plunging into the denser 



