OF THE UNITED STATES 245 



Wherever seen, this owl is sure to command the attention of 

 the observer, be it a mounted specimen or even a skin in an orni- 

 thological collection, and still more when met with in its wild 

 native haunts. There is no trouble in identifying the Snowy Owl 

 under any circumstances: its great size, its pure white plumage 

 set off with bars and spots of slaty brown, and the absence of 

 feather-horns are alone sufficient to render identification ^certain. 

 The male is smaller and much whiter than the female, some 

 specimens being almost immaculate. Young birds of this species 

 are of a deep sooty grayish color, and like the parents heavily 

 feathered all over from base of beak to the claws. On the old 

 birds the plumage is especially dense and generous, forming a 

 coat so warm that the owner is capable of braving the severest 

 of arctic weather without the slightest discomfort. This bird 

 hunts by day and nests on the ground, and seems to take the 

 greatest possible delight in capturing his prey. Swift of wing, 

 arctic hares are taken by it, almost invariably when attempting 

 to escape at the top of their speed, and it is said, doubtless with 

 truth, that the bird prefers to flush a ptarmigan and pursue it 

 rather than pounce upon the squatting fowl as a Great Horned 

 Owl would do. Wilson remarks " Unlike most of his tribe, he 

 hunts by day as well as by twilight, and is particularly fond of 

 frequenting the shores and banks of shallow rivers, over the sur- 

 face of which he slowly sails, or sits on a rock a little raised 

 above the water, watching for fish. These he seizes with a sud- 

 den and instantaneous stroke of the foot, seldom missing his 

 aim." This owl is often harassed by other birds during the day- 

 time as other owls are, and early in the 60's I remembered having 

 seen one upon the outskirts of a piece of pine forest, where a per- 

 fect battalion of blue jays, and a motley mob of some forty crows 

 were making life miserable for him. His attackers were very 

 cautious however, and it was quite possible that the drama 

 closed with a tragedy, the owl making short work of one or 

 more of his corvine tormentors. 



Among the medium-sized owls of the country we have the 

 Hawk Owls, and of these there are two, the European form 

 (8urnia ulula), a casual in Alaska, and the American Hawk owl 

 (8. u. caparoch) confined to arctic America, and migrating only 

 in winter to the northern boundaries of the United States. This 

 is a dark-colored bird (black and brownish) with spots and mot- 

 lings on the wings, and bars on its long tail. There are no fea- 



