Mr ffarine-Braiun on the Breeding of the Snowi/ Owl 251 



(interpreter) in that country to collect eggs for us, and he did 

 so with considerable success, especially during the summer of 

 1872, obtaining several "good things," and forwarding them 

 to us at the end of the season. Before they arrived, we had 

 various letters from our Norwegian collector concerning his 

 different successes. The first notice we had of snowy owls 

 breeding so far south (an unusual occurrence, as a gentleman 

 to whom we had an introduction, Herr Dr Printz, well 

 known as a good Norwegian ornithologist, had informed us, 

 that only once had its nest been found so far south, viz., in 

 Wang and Waldorsfjeld), was a letter from Lysne merely 

 includinor it in a list of collections he had made, and dated 

 13th June 1872 ; but in his next letter he supplied us with 

 full particulars as follows : 



" In my letter of the 13th June, I told you that I had got 

 hold of a nest of the ' snowy owl ' (S. nyctea). On the 1st of 

 June old Lars went up to the mountains towards the Suletind, 

 and met with those birds just below this mountain : in the 

 evening he brought me four eggs, and told me they were ' af 

 den hvide ugle' (of the white owl). I, who believed all, 

 took the eggs, and was as pleased as I could be. Next day 

 I blew them, cleaned them out and inside, but found them 

 rather similar to those of the Bjerg ulv {i.e. eagle owl, Buho 

 maximus), particularly one of the eggs ; but I could not say 

 anything, because old Lars had told me what they were. 



" On the 16th I was told that the snowy owls were still 

 below the Suletind, and I took Lars with me in order to try 

 to shoot them. On the way Lars told me they were the most 

 difficult birds to get near, which was all true in every respect. 

 Lars had frightened them almost out of their skin the day 

 before. I could not get them near, and had given it all up ; 

 told Lars that there was no use, and that I would go home. 

 Lars seemed anxious to have another shot (he had had already 

 four), and I sat on a hill to wait for him. Just as I sat look- 

 ing through my glass, the hen placed herself on the top of a 

 small hill, and I saw her lie down as if on a nest. This was 

 new steam, and in less than five minutes I stood by her hed, 

 in which were seven eggs (sic), quite different from those of 

 Lars. I think they are the finest eggs I ever saw — very big, 



