244 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
a charge of No. 2 and down it came. Imagine my delight, when 
I picked up a splendid male Snowy Owl, pure white, except for 
three black marks on the wings. The weather is not quite so 
severe now,—10° below zero, and I have ventured out wolf- 
shooting, but have not been successful hitherto. One day I saw 
afew Tits and Redpolls. 
March 5th.—At the beginning of this month I shot another 
Snowy Owl, a female, in speckled plumage. It has snowed 
heavily for some days, and the Wolves are very daring. I have 
secured a few, and am tanning the skins for mats. 
March 11th. — Towards the middle of the month the weather 
became milder. We shall all be glad when the snow disappears 
and the grass becomes visible again. 
April 25th.— The spring migration commenced this year 
almost a fortnight earlier than usual. Ducks put in an ap- 
pearance on April 13th, and by the 15th large flocks of both 
Ducks and Geese passed over. The spring duck-shooting is 
preferable to that in the fall; the birds are in so much finer 
plumage, and the weather, too, is more bearable. I append a 
few dates of spring observations, which will give a slight idea of 
what we see here :—March 20th, Shore Larks appear; snow still 
covering prairie and sleighing good. April 10th, saw two Crows 
and a Marsh Harrier; snow melting fast, trail very bad. 12th, two 
Ducks going W.; trails broken up, sleighing over. 13th, a Mal- 
lard shot. 14th, large numbers of Marsh Harriers from 9 a.m. 
till 1 p.m., a continuous flight going W.; also a few Yellowshanks 
and Crows. 15th, Marsh Harriers going W. 16th, large flocks 
of Ducks and Geese going W., also Marsh Harriers sailing over 
the sloughs, and a few small birds appearing; small Hawks 
passing; snow almost all gone. 17th, Ducks going W.; Marsh 
Harriers sailing about; shot at a Yellowshank; large flights of 
summer visitors appearing. 18th, a snow storm; shot two Mal- ~ 
lards, saw a Yellowshank ; tried to stalk a Goose on the ice on 
the river, but failed; saw a Short-eared Owl. 19th, shot a 
Mallard; saw Pintails, and a friend shot a Marsh Harrier. 
2Uth, saw Robins and Black Grackles [Scolecophagus ferrugineus | 
in large flocks, also a few Pintails and one flock of Green-winged 
Teal; a Goose shot; a friend shot a male Scaup and a Green- 
winged Teal. 21st, I shot three Mallards and a Green-winged 
Teal; a friend shot a Snipe; saw a Peregrine and several Snipe. 
