SNOWY OWL. 233 



Great White Owl, Ed^n, 6i. — Ellis^s voy, 40. — Du Pratz, ii. 91. — Claytoti's Fir- 121. Snowy. 



ginia. — Ph. Tranf. iii. 589. 

 Great Speckled Owl, Egede, Greenland, 64. 

 Strix Nyftea, Harfang, Faun. Suec. N° jS.—Buffon, i. 387. — Latham, i. 132, 



N° 17. — Bl. Mus.— Lev. Mus. 



r\ With a head lefs in proportion than Other Owls : irides yellow : 

 whole plumage of a fnowy whitenefs, fonnetimes pure, ofcener 

 marked with dufky fpots : the legs and feet covered warmly to 

 the very claws with long fnowy feathers of the moft delicate and ele- 

 gant texture : the claws are of a fine contrafting blacknefs, very 

 large and very crooked. Its length two feet ; but it varies greatly Size. 



in weight, from three pounds to one and a half. 



It inhabits the coldeft parts o( America, even as high as the remote Place. 



mountains in the icy centre of Greenland -, from which, in intenfe 

 cold, it migrates to the fliores. It adds horror even to that country, 

 by its hideous cries, refembling thofe of a man in deep diftrefs. 



It is rare in the temperate parts of America, and feldom ftrays as 

 low as Penfylvania or Louifiana. Is very common in Hud/on s Bay, 

 in Norway, and Lapland. It fears not the rigor of the feafon, but 

 bears the cold of the northern regions the whole year. It flies by 

 day, and is fcarcely to be diftinguifhed from the fnow : it flies pretty 

 fwiftly, and falls perpendicularly on its prey. Feeds on the White 

 Grous, and probably on the Hares ; for to the lafl circumfl:ance it 

 owes its Swedijh name, Harfang. It preys alfo on Mice, and Carrion ; 

 and in Hudfon's Bay is almofl: domefl:ic, harbouring in places near the 

 tents of the Indians. 



Is fcarce in Ruffia ; grows more common on the Uralian moun- 

 ^ tains, and all over the north and eafl of Sibiria, and in its Afiatic 

 empire, even in the hot latitude oi Aftrakan* -, are very numerous in 

 Kamtfchatka, 



* ExtraSls, i. 91. ii. 142. 



H h Latham, 



