SNOWY OWL. 143 
History, vol. viii. p. 508. “Last week I received from 
Mr. Scarth, Sanda, Orkney, a living specimen of the 
Snowy Owl. This was not a native specimen, but evi- 
dently a bird of last year, in immature plumage, but 
whose expanded wings extend four feet in width. This 
bird arrived in Orkney during a strong north-west gale, 
with hail and sleet, along with flocks of wild Swans, 
Golden-eyes, snow-flakes, &c.; indicating an Icelandic or 
Greenland origin.” 
A notice of one taken still more recently has appeared 
in several periodicals devoted to Natural History. On the 
13th of February last (1837), a fine male Snowy Owl was 
shot three miles below Selby-on-the-Moor, Yorkshire, 
where it had been observed by a miller, at a mill adjoining, 
for a day or two previous. The moor is well stocked with 
rabbits, and the Owl was most probably preying upon 
them: it appeared very shy, and when pinioned by the 
shot was extremely fierce.* Several specimens have also 
been killed in different parts of Ireland, the particulars of 
which are recorded by Mr. Thompson of Belfast, in the 
second volume of the Magazine just quoted. 
The Snowy Owl inhabits Sweden, Norway, Lapland, and 
the North of Europe generally. The Swedish name of 
Har fang is bestowed upon it in consequence of its apparent 
partiality to feeding upon hares. It inhabits also Iceland 
and Greenland. Several pairs were seen during the sum- 
mer months on the different islands of the Polar sea by the 
Arctic voyagers from this country; but the birds being 
very wary, and the country affording little shelter to the 
sportsman, only a single individual or two were killed. A 
specimen was obtained by Mr. King during Captain Back’s 
last journey, and others were seen. Dr. Richardson, who 
passed seven summers and five winters in the fur-countries 
* Magazine of Zoology and Botany, vol. ii. p. 93. 
