144 STRIGID.A. 
of North America, east of the Rocky Mountains, thus de- 
scribes its habits in that country :—‘“ It hunts in the day ; 
and, indeed, unless it could do so, it would be unfit to pass 
the summer within the Arctic Circle. When seen on the 
barren grounds, it was generally squatting on the earth, 
and, if put up, it alighted again after a short flight; but 
was always so wary as to be approached with great diffi- 
culty. In the wooded districts it shows less caution ; and, 
according to Hearne, has been known to watch the Grouse- 
shooters a whole day, for the purpose of sharing in the 
spoil. On such occasions, it perches on a high tree, and 
when a bird is shot, skims down and carries it off before 
the sportsman can get near it. It preys on lemmings, 
hares, and birds, particularly the Willow Grouse and Ptar- 
migan. Mr. Hutchins says that it eats carrion ; and Wil- 
son informs us that it is a dexterous fisher, grasping its 
finny prey with an instantaneous stroke of the foot as it 
sails along near the surface of the water, or sits on a stone 
in a shallow stream. I have seen it pursue the American 
hare on the wing, making repeated strokes at the animal 
with its foot: but on that occasion, through the inter- 
vention of an Indian, it was driven from its quarry. It 
makes its nest on the ground, and lays three or four white 
eggs, of which only two are in general hatched.” 
To return to the localities visited by this bird in Europe, 
I may add that, in addition to those already named, this 
bird has sometimes been seen in Germany, but not in 
France, and, according to M. Temminck, only once in 
Holland, and that a young bird, which made its appear- 
ance in the winter of 1802. 
As in the adult Gyr-falcon, already described, the ground 
colour of the plumage in the adult Snowy Owl is pure 
white, more or less spotted and barred with dark umber 
brown, according to the age of the dividual ; these dark 
