The Snowy Owl. 79 



general migration down n-oiu Uie fells, and tlic Owls would be far more numerous 

 than usual. A l:)elief prevails among tlie Laps that the vSnowy Owl becomes 

 whiter in winter, and thai the female is always purer in colour than the male. 

 Not long ago in a Bristol paper the Snowy Owl was described as " the splendid 

 silver-span glcd Owl," — the writer of the paragraph must have been a poultry fancier 

 — however, these words would probably convey to many people an adequate idea 

 of the plumage. 



The Snowy Owl is said to indulge occasionally in singular evolutions in the 

 air, darting about from side to side, and then falling prone upon the ground with 

 expanded wings ; all the time being as watchful as ever, so that should anj- one 

 attempt to take advantage of its play, it rises long before he can get near, making 

 off with a mocking cry. 



A few days before the Snow}' Owl was trapped on Exmoor another had been 

 shot on a rabbit warren in the south of Devon by a bo}- of ten, the grandson of 

 the warrener. Others were recorded in the county papers as having been seen 

 about the same date, so that Devonshire was probably then visited by a small 

 flock of these fine Owls. 



The Snowy Owl passes with quick noiseless flight over the fells and marsh}' 

 parts of the shore, " more like a large animated snow-flake than a bird," seizing 

 its prey by darting quickly down upon it, and usual!}- devours it on the spot. 

 When it descends to the wooded districts it is said to watch grouse-shooters from 

 some perch on a high tree, and to skim down and carr}' off the birds that fall to 

 their guns. The Laplanders eat this Owl, and sailors on the Arctic seas sa}- that 

 it makes " excellent beef." 



The Snow}^ Owl does well in confinement, and becomes ver}' docile : and has 

 received the title of an "amiable Owl." When Swaysland had his collection of 

 tame Owls on the West Pier at Brighton, among them was a fine female Snowy 

 Owl, whose breast the writer often stroked, and the Owl seemed pleased at being 

 taken notice of. The Snowy Owl has laid eggs in an avian,-, but there is no 

 record of its having reared any 3'oung in captivit3^ 



The Snowy Owl has its plumage white ; the head and back are spotted with 

 dusky brown ; and the wings, tail, and lower parts are barred wHith the same 

 colour. The older the birds become, the narrower become the transverse markings, 

 and the fewer and smaller the spots, until in some yexy old birds the dark mark- 

 ings are quite obliterated, and the plumage is perfectly white. The head is large 

 and round ; facial disks incomplete above the e3'es ; ruff incomplete ; wings large, 

 broad, and rounded ; tail rather long, and rounded, exceeding the closed wings by 

 about an inch and a half. The irides are bright yellow. 



