DUBLIN NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 125 



Stormy Petrel {Thallassidroma pelagica). — I have only seen one indi- 

 vidual in the river. 



This concludes my lists, and in them I have only included those 

 birds which came under my own observation. 



ON THE OCCURRENCE OF THE SNOWY OWL (SURNTA NYCTEa) NEAR SWORDS, 

 COUNTY OF DUBLIN. BY ROBERT J. MONTGOMERY, M. R. D. S., HONORARY 

 CURATOR. 



[Read March 7, 1862.] 



The great Snowy Owl {Suryiia nyctea), or, according to modern nomen- 

 clature, Nyctea nivea, is a native of the northern portions of both conti- 

 nents, Greenland, however, being its stronghold. Sir John Richardson, 

 describing its habits in the fur countries, states that it hunts in the day- 

 time, and follows the grouse-shooters, by grouse meaning willow-grouse 

 {Tetrao umhellus), for the purpose of sharing iu the spoil. On these 

 occasions it displays considerable boldness and audacity. The same 

 traveller says the Snowy Owl frequents in summer the most remote 

 Arctic lands that have been visited, but retires with the ptarmigan, on 

 which it preys, to more sheltered districts in winter. Wilson and Au- 

 dubon, the American ornithologists, concur in stating that fish forms a 

 portion of the food of the Snowy Owl, and by their account he displays 

 great dexterity in his mode of capturing this description of prey . Whether 

 this be true, or not, I cannot say; but his foot seems to be most admirably 

 adapted for retaining a fijm hold of a quarry so slippery, the sole of the 

 foot and the under side of the toes being entirely clothed Avith fea- 

 thers, while by the remarkable formation of the foot he is enabled to 

 grasp with all four toes, which are long, and armed with very sharp and 

 powerful claws. The plumage of the Snowy Owl is particularly dense; 

 no bird with which I am acquainted is so perfectly protected against the 

 extreme cold of the countries in which it is chiefly to be found, the eyes, 

 the point of the beak, and claws being the only portions of the bii-d un- 

 covered by plumage both dense and down3^ 



This species has been more frequently met with in Ireland than in 

 either England or Scotland, which at first view seems somewhat strange, 

 the bird for many years having been believed to be a permanent resi- 

 dent in the Orkney and Shetland Islands. It is now, however, ascer- 

 tained to be only a winter visiter to those islands. The specimens which 

 have from time to time visited us are most probably from Greenland or 

 Labrador ; they are mostly young birds, on their migration to their 

 winter quarters. Our geographical position accounts for the more fre- 

 quent occurrence of the bird in Ireland than in England or Scotland. 

 Thompson records nine instances. One of those nine refers to the speci- 

 men in our Museum, which was shot near Omagh, county of Tyrone, in 

 1853, and presented to the Society by Edward Waller, Esq. 



