ASIOXID^. 135 



ship halfway across the Atlantic, from the coast of Labrador to the north 

 ot Ireland. This was in November 1838, and Mr. Here's Snowy Owl may 

 have reached our coasts through an assisted passage on the rigging of the 

 ship. 



A long interval had to pass before the Snowy Owl was again observed 

 in this county, and it was not until 1876 that another could be recorded. 

 On March lyth in that year, the weather being very cold and siiowj', one 

 appeared at Ditsworthy liabbit-warren in S. Devon, not far from Plj-mouth, 

 and was actually shot by a little boy of eight years of age, the grandson of 

 the warrener. This little feliow had seen the Owl pounce upon and 

 instantly kill a rabbit, and with a single-barrelled gun tired at the bird as 

 it Hew over him, and brought it down. It was sent into Plymouth, for 

 preservation, Avhere Mr. Gatcombe examined it, and judged it to be a 

 male, and, from its very white colour, an old bird. " Prom its com- 

 paratively small size, and the general whiteness of its plumage, I feel 

 certain of its being a male, and an old bird too." Mr. Gatcombe adds 

 that when the Owl was first seen it was being chased by some Hawks 

 (J. G., Zool. 1870, p. 4921 ; 1877, p. 163). 



About ten days later another Snowy Owl was trapped on Exmoor, 

 probably the companion bird. A shepherd had observed it in a very 

 short time strike at and kill two hares, and ran off to inform Sir F. AV. 

 Knight's keeper that a large bird was making short work with the gamo 

 in the forest ; and in the afternoon of the same day this fine Owl was 

 trapped in a gin baited with part of one of the hares it had previ )usly 

 killed. (The Swedish name of the Snowy Owl is Harfang, the Hare- 

 catcher.) AVe went to Barnstaple on purpose to see it, as it was sent to 

 the bird-stuffer in that town for preservation. It was a very large female, 

 and of about the same age, judging from the amount of dark bars across 

 the plumage, as the one obtained at Plymouth. It was very well set up 

 by Prayne, and was seen aud admired by many persons, before it was sent 

 to Exmoor, where we believe it may still be seen in Sir P. AY. Knight's 

 house. (M. A. M,, Zool. 1876, p. 4'JOO.) 



The report of Snowy Owls having been seen on Dartmoor in the spring 

 of 1876, Avhich appeared in the ' AVestern Times' of April 3rd, 1876, no 

 doubt refers to the one killed at Ditsworthy, and to its companion, shortly 

 afterwards trapped on Exmoor. If more than two were seen, it is some 

 comfort to believe that not all these splendid birds met with slaughter, and 

 that there were some that escaped. 



The Snowy Owl hunts for its ])re}^ in the daytime, belonging to tho 

 diurnal Owls, and is one of the chief ornaments of the Polar avifauna. 

 It becomes very docile in confinement. Some few years since, Mr. Sways- 

 land, the well-known iJrightou bird-stufi'er, had a collection of live Owls 

 which was exhibited in a small gallery underneath the seaward cud of tho 

 AVest Pier, which we often visited, and used to sti-okc the breast of a fino 

 Snowy Owl, which always appeared gratitied Axith the attention. The 

 fate of those Owls was a sad ojie, as they were all swept out to sea and 

 drowned by a terrific gale which almost wrecked tlio \\'e.st Pier. 



There is a specimen of the Snowy Owl in the A. M. M. from the col- 



