THE SNOWY OWL. 



{Nyctea nyctea.) 



This large and beautiful Owl has been 

 call the "Spirit of boreal regions." Its 

 range is circumpolar, and its summer 

 home is in the Arctic regions of the 

 Northern hemisphere, where its dense, 

 white robe of feathers makes it almost 

 invisible in a region of nearly perpetual 

 snow. In the winter, when food be- 

 comes more scarce, these Owls migrate 

 southward, some passing into the Unit- 

 ed States, a few even reaching South 

 Carolina, Texas, California and Ber- 

 muda. While it is not probable that 

 any large number migrate very far 

 south of the arctic regions, there are 

 instances when a large number have 

 appeared along the Atlantic seaboard. 

 Mr. Ruthven Dean reports that in the 

 winter of 1876 and 1877 he knew of 

 five hundred being seen, the larger num- 

 ber of which were shot, in New Eng- 

 land alone. During the same season 

 large numbers were also seen in other 

 portions of the Eastern United States 

 and in Ontario. 



Regarding the home and food of these 

 Owls, Major Bendire says : ''The home 

 of the Snowy Owl is on the immense 

 moss and lichen covered tundras of the 

 boreal regions, where it leads an easy' 

 existence and finds an abundant supply 

 of food during the short Arctic sum- 

 mers. It hunts its prey at all hours 

 and subsists principally on the lem- 

 ming," and it is said to be always abun- 

 dant wherever these mammals are found 

 in any numbers. Small rodents are 

 also caught, as well as ptarmigan, ducks 

 and other waterfowl, and even the Arc- 

 tic hare, an animal fully as heavy again 

 as these Owls, is said to be successfully 

 attacked and killed by them." It is 

 evident that abundance of this species in 

 any given locality depends entirely on 

 the presence or absence of one of its 

 favorite foods. They are exceedingly 

 fond of arvicoline or field mice. Dr. 



A. K. Fisher in his "Hawks and Owls 

 of the United States" relates the follow- 

 ing observations of Dr. Leonhard Stej- 

 neger regarding the Snowy Owl on 

 Bering Island: "Prior to 1870 there 

 were no mice, and very few Owls ever 

 visited the island. About this date the 

 house mouse was introduced from ships 

 and the red-backed mouse in some un- 

 known way. Twelve years afterwards 

 he found the island swarming with mice 

 and an abundance 01 resident Owls, af- 

 fording a striking demonstration of the 

 perfect workings of nature, for with 

 the undue increase of any one species 

 there occurs a coresponding increase 

 of its natural enemies." 



It is said that the Snowy Owl only 

 seizes its prey when the latter is in 

 motion. It is very fond of fish and 

 is quite an expert at catching them. 

 This it accomplishes by watching for 

 fish that may be lurking in the crevices 

 of a rock-bound coast and quickly seiz- 

 ing them with its talons. It is a di- 

 urnal bird of prey, but hunts much more 

 actively in the early morning hours and 

 at the approach of dusk. It is a bird 

 endowed with rapid flight and it is 

 said that it is able to capture ducks and 

 grouse while they are on the wing. 

 It also has the power of protracted and 

 noiseless flight. Dr. Fisher says that 

 the Snowy Owl is "naturally very gentle 

 in disposition, and soon becomes tame 

 in confinement. It has been taught 

 to remain in the vicinity of its home 

 and return to its master at the sound of 

 a whistle." 



The nest of this Owl is placed upon 

 the ground on a slight elevation above 

 the surrounding country. It seems hard- 

 ly appropriate to dignify the home of 

 this bird with the name of nest, for it 

 is only a lining of a few feathers, a 

 little moss or lichens placed in a shallow 

 depression scratched out by the birds. 



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