304 SNOWY OWL. 
but it is resident on Jan Mayen, and is only absent for a few months 
in winter from Spitsbergen, Franz Josef Land, Novaya Zemlya, 
Vaigatch, and the Kola Peninsula. Where small mammals are 
wanting it feeds on birds, and on the fells of Scandinavia it follows the 
lemmings on their migrations ; while of late years it has been found 
breeding in many places where it had previously been unnoticed. 
In Russia it inhabits the tundras, nesting down to the Governments 
of St. Petersburg, Livonia, and even Orenburg; while in winter 
it occurs as far as the Caspian and Azov Seas. In the western 
half of Europe, it visits Pomerania, the north of Germany and 
Denmark in some numbers during cold weather, though hardly 
known on Heligoland ; and its wanderings have extended to Hol- 
land, France, and Lower Austria. In Asia, it is found across 
Siberia to Kamchatka and Bering Island ; while in winter it regu- 
larly visits Turkestan, and an example has even been obtained at 
Mardan, not far from Peshawur. On the American continent it 
breeds on the barren-grounds and the verge of the wooded districts, 
from Alaska to Labrador; on Grinnell-Land Col. Feilden found it 
nesting as far north as 82° 33’, though it abandoned those high 
latitudes at the end of August to reappear on March zoth ; and it 
inhabits Greenland. In winter it has occurred in Texas, as well as 
the Bermudas; while a flock, perched on the spars of a vessel, has 
voyaged from Labrador half way to Ireland. 
The Snowy Owl deposits its eggs on the bare ground or in a 
mere hollow scraped in the reindeer-moss, generally on some slight 
eminence. The white eggs, 10 of which have been found together, 
are often laid in pairs and at intervals, and are rather more elongated 
than usual: measurements 2°3 by 1°75 in. Prof. Collett says that 
the female and young are fed by the male, which exhibits great 
boldness and even ferocity when the nesting-place is approached. 
The food consists of lemmings and other rodents, Arctic hares, 
Ptarmigan, Willow- and other Grouse, Little Auks &c. ; wounded 
birds being often picked up before the sportsman can reach them ; 
carrion is also eaten, and the bird is an expert catcher of fish. Its 
flesh is highly esteemed by the inhabitants of the Arctic regions. 
The cry is a loud and repeated hrau-au. 
The plumage is white, barred and spotted with an amount of black 
or dark brown which varies greatly in different individuals; the 
female being more profusely marked than the male. Small but 
almost invisible tufts exist ; there is no operculum ; bill black 5 iris 
orange-yellow. Length: male 22 in., wing 15:5 in. ; female 25 ins, 
wing 17°5 in. 
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