ORNITHOLOGY, 37- 
The Snowy Owl, one of the largest of this family of birds, and 
an inhabitant of the Arctic regions, cornes here occasionally, dur- 
ing intense cold weather. Their food consists principally of small 
quadrupeds and grouse, but they are also excellent fishers, and 
will watch at an open place in the ice on lakes and rivers, for the 
approach of fish, which they seize with their talons, and devour. 
The Ptarmigan has a peculiar habit when the weather is intensely 
cold, of burying themselves in the loose snow, and remaining 
there until the cold snap is past, when they again emerge from 
their place of shelter. 
The great Cinerous Owl is an occasional winter visitant, but 
very rarely met with in this part of Canada. Having been for 
many years collecting birds, and visiting various museums, I have 
only seen two stuffed specimens, and one live bird. One of the 
stuffed specimens was sent to the French Exposition, by the Nor- 
mal School Natural History Department, Toronto. The live bird 
was captured in Cartwright. ; 
The Jer Falcon is one of the most rare and beautiful of the 
Hawk family. Only one or two specimens have ever been killed 
in Darlington. They occasionally come here late in the fall, or 
early in winter. 
The Canada Jay (Perisoreius Canadensis) is another winter vis- 
itor. This rather singular bird has some traits of character, pecu- 
liarly its own, being readily domesticated, and full of antics. , He 
is known to the shanty-men and trappers, by the name of Whis- 
ky Jack, Venison Bird, and Carrion Bird. As soon as he discov- 
ers the smoke of a shanty, he is sure to make his appearance ; and 
if any meat, bones, or slops are thrown out, he commences to help 
himself to whatever comes in his way, and will readily take a piece 
of meat off the end of a stick, a few feet in length, that is held 
out to him ; and if a person 1s carrying a piece of meat on his 
back, he will not hesitate to alight on it, and eat his fill. One of 
. those birds was brought to me while in Ottawa. It had received 
a slight injury on the tip of the wing, from a gun-shot wound, re- 
ceived about an hour before. I placed it in a cage, which it ex- 
amined very minutely. After a short time, I offered it some meat 
on the end of a stick, of which he was a little shy, but after a 
time, he took it, and in an hour from the time he was placed in 
