Poor ducky died in my hands a moment , 

 later, the marks of cruel claws telling me 

 plainly that the thief was an owl ; though I Snowy Visitors 

 had no suspicion then that it was the rare 

 winter visitor from the North. I supposed 

 that it was only a great horned owl, and so 

 laid plans to get him. 



Next night I was at the same spot with 

 some wooden decoys, over which the skins 

 of wild ducks had been carefully stretched. 

 An hour after dark he came again, attracted, 

 no doubt, by my continued quacking. I had 

 another swift glimpse of what seemed only a 

 shadow ; saw it poise and shoot downward 

 before I could find it with my gun-sight, 

 striking the decoys with a great splash and 

 clatter. Before he discovered his mistake 

 I had him. The next moment Don came 

 ashore, proud as a peacock, bringing a great 

 snowy owl with him — a rare prize, worth 

 ten times the trouble we had taken to get it. 



Owls are generally very lean and mus- 

 cular; so much so, in severe winters, when 

 food is scarce, that they are unable to fly 

 straight when the wind blows ; and a 



