234 THE BOOK OF BIRDS 



authority on birds, came across proofs of this one day 

 when he was out duck-shooting near Louisville. He found 

 several of them at the falls of the river Ohio. They were 

 lying on the rocks near the 'pot-holes/ so still that they 

 might have been asleep or dead. But all the time they 

 were awake and on the alert, and the instant some 

 unsuspecting fish came near the surface, near enough to 

 reach, a white-feathered leg shot out with amazing swift- 

 ness, and the claws, sharp as needles, were struck into the 

 scaly prize. 



The Snowy Owl is not only one of the larger Owls, — it 

 is some twenty-two inches in actual length, — but, unlike the 

 two British species which we have been talking about, it is 

 not a night-flier but a bird of daylight. It is sheathed in 

 white feathers from head to foot literally, for even the feet 

 are half hidden in down ; and "the large orange eyeballs 

 shine with a lustre as of a living topaz set among the 

 snowy plumage." 



There is an amusing story of a sailor who was sent aloft, 

 one night, to carry out some order. He had not been gone 

 up the rigging more than a minute or so when down he 

 came in feverish haste, with unmistakable terror in his 

 face and manner. 



" What's the matter ? " the mate called out in surprise. 

 " Matter enough," said the man, with chattering teeth, 

 glancing upward. " There's Davy Jones himself sitting on 

 the main-yard ! " 



It was a Snowy Owl. The bird had settled on the ship, 

 as birds will during their flights across the sea, and had 

 found a resting-place on the great spar. It had evidently 

 gone to sleep there when darkness fell, and, disturbed by 

 the approach of poor Jack, had opened its golden eyes on 

 the intruder, to his intense surprise and dismay. 



