284 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF. CANADA. 



record as a pure invention of the alleged finder of the nest — one 

 calling himself Le Grand T. Meyer — this, no doubt, being a 

 fictitious name. The nest is described as being made of hay, grass 

 and sticks, warmly lined with feathers and eighteen inches high 

 above the level prairie. The alleged finder of this nest evidently 

 was never in Canada or he would know that the ground is usually 

 covered deep with snow at this time of the year and that it would 

 be an impossibility for the snowy owl to prevent itself, being 

 buried in the snow drifts ; besides if the bird left its eggs for a 

 few minutes they would get fro'zen and burst. I have a clutch of 

 seven eggs and another of four eggs taken by Mr. Young, on 

 Herschei Island, west of Mackenzie Bay. The nests were on the 

 ground. {W. Raine.) This species is not plentiful in the Ander- 

 son country, while every effort made to secure even one specimen 

 nest with its eggs proved unsuccessful ; on one occasion we 

 noticed a white owl hunting marmots {Spermophilus empetrd) in the 

 barren grounds ; and there can be no doubt that this and other 

 owls sometimes rob ptarmigan, ducks, etc., of their eggs. 

 {Macfarlane) 



MUSEUM SPECIMENS. 



Pive ; one purchased with the Holman collection in 1885 > 011^ 

 taken at Toronto by S. Herring ; one taken at Great Bear Lake, 

 Lat. 65'' 30' by Max Bell; one taken at Ottawa, Ont., March, 1891, 

 and another pure white one taken north of Ottawa. 



CXXXIX. SURMIA DuMERiL. 



3'7'r. Hawk Owl. 



Surniaulula {l^va^.) Bonap, 1842. 



The introduction of this bird into our fauna rests on the capture 

 of a single specimen near St. Michael, Alaska, in October, 1876, 

 by Mr. L. M. Turner. {Nelson.) The natives assert that this 

 species is a resident and breeds in the vicinity of St. Michael, 

 and also that it is a coast bird, not going far into the interior. 

 ( Turner) 



sila. American Hawk Owl. 



Surnia ulula caparoch (Mull.) Stejn. 1884. 



Rare at Fort Chimo, Ungava ; eggs obtained June 8th, 1884, 

 and downy young nearly ready to leave the nest were taken June 



