40 



THE OOLOGIST. 



ing but my theory is that the first set 

 of eggs had been destroyed in some 

 manner and that these birds were the 

 result of a second effort. 



Is it not uncommon for this bird 

 to be found nesting this far south? 

 RICHARD C. HARLOW. 



Are you sure these were not the 

 Spotted Sandpiper? They were a late 

 brood in either case. — Ed. 



Snowy Owls in November. 



In the Oologist for January, Mr. 

 George L. Fordyce of Youngstown, O., 

 relates the taking of a Snowy Owl 

 near Canfield, Ohio, on November 23, 

 last, by a farmer; and in commenting 

 upon it suggests that it is quite un- 

 usual for a Snowy Owl to be found 

 as far south so early in the winter, in- 

 asmuch as this bird is supposed to 

 come into the United States during 

 severe winter weather, or on account 

 of unfavorable food conditions in its 

 northern home. 



That Mr. Fordyce is quite wrong in 

 his supposition, and that November is 

 the very month in which the Snowy 

 Owl is most often taken throughout 

 the northern states will be borne out, 

 I believe, by the testimony of any of 

 our ornithologists or collectors wro 

 have had experience with this bird. 



Being a bird in the colder regions 

 of the north, — a lover of ice and snow 

 — the supposition might be natural 

 that this owl would only condescend 

 to visit us during severe winter 

 weather, and there seems to be a gen- 

 erally accepted theory to this effect. 

 But theory and practice quite often 

 fail to agree. 



In the New England states, where 

 the Snowy Owl is a more frequent 

 visitor, it is more often observed in 

 the late fall and early winter than la- 

 ter on. I recall some years ago being 

 in "Worcester, Mass., on business in 

 the month of November, and having 

 a little time at my disposal, called up- 

 on Mr. Charles K. Reed, the widely- 



known taxidermist. He showed me 

 among other things, a fine Snowy 

 Owl in the meat, which had just been 

 brought in. Upon asking him if he 

 did not get hold of as many of these 

 owls in November as at any time, 

 he stated that November was pre- 

 eminently the time for them, — -that 

 more came to him in that month than 

 in all of the winter months combined. 



Here in Southern Indiana, in a lat- 

 itude which is less than 39 degrees, we 

 can hardly expect any visits from 

 the Snowy Owl, but back in New York 

 state, where I formerly resided (in 

 the same county in which the Oologist 

 is published) we were some times 

 favored with visits from this pretty 

 owl, and when we were, is was most 

 often in November or December. 



Referring back today, to notes 

 which I made eight years ago on the 

 birds of Western New York, I find 

 that I have the following annotation 

 under the Snowy Owl. 



"A not uncommon visitant. A bird 

 of the ice and snow of the far north, 

 a few individuals straying southward 

 to the Northern United States in late 

 fall and winter. Plentiful some win- 

 ters, and not observed at all, others. 

 Irregular. While it may be met with 

 any late fall or winter month, here No- 

 vember and December seem to be 

 the monthsof its most frequent oc- 

 currences, particularly the former." 



Such seem to have been my im- 

 pressions at the time, and were I liv- 

 ing back along old Lake Ontario to- 

 day, and were I desirous of procuring 

 one of these beautiful white owls for 

 my collection, I should certainly look 

 for it with the largest measure of 

 hope in the month of November. 



The taking of the Snowy Owl at 

 Canfield .Ohio, on November 22nd, 

 seems quite regularly in line with the 

 usual habits of the bird, as observed 

 and read about by 



Yours very truly, 



CORNELIUS F. POSSON. 



