SNOW OWL. 49 



I afterwards examined, when on my way through that place 

 to New Orleans. Near Bairdstown, in Kentucky, I met with 

 a large and very beautiful one, which appeared to be altogether 

 unknown to the inhabitants of that quarter, and excited general 

 surprise. A person living on the eastern shore of Maryland, 

 shot one of these birds a few months ago, a female ; and, 

 having stuffed the skin, brought it to Philadelphia, to Mr 

 Peale, in expectation, no doubt, of a great reward. I have 

 examined eleven of these birds within these fifteen months 

 last past, in different and very distant parts of the country, 

 all of which were shot either during winter, late in the fall, 

 or early in spring ; so that it does not appear certain whether 

 any remain during summer within the territory of the United 

 States ; though I think it highly probable that a few do, in 

 some of the more northern inland parts, where they are most 

 numerous during winter. 



The colour of this bird is well suited for concealment, while 

 roaming over the general waste of snows ; and its flight strong 

 and swift, very similar to that of some of our large hawks. 

 Its hearing must be exquisite, if we judge from the largeness 

 of these organs in it ; and its voice is so dismal, that, as 

 Pennant observes, it adds horror even to the regions of 

 Greenland, by its hideous cries, resembling those of a man in 

 deep distress. 



The male of this species measures twenty-two inches and a 

 half in length, and four feet six inches in breadth ; head and 

 neck, nearly white, with a few small dots of dull brown 

 interspersed ; eyes, deep sunk, under projecting eyebrows, the 

 plumage at their internal angles, fluted or prest in, to admit 

 direct vision ; below this it bristles up, covering nearly the 

 whole bill ; the irides are of the most brilliant golden yellow, 

 and the countenance, from the proportionate smallness of the 

 head, projection of the eyebrow, and concavity of the plumage 

 at the angle of the eye, very different from that of any other 

 of the genus ; general colour of the body, white, marked with 

 lunated spots of pale brown above, and with semicircular 



VOL. II. D 



