88 



NORTHERN ZOOLOGY. 



strong, moderately long, sharp, and very much curved : the posterior one is rounded beneath ; 

 the outer versatile one is slightly flattened beneath, and the other two are grooved, the middle 

 one having a sharp inner edge. The inner toe is the longest, and the next to it in length is 

 the middle one ; the other two are considerably smaller. 



Inches. 

 Length from the tip of the bill to the end of 



the tail 23 



„ of the bill on its ridge . . .1 



„ of the cere .... 

 „ of the bill, from the angle of the 

 mouth ...... 1 



Dimensions. 







Lines. 



Length of the tail 



Inches. 

 8 



Lines. 



6 



C „ of the longest quill feather . 



. 12 







9 ,, of the tarsus . . 



2 



3 



9 ,, of the middle toe 



. 1 



6 



,, of its claw 



1 



3 



[24.] 



7. Strix nyctea. (Linn.) Great Snowy Owl. 



Genus. Strix. Linn. Sub-genus. Surnia. Dumeril. 



The Great White Owl. (Aluco albus diurnus.) Edwards, pi. 61. 



Strix nyctea. Forster. Phil. Trans-, lxii., p. 385. A totally white specimen. 



Snowy Owl. Lath. Syn., i., p. 132, sp. 17. Suppl., i., p. 45, sp. 17. Penn. Arct. Zool., ii., p. 233, No. 121. 



Strix nyctea. Lath. Intl., i., p. 57, sp. 20. 



Ermine Owl. Idem. Syn., Second Suppl., p. CO, sp. 7- 



Strix Candida. Lath. Ind., Suppl., p. xiv., sp. 3. 



Snow Owl. {Strix nyctea.') Wilson, iv., p. 53, pi. 32, f. 1. Male. 



Strix nyctea. Temm., i., p. 82. Sabine. Parry's First Voy., Suppl., p. cxciii., No. 1. Richards., Append. 



Parry's Second Voy., p. 342. Bonap., Syn., p. 36, No. 24. Selby. Brit. Orn., 8vo., p. 58. 

 Wapow-keethoo or Wapohoo. Cree Indians. Ookpeeguak. EsauiMAux. 



This highly beautiful and powerful bird is common in the more northern parts of 

 both hemispheres, frequenting in summer the most remote arctic lands that have 

 been visited, but retiring, with the Ptarmigan, on which it preys, to more sheltered 

 districts in the winter. Even in the latter season, however, it is frequently seen 

 within the confines of the Arctic Circle ; though it is not very uncommon at the 

 same period in Canada and the northern parts of the United States ; and now and 

 then it has been known to wander as far south as Florida. In Europe it frequents 

 the Feroe and Shetland Islands, and is occasionally killed, even in summer, on 

 the moors of the Orkneys. According to Temminck, it sometimes visits the north 

 of Germany, and is casually seen in Holland. It hunts in the day ; and, indeed, 

 unless it could do so, it would be unfit to pass the summer within the Arctic Circle. 



