strigidjE. 89 



When I have seen it on the barren grounds it was generally squatting on 

 the earth, and, if put up, it alighted again after a short flight ; but was 

 always so wary as to be approached with great difficulty. In the woody disiricts 

 it shows less caution, and, according to Hearne, has been known to watch the 

 Grouse-shooters a whole day, for the purpose of sharing in the spoil. On such 

 occasions it perches on a high tree, and, when a bird is shot, skims down and 

 carries it off before the sportsman can get near it. It preys on lemmings, 

 hares, and birds, particularly the Willow-grouse and Ptarmigan. Mr. Hutchins 

 says that it eats carrion ; and Wilson informs us that it is a dexterous fisher, 

 grasping its finny prey with an instantaneous stroke of the foot, as it sails along 

 near the surface of the water, or sits on a stone in a shallow stream. I have seen 

 it pursue the American hare on the wing, making repeated strokes at the animal 

 with its foot ; but on that occasion, through the intervention of an Indian, it was 

 driven from its quarry. It makes its nest on the ground, and lays three or four 

 white eggs, of which two only are in general hatched. In winter, when this Owl 

 is fat, the Indians and white residents in the fur-countries esteem it to be good 

 eating. Its flesh is delicately white. There is a live specimen, from Hudson's 

 Bay, at present in the gardens of the Zoological Society. 



DESCRIPTION 

 Of an individual killed at Bear Lake, lat. 65°, May, 1826. 



Colour white ; marked on the dorsal aspect with umber-brown spots. There are no spots 

 on the face or forehead ; those on the crown of the head are small, irregular in shape, and 

 situated near the tips of the feathers. The nape of the neck is unspotted ; but farther back, 

 near the shoulders, the plumage is brownish at the base, and one or two narrow bars of dull- 

 brown cross each feather near its tip. There are similar bars on the fore part of the back, 

 the scapularies, and the lesser wing coverts. The rump and the tail coverts are almost totally 

 white. The tail is marked near its end by three very imperfect bars, consisting of transverse 

 oblong spots, which do not reach either the margins or shafts of the feathers : the outer tail 

 feather on each side is unspotted. The brown spots on the primaries and their coverts are 

 brighter and rather larger than elsewhere, and have mostly a roundish shape. They consti- 

 tute, on the former, six or seven interrupted bars. The spots on the secondaries are small, 

 and confined to the exterior webs. The plumage on the ventral aspect and insides of the 

 wings is white, with the exception of about four broccoli-brown bars near the ends of the 

 primaries, and two or three very imperfect bars of the same colour on the under surface of 

 the tail. The bill and claws are bluish-black ; the irides Dutch-orange. 



Form, &c. — Head small. Bill curved from the base, compressed towards the point, sides 

 moderately convex, and the ridge rounded ; cutting margin nearly even ; gape wide. Cere 

 rather short. Nostrils large, oval, approaching to round, situated obliquely at the anterior 



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