ON THE ORNITHOLOGY OF LAPLAND. 259 



(chiefly birds of the year) were shot or trapped in 

 that province. 



An opinion is held here that the snowy owl 

 becomes whiter in the winter (and I think this 

 very probable), and that the female is always 

 purer in colour than the male. It is clearly a 

 diurnal bird ; for any day when we went out on 

 the fells we could see the white owl perched on a 

 distant rock watching us, or beating over the fells 

 with a stately measured flight — always, however, 

 out of gunshot. Its shriek when on the wing 

 resembles a loud "krau-au," repeated three or 

 four times ; but it is seldom heard except when 

 the bird is excited. Some of the movements of 

 this bird are very extraordinary, and I once saw 

 one fall from a considerable height on to the 

 ground, where it lay for some time perfectly 

 motionless, with outstretched wings, as if it were 

 shot. I tried to creep up within gunshot, but it 

 rose out of distance, and sailed away uttering a 

 wild loud cry, "Rick, rick, rick," as if mocking 

 me. 



The hawk owl (Strix funerea, Lath.; " hok 

 uggla," Sw. ; " girgeiodde," Lap.) was by far the 

 commonest owl in this district, and although, of 

 course, like the rest of the tribe, the lemming 

 forms its principal food when they are "in 

 season," I don't believe this bird migrates much, 



