ON THE ORNITHOLOGY OF LAPLAND. 263 



forests), through the kindness of Mr. A. Newton, 

 I possess a genuine specimen of this egg, which 

 was taken from a nest with seven eggs near 

 Muniovara in 1861. This egg is rather rounder 

 and not so elongated as that of the snowy owl. 

 Of the breeding habits of the Ural owl (Strix 

 Uralensis, Pall.), we know nothing for certain; 

 but of all the other European owls I believe five 

 or six to be the full number. On June 13th, I 

 took a clutch of the hawk owl with eight eggs — 

 probably a second clutch from a bird whose first 

 nest had been robbed, for we seldom found fresh 

 eggs after the second week in May, and early in 

 June we shot young flyers. I also took, on May 

 30, a clutch of Tengmalm's owl, with ten eggs. 

 But these certainly were exceptional cases. As to 

 the nest, I never saw a nest of either, the eggs 

 having been. always laid, like those of the wood- 

 pecker, in a hole, with nothing under them but a 

 few dry splinters and chips of the rotten or fresh 

 wood, as the case might be. 



The eggs of the hawk owl very often so much 

 resemble those of the short-eared owl that one 

 might well pass for the other; but they are in 

 general a little smaller, more elongated and 

 pointed at the small end, of a deep dirty white. 

 Usual size — 1J inch by Is. 



Tengmalm's owl (Strix Tengmalmi, Gm.; 



