225 



developed; two were considerably smaller, and the remaining three 

 were nestlings just hatched; finally, under the young there was an egg 

 in an advanced stage of incubation. There was evidently an in- 

 terval of several days between these stages. On the following day 

 a pair of snowy owls were observed in copula, and hence eggs 

 were still being deposited in their nest. The male belonging to 

 the first nest was shot; it proved to be a very old bird, perfectly 

 white, with the exception of a few darkish spots on the tips of 

 the wings. 



Many of the nests were found that year on the fells in 

 Gudbrandsdalen, and throughout the summer the „Kvitørn" (white 

 eagle") was seen in almost every spot. On the Dovre, these birds 

 were seen for hours perching on the telegraph-poles, and were 

 hardly to be driven off with stones. 



In Valders and Hallingdal no less than 29 eggs, tåken from 

 nests near Nystuen, on the Fillefjeld, were collected by one collec- 

 tor, Mr. Lysne, but as these were not left in the nest, the obser- 

 vations as whith those made by Professor Friis could not be repeated. 

 Here, too, the eggs were laid at irregular intervals the whole 

 summer through; eggs in an advanced stage of incubation were 

 found on the Ist June, (probably their wonted breeding-time). and 

 fresh eggs on the 17th June and even the 19th July. 



When the female is sitting, the male is ever on the watch, 

 and warns his mate at the slightest sign of danger by a loud cry, 

 whereupon she immediately quits her nest, and both birds, screaming 

 i incessantly, keep flying for hours together in the immediate neigh- 

 ; bourhood of the nest. On such occasions, the males are bold to a 

 ! degree, attacking savagely whomsoever ventures to approach 

 their nest; they will swoop down on the sportsman or his dog, 

 especially the latter, and can with difficulty be driven away. The 

 females take matters more coolly, posting themselves near the 

 ;nest in some conspicuous spot, but always out of gun-range. It 

 devolves upon the male bird to go in search of prey, the duty of 

 the female being to divide it when brought to the nest amongher young. 

 Hence the former are always in poor condition, whereas the females 



Vidensk.-Selsk. Forh. 1872. 15 



