8638 



Birds. 



than all upon the tail. Although an immature specimen may appear 

 to have the ground colour, so to speak, of the plumage perfectly white, 

 comparison with an adult will at once show that it differs in several 

 respects. The plumage of the youuger bird then looks grayish and 

 dingy, and in some parts, particularly about the legs and feet, there 

 is often a distinct rusty hue, and the feathers in the latter situation are 

 comparatively short ; besides this the whole of the plumage is of a 

 peculiarly loose and " fluffy " character, a condition easily recognised, 

 although diffictflt to describe. The oldest specimen in my possession 

 is white, with the exception of a very few r marks upon the wings and 

 tail ; the shafts of the quills are shining and yellowish, almost resem- 

 bling ivory, and the plumage dense in texture, compact and slightly 

 glossy, — altogether very different from that of a younger bird. It is 

 a male, and weighed nearly four pounds; probably it was very old, 

 for the muscles were unusually strong, and some of the tendons could 

 not be cut with a scalpel. In this specimen, as in all others which I 

 have examined, most of the smaller feathers, especially those upon 

 the back of the neck and upper part of the breast, are gray at the 

 base. 



From all accounts it appears that the snowy owl is easily tamed, 

 and thrives well in captivity. In March last I saw one which, having 

 been wounded a few days previously, had been brought home alive. 

 As soon as I let it out of the room in which it was kept it raised its 

 feathers and snapped loudly with its bill, but very soon allowed me to 

 handle it as I pleased, and quietly submitted to the operations of 

 weighing, measuring, &c, not even attempting to escape, although it 

 might easily have done so. It seemed rather weakly, and this was 

 attributed to its wounds, but upon my offering it some water it drank 

 eagerly, and became quite lively, although still continuing gentle, and 

 showing no disposition to regain its liberty. It would not of its own 

 accord take the water, but upon my inserting the edge of the saucer 

 between its mandibles it immediately began to swallow the contents 

 with great apparent satisfaction. It would clutch a large stick or the 

 back of a chair firmly with its feet, at the same time standing nearly 

 erect, but when placed upon a level surface it made no attempt to 

 stand, nor could I hear that it did so even once during the whole 

 period of its captivity ; it merely rested upon its breast, with its legs 

 folded beneath, and claws firmly clenched. On witnessing this it 

 occurred to me as being rather strange that this species is nearly 

 always seen in a crouching position when upon the ground, and most 

 frequently erect when upon an eminence. Indeed its habits seldom 



