54 



SNOW OWL. 



elastic kind, and so closely matted together as to make it a difficult 

 matter to penetrate to the skin. 



The usual food of this species is said to be hares, grouse, rab- 

 bits, ducks, mice, and even carrion. Unlike most of his tribe he 

 hunts by day as well as by twilight, and is particularly fond of fre- 

 quenting the shores and banks of shallow rivers, over the surface of 

 which he slowly sails, or sits on a rock a little raised above the 

 water watching for fish. These he seizes with a sudden and in- 

 stantaneous stroke of the foot, seldom missing his aim. In the 

 more southern and thickly settled parts he is seldom seen; and 

 when he appears, his size, color, and singular aspect, attracts ge- 

 neral notice. 



In the month of October I met with this bird on Oswego river, 

 New York state, a little below the falls, vigilantly watching for fish. 

 At Pittsburgh in the month of February I saw another, w hich had 

 been shot in the wing some time before. At a place on the Ohio 

 called Long Reach, I examined another, which was the first ever 

 recollected to have been seen there. In the town of Cincinnati, 

 state of Ohio, two of these birds alighted on the roof of the court 

 house, and alarmed the whole town. A people more disposed to 

 superstition would have deduced some dire or fortunate prognosti- 

 cation from their selecting such a place; but the only solicitude 

 was how to get possession of them, which after several voUies was 

 at length effected. One of these, a female, I afterwards examined 

 when on my way through that place to New Orleans. Near Bairds- 

 town in Kentucky I met with a large and very beautiful one, which 

 appeared to be altogether unknown to the inhabitants of that quar- 

 ter, and excited general surprize. A person living on the eastern 

 shore of Maryland shot one of these birds a few months ago, a fe- 

 male, and having stuffed the skin brought it to Philadelphia, to Mr. 

 Peale in expectation no doubt of a great reward. I have examined 

 eleven of these birds within these fifteen months last past, in dif- 

 ferent and very distant parts of the country, all of which were shot 



