50 
STRiaiDiE. 
habits of the bird. I give the result of his reply as closely as 
possible in his own words : — 
As nearly as he can remember, he has bagged at least thirty 
specimens of the Snowy Owl in the island of Unst. 
It (the Snowy Owl) is seldom killed outright. He thinks 
only three or four of the number were shot dead. 
It often feeds upon beetles and spiders ; he has found these 
in the castings,^ and has seen the bird picking up moss in 
search of them. The bare patches in the moss have sometimes 
been the first hint he has received that the bird was in tlie 
neighbourhood. 
When wounded it invariably throws itself upon its back, and 
defends itself with claws and bill. 
The best time to go in search of it is in stormy weather, it 
then being unwilling to leave shelter ; or immediately after a 
few rough days, wlien it becomes bold from hunger. 
“ Every owl likes to keep to its own hill, and comes back to 
it after a while if you drive it away.” 
It feeds both by day and by night, but mostly by night. 
He has seen it catch skylarks and snow buntings upon the 
ground, dropping sideways” upon them. 
In eating a rabbit, if not hurried, it first breaks the bones, 
beginning at the head. “ If you frighten it, it will most likely 
bolt the rabbit whole.” 
It seldom flies high, except when going to a distance, and it 
prefers to fly head to wind. 
It is solitary in its ways ; and even when there are two or 
three upon a hill, they do not as a rule keep together. 
It is sometimes heard screaming when following its prey. 
“ When it looks at a small thing, such as an insect, it draws 
back its head and makes the eye very small.” 
“It always sits in a place where it can get a view all 
round.” 
“ It can turn the head round so as to look over tlie back 
without moving the body.” 
* I myself once found beetles in the stomach. 
