THE SNOWY OWL. 
younger bird then looks greyish 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 com- 
paratively short. Besides this, the whole of the plumage is of 
a peculiarly loose and fluffy character, a condition easily recog- 
nised, although difficult to describe. The oldest specimen in 
my possession is white, with the exception of a very few 
marks upon the wings and tail ; the shafts of the quills are 
shining and yellowish, almost resembling 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 grey at the base.” 
If, as is supposed by some, the first feathers of the young are 
similar to those of the adult, I would ask, what are the dark 
birds ? How does it happen that the whitest birds always 
present indisputable evidence of age ? Specimens have come 
into my hands having a number of the feathers, especially of 
the breast and the back of the neck, dushy brown barred luitli 
black. These birds had both bill and claws differing from those 
of the adult in the manner described above ; the whole 
plumage was much barred, and the tendons of the wings and 
legs could be easily cut. In the whiter birds the very reverse 
was the case. Possibly the name Snowy Owl, like that of Gyr 
Falcon, may yet be found to include more than one species. 
The movements of the Snowy Owl upon the ground are the 
reverse of graceful, being as a rule confined to awkward bound- 
ing jumps, sometimes assisted by the wings. However, while 
watching it with my glass, I have seen it' walk sedately from 
behind its sheltering rock, throwing the feet well forward, and 
spreading its large tufted toes, but this has only occurred once. 
I remember also that after it had returned to its shelter, a male 
