10 
BULLETIN OF THE NUTT ALL 
where it is confined mostly to the coast, although occasionally taken 
throughout the interior. About the first of November, 1876, how- 
ever, large numbers suddenly appeared along our coast. This be- 
ing the season when sportsmen and the market gunners were in 
pursuit of water-fowl on the sea-shore, dozens of Snowy Owls were 
shot by them and sent to the markets and to taxidermists, so that 
during the three following weeks it was a common thing to see 
them hanging wuth other game in the markets, or confined alive. 
I first heard of them on our Massachusetts coast as frequenting 
the islands off Rockport, where numbers were taken. One gunner 
spoke of seeing fifteen at once on a small island one foggy morning, 
nearly half of which he procured. As the Owls flew around over 
the rocks uttering their weird cries, they presented a scene of rare 
occurrence in New England. Specimens were soon after captured 
in nearly ev6ry town in this vicinity (Boston), and were sent to the 
city from various other parts of the country. Several w'ere shot in 
the very heart of the city of Boston, where they were occasionally 
seen perched upon the house-tops or church-spires. 
I learn from Mr. George A. Boardman, of Milltown, Me., that 
they were at this time very abundant in his locality, where they 
appeared as early as September. Mr. Simeon F. Cheney, of Grand 
Menan, also informs me that they were never before so abundant 
there as during the present season, arriving there about October 20. 
He reports that eight were seen together at one time, and that on 
another occasion a flock of fifteen was noticed. 
Mr. N. C. Brown, of Portland, Me., reports that about one hun- 
dred and fifty were shot in the immediate vicinity of that city, and 
that five flew about the buildings of the city for a week unmolested. 
Mr. J. M. Le Moyne also writes me that the unusual abundance 
of these birds about Quebec, Canada, has been the subject of gen- 
eral remark. 
The migration seems also to have extended far to the southward 
of New England, as I learn from Mr. Boardman that specimens 
have been taken as far south as Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Wash- 
ington. In Philadelphia Mr. John Krider, the w^ell-known taxider- 
mist, had forty sent to him for preparation during October and 
November. One was taken near Baltimore during the last of Sep- 
tember. I have heard of some five hundred specimens that have 
been seen, the majority of which have been shot. 
Many of the specimens were in exceedingly poor condition. Of 
