NOTES ON BIRDS .IN CONFINEMENT , 
Nyctea nyctea. 
On January 30, 1891 I received from Mr. C.E. Hoyle a live 
Snowy Owl which was captured, I know not how, at Edgartown, 
Martha's Vineyard, November 25, 1890. It is a medium-sized, 
dark bird, apparently a female. At first it was dull and 
listless and allowed me to scratch its head without offering 
any resistence, although whenever I approached it it opened 
its mouth wide and made a blowing sound not unlike the "spit- 
ting" of a cat, but louder. It would not eat for several 
days, but after this took raw beef read! lyl about every other 
day, perhaps half a pound at a time. It recovered health and 
spirits rapidly after the first meal; indeed soon became wild 
and fierce, flying about the cellar in which it was confined 
and, except when cornered, seldom permitting me to touch it. 
Even then it submitted to handling with very ill grace and 
at the most would only allow me to scratch its head for a 
flew seconds after which it would fly again. Once as my fin- 
ger was extended slowly it sprang upward, at the same time 
turning ofeer backward, and thrust up its formidable talons, 
coming very near striking them into my wrist. It nearly al- 
ways half opened its wings and held them partly extended for 
a moment before starting to fly/ and this motion often &e~ 
accompanied a few steps taken on the cellar floor although it 
frequently moved several yards with closed wings. Its gait 
varied from a stealthy, crouching walk, which suggested that 
of a cat creeping on a bird, to a succession of awkward, 
bounding jumps with the feet held close together. Sometimes 
the two movements were combined or rather alternated. At 
others the bird would run several yards with quick, even, 
gliding steps. Its characteristic attitude, whether sitting 
on the floor, on a box, or on a pole stretched across a cor- 
ner of the cellar several feet above the floor, was easy, care- 
less rr somewhat crouching, the back rounded, the head slightly 
raised, the plumage puffed out to such a degree that the ap- 
parent diameter of the body was nearly equal to its total 
length from bill to end of tail, the abdominal feathers cov- 
ering the legs and feet. At frequent intervals the bird 
turned its head in one direction until its face was direct- 
ly over its back, then , reversing the motion, moved it a- 
round on the other side until its eyes were again directed 
straight backward. This motion was slow and even like that 
of machinery. The eyes were always wide open, never reduced 
