( 6r ) 
The Great White Owl. 
HIS Bird comes near the firft Magnitude of this Genu§, and is the moft beauti-. 
J. ful of all the Species, on account of its exceeding fnowy Whitenefs: Its Head is 
lefs in Proportion than in other O'w/s j the Wing, when clofed, is lixtceu Inches from 
the Shoulder to the Tip of the longeft Quill, which may give one a Judgment of its 
Size : It is faid to be a diurnal Bird j it preys on Partridges, and continues in 
Hudfon*s Bay all the Year. 
The Bill is hooked like a HawPs, having no Angles on the Sides, is all black, with 
wide Noftrils, the Bill almoft covered with ftiff Feathers like Hairs, planted round its 
Balls, and reflected forward: The Eyes are encompaded with bright yellpw Irides j 
the Head is fmaller in Proportion than is common to this kind, of a pure White Co¬ 
lour, as is the whole Body, Wings and Tail; the Top of the Head is fpotted with 
fmall dirty-brown Spots j the upper Part of the Back is painted with tranfverfe. 
Lines of dusky Brown, as are the Sides under the Wings, but with fmaller and 
fainter Lines; the Quills on their outer Webs are fpotted with dusky, and fome 
few little duiky Spots on the covert Feathers of the Wings, all which the Figure 
exprelTes : The covert Feathers within Side of the Wings are purely White ; the low¬ 
er Part of the Back is fpotlefs j the middle Feathers of the Tail on the upper Side 
has a few Spots on each Side the Shafts of the Feathers; the Legs and Feet are co¬ 
vered with white Feathers ; the Claws are long, ftrong, and of a black Colour, very 
diarp pointed. Another Bird of this kind came to my Hands together with this, 
which differed from this only in that it had more and darker Spots. The firft of 
thefe I have depofited in the Miifceum of the Royal Society, and the deeper Spotted-one 
in the Colledion of Sir Hans Shane, Bart> 
There is in the Hands of Mr. Peter Colinfon, of London, F. R. S. an Oyl Painting 
of the Size of Life, done in Penfyhania by Order of- Penn, Efq. from one of 
thefe Birds taken alive, and kept fome Time, which has given me a Knowledge of 
the Colour of its Eyes. I find Drawings of this Bird alfo in the Colleftion of Sir Hans 
Shane, in which the Colour of the Eyes agree with thofe of Mr. Colitifon'^ Piifture, 
which feems to me a reafonable Proof, that they are as I have exprelfed them. I 
could not do it from Life, becaufe the Birds were lent dried from Hudfon's Bay to me 
by Mr. Alexander Light, who has obliged me with many fuch Favours. The Rea-^ 
fon why Mr. Penn caufed this Bird to be drawn was, becaufe of its great Rarity, 
not having been ever obferved before in Penfyhania j fo that I fuppofe it inhabits only 
the moft Northern Parts of America, I cannot find that any Account has been yet given, 
in Print of this curious Bird. 
rhe 
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