140 STRIGTD/E.
account of the capture of this bird given by Captain Stacey
of the collier leaves no doubt of its accuracy. Such was the
account given to the Zoological Society in June 1835, by
Mr. Thompson of Belfast, of the capture of this Owl, as
recorded in the Proceedings of* that Society, on the evening
when the specimen was exhibited, and I am not aware that
any other record exists of an Owl of this species having occurred
in this country. Yet, when we consider that this bird
is an inhabitant of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and other
parts of the North of Europe, that it is not unfrequently seen
in Germany, and even in France, it is matter of surprise that
it should not have been taken in this country before. This
Owl is an inhabitant also of great part of North America.
Edwards long ago described and figured this species under
the name of Hawk Owl, from examples received from Hudson’s
B ay ; and I have followed Mr. Gould in retaining for
this species the English name of Hawk Owl, as originally
bestowed upon it by our countryman Edwards at that time.
The most recent account of the habits of this species has
been supplied in the Fauna Boreali-Americana, by Dr.
Richardson and Mr. Swainson, and I hope I am not exceeding
privilege in availing myself of part of it.
“ This Owl remains all the year in high northern latitudes
in America, and is rarely seen so far south as Pennsylvania,
and then only in severe winters. Wilson saw only two specimens
in the United States. It is a common species
throughout the fur-countries, from Hudson’s Bay to the
Pacific, and is more frequently killed than any other by the
hunters,—which may be partly attributed to its boldness, and
its habit of flying about by day. In the summer season it
feeds principally on mice and insects ; but in the snow-clad
regions, which it frequents in the winter, neither of these are
to be procured, and it then preys mostly on Ptarmigan. It
is a constant attendant on the flocks of Ptarmigan in their
h a w k own.
spring migrations to the northward. It budds its nest on a
tree of sticks, grass, and feathers, and lays two white eggs.
When the hunters are shooting Grouse, this bird is occasionally
attracted by the report of the gun, and is often bold enough,
on a bird being killed, to pounce down upon it, though it
may be unable from its size to carry it off. I t is also known
to hover round the fires made by the natives at night. ’
The following description is from a specimen killed^ m
Lapland, and presented to the Museum of the Zoological
Society by Captain E v e r e t t T h e beak is white ; the irides
straw yellow; facial disk dull white, bounded on the sides by
a semilunar dark purplish brown patch extending from the
ears downwards ; the head, back of the neck, and upper part
of the shoulders, mottled with dusky black and dull white ;
back and wings dark umber brown; lower part of the back
barred with dull white; tertials elongated, loose, and downy
in texture, covering great part of the wing, and barred alternately
with dusky brown and white ; upper surface of tail-
feathers dusky brown, with six or seven narrow bars of dull
white, and a broader terminal band of the same colour. Chin
dusky ; throat dull white ; across the upper part of the breast
a broad band of dull white ; breast, belly, and under tail-
coverts, dull white, with numerous narrow transverse bars of
dusky brown ; under surface of tail-feathers barred alternately
with greyish brown and dull white; the tail long ; tarsi and
toes covered with short feathers of greyish white ; claws white
at the base, tipped with bluish black.
The whole length of the bird is about seventeen inches.
The female differs from the male in being somewhat larger
in size, and the plumage is lighter in colour.