its wings several times as if intending to fly off; but, with some care, it
was approached and shot. It proved to be a fine old female, the plumage
of which was almost pure white. I have heard of individuals having
been seen as far down the Mississippi as the town of Memphis. Some
Indians assured me that they had shot one at the mouth of the Red
River; and, while on the Arkansas River, I was frequently told of a
large White Owl that had been seen there during winter.
So much has been said to me of its breeding in the northern parts of
the State of Maine, that this may possibly be correct. In Nova Scotia
they are abundant at the approach of winter; and Professor MAC CULLOCH,
of the University of Pictou, shewed me several beautiful specimens in his
fine collection of North American Birds. Of its place and mode of
breeding I know nothing; for, although every person to whom I spoke
of this bird while in Labrador knew it, my party saw none there; and in
Newfoundland we were equally unsuccessful in our search.
S T R I X N Y C T E A , Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 132.—Lath. Index Ornith. vol. i. p. 57.—
Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 36.—Swains, and Richards.
Fauna Bor. Americ. vol. i. p. 88.
S N O W Y O W L , S T R I X N Y C T E A , Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. iv. p. 53. pi. 32. fig. 1.—Nut.
tall, Manual, vol. i. p. 116.
Adult Male. Plate CXXI. Fig. 1.
Bill short, compressed, curved, acute, with a small cere at the base ;
upper mandible with its dorsal outline curved from the base, the edges
sharp, the point trigonal, very acute, deflected; lower mandible with the
edges sharp and inflected, the tip obtuse. Nostrils roundish, in the fore
part of the cere, concealed by the recumbent bristles. Head very large,
although proportionally smaller than in most other owls, as are the eyes and
external ears. Body short. Legs of ordinary length ; tarsus feathered,
as are the toes, on which, however, are two scutella; claws curved, slender,
rounded, extremely sharp.
The plumage is soft but compact above, blended beneath, and in general
remarkable for its bulk and elasticity. The feet are thickly clothed
with long shaggy feathers, and the eyes are surrounded by circles of
bristly feathers with disunited barbs. Wings ample, the third quill
longest; the secondaries very broad and rounded. Tail of moderate
length, slightly rounded, of twelve very broad rounded feathers.
Bill and claws black. Iris bright yellow. The general colour of the
plumage is white, the face, forehead, nape, fore neck, anterior part of the
breast, abdomen, and rump, with the upper and lower tail-coverts, unspotted
; the upper part of the head and the back marked with lunated umber
brown spots, and the breast, sides, and thigh-coverts, with transverse
curved lines of the same. Wing-coverts, wings, and tail, barred with
transverse oblong dark-brown spots.
Length 21 inches, extent of wings 53; bill along the ridge 1 along
the edge 2; tarsus 1 T
6
2 , middle toe with the claw
Adult Female. Plate CXXI. Fig. 2.
The female is similar in external appearance, but much larger.
Length 26 inches, extent of wings 65.
Individuals of either sex vary according to age, the spots gradually
disappearing the older the birds become, so that not unfrequently specimens
of a uniform white may be found.