Page:The Natural History of Ireland vol1.djvu/130

 being seen on the 18th than on the 16th, favours the idea of a continuous migration.

The vessel was about 250 miles from the straits of Bellisle, the S.E. point of Labrador, when these owls first appeared, but sail- ing eastward, was on the day they were last seen about 740 miles distant thence, and 480 miles from the southern extremity of Greenland, which for some time was the nearest land.

In November, 1840, further information on this subject was obtained from a trust-worthy and intelligent mate of another ves- sel belonging to the port of Belfast. He stated that in two differ- ent years, when his vessel was from 200 to 300 miles off the banks of Newfoundland, snowy owls alighted on the spars and rigging. This occurred only during fogs, but so long as these continued, which was occasionally for two or three days, the birds remained : whenever the atmosphere became clear, they took their departure; they never permitted themselves to be caught. In both years these owls were met with in September, and once, as particularly noted, on the 20th of that month.' 36 '

In concluding the Raptores, it may be mentioned, that I have heard of the occurrence of a few species in Ireland, which have not a place in this work, in consequence of their being insufficiently authenticated. The relative differences between the species of this order, obtained in Great Britain and Ireland, are : —

Mr. Thomas M'Cullough of Pictou, when on his passage thence to Hull, in November, 1834, and upwards of 200 miles from the nearest point of Newfoundland, states, that a snowy owl passed close by the vessel repeatedly, without exhibiting any disposition to alight. "It shewed no symptom of fatigue, but skimmed as dexter- ously along the deep trough of the rolling waves, or rose as freely over their huge white crests as if it had been merely coursing the surface of its native hills."f Though evidently in search of food on the surface of the water, it was not observed to seize any object. An interesting account is given by the same gentleman of a snowy owl kept on board the vessel during the passage.

Audubon, Orn. Biog. vol. v. p. 382.