.
Its thick short neck and large head--its broad-spreading wings, of milky
whiteness, were not to be mistaken. It was the "great snowy owl" of the
Arctic regions.

Its appearance suddenly changed the aspect of affairs. Norman let the
butt of his rifle fall to the ground, and stood, like the rest, watching
the bird in its flight.

The snowy owl (_Strix nyctea_) is, perhaps, the most beautiful, as it is
one of the most powerful birds of its genus--of which there are more
than a dozen in North America. It is a bird of the Polar regions--even
the most remote--and in the dead of winter it is found within the Arctic
circle, on both Continents--although at the same season it also wanders
farther south. It dwells upon the Barren Grounds as well as in wooded
districts. In the former it squats upon the snow, where its peculiar
colour often prevents it from being noticed by the passing hunter.
Nature has furnished it with every protection from the cold. Its
plumage is thick, closely matted, and downy, and it is feathered to the
very eyes--so that its legs appear as large as those of a good-sized
dog. The bill, too, is completely hidden under a mass of feathers that
cover its face, and not even a point of its whole body is exposed.

The owl is usually looked upon as a night-bird, and in Southern
latitudes it is rarely seen by day; but the owls of the Northern regions
differ from their congeners in this respect. They hunt by day, even
during the bright hours of noon. Were it not so, how could they exist
in the midst of an Arctic summer, when the days are months in duration?
Here we have another example of the manner in which Nature trains her
wild creatures to adapt themselves to their situation.

At least a dozen species of owls frequent the territory of the Hudson's
Bay Company--the largest of which is the cinereous owl, whose wings have
a spread of nearly five feet. Some species migrate south on the
approach of winter; while several, as the snowy owl, remain to prey upon
the ptarmigan, the hares, and other small quadrupeds, who, like
themselves, choose that dreary region for their winter home.

Our travellers, as I have said, stood watching the owl as it soared
silently through the heavens. Francois had thrown his gun across his
left arm, in hopes he might get a shot at it; but the bird--a shy one at
all times--kept away out of range; and, after circling once or twice
over the hill, uttered a loud cry and flew off