The Hornless Owls are much like the others with the exception of their
smooth round heads, without any projecting feathers to form curious ears
and horns. There are many species in this group, the principal ones
being the Snow Owls, the Barn or Screech Owls, the Hawk or Canada Owls,
Brown or Tawny Owls, Ural Owls, Burrowing Owls, and Sparrow Owls.
The Barn or Screech Owls are among the best known of the family, as they
are found in nearly all parts of the globe. The White Owl, or Snow Owl,
sometimes called the Harfang, may also be found in all parts of North
America, Europe and Asia. Its plumage is a brilliant white, with some
black spots on the head. This color is well suited to the nature of the
places in which it lives, for it sometimes inhabits the most desolate
solitudes of North America, Newfoundland, Hudson’s Bay, Greenland and
Iceland; and its color harmonizes so well with its surroundings that it
can traverse almost unseen, the immense deserts of snow in search of its
prey.