88 The Ottawa Naturalist. [June 



wards, (x'\pril 30th) Mr. Beaupr6 and I again went to the tree and 

 not only found the merganser at home, but making a futile 

 endeavor to cover no less than eighteen eggs. 



The bird (female) was most reluctant to leave the nest, in fact 

 would not flush until stirred up by Mr. Beaupre, with a dip net. 

 The eggs were quite fresh. There were three interesting points 

 in connection with this find, first, the early date of nesting ; 

 second, the number of eggs ; and third, the absence of feathers. 

 As a matter of fact the eggs were simply deposited on the rotten 

 wood at the bottom of the hollow. Several pairs of mergansers 

 were about the island, and no doubt two birds had deposited eggs 

 in the same tree. We are certain, too, that the other trees were 

 occupied by mergansers from what we saw, but having no desire 

 to disturb them did not investigate further. 



Falco peregrinus'anatum. A third find of some importance 

 was made by Mr. Edwin Beaupr6 and myself on May 8th. On a 

 cliff in a lake in Leeds County, we found the peregrinie fa'con 

 breeding. The eggs were on a ledge of rock in an almost inacces- 

 sible cliff, a hundred and twenty-five feet in height. The ledge 

 was seventy or seventy-five feet above the water, and we had 

 great difficulty in reaching the nest, but finally succeeded and 



obtained a series of interesting photographs As may be imagined 

 it was a decidedly inconvenient spot for the practice of photo- 

 graphy, but the results were most satisfactory and give an excel- 

 lent idea of the appearance of the eggs in the nest, which was little 

 more than a depression in the earth that had accumulated there. 

 Fortunately the camera used was of the long bellows variety, 

 otherwise it would have been quite impossible to make a satisfac- 

 tory exposure. The eggs, two in number, had been sat upon, 

 probably a week. When we reached the cliff the female flew off 

 the nest, and being joined by her mate, a vigorous protest was 

 made against the intrusion of the investigators. A ear the nest the 

 remains of a flicker were found, and it was evident that small birds 

 formed the chief part of the food. We were much impressed by 

 the graceful and free movements of the magnificent birds, and were 

 lost in admiration when watching them sweeping and sailing 

 around the cliffs. As soon as we were two hundred yards from 

 the cliff the female bird at once returned to the ledge. 



These birds are known to have nested in this particular rock 

 for fifteen years, and are said to be the only pair about the lake. 



C. K. Clarke, M.D. 



