20 



The Ottawa Naturalist 



ing January they gradually decreased but returned 

 again on February 10, when about one hundred 

 were seen. As many others were reported from 

 the surrounding district, this year's migration easily 

 surpassed all the others of which I have record. 

 They remained common until May 21, when all 

 disappeared. As they were here from October 29 

 to May 21, their breeding grounds cannot possibly 

 be very far north. 



1917-18. Although their favorite food was 

 abundant last winter, not a single bird has been seen 

 or heard of up to this date (April I). In Bird- 

 Lore's 1917 Christmas Census, there is a single 

 record, viz: Benington, Vermont, but I am in- 

 clined to doubt the correctness of this, as it is the 

 only record from all the north-eastern States and 

 eastern Canada. 



A PROTECTED NEST OF THE BALD 

 EAGLE. 



By W. E. Saunders. 



(Read at a Meeting of the Mcllwraith 



Ornithological Club.) 



On April 15th, 1916, I had the privilege of 

 visiting the nest of a Bald Eagle on the farm of Mr. 

 J. W. Gilbert on the lake shore west of Tyrconnell. 

 Mr. Gilbert has taken a personal interest in this 

 bird and his neighbors understand that he values its 

 company and does not wish the birds to be shot. 

 Consequently, it is no surprise to learn that they 

 have nested in his woods for twenty-five years and 

 that the memory of the oldest inhabitant proves that 

 eagles have nested within three or four hundred 

 yards of the present location since the first coming 

 of the whites to Ontario. 



For many years the birds were in an enormous 

 chestnut tree which blew down about 1908, when 

 they moved to the north side of the woods where 

 they now are. 



The 1916 nest is in a very large buttonwood tree 

 thirteen feet in circumference and is placed in the 

 highest available position, which I judge to be at 

 least ninety feet from the ground. Less than 100 

 yards away is another nest which was used for 

 perhaps only one or two seasons and then aban- 

 doned, possibly for the reason that the limb on which 

 it was placed was dead and, therefore, dangerous. 

 It is in an elm on an ascending branch which 

 angles and curves a good deal as it rises and, 

 therefore, looks as though the birds were justified in 

 leaving it. 



Some years since, Mr. Gilbert cut down the 

 north end of his woods, leaving the eagle tree 

 somewhat isolated, but this has made no difference 



in the use of that tree by 



The size of the present nest would indicate that 

 they have used it for six or eight years at least and 

 the tameness of the female bird proves clearly that 

 she has been protected. Mr. Gilbert met us on the 

 road opposite the nest and as we went in the bird 

 flew when we got within seventy-five yards of the 

 tree, but while she scolded she was evidently not 

 alarmed and by the time we got under the nest she 

 settled in the tree and after circling a few times more 

 she went directly on the nest while we were beneath 

 it. She seemed to consider it outrageous when I 

 rapped on the tree to request her to get off, and 

 she complied in a very noisy manner but she soon 

 lit in the tree again. 



Doubtless the eggs were very near hatching or 

 had hatched as these birds are supposed to lay in 

 March and after the incubation period the young 

 remain in the nest for a couple of months. 



Six years ago one of these birds was shot in the 

 spring and Mr. Gilbert was afraid that he was 

 going to lose his eagles after all as the remaining 

 bird left almost at once, but after having been away 

 for four days it returned with a new mate to the 

 great satisfaction of the owner of the wood. 



I questioned him about possible injury to fowl 

 from the presence of these birds but he had not 

 noticed any at all. Moreover, he said that he was 

 so interested in the birds and they were such a joy 

 to see in the air that he thought that if they did take 

 a chicken even as often as every month or two 

 during the year, such loss would not be a high 

 price to pay for the enjoyment he got from their 

 presence. 



The food of these birds consists almost entirely of 

 fish which they pick up on the lake shore a quarter 

 of a mile distant. 



All through the country along the north shore of 

 Lake Erie eagles formerly nested at intervals of 

 only a few miles but a great many of these have 

 been killed by misguided effort and there are not 

 many of them left. 



It would have been well if the Ontario Govern- 

 ment had included large and spectacular birds like 

 this species in their recent legislation protecting the 

 game birds for the next few years. 



The Forestry Branch of the Dominion Depart- 

 ment of the Interior has just issued Bulletin No. 63 

 on Wood-Using Industries of Quebec. This is a 

 valuable contribution of 89 pages and is published 

 in both French and English. It has been compiled 

 by Messrs. R. G. Lewis and J. A. Doucet. Appli- 

 cation for the bulletin should be addressed to The 

 Director of Forestry, Department of the Interior, 

 Ottawa. 



