1914] The Ottawa Naturalist. 11 



at these meetings has been good and the discussions have been 

 extremely interesting. 



During the season of 1913 large collections of insects, 

 particularly in the orders H3'menoptera and Diptera, were 

 made, many additions being added to the local lists. The 

 prospects are bright for successful field work during the 

 approaching collecting season. 



The tent caterpillars, which were referred to in our last 

 report, were, also in 1913, the most abundant insects in the 

 district. Although certain areas of forest lands, chiefly of birch 

 and poplar, were again defoliated, the damage was not so wide- 

 spread as that of 1912. The natural parasites and fungous 

 diseases which control the tent caterpillars are increasing, and 

 we do not expect to again see, for many years, such enormous 

 outbreaks of these insects. 



At the conclusion of the Club year, the balance on hand is 

 $28.59. 



For accommodation for lectures and Council meetings, the 

 thanks of the Club are due to the management of the Carnegie 

 Library, the Normal School and the Collegiate Institute, and 

 to the press of the city for the free insertion of notices and the 

 publication of reports of excursions and lectures. 



Respectfully submitted, 



E. D. EDDY, Secretary. 



WINTER NOTES ON ALBERTA HAWKS AND OWLS. 



There has been a noticeable absence this winter of the Great 

 Gray Owl, American Hawk Owl and the Snowy Owl in this 

 district. These birds are all irregular winter visitors, arriving 

 from the North about the middle of November and remaining 

 until the middle of March. Some winters they are comparatively 

 plentiful, as many as one or two of each variety may be seen in 

 a single day. In November, 1896, I counted a dozen Hawk 

 Owls in a day's drive of thirty miles, while the following winter, 

 very few, if any, were seen. Different reasons have been 

 advanced for their irregular migration, the most likely of which 

 is the supply of natural food. Hunters returning from the 

 country away north of the Saskatchewan River say that the 

 Rabbit is very plentiful this winter and this no doubt accounts 

 for their not having to move South. I have never seen any of 

 these birds in this locality in the summer. 



3rd April, 1914. F. L. Farley, Camrose, Alberta. 



