138 The Ottawa Naturalist. [October 



collection for the inspection of ornitholog'ists. The finding of the 

 eggs of the solitary sandpiper now makes the seventh species 

 whose eggs were unknown to science until discovered by myself 

 and assistant collectors in northern Canada. The other species 

 whose eggs were previously unknown are Richardson's merlin, 

 greater yellowlegs, belted piping plover, Nelson's, Leconte's and 

 Harris's sparrows. The four latter species we found nesting in 

 Manitoba, while the eggs ot Richardson's merlin and the greater 

 yellowlegs were discovered in Alberta. 



OBSERVATIONS ON SOME OF OUR RARE BIRDS MET 



WITH IN 1904. 



By Rev. C. J. Young, Madcc, Ont. 



In an earlier number of the Ottawa Naturalist, I recorded 

 the appearance of the evening grosbeak in the neighborhood of 

 Kingston in the months of February and March ; also of the 

 appearance of the horned lark at its usual time in spite of the 

 bitterness of the winter. I will now refer to a few birds I met 

 with this past season. 



The goshawk is a not un.ommon winter visitor to Ontario ; 

 it breeds occasionally, and is one of the earliest of our hawks to do 

 so I have previously recorded a nest found near Perth in 1L85. 

 0.1 the second of May. it contained three eggs, incubation com- 

 menced. On the 22nd April, in the present year, a nest was 

 located in the township of Oso, while snow was still deep in the 

 bush, and the ice on our lakes was strong enough for a person to 

 cross ; at that date the nest contained three fresh eggs, unspotted 

 and of a decided bluish tint. Both of these nests were located in 

 beech trees about 45 feet from the ground, as also was one 

 observed in the township of Elzevir, which in June contained two 

 well grown young ones. 



The red-shouldered-hawk breeds regularly in N. Frontenac, 

 but the further one goes north, the rarer this bird becomes. It is 

 also an early breeder, laying in the latter part of April, and selecting 

 any suitable tree, very often a maple, sometimes an ash, oak, 



