258 Natural History of the 



AVES. 



The following list of Birds is as complete as I could male it f 

 uncler the circumstances, but doubtless many species are omitted, 

 especially amongst the Warblers, their restlessness and the rapi- 

 dity of their movements, together with the thickness of the foliage 

 in the woods, rendering it difficult to recognise the species. Seve- 

 ral Hawks, which I could not determine, were also seen besides 

 those enumerated. 



The migration of the smaller insectivorous birds was very re- 

 markable, and for several days towards the end of May, at Sixteen 

 Island Lake, there were literally thousands of Warblers of several 

 species, on their passage northward, flitting about from tree to 

 tree, and on 28th August at Hamilton's Farm great numbers were 

 again seen on their return South, as is noticed below under the 

 respective species. During the middle of summer, however, but- 

 very few Warblers, or indeed birds of any kind were to be seen, 

 and those observed were generally in the neighbourhood of the- 

 clearings, perhaps because they were there more easily noticed 

 than in the thick woods. At the beginning of September vast 

 flocks of Ducks were often seen flying high in the air towards* 

 the south, but owing to the great depth and the rocky character 

 of most of the lakes, the only species of Natores, which were at all 

 numerous on them, were such as feed entirely on fish. 



The Nomenclature and Arrangement are in accordance with 

 Audubon's " Synopsis of the Birds of North America ," 



1 . Buteo — ■ — f — A Buzzard of some species was frequently 

 seen throughout the district traversed, often hovering round our 

 camps, attracted by the remains of fish, &c, lying about. As it 

 always kept out of shot I was not able to determine the species. 



2. Fandion Halicztus, Linn. (Osprey, or Fish Hawk). — On 

 the 21st May I had the pleasure of visiting Lake St. Jean,, a small- 

 piece of water upwards of a mile in length, situated in the eighth 

 and ninth Ranges of the township of Montcalm and about one mile 

 S.S.E. of Sixteen Island Lake. Here a pair of Ospreys had for 

 many years held undisputed possession of their nest, which they 

 had built on the summit of a large, dead, and isolated pine-tree,- 

 standing a short distance from the water, on a small rocky islet 

 near the middle of the lake, and forming a most conspicuous ob- 

 ject. There were no other trees on the island, which however 

 was thickly clothed with tall birch and alder bushes. No better 

 site could have been chosen for their nest r as the wary birds 



