280 BIRDS OF NOVA SCOTIA. 



A. — Completely wooded ; rains equally distributed and abundant. — 

 The Lacustrwn and ApalacJdan. 



B. — Partially wooded ; rains sometimes deficient. — Florida, Texas ^ 

 and Illinois regions. 



C — Almost woodless ; rains always deficient. — DacotaJi, Camanche, 

 and Utah regions. 



D. — Plains and valleys unwooded ; mountains wooded in propor- 

 tion to their moisture, which is irregularly distributed, or periodi- 

 cal. — Bochj mountain jJrovince, except Utah? 



E. — Partially wooded ; rains periodical. — Cali/ornian region, and 

 Mexican province ? 



F. — Nearly all densely wooded ; rains somewhat periodic, increas- 

 ing in amount to the north, and with elevation. — Caurian province. 



From what examination I have been able to give the subject, I con- 

 clude that at least fifteen inches of rain during the groioing season is 

 essential to the vegetation of trees of all kinds. This, however, must 

 vary with the retentiveness of the soil, the rapidity of evaporation, 

 and the species of tree, some requiring much more than this. We 

 have seen that, with its abundant moisture at all seasons, the Apa- 

 lachian province has far the greatest number of species of trees, while 

 the Caurian, though with perhaps riiiore rain, unequally distributed, 

 lias much fewer. This is, however, connected also with its cooler 

 summers, and, as before remarked, we have in the east a tropical 

 forest with our tropical summers, in spite of arctic winters. 



From an accurate determination of the range of trees much inter- 

 esting information on both climatic and other physical influences is 

 expected to be derived. At the same time the distribution of all other 

 plants and of animals must be studied in order to arrive at a knowl- 

 edge of that harmonious system which undoubtedly prevails through- 

 out the organic world, however obscured by the accidents of time and 

 of external influences. Among them all we believe that forests will 

 be found one of the most important, and respectfully invite the atten- 

 tion of the reader to its investigation. 



LIST OF BIRDS OF NOVA SCOTIA. 



Compiled from notes hy Lieutenant Blahiston, R. A. , and Lieutenant 

 Bland, R. E., made in 1852 — 1855, hij Professor J. R. Willis, of 

 Halifax. 



[N. B. — The species with an asteiick (■■■) prefixed are inserted on the authority of 

 Andrew Downs, esq. The nomenclature is that of Audubon's synopsis.] 



Bald-headed Eagle, {Haliostus leucocephalus.) Eesident ; not un- 

 common. 



Osprey, (Pandion haliatus.) Common along the coast ; breeds. 



*Ice Falcon, (Falco islandicus.) Very rare and only in winter; 

 one instance in ten years. — (A. Downs.) — ? ? ? J. R. W. 



Pigeon Hawk, {F. columharius.) Common ; breeds. 



