320 Capt. Blakiston on American Birds. 



summer, 1858. Wing 23 in. long. Common on Saskatchewan 

 River, and thence to Hudson's Bay. It is sometimes seen in 

 February, and remains until the rivers close in November. I 

 was not fortunate enough to procure a specimen of either of these 

 Eagles. 



As has been observed by Sir John Richardson, the Indians 

 divide the year into moons, each of which is named after some 

 natural occurrence. Among them are the Eagle and Goose 

 Moons, at the times of the year when these birds first make their 

 appearance after the winter. Now, although this lunar reckoning 

 may be very well for intervals of time, it is far from satisfactory 

 in fixing certain periods of the year ; for as the number of days 

 in a year is not divisible by the number of days in a lunar month, 

 so each year the same moon is about eleven days earlier, and in 

 three years would take the place of the former one. 



14. Pandion carolinensis. I regret that I cannot give a 

 single instance of the occurrence of the Fish-Hawk in the interior 

 of British North America. It is, however, by no means an un- 

 common bird, and was observed by myself from Hudson's Bay 

 to the western base of the Rocky Mountains. It is rather early 

 in going south in the fall of the year. 



15. Bubo virginianus. $ No. 38. Forks of the Saskatche- 

 wan, January 29th, 1858. Length 23 in., wing 15. Eye bright 

 yellow. 



16. Bubo arcticus. 6 No. 52. Forks of the Saskatchewan, 

 March 25th, 1858. Length 22| in., wing 4^, tail 9^, 2nd, 3rd, 

 and 4th quill-feathers nearly equal and longest. Eye very bright 

 amber-yellow. Agrees with B. arcticus of the ' Fauna Bor.-Am.' 



17. Nyctea nivea. No. 186. Hudson's Bay, common 

 throughout the north ; follows the Willow Grouse south in winter. 



18. Surnia ULULA. No. 21. Forks of the Saskatchewan, 

 November 7th, 1857. 



No. 39 6 . Same locality, January 29th, 1858. 



[To be continued.] 



