64 The Wilson Bi'li.ktix — Xo. 55. 



torv from wliicli one may view the beautiful lake country, 

 (lotted with its numerous wooded islands, for many miles. 



Gavia imber. — Loon. One seen on September 2 flying down the 

 lake in a driving rain storm. This species is decreasing in numbers 

 each year at Muskoka. Formerly Taverner heard them on nearly 

 every summer night from the island and they bred here and there 

 throughout the region. 



Larus argentatus. — Herring Gull. Fairly common. A few individ- 

 uals were seen every day following the wake of the little lake steam- 

 ers that pass up and down each day. The birds hang around Mus- 

 koka wharf and Gravenhurst Bay until the steamers go out, when 

 the gulls follow ^fter. They undoubtedly breed in Georgian Bay 

 about thirty miles west. 



Duck.— Species? A small flock of six birds passed down the lake 

 on Sept. 2. We saw no others as there are no suitable feeding 

 grounds to attract the birds. 



Botaurus lentiginosus. — American Bittern. One bird flushed from 

 a small marsh on Tondern Island on August 29. There was scarcely 

 room here for the bird to turn around in. This is rather a rare spe- 

 cies here, a pair or two breeds in Bear Bay, near Gravenhurst, and 

 Taverner has seen it on Black's Creek on the west side of the lake. 



Bonasa umbellus togata. — Canadian Ruffed Grouse. Fairly abund- 

 ant. The extreme tameness of these birds was astonishing to us in 

 contrast with the Michigan birds. One could approach at will within 

 almost striking distance of the parents and brood and even then they 

 would generally simply run out of the path without any attempt at 

 flight. Of course when the shooting season is on this all changes. 



Buteo platypterus. — Broad-winged Hawk. But two seen, one on the 

 mainland August 29, the other lived on Gibralter and was observed 

 every day. This is, however, the most abundant hawk here. 



Faico sparverius. — Am. Sparrow Hawk. One seen August 29 fly- 

 ing over the clearing on Tondern Island. It is only on the eastern 

 side of the lake where the most extensive clearings are that this spe- 

 cies is to be seen here. Perhaps the lack of grasshoppers explains 

 its absence elsewhere. 



FaIco peregrinus anatum. — Duck Hawk. During our present stay 

 we failed to observe this species. It has, however, bred foir many 

 years on Crown Island just north of Gibralter and the nest has sel- 

 dom been disturbed. Notwithstanding this fact the number of birds 

 in this region seems to be restricted to a single pair. Taverner took 

 a set of four eggs from this nest on May 23, 1898, and it is upon this 

 one record that the various Ontario records in Macoun's Catalogue 

 of Canadian Birds are based. On August 30th we visited this nest, 

 which is situated on the side of a cliff on the highest portion of Crown 



