BIRDS OF PREY OF NOVA SCOTIA~—GILPIN. 267 
rather remarkable exception, as being abundant iu New England 
and Newfoundland, and migratory. Owls are a peculiarly forest 
family, and our still remaining pine spruee forests, our barrens 
and lake country, give them shelter and food. The great horned 
(B. virginianus) owl, the barred owl (S. nebalosum), the long and 
short eared owl (O. vulgaris and B. palustris), and the saw wet 
(N. acadica) are resident, breeding with us, their nests and young 
having been taken, or they themselves having been seen during 
all periods of the year. The more arctic species are our winter 
visitants, breeding and nesting to the far north. The great grey 
owl (S. laponicum) is a very rare visitant. The snow owl and 
the hawk oil (Nyctea nivea, and 8. ulula) appear during some 
winters, almost in flocks, a thing unusual for birds of prey, and 
showing great scarcity of food.« The saw wet (N. acadica) is 
seen approaching the clearings during winter, also in flocks, 
whilst Tengmalmi’s owl (N. tengmalmi) is very rare. One sees 
them scarcely ever during the day time in our solitary forests 
either winter or summer. During the night we hear them in 
our summer or fall cainp. The fierce feline cry of the great 
horned, or the broader sounding hoots of the barred, as well as 
the stridulous squeaks of the saw wet. Unless the hunter hides 
his grouse or hares he may have shot, cunningly beneath the 
snow, when he returns to them he will find that an unseen but 
watchful prowler has stripped of feathers or fur, torn and de- 
voured them. This feeling of being watched by the unseen is 
one of the charms of our alpine forests. If you take your back 
track in early morning after coming to camp late in the evening, 
you will find you have been stealthily followed for many a mile 
by the tracks of the lynx or wild cat. During the night the 
foxes and the bears, nay even the moose, is warily reconnoitering 
the intruders, and the owls coming to the camp fire, all prowlers 
in the dark for what they may pick up. Of the diurnal rapa- 
cidze, we find our Province has the usual New England species, 
yet there are a few noteworthy exceptions. I have never seen 
the broad winged or Pennsylvania buzzard here (B. pennsylva- 
nicus), nor the common English buzzard of Richardson (B. vul- 
garis), or the short winged buzzard (B. butoides). The kites also 
