In North-West Canada. 147 



eggs of the clay-coloured sparrow. The eggs are not unlike 

 those of the chipping sparrow, being greenish blue, spotted at 

 the largest ends with brown. 



After a refreshing wash and a good supper, I again strolled 

 out, this time SToing- north of Virden, towards a stretch of 

 small timber. On my way I passed an Indian tepee, and the 

 squaws were busy getting their supper ready, and were roasting 

 a prairie chicken over a hre of sticks. On reaching the out- 

 skirts of the wood I startled a meadow lark from the root of 

 a bush, and found its nest and five eggs. They are white, 

 spotted with rusty brown and purple. The nest was made of 

 grass, covered over at the top, and with a side entrance. 



I came across a tree with a large hole about twenty feet up, 

 and, striking the tree trunk, a small hawk flew out and began 

 flying around screaming. It was a sparrow hawk. The tree 

 was easy to climb, and, putting my hand into the hole, I felt 

 four eggs, which were (juite warm. I drew them out, and, 

 putting them into my pocket, I descended to the ground. 

 This was a pretty set, ground colour rich bufl^, blotched with 

 reddish brown. They were slightly incubated. 



The sparrow hawk is plentiful throughout Manitoba, and 

 he is a gallant, dashing little warrior. He often swoops down 

 upon thrushes and other Ijirds almost as large as himself. He 

 is very destructive to sparrows and other small birds. Like 

 the European kestril, the American sparrow hawk has a hibit 

 of hovering almost motionless in mid-air, when he suddenly 

 drops down upon a field mouse or small bird. 



This species often lays its eggs in a deserted woodpecker's 

 hole, and sometimes occupies the old nest of a crow or magpie. 

 The eggs of this bird are veiy much like those of the lesser 

 kestril of Europe. A series of fifty eggs before me show the 

 usual variations found amongst falcons' eggs. The ground 

 colour varies from cream to yellowish-red or pinky-buff", 

 blotched, spotted and clouded with chestnut-brown and cin- 

 amon. They average in size 1.35 x 1.12. 



The sun was fast going down behind the western horizon, 

 and the small birds, thrushes, meadow larks, warblers, vireos, 



