228 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 
goshawks come regularly to Toronto in the autumn and often 
remain all winter. Until 1896 full plumaged birds were almost 
unknown, certainly I was not aware of any records of mature 
birds for ten or fifteen years previous to that date. In October, 
1896, a remarkable migration of mature birds took place. They 
spread themselves all over Ontario in large numbers, and I 
believe the New England States were invaded in like manner. I 
received the first mature bird on October 26th from Toronto, and 
from then till December the birds continued to come in. The 
deer hunters reported that the hawks were playing havoc with 
the patridges and hardly a shooting party returned in November 
without one or more mature goshawks. I fancy that the sudden 
inroad of the sharp-tailed grouse into Muskoka and the migra- 
tion of the goshawks were likely caused by the same necessity— 
lack of food. Both species appeared in Muskoka together. Never 
a scarce bird in the districts of Parry Sound and Muskoka ; the 
number of breeding birds has greatly increased since the autumn 
of 1896. (/. A. Fleming.) The only nest I ever saw of this 
species in Muskoka was in the fork of a large black birch 
(Betula lenta) about 40 feet from the ground. It was made of 
sticks lined with leaves and clay. In it I*found four young 
ones all differing in size which leads me to think that they are 
not all hatched at the same time. In the nest I found a blue- 
jay and hairy woodpecker which had been plucked by the old 
birds. Beneath a maple log that was lying about 100 yards away 
from the tree having the nest, and several feet from the ground, 
I found a large quantity of feathers which the old birds had 
plucked from barn-yard fowls and other birds. It was evident 
that the old birds had carried their prey here and picked it before 
taking it to their young. The nest was within half a mile of 
Bracebridge and about 300 yards from the south branch of the 
Muskoka River. They are more plentiful in Muskoka in winter 
than in summer. (Spreadborough.) A not uncommon bird in win- 
ter in Ontario but as a rule going north to breed. I found a 
nest of this species near Otty Lake in the county of Lanark, Ont., 
in 1885. It was a large structure built in the fork of a beech tree, 
about 30 feet from the ground, and on the 3rd of May contained 
three almost bluish white eggs, incubation commenced. In 
addition to the breeding of this bird in the county of Lanark, 
Ont., I find that it nested regularly in the township of 
Oso in Frontenac Co., Ont., up to 1g01 but will probably soon 
