242 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 
situation. I have found their nests in poplar, cottonwood, box 
elder, upon “cut banks” (clay cliffs) of streams, and upon clay 
domes in the “bad lands” south of Wood Mountain. In the 
spring of 1894 one pair built a nest upon the tower of a windmill 
at Langevin on the C. P. Ry. west of Medicine Hat. It had to 
be taken down, however, as it interfered with the working of the 
mill. The highest nest I have seen was not more than 30 feet 
from the ground. Nests were always near water, but I think that 
this is more because the cut banks and trees are usually along the 
streams and not for any preference that they have for it. On 11th 
June, 1894, took two nests at Crane Lake, Assa. Both contained 
young ones. The nests were very large. One was built of sticks 
and cow dung lined with dry grass; the other of sticks alone 
lined with dry grass. The young are white when first hatched. 
Their chief food is gophers, of which I have seen a number in the 
nests, as well as at the foot of the tree or bank where the nest 
was. (Spreadborough.) 
This species builds avery large nest and seems to prefer the 
old one to a new structure. All the nests seen were composed 
of large sticks for the body of the nest, then the droppings of 
horses and cattle to consolidate the margins, and lastly lined 
inside with the inner bark of dead box elder and poplar. Two 
nests were taken on 27th May, 1895, each had three eggs 
originally, but in one the young were just hatched. Each nest 
was in the fork of a box elder about 10 feet from the ground. 
(Macoun.) 
I have examined about a dozen nests of this bird in northern 
Assiniboia. It is an early breeder, laying its eggs early in May, 
and building a very large nest in the highest trees it can find. It 
lays from three to five handsomely marked eggs. Most of the 
nests I have examined contained dead gophers, proving that this 
is another useful hawk to the farmer. (W. Raine.) 
MUSEUM SPECIMENS. 
Two; amale and a female. The latter was taken at Indian 
Head, Assa., in May, 1892, by W. Spreadborough. The male was 
taken on the Cypress Hills, Assa., by the writer, Aug. 2nd, 1880. 
A set of three eggs taken at Indian Head, Assa., in May, 1892; 
and another of three taken at Old Wives’ Creek, Assa., June 26th, 
1895, by W. Spreadborough. 
