CATALOGUE OF CANADIAN BIRDS. 287 
tained three newly hatched young and six eggs in various ad- 
vanced stages of incubation. The downy young, although their 
eyes were still tightly closed and they were very feeble, uttered 
a continuous wheedling cry, especially if the tree were tapped or 
they were in any way jarred. This could be heard 20 feet away 
from the base of the tree. The nest cavity was evidently an 
enlarged woodpecker’s hole. The wood was very much decayed 
and soft, so that it had been an easy matter to enlarge the 
entrance. The entrance was 14 feet above the snow, and the nest 
proper was three inches below that. The cavity was lined with a 
mixture of feathers and bits of the rotten wood. The feathers 
were all apparently from the breast of the female parent. The 
female bird (the male not at all, although he was sitting on the 
nest when it was found) had the whole breast and abdomen, from 
the upper end of the breast-bone to the vent, entirely bare of 
feathers, also on the sides up to the lateral feather tracts, and 
through these for about one inch on both sides under the wings ; 
also down the inside of the thighs to the knees. This was the 
most extensive feather divestment I ever saw in any species. 
( Grinnell.) 
The hawk owl is not uncommon in the region of Anderson 
River, although only four nests were discovered and the eggs taken 
therefrom. All of these were built in pine trees at a considerable 
height from the ground; one was actually placed on the topmost 
boughs, and, like the others, it was constructed of small sticks and 
twigs lined with hay and moss ; the male and female of the latter 
were shot, and the nest contained two young birds, one of which 
was apparently ten days and the other three weeks old, together 
with an addled egg ; all of the others, however, but one, had six 
eggs, and in a single instance as many as seven were secured ; the 
parents always disapproved of our proceedings ; very few owls 
were observed on the lines of march travelled over during the 
seasons of 1864 and 1865 ; this species winters in Arctic America. 
(Macfarlane.) This bird breeds sparingly in northern Assiniboia. 
Dr. George and Mr. Wenman inform me they have found it breed- 
ing in northern Alberta, around Red Deer ; I have received eggs 
with the parent from northern Assiniboia ; the four eggs were 
taken June 6th, 1899, and the nest was built in a willow nine feet 
from the ground; this set was taken by F. Baines; I have another 
set of five eggs that was taken at Hamilton Inlet, Labrador, May 
24th, 1896 ; this nest was built in a spruce tree top. (IV. Raine.) 
