Vo, 'i9i9 XVI ] Mousley, Birds of Hatley, Quebec. 485 



i 

 was not the captor. It was evidently in the first winter plumage, being 

 irregularly mottled, the back showing partly pearl blue, the primaries 

 black, the first one with the white spot near the end, but, of course, no 

 white tip, as in the Herring Gull, the remainder, however, showing traces 

 oMhese white tips, while the bill had the band of black around it at the 

 angle well developed, as in the adult, the tail, however, still showing imma- 

 ture traces, as the broad black band at the end of it was still there and the 

 feathers were more or less mottled. The exact date of capture is not quite 

 clear, but it was probably December the ninth. 



165. Buteo platypterus platypterus (Vieillot). Broad-winged 

 Hawk. — Not uncommon transient August 26, September 41, possibly breeds. 

 There is no doubt I have seen this Hawk on some few occasions previ- 

 ous to the above date in August and it might have been included in my list 

 at a much earlier date had I felt diposed to depart from my usual plan of 

 not including any Hawk or Owl unless I have actually handled it in the 

 flesh or seen a mounted example taken in the district, or been in possession 

 of some other equally good evidence to warrant its inclusion. However, 

 on this occasion I had good reason for departing from my usual custom, as 

 Dr. Charles W. Townsend was with me at the time, and being more familiar 

 with the bird was able to verify my identification. 



] saw one other example on the date given in September. In the spring 

 they probably pass through between April 15 and May 25 and in some 

 cases may remain to breed, although 1 have come across no evidence of 

 their having done so as yet. 



166. Nuttallornis borealis (Swainson). Olive-sided Flycatcher. — 

 Rare summer visitant; May ?, June 11 to August 4. 



On the above date in June I was fortunate enough to locate a pair of 

 these birds in a spot ideally suited for breeding. For several days however, 

 I watched them without being able to discover the nest, although I knew 

 they were breeding from their actions. Then a dire misfortune happened, 

 for the farmer who owned the land, being evidently in need of dollars and 

 cents, proceeded to cut down every spruce and fir (for pulp wood) on the 

 ground, in one of which the nest no doubt was, for the birds became restless 

 and uneasy and deserted the spot, and it took me some little time to trace 

 their whereabouts. However, I succeeded at last in doing so, and on 

 June 27 had the satisfaction of seeing one of the birds break off a small 

 twig from a tall hemlock tree, which, however, it unfortunately dropped. 

 Further attempts to break off another having failed, the bird eventually 

 gave up, and I no doubt lost my one and only chance of discovering the 

 site of their second venture, as just at that time circumstances prevented 

 me from keeping a further watch over their movements, and it was only 

 by accident that I came across one of them again on August 1, about a 

 mile from the spot where I had last seen them on June 30. They are 

 interesting birds and not at all shy, and their notes are very varied, the 

 ones uttered when I first came across them sounding like a shrill whistled 

 pi-pee. The more general notes, however, seemed to be ' Whip-you-see, 



