214 NOTICES OF NATURE. 



St Glair, I thought I observed the pawpaw growing near the 

 commencement of Detroit river, but the plants being small, 

 I could not determine their identity. Future travellers may 

 be better able to settle this point, as I scattered some seeds 

 of the pawpaw, which were in my pocket, and which I ga 

 thered in Ohio a few days before. 



The turkey is said to inhabit this district in considerable 

 numbers, and the boy who conducted us out of Chatham 

 plains told me he had come on a hen and her brood a short 

 time before, but this bird was not seen by me. The pheasant 

 and quail are numerous, and so tame that you may approach 

 within a few yards of them on open ground. Ducks of va 

 rious kinds inhabit the waters, and more especially Detroit 

 river, in vast numbers ; and many of the species are so tame, 

 that, schoolboy like, I pelted them with stones in open water 

 without their taking wing. Several kinds of geese also fre 

 quent the waters, but it is only in autumn, when they and 

 ducks congregate in such numbers, preparatory, perhaps, to 

 moving south for the winter. 



Birds of prey are numerous. Near the mouth of the 

 Thames I observed a bald eagle perched on a decayed tree, 

 and which was the only one I saw in Canada. Buzzards were 

 seen frequently, gliding gracefully in circles, and in company, 

 though at considerable distances from each other. Many 

 hawks of different sizes, and small eagles, were observed on 

 the shore of Lake Erie, sitting inactive on trees, or fight 

 ing with each other about a favourite resting-place. On one 

 occasion, near Chatham, a hawk singled out a small bird for 

 its quarry which frequents the banks of the Thames, without 

 the power of swimming. The little creature was above the 

 centre of the river when attacked, and avoided a death-blow 

 by diving under water with a shrill cry. It no sooner, how 

 ever, left the element than the hawk made a second swoop, 

 which was again avoided by going under water, and by a suc 

 cession of dives and flights, it at last found shelter amongst 

 some bushes on the banks. There are vast numbers of what 

 are here called blackbirds, consisting of two kinds, and both 

 highly destructive to the farmer, devouring almost every 

 species of produce, and especially Indian corn ; they breed 



