276 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 
355. Prairie Falcon. 
Falco mexicanus SCHLEG. 1841. 
The first time the writer observed this species was in September, 
1885, at Rush lake, Sask., on the line of the C.P. Ry. There were 
a number of them and they seemed to be quite tame. Each telegraph 
pole was occupied, and as the bird was new to me I shot one. For 
years after that I saw no more, but in the spring of 1892 Mr. Spread- 
borough shot one at Indian Head, Sask. In the summer of 1895 
none was seen on a traverse of 600 miles or until we reached the 
West Butte. At the police station named Pend d’Orielle, on the 
Milk river, they were numerous and doubtless they bred there. 
One specimen was taken at Deer park, Columbia river, B.C., 
June 9, 1890, and one seen at Lake Osoyoos, B.C., in 1905. (Spread- 
borough.) Formerly a regular fall and winter visitor and may breed 
in the mountains in the lower Fraser valley, B.C. (Brooks.) 
BREEDING NoTeEs.—At one of our astronomical stations, on the 
west branch of the ‘‘Two Forks” of Milk river no less than four 
species of large hawks had their nests within sight of each other, and 
only a few hundred yards apart. These were the Swainson and the 
ferruginous buzzards, the common falcon and the present species. 
* * a The nest to which I now refer was discovered 18th 
July, 1874, on the perpendicular face of the ‘‘cut bank” of the 
stream. It contained three young scarcely able to fly. Two of 
these were shot on the wing close to the nest, and the third was 
brought to me alive by a soldier. This nest was built behind an 
upright column of earth, partly washed away from the main embank- 
ment, in such a position that no full view of it could be obtained 
from any accessible standpoint. But it was certainly placed directly 
on the ground, in a little water-worn hollow of the bank, behind the 
projecting mound, so that it was almost like a burrow. (Cowes on 
Birds of Dakotah and Montana.) 
I have a set of four eggs taken in southern Alberta, May 17th, 
1897. The nest is merely eggs simply laid on the gravel in a hollow 
on the high bank of a river. (W. Raine.) 
