The Avifauna. 



39 



way in which it is uttered, would be more 

 forcible than elegant. 



Few birds are capable of constructing a 

 more beautiful nest. In a forked branch of 

 the hazel bush it collects a mass of odd 

 materials and weav^es, or rather glues, them 

 into a cup-shaped structure. Straws, mos- 

 ses, lichens, grass blades, bits of decayed 

 wood, bits of spider webs and various vege- 

 table fibres are curiously intermingled. In 

 this beautiful nest, which is rather large for 

 the size of the bird, five eggs are deposited 

 by the parent bird. They are of a clear, 

 crystal white ground and are spotted about 

 the larger end with fine, dark purple and 

 reddish brown spots. Their average size 

 is about .60X.70. 



N. W. Canada Notes. 



The White Eyed Vireo. 



It has two distinct white bands on the 

 wings. The lores are dusky and bordered 

 above by a yellow streak with a white 

 orbital ring. The upper parts are olive 

 green, with the nape usually of an ashy 

 color. The lower parts are white and the 

 sides greenish yellow. In the adult the iris 

 is white. 



Its unpronounceable name of Vireo Nove- 

 boracensis, with which scientists have bur- 

 dened it, does not seem to bother it in the 

 least, but it is ever the same joyous, light- 

 hearted bird, which has earned for it its 

 place in the hearts of all observers. 



P. Wilbur Shoap. 



Abingdon, 111. 



TTHE American Hawk Owl undoubtedly 

 breeds in Alberta. On June 28th a 

 friend shot a female near Red Deer, with 

 the belly bare of feathers and the skin of a 

 glutinous nature, proving that the bird had 

 been nesting. On July ist, when driving 

 from Red Deer to the Blindman River I 

 saw two Hawk Owls, but unfortunately my 

 gun had been sent on ahead of me and I 

 was not able to secure them. They were 

 tame and allowed us to drive within easy 

 gunshot several times. 



The American Goshawk breeds in the 

 Red Deer region. My friend found a nest 

 containing four nearh' fledged young on 

 June loth at Snake Lake. 



The Prairie Falcon breeds in suitable 

 localities throughout Alberta; I collected 

 two specimens, both females. One day 

 earl}' in August I saw one of the above 

 birds dash at a fowl on the main street of 

 Calgary, and although it made the feathers 

 fly, it did not succeed in carrying off the 

 bird. 



I had the good fortune to take the nest 

 of Richardson's Merlin on this trip; on July 

 2ist I found a nest containing five downy 

 young, which I secured along with the 

 lemale. On May i8th my friend took a 

 beautiful set of five eggs near Calgary, the 

 male was shot and the identity established 

 without a doubt. For a full account of 

 these two nests see the ' ' Oologist ' ' for 

 Sept., 1895. 



Clark's Crow breeds in the foothills west 

 of Calgary. The local taxidermist at Cal- 

 gary told me of a nest he found in May, 

 situated in a thick pine tree; both birds 

 were seen around the nest but he, to quote 

 his own words, ''didnt trouble to climb up to 

 the nest as Jie thought the eggs were no use.'' 

 Ignorance is bliss indeed ! 



Richardson's Grouse, (Dabscurus Rich- 

 ardsoni,) breeds in the foothills west of 

 Calgary; on Aug. 3d I shot a female and a 



