General Notes. ~^^ 



on an ochraceous ground; greater and middle wing-coverts, with^.the 

 tertials, broadly tipped with fulvous-white ; primaries and rectrices black, 

 edged with pale fulvous. 



A male (June 26) somewhat older, but still in first plumage, differs from 

 the specimen just described in having the dark streaks broader and black- 

 er, the wing-bands nearl_y pure white, and the under parts less strono-lv 

 ochraceous. 



4. iEgiothus linaria. Common Redpoll.— In his list of the birds 

 of the Magdalen Islands,* Mr. Cor_y included this species "with great hes- 

 itation," a single specimen, so badly mangled that it could not be positively 

 identified, being the only one which came under his notice. Mr. Fra- 

 zar, however, found it abundant on both Amherst and Grindstone Islands 

 where many large flocks were seen feeding among the spruces. Owing to 

 lack of time and the pressure of other duties he secured only two speci- 

 mens, but as these are both in first plumage the breeding of the species 

 there may be considered assured. The following description is taken 

 from the younger of the two exaifiples just mentioned. 



jHV.^jirft plumage (^$ . Magdalen Islands, June 29, 1S82. M. A. Fi-a- 

 zar). Entire plumage of the head and body, excepting the throat, cheeks, 

 and abdomen, thickly and coarsely streaked with dull black on a pale 

 ochraceous or brownish-wdiite ground; tips of the greater and middle 

 wing-coverts with the outer edges of the tertials, ochraceous-white ; throat 

 black; cheeks brownish-ochraceous ; center of the abdomen brownish- 

 Avhite and immaculate; no red on the vertex. 



5. Palco columbarius. Pigeon Hawk. — A set of four eggs from 

 Amherst Island was taken under the following circumstances : Mr. Frazar 

 was passing a spruce-clad knoll surrounded by a boggy swamp, when he 

 noticed a pair of Pigeon Hawks circling above the trees. Approaching, 

 he quickly discovered their nest, built in a dense spruce at the intersec- 

 tion of a horizontal branch Avith the main stem and at a height of about 

 ten feet. Ashe climbed the tree the Hawks, now thoroughly alarmed for 

 the safety of their charge, dashed wildly about his head, frequently passing 

 within a few feet and uttering shrill screams of anger or dismay. After 

 taking the eggs he made a close examination of the nest, which was found 

 to be very bulky — -in fact "as large as a Crow's," and composed chiefly of 

 bark with some coarse sticks surrounding the exterior, and a neat, soft 

 lining of finer bark and horse-hair. From its general appearance he felt 

 convinced that it was constructed by the Hawks themselves. This was 

 June 9; returning five days later he found both birds flying about the 

 knoll and their actions indicated that they had built another nest some- 

 where near, but it could not be found. As he was then on the point of 

 leaving the island he shot the male, a fine adult specimen which accom- 

 panies the eggs. 



The latter, now before me, are almost perfectly elliptical in shape, and 

 measure respectively 1.57 X 1.27, 1.55 X 1.23, 1.59 X 1.24, and 1.56 X 1.25. 

 The ground-color, in three of them, is apparently pinkish-buff, but this is 



* "A Naturalist in the Magdalen Islands," p. 42. 



