66 Bird-Nesting 



through the Saskatchewan region there are thousands of 

 them, and so little is known of the avifauna of these pro- 

 vinces, that I should not be surprised if some day,, when 

 this region is better known to ornithologists, it will be found 

 that such species as grey and northern phalaropes, least sand- 

 piper, American dunlin, semipalmated sandpiper and other 

 northern birds, remain to nest regularly in this region, and 

 further south than is generally supposed. Arriving at the 

 place where we had buried the eggs the day previous, we 

 found they had not been molested : we were afraid foxes 

 might have found them, but they were all right, so we filled 

 our baskets and returned to the buckboard and found our 

 companion and his dogs and horses waiting patiently. As it 

 was four o'clock, we turned the horses' heads homeward. On 

 descending over the brow of a slope, *we disturbed a curlew 

 off its nest, which consisted of a saucer-shaped hollow in the 

 ground, lined with grass, and the four eggs were pale olive 

 brown, spotted with dark brown, and measured 2.75x1.80. 



Later on, the noise of the horses' feet started a burrowing 

 owl out of its hole, and it flew a short distance and perched on 

 a stone. John put a cartridge in his gun and got off the buck- 

 board and shot it. It was only winged, so I handed it to the 

 farm manager to kill, while John and I tried to get at the 

 nest ; we piled up some stones so that we could easily find the 

 place next day, when we intended to return with a shovel to 

 dig down to the nest. 



On our way home, the dogs caught scent of a jack rabbit 

 and gave chase, and ten minutes later we came upon Dan, the 

 setter, who was sat down guarding the rabbit which lay dead be- 

 tween his paws, and the other dogs were sat around him, waiting 

 patiently, but not daring to touch it, as Dan was boss over the 

 other dogs. Their master got down from the buckboard, and 

 taking up the rabbit, he threw it amongst the six dogs, and in 

 less than one minute the rabbit was torn into pieces, and disap- 

 peared down six hungry throats, and we proceeded home- 

 ward. Shortly afterwards our companion called out : " Look 

 there ! " Glancing in the direction, we saw the hounds in full 



