130 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
the deserted holes of the Golden-winged Woodpecker), it became 
far more abundant round Carberry on September 7th, and on 
that day alone I saw more than during the whole of the rest of 
the time I was in the country. All day long they were round the 
house, sitting tamely on fence-posts and buildings, and often 
chattering like their European brothers. At one spot about a 
mile from the town, where there was a cluster of trees, I found 
what I can scarcely call by any other name than a flock of them, 
as from twenty-five to thirty remained there the whole day. 
For several days after the 7th they were fairly numerous, but all 
disappeared about the middle of the month. The few that were 
shot had been feeding on grasshoppers only, and on one occasion 
I watched through a telescope a bird that was catching grass- 
hoppers among some potatoes. 
A most comical affair happened one day in connection with 
three Goshawks. A friend of mine had shot a Harrier, and left 
it near his house. Some time after, as some chiekens were feeding 
on the maggots in the body, three Goshawks appeared on the 
scene and quickly swooped at the birds, to all appearance 
carrying one off to a neighbouring field. Mr. Seton, who fol- 
lowed to avenge the death of this supposed hen, soon shot two of 
the Goshawks, when he found that, instead of carrying off a hen, 
they had possessed themselves by mistake of the putrid and 
dried-up body of the Harrier ! 
Numerous as were many of the larger Hawks at this time, 
I was told that they were far more so at the time of the spring 
migration northwards; so it appears probable that for some 
reason they follow different routes upon the two journeys, as is 
often observed in England. The same remark probably applies 
to the Whooping Crane, Grus americana, for, although in the 
autumn I did not see one, it is said to be common in spring-time. 
The American Bittern, Botawrus mugitans, is pretty common 
in the moister parts of the country,—near the Red River, for 
instance,—where I have often seen it disturbed by the passing 
train. 
On August 30th a friend shot a young specimen of the 
Passenger Pigeon, Hctopistes migratorius, as it sat upon a tree 
near Carberry, but this was the only specimen seen during my 
visit. 
No small portion of the Manitoban settlers’ diet is formed of 
