Oct.-Dee. 1921. J 



The Canadian Fiei^d-Xaturallst 



V.io 



quite distinct, might easily pass as an ab- 

 normal one of a Rose-breasted Grosb^'ak. 



DiCKCISSEL. 



This bird was first recorded for the pro- 

 vince by Mr. G. E. Atkinson, who took a 

 specimen near Portage la Prairie on June 

 14, 1897. He concluded that tlie example 

 was a straggler from the south, tliough tlio 

 date at which it was taken would indicate 

 that it was breeding in the neighboi'l)Ood. 



On June 24, 1921, I was out on grass- 

 hopper Avork in company with Mr. F N. 

 Vroom. AVe stopped at Melita and had 

 gone out in the evening to do a little col- 

 lecting south-west of the village. About 

 half a mile away there is a ravine wi^h 

 stagnant pocls of water, and just beyond, 

 to the right, a rather wide dry meadow 

 dotted over with low-lying shrubs consist- 

 ing of Silverberry (Elaeagnus argentea), 

 Western Snowberry (S!)mpJiorocarpu<> or- 

 cidcntalis) and a few others in lesser num- 

 bers. There is some high herbage, +oo. 

 which provides abundance of cover for 

 small birds. It was on the edge of "his 

 meadow, near the road, that I heard a 

 song with which I was unfamiliar and 

 which I traced to a small bird sitting upon 

 a fence post. We soon obtained a close 

 view of the singer, which I ret'ognized- by 

 the characteristic lilack patch beneath 'he 

 throat to be a Dickcissel. This was a 

 male in full song and, interestingly enough, 

 his song was answered bv a second )ndi- 



vidual about 80 yards away in the same 

 valley. Xo nests were found or even 

 sought for, but from the fact that there 

 were two or more males singing there. I 

 think we may safely conclude that the 

 species breeds in the vicinity. 



Lark Bunting. 



This species ranges east to Aweme, 

 where it has been known to ne.st. It is, 

 however, but a casual visitor in most parts 

 of the province, though it breeds quite 

 commonly in the extreme south-west cor- 

 ner. 



Black-throated Blue Warbler. 



Two examples, both males, have been 

 seen since my original recoi-d of +his .species. 

 While these birds were not collected the 

 markings a: e so distinctive that it would 

 be an extraordinary lack of observation to 

 mistake the species for any other. 



Mountain Bluebird. 



It is interesting to relate ^hat this hand- 

 some species has taken .readily to nesting 

 I)oxes and that it is steadily increasing. 

 Both this and the common Bluebird have 

 made their nests in the vicinity of my 

 'ome for some years past, and while the 

 'louse Sparrow is tlie:e, too, and has a 

 reputation for fighting, he is invariably 

 ■anquished when he comes in contact with 

 t'le Bluebirds. 



LESSONS LEARNED FROM A TAME SPARROW HAWK. 



By P. A. 



{I'uhlishcd hi) permission of the Ph-ect 



Some years ago we kept what I 'vas 

 about to call a captive Sparrow Ha'A'k ; 

 but the word "captive" conveys nw er- 

 )-oneous impression of relationship. 

 "Tame'' is weak and ecpially misleading. 

 Perhaps it is better to make a ncAV start 

 and state that, ■ — once upon a time, I was 

 on intimately friendly terms Avith a Spar- 

 row^ HaAvk. She had been taken from her 

 deep, dark nest cavity a half downy 

 youngster, inexperienced in the Avays of 

 SparroAV HaAA'ks in the AA'ide, Avild Avorid : 

 and Avhatever she afterAvards did or 

 thought or attained Avas more the result 

 of instinct and natural ability deA'eloped 



Taverner. 



or of ihe Victoria M(niori(il MusntDi.) 



througli contact Avitli human kind, than 

 of normal Spari-oAv Hawk education. 

 Wheu I first met her, an adolescent bird. 

 as friend and master, there is reason 

 to suspect that exjiericnce Avith humans 

 had not predisposed her in their favor: 

 but, as events proved, nothing serious 

 e)U)ugh had happened to prevent the es- 

 tal)lishment of thorough confidence be- 

 tAA-een us. During the tAvo or three years 

 this charming intinuicy endured I had un- 

 ui'ial opportunities for studying SparroAv 

 IIa\^■k nature in general and tliis bird in 

 particular. 



(^rnitholofrical obserA^ers are familiar 



