very much alike I did not decide as to 

 its identity until after trying for two 

 weeks to tame and feed it. It ob- 

 stinately refused all attempts to 

 tame it, and all food, however or 

 whenever offered and finally died in 

 its wildness, and I subsequently dis- 



Archibutes . Ferrugineus, Ferrugineus — Rough- 

 Legged Hawk. 



covered it to be a mature brown crane. 

 The chief points of difference between 

 these species is the much smaller size 

 and the entirely feathered head of 

 Canadensis, the head of Mexicana 

 being unfeathered, of a reddish brown 

 color, and covered with a growth of 

 short, black hair. 



The range of the brown crane is 

 more western, but as it breeds from 

 the Mackenzie river region to Texas 

 it is possible that it is of more fre- 

 quent occurrence in Manitoba than 

 has been generally supposed. In fact 

 Prof. Macoun, of the geological sur- 

 vey, Ottawa, says he is of opinion 

 that the species has been overlooked 

 in previously published lists and that 

 many of the cranes described under 

 G. Mexicana are really G. Canaden- 

 sis. The difference is so great as to 

 be conspicuous and unlikely to be 

 overlooked, if species were known in 

 life. 



Comparative bill and tarsus meas- 

 urements show much difference. In G. 

 Mexicana they are: Bill, 5 to 5 1-2 

 inches, according to age: tarsus, 8 1-2 

 to 10 inches. G. Canadensis Bill, 3 



inches. Tarsus G 1-2 to 7 1-2 inches, 

 according to age. 



ARCHIBUTEO FERRUGINEUS. 



Ferruginous Rough-Legged Hawk 



As this species which is commonly 

 known as the squirrel hawk ranges 

 west and south of the province; it is 

 not surprising that it might occasion- 

 ally wander over the border line, but 

 the specimen exhibited, a female bird 

 is the first I find recorded within our 

 lines and it was collected some nine 

 miles due north of Portage la Prairie, 

 or nearly the centre of Manitoba, on 

 May 6, 1898.' While at first sight they 

 would appear to be a very powerful 

 and dangerous hawk, investigation 

 discovers in the weak claws and gen- 

 sistent in their persecution of the 

 eral slender build, a friend rather than 

 an enemy, as the food of such species 

 consists in the main of gophers, mice 

 and other agricultural vermin. Within 

 their own range they are most per- 



Burrowing Owl. 



sistent in their persecution of the 

 prairie dogs and spermophiles which 

 work such havoc with growing grains 

 and shrubbery. For this reason the 

 ferruginous rough-legged hawk would 

 be a welcome addition to our local 

 list of birds of prey. 



SPEOTYTO CUNICULARIA HYPO- 



GOEA. 



Burrowing Owl. 



"On June 2, 1897 I received a pair 

 of burrowing owls which were col- 

 lected about five miles north of Port- 

 age la Prairie. I was unable to locate 

 the species on any previous list of 

 provincial birds, and wrote to the 

 Washington agricultural bureau and 



