42 DOWNS ON LAND BIRDS OF NOVA SCOTIA. 



me guilty of exaggeration, for an ordinary cart would hardly hold 

 it. He sets a good example to commissariat officials in looking far 

 ahead in the furnishing of his larder, so much so that it sometimes 

 becomes offensive from the effluvia arising from the superabund- 

 ant food left unconsumed, I kept a nest of the young of this 

 species in my collection last year. 



Ice Falcon — (Falco Icelandicus). — I only know of one instance of 

 this bird occurring in Nova Scotia. This was taken at the mouth 

 of the harbour here in an exhausted condition on board a ship, and 

 died shortly after it came into my possession. This is more prop- 

 erly a European bii"d. 



Goshawk — (^Astur Atricapillus). — This bii'd is far too common — 

 a perfect villain among poultry. Even a few days ago he carried 

 off a beautiful little call duck belonging to my neighbour, Mr. 

 Drillio ; a pet pigeon from Capt. Hugonin, and also a call duck 

 from me. I lost many fancy pigeons of great value last year by 

 one of these bii'ds ; in fact every one, more or less, on the peninsula 

 and about the head of the Arm, suffers annually from his depl-e- 

 dations. I cannot invent a name bad enough for him. The young 

 of this bii'd for the first year is so different from the adult, that 

 many persons not well acquainted with the bird would consider 

 these varieties as distinct species. 



Eough-Legged Buzzakd — (Buteo lagoims.). — Very rare, and 

 only occasionally shot on his migrations to the north. It is a 

 handsome bird, feathered to the toes. I once possessed a splendid 

 specimen, which I stuffed. 



Red-tailed Buzzard — (B. borealis). — I have a living specimen 

 of this bird in my possession now. He was taken in the garden 

 at the Ordnance Yard, in the act of seizing a pet crow belonging to 

 Mr. Pengelley. A soldier caught him in his hands. One day the 

 Chief Justice brought Mr. Livesey out to my place, and on my 

 telling the former that I had tried and condemned my specimen for 

 attempted murder, Mr. Livesey said "he has evidently made a bad 

 use of his talents (talons)." 



Red-shouldered Buzzard — (B. lineatns). — This bird is of rare 

 occurrence. I have only seen two specimens. 



Hen, or Marsh Harrier — (Circus Hudsonicus). — This bird 

 appears to have the widest range of any hawk known, being found 



