258 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 



late breeder, and only in one case did I find eggs before the first of 

 June. (Spreadborough.) 



The writer has taken many nests of this species in Saskatchewan, 

 and has found that a tree is preferred to nest in but that they change 

 the site to agree with changed conditions. Where oak scrub exists, 

 they prefer oak; farther west, poplar {Populus tremuloides) , and on 

 treeless plains they descend to low bushes and last of all, cut banks 

 where they often make a bulky nest. In the summer of 1895, nests 

 were taken in box elder (Negundo aceroides) on Old Wives creek. 

 These were lined with the outer bark of dead trees of this species. 

 Each nest contained only two eggs, both fresh, May 27th and June 

 ist. A nest was taken at the forks of the creek on June 2nd. This 

 was under a cut bank, about six feet below the summit. This nest 

 was lined with green poplar twigs, having young leaves. Later, 

 nests were taken at Wood mountain, Sask., in willow clumps and 

 under banks, and towards the last of the month, on the Cypress hills, 

 in choke-cherry bushes. In the Milk River country, the nests were 

 § chiefly under banks. 



In July, 1 86 1, we discovered a nest of this species which was 

 built on a spruce tree along Onion river, the principal tributary of 

 the Lockhart. It contained two well-grown birds. Both parents 

 were about and made a great ado in endeavouring to protect their 

 offspring. The male was shot. In June, 1865, another nest was 

 found on the top crotch of a tall pine in a ravine, some 20 miles 

 southeast of Fort Anderson, lat. 68° 30'. In composition, it was 

 similar to the nest of an Archibuteo. The female was shot as she 

 left the nest, which contained but one egg in a well developed stage. 

 The male was not seen. (Macfarlane.) 



This bird breeds commonly throughout Manitoba, Saskatchewan 

 and Alberta, seldom having eggs before the third week in May, and 

 is, therefore, a late breeder. Between June 5th and 13th, 1901, I 

 examined close upon thirty nests in northern Saskatchewan. All 

 these nests just contained three eggs each, no more or no less, show- 

 ing that three eggs is the number laid. Incubation was advanced 

 at this time, but I did not find a single nest containing young. Some 

 of the nests were built in fire-killed willows, and so low that I could 

 reach the eggs from the ground. A few nests were in poplars and 

 built from 10 feet to 20 feet from the ground. I never found two 



