276 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 



355. Prairie Falcon. 



Falco mexicanus Schleg. 1841. 



The first time the writer observed this species was in September, 

 1885, at Rush lake, Sask., on the Hne of the C.P. Ry. There were 

 a number of them and they seemed to be quite tame. Each telegraph 

 pole was occupied, and as the bird was new to me I shot one. For 

 years after that I saw no more, but in the spring of 1892 Mr. Spread- 

 borough shot one at Indian Head, Sask. In the summer of 1895 

 none was seen on a traverse of 600 miles or until we reached the 

 West Butte. At the police station named Pend d'Orielle, on the 

 Milk river, they were numerous and doubtless they bred there. 



One specimen was taken at Deer park, Columbia river, B.C., 

 June 9, 1890, and one seen at Lake Osoyoos, B.C., in 1905. (Spread- 

 borough.) Formerly a regular fall and winter visitor and may breed 

 in the mountains in the lower Fraser valley, B.C. (Brooks.) 



Breeding Notes. — At one of our astronomical stations, on the 

 west branch of the "Two Forks" of Milk river no less than four 

 species of large hawks had their nests within sight of each other, and 

 only a few hundred yards apart. These were the Swainson and the 

 ferruginous buzzards, the common falcon and the present species. 

 * * * The nest to which I fiow refer was discovered i8th 

 July, 1874, on the perpendicular face of the "cut bank" of the 

 stream. It contained three young scarcely able to fly. Two of 

 these were shot on the wing close to the nest, and the third was 

 brought to me alive by a soldier. This nest was built behind an 

 upright column of earth, partly washed away from the main embank- 

 ment, in such a position that no full view of it could be obtained 

 from any accessible standpoint. But it was certainly placed directly 

 on the ground, in a little water-worn hollow of the bank, behind the 

 projecting mound, so that it was almost like a burrow. (Coues on 

 Birds of Dakotah and Montana.) 



I have a set of four eggs taken in southern Alberta, May 17th, 

 1897. The nest is merely eggs simply laid on the gravel in a hollow 

 on the high bank of a river. {W. Raine.) 



