3l6 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 



downy young, although their eyes were still tightly closed and they 

 were very feeble, uttered a continuous wheedling cry, especially if 

 the tree were tapped or they were in any way jarred. This could be 

 heard 20 feet away from the base of the tree. The nest cavity was 

 evidently an enlarged woodpecker's hole. The wood was very 

 much decayed and soft, so that it had been an easy matter to en- 

 large the entrance. The entrance was 14 feet above the snow, 

 and the nest proper was three inches below that. The cavity was 

 lined with a mixture of feathers and bits of the rotten wood. The 

 feathers were all apparently from the breast of the female parent. 

 The female bird (the male not at all, although he was sitting on the 

 nest when it was found) had the whole breast and abdomen, from 

 the upper end of the breast-bone to the vent, entirely bare of fea- 

 thers, also on the sides up to the lateral feather tracts, and through 

 these for about one inch on both sides under the wings ; also down 

 the inside of the thighs to the knees. This was the most exten- 

 sive feather divestment I ever saw in any species. (Grinnell.) 



The hawk owl is not uncommon in the regions of Anderson river, 

 although only four nests were discovered and the eggs taken there- 

 from. All of these were built in pine trees at a considerable height 

 from the ground; one was actually placed on the topmost boughs, 

 and like jthe others, it was constructed of small sticks and twigs 

 lined with hay and moss ; the male and female of the latter were shot, 

 and the nest contained two young birds, one of which was apparently 

 ten days and the other three weeks old, together with an addled egg ; 

 all of the others, however, but one, had six eggs, and in a single 

 instance as many as seven were secured; the parents always dis- 

 approved of our proceedings; very few owls were observed on the 

 lines of march travelled over during the seasons of 1864 and 1865; 

 this species winters in arctic America. (Macfarlane.) This bird 

 breeds sparingly in northern Saskatchewan. Dr. George and Mr. 

 Wemnan inform me they have found it breeding in northern Alberta, 

 around Red Deer; I have received eggs with the parent from northern 

 Saskatchewan; the four eggs were taken June 6th, 1899, and the 

 nest was built in a willow nine feet from the ground; this set was 

 taken by F. Baines ; I have another set of five eggs that was taken at 

 Hamilton inlet, Labrador, May 24, 1896; this nest was built in a 

 spruce tree. top. {W. Raine.) 



