228 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 



goshawks come regularly to Toronto in the autumn and often 

 remain all winter. Until 1896 full plumaged birds were almost 

 unknown, certainly I was not aware of any records of mature 

 birds for ten or fifteen years previous to that date. In October, 

 1896, a remarkable migration of mature birds took place. They 

 spread themselves all over Ontario in large numbers, and I 

 believe the New England States were invaded in like manner. I 

 received the first mature bird on October 26th from Toronto, and 

 from then till December the birds continued to come in. The 

 deer hunters reported that the hawks were playing havoc with 

 the patridges and hardly a shooting party returned in November 

 without one or more mature goshawks. I fancy that the sudden 

 inroad of the sharp-tailed grouse into Muskoka and the migra- 

 tion of the goshawks were likely caused by the same necessity — 

 lack of food. Both species appeared in Muskoka together. Never 

 a scarce bird in the districts of Parry Sound and Muskoka ; the 

 number of breeding birds has greatly intreased since the autumn 

 of 1896. (/. H. Fleming!) The only nest I ever saw of this 

 species in Muskoka was in the fork of a large black birch 

 i^Betula lento) about 40 feet from the ground. It was made of 

 sticks lined with leaves and clay. In it I 'found four young 

 ones all differing in size which leads me to think that they are 

 not all hatched at the same time. In the tiest I found a blue- 

 jay and hairy woodpecker which had been plucked by the old 

 birds. Beneath a maple log that was lying about 100 yards away 

 from the tree having the nest, and several feet from the ground, 

 I found a large quantity of feathers which the old birds had 

 plucked from barn-yard fowls and other birds. It was evident 

 that the old birds had carried their prey here and picked it before 

 taking it to their young. The nest was within half a mile of 

 Bracebridge and about> 300 yards from the south branch of the 

 Muskoka River. They are more plentiful in Muskoka in winter 

 than in summer. {Spreadborough.) A not uncommon bird in win- 

 ter in Ontario but as a rule going north to breed. I found a 

 nest of this species near Otty Lake in the county of Lanark, Ont., 

 in 1885. It was a large structure built in the fork of a beech tree, 

 about 30 feet from the ground, and on the 3rd of May contained 

 three almost bluish white eggs, incubation commenced. In 

 addition to the breeding of this bird in the county of Lanark, 

 Ont,, I find that it nested regularly in the township of 

 Oso in Frontenac Co., Ont,, up to 1901 but will probably soon 



