CATALOGUE OF CANADIAN BIRDS. 233 



Breeding Notes. — This species builds about the middle of 

 April. The nest closely resembles a crow's, but is larger and very 

 untidy. It is Composed of coarse sticks loosely placed together 

 with fine ones, and lined with bark of a vine (probably grape vine), 

 and pieces of rough bark. The nest is placed near the trunk of 

 the tree at from 20 to 60 feet from the ground. The eggs, three 

 Or more in number, are yellowish white, with blotches of yellowish 

 brown and slate. A nest found on 30th April near the mouth of 

 the Gatineau River at Ottawa, Ont., was built in a swamp ash 

 (Fraxinus sambucifolid) about 20 feet from the ground. The old 

 bird was sitting at that date. (G. R. White) 



Strangely enough this is the most common hawk along the St. 

 Lawrence between Kingston and Brockville, though I never saw 

 it in the counties of Renfrew and Lanark. It seems to just take 

 the section of country where the Red-tail is absent. It is an early 

 breeder, returning to the .same woods year after year, even 

 though disturbed. It usually builds or repairs a nest in a beech 

 tree, but I have seen nests in maple, ash, oak, pine, elrn, and once 

 in a hemlock. The earliest eggs I have seen were a set of four 

 on April 14th, 1898, an unusually early date ; the latest was May 

 i23rd. The average time of laying is about April 25th ; the 

 favourite tree for nesting, a beech. This bird becomes rare in 

 Eastern Ontario, 15 to 30 miles north of the St. Lawrence, and 

 50 miles back, is almost unknown, its place seeming to be taken 

 by the Broadwinged Hawk. {^Rev. C. J. Young^ Rather com- 

 mon, breeding in all suitable woods in the vicinity of London, Ont. 

 (^. E. Saunders^ 



MUSEUM SPECIMENS. 



Three ; one purchased with the Holman collection in 1885 ; two 

 taken at Toronto by Samuel Herring. 



A nest taken at. Lily Lake, Peterborough Co., 25 miles 

 north of Port Hope, Ont., by Mr. N. H. Meeking, on April 24th, 

 contained four eggs. A set of three eggs was taken in the county 

 of Leeds, Ont., April 21st, 1901, by Rev. C. J. Young. Another 

 set of three taken near London, Ont., by J. E. Keays, April, 17th, 

 189;. 



3395, Red-bellied Hawk. 



Buteo lineatUs elegans (Cass.) Ridgw. 1874. 

 Not very common. I have taken it at Burrard Inlet, B.C. Mr. 

 W. B. Anderson found it at Port Simpson, B.C., and Mr. Brooks 



