238 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 



This is a hawk whose young are commonly met with near the 

 St. Lawrence in September and October. Only once have I met 

 with its nest there — 24th May, 1899. This nest was built against 

 the trunk of a maple and contained two fresh eggs. It is a late 

 breeder, seldom laying before the last week in May, though once 

 I found the eggs earlier. It is the commonest hawk in the 

 county of Renfrew, near the Ottawa River, and is also common 

 in the county of Lanark. Unlike the red-shouldered it is partial 

 to thick swampy woods near creeks and builds its nest more 

 often against the trunk than among the limbs of a tree. I have 

 seen five nests. Four of these were in birch trees and one in a 

 maple. The earliest date for its eggs was 8th May, 1886, and 

 the latest 3rd June, 1888. The average time is about 24th May. 

 The favourite trees selected seem to be black or yellow birch. 

 {Rev. C.J. Young.) Common in Parry Sound and Muskoka dis- 

 tricts. A large number breed. Found a nest at, Emsdale, Parry 

 Sound District, 27th May, 1897 ; it was apparently an old nest 

 and contained three eggs. It was built about 30 feet from the 

 ground in a birch. (/. H. Fleming) We found this bird nesting 

 at Woodlands, Manitoba; June nth, 1894. The nest contained 

 two eggs. {W. Raine.) 



Very common in the woods around Muskoka lakes. Always 

 builds its nest in the large black birch trees. I have never seen one 

 in any other tree and I have taken many nests. The nest is made of 

 sticks lined with leaves and bark. The food of the young ap- 

 peared to be chiefly frogs. A person will scarcely ever miss 

 seeing one or more sitting upon a stub of a dead tree just above 

 the. water in which frogs are plentiful in spring. They also catch 

 mice and a few young birds. On one occasion I saw one carrying 

 a snake more than two feet long. I think that the reason they 

 prefer the birch is on account of thick foliage and the forked 

 nature of the tree near the top, which makes a very suitable place 

 to nest in. I have always found the nests in thick woods and as 

 I have never seen a nest anywhere except in Muskoka they have 

 always been near water as it would be hard to be otherwise. 

 (Spreadboxough.) 



MUSEUM SPECIMENS, 



Three ; one purchased with the Holman collection in 1885. 

 One taken at Toronto, Ont., by S. Herring, and one taken at 

 London, Ont., by W. E. Saunders, May 3rd, 1884. 



