CATALOGUE OF CANADIAN BIRDS. 287 



tained three newly hatched young and six eggs in various ad- 

 vanced stages of incubation. The 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 enlarge 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 

 feathers, 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 extensive feather divestment I ever saw in any species. 

 ( Griwmll) 



The hawk owl is not uncommon in the region of Anderson 

 River, although only four nests were discovered and the eggs taken 

 therefrom. 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 the 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 disapproved 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. 

 i^Macfarlane!) This bird breeds sparingly in northern Assiniboia. 

 Dr. George and Mr. Wenman inform me they have found it breed- 

 ing in northern Alberta, around Red Deer ; I have received eggs 

 with the parent from northern Assiniboia ; 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 

 24th, 1896 ; this nest was built in a spruce tree top. {W. Raine.) 



