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THE CANADIAN SPORTSMAN AND NATURALIST. 



in the early part of the season. Two years 

 ago, a boy who resides a few miles south of this 

 town, told me that the summer before, he had 

 found the eggs of this bird on the bare ground, 

 where a log had been removed, in a piece of 

 swampy land. In 1865, when I came to reside 

 in North Wallace, a neighbour found a nest of 

 the Whip-poor-will, containing two eggs, in the 

 month of August; this seems to indicate that 

 it hatches more than once in the season, as it 

 is well known that the eggs are generally found 

 in the early part of June. The latter nest was 

 on a piece ot rising ground close by a pine and 

 cedar swamp, and the eggs were of a bluish 

 ■white color mottled with brownish black. The 

 peculiar notes of this bird are probably the 

 voice of the male, and its noisy repetition is 

 generally heard at the time when the female 

 is selecting her nesting place, and during 

 incubation. After the young are hatched, the 

 time and attention of the male is occupied in 

 assisting to supply their wants, and his twilight 

 notes gradually cease as the young become 

 more voracious, until about the middle of July, 

 when he becomes silent, except when the first 

 eggs have been removed and his mate is again 

 nesting. It makes no regular nest ; the two eggs 

 are deposited on some dry leaves, or fine rotten 

 wood, near swampy woods, where amid the 

 dense foliage, and gloomy shade, perched 

 lengthwise on a low branch, or mossy log, the 

 male passes the hours of sunlight in silence 

 and inactivity, bvit as the shadows of evening 

 gather over the woodlands, it commences its 

 low, soft flight in pursuit of night-flying insects, 

 or in some dark retreat, " begins its evening 

 hymn." The Winter Wren — A query regard- 

 ing the nest of this bird, is also made. I do 

 not know it by that name, but there is a Wren 

 quite common in the wild swampy woods of 

 Central Ontario, whose thrilling notes are 

 very pleasant, especially when heard in the 

 early spring mornings, before the snow and 

 ice have disappeared from the gloomy places, 

 where the little creature takes up its summer 

 residence. Its general appearance is similar 

 to that of the House Wren, but it is rather 

 smaller and darker in color. It sometimes 

 utters notes like the red squirrel, and again 

 like the chirp of the cricket, but louder. It 

 forms a nest like that of a mouse, generally in 

 the under part of the turned up root of a fallen 

 tree, sometimes in the side of an old moss- 

 covered log, or rather stump; the outside is 

 formed of moss, and the inside is lined with 

 fine dry grass, feathers, and hair. Its eggs 

 are white with reddish spots scattered over the 



large end. It sometimes lays eight eggs. 

 Those in my collection were taken from a nest 

 of six in the early part of June 1879. Siita 

 Canadensis is rather a rara avis in those 

 districts where my ornithological researches 

 have been pursued. It appears to prefer the 

 deep evergreen woods to the hardwood timber 

 lands. I have not seen its nest or eggs, but 

 am informed that they differ little from those 

 of the white-bellied species. I have often seen 

 the nest and eggs of the latter and can furnish 

 a sketch if desired. Parus Hudsonicus does 

 not visit this latitude, and the Pine Grosbeak 

 is only a rare winter visitor. Of owls I have 

 not seen a nest or egg of any of the species, 

 some of them, however frequent our woods, 

 and doubtless nest here. Mr. Vennor's article 

 on the nest of the Sparrow Owl, is the only 

 article on the subject that I have ever seen. 

 It is a very rare bird here. The Woodpeckers 

 mentioned do no visit this region. The nest 

 of a Crossbill, containing young, has been 

 seen in a neighbouring township, in the 

 month of March, and another species, the 

 Shore Lark also nests iu March and April. 

 Wm. L. Kells. 

 Listowel, Ont., March 15th, 1882. 



Pine Grosbeak (P. Canadensis). I collected 

 an adult female in the immediate vicinity of 

 this city, about the beginning ot August, 1879 ; 

 this was the only one I have observed during 

 summer. Mr. J. H. Carnall informs me that 

 he found them quite abundant in September, 

 on Nictaux mountain, Tobique river; he also 

 found several old nests, which he assures me 

 were made by these birds. Some years they 

 are abundant, then, for two or three successive 

 winters, we see nothing of them. During the 

 winters of 1876 and 1878 they were very 

 abundant, visiting the suburbs of the city, 

 feeding on the berries of the mountain ash. 

 Can you give a reason for the peculiar move- 

 ments of this bird? Hudson Bay Tit, (Parus 

 Hudsonicus). This Titmouse is undoubtedly 

 a resident with us, and breeds in this Province. 

 I collected a specimen on the 20th of May, and 

 have observed them here during summer. 

 Mr. Banks noticed a pair in June, carrying 

 material for nest-building. Two nests of this 

 species were discovered near Stewiacke, N.S., 

 by Mr. Bailey of the Nuttall Ornithological 

 Club. Red-bellied Nuthatch, (Siita Canaden- 

 sis). Have found this bird nesting near St. 

 John. They are more abundant some seasons 

 than others. Harold Gilbert. 



St. John, N.B., March 13, 1882. 



