THE CANADIAN SPORTSMAN \\h &ATUBALI8T 





THE BIRDS OF PEET OF NOVA SCOTIA. 

 By J. Bernard Gilpin, A.B., BID., M.R.C.8. 



In making this list f have personally identi- 

 fied, with one or two exceptions, every specie 

 in it. I will not say thai no other specimen 

 tnay be added, bul that if hereafter noted, it 

 will ho a very rare one to have escaped my 

 notice of more than thirty years. Personal 

 identification of each species also by the « riter, 

 even if in a narrow limit, adds always to the 

 interest and value of a paper. In classification 

 I have used Key to N. American Birds, by 

 Dr. Cones, 1872, of the value of which it 

 scarce I v needs any mention from mo. I have 

 found, with one or two exceptions, all (he 

 birds of this Order common to North Eastern 

 America, in Nova Scotia, ami noticed those I 

 expected to find and failed. From their nature 

 and food they are rare everywhere, and one 

 who has witnessed the scarcity of all animal 

 life in our forest, and the little bird life even 

 in our cultivated fields, is not surprised by 

 finding a greater scarcity of this Order. The 

 innumerable flights during the autunin of 

 what are called shore birds, chiefly composed 

 of the Genera Tringa, Totanus and closely 

 allied species in their autumn migrations, 

 attracts numbers of the Genus Falco. Our 

 marshes, especially after mowing, which lays 

 bare the runs of field mice, and the haunts of 

 frogs, snakes and other reptiles, attracts the 

 harriers and buzzards, and the sea shores of 

 the Bay of Fundy, at ebb tide, left in far- 

 reaching and muddy flats abounding in 

 stranded fish, bring the eagles and fish hawks 

 for their prey, the latter seizing its living prey 

 from the shallow pools, whilst the former, 

 when not plundering the fish-hawk, contents 

 himself with the dead and stranded fish. 

 Except the grouse, the hare, and perhaps 

 shrews in the depth of the winter forest, or a 

 white weasel or jay bird, or a red squirrel now 

 and then, the stern winter has locked in snow 

 and ice everything that makes food for the 

 few owls that hibernate with us. The tew 

 eagles and fish-hawks I have dissected, I have 

 found fat, even in winter; the hawks generally 

 thin. I have uever identified any kites in 

 Nova Scotia, but my son has observed fork- 

 tail hawks in the air, which I have also seen, 

 but very rarely, most probably the Genus 

 Nauclerus. 



LIST OF RAPACIOUS BIRDS OF 



NOVA SCOTIA. 



Family SteigidjE — (Owls). 



Bubo Virginianits — Great horned owl. 



Otus vulgaris (var. Wtisoniatms)— Long-eared owl. 



Vj/rt ■* i. 



\ i | 



owl. 



\ >/' In'' \ . A Wll' t <■»). 



Sharp uliin. 

 -Cooper*! I' 

 iwk. 

 Falco "" • ' — lerfaloon 

 'Falco cotntnufi i Duel liawk. 

 Falco eotumbaritu — Pigeon bawk. 

 Falco maw riu - 1 n * k. 



Buteo Don alio— Red tail I 



lineatua— Red ihoulder hawk. 



\, , li.lntl, n I, I.,-, i 



legged buzzard. 

 Pandtoti halitetus — Plata hawk. 

 './ chrytaettu — Golden eagle, 



Haliaetus '■ ucot ■ pi 



You will find in this list, tal 

 its nomenclature from Cones 1 K- •■ . thai i 

 generic as well a- specific nam< 

 from Wilson, Audubon, Nuttall, I.' 

 and even Baird, or other recent writi 

 greatest change is with the specific. VHiHst 

 we accept the changes from the old< 

 as the necessary progress in the cm 

 we can see in the differences from the modern 

 ones thai one principle rule- them, 



return to truth, to the principle Of r>lu: 



to the specific given by the first dia 



the species, allowing him the exclusive right 



ol naming, and final I v in birds almost identi- 

 cal in both continents tin- all.- • 



geographical variation from one common 

 origin. This ot course is the ~t philosophi- 

 cal way of settling points beyond our r 

 Field naturalists can scarcely be allowed the 



privilege of criticising, which must be the 



result ol intimate knowledge of large collec- 

 tions and libraries, and, ae he author 



of the Key, still larger experience ot field lite. 

 Yet one may be allowed to Bay thai anything 

 that reclaims the science from the divisiot 

 sub-families and sub-genera, and innumei 



lists of synonyms made, not lor truth hut for 

 personal exaltation, must be hailed with 

 pleasure by all true naturalists. Of the family 

 ol owls which inhabit our Province, the 

 Halifax museum, with the exception ot the 

 great grey owl (S. lapotticum), contains an 

 excellent collection ot' e\er\ Species I have 

 identified myself. The great grej owl 

 taken some years ago in PictOU County, and 

 a specimen was in the collection oi the Lite 

 Dr. McCulloch, of Pictou town. This is the 

 only recorded instance I know of its 

 here. The great horned owl (A Virginianus) 



