THE CANADIAN SPORTSMAN AND NATUBALI8T. 



151 



(Correspondence. 



NEST HUNTING. 



Sir, — Recent communications which I 

 received from Canadian and American Orni- 

 thologists leads me to think that former 

 articles in your Journal have been read with 

 ink-rest; I think it may also he interesting to 

 our Ornithological friends to make a few 

 remarks regarding birds observed, and i 

 discovered during the present season. On 

 the 21th of May, I was fortunate to discover 

 the nest, an 1 secure therefrom, a set ol the 

 eggs cf the Pigeon Hawk, (Falco colum- 

 barius). This bird is rather rare in these 

 parts of Canada where I have pursued my 

 Ornithological researches; in fact, with the 

 exception of the Red-tail, commonly called 

 the Kite, or Chicken Hawk, none of this tribe 

 are numerous in, this region. Last summer, 

 I noticed one of these hawks capture a pigeon 

 in my garden; it flew with its victim towards 

 a cedar swamp north of this town, where in 

 April last I noticed several old nests which I 

 supposed belonged to this species, or some of 

 the hawk family. This led me to believe 

 that the locality was a favourite nesting place 

 of these birds, and I determined to revisit it 

 later in the season. Accordingly on the above 

 date, in company with my oldest son, I was 

 again among the cedars. h\ the midst of a 

 thick growth of evergreens, chiefly balsam 

 and cedar, I discovered in a cedar tree, about 

 forty feet from the ground, a new-made nest, 

 from which upon throwing up a stick,^ had 

 the pleasure to start a hawk; and upon her 

 return with her mate, I saw it was Falco 

 columbarius , and these by their notes inti- 

 mated that they regarded my presence as 

 dangerous to their long undisturbed safety. 

 To reach the nest was a work of considerable 

 difficulty; I was not an expert climber, and 

 a fall might be fatal. Having a shingling axe 

 and some nails with me, I first made a rude 

 ladder, about fourteen feet long ; this brought 

 me to the "lower branches, whence I had to 

 cut a number of small limbs as I progressed 

 upward. In a short time, however, 1 found 

 myself in reach of the nest, which was placed 

 on several branches, close to the trunk ol the 

 tree, and formed of small dry sticks and 

 bramble. In the slight hollow 1 found four 

 . which I soon transferred to my collect- 



ing-box ^ and with them d< 



the '.'round, rejoicing 



Of any of OUI B 



nd which, 



had pi 



culty in preparing, and pi 

 m_\ collection. The 



are while, varioii - ! y mai I 



shades of brown. 



similarly marked, nor ol a uniform 



of them are almost round, I 



inches in circumfera 



other which is more oblo 



of the round eggs ie dark brown i 



the more oblong one has an irregular bai 



a similar hue towards th 



handed and blotched over th 



another which has 



rest, has its darkest si 



Venuor, in " Our Birds "I Pi 



and 10, describee this bird, bul 



he was nol acquainted with i 



On the 5th of April, £ observed thr 



a species of hawk, new t.. me; th-v 



moving westward, being al an elevation <>t 



several hundred feci, and 



througb a regular waltzing gyral 



colour appeared to be gn 



neat and slender and about the length <■' 



Pigeon Hawk; the wings long and CUI 



sometimes flapped, and again Bpread ot 

 they circled round after the manner ol the 

 Red-tail. Again, on the 25th of the - 

 month, about three miles east <■! this town, I 

 observed at about an equal elevatjon, 

 similar to those seen on the 5tb, going through 

 similar evolutions, hut moving in an op| 



direction. Their notes which I heard on 



occasion, at first sounded like those ol the 

 wild goose, but ended in a call similar in I 

 hut less loud then that ol the Red-tai 

 Perhaps these were the Broad-W illge I 

 Robins are numerous here, th 

 many of their nests have i 

 The Blue Bird is now becoming • in .1 

 have not seen its eggs this season yet. Ii 

 first made its appearance here on ll 

 ol .March. Tin- Crow-black I 

 numerous, nesting in the balsam eh 

 trees in the town, and in the willow- 

 small cedars in the heaver in< I 

 well as the deserted holes of Bi holders, and 

 hollows of trees. [ have taken over a .1 

 sets of their eggs this month. The North- 

 ern Shrike (,?) is 1 >co ting i 

 <>n May .".nl, I collected Irom a 



