THE CANADIAN SPORTSMAN AND NATURALIS1. 





the Gold- crest wintered with US, bul have Dot 



hitherto heard of the Ruby-crown doing bo; if 



this is found to be strictly correct, it, would 

 indicate a milder climate than we have. The 

 Northern Shrike it also says "remains in 

 mild winters but very few breed ; if even a few 

 breed, it is well to be assured of it; bul the 

 two shrikes <^et so often mixed up that. I think 

 it would be well to revise this item, as to their 

 staying with us in mild winter; they are must 

 common here in severe weather; and at 

 present may be seen any day scalping poor 

 Passer domes licus in the public thorough laic-. 

 The Mourning Warbler, Red-bellied Wood- 

 pecker and Yellow-billed Cuckoo still con- 

 tinue rare here as in 1866, the latter two I 

 have not seen again since that time, on the 

 contrary the Orchard Oriole was observed 

 here at different points last summer and 

 several pairs were known to breed near the 

 city though, till then I had not heard of it 

 since the notice made on my list. Early on a 

 May morning of 1882, a male m full plumage 

 appeared to my great delight in my orchard; 

 I watched him sailing with outspread wing 

 and tail, from one fruit tree to another till 1 

 got familiar with his notes and manner — then ; 

 no — I did not shoot him ; it was Sunday and I 

 deferred that operation till the morrow, but on 

 the morrow he was gone and L saw him no 

 more. In the Hamilton list the following 

 twenty-two species are included which do not 

 appear in the London list. Baird's Buzzard ; 

 Richardson's Owl ; White-fronted Owl ; Yellow 

 bellied Fly-catcher ; Green black-capped Fly- 

 catcher ; Hudsonian Curlew ; Surt Duck ; 

 Pomarine Skua; Ptobin Snipe ( Trii iga ccuia- 

 ius) • Eider Duck; Buteo elegans; Caspian 

 Tern ; Wilson's Tern ; Black Guillemot ; 

 Foolish Guillemot ; Great black-backed Gull ; 

 Rosy Gull ; Solan Goose ; Black Hawk ; 

 Canada Jay ; Glossy Ibis ; Hudsonian Godwit. 

 As the result of investigation made since 18li(>. 

 it is now believed that Baird's Buzzard is a 

 different form of Swainson's Buzzard. The 

 White-fronted Owl, the young of the Saw-whet 

 Owl, the Black Hawk, a condition of the 

 Bough-legged Buzzard, and Buteo elegans of 

 the Red-shouldered Hawk. All the others are 

 good species, some of which I have met with 

 again and some I have not. The two little 

 Fly-catchers will assuredly be met with by the 

 London collectors, if they continue their 

 researches as though rare, they are. regular 

 visitors. I have now to mention the occur- 

 rence in Cauada of a few species which do not 



appear in either ol the lists. // 



'■iiuiii, Ora er — 



When visiting al tbi 



lit in 

 ;i capful! of warblers he h I 

 artist, and I picked 



from among the lot ; it was a ma 

 badly shot that tin- specim* a 

 have not me( with it ■Unus 



Felipe* — Mealy Red-poll. 1 find this bird 

 ribed in -one- works a- a distinct -|-*cies 

 and in others a- a northern variety ■■; 

 common Red-poll. Whatever his true position 

 may be in science, he differs in appearan 

 much from the common Red-po 

 Northern Shrike does from the excubiioro 

 The general appearance of the bird 

 grey and .-o 'leu-.' \ covered with feathers that 

 the hill and feel are scarcely visible. Tryny 

 rufescens — Buff-breasted Sandpiper. .\ 

 years since, in a moist grassy hollow on tie- 

 beach, I met with six of these delicate little 

 birds and so gentle were they and unsuspii 

 that I obtained them all. In August of the 

 following year I saw a few again at the .-ame 

 place, but a railroad now pae thai 



spot, and as I never saw them elsewhi 

 may not see them again. Numeniui B 

 — Esquimaux Curlew. I captured a specimen 

 of this little sickle-bill, near the same n - 

 as the preceding. He was alone, evidently n 

 straggler from a passing flock. Tringa Botur 

 partei — Bonaparte's Sandpiper. This plain 

 looking species 1 think is quite common with 

 us, though from its general resemblaoc 

 several other kinds, is easily overlooked. 

 Larus Tridactylus — Kitty-wake (lull. — This 

 species is quite common round the hay 

 lew weeks every fall. Strix flammea — Barn 

 Owl. — The occurrence ol this specie- deserves 

 something more than a passing notice. 

 far as I am aware, this is the only instance of 

 its being found in Canada. It is resident in 

 the United States from the Atlantic to the 

 Pacific, as tar North as the latitude ot' North 

 Carolina, keeping mostly along the sea coa • 

 becoming rare in the interior. In Scotland 

 where the species is common, it is mostly 

 found to frequent retired country church 

 lowers or hide away among the ivy which 

 covers some ancient ruin. Superstition still 

 lingers among the people in the rural districts 

 ami the owl is looked on as a bird o\ evil 

 omen whose visit to a farm house is always 

 received as a " warning" that some calamity 

 is about, to befal the family, Its cry is by no 



