THE CANADIAN SPORTSMAN AND NATURALIST. 



217 



were two mats or platforms. The first or low- 

 est of these, which was about one inch and a 

 half thick, was composed of dry moss firmly 

 packed, and upon this was placed another 

 such mat made of the inner fur of the common 

 hare, firmly felted into a compact mass. Upon 

 this latter rested the cup-shaped nest made of 

 the same felted fur and of such precise and 

 graceful form as to have been no discredit to a 

 more cultured artist. The walls of the nest 

 were two and one-half inches high and half an 

 inch thick. There was no other material used 

 as a lining, but the interior had a soft woolly 

 surface not observable on the outside of the 

 walls. There were five young in one nest and 

 six in the other, and both broods were in much 

 the same stage of development, although 

 the Edmundston nest was seen on June 14th, 

 and the St. John nest on July 1 . It has not 

 been my good fortune to see the eggs of this 

 species, but Mr. H. B. Bailey, of the Linnean 

 Society of New York, who took several nests 

 at Stewiacke, in Nova Scotia, during June, 

 1881, told me that the eggs differed but very 

 slightly from those of the Black-capped. They 

 are much the same size and shape, perhaps a 

 shade smaller, but with the same white 

 ground and irregular brownish-red and pinkish 

 markings. I have seen it stated that they lay as 

 many as eight and ten eggs, but I have never 

 seen more than seven nor less than five young 

 in the nests that I have examined. With all 

 their reckless rollicking ways the Hudson Bay 

 Tits make most devoted husbands and fathers, 

 and though generally in a merry mood can be 

 fierce when occasions demands and are always 

 bold and courageous, as many an intrusive 

 rodent and feathered egg thief has discovered ; 

 yet I have seen nothing in their actions to in- 

 dicate the probability of the family fights noted 

 by Wilson, nor of the display of tierce temper 

 when despoiling their nests that has been men- 

 tioned by Audubon, Dr. Brewer and others, 

 and I have had some opportunity to observe 

 the latter. For example, my friend Purdie is 

 kind and tender-hearted to a fault, and when 

 he saw that his Hudsonian nest was filled with 

 youhg he shrank from any unnecessary sacri- 

 fice of bird-life ; but he is an enthusiastic col- 

 lector, and he wanted that nest. After consult- 

 ing, we determined to open the stump, take 

 out the nest and replace it with one made of 

 'cotton-wool. This was successfully accom- 

 plished, but between our desire not to injure 

 the nest, and the stubbornness of the stump, 

 there was considerable time absorbed in the 



operation; and all this time the parent birds 

 hovered about us with a patient subraissi 

 the inevitable that was almost sublime. Their 

 movements had lost the merry reckless dash 

 so characteristic of their race, and while they 

 passed fearlessly from bough to bough i 

 around us, watching us with intense int. 

 they uttered only a few anxious notes and 

 maintained a calm and dignified bearing that 

 was unimpeachable. 



Montague Chamheri.ai.v 

 St. JohmN.B. 



BIRDS OF WESTERN ONTARIO. 



Sir, — I have been very much interested in 

 the January number of your paper and really 

 delighted with the ornithological Contributions 

 it contains, but more particularly with the 

 correspondence of Mr. Mcllwraith of Hamilton, 

 containing some careful criticisms on the 

 list of birds of Western Ontario, given by Mr. 

 W. E. Saunders and myself. Concerning the 

 wintering of Regulus calendula in Ontario. 

 I can say but very little, as I did not positively 

 observe it myself; I never hunt much 

 among the evergreens along the Thames, 

 where it is said to winter. The Great 

 Northern Shrike (Lanius borealis) is scarce 

 here in winter, but sometimes it is com- 

 mon iif October, remaining until after the 

 first storms of snow, when they generally dis- 

 appear. 1 have seen only one specimen of 

 the species this winter, that was early in 

 November, before all the black snowbirds and 

 tree sparrows had departed. One of the last 

 named, the shrike was pursuing when I 

 observed it. I have never met with the adult 

 of this species in summer, but in the month 

 of August, 1880, a young man brought me a 

 Marsh Hawk (Circus kudsonius,) which I 

 bought and asked him to procure others for 

 me. In a few days, the same party brought 

 me five young of L. borealis which were reared 

 near where he lived. Their plumage contained 

 many pin feathers, consequently I did not 

 preserve them, but their large size and breast 

 markings were, in my opinion, unmistakable 

 proof of the species. I was told the parent 

 shrikes were very shy and a few weeks pre- 

 vious had killed some very young chickens 

 belonging to a farmer near by. 



John- H. Mokdex. 

 Hyde Park, Out. 



