NADIAl^ ^PORTSMAIN^ AHD 1\/VTU RALIST. 



No. 



MONTREAL, APR If,, 1883. 



Vol.. III. 



WILLIAM COUPER, Editor. 



OWLS. 



Two beautiful specimens of the rare cinere- 

 ous owl were sent to me in March. One was 

 a female shot at St. Remi, the other, a male, 

 secured in the neighbourhood of Huntingdon, 

 Que. Two owlets of this species were procured 

 about three years, ago, from a nest found in a 

 tree in the new settlement of Ponsonby, a wild 

 region not far from Montreal. From these 

 facts, it is evident that the great cinereous 

 owl is becoming more resident in the wood- 

 lands of Quebec. Formerly it was considered 

 a visitor during winter, like the snowy owl, 

 coming from the lands inhabited by the leming. 

 Although it is only of late years that this owl 

 was discovered in the latitude of Quebec dur- 

 ing summer, we have no authentic knowledge 

 of its habits during the nesting season. Why 

 is this powerful bird so rare, while the barred 

 owl, a smaller species, is generally abundant ? 

 The young of the latter were found on the 

 ground in a forest near Quebec, and the adult 

 birds are common in our woodlands at all 

 seasons. There appears to be a great difference 

 regarding the positions whereon a few of our 

 owls make their nests. Mr. W. G. A. Brodie 

 says " that the long-eared owl and the snowy 

 owl nest on the low trees in Manitoba," while 

 we have been informed by other observers that 

 the latter species deposits its eggs in a nest on 

 the ground. The information that the /snowy 

 owl constructs its nest on trees in Manitoba 

 is new and interesting to us, as it was formerly 

 supposed to return to the tar north to bring 

 forth its young. The Great North-west is, 

 however, becoming settled by intelligent 

 observeis of nature, and in a few years we will 

 doubtless obtain a clear and correct record of 

 I its fauna and flora. The barred owl is 

 probably the only American species having 

 dark eyes. Why is the bird thus an exception 

 lin its class? The other owls possess bright 

 lyellow eyes, and they have also the power of 

 [dilating and contracting their black pupils to 

 ■suit the glare of light in which they may be 

 )laced. Generally speaking the yellow-eyed 

 )wls are not so common (at least in the eastern 



portions of Canada) as the dark-eyed species. 

 Those po8se88ing the yellow iris may p088ibly 

 range over a larger extent of territory, while 

 the barred owl may be more local 111 its 

 habitats. The great Virginian owl is not in 

 any way a common species, especially near 

 the habitations of man : the same may be said 

 of the hawk, Tengmalm's, -aw-whet, the long 

 and short-eared owls which have a yellow iris 

 to their eyes. These birds generally gloar and 

 stare at a person when approached in day-light. 

 We would be pleased to have the opinions of 

 ornithological students regarding the above 

 questions, with remarks on the peculiarities 

 which may have been noticed in the economy 

 of owls — for instance — stratagem or modes by 

 which they procure their food ; giving abo 

 statements regarding the correct use of the 

 black-bordered transparent membrane so con- 

 spicuous^ connected with their eyes. — C. 



NOTES ON THE NATURAL HISTORY OF 

 MANITOBA. 



BY W. G. A. BRODIE. 



{Read before the Natural History Society of 

 Toronto.) 



One of" our characteristic rodents is the 

 "Sand Rat," northern pocket gopher, the 

 Thomornys talpoides, Rich.; it is about the 

 length of a house rat but heavier and of a 

 more clumsy build j usually the color is dirty 

 grey varying to nearly black. The cheek 

 pouches open on the outside of the mouth, are 

 hairy inside and will hold a handful ot grain. 

 The ears are short, placed in the centre o\' a 

 dark patch and the sense ot hearing is acute. 

 The incisors are large and sharp, the molars 

 sharp around the edges. The legs are short 

 ami the toes have long claws and they are 

 good diggers. They are strictly nocturnal in 

 their habits but this is of little value in the 

 struggle lor existence for their nocturnal 

 enemies are many — owls, coyotes, foxes and 

 badgers. Another is the northern chipmunk 

 or 'faunas asiaticus, Gmel ; it is common in 

 all wooded sections, is very variable but easily 

 distinguished from its near congener in Ontario 

 the Tamius striatus, Linn. The ground 

 squirrel. Spermophilus Richardsom, Sabine, 



