354 



NOKTH AMEKICAN FAUNA, 



[NO. 27. 



Landing and Lily Lake September 21 to 24. One seen a few miles 

 north of the latter point on September 24 had a freshly killed ruffed 

 grouse in its talons. It was flying through the pine woods with its 

 quarry, and, becoming startled by suddenly perceiving the party, 

 dropped the grouse, which fell into the midst of the company, then 

 at breakfast. A'NHiile ascending Grandin Kiver on August 3, I found 

 a nest of this species from w^hich the young had just flown, and col- 

 lected one of the young birds near by. The nest was bulky and was 

 built in a medium-sized birch 15 feet from the ground. I noted one 

 individual on the shore of Great Bear Lake 40 miles w^est of Mc Vicar 

 Bay September 12, and several near Manito Islands September 15. 

 A bird of the year shot at the latter place had been eating a ptar- 

 migan. I noted another at Fort Franklin September 18. 'While 

 ascending the Mackenzie, I saw the species near Roche Trempe- 

 I'eau October 9, and daily betw^een Nahanni River and Fort Simpson 

 October 13 to 20. The birds observed appeared to be mostly young 

 of the year, though a few were adults. During the latter part of 

 October and the first part of November I found the species rather 

 common at Fort Simpson, but during December I noted it but twice — 

 on the 2d and 2Tth. 



During January, 1904, I saw only a single bird — on January 14 — 

 and during February saw none. On March 24 I observed two pairs 

 evidently newly arrived from the south. During the early part of 

 April I noted goshawks, usually in pairs, on several occasions. In 

 one instance I surprised one in the act of eating a varying hare which 

 it had taken from a snare. A pair were evidently contemplating 

 nesting in a tract of poplar woods near the banks of Liard River to 

 the southward of the post, but the breaking up of the ice late in April 

 put a stop to my excursions in that direction. I failed to observe 

 the bird during the summer. '\'^Tiile ascending the Athabaska on my 

 return trip I saw one a short distance below^ Athabaska Landing, 

 Alberta, September 1, and I observed another a short distance south 

 of that place September 2. 



Under the name Astur palumharius^ Richardson mentions a speci- 

 men killed near Jasper House.^ Ross listed this species as being 

 found in the Mackenzie Valley north to Fort Good Hope, but as 

 rare.^ A specimen from Fort Simpson, taken b}^ R. MacDonald, is 

 in the National Museum, and the catalogue of the birds shows thati 

 skins were received also from Big Island and Fort Good Hope. 

 MacFarlane believed that the species bred in small numbers in the 

 wooded country between Fort Good Hope and Anderson River. ^ 



^ Fauna Boreali-Americana, II, p. 43, 1831. 

 »Nat. Hist. Rev., II (second ser.), p. 276, 1862. 

 c rroc. U. S, Nat. Mus., XIV, p. 432, 1891. 



