364 



NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA. 



[NO. 27. 



rather commonly along Grandin River August 1 to 4; and collected 

 one on the shore of Lake Hardist}^ on August 20. On Great Bear 

 Lake I noted the species nearly ever}^ day at our camp east, of Leith 

 Point, August 29 to September 3, and collected two specimens, one 

 of which had eaten a tree sparrow. AMiile ascending the Mackenzie 

 I saw a few between Fort Xorman and Gravel River, October 2 and 

 3 ; and one, the last of the season, below Roche Trempe-l'eau, Octo- 

 ber 8. 



In the spring of 1904 I first observed this species at Fort Simpson 

 April 29, noting two, one of which I collected. I observed a few 

 daily May 1 to 3, and occasionally saw others during the first half of 

 the month. A specimen taken by J. W. Mills at Fort Providence 

 April 27, 1905, has recently been received. The pigeon hawk breeds 

 rather commonly throughout the region north to the limit of trees. 

 Ross listed it as common in the Mackenzie River region north to La 

 Pierre House, and as having been taken at Fort Simpson." Baird. 

 Brewer, and Ridgway record specimens from Fort Resolution, Big 

 Island, Fort Simpson, Fort Good Hope, and La Pierre House ; ^' 

 and the bird catalogue of the National Museum shows that skins 

 were received also from Lockhart River, Peel River, Fort Rae, and 

 Fort Halkett. Bendire records eggs taken at Fort Resolution July 

 6, 1860, and at Fort Anderson in June, 1863.^ In the latter region 

 MacFarlane found the species to range along Anderson River almost 

 to its mouth.^ Russell records two specimens taken at Fort Rae 

 May 5, 1894.^ Macoun records a nest taken by Spreadborough at 

 Edmonton, Alberta, in May, 1897.^ 



Falco columbarius riehardsoni Ridgw. Richardson Merlin. 



This species has not apparently been detected north of the Sas- 

 katchewan, in which region it was first found by Richardson, who, 

 however, confounded it with Falco cesalon^ a European species. Ma- 

 coun records, on the authority of Raine, a set of eggs taken at Fort 

 Saskatchewan, Alberta, May 17, 1899.^ 



Falco sparverius Linn. American Sparrow Hawk. 



This handsome little falcon occurs throughout the region north to 

 Fort Rae and the lower Mackenzie, but apparently does not range 

 to the northern border of the timber. 



In 1901 this species was observed almost daily between Edmonton 

 and Athabaska Landing, Alberta, Aj)ril 29 to May 5. Single birds 



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



»Hist. N. A. Birds, Land Birds, III, pp. 146, 152, 1874. 



cLife Hist. N. A. Birds [I], p. 302, 1892. 



^ Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., XIY, p. 435, 1891. 



f'ExpL in Far North, p. 262, 1898. 



f Cat. Canadian Birds, Part II, p. 256, 1903. 



fibid., p. 258. 1903. 



