376 



NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA. 



[NO. 27. 



where a few remained in winter.'^ M'Clintock recorded specimens 

 taken in January and August, 1859, at Port Kennedy.^ Belcher 

 notes one observed on June 2, 1853, on the north side of Grinnell 

 Peninsula, in about latitude 77° N., longitude 95° W.^ Doctor Kae 

 reported the species as occurring along the coast of Victoria Land in 

 the summer of 1851/^ Ross listed it as occurring in the Mackenzie 

 River region, and as wintering, but as being rare.^ Specimens were 

 received by the Smithsonian Institution from Fort Resolution and 

 Big Island. Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway state that the species had 

 been shot in February at Fort Norman.'^ It was reported by Mac- 

 Farlane as not plentiful in the Anderson River region.^' J. B. Tyr- 

 rell reports seeing a few birds of this species while exploring the 

 countr}' between Atliabaska Lake and Churchill River in the summer 

 of 1892.'^ Macoun records sets of eggs taken at Herschel Island by 

 Mr. Young, on the authority of Raine; and a specimen collected 

 at Great Bear Lake by Max Bell.'' Hanbury noted one near Ogden 

 Bay, on the Arctic coast. May 18, 1902.-'" Seton records the white owl 

 from Clinton- Golden Lake.'*^ 



Surnia ulula caparoch (Mull.). American Hawk Owl. 



This day owl occurs throughout the wooded portion of the region 

 and probably breeds throughout this area. It begins to move south- 

 ward from the northern part of its range in early autumn and re- 

 turns in early spring. Though rather conspicuous on account of its 

 diurnal habits, it is seldom seen in numbers except during migrations, 

 when it is sometimes fairly common. 



During the season of 1901 we noted this bird but once — about 100 

 miles below Fort Smith July 1, when Ave saw one pursuing a red- 

 tailed hawk high above the forest. It soon abandoned the chase and 

 returned to the woods. 



In 1903 we first noted this species below Limestone Point, on lower 

 Slave River, June IT, when one w^as shot from a spruce beside the 

 river. It had in its talons part of a j^oung varying hare. While on 

 their return trip Alfred E. Preble and Merritt Gary observed three 

 hawk owls near Lily Lake, Alberta, on September 21:, a dark, foggy 

 day. During my trip northward from Fort Rae I noted this species 



« Appendix to Ross's Second Voyage, p. xxv, 1835. 



* Voyage of tlie Fox, pp. 200, 296, 1860. 



<^ Last of Arctic Voyages, I, p. 295, 1855. 



^ Journ. Royal Geog. Soc. for 1852, p. 89, 1852. 



^Nat. Hist. Rev., II (second ser.), p. 277, 1862. 



f Hist. N. A. Birds, Land Birds, III, p. 72, 1874. 



9 Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., XIV, p. 437, 1891. 



'^Ann. Rept. Can. Geol. Surv., VIII (new ser.), p. 14D, 1896. 



^ Cat. Canadian Birds, Part II, p. 284, 1903. 



^ Sport and Travel in NortWand of Canada, p. 147, 1904. 



^Auk, XXV, p. 71, 1908. 



