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THE
BIRDS OF ONTARIO
BVASG A CONCISE ACCOUNT OF EVERY SPECIES OF BIRD KNOWN TO HAVE BEEN FOUND IN ONTARIO
WITH A
DESCRIPTION OF THEIR NESTS AND EGGS
AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR COLLECTIN(; BIRDS AND PRKPARING
AND PRESERVING SKINS, ALSO DIRECTIONS HOW
TO FORM A COLLECTION OF EG(;S
By THOMAS McILWRAITII
MRMIIER OK TIIK AMKIllCAN OUNlTIIOIiOGISTS' CNIOK
SECOND EDITION— ENLARGED AND REVISED TO DATE WITH ILLUSTRATIONS
Toronto
WILLIAM BRIGGS, WESLEY BUILDINGS
Montreal: C. W. COATES Halifax; S. F. HUESTIS
mdcccxciv
Entered, according to the Act of the Parlian.ont of Catiadii, in the year one thousand eight hundred and ninety-four, by William Brioos, Toronto, in the Office of the Minister of Agriculture, at Ottawa.
i)
TO
HER KXCELLENCV
XTbe Countess of HberOcen
IN VIEW OF THE
INTELLIGENT ATTENTION SHE HA.S (IIVEN TO
SCIENCE AND LITERATURE IN CANADA
THIS WORK IS RESPECTFULLY
DEDICATED
CONTENTS.
Preface
Introduction
Cort,ECTING AND PREPARING SpECIMENH .
Nests and E(jos
Order Pyoopodes — Diving Birds
Family PodicipidiB — (irebes ... M ITrinatoridie — Loons . II Alcidiu — Auks, Murres nnd Puttins Order Lonoipennes — Long-winged Swimmers . Family Stercorariidie — Skuas and Jaegurs II Laridiu — Gulls and Terns Order Steganopodes — Totipalmate Swimmers . Family Sulida; — Gannets .... M Phalaci'ocoracidfu — Cormorants . II Pelecanidie — Pelicans . Order Anseres — Lamellirostral Swimmers
Family Anatidse — Ducks, Geese and Swans Order Herodiones — Herons, Storks, Ibises, etc. Family Ibididse — Ibises .... M Ardeidae — Herons, Bitterns, etc. . Order Paludicol.??; — Cranes, Rails, etc. .
Family Gruidse — Cranes .... II Rallidic — Rails, Gallinules and Coots Order Limicola: — Shore Birds .... Family Phalaropodidse^^Phalaropes
II Recurvirostridfe — Avocets and Stilts II Scolopacidie — Snipes, Sandpipers, etc. II Charadriidfw — I*lovers . II Aphrizidiie — Surf Birds and Turnstones Order Gallin^e —Gallinaceous Birds
Family Tetraonidse — Grouse, Piirtridges, etc. II Phasianidit — Pheasants, Turkeys, etc. Order Columb^ — Pigeons .... Family Columbidae — Pigeons .
PAOI
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vi
CONTENTS.
Ordkr Rai'toukn— Hiids uf Proy
Fiimily ('utliiutidin Aiiiiiiiiiiu \^lUm•0H
M Kal(!(ini(l(«' N'lilliirt's, Kdlcons, Hawks, K/igl
II Striyidii! liiiiu Owls .
II lUiboiiiilm — HoriujtlOwls, otc. Ordkr CcxcYtiKs— ('iicko<is, etc
Fuiiiily (!iiculi(lii!--(.'ii(!ki)(» , otc.
II Alcucliiiidii^ Kingtisliois Orkkr Pi(!I — Wcxjclpockers
Family Piuida' — Woodpuckors . OitHKR Mackociiikks (ioiitsuckeih, Xwihs, etc Family Caprimulgidiu (Joatsiickers, I'tc.
II Micro|K)(Ueliu— Swifts .
H Trnchilitlii^ - HiuiiiiiingbinlH Urdki! Passkrks -Purcliiiiy Hinls
Family Tyraunidiu — Tyrant Flyeatciiers
II AlaudidiiJ^ — Laiks
II Corvidu! — Crows, days, Magpius, utc.
II Icteridio — l}laokl)ii'ds, Orioles, otc.
II Fringillidiu — Finches, Sjjarrows, etc.
II Tanagridii' — Tanagcrs .
II Hirundinidic -Swallows
II .\mpolidiL' — Waxwings
II Laniidio — Shrikes
II V'ireoiiida! — Vireos
II Mniotiltida; — Wood- Warblers
II Motaoillidic, — Wagtails
II Troglodytido! — Wrens, Thrashers, etc
II Certhiidii! — Creepers .
II Paridie — Nuthatches and Tits
11 Sylviidie — Warblers, Kinglets and (Jnatcatc
II Turdidie— Tlirushes and Bluebirds
Addknoa ...
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242 243 243 254 254
25<;
267 258 258 209 272 279 2JK) 334 33»i 342 344 348 353 386 386 398 399 402 405 414 415
. I
I 1
IMJEFACE.
TiiK first edition of "Thk I'.iudh okOntahio" hurl its origin in the Ilarniltoii Associ.ition, a local scientific society of which I am one of the oldest nienibeis.
In the spring of 1885, t read the intrcKluctory part of this hook us a paper at one of the ordinary meetings. So fc^w people devote any time to the study of Ornithology, that the subject was (juite new to the Association, and, at the recjuest of those present, I afterwards supplemented the papei- with a record of the names of all the birds observed during my excursions near the city. JJy giving a technical desci'iption of each, I hoped to enable anyone desirous of pursuing the study to identify those loirds likely to be found in the same district. The whole was subsecjuently published in book form by the Association, under the name of "The Birds of Ontario." Each member received a copy, and the balance of the issue was placed in the hands of the booksellers, but the number published was limited, and the book is now entirely out of the market.
The kind reception of the first edition by the public, and the numerous incjuiries which have recently been nuide for copies of the book, have induced me to prepare this secf)nd edition, which T hope may be equally fortunate in meeting with public favor.
In the first edition the accounts of the birds were, to a great extent, the result of my own observations made in the vicinity of Hamilton, where I have resided for the past forty years. Nearly all of our native birds being migratory, the record given of each species was necessarily incomplete. Some were mentioned as winter visitors, others as summer residents, and a numerous class as spring and autumn migrants, visiting southern Ontario on their annual journey to and from their breeding places farther north.
In the present edition, it has been my object to place on record, as far as possible, the name of every bird that has been observed in Ontario ; to show how the different species are distributed through- out the Province ; and, especially, to tell where they spend the breeding season. To do this, I have had to refer to the notes of
mm
vin
PREFACE.
those who have visited the remote homes of the birds, at points often far apart and not easy of access, and to use their observations, pub- lished or otherwise, when they tend to throw light on the history of the birds observed in Ontario.
Of the works T have found most useful in this connection, T have pleasure in mentioning Mr. Ernest E. Thompson's "Birds of Manitoba," published by the Smithsonian Institute at Washington. Tn it the author records his ornithological notes made during a three years' residence in Manitoba, as well as the numerous observations by others of similar tastes in different parts of the Province with whom he was in correspondence.
Mr. E. W. Nelson, an officer of the United States Signal Service, has furnished the material for a work on the birds of an entirely new fiold, and has greatly extended our knowledge of many species which are common at different points as migrants. The work is a history of the collection of birds made by the author in Alaska during the years 1877 to 1881. It is edited by Mr. W. H. Henshaw, and handsomely illustrated. Issued by the Signal Service at Wash- ington, it has been liberally distributed among the lovers of birds.
The ornithological work which has attracted the greatest amount of attention lately is entitled, " The Hawks and Owls of the United States in tlieir Relation to Agriculture," prepared under the direction of Dr. C. Hart Merriam, Ornithologist, by Dr. A. K. Eisher, Assist- ant. This is a book of two hundred pages, enriched with colored illustrations of most of the birds it describes.
I have also found much that is interesting in the " Life Histories of North American Birds, with special reference to their Breeding Habits and Eggs," by Captain Charles Bendire, United States Ai-my (retired). This work, which has now reached four hundred pages, is still in progress, and promises to be the most useful work we have on the subjects of which it treats.
To Mr. Oliver Davie I am greatly indebted for the privilege of using the information contained in his " Nests and Eggs of North American Birds," without which my record in that department would have been incomplete.
With regard to the distribution of the birds, I have found a great deal of information in a " Catalogue of Canadian Birds," with notes on the distribution of species by Montague Chamberlain.
In the Annual Reports of the Ornithological Sub-section of the Canadian Institute are many interesting notices of rare birds found near Toronto and elsewhere throughout the country. .
PREFACE.
IX
I have also had freciuent occasion to refer to the writings f)£ Dr. Coues, Robert Ridgway, J. A. Allen, Dr. Merriam, Dr. Fisher, Wni. Brewster ; Dr. Bell, Prof. Macoun, and Oeo. R. White, of Ottawa ; Dr. Macallum, of DunnviJle ; J. M. Leinuine, Quebec ; Amos W. Butler, Indiana ; Manly Hardy, of Brewei", Maine : W. F. Peacock, Mai-ysville, California ; Dr. P. L. Hatch, Minnesota ; A. J. Cook, 3Iiclugan, to all of whom I now return my best thanks for the privi- lege of using their writings, as well as to many others who have in various ways contributed toward the completion of this work. I hope it may be found useful to those beginning the study of Oj-nithology. I wish for their sakes, a3 well as for the interest of the subject, that it were better than it is, but it has been written at spare hours amid the frequently recurring calls of business, and this may account for some of its imperfections.
The classification and nomenclature used correspond v .'t.li the ■'Check List of North American Birds," published by the American Ornitholoeists' Union.
THOMAS McILWRAITH.
Caiksbrak, Hamilton, Canada, February Isf, 1894.
TNTHODUOTION.
To EVERY lover of outdodi- life the bifds are familiar objects, and their society is a coiitiimal soui-ce of enjoyment. Not only are their colors pleasing to the eye and their voices agreeable to the ear, but their various habits, when observed, excite our admiration of the unerring instinct which directs them in all their movements.
Upon my younger readers whose tastes may lead them in this direction, I would strongly urge the necessity for keeping a diaiy in which to make a record of e\erything connected with bird-life seen during each outing. Various shapes and sizes of books ruled in various ways have been suggested for this purpose, but for a beginner I would recommend a plain page on which to enter notes of the birds seen at such a place on such a date, with any facts relating to their numbers, occupation or mannei-s which may have been observed.
When this book has been ;kept for two or three seasons, even the writer of it will be astonished at the amount and variety of the information accumulated, and the reading of it in after years will recall many of the pleasant experiences of the time when the entries were made. The book will also be very valuable as a work of reference while the history of rach species is being investigated. Even the mention of the names of the birds seen, showing that certain species were noticed at a given place on a given date, becomes important, taken in connection with their migration, which is perhaps the most interesting part of their history.
We have become accustomed to speak of certain birds as V)eing migratory, and we can tell, within a day or two, the time at which they will arrive from the south in spring to take possession of their former box or other nesting place near our houses. Bj'^ referring to the observations of others made at different points on the continent, we can tell where certain species spend the winter, and likewise how far north they go in sunnner, and the date of their appearance at the various places where they pause b}-^ the way. By following the observations recently maile by Professor Cook, we can also ji'dge pretty accurately at what rate of speed the birds travel when coming
12
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
up from the south in spring. All this information is the result of much time and care having been devoted to the subject by a host of observers, and it is very valuable to those interested in the subject, but the general questions relating to bird migration still remain unanswered, and the student may as well begin at the beginning and try to discover : " Why do birds migrate 1 How do they know where to go ? "
With regard to those hatched in the north, we can readily under- stand that the failure of food supply at the time when insect life is wiped out, and the fields and marshes are buried under deep snow, makes a change of climate an absolute necessit3^ Then comes the second question : " How do they know where to go 1 " The answer to this is, that they are guided by the observations of the older members of the flock, and to a great extent by the exercise of inherited memory, that is, the memory inherited of what has been done by other birds of the same species for countless generations.
Of inherited memory we cannot speak from experience, for it is not inherent in our nature, but that birds do possess the faculty is evident from many of their common habits. Take, for instance, that of nest-building. Different species o'f birds build very different kinds of nests, and often in very different situations, but birds of any given species usually l)uild the same kind of nest, year after year, in the same kind of situation. That this regularity is not the result of personal observation is also quite apparent. For example, a pair of Grassfinches build their nest on the ground under a bunch of weeds or a little bush. The eggs are therein deposited, and in due time the birds are hatched. They grow quickly, and soon begin to feel crowded in the limited space. Presently, along comes a sportsman's dog with glaring eyes, and his tongue lolling out of his open mouth. He stares and snuffs at the tiny objects, and they hurry off in terror to hide among the brambles, where their wants are attended to by their parents for a few days until they are able to shift for themselves, which they soon do without having once seen the nest in which they were hatched. Yet in spring, when the different members of this little family start housekeeping on their own account, each one builds a nest p- acisely like that from which they were scared by the dog.
We car^ see at once the great value of this gift to the birds while pursuing their long and hazardous journey, much of which is performed during the hours of darkness, the daylight being necessary to enable them to secure the food which they require by the way.
INTRODUCTION.
13
Regarding the services rendered by the more experienced mem- bers in guiding the flock, the value of these will be seen when we remember that the bulk of our birds are born in the north, and are called upon to provide for the coming winter at an age when they ai-e without personal experience of any kind. That all birds migrate in flocks is generally admitted, although it is only the larger species of water-fowl whose movements on such occasions come within the range of our observation.
The migrations of the smaller birds are noticed chiefly by their absence or presence in their usual haunts. For instance, when in the marsh on an afternoon toward the end of (September, we noticed that the Sora Rails, birds of apparently weak and uncertain flight, were very abundant. Every few steps we made one would get up, fly a few yards, and again drop, apparently exhausted, among the reeds. During the night a sharp frost set in, the first of the season, and on visiting the same part of the marsh next day, not a single Rail could be found. All had gone during the night. The migrations of this species are always performed at night, when the birds cannot be seen, but we have occasionally heard the weak, whimpering note the birds utter when travelling, to prevent the weaklings from getting lost.
The geese are the most conspicuous of our migratory birds, the A-shaped flocks and the hoarse, honking cry being familiar to all Canadians. In the Hudson's Bay regions, where these birds are raised, we are told that at the approach of winter there are great gatherings of old and young along the shores, and great gabbling and apparent discussions relating to the journey in which they are about to start. All finally soar aloft and assume the usual A-shape, at the apex of which is the leader, always an old male, more or less familiar with the route. It is also said that the senior members of the flock take this position by turns, and relieve each other of the responsibility which for a time they assume. So they press on toward the south, lakes and rivers, which at night all show clearer and brighter than the land, being never-failing guides throughout the journey.
Some of the water-fowl seem jo reluctant to leave their northern home that they remain until they are actually frozen out. On the other hand some of the waders leave their summer haunts long before we can see any necessity for their doing ho. Iu the latter part of August, while lying awake with the windows (tpen during the warm summer night, we can hear the skirling of the Sandpipers
14
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
as they pass overhead on their way southward, leaving a land of plenty behind them.
In the movements of some of the warl)lers, too, are seeming irregularities which we are at a loss to explain. These, like other migrants which raise their young in the north, retire before the approach of winter, and we should expect to hear of their resting when a temperate region was reached ; Viut many of them follow up the southern route till they reach the ecjuator, and pass on two or three hundred miles beyond it.
We have so far taken a cursory view of the fioufhern movement of the birds at the approach of winter. We see the necessity for it and admire the means they possess to enable them to carry it out. Eventually, all the species iind suitable winter-quarters, where they quietly remain for a time and soon get to l)e in excellent condition, both as regards Hesh and plumage, having nothing to engage their attention but dress and diet.
Soon, however, the time arrives when anothei- change of habitat must be made, and the migratory feeling again stirs within the difFei'ent species. There is a Happing of wings, a sti'etchiiig of necks, a reiteration of their peculiar calls, and an occasional Higlit with no apparent object save exercise. " To the north, to the north," is now the general cry, and to the north they go, often fighting theii- way through storms ajid fogs, but still bent on making the journey. We should I'espect their courage and admire their intelligence more highly if we knew that the change was necessary, but that is the point we are unable to decide. The birds were living comparatively undis- turbed with abundant fare and pleasant surroundings, why should they change? Why do they expose themselves to the vicissitudes and fatigue of this tedious journey of thousands of miles, to reach a land where they know that they cannot remain? We have heard "love of the nesting ground," and "strong home affection," mentioned among the leading causes of the desire to return, and there may be instances where such feelings, fully developed, have great influence in this connection. These are usually strongest in the female sex, but we find that the males always lead the northern movement, and are often in their formei- haunts ii week or more before the females arri\e. The home affection must, in certain cases, be of short duration, for we find in the history of some of the ducks, that no sooner are the eggs deposited than the female assumes the duties of incubation, and the males, getting together in flocks, keep outside in the open water, and ignore all further family responsibilities.
INTRODUCTION.
15
There may be something in the increased temperature in the soutli which the birds have found to be unsuitabh; while raising theii' young, and a change has become a matter of necessity, though the cause may not be to us apparent.
How are we to account for the habit in such birds as the Little Bittern, very many of which are resident in the south, and raise their young in tropical America, while those we see in Ontario are regular migrants, generally distributed, some straggling as far north as Mani- toba and Hudson's Bay, but all leaving the country before the first touch of frost 1
With these facts in view, it is not surprising to find some differ- ence of opinion among oi'nithologists regarding the causes of migra- tion. Tt seems as if the habit were, to some extent, coincident with the origin of the species, had extended very graflually through a long .succession of ages, to meet the various climatic and other changes which have taken place in the surroundings of this part of the animal kingdom since "the beginning." Even within our short lifetime we have seen changes taking place in the distribution of the birds, some of which we can account for, and for others we have no explanation to offer ; but the whole subject is one about which we have yet much to learn.
I commend it to the special consideration of my youthful readers, who, 1 feel sure, will find it most interesting, and I hope that they may yet be able to explain many of the difficulties which at present surround the subject of bird migration.
collpxting and preparing specimp:ns.
Since it is ])()ssible that the perusal of these pag(!S may create in some of my younger readers the desire to collect and preserve specimens of the birfls whose history they have been considering, 1 would advise them, by all means, to cultivate the taste, for I know of no pastime so conducive to health, nor one that will afford so ntucli rational enjoyment. An outing in our bracing Canadian air is enjoyable at any season of the year, an»l the capture of a rare bird is an event productive of feelings which only the enthusiastic collector can understand.
In spring, to watch the daily arrival of migrants from the south,
16
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
II i
clad in thfur gayest attiro and uttering their sweetest notes, is a constant source of dciligiit. Tn sunimer the nests and eggs engage the attention for a time. Tn autumn the return of the birds seen passing nortJi in th<! spring is again lookefl for with interest, and the changes in the flress of many are carefully recorded in the note- book which should be always at hand. But winter, aftei- all, is the season in which we expect to find the i-arest of our birds. We say our birds, for those we look for at that season are Canadian in the fullest sense of the term, having been born and V)rought up in the Dominion, but only on very rare occasions do they come so far south as our southern boundary. The collector in Southern Ontario who is fortunate enough to secure such birds as the Gyrfalcon, Ptarmigan, Three-toed Woodpecker, or Greater Red Poll, will not soon forget his agreeable sensations on the occasion, but he will gaze on the interest- ing strangers with regret if he does not know how to preserve their skins. It was probably some such experience that first suggested the attainment of this accomplishment, and in order to place it within the reach of all, I shall here give a brief account of how anyone may, with a little practice, become proficient in the art.
Hince bird collecting can be successfully practised only by the use of the gun, let me here, for the guidance of beginners, repeat the directions so often given to guard against accidents ia its use. The excuse for three-fourths of the mishaps which occur is, " Didn't know it was loaded," but the safe way to avoid this is at all times to handle the gun as if it were known to be loaded, for in the Irishman's way of putting it, "It may go off, whether it's loaded or not." When in company with others, never under any circumstances allow the gun for an instant to be pointed toward anything you do not wish to shoot. Never for any purpose blow into the muzzle, and do not have it " on cock " till the moment you expect to use it.
With regarfl to the choice of a gun, I am supposed to be speaking to a reader who has made up his mind to make a collection of the skins of those birds he finds near his home in Ontario. Water-fowl shooting, T may here remai'k, is a special department by itself. A 1 "J-bore double breech-loader, and cartridges charged with No. 5 shot, with a few of No. 1 or BB, would be a suitable equipment for ducks, with the possibility of a chance shot at geese or swans.
The collector going into the country may unexpectedly meet with some very desirable bird, and should be prepared to take it, whatever be its size or shape, and to do so with the least possible injury to its plumage.
INTRODUCTION,
17
The l)ir(l.s met with on such excursions range in size from a horned «i\vl to H humming-bird, the majority being intermediate between the two. Supposing tiiat only one gun is desirable, the most suitable weapon is a No. 14 double breech-loader of good make. This will be just right for the majority, and with a little care in loiuling the cartridges, it can be made to suit the two extremes. I have found three sizes of shot to be sutiicient for ordinary collecting trips, - Nos. ;"), S and 1l', -^*"t the size of the charge must V)e \aried to suit cii'cumstances. For instance, a charge of No. 12 will bring down a snipe at 30 yards, but to shoot a kinglet, or a warbler, for jtreserving, with the same size shot, the charge would have to be very much lighter. Just how much lighter is a point to be learned by experience. It depends to some extent on the individual peculiaiities of the gun, tnjual measure of powder and shot being in all charges the usual rule. I have often used dust shot for very small birds, l)Ut to be sure of getting them with that, one has to be pretty close to the birds, and then their feathers are a good deal cut up and broken. I find that a warbler killed by a single pellet of No. 1 2, is in better condition to niake into a specimen than one that is killed with a dozen pellets of dust. No. 5 is big enough for hawks, owls, etc., and No. 8 is right for plovers, sandpipers, rails, etc., but the nature of the locality and the size of the birds most likely to be met, are the l)est guides in such matters.
To approach birds without alarming them, a mild form of deception is sonjetimos practised with advantage. They have keen sight, sharp hearing, and are at all times on the alert to escape danger, so that a direct approach is almost sure to make them take wing ; but by walking as if intending to pass and yet gradually slanting nearer, a better chance may be obtained. Birds are used to the sight of horses and cows, and do not usually object to their presence near their haunts. I once knew an aged gunner who was aware of this fact, and for a time turned it to good account. He lived on the }>ay shore not far from Hamilton, at a part of the beacli which was a favorite resort of curlews, plovers and sandpipei-s. His old nag used to graze on the sward close by, and the gunner got into the way of steering him by the tail till he was within shot of the bi.ds, when he would step out fi'om behind and blaze away without alarming "Jerry" in the least. The same flock would rarely be deceived twice, but fresh arrivals were sure to he taken unawares.
A game bag, such as used by sportsmen, is not suitable for a •collector, for the specimens are injured by the pressure to which they
<.<>" s
18
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
are often subjected. 1 liave found a Hsliing basket very suitable for carrying small birds. It is not heavy to handle, and the bird.s, when once placed therein, are beyond the reach of injury. In this basket, wlien leaving home, should l>e placed some sheets of brown paper about the size of letter paper, and a little cotton wadding. When a bird is killed, the shot holes should be i)lugged with cotton to stop the bleeding, and a pellet of the same material ])ut into the mouth to prevent the juices of the stomach oozing out and soiling the feathers. If the bird is wing-broken or otherwise wounded, it should l)e killed at once, and the simplest way of doing this is to catch it firmly across the small of the back and press hard with the fingers and thumb under the wings, which will suffocate the bird in a few seconds. The throat and shot holes can then be filled as described. A paper i!one of suitable size is made next, the bird dropped intf) it headforemost, and the outer edges of the paper turned inwards to prevent it slijtpin^ out, and so it is placed in the basket.
Having reached home, the collector divests himself of his mudd}' boots, gets a pair of slippers anfl a change of coat, and sets himself to work to prepare his specimens. In his tool box should be the things he needs and nothing more, for the surplus onlj' causes confusion : a very fine penknife suitable for the smallest birds, and a hirger one for larger specimens ; two or three knitting needles of different sizes, a pair of cutting pliers, a few needles and some thread, a paper of pins, a bottle with the preserve, and a bag with some cotton ajid a small lot of tow.
The birds being removed from their cones are laid out in order, and the one most desired for a specimen is selected to be first operated upon. The cotton is taken from the mouth and a fresh pellet put in. The wing bones are then broken close to the body with the pliers, and the bird laid on its back on the table with the bill towards the operator. The middle finger, slightly moistened, will separate the feathers from the breast-bone downward, leaving a bare space exposed. About the end of the breast-bone the point of the knife is inserted, back downward, under the skin, and a clean cut of the skin made from this point down to the vent. The skin is thun loosened from the body till the thighs are exposed, which are here cut through at the joints. The tail is next sepp-fated from the body and the skin turned carefully down, the turri-over being greatly facilitated by the wings being loose, and the} can now be separated from the body, and the skin turned bsiok to the base of the bill. This should be done with the finger nails, assisted here and there
ft I
INTKODUCTION.
19
with the knife, hut it inuHt not he pulled cu- (h-uwn or it will he iiijuiod hy heing stretched. The nfU'k is tlien cut off where it- joins with the skull, and the body laid aside for the prescMit. The hrains and eyes are next scooped out, and all tlie Hesh and niuseles (enioved from the bones of the le^s and winf,'s. The skin is ii(»w ready for the preserve, which is simply nrsiuitr procured from the (Iru^ store. If the skin is thick and greasy it may be dusted on dry, giving the skin as much as will adhere to it ; but if it is a thin, dry skin it is better to mix the arsenic with water to about the thickness of cream and put it on with a brush. When the preserve is thus applied U) all the parts, a little cotton is wrapped around the bones of the legs and wings, the eye-sockets are filled with the same, and a piect! al)oul- the length and thickness of the neck pressed fii-mly into the skull. The wings and legs are then pulled outward till they take their propel- place, and the skin turned backward till it assumes its natural position, and it is tilled with wadding to its former size. Tlu* mandibles are then fastened together l)y a thread passed thi'ough the nostril and tied under the V)ill. The legs are crossed and tied together with a thread just above the feet ; the feathers of the body are drawn together so as to cover the opening, .lust in proportion to the care and pains bestowed on the specimen at this point, will it be a good skin t»i' the reverse, for wliatever position the feathers now get, that position they will retain. The btnJy should next be examined to ascertain the sex of the specimen. This is done by cutting a hole in the side opposite the small of the back. Attached to the backbone at this point may be found the testicles of the male, two round bodies of dirty white, varying in size according to the size of the bird, but always largest in spring. Those of such birds as the warblers are no larger than pin heads. If the specimen is a female, the ovaries will be found in the same position, a mass of flattened spheres, similar in color, ranging in size according to the size of tln^ bird, and also with the season. There should be attached to tht^ legs of the specimen by a thread, a "tag" giving its scientific and common name, the sex, date of capture, locality where found, and name of collector. This is the course followed with birds up to the size of a Robin, the time required to complete the operation being twenty minutes. Three in an hour is about my rate of progress, but [ have seen .statements made of a much larger number being done; in that time.
The specimen is now put away to dry, and the position in which it is left will decide its future appearance. T have a setting-board
20
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
!»'
which I fuid v(My useful at thiw stage. It may he described as a series of zinc tubes, varying in size from one incli to si.x inches in diameter and two feet long, cut in two letigthwise, and placed side hy side in a pine frame made to receive them. fn these grooves the skins are placcKl according to size. The semicircular shapti of the bed keeps the back and wings in the natui'al position, anil the feathers smooth and regular. The ivont part of the specimen being upi)ermost, it is always visible, and if need be the skin can V)e taken up while drying and any irregularitii^s adjusted.
Another way of dis[)Osing of the skin when made is to form a cosy bed foi' it in a soft sheet of cotton. Arrange the feathers a;,d shape of the skin as desired, lay the specimen gently into the bed pntpared for it, and do not touch it again till it is perfectly dry.
In larger specimens a different mode of treatment has to bo ad<)pted. With ducks, for instance, where the head is large and the neck small, the skin cannot be turned over as described. The plan then is to skin as far down the neck as possible, and to cut it off, leaving the head still inside of the skin. An ()i)ening is then made in the skin from the centre of the crown, a little way over the back of the head, through which the head is turned (»ut, cleaned and then preserved. The eye-sockets and other aj)ertures are tilled with cotton, the head put back into its place, the opening carefully sewed up, and the skin tilled out as already described. In birds of this size it is necessary to sew up the original opening, bringing the feathers together so that the disturbance may not be observed.
In skinning oily water-fowl, it is sometimes necessary to sew a strip of cloth around the opening as soon as it is made, to prevent the feathers being soiled by contact with the grease of the body. With birds of large size, a hook is sometimes passed through the bony part of the body just where the tail has been separated. To this a string is attached, by which the body is suspended while the skin is being removed. This plan gives more freedom in handling large birds, the only objection to it being that the skin is apt to be stretched.
Some birds are so fat that it is always necessary to have an ;absorbent of some kind at hand to take up the grease which would •otherwise soil the feathers. Cornmeal is the best thing to use, but plaster of Paris does very well, except for birds of black plumage which it leaves slightly shaded with gray. The latter material may also be used with advantage for removing blood stains and other impurities which the birds may have contracted from their surround-
4
■'I
INTRODUCTION.
21
ings. The soiled jjliices lu'e nmiHti'iiwl witli liot water liefoie the al)H<)rhent is H|)[)lie(l, and they are patted with the hand wliile tliu phwter is drying off. This must lutt Ih? done whihi the birds are in the Hesh, for tlie application of hot water will increaHe the How of hlo<Kl from th(; openings.
\n putting away hirds whi(!h are too large for t\n\ setting-hoard, a good way is to nuikts a paper cylinder which will slip (easily ovei" the bird while in the llesh. When skinned and filled out in the usual way, the slip is again drawn over the specimen and allowed to remain till it is <lry. In making skins of birds with long necks and heavy heads, it is necessary to put a long wire, or a tough sapling, through the whole length of the body and neck, because the skin becomes very brittle when it is dry, and runs the risk of being broken in handling.
Proficiency in the art of mounting birds can only be ac(|uired by long practice, and a lot of pooi-ly mounted specimens sitting about a house are neither useful nor fn-namental ; but anyone, by following these instructions, should be able, with a little practice, to make up skins fit t<j appear in any public museum or private collection.
NESTS AND EGGS.
Next in interest to a good collection of mounted birds, or skins, is a collection of nests and eggs. By this I do not mean simply an accunmlation of nests and eggs, the number of which constitutes the value of the collection, but a carefully handled nest, and a correctly identified set of eggs of every bird known to breed within the district over which the collector extends his observations.
The suggestions following are for the guidance of those who may wish to include them in their collections:
Nest-building I regard as most interesting and important in the study of a bird's history, for it tends to bring out all the intelligence and taste of a species Vjetter than anything else in which we see it engaged. There are some actions in a bird's life over which it has no control, such as the depositing of eggs of a certain size and color, and the hatching of them in a given time. These things are fixed already, but the selection of the site for the nest, the material of which it is to be composed, and the careful finish bestowed on
22
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
it, !ire all matters whicli vary with the different .species. Between individuals of the same species there is also, fre(|uently, a ji;reat difference in the skill exh,'l,ited in nest-building.
Among the lowest types of bird-life, we find species which make no nest of uny kind, but deposit theii- v'-*ggs on the rocks, or on the sand by the seashore. Otliers make the merest apology foi- one, and it consists only of a few straws ; while still another species admits the desirabilitv of a nest, but dislikes the ti'ouble of building it, and therefore approj>riates that of another species. But as we advance upward in the scale, we ffnrl, especially among the nests of the smaller birds, some beautiful specimens of birrl architecture, one of <^he fin(!st being the work of our tiniest, the Humming-bird. The ►Summer Yellow Bird V)uilds a beautiful iiest in the fork of a lilac in the .shrubl)ery : and while observing a handsome elm tree budding out in spring, I never think it complete unless it has the pretty, pensile nest of the Baltimore Oriole swaying at the point of one of its long, pendulous branches.
The principal objection to a collection of nests is the amount of room tliat they require, but the finest nests are those of the smallest birds, and a great number of these can be kept in a tray suV)divided as required, and they are never-failing oi)jects of interest. Some nests are found saddlefl on a liml), and are loosely built of twigs. This kinfl should be removed very carefully, and afterwards sewn together with inconspicuous thread, to keep the fabric as neai- as possible in its original shape. Others are in the forks of thick bu.shes, and the branches to which they are attached should Ije cut and the nests and theii- connections lifted out. Those of the ground-building birds recjuire very careful handling, aiul often the safest way is to cut out a piece of the sod in which the nest is placed and bring it along, to keep the domicile from falling to pieces. Occasionally, a rare nest is found which it is impossible to remove. Of this the collector should make a careful record in his note-book, giving the general surroundings, date of occurrence, situation, size of nest, materials of which it is composed, numbei- of eggs or young, action of the parents during the examination, anfl any other item of interest observed at the time, which will soon })e forgotten if not recorded.
The impossibility of making a full collection of nests has been shown, but there is nothing to prevent anyone making a full collec- tion of eggs. The most important point in this work is the correct identification of the eggs, and unless the c( (Hector makes up his mind
INTRODUCTION.
23
at the start to he sure of this in every case, lu' liad better leave the mutter alone, for without this, his collection, whatever tlie extent of it may he, will he absolutely worthless.
For anyone ol)servant of the habits of tlie birds in the woods, the l)est guide. to their nest is found by watchini>' the actions of the birds, ••specially the female, during the breeding .sea.son, for she is sure eventually to betray the whereabouts of her treasures. But birds' nests ai'e often clo.se togethei-, and their eggs ,so nearly alike that the onlv wav to be absolutely certain of the identity of tiie rarer species is to secure the parent, either while she is on the nest or when she is seen fluttering away from it. This seems a cruel act, and the collector should not repeat it unless he is actually in need of the species.
On taking a set of eggs, the first thing to do is to remove any stains which they may have accjuired from their surroundings : l)ut this must be tlone with cai-e, for in fresh eggs the colors sometimes yield to the process and (hsa})pear. Eggs for Ji collection are now emptied through one hole about the middle of the side. It should first be pricked with a needle, and then the drill applied and worked with the finger and thumb till a smooth i'(»und iiole is mside, large enough to allow the contents to escape. Tlie l)lowpipe should then be used, either close to the hole oi- a little way inside. In the latter case the blowpipe must be loose in the hole to allow tlie contents to escape arfiund it. Tf the material inside is thick, and does not run freely, it should be cut uj> with a jiiece of fine wire with a sharp lient point, and removed with the aid of a small syiinge.
When thoroughlj" cle'ii, the egg should be laid aside to dry on some suVjstance which will absorb the moisture, cornmeal being recommended because it does not adhere to the shell. Where eggs are in an advanced stage of incuViation, those of small size can rarely he saved, but the embryos in larger ones may be cut to pieces by widening the hole a little and introducing a sharp hook. The contents can then be removed piecemeal, but great care and much time are necessary to accomplish the task. Tn some cases it is considered safer to allow the embryo to remain in the shell till it is decomposed. To assist the process of decay, a strong solution of caustic potash is introduced, and this is allowed to remain till the embi-yo becomes soft and pulpy, when it will yielr) to the ordinary treatment.
The safest mode of carrying eggs from the field, or sending them away by mail when pi-epared, is to have each egg wrapped in cotton-
24
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
batting and placed in a box of suitable size sul>divided for the pur- pose. In some collections, the species to which they belong, and other particulars, are given by marking them on the shell with a soft pencil, but I dislike this mode, for it destroys the look of the egg. A better way, I think, is to have a number attached to the box or nest containing the eggs, and a corresponding number in a catalogue in which can be given all the necessary particulars in detail.
■i I
'I 1
THE BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
Order PYGOPODES. Diving Birds.
Suborder PODICIPEDES. Grebes and Loons.
Family PODICIPIDiE. Grebes.
Genus COLYMBUS Linn.
Subgenus COLYMBUS.
COLYMBUS HOLBCELLII (Reinii.).
*l. Holbcell's Grebe. (2)t
Tarsus about four-fifths the middle toe and claw; bill little shorter than tarsus; crests and ruff moderately developed. Length, about 18; wings, 7-8; I? bill, !§ to nearly 2; tarsus, 3; middle toe and claw, 2§. Adult .—Front and
[.'> sides of neck rich brownish-red; throat anil sides of head ashy, whitening
where it joins tlie dark color of the crown, the feathers xticjhtly ruffed ; top of head with its dight occipital crest, upper parts generally, and wings dark brown, the feathers of the back paler edged ; primaries brown ; part of inner quills white; lower parts pale silvery-ash, the sides watered or obscurely mottled, sometimes obviously speckled with dusky; bill black, more or less yellow at base. The young may be recognized hy these last characteiistics, joined with the peculiar dimensions :ind proportions.
Hab. — North America at large, including (Greenland. Also Eastern .Siberia, and southward to Japan. Breeds in high latitudes, migrating south in winter.
Nest, a floating clump of vegetable material fastened to the reeds in shallow water.
Eggs, two to five, rough-dull white, shaded with greenish.
In Ontario, the Red-necked Grebe is only a transient visitor, its summer home being far to the north of this province, and its winter- quarters to the south.
It breeds abundantly along the borders of the Yukon River in Alaska, and has also been found by Macoun so engaged on the Waterhen River and south end of Waterhen Lake.
* Current number. t Number in American OrnithologiBts' Union "Check List."
26
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
Holbcell's has the habit peculiar to other members of the Grebe family of covering its eggs with vegetable matter when it has occa- sion to be away from the nest, so that incubation goes on during the Absence of the mother-bird.
The migrations of the species extend across the Province, for it is reported as a visitor in spring and fall at Ottawa, Hamilton, London And the Detroit River. The visits are always short, and the manners of the birds while here are shy and retiring.
For many years the young of this species was described as the Crested Grebe, owing to the close resemblance it bears t<^) the British bird of that name. Dr. Brewer was the first to point out the error, which is now corrected in all modern works on American Ornithology.
Subgenus DYTES Kaup. COLYMBUS AURITUS Linn.
•2. Horned Grebe. (3)
Tarsus about ecjual to tlie uiiildle toe without its claw ; bill luuch sliorter than the liead, little more than half tlie tarsus, comprexsad, higher than wide at the nostrils, rather obtuse ; crests and ruffs highly developed. Small, length about 14; extent, 24; wing, 6 or less; bill, about J; tarsus, \\. Adtdt: — Above, dark brown, the feathers paler edged ; below, silvery-white, the sides mixed dusky and reddish ; most of the secondaries white ; fore neck and upper
AMERICAN EARED GREBE.
27
lirciiHt brownisli-ied ; liead glossy Mack, including the ruff; a br()a<l Imnd over the eye. to and including occij)ital crests, brownish-yellow; bill black, yellow- tipped ; the eye Hery-red. The young differ as in other sjjecies, but always recogniziible by the above measurements and proportions.
Hais. -Northei-n hemisphere. Breeds from the northern United States northward.
Nest, a floating mass of vegetable material fa8tene<l to the reeds or rushes in shallow water.
Kggs, two to seven, whitisii, shaded with greenish-blue.
(ienerally di.stributed, breeding in all suitable places throughout Ontario, notably at St. Clair Flats. The nest is .so completely lE:olated, that the young when hatched may he said to tumble out of the shell into the water. The birds arrive in spring, as, soon as the ice begins to break up, and remain quite late in the fall, individuals being occasionally seen on Lake Ontario during the winter.
The (rrebes upon land are the most awkward of birds, but in the water the)'^ are surpassed by none in the swiftness and grace of their movements.
One of the accomplishments possessed by this species is the ability, when alarmed, to sink under water without leaving .so much as a ripple to mark where it has gone down, the point of the bill l)eing last to disappear.
Ft hits a wide breeding range, having been found by Dr. Bell at Fort (reorge, (jn the east side of James' Bay, and also at Fort Severn and York Factory, on the west coast of Hudson s Hay. Nelson says of it, in the "Birds of Ala.ska": "Like the preceding, this handsome species occurs along the eastern shore of the Behring Sea in very small numbers in the breeding season, but is not rare in autumn. It is also a common summer resident along the Yukon, and occurs rarely im the Counnander Islands."
COLYMBIIS NKiHlCOLLIS CALIFORNICUS (Hkkr.m.).
3. American Eared Grebe. (4)
A(hUt mate: — Ixnig ear tufts of rich, yellowish brown; iiead and neck all rf)und, black; upjier parts, grayish-black; sides, chestnut; lower parts, silvery gray; primaries, dark chestnut; secondaries, white, dusky at the base; length, l.S inches. Young similar, the ear tufts wanting, and the colors generally duller.
28
BIRDS OF ONTAPIO.
Haij. — Northern and western North America, from the Mississippi Valley westward.
Tlie nest and eggs cannot be distinguisiied from those of the preceding species.
T mention this as an Ontario specie.s on the autiioi'ity of Dr. Gamier, of Lucknow, Bruce Co., who informs me that a specimen was sent to him in the flesh from Colpoy's Bay, as being something different from those usually seen at that point. It was too far gone for preservation when received, but the Doctor, who has long been an ardent collector, assures me that he is quite satisfied of the correctness of his identification.
This species is a comparatively new acjuaintance to American ornithologists, for although described by Audubon, it was not found by him. It is now known to Vjreed in Texas, Kansas, Illinois, Dakota, and Colorado; and Macoun reports it breeding abundantly in the prairie pools of the North- West, so that we need not be surprised if a straggler is now and then wafted a little way out of its ordinary course.
(I
Genus P0DILYMBU8 Lessox. PODILYMBUS P0DTCEP8 (Linx.).
4. Pied-billed Grebe. (6)
Length, 12 to 14; wing, about .">; bill, 1 or leas'; tarsus. lA. A >/ ii/t . -Hill l)luish, dusky on the ridge, encircled with a black bar; throat with a long l)hick patch ; upper parts blackish-brown ; primaries ashy-brown ; secondaries ashy and white; lower parts silky white, more or less mottled or obscured with dusky ; tiie lower neck in front, fore breast and sides, waslied with rusty. Young lacking the throat-patch and peculiar marks of the bill, otheiwise not ]>ai'ticularly ditferent ; in a very early plumage with the head curiously striped.
Hak. — British Provinces southward to Hrazil. liueuos Ayres and Chili, including West Indies and the Bermudas. l)reeding nearly througliout its range.
Nest, a little floating island of withered leeds and rushes mixed with mud, fastened to the aquatic plants, raise<l two or three inches abf)ve water.
Kggs, five to seven, whitish, idouded with green.
The Dal) Chick is not (|uite so numerous us the Honied Grebe, neither is it so hardy, being a Httle later in arrivin;^ in spring, and disappearing in the fall at the first touch of frost. Tt is generady distributed, and is the only one of the family which Itreeds in Hamil- ton Bay, where it may often be seen in the inlets in summer accom- panied by its young with their curiously striped necks. From its small size and confiding manners it is not much rlisturbed, but if ahirmed it has a convenient habit of sinking ijuietly under water, not to reappear till danger is past.
30
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
Ill suiniiiiM' tli<iS(i (irehes breed commonly tlirou^^liout tlie Nuitli- West. Here is what is said about them in Mr. Thompson's "Hird,s of Maiutol)a": "Very abundant sununer residents on eveiy lake, slough or pond large enough Uj give them sutticient water privilege, arriving as so(jn as the ice is gone and de])arting when their haunts freeze over."
1 i
Kamilv ITRTNATORIDiE. Looxs.
Genus URTNATOH Cuvikh.
LIRINATOR TMBER (Gi;nn.).
"x Loon. (7)
Black ; below fvinn tiie breast white, witii dark touches on tiic sides and vent ; l)ack with numerous squaie Mliite spots ; head and neck iride.scent with violet and gieen, having a patch of sharp wliite streaks on each side of the neck and another on the throat ; 1)ill black. Vottii;/: — Dark gray above, the feathers with paler edges ; below, white from tiie bill, the sides iluskj- ; bill yellowish- green and dusky. Fiength, 2h-li feet; extent, about 4; wing, about 14 inches; tareus, 3 or more ; longest toe and claw, 4 or more ; bill, 3 or less, at base 1 deep and .J wide, the culmen, commissure and gonys all gently curved.
Hab. — Northern part of northern hemisphere. In North America bieeds fi'om the northern tier of States northward ; ranges in winter south to the Gulf of Mexico.
LOON.
31
Nest, a hollow in tlie hiiiuI near tlic water's edge, sonietiniea lined with grans, weeds, etc.
Kggs, two or three, <jlive-brown, spotted and Idotclied with very dark hrown.
The Loon, on ucc<»uiit of his lai-ge size, is coiispiuuou.s wherever he appears, and his loud and melancholy cry is often heard at ni>i;ht during rough weather, when the bird himself is invisible. Many paiis raise their young by the remote lakes an(J jjonds throughout the country, but they all retire farther south to spend tlie winter. As soon as the ice disappears they return, mostly in pairs, and by the end of May have chosen their summer residence. The Loon, in common with some other water-fowl, has a curious habit, when its curitsity is excited by anything it does not understand, of pointing its bill straight upwards, and turning its head rapidly round in every direction, as if trying to solve the mystery under consideration. Once when in my shooting skiff", l)ehind the rushes, drifting down the bay before a light wind, I came upon a pair of these birds feeding aliout twenty yards apart. They flid not take much notice of what must have seemed to them a clump of_^floating lushes, and being close enough to one of them I thought to secure it, Ijut the cap snapped. The birds hearing the noise, and still .seeing tothing living, rushed together, and got their bills up, as de.scriy)ed, for a consultation. 80 close did they keep to each other that f shot them lioth dead at forty yards with the second barrel.
In his notes on the " Birds of Hudson's Bay," Dr. Bell says r " The Loon, or Great Northern Diver, is at home in and aroun(i Hudson's Bay. In the spring, as s(K)n as the water opens at tlie mouths of the rivers, these birds aj^pear in incredible numbers, as if by a previous understanding, aVjout a common meeting place. At such a time they may be much more easily approached than usual. These birds are said to spear the fisli with the hill closed, and tt) bring them to the surface so that they may turn them endways for the purpose of swallowing The gulls, .hovering overhead, and seeing what is going on down in the clear water, watch for the moment the fish is raised to the surface, when they swoop'^down and carry it oft". When many hungry gulls are preseiic, this process is repeated till the- patience of the Loon is quite exhausted."
In Alaska, Nelson says : "Throughout the interior of ti,3 territory this bird is a common summer resident, and was found breeding abundantly at the western extremity of the Aleutian Islands by Dall. The skins of the birds are^^used by the natives in their bird- skin clothing, and are specially piized for tool-bags."
0 32
BIRDS OK ONTARIO.
I I K
' I?:
UHTNATOU AKCTTCUS (Linn.). 6. Black-throated Loon. (!))
Mack iind iiiuler paitH mudi us in the last Hpecies ; upjier jmrt of lieatl and liin<l nuck, UUuxh-anh or lioaiy-giay ; fore net^k i;uij)liMli-l)latk, with a patcli of vvliitf stieaks ; hill, hlack. 'i'he young reseinhle those of that species, hut will lie known hy their infeiior size. Length, under '2.\ feet; extent, ahout .S ; wing, I.S inuhes or less; tarsus, '^\ hill, ahout '1\.
Hab.— Northern ])art of the northern iieniisphere. In North America ndgrating south in winter tr) the northern United States.
Nest, a hollow in tiu; ground not far from the water's edge.
lOggs. two, dark olive, marked with black spots towards the larger end.
This is a n)ucli more noithern l)ii'(l Uian the precefling, for it is seldom met with in tlie United States, and then mostly in winter in inuiiature ])]iuna;,'e. In its mi<;ratorv course it no doubt visits the waters of Ontario, and should be looked for by those who have o[)|KH'tunity to do so. A paii- i»f ihes(> biids, found in the neijjhbor- hood of Toronto, was included in a collection that was sent to the Paris Exposition in lS()(i, and 1 once saw an iitdividual in Hamilton I Jay under circumstances which prevented me from shooting it, though. 1 was quite close enough, and satisfied of its identity. It was on a still, dull day in the early part of Apiil, and the ice on the bay was broken up and Hoating about in loose Hakes. Water-fowl of different kinfis were coming rapidly in and pitching down into the open water. I was out in my shooting skiff in search of specimens, when the wind suddeidy blew up from the east, aufl T was caught among the drifting ice. Evei'ything in the skiff got soaking wet. I broke both paddles trying to force a passage, anrl foi' a time was at the mercy of the elements. While drifting along in this condition I came close to a Black -throated Diver in similar trouble, for it was caught among the ice, unable to rise, and evidently afraid to dive, not knowing where it might come up We looked sympathizingly at each other, it uttered a low whining cr}^, and we drifted apart. I got safe to land, and it is tf) be hoj)ed the rare bird reached the open water and got off in safety. We did not meet iigain. Not having seen the species recently, nor heard of its capture liy others, T consider it a very rare visitoi" to these inland waters. In Dr. Wheaton's exhaustive report on the " Birds of Ohio," mention is made of an individual having been shot in Sandusky Bay in the fall of 1880, but the line of its migratory course is probably along the sea coast.
Dr. Coues, when speaking in his "Birds of the North- West" of the
HLACK-THHOATEI) LOON.
33
familuirity of the Pacific Black-throated Diver in the harlxir of San P»'(h-o, ill southern California, says: "They even came up to the wharves, and j)layed about as unconcernedly as domestic ducks. They c nstantly swam around the ves-sels lying at anchor in th»» harhor, and all their motions both wt and iimln- th(> clear water could be studied to as much advantage as if the birds had been placed in artificial tanks for the purpose. Now, two or three would ride lightly over the surface, with the neck gracefully curved, propelled with idle strokes of their broad paddles to this side or to that, one leg after the other stretched at ease almost horizontally backwards, wliile their Hashing eyes first directed upwards with curious sidelong glance's, then peering into the depths below, sought for souk; attractive morsel. In an instant, with the peculiar motion impossible to describe, they would disappear beneath the surface, leaving a little foam and buli- bles to mark where they had gone down, and I could follow their course under water; see them shoot with marvellous swiftness through the limpid element, as, urged by ptjwerful strokes of the webbed feet and beats of the half open wings, they Jl^'w rather than sivam ; see them dart out the arrow-like bill, transfix an unlucky fish and lightly rise to the surface again. While under water the bubbles of air car- ried down with them cling to the feathers, and they seem bespangled with glittering jewels, borrowed for the time from their native element, and lightly parted with when they leave it. They arrange their feathers with a shiver, shaking off the last sparkling drop, and the feathers look as dry as if the bird had never been under the water. The fish is swallowed headforemost with a peculiar jerking motion, and the bird again swims at ease with the same graceful curve of the neck."
It is said to be common in Norway and Sweden, and more rarely has been found breeding near some of the lonely lochs in the north of Scotland.
In the " Birds of Alaska," Mr. Nelson says of this species : " This Loon is very common all along the American shore of the sea, and about Kotzebue Sound ; they are also numerous on the large streams and marshes of the interior. The skins of these birds, as of other heavily plumaged water-fowl, are much used l)y the natives from St. Michaels south for clothing. The natives snare and spear them in the shallow ponds and lagoons where they breed, and Dall mentions having seen one dress containing the skins from over one hundred loons' throats."
'.U
BlUnS OF ONTAHIO.
UUINATOR LUMME ((iiNN.).
i
Ml i!
1!
7. Red-throated Loon. (11)
Hliii'kisli ; IicIdw, wliili'; ilark iilmi^; tlii! niilcs ami dh the vent iinil iTisMiim ; most of till! lieiiil ami fore iiuck, liliiiHli-giay ; the tiiroal witli a lai'gt: <■ In it mil patc-li ; hind iieuk, sharply .stroakcil with whito on a hlaekisli ground ; l)ill, lilack. VoiMig havu not thuHo maikH on the liead and ni'uk, Ixit a ))rofuHion of small, sharp, fii'i'ular or oval white spots on tin; hack. Size of the last, or rather less.
IIaii. Northern part of northern hemisphere, migrating southward in winter nearly aeroHs the United States.
Hreeds in high latitude. Mgg-><, two in numher, ))ale green s|)ottt!d with hi'own, deposited in a hollow in the- ground dose to the water's edge.
Audubon found this .sju^cif.s l)rt;t'(lin;j; at Labrfidoi-, and iti the Fduna liorptdi Americdna it i.s .sjxtken of as " fre(|U('nting the shores of Hudson's Bay up to the extremity of Melville Penin.suhi."
Larg(! numbers of these birds visit the waters of Southern Ontario in March and April, about the time of t\ut ])i«'akin<|; up of th«! ice, but an adult with the red-throat patch is scarcely ever seen. Tlie one in my colh^ction was procured out on Lake Ontario at midsummer, having for some reason failed to follow the flocks to the far north. In the fall very few are .seen, their route to the south Ix^ing in some other direction.
All the birds of this class have a most ungainly gait on land, and when surprised away from the water are often taken by the hand before they can get up to fly. On the water or under its surface their motions are exceedingly graceful.
Dr. Bell found this species on both sides of Hudson's Bay, but only in spring and autumn.
Mr. Nelson says regarfling it : " Throughout Alaska the j)resent bird is by far the most abundant species of Loon. At St. Michael's and the Yukon Delta they arrive with the first open water, from May 12th to 20th, and l)y the end of the month are pre,sent in large num))ers. Their arrival is at once announced by the hoarse, grating cries which the birds utter as they fly from place to place or float uj)on the water. When the ponds are open in the marshes the lled- throated Loons take 2)ossession, and are extremely noisy a,ll thrt)ugh the first part of summer. The harsh cry arising everywhere from the marshes during the entire twenty-four hours, renders this note one of the most characteristic which greets the ear in spring in those northern wilds. The Russian name, Gerjarn, derived from the birds' notes, is a very appropriate one. •
COMMON PUFFIN.
3o
" The Ucfl-throiitJ'd bMin is oru; of t\w t'nw birds which ralltl iti voit't! ill th<^ (juict of the short Arctic night.
" III Hprinj,', with the Craiu'S, they foretell an approaching storm by the increast-d n'p«'titioii aii<l veheinenct! of their cries."
Famif.y ALClD^l Auks, Murkkh, and Puffins.
SuuKAMiLY FKATKRCrLrN^:. Puffins.
Uenuh FHATEHCrLA Brisson.
FRATKMCULA AUCTICA (Linn.).
8. Common Puffin. (I.i)
Aihill limit : -VtWiw. \i])j)er piirts, aiiil a ooUiir ])ii.sHiiig rouml tlie foro neck, l)liick ; siiles of the liund and tliioat, grayisli-whito ; li)wer parts, wliito ; a lioiny pr()tul)eraiice on tlie upper eyelid. In the young the vvliite of the phimage in sliadcil witli dusky, and the curiously shaped hill is less fully developed. Luiiglh, l.'i iuuhes.
Haii. -Coasts and islands of the North Atlantic, breeding from the Bay of Kundy northwai'd. South in winter to Long Island and occasionally fartiier.
Nest, in a hurrovv underground, or in a hole among the rocks, one egg, dull white, somctinu's veined or spotted with brown.
The PutKii is essentially a bird of the sea coast, which it seldom leaves except under stress of weather. They breed in immense numbers in Labrador, Newfoundland, and spai'ingly in the Bay of Fundy. Tn winter they scatter along the sea coast and are found as far south as Long Island. Tn the report of The Ottawa Field Naturalists' Club for 1(S8l' and 1883, it is stated that "a young bird of this species was shot on the Ottawa, towards the end of October, 18S1. It had probably been blown inland by a severe storm which took place some days previous." This is the only Ontario record we have of its occurrence so far from the sea, or so far west, for this sjx'cies does not occur on the Pacific coast.
My first observations of this !)ird were made during my school days, but may be worth recording, for they show the habits of the bird, which is identical with our American species. One of the principal breeding places, which I frequently visited, was Ailsa Craig, on the west coast of Scotland. The Craig is an isolated, circular rock two oi- three miles off the coast, about as high as it is wide, and inhabited only by a keeper and many different sorts of sea-fowl.
36
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
ii
Around the base of the rock at the water's edge is a belt of loose rocks which, during ages past, have fullen from above. Higher up there are patches of soil on which the keeper raises grass enough to feed two or three goats. Divers, gulls, auks, petrels, loons, etc., are found there in great abundance, but the most numerou? are the Puffins, which, in local parlance, are called the " Paties " or " Coulternebs," from the fancied resemblance the bill of the bird bears to the cutting part of a plough. The birds are to some extent migratory, going south during winter, but in February they return in crowds and at once select their breeding places, no nest being required. Each pair chooses an opening among the loose rocks at the base of the cliif, within which is duly deposited their one white egg. Others dig holes for themselves, like rabbit holes, in the ground higher up, in which to lodge their treasure, and these they vigorously defend again"; all intruders. Pleasure parties often visit the Craig during the summer, some of whom make a point of taking back specimens from the island, but woe betide the hand that is thought lessly pushed into one of these holes if " Patie" is at home, for he has a most powerful beak, and once taking a hold he can hardly be made to let go.
One of the keepers, who made a business of selling the birds, had a dog trained to the work of catching them. He was a rough Scotch terrier, and it was no uncommon sight to see him come out from among the loose rocks with several of the birds hanging on to his hair. He did not need to catch them, as they caught him and held on till taken oif by the keeper. The Craig is of limited extent, but the number of birds which frequented it was almost incredible.
Many of the birds spent the day in fishing out at sea, but all returned about the same time in the evening, and that was the time to see the multitudes gathered together. Looking at the rock it seemed as if there was scarcely room for another bird, so completely was every available spot covered. It was a custom with the keeper, when making up a lot to send to the market, to take his place on some prominent point in the evening, and with a club knock down as many birds as he needed while they flew past. It is on rtcord that one of the keepei's, a strong, active man, used to the work, undertook for a wager to kill eighty dozen paties in one day, and he actually managed to do it, in the manner described.
The young birds are fed on fish brought by the oM ones, often from a great distance. They seldom brought in fewe- than five or six at once, and all were killed by a squeeze on the head, but how
BLACK GUILLEMOT.
37
"Patie" disposed of No. 1 while he was killing No. 2, and so on, we could never understand. Guillemots and auks were also common on the Craig, and cormorants were often there as visitors fishing. At night they roosted on the shelves of the rocks along the shore at Mochrura, where their gaunt, grim figures were seen in rows in the evening, giving a chance to some local Scotch " wut " to christen them the " Mochrum Elders," a name which, in that district, has clung to them ever since.
Subfamily PHALERIN^.
Genus CEPPHUS PallaS.
CEPPHUS GRYLLE (Linn.).
^per,
on
111 as
that took
ally
9. Black Guillemot. (27)
Adiift male: — In full plumage, black, shaded with dull green; a white patch on tlie wings. In all other stages, a marbled mixture of black and white. Length, 13 inches.
Hab. — Coasts of northern Europe, south to Denmark and British Islands. Coast of Maine, south in winter to Philadelphia ; Newfoundland (?)
Eggs laid on the rocks near the sea, two in number, sea-green blotched with brown.
There is an old record of an individual of this and one of the succeeding species being found in Hamilton Bay in a state of extreme exhaustion aV)out twenty-five years ago. I did not see the birds, but inquired into the circumstances at the time and considered the report correct. As none of this family has been observed since that time, these two can only be regarded as waifs carried away against their wishes by the force of the wind.
This species is very common along the west coast of Scotland, where I have seen the females with the bare spot on the under parts, the feathers having, according to custom, been plucked off to allow the heat of the body to be conveyed more directly to the eggs.
ften
or
liow
t If ! I
I It
lil
38 BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
Subfamily ALCINJE.
Gknus URIA Bkisson.
URIA LOMVTA (Linn.).
10. Briinnich's Murre. (31)
Adult male: — Head and neck, brown; ujjpei' parts, grayish-brown; second- aries tipped witli white, lower parts white from the throat downwards. Length, 17 inches.
Hab. — Coasts and islands of the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans; south on> the Atlantic coast of North America to New Jersey, breeding from the Gulf of St. Lawrence northward.
Eggs on the cliff near the sea, pale green.
Found on Hamilton Bay, under circumstances similai- to the preceding.
The two species of Guillemot which frequent the North Atlantic resemble each other closely in appearance, but one is much more abundant than the other. For many years the one which is com- paratively rare was supposed to be the one which is abundant, a mistake which has only recently been corrected. In the "Birds of New England," Dr. Coues sa3's regarding Uria troile. (common Guille- mot); "Contrary to the general impression, the "common" Guillemot appears to l)e a rare bird in New England, most of the Mi.rres occurring in winter along our coiists being of the following species : Uria lomvia (Briinnich's Murre)." And again, in referring to the present species, Dr. Coues says: "This is the common winter Guille- mot of the New England coast, and probably most of the references made to Ui'ia troile really apply to the j)resent species."
Mr. Brewster, following in tlie same strain, says: "At different times during the past ten years I have examined specimens from different points along the shores of Maine, New Hampshire, Massa- chusetts, and all of the numerous birds which have come under my notice have proved to be Briinnich's Guillemot ; indeed, the example of Uria troile mentioned by Mr. Merrill, is the only New England one of which I have any knowledge."
While the foregoing was in the hands of the printer, we had (juite a number of this species as visitors to Lake Ontario, very few of which, 1 fear, were able to return to their favorite seaboard.
The first I saw was in the hands of a local gunner, who killed it on Hamilton Bay on the 20th November, and a few days later I. heard from Mr. White that five had been taken at Ottawa. The
RAZOR-BILLED AUK.
39
next report came from Toronto, where .about tliirty were killed, urul finally, early in December, I obtained three which were found on Hamilton Bay so much reduced and exhausted for lack of proper food, that they were taken alive by the hand. I believe that about fifty were captured altogether. This is the only occasion on which I have heard of tliese birds appearing in Ontario, except the one mentioned at the beginning of this notice.
fny
J)le Ind
te of
lit
I
lie
Genus ALCA Li.vn^eus. ALCA TORDA (Linx.).
11. Razor-billed Auk. (32)
A(fulf, in summer: — Upper parts, black, glossed with green ; head and neck, hrovvnish-bhick, without gloss ; tips of the secondaries and all the lower parts, white ; a white line from the eye to the base of the cuhnen ; feet, black ; mouth, yellow; eye, bluisii. Length, about 18 inches; wing, about 7.75.
In winter, the white covers the throat and encroaches on the sides of the head.
Hab. — Coasts and islands of north Atlantic. South in winter, along the coast to New England.
Nest, none.
Eggs, one or two, deposited in caverns or deep fissures of tho rocks ; creamy- white, spotted and blotched with black toward the larger end.
The first notice we have of the occurrence of this species in Ontario is in the published proceedings of the Canadian Institute, where Mr. Wm. Cross reports the capture of a specimen in Toronto Bay, on the 10th December, 1889.
A second specimen was shot off the beach at the west end of Lake Ontario, in November, 1891. This was afterwards mounted, and is now in possession of Captain Armstrong, who resides near the Hamilton reservoir.
Tliis species keeps close to the sea coast. It has not been observed at Ottjiwa, and is not named among the birds found by Dr. Bell at Hudson's Bay.
We can only account for the presence of these isolated individuals in Lake Ontario by supposing that they have been driven from their usual habitat by an easterlv blow.
40
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
! i
Order LONGIPENNES. Long- winged Swimmers.
Family STERCORARIID^. Skuas and Jaegers.
Genus STERCORARIUS Bkisson.
STERCORARTUS POMARINUS (Temm.).
12. Pomarine Jaeger. (36)
Middle tail feathers finally projecting about four inches, broad to the tip. Length, about 20 inches; wing, 14; bill, H-IJ; tarsus, about 2. Adult: — Back, wings, tail, crissum and lower belly, brownish-black; below from bill to belly, and neck all round, pure white, excepting aciuninate feathers of sides of neck, which are pale yellow ; quills, whitish basally, their shafts lai'gely white ; tarsi — above, blue; below, with the toes and webs, black. Xof quite adult: — As before, but breast with dark spots, sides of the body with dark bars, blackish of lower belly interrupted ; feet, black. Younijer: — -Whole under parts, with upper wings and tail coverts, variously marked with white and dark ; feet, blotched with yellow. Yoiuiy: — Whole plumage transversely barred with dark brown and rufous; feet, mostly yellow. Dmky stage (coming next after the barred plumage just given?); fuliginous, unicolor ; blackish-brown all over, quite black on the head, rather sooty-brown on the belly ; sides of tiie neck slightly shaded with yellow.
Hab. — Seas and inland waters of northern portion of the northern hemi- sphere; chiefly maritime. South in North America to the Great Lakes and New Jersey.
Nest composed of grass and moss placed on an elevated spot in a marsh.
Eggs, two or three, grayish-olive, with brown spots.
The Pomarine Skua is occasionally seen in company with the large gulls, which spend a short time during the fall around the west end of Lake Ontario, following the fishing boats and picking up the loose fish that are shaken out of the nets. It is spoken of by the fishermen as a bird of a most overbearing, tyrannical disposition, one which they would gladly punish, but on these trying trips all hands are occupied with mn -lers of too much importance to think of shoot- ing gulls.
The home of this species is in the far north. Mr. Nelson says, in the " Birds of Alaska " : " They are abundant in spring off the mouth of the Yukon. Along both shores of the Arctic to the north they are very numerous, and to a great extent replace the other two species.
" They are ^^pecially common along the border of the ice-pick and about the whaling fleet, where they fare abundantly.
" The peculiar twirl in the long tail feathers of this species renders it conspicuous and easily identified as far away as it can be seen,"
'^y.tCTtt-g»Ciaga3f
PARASITIC JAEGER.
41
STERCORARIUS PARASITICUS.
13. Parasitic Jaeger. (37)
Middle tail feathers Hnally projecting ihout four inches, tapering, acumi- nate smaller; wing, 12-13; tarsus, 1.75 to 1.87; bill, l.S,*} to l.o; tail, 5-6, the long feathers up to 9. Adtdt: — Upper parts, including top of head, slight occipital crest, and crissum blackish-brown, deeper on wings and tail ; chin, throat, tides of head, neck all round, and under parts to the vent, white ; sides of the neck, pale yellow ; quills and tail feathers with whitish shafts ; feet, blue and black. Yoioiyer: — Clouded with dusky in variable pattern and amount. Yoaii'/: — Barred crosswise with rufous and dusky; feet, mostly yellow. There is a fuliginous stage, same as described in last species.
Hab. — Northern part of northern hemisphere, southward in winter, to South Africa and South America. Breeds in high northern districts, and winters from the Middle States and California, southward to Brazil and Chili.
Nest, on the ground on the margin of lakes or on islands, a depression in the ground, lined with gra.sses, a few withered leaves and feathers.
Kggs, two or three, varying much in markings ; olive-drab to green, gray and brown, marked with several shades of chocolate, brown, and an obscure shade of stone-gray distributed over the entire egg.
The breeding place of the Arctic Skua is in the far north, but many go a long way south to spend the winter, and a few call at the lakes in Ontario by the way. At such places they are occasionally seen singly, mixing with the gulls and terns which pass to the south in the fall, but they are very watchful and seldom obtained. On the 16th October, 1886, Dr. Macallum secured a young female, which was shot on the Grand River, near Dunnville, just after a severe storm.
In the report of the proceedings of the Ornithological Sub-section of the Biological Section of the Canadian Institute, Ernest E. Thomp- son mentions a specimen shot at Ashbridge's Bay, near Toronto, in Septeml)er, 1885, which is now mounted and in possession of Mr. Loane of that city.
In the same report mention is made of a fine «dult specimen which is in the museum of the Toronto University, marked "Toronto."
Dr. Bell also reports taking a specimen at Fort George, James' Bay.
Turning to our usual authority for northern bird.s, Mr. Nelson says : " This tyrannical bird occurs along the entire coast-line of the Behring Sea, but is most numerous along the low marshy coast of Norton Sound, and thence south to Kiiskoquim River.
" Its breeding range covers the entire region from the Aleutian Islands north to the extreme northern part of the mainland.
42
BIRDS OF ONTAHIO,
li
" At all times jaegors are given to wandering, and one is likely to find them anywhere along the coast. They are frecjuently seen harry- ing terns or gulls, to make them disgorge fish just caught. If suc- cessful, they dart down and, rising under the falling morsel, catch it in their capacious mouths. This robbery is often performed by two birds acting in unison, but whether the birds alternate in disposing of the spoil has not been observed. They are very gi-eedy, and often swallow .so nmch that they cannot rise to fly till a portion is dis- gorged."
Family LARTD^. Gulls and Tkrns. Subfamily LARIN^l Gulls.
Genus GAVIA Boie. . GAVIA ALBA (Gunn.).
14. Ivory Gull. (39)
J ' •'' "? '*-TT white all over; quills of the primaries, yellow; feet and
legs, black; >ia, : .'jreeniah, yellow at the tip. Yonmj: — Plumage clouded with dusky, t'riuiaries and tail feathers, spotted with dusky. Length, 20 inches.
Hab. —Arctic seas, south in winter on the Atlantic coast of North America to Labrador and Newfoundland. Not yet found on tlie coast of the PaciHc.
Nest, on some inaccessible cliff. It is made of dry grass lined with moss and a few feathei's.
Kggs, yellowish olive, with small blotches of dark brown clouded with lilac.
Having received interesting accounts from fishermen of pure white gulls following their boats out on the lake, I tried in vain for two seasons to persuade them to take my lai-ge single gun, and bring me a specimen. Finally I got them to attach a long line to the stern of. one of the boats, with a hook at the end, baited with a ciscoe, and in this way they succeeded in getting me a fine adult male of the Ivory Gull, the only one I ever obtained.
This species of gull is said to Ijreed farther north than any other. On the islands and along the coasts of Spitzbergen it occurs sparingly. In like places on the coast of northern Siberia it is abundant, and in Greenland it is resident. It is seldom found as far south as Ontario, but the movements of all such birds are liable to be affected by wind and weather.
KITTIWAKE — GLAUCOUS (3ULL,
43
Ctknus KI88A Stephens. RTSSA TRTDACTYLA (Linn.).
15. Kittiwake. (40)
Hind toe appearing only as a niiniite knol>, its claw abortive. Mantle, rather dark grayisli-hlue ; lirst primary, with the whole outer web, and the entire end for about two inches, black; next one, with the end black about as far. but outer web elsewhere light, and a white speck at extreme tip ; on the lest of the primaries that have black, this color decreases in extent proportion- ally to the shortening of the quills, so that the base of the black on all is in the same line when tlie wings are closed (a pattern peculiar to the species of /I'mre) ; and these all have white apex. Bill, yellow, usually clouded with oliviiceous ; feet, dusky olivaceous. Rather small ; 10-18; wing, 12; bill, l:',-li; tarsus, about the same; middle toe and claw, longer; tail, usually slightly emarginate. In winter, najjc and hind neck shaded with the color of the mantle. Voiin;/: — Bill, black ; a black bar on the tail, anothei' across the neck behind ; wings and back variously j)atched with black ; dark spots before and behind the ej-es ; ijuills mostly black.
Hab. — Arctic regions, south on the Atlantic coast in winter to the (Jreat Lakes and the Middle States.
Xest of grass and seaweed, usually placed on cliffs or ledges of rock over- hanging the water.
Kggs, two or three, gi'eenish-gray, marked irregularly with varying shades of brown.
The KittiAvake is a species of wide distribution, l>eiiifj; common alon<^ the coast of New England, while in the north it is found in (Greenland, and has been reported from nearly all parts of the Arctic regions and many intermediate points. It breeds throughout its lange, but always returns from the far north at the approach of winter. At that season it is very common arounfl the west end of Ijake Ontario, and in the summer it is one of those which assemble on the bird rocks of the St. Lawrence in such numbers as to give the rocks, when seen fi'om a distance, the appearance of being covered with snow.
LARUS GLAUCUS (Brunn.). 16. Glaucous Gull. (42)
,4(/h//.— Plumage, pure white except the mantle, which is grayish-blue. Bill, gamboge yellow with a carmine patch toward the end of the lower tnandible ; feet, flesh color. In the young the upper parts are yellowish-white,
44
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
;i?t!ii|:i
mottled with pale brown ; breast and lower parts, gray ; tail, white, mottled witii brown. Length, 27 inches.
Hab. — Arctic regions, south in winter in North America to the Great Lakes and Long Island. Noith Pacific.
Nest of seaweed and moss placed on the ground, or rocks, or even c blocks of ice.
Eggs, two or three, varying in color from grayish-brown to white.
During the winter months the " Burgomaster," as this species is usually named, may be seen roaming around the shores of Lake Ontario, seeking what it may devour, and it is not very scrupulous either as regards quantity or quality. In the Fauna Boreali Ameri- cana, it ?8 described as being " notoriously greedy and voracious, preying not only on fish and birds but on carrion of every kind. One which was killed in Capt. Ross' expedition disgorged an auk when it was struck, and on dissection was found to have another in its stomach."
In March, when the days begin to lengthen and the ice begins to soften, these large gulls rise from Lake Ontario, and soaring around in wide circles at a great height, pass away towards the north.
In the spring of 1884, a specimen was shot near Toronto by Mr. George Guest of that city.
On the 25th March, 1889, a fine female specimen which had been shot on the Island at Toronto, was brought to Mr. Cross, and on the 8th December, of the same year, he received another which was shot off the Queen's Wharf.
This is one of the largest and most powerful birds of the family. It is of circumpolar distribution, and is said to be one of the noisiest of those which gather together during the breeding season in the far north.
Regarding it, Mr. Nelson says : " The solitary islands of Behring Sea and all its dreary coast line are familiar to this great gull. In summer it occurs from the Aleutian Islands north to the farthest points reached by the hardy navigators in the Arctic Ocean adjoining. According to Murdoch, it is numerous at Point Barrow. At St. Michael's they appear each year from the 12th to the 30th April, following the leads in the ice as they open from the south."
"They are the first of the spring birds to occur in the north, and their hoarse cries are welcome sounds to the seal hunter as he wanders over the ice-fields far out to sea in early spring.
" They become more and more numerous until they are very com- mon. They wander restlessly along the coast until the ponds open on the marshes near the sea, and then, about the last half of May,
{
GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL.
4ft
they are found straying singly or in pairs about the marshy ponds where they seek tlieir future summer homes."
"During the cruise of the Corwin, in the summer of 1881, the writer found this fine bird at every point which he visited along the coast of Behring Sea and the Arctic Ocean."
Tlu^y are among the last birds to leave the marshes, which they do only when the ice shuts them out in Jctober.
Recently, Mr. Ridgway has sought to separate the eastern from the western forms of this species, owing to a slight difference in size and some other points of distinction, but it is doubtful if the change will be generally accepted.
Genus LARUS LiNNiEus. LARUS MARINUS (Linn.).
17. Great Black-backed Gull. (47)
Feet, flesh-colored ; bill, yellow with red spot. Mantle, blackish slate-color j first primary, with the end white for 2-3 inches ; second primary, with a white sub-apical spot, and like the remaining ones that are crossed with black, having the tip white (when not (juite mature, the first with small white tip and sub-apical spot, the second with white tip alone). In winter, head and neck streaked with dusky. Yoniir/: — Whitish, variously washed, mottled and patclicd with brown or dusky ; fjuills and tail, black, with or without white tips; bill, black. Very large; length, .30 inches; wing, 18A ; bill, above 2^.
Hab. — Coast of the north Atlantic ; south in winter to Long Island.
Nest on the ground, built of grasses, bidky and deeply hollowed.
Eggs, three, bluish-white or olive-gray, irregularly spotted, and blotched witli reddish-brown and lilac.
This species is common to both continents, breeding abundantly in Norway, as far as North Cape. It is also very common in Scotland, especially on the indented coasts and islands of the north and west, and also on the outer Hebrides. There they often have their nests on the heathery hillsides, and are seen coursing along in search of wounded grouse, sickly or injured ewes, weakly lambs, eggs or carrion, nothing in the way of animal food coming amiss.
In Labrador, Mr. Abbot M. Frazer found them breeding on small islands, usually placing their nests on some elevated spot. During the breeding season there, they feed largely on the eggs of other birds, especially on those of the murre, and on young eider ducks.
They are seen roaming round the western end of Lake Ontario till the end of March, when they all disappear for the season.
46
RIHDS OF ONTAUIU.
LAUITS AIJdEXTATUS SMrTMSONIANUS Couks.
1)^. American Herring Gull. (•"»1)
Feet, (lesh color; l)ill, yellow with red spot; iimntle, pale dull l)liie (darker tliau ill /riirojifrriis, but nothing; like the deep slate of inailniis, inueh the same iM ill ail tlie rest of the Hpecie.s); |)riinarie.s marked as in innriiinn (Init tin; yreat majority of Hpeciiiieiis will he found to have the not (piite mature or tiiial condition); length, 2"2'J7 ; wings, 15-18; tarsus, 21^-2^; hill, about 2.^ hmg, ahout 'f{-':l dee|) at base, and about the same at the protuberance. In winter, head and hind neck streaked with dusky. Yohikj: — At first dmost entirely fuscous or sooty -brown, the feathers of the back white tipjied oi' not ; size, at the miiiiniiim above given. As it grows old it gradually lightens; the head, neck and under jjarts ai'e usually ijuite whitish, before the markings of the (piills are apparent, and before the blue begins to show, as it does in patches mixed with brown ; the black on the tail narrows to a bar, at the time the ])riinaries are assuming their characters, l)ut this bar disappears l)efore the primaries gain their jierfect pattern. At one time the l)ill is Hesh color or yellowish, black- tipped.
Hah. --North America generally, breeding on the Atlantic coast from Maine northward; in winter, stnith to Cuba ami Lower California.
The original nest was on the ground, not far from water, siinidy a hollow lined with grass. In some places, where the birds have been persecuted by the robbery of their eggs, they have taken to bxiilding in trees, lifty or sixty feet from the ground. There the nests are firmly put together and warmly lined.
The eggs are three, bluish-white, irregularly spotted with brown of dirt'erent shades.
Thi.s i.s tlie most abunchmt bird of its clas.s on the iiihiiid lakes, and it may be seen at nearly all seasons of the year, either soaring in wide circles overhead, or passing along in front of the wharves, always on the alert to examine any offal which may be thrown ovei-- board from the vessels. It breeds abundantly along the sea coast and also in suitable paces inland, as shown by the following, which occurs in vhe transactions of the Ottawa Field Naturalists' Club for 1881 : "On this excursion, which was held about the 21st of May, we succeeded in discovering on one of the many small lakes near the Cave, a nest of the common Gidl (Laraa arf/entatus), but we were unfortunately too late, as not ordy were the eggs hatched, but the young had ah-eady left the nest; from this fact, it is probable that, with this species, the jjeriod of incubation is very early in the season. The nest, which was very shallow, was built almost altogether of dried moss, and was placed on the top of a small rock, which stood about a foot and a half out of the water towards one end of the lake."
It breeds commonly in Lake Manitoba, and in suitable places intermediate as far as Alaska.
HINa-niLLED OULL.
♦7
In SniitluTM Ontario it is sctMi only «luriM<,' tin- wintcf. W'lu'ii Hamilton Way hecomes frozen over, there is always a patcli of open water wlieic tli(! city stswer empties into the Lay, and there for several years i)ast.two oi- three Herrin;^' (!ulls have daily resorted, to feed on the rieh morsels whieh eonie down from the city. They hecome com- paratively tame, and heinj; rej^ai'ded hy the "hoys" as heloiiyiii^^ to the place, are not much disturhed. The hirds in possession of the spot Hf^ree ahoiit the division of the spoil, hut should a strati<^er seek to share it, he is at once attacked and drivt'ii oft" ere he has time to taste the dainties.
They arrive heic ahout the end of October, and ItNive early in April.
LARUS DELAWAKENSIS Ouu.
19. Ring:-billed Gull. (o4)
Adult p/iiiiiaijc precisely like that of the Herring 'iiill, and its chaiigeH aiibstantially the saiue ; i)ill, i/rcciiiMh-yeWiiW, encircled with a h/arl: hnml near the end, usnally complete, sonietinieH defective; the ti)) anil most of the cntting edgea of the hill, yellow; in high condition, the angle of the month and a Hnir ' .spot l)eside the hlack, red ; /ict, o/iracfons, obscured with dnaky or hhuMh, anil partly yellow; the welm, ln'ight chrome. Notably smaller than (iti/i iifritii.-i : length, usnally 18-20 inches; extent, abont 48; wing, al)onl IT); hill, iiiitlo- 2, and only ahont A dee}) at the protuberance; tarsus, about 2, obxiously longei' than the middle toe.
H.VB. — North America at large ; south in winter to (."uba and Mexico.
Nest, on the grfmnd, a hollow lined with grass ; sometimes on clitl's of I'oeks.
Kggs, tinx'e, dark cream color, blotched with purple, undter and black.
This is one of the common ^ulls which frecjuent Lake Ontario duiiiiff the winter, whose numhei's help to make up the vast crowd which is seen assembled on the eflge of the ice at the western extremity of the lake, or in Hamilton Bay, near the canal.
In all stages of plumage it bears a strong resemblance to the Herring Gull, but the ring round the bill and its smaller size serve as distinguishing marks.
This is, perhaps, the most abundant of the gulls. It has been taken at Toronto and other points in Southern Ontario, but only in the winter, its breeding ground being rather farther noith. It breeds in the interior and on both shores, and its nesting f)laces are spoken of as nurseries of very great extent. Mr. Stebbins, who visited an island of about an acre in extent, in Devil's Lake, Dakota,
4H
mUDS OF ONTARIO.
in tho fii'Ht wct'k in June, found tlif cntin! i.sliuid covered with v^^^h of j^uIIh and terns. Wv. Hays : " I don't suppose you could lay down a two-feet rule without (uich end of it touchinj^ a nest. The terns mid gulls were here breeding side by side. Most of the* gulls' nests vvero in the grass, those of the tern in the sand. 1 did n(»t find a gtdl's nest with mon^ than three eggs, and very few with two ; whereas several hollows had as many as eighteen terns' eggs in them, which had roUefl together."
Mr. Frazer also found the Ring-billed (lulls l)reeding *brador,
and he remarked that th(( number of eggs di<l not exceed four.
.Macoun rtiports it breeding in all the lakes of any size in the North-Weat.
sii
LARUS ATRICILLA Linn. 20. Laughing Gull. (58)
Adult, in aiunmer: — Bill and edges of eyelids, deep carmine; legs and feet, dusky red ; iris, l)lackish. Hood, deep plunil)eous, grayisli-hlack, extending farther on the throat tiian on tiie nape. Kyelida, wliite, posteiiorly. Neck all round, rump, tail, hroad tips of secondaries and tertials, and wiiole ler j)art8 wiiile, the latter with a rosy tinge which fade.-i after death. M grayiMh
plumbeous; outer six primaries, Ijlack, their extreme tips white; ... lases for a short distance on the fiist, and only on the inner web, and for a successively increasing distance on both webs of the others, of the color of the back.
Hah. — Tropical and warm temperate America, chiefly along the sea coast, from Maine to Brazil.
Nest, in a tussock of grass, the cavity nicely lined with fine dry grasses.
Kggs, three to five, bluish white, spotted and blotched with brown, undjer and lilac of various shades.
In the report of the proceedings of the Ornithological Hub-section of the Canadian Institute for 1890-91, occurs the following :
" On May 23rd, 1890, a gull was brought to my store. It had been shot on Toronto Island, and, being unlike any of our native species, I had it thoroughly examined, and it proved to be a male Laughing Gull (Larus atricilla). This is, I believe, the first record of this bird for Ontario." — William Cross.
The Laughing Oull is a southern bird, whose centre of abundance is along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. It is also common in the South Atlantic and Gulf States, and is found breeding as far north as the coast of New England, but this, so far as I know, is the first record of its occurrence in Ontario. Speaking of this species, Mr.
kkanklin's oull.
40
MayniinJ Mays: "The notes of ^ulls aic l(tii<l ami stattliii},', l»ut those of the Laughing (hill are th(* most siiignhirof thoni all, for th«'ir cries, (•specially when the l)ir(i is excited, sound like peals of prolonged and derisive laughter,"
LAIUJS FKANKIJNTI Sw. Si Hicii.
lou
kad
tve Iub I of
21. Franklin's Gull. (HO)
Ai/ii/f //ire/<- . -KyelicU, neuk, nnuj), tail ami lower parts whitt', tlii' lalt<^r with the iitider part ;)f the wings deeply tinged with rich rosy red ; IhuhI, hlack, descending downwanlH on the nape and throat ; mantle aixl wingH, hluiMJi-gray ; a hand of black cnmsea the Hve outer primaries near the en<l ; all the ({uill feathers are tipped with white. ro»(;(,7; -('hanging with age as in otlier l)ir<lH of tiiis class. Length, 15 inciies.
Hah. — Interior of North America, breeding chietly noith of tiu' United States; south in winter to South Amei'ica.
Nest in a marsii, or wood' d swamp, built of .sedges and gra.s8 a little above the water level.
Kggs, four, greenish-gray with numerous brown markings, heaviest at the hirgei' end.
When ([uestioi ug that indefatigable sportsman, .John Dynes, about the rare biids he had seen on his many e.xcursions round Hamilton, he told me of a gull with a pink breast, which he had sometimes seen in the fall, and finally in October, 186.5, he brought me one of the birds thus referred to, which proved to be of this species. Sub,se(juently I shot another in the mcjnth of April, about the time the ice was breaking up. The latter was in the more atlvanced stage of plumage, but neither was mature.
This is not a sea gull in the ordinary use of the term, for it prefers the interior to the coast, })reeding in the inland swamps far from the sea, and making its annual journey north and south entirely inland. A short time ago I had a beautiful pair sent to me from Minnesota, where they breed. I understand that they also breed abundantly in the marshes of the Red River valley in western Manitoba.
The .species has not been observed in the Atlantic States, its line of route north and south being chiefly west of the Mi,ssissippi. The few seen in Ontario can thus be regarded only as stragglers making their migratory journey a little farther to the east than usual.
50
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
LAUUS PHILADELPHIA (Okd.).
|i h I
Ik i
•)•)
Bonaparte's Gull. (00)
Tarsus about c((ual to middle toe and claw. Small; 1'2-14; wing, !)^,-l()^; tarsus, l.\; bill, 1^-1.}; very slender, like a Tern"s. Aihilt in xiimmir : — Fiill, l)lack ; mantle, pearly blue, much paler than in afriri/la; hood, slaty-plumbeous with white touches on the eyelids ; numy wing coverts white ; feet, chrome- yellow, tinged with coral red; webs, vermilion. Primaries finally: — The first .1-6 with the shafts white except at tip ; first white, with outer web and extreme tip black ; second white, more broadly crossed with black ; .Srd to Otli- Sth with the black successively decreasing. In winter no hood, but a dark auricular «|)ot. Yoinii/ : — Mottled and patched above with bi'own or gray, and usually a dusky bar on the wing; the tail with a black bar, the primaries with more black, the bill dusky, much of •'IiC lower mandible flesh-colored or yellowish, as are the feet.
Hah. — Whole of Xorth America, breeding mostly north of the United States ; .south in winter to Mexico and Central Anierica.
The nest is usually placed on an elevation, in a trje, bush, or on a high stump : it is comj)osed of sticks and grass with a lining of soft vegetable material.
Hggs, three or four, greenish-gray spotted, and blotched with brown and lihi': of various shades.
About the middle of May this dainty little gull arrives in small Hocrks, and for a week or two enlivens the shores of Hamilton Ba\' with its aiiy gambols, but soon passes on farther niirth to its breeding grounds, In the fall it returns, subdued in dress and manners, remains till the weather begins to get cold, and then retires to the south to spend the winter.
It has a wide distribution, being found at some period of the year at almost every point on the continent. Speaking of this species in the " Birds of the North- West," Dr. Coues says : " This little gull holds its own, from the Labrador crags, against whiih the waves of an angered ocean ceaselessly beat, to the low, sandy shores of the Gulf, caressed by the .soothing billows of a tropical sea."
Macoun mentions it as breeding on all the lakes of any size tin'oughout the North- West, and Dr. Bell has found it along the Nelaoii River and at York Factory on Hudson's Bay.
In Lake Erie, a little way out from the mouth of the Ciraiul River, is Mohawk Island, where Dr. Macallum says this gull used in former years to breed regularly along with Forster's and the Common Tern. It is still seen there in small numljers during the summer, but of latt' the "Iwys" have got into the habit of visiting the island on Sundays during the nesting time, bringing away large <|uantities of eggs, so
CASPIAN TERN.
ii
that now the [jlacc is coiiiparatively desertwl. In tlic sj)iing its 2)luraage is so perfect, and its Hi/^ht so light and graceful, that it attrjicts notice wherever it appeals. In Southern Ontario it is seen only in small numbers, tlu' migivitory route heing mostly along the sea coast.
gull
es of
the
size the
.ver, nier ern. lat.' ays I, so
SiBFAMii-v STEHNIN.E Tkkns.
(iKMS STKHXA LlNN.Kl.S.
Sii!(;i:n( s THALASSKUS IJoii:. SVEHNA TSCHE(^UAVA Lkpkcii.
-'■'>. Caspian Tern. (04)
Ad'>ll iiiiilf : Crown, wides of llie liea<"i, aiul hind lieiu', Mack, ylo.sseil witli j,'refn ; l>ack and wings, liglit hlui.sli-gray ; tlu' outer prin'arie.s, dark l)luiMh-gray on the Inner welis ; n]>|ier tail coverts and tail gtvyisii-whitc ; neck and lower l)arts, pure white; hill, rich verniilioii : logs and feet, hhick : tail, slightly foi'kcd. }7i»//;/.' -Mottled and han'cd witli dull iirown. F^ength, "JO inches.
HaI!. -Nearly c(mnio))olitan : in Nortli America lireeding soutiiward to N'lrginia, I.itike Michigan, Nevada and California.
Kggs, two or three, laid in a hollow in tiic sand; pale olive linft". marked with spots of dark lirown. and lilac of vai'io\is shades.
It :
I i
i .\
tl
; i
ij
52
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
The harsh cry, long pointed wings, and ctjiul red bill of this species at once attract the attention of anyone who may happen U* be close enough for observation. In spring, when the depaiture of the ice gives them the privilege of roving about over the inland waters, the}' visit Hamilton Bay in small numbers, and are seen fishing about the mouths of the inlets, or more frequently basking in the sun on a sandy point which runs out into the bay t)pposite Dynes' place. In the fall they pay a similar visit, but at that season they are less attractive in appearance, the bill having lost nmch of its brilliancy, and the plumage being comparati\ely dull.
This is the largest of the terns, and it has a very wide distribu- tion, being found breeding at different points, from the Gulf of Mexico to Alaska, and along the entire Atlantic coast. It is also said to occur in various portions of the eastern hemisphere, including Australia. It does not breed in communities like many of the othei- terns, being mostly found in retired places in single pairs.
STERNA HANDVICENSIH ACUFLAVIDA (Cabot.). •2-i. Cabot's Tern. (67)
Bill, rather longer than the head, slendei', black, with the tip yellow ; moutli inside, deep blue ; feet, black ; wings longer tlian tail, wliich is deeply foiked : upper part of the head and hind neck, bluish-ldack ; sides of tlie head, neck all round, and rest of the lower parts, white; tlie sides and breast tingeil with pink; fore part of the back, scapulars and upper surface of the wings, pale bluish-gray; the tips and greater part of tlie inner web of the scapulars and quills, white, as are the rump and tail ; tlie four outer quills blackisli, but covered with light gray down on the outer welis, and over a consideiabl*- por tion of the twner, their shafts white. Length. l.i-U); wing, 12-.)0.
Hab. — Tropical America, northward along the Atlantic coast inegulai ly to southern New England.
Eggs, two or three, dropped on the dry saiul, rather pointed, yellowish-drab, spotted with «lark and reddish-brown.
In the spring of 1882, Dr. Gai-nier noticed three terns of this species coursing around a mill-pond not far from his residence at Lucknow. The Doctor attended to them at once, and the result was^ that one went clear off toward Lake Huron, another wriggled with difficulty after it, and the third fell dead on the jMrnd. T afteiward saw this .specimen mounted, and satisfied myself of its identity. It is difficult to account for birds wandering away at times beyond their
4
FORSTER S TERN.
53
wsual limit, but we mif^Iit with as much truth say that it is difficult to account for l)inls so lej^ularly keepiiif^ within certain limits. When those of this class tinfl themselves farther from home than they intended, it does not cost them much labor to correct the mistake.
This is the only record T have of the species in Ontario, and the visit can only be consiflerefl accidental, <is the summer home of the .species is fai- to the south.
They breed in colonies on the coast of Central America and on the larj^er West India Islands.
Sih(;knus sterna. STERNA FORSTERI Nitt.
•J-).
Forster's Tern. (69)
•ill..
his at
ras th
Ird
is
fir
Like the (.'oiniiioii Tern; larger, tail longer tiiaii wings. Wing of adult, ^•A-lUA : tail, GA-H, tiius often bej-onil tiie extreme of hiniiido, and nearlj' a.s in paradis(ca : l)ill, Ij? (li-lj), and about 2-."> deep at l)ase (in hlnnido rarely if ever .so deep); tai-sus Mcldoni down tf) i; whole foot, about 2. Little or no plumbeous wasli l)elow ; iniur wt]) of tlie outer tail feat hei.s darker than outer web of the Siune. Young and winter birds may be distinguiMhed from hirvndo at gunshot range; the black cap i.s almost entirely wanting, and in its place is a broad black band on each side of tlie iiead thi'ough the eye; several lateral tail feathers are largeh' ilu.sky on the iiiiKf web; their outer webs are white.
Hab. — North America generally, l)reeding from Manitoba southward, in the Unit I Sti'tes to Virginia, Illinois, Texas and California ; in winter, southward tf) ^razil.
Kggs. two or three, from gieenish-white to drab, blotched and spotted with brown and lilac of different shades.
This is another of the sea swallows, a name which is indiscrim- inately apj)lied to all the terns. The species is abundant and widely distributed. It is one of those fouiul by Dr. ^lacallum breedinir on Mohawk Islan<l, in Lake Eiie. Mr. Saundeis reports it breeding on the St. Clair Flats, and Macoun si)eaks of it V)reeding abundantly in Lake Manitoba, Waterhen River and Lake Winnij)eg08is. Farther south, it is known to breed in Virginia, Texas, Illinois and Calif(»rnia.
Throughout Ontario generally, it is only a migrant in spring and fall. It is usually in company with the Conm\ ,.i Tern, which it closely resembles, the points of difference being readily observed when the l)irds are placed side by side.
STEliXA HIUrXDO Linx.
-T). Common Tern. (70)
I5ill, red, l>lackeiiing on the terniiiiiil Ihird, tlio veiy point usu<ill_> light: feet, coral red ; mantle, jjearly grayish-hlue ; pi'iniary shafts white, except at the end; below white, washed with ])ale pearly pliunheous blanching on throat and lower l>elly; tail mostly white, the nii/ir wel) of the onter feathei- darker than inner web of the same. Length of male. 14.^ (l.S-l()); extent, 31 ('20-32); wing, 10J (Qf-ll:^); tail, G (r)-7); tarsus, -l (Ji-J); bill. 1 l-l.l; whole foot, averaging \-^: female rather less, averaging toward these minima; young l)irds nuiy show a little smaller, in length of tail particularly, and so of total lengtli ; length, ]-2 or more; wing, 9 or nxti'e ; tail. 4 or more; bill. !i oi- nioi-e. In winter th.is species does not apj)ear to lose the black-cap. contrary to a neai'ly universal rule. Yonnff .—Bill mostly dusky, Imt much of the under nuKndible yellowish : feet simply yellowish'; cap moi-e or less defective: back and wings patclied and barred with gray and light lu-own. the bluisii showing imjiei'fectly if at all, but this color shading much of the tail : usually a })lackish l)ar along the les.sei' coverts, and several tail feathers dusky f)n tiie onhr web; below. ])Ui'e white, or with very little ))lumbeous sluide.
Hab. — Greater part of nortliern hemisphere and Africa. In X'nth America chiefly confined to the Kastern Province, breeding from the Arctic coast, some- what irregularly, to Florida and Texas, and wintering farther south.
Kggs, two or three, deposited in a hollow in the sand, ligiit ))rown, tinged with green and blotched with dark l)rown and lilac of \ariou8 sha^^es.
ARCTIC TERN.
55
This species is coniinon U) both continents, and luis Ix'eii found breeding as fai- noith as Greenland and Hpitzbergen. It migrates south in the cold weather, and its return to its summer haunts is hailed as a sure indication that winter is i-eally gone. For a time many a quiet bay and inlet is eidivened by its presence.
" Swift by the window skims the Tern, On liglit and glancing wing, And eveiy .sound which rises iijj (live.s token of the Spring."
On Hamilton Bay the terns make their appearance about the lUth of May, and in company with the black-headed gulls go careerijig around the shores in merry groups, or settle on the sand bars to rest and plume their feathers in the sun. By the end of the month they have all gone to the north and west to raise their young, but they pay us a short visit in the fall on their way south.
The range of this species is very similar to that of Forstei''s Tern. Gull Island in Lake Erie, St. Clair Flats, and especially Waterhen River and adjcjining waters, are named among its l)reeding places.
D. Gunn, writing in the " Birds of Manitoba," on the habits of these birds in Lake Winnipeg, says :
" When at Lake Winniptjg, in 1862, T noticed that the terns which occupied sandy or gravelly islands made their nests as those do on the gravelly islands of Shoal Lake, while those found on the rocky island on the east side of the lake chose for their nesting places depressions and clefts in the surface of the rocks. These they care- fully lined with moss, thus giving a remarkable example of the instinct which teaches them that their eggs when laid on the sand or gravel are safe, but when placed on these hard and often cold materials, a warm lining for the protection of the eggs and young birds is indispensable."
STERNA PAHADlSvE BRiJNN. •27. Arctic Tern. (71)
Bill, carmine; feet, vermilion; plumage, like that of Itiniiido, but much darker below, the phnnbeous wash so lieavy that these parts are scarcely paler than the mantle; crissum, pure white; throat and sides of the neck, white or tinged with graj'. In winter, cap defective; in young the same, upper parts patched with gray, brown oi" rufous ; uiuler ])arts paler or white ; a dark ba, on
56
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
the wing ; outer webs of several tail feathers, dusky ; bill, l)lackish or dusky red, with j'ellow on the under mandible; feet, dull orange, smaller than hiniiido, J»ut tail much longer. Length, 14-17; wing, 10-12; tail, 5-8; bill, 1.20-1.40.
H.vit. — Xorthern hemisphere; in North America breeding from Massa- chusetts to the Arctic regions, and wintering southward to Virginia and California.
Eggs, two or three ; laid on the Ijare rock or sand ; drab, spotted and dashed witli brown of different shades, indistinguishable from those of the common tern.
For several re'asons the terns which visit Ontario are less known than birds belonging to other cla.sses. They are not sought after by .sportsmen, and at present tlie number of collectors is so few that the .serf swallows (as they are here called) are little molested. There are several species, such as the Common Tern, Forster's Tern, and the one we are now considering, which resemble each other so closely that the difference can onh' be made out on careful examination by one who is familiar witli their appearance. Compared with the Common Tern, the present species is a bird of more slender make, the taii feathers being usually much longer, and the under parts of a much darker shade.
In the .spring and fall flocks of terns resembling each other in genei-al appearance are seen fre(iuenting Hamilton Bay and the inlets along tlie shores of Lake Ontario. Considering the range of this species, it is likely that it is here with the others, but among the few which I have killed I have not found an Arctic.
In the collection of birds brought together under the direction of the late Prof. Hincks, and sent to the Paris Exposition in 1867, a pair of Arctic Terns was included which were said to have been procured near Toronto.
Tlie species is of circumpolar distribution. Dr. Bell found it on Hudson's Bay, and it occurs on the coast of California, but is not named among the l)irds of Manitol)a, being perhaps strictly maritime in its haunts.
Around the shores of Great Britain it is the most abundant of its class, and hei'e, too, it is remarked that it does not occur inland.
Mr. Crray, in his " Birds of the West of Scotland," says regarding it : " On the western shores of Ross, Inverness and Argyleshire, there are numerous breeding places for this bird, especially on the rocky islands in the sea-lochs stretching inland, such as Loch Sunart, Loch Alsh and Loch Etive. These nurseries are equally numerous off the coast of Mull, and others of the larger islands forming the Inner Hebrides."
Hi!
LEAST TERN.
57
"In the first week in August, 1870, when travelling from North Uist to Benl)eculu, and crossing the ford which separates the two islamls, T witnessed a very interesting habit of this tern. T had been previously told by a friend to look out for the birds which he said I should find waiting for me on the sands. Upon coming within sight of the first ford, I observed between twenty and thirty terns sitting (|uietly on the banks of the salt water sti-eam, but the moment they saw us appi'oaching they rose on the wing to meet us, and kept hovering gracefully over our heads till the pony stepped into the %\ater. As soon as the wheels of the conveyance were fairly into the stream, the terns poised their wings for a moment, then precipitated themselves with a splash exactly above the wheel tracks and at once arose, each with a smd eel wriggling in its bill. 8ome had been caught by the head and were unceremoni(ju.sly swallowed, but others which had been seized V)y the middle were allowed to di'op, and were 4igain caught properly by the head before they reached th(? water.
" I was told by the residents that it is a haVnt of the birds to be •continually on the watch for passing vehicles, the wheels of which bring the sand eels momentaril}' to the surface, and the quick eyes of the terns enable the birds to transfix them on the spot."
SuBUKXus STERNULA Bon:. STERNA ANTILLARUM (Lkss.).
28. Least Tern. (7+)
Bill, yellow, usually tippeil with black ; mantle, pale pearly grayish-blue, unchanged on the rump and tail ; a irhite frontal rrexcenf, separating the cap from the bill, bounded below by a black loral stripe reaching the bill ; shafts of two or moi-e oute" primai'ies, h/nck on the upper surface, white underneath ; feet, orange. Yohii;/: — Cap, too defective to show the descent ; bill, dark, much of the under mandible ])ale ; feet, oliscured. Very small, only 8-0; wing, 6-6i; tail, 2-3i ; bill, 1-H: tarsus, 'i.
Hab. — Northern South America, northward to California and Xew England, and casually to Labrador, bleeding nearly throughout its range
Eggs, two or three, variable in color, usually drab, speckled with lilac and brown ; left in a slight depression in the dry beach sand beyond the reach of water.
This is a refined miniature of the Common Tern, and a very handsome, active little bird. It is common along the sea coast to the south of us, but probably does not often come so far north as
s !!;
.')«
HlllDS OF ONTAUIO.
Lake Ontario. l)v. VVheatoii nn'iitioiis its inej^uliu* uccurrBiicf on Lak« Eric, and Dr. Hrodie reports it hein^ found near Toronto. In the month of Octolxjr, several years ag(j, I shot an inunature specimen as it rose from a piece of (Jriftwood in Hamilton Bay, durinjj; a .south- erly Mow of several days' duration, and that is the only time I have ever seen the sp«,'cies hen;.
In the report of the proceedin<^s of the Canadian Institute for IMHJ), the following }»assage occurs; "A Least Tern {uterna antif- hiriiin) was shot here by Mr. Wm. fjoane on September oth. This, with l>i'. Brodie's formei- record for Toronto, and Mi'. Mcllwraith's foi- Hamilton, makes the third foi' Lake Ontario."
The Little Striker, as it is called along the sea coast, we may not expect to see often in Ontario, for its piincipal breeding giouud is on the Oulf coast, and on the islands of the Atlantic coast of Florida. The eggs are placed in a slight hollow in the .sand .and broken shells of the beach, which they resemble so much that they ai'e often passed without IxMng observed, and thus escape trouble which n\ight other- wise l>efail them.
(iExus HYDROCUELIDON Bon;. HYI>HOCHELlJX)N NIGRA SURTNAMENSIS (G.miol.).
29. Black Tern. (77)
Adult in ljreedi)ig jihuiiage: — Head, neck and under ])arts, uniform jet l)lack; hack, wing.s and tail, plumbeous; primaries, unstriped ; crisaum, pure white ; hill, black. In winter and young birds, the black is mostly replaced by wliite on the foreliead, sides of head anil under parts, the crown, occiput and neck behind, witli the sides under tiie wings, being dusky -gray : a dark auriculai' patch and another before tlie eye ; in a very early stage, the upper parts are varied with dull brown. Small ; wing, 8-9, little less than tlie whole length of the biid ; tail, .'U, simply forked; bill, 1-1 i; tarsus, S ; middle toe and claw. li.
Hab. — 'I'emperate and ti'opical America. From Alaska and the fur coun- tries to ('hili, br'ceding from the middle United .States northward.
No nest. I'^ggs, on tlie bog, two or three ; brownish-olive, splashed and spotted with brown.
Common to both continents, and extending its migrations far north. The Black Tern has been found in Iceland, and, according to Richardson, is known to lireed in the fur countries. It enters South- ern Ontario early in May, \ isiting the various feeding resorts along the route, in company with the smaller gulls, and retires to the
i:.'
I ^!
(JAN NET.
59
^m^.slu^s t<» luisc its yoim;,'. At the St. Clair Flats it hivcds al)Uii(l- aiitly, its (fffgs Innn^ oftt'ii apparently iH'«,'lect('d, but they are said tu he coverecj by the female at iiij,'ht and in rouj^h weather.
Dr. Macallum reports it as breedinj^ also on Mohawk Island, thougli from being frequently disturbed and rolibed of its eggs, .it is not so numerous as formerly. \n the North-West, accoi'ding to Macoun, it " breeds in all the marshes from Portage la Prairie west- ward, in less numbers in the wooded region, but genf rally distributed."
At Ottawa, Toronto and Hamilton it occurs as a regular migrant in spring and fall.
rar
to
Okdeh STECtANOPODES. Totipalmate Swimmehs.
Family SULID^. (Uxnkts. Genus 8ULA Brissox.
SUHGENl'S DYSP0RU8 iLLICiEK.
SULA J3A8SANA (Linn.). 30. Gannet. (117)
Adult malt: — White, the head ami hind neck tinged with yellowish-lHown ;. primaries, black. Youikj: — Dark brown, spotted witli white; lower ])art8, grayish-white. Length, 30 inelies.
Hab. — Coasts of the North Atlantic, south in winter to the ftulf of Mexico iind Africa ; breeds from Maine and the British Islands nortliward.
Breeds in communities on rocks near the sea. One egg, pale greenisli-blue.
We have very few records of the (iannet, or Solan Goose, ii» Ontario, because it is a bird of the North Atlantic, where it is found on the shores on both sides, on the east, pei'haps, in greater abund- ance than on the west.
Many years ago, an individual of this species was found in Hamil- ton Bay in a state of extreme exhaustion, after a severe " north- easter." In the proceedings of the Canadian Institute for 1890, it is stated, "one specimen in immature plumage was shot at Oshawa, Ontario, in 1862, by Mr. A. Dulmage," which, so far as 1 know, completes the list for the Province.
These birds are iii the habit of breeding in colonies on large- isolated rocks, which are called Gannet Rocks, wherever they occur. One of these is situated off the coast of Maine, southward of Grand
i J
•60
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
i i
f il:
iH
1
Manaii iHlaiid, at tlni iiioutli of the Hay of Kuiidy. Another lies to the south-west of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Tlie great l)reedinjj reHorts of the species, liowever, are the Bii'd Rocks, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and Boiiaventure Island, near Gaspe.
TJjis bird takes ith name {Sufa hassfina) from one of its first and hest known hreedinp, placets, the Bass Hock, in the Firth of Forth, where T have seen tliem in thousands engaged in c'omi)leting their <lomestic arrangements in the early summei-. They used to have many hi-eeding places round the rocky coasts of Scotland, l)ut Mr. (ilray tells us that the number has now been reduced to five. These are Ailsa Craig, St. Kilda, North Bari-a, Stack of Suleskerry, and the Bass Rock, Firth of Forth. The number of birds which frecjuent these i)laces is still verj' great. A moderate calculation of those seen on the Bass Rock Mr. Gray placed at 20,000, and T feel sure that the number frequenting Ailsa Craig cannot be much less. Mr. Gray further states, that on the moi-e remote breeding places very little change has taken place, but that on the Bass Rock, where in former years a large colony had jtossession of the grassy slopes on which they l)uilt their nests, the numb(!i' of birds is greatly reduced. The intru- sion of visitors has driven the birds entirely to tlie i-ocky ledges on the west side of the island, w^here the nests cannot be examined as they used to be. Before this change took place in their breeding grounds, the biicls were greatl}' changed in their habits, the old birds having become dreadfully vociferous, and in some cases showing fight. Professor Macgillivray well describes their cry in comparing the tor- I'ent of sounds to the words, "Kirra kirra, cree cree, grog, grog, grog." Surrounded by a multitude of open bills, and noticing the guide apparently absorbed in thought, he inquired, " Ts there any risk of them biting?" "Oh, no, sir," he rejoined, "I was only thinking how like they are to ourwrs." He stated also that these birds sometimes lay two eggs, fourteen nests on the grassy slope already referred to having been foulid to contain that numbei". This statement may be easily believed, when we are told that during the breeding season the rock is visited daily by excursionists accompanied by guides, and that the number of eggs in a nest is made to suit the wishes of the visitor.
Notwithstanding the protection now affonied to this bird, in com- mon with other water-fowl, the numbers have greatly diminished, and it is very doubtful if the Bass ever again has as many tenants as it once had.
Long ago the breeding places appear to have been more numerous than at present, for we find frequent reference to them in the works
CORMORANT.
61
of writers lonf{ departed. For instance, Dean Munroe, wlio visited nearly the whole of the British islands Ix^tween 1540 and 1549, has left a quaint account of what he saw. In descrihin*,' Eiy^ Island, he says: "Nortlj from Elian about foure myles lyes ane iyle called iyle of egga, four niyle lange and twa niyle braid, guid nmine land with a Paroch kirk in it and maney Solane geese." One cannot exactly see how the two things should in this curt way be associated.
The Solan (Jeese live chiefly on herring and other fish which are very irregulai* in their movements, and the birds havt>, therefoi'e, often to travel a long distance to obtain fo<Kl foi- their young. A-s soon as the young birds are able to fly, they all leave the rocks, and follow the shoals of fish, wherever they are to be found, returning again to their familiar rocks in March or April.
lis Is
IS
Family PHALACROCORACID^. Cormorants.
Genus PHALACROCORAX Brisson.
PHALACROCORAX CARBO (Linn.).
"1. Cormorant. (119)
Ueneral plumage, black, glossed with blue, a white patch on the throat ami another on the sides of the body ; in summer the head is crested with long narrow feathers, which fall off when the l)reeding season is over ; the white patches on the throat and sides also disappear about the same time. Length, .36 inches.
Hab. — Coasts of the North Atlantic, south in winter on the coast of the United States, casually to the Carolinas ; breeding from the Bay of Fundy to Greenland.
Nest, on precipitous rocks, built of sticks and sea- weed, kept in a filthy con- dition from the refuse of the larder, etc.
Kggs, four or five, pale bluish-green.
Although the Cormorants are generally birds of the ^ sea coast,. when not specially engaged at home, they make periodical excursions to the lakes, where no doubt they find the change of food and scenery very agreeable. In spring and fall they are occasionally seen in Hamilton Bay, and at other points in Southern Ontario, following their usual avocation of fishing. Not long since, with the aid of a powerful glass, I watched one sitting on a buoy out off the wharves, and could not but admire the graceful motions of his long, lithe neck, as he preened his plumage in conscious safety. The inspection.
Ilii t
l>l|^ 'ill
62
lUHDS OF ONTARIO.
at tliat (iiHtaiicc N\aH iiuirt' |ili*aHaiit than it iiiij^lit liavc Ihmmi clust'i* l»y, for tlicHt' hinlH, though apparently cleanly, «'arrv with tlicni a iiio.st uuuavory (xior.
'riiis is another North .\tlanti<' speeies which is t'oiiiHl hreediiig on the rocky led^'es alon;; the shores ot' both c(»ntiiients. It is >(re),'ari- «iiis, living; in thickly-settletl conuuunities, the sanitary condition of which prevents their hein^' popular with excursionists, so that the iiirds when at home are seldom disturlied.
On the rocky shore of Newfoundland it is (^specially abundant, and was also found hy Mi*. Fra/.er in liahraflor. It has l»eeri observed sin;,'ly oi" in pairs, at Ottawa, Hamilton, Ijondon and other p(»ints, liut the species seldom leaves the sea coast. Those observed inland ;iie ap]>arently stra;^^lei's which by chance or choice hue wandered t'oi- a time awav fi'om their usual habitat.
PHALACIiOCOHAX DILOPHIS (Sw. A- Micii.). ■5-'. Double-crested Cormorant. (I-'O)
Tail of twelve feiitiierj*, gular sac convex or nearly .itniiglit-.,'lgetl l>eliinil : j^los.sy gi'eeiiinli-hlack ; featherM of tlie Jiack ami wings, oopj)ery-gray, lilai'k- .><luifte(l, hlauk-edged ; adult witli curly l)Iack Inlivnl oresLs, anil in tlie lireediiij;' rtuaHon other tilamentou.s white ones over the eyes and along the, sides of the neck ; white tiank -patch, not observed in the specimens examined, hut probably occurring; gular sac anil lores, orange; eyes, green. Length, 30-33 inches; wing, 12 oi' more; tail, (i or more; hill along gape, 3.^ ; tarsus, a little over 'J. Voniifi: — ^Plain dark brown, jtaler or grayish (even white on the breast) l)elo\\ . without head plumes.
H.\B. — Kastern coast of North America, bieetling fiom the Bay of Kundy ii'irthward ; southward in the interior to the (ireat Lakes and Wisconsin.
Kggs, two or three, ])luish-green.
This, like the common species, occasionally \'isits the inland lakes, and is distiuf^uished by its smaller size and richer j)lumatr" Tin specimen in my collection I shot off Huckleberry Point, from a jjartially submerged stump that it had been ,i-ti time as a fishing station. All the Cormorants b ,iu n , oioi.
being voracious feeders, anrl they certainly ha i niml way of catching and swallowing their prey, but it is not likely thM they con- sume mf>re than other birds c.f similar size.
Though this species breeds along the sea coast on both sides of the Atlantic, it has also been found breeding in colonies in the
AMKRiCAN WHITE PELICAN.
68
iit«'ri«>i'. It is tin- oiif we sff iiiiist t'rt'(|U('iitly ill Soutlit'iii Ontario, iind M)u;i)iiii intMitioiiH having t'oiind it InftMliii;,' iiliiiiKliiiitly in Titikt' \Viiiiii|i«'f,'oHis.
|)r. F[atcli, in tln' " IJiids ot Minin'snta,' (lcscril»('s it as a conirnon suiunuT resident which " Ictcal ol)s»'rv»'is t'nmi all paits (if the State report from 'occaHioiiar to * innumerahle.' aceordinj; to the nearness oi the observer to the breedinj^ plaees ot" tiie i)irds." The ineparations for incuhaticMi are mad«* about tiie lOth of May. in lar^fe eonnnuniti«'s oil islands in tlie lakes and ponds and almost impenetrable marshes, where theie are some lai';,'e old trees, in whieh they most fre(|uently laiild their coai'se l)Ut substantial nests. These are usually bulky from havinj^ beei\ added to evci-y year, and nmsist of weeds, vines and sticks, piled to^'ether carelessly arouiul a deep dejiression, in which is deposited t!ie three pale jj;reenish or bluish ejfj^s. It is not an uncommon sij^ht t<i see one or more of thest' nests on the same tree in which are a number of heron nests, and the owners seem to live ill harmony.
When the young are sutHcieiitly ;.M-own, they feather into immense Hocks in unfre((uented sections, and icinain until the ice-lid has closerl over their supply of fowl, when they go away, not to return till the cover is lifted up in the spring.
Family PELECAN 11 ).'!':.
Subgenus CYRTOPELTCANUS Rek iiknd.xcm.
PELECANUS ERYTHRORHYNCHOS (Imki,.
k's.
ot In-
•{■5. American White Pelican, (l-'o)
White; occiput and hieast, yellow; primaries, tlioii- coverts, lia.stard (juills and many secondaries, Idack ; hill, sac, lores and feet, yoUoM-. Length, about 4 feet; expanse, 7-9; wing, 2; hill, 1 or move ; tail, .\, normally 24-feathered.
Hab. — Temperate Noi-th America, north in the interior to about Lat. Hi. .south to Central America; now rare or accidental in the north-eastern States; abundant in the Middle Province and along the (Julf coast; cronunon on tlio coast of California and western Mexicr).
Nest, on the ground or in a low bush neai- the watei'.
Kggs, one to three, dull white.
Early in the month of May, 186-1, five of these large, odd-looking biids were observed on Hamilton Bav, antl were accoi-ded the atten-
}" I
il i
64
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
tion that is usually bestowed upon visitors of this description. Joim Dynes was the first to give them a salute, and he captured two ut their numbei-, one of which came into my possession. The other three remained foi" :i day or two, but were much disturbed, and finally got away. On the 13th of March, 1884, a similar visit was made by a like number, about the time the ice was breaking up. Mr. Smith, who was in charge of the Ocean House at the time, saw them Hying heavily uii the lake. They seemed much exhausted, and on alighting on the ice near the edge of the water, at once squatted rlat, with their heads restn (j between their shoulders. When two or three rifle bullets were landed uncomfortably near them, the}' got up reluctantly, and went off' eastward down the lake, hugging the shore for sheltei' from the wind, which was blowing fresh at the time.
Dr. Maeallum writes that "on the 28th of September, 18f>9, a very fine female White Pelican was shot at the mouth of the Grand River, near Dunuville, which came into my hands. There had not l)een one shot here ftjr twenty-two years. Tt was in a very emaciated condition, but in good plumage, and now adorns one of my cases."
So the stragglers are picked up, but the bulk of the species is found to the north and west of Ontario. Macoun found them breed- ing in Old Wives, Cull and Long T^akes in the North- West. It is also said that several thousands of these birds are permanent residents on (Jreat Salt Ijjike, L'tah, where they breed on the islands twenty miles out in the lake.
Order ANSERES. Lamellirostral Swimmers.
Family ANATID^. Ducks, Gee.se and Swans.
Subfamily MERGING. Mercjanskks.
Genus MERCJANSER Bkisson.
MERGANSER AMERICANUS (Cass.).
•U. American Merganser. (129)
Nostiils, nearly median ; frontal feathers reaching beyond those on sides of hill ; male witli the iiead scarcely crested, glossy green ; hack and wings, black and white, latter crossed by one black bar; under parts, salmon-colored ; length, about 24; wing, 11, female smaller, occipital crest betl r developed, but still flimsy; head and neck, i<ed'Iisii -brown; black parts of the male, ashy gray ; Iujjh white on the wing ; under parts less tinted with salmon.
KED-BREASTED MERGANSEH.
65
Hab. -North America geneniUy, l>reeiling soutli to the northern United States.
Nest, in a hollow tree. It i.s composed of weeds and moss, and lined with down fi'om the hreast of the l)ird.
Kggs, six to eight, huff or dai-k cream. *
This i.s the largest, and l)y many considered the handsomest, of the three saw-!)ills which visit us. ft is never plentiful, being a bird of the sea coast, but it is usually seen singly, oi* in pairs, among the flocks of water-fowl which crowd up from the soutli as soon as the ice begins to move in the lakes and rivers in spring.
In the fall they are again observed in company with their young, which at this stage all resemble the female in plumage. The flesh of the saw-bills being Hsh}', the gunnel's often allow them to ])ass when a blue-bill or a red-head would not get off so easilj'.
They are rejiorted from Ottawa, Toronto, Hamilton and other points in Southern Ontario, in the *' Uiids of Manitoba," Macoun says of them : " IJi-eeds here al)undantly on the rivers emptying into Lake Winnipegosis, and on all the livers visited by me in Manitoba. 1 never observed this bird on still water during the breeding sea-son. They feed <jnly on fish, and are found only on clear running streams wliere fry are abundant."
They are generally but not e(|ually distributed, being more common at .some points than others. Phey are among the first to arrive when the ice breaks up, and indeed Dr. Macalluni mentions that so long as there is open water in the (irand River they will remain all winter.
of
ick
]h,
ill
ess
MKlUiANSEK SEHHATOl? (Linn.). •'5'). Red-breasted Merganser. (1.50)
Nostrils, suh-liasal ; frontal feathers not reaching l)eyond those on sides of lull; a long, thin, ))ointed crest in hotli sexes. Siwaller than the last; wing, SO ; general coloration, sexual tlitlei'ence the sjine, hut the male with the j\iguluni rich reddish-hrown. lilack-streaked, tlu' sides conspicuously finely waved with black, a white, hlack hordercd mark in fi'ont of the wing, and the wing crossed by two black bars.
H.\B.- Northern portions of northern henusphere ; south in winter, through- out the United States.
Nest, among the weeds, built of grass, and warmly lined with down.
Kggs, nine or ten, creamy buff. 5
;
66
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
Rather more numerous than the preceding, being often seen in spring and fall in flocks of six or eight, fishing about the mouths of the inlets in Hamilton Bay.
This species is common to both continents, and breeds on the rocky islets on many of the inland lochs in the north of Scotland. All the young birds ap])ear for the first season in the plumage of the female, but the male can readily be distinguished by a peculiar bony enlargement in the windpipe, which does not occur in the opposite sex.
It is said that in this, and in the preceding species, as soon as the female has completed her set of eggs, the male has the ungallant habit of ignoring all family responsibilities, and leaving the entii'e care of the youngsters to their mother, who leads them carefully to the water, and gives them their first lesson at a very early age.
Tn Manit'jba, Mact)un says that the species " breeds on all the noi'thern streams and ponds, feeds largely on vegetal)le mattei', and is quite edible."
In the fall they occur in small flocks along the southern border of Ontario, but none are observed tf) lemain over the winter.
Mr. Nelson says, regarding this species : " During the summei- of 1881, I found them breeding upon St. Lawrence Lsland and along the Siberian coast from Plover Bay to Cape N >rth through Behi-ing Strait. On the Alaskan coast they breed everywhere in suitable places, from Sitka to Icy Cape, and perhaps to Point Barrow."
-.0
■It
Cis. -.-
lie
ire to
* jf '
of
Gkxls LOPHODYTES Rkkiiknuacii. LOPHOPYTES CUCULLATUS (Lixx.).
36. Hooded Merganser. (l.'H)
Nostrils, sul)-l)ii8iil ; frontal featliers, reaching heyond those on sides of hill ; a coin])a('.t, erect, semicii-cular, laterallj' coini)resse<l crest in the male, smaller and less rounded in the female. Male. -IMnck, including two crescents in front of wing, and l)ar across sjieculum ; under jiarts, centre of crest, speculum and stripes on tei-tials, white; sides, cliestnut, hlack-liarred. Length, 18-lit; wing, 8. /"'('(((((/r.' Smallei'; head and neck, ln'own ; ciiin, whitisli ; l)ack and sides, dark hi-owii, tlie feathei's with paler edges; white on tiu; wing less; hill, reddish at hase Itelow.
HaB. -North America generally, soutli to .Mexii-o and ("ulia, l>rceding nearly throughout its range.
Nest, ill a hole in a tree or stump, warmly lined «ith soft gra.ss, feathers and down.
Kggs. six to eiglit. liuM' or dark cream (^olor.
This ht'autifu! little Sfiw-liill vs ii re;.;uljii' visitor to Hjiniiltoii Buy, wliere it .sjieiuls a short time in the hegiiining of Ajiril, before retiring to its more remote breeding grounds.
The habit of raising its young in a hole in a tree seems rather a singular one for a bird of this cla.ss, but in this retired |)ositi(m the female spends the anxious hours of incubation, beyond the reacii of clanger to which she might elsewhere be e.xt.*/<sed. As soon as tlie young are old enough to bear transportation, she t^ikes them one after aiioth"r by the nape of the neck art*' drops them gently into the
M
68
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
water. Like the other saw-bills, this species feeds on fish, on account of which its flesh is not considered a delicacy.
Such is the record for Southern Ontario, but a change of residence and surroundings may bring about other changes. In the " Jiirds of Manitoba," Macoun says regarding this bird : " Found in all the smaller ponds and lakes, very common in streams around Porcupine Mountain, feeding on vegetable substances, and (juite edible, in this respect unlike J/. americamtH."
! ^
Subfamily ANATTN^. Riveh Dicks.
(tEnus anas Lin\.«;us.
ANAS BOSCH AS Lixx.
3<
Mallard. (132)
Male.: — With the lieail and upper neck, glossy green, suceeetletl l>y a white ring; hreast, imrplish-cliestnut ; tail feathers, mostly wliitish ; greater wing coverts tipped with hlack and white, the speculum violet ; feet, orange red. Ffinah : — With the wing as in the male; head, neck and under parts, pale ocln-ey, speckled and streaked with dusky. Length, alxmt 24; wing, 10-12.
Hab. —Noitheni jiarts of northern hemisphere ; in America, south to Panama and Cid)a, hreeding southward to tlie northern Ixii'der of tlie United States.
Xest, on the ground, ))uilt of dry gratis, lined with feathers.
Kggs, eight to ten, dull drah or olivaceous green.
This, the parent of the domestic duck, is an abundant species and widely distributed, but it is found in greatest numbers at certain points, where its food abounds. In Hamilton Bay it occurs sparingly duiing the nvigratorv season, but at Bond Eau, at Long Point on Lake Erie, and on the Hats along the River St. Clair it assembles in vast Hocks in the fall to feed on the wild rice. At the Hats a few pairs remain during summer to reai- their 3'oung, but the greatei- number pass farther north.
A few years ago Mi'. John Bates, whose farm is on the shore of Hamilton Bay, ncj. the waterworks, notici^l a female of the sj)ecies late in the fall ass..jiating with his tame ducks. Tt was shy, and kept away from the house for a time, but as the season advanced and the water froze over, it cam(^ into the sheds and remained permanently with the others. Tn the spring it built a nest in an out-of-the-way place, and in due time came forth followed by a brood of young ones, which in time grew up and bred with the domestic species.
BLACK DUCK.
69
Mr. Hates pointed out to me some of the stock, which he couhl always recognize by their sitting (leej)er in tlie water, b\' their com- paratively long, slim necks, and by a certain wild look of suspicion and mistrust which clung to them through several generations. Mr, Bates thought the individual referred to had been wounded in the wing, and thus incapacitated for performing the usual journey south.
The Mallard is reported breeding abundantly throughout Micihigan and Minnesota, while in the North- West Macoun says regarding it : "The mcjst abundant duck of the North- West, breeding in nearly all the marslies north oi the Ijoundary."
It has also been observed at Hudson's Bay, and i-arely in Alaska and on the Fur Seal Islands.
AN AH OBSCURA (J.mkl.
3H. Black Duck. (l.'i-O
Size of the MiiUanl, and resemljliug the female of that species, liut darker and without decided white anywhere, except under the wings. Tail, with l(j to IS feathers.
Hab. — Eastern North America, west to Utah and Texas, north to Labrador, breeding southward to the northern Uni.ted States.
Nest, on the ground, Iniilt of grass, wee<ls A,nd featliers.
Eggs, eight to ten, yeUowish drab or butt", shaded with green.
Although there are several other ducks darker in color than this species, it is still the "Black Duck" of the gunners all over the continent, and is excelled by m) other in the excellence of its flesh. It is not so plentiful throughout Ontaiio as the Mallard, being rather a bird of the sea coast, freijuenting the salt marshes along the coast of Maine, where it breeds abundantly. A few pairs have also been found mating in the marsh along the River St. Clair, but such an occurrence is b}' no means conuuon.
We are told that long ago the Black Duck was a i-egular visitor to the marshy inlets around Hamilton Bay, but now there is so much to distuib, and so little to attract thera, that their visits aie few and far between.
In the "Birds of Manitoba," they are spoken of as being very rare, only two spscimens luiving been obtained in ten years. At Hudson's Bay only rare sti.igglers have been noticed.
70 BIRDS OF ONTAlllO.
SuuGKNUs CHAULELASMUS Boxapaktk. ANAS STREPEUA Linx.
.{9. Gadwall. (135) *
Male: — With most of the plumage barred or half-ringed with black and white or wliitisli ; middle coverts, rhi'stinit; greater coverts, Ulack : speculum, irkitc. /''(;«ifi/('.- -Known by tiiese wing maiks. Lengtli, l!)-22; wing, 10-11.
Hab. — Nearly cosnio])olitan. In North America breeds chiefly within the United States.
Nest, usually on the gi'ound, sometimes in trees.
Kggs, buff or dull cream color.
The Gadwall is rare throughout Ontario. When a large mixed lot of ducks is sent down in the fall from any of the shooting stations in the west, a pair or two of this species may sometimes he picked out, hut that is all.
The pair in my collection were shot in Hamilton Bay many years ago, hut since that time I have not heard of any having been obtained there. Tt is common to both continents, but it is nowhere abundant.
The only place T have seen that adjective applied to it is in Macoun's Annual Report of tlie Department of the Interior for the year eiuHng December, 1S80, })age '28, where he says; ^' Chauhlnsmns str>'p<'rux, gray, CJadwall, gray duck, abundant throughout the interior." In the " Birds of Manitoba," the sam(^ writer says regarding it : " Only one specimen shot on the Assiniboine, September, 1S81."
It is mentioned by Dr. Bell as occuri'ing at Hudson's Bay; in what number is not stated.
The male Gadwall is a very handsome bird, nmch sought after by collectors, the price charged in their lists showing its comparative scarcity.
■ ^!
r II !
II
SuHOENUs MARECA Stephens. ANAS AMERICANA Gmel.
10. Baldpate. (137)
Bill and feet, grayish-blue ; top of head, white, or nearly so, plain or speckled ; its sides and the neck, more or less speckled ; a broad green patch on sides of head ; fore breast, light-brownish ; belly, pure white; crissum, abruptly black ; middle and gieater coverts, white, the latter black-tipped ; speculum,
GREEN-WINGED TEAL.
71
green, black iMndered. Length, ^it-'i'i; wing, II ; tiiil, f); tarsus, '2; bill, IJH; female known by the wing markings.
Hab. — Nortli America, from the Arctic Ocean soiitli to Ituatcniala ami t:u})a.
Nest, on the groinxl in the marsh; it is composed of grass ami weeds. It is neatly f<)nne<l and lined with feathers and down from the lireast of the bird.
Kggs, eight to twelve, pale buff.
Resembles the Gadwall in appearance, but can always be dis- tinj^uished by the creamy white crown which has suggested for the species the familiar name of " Bald pate." ]t is also more abundant than the Gadwall, being often seen in Hocks of fifty to one hundred during the season of migration. It has a wide l)reeding range tliroughout the United States and British America. At th(^ St. Clair Flats it has often been seen at midsunnuer, l)ut so fai- 1 have no r» 3rd of its nest or eggs having been found there. It seems rather tender, and is one of the fir.st to retire to the south in the fall.
Tn the " Birds of Manitoba," we read regarding this species : "Abundant summer rsKident, breeding at Lake Manitoba and in all the .sloughs in this vicinity. This is the last duck to arrive in the spring and the first to leave in the fall. In 18H4, first .seen April 16th."— Nasei.
It has been observed in Alaska l)ut only in limited numbers, arriving there early in May and leaving early in OctoV)er.
SuucJENUs NETTION Kaip. ANAS CAROLINENSIS Gmelix.
41. Green-winged Teal. (1-^9)
Head and i?.pi)er neck, chestnut, with a broad glossy green banil on each side, uniting and blackening on the nape; under parts, wliite or whitisli, the fore breast with circular l)lack spots ; upper parts and flanks closely waved with blackish and white; a white crescent 'n front of the wing; cri.ssum, black, varied with white or creamy ; speculum, rich green, bordered in front with buffy tips of the greater coverts, Vjehind with light tips of secondaries ; no blue on the wing ; bill, black ; feet, gray. Female differs in the head markings, but those of the wing are the same. Small; length, 14-1.5; wing, 7^; tail, 3^; bill, li; tarsus, 1^.
Hab. — North America, chiefly breeding nor.J,h of the United States, and migrating south to Honduras and Cuba.
Nest, on the ground, built of dried grass, and lined with feathers.
Kggs, usually eight, pale dull green or buff".
':
\ !
f:
.ii!'
%
72
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
In Soutliciii Ontario this diiintv little duck is known only us a passinj; ini^^rant in sprinj^ and fall. I)urinj( the latter season it is much sou<;ht after at the shootinj^ stati(»ns on account of the delicacy of its flesh. Tt breeds ahundantly throuj^hout Manitoba and the great Nurth-West, and is mentioned among the l)inls found by Or. Jiell at Hudson's May.
Of th(i two teals common in Ontai'io, this seems the hardier, breed- ing farther north, and lemaiiung later with us in the fall. Tn the spring it appears as soon as there is open water in the marshes, and at this sea.son, being very properly protected b}' the (Jame Act, it passes on in peace.
Of its occurrence in AUska, Mr. Nelson says : " It is found widely Hprea<l and rather common over the mainland, and it is resident throughout the entire length of the Aleutian Chain.
" They are the least suspicious of the ducks, probably because the Eskimo usually consider them too small to waste a charge of powder and shot upon."
SnicKNUs QUERQUEDULA Stephkxs. ANAS DTSCORS Linx.
4J. Blue-winged Teal. (UO)
Head and nock of the male, hlackish plunil)e()U8, darkest on tlie crown, usually witli iJinplisli iride-scenee ; a wliite orescent in front of the eye ; under parts thickly dark spotted ; wing coverts, sky blue, the greater white-tipped ; specuhini, green, white-tipj)od; axillars and most under wing coverts, white; scapulars striped witii tawnj' and blue, or dai'k green ; fore hack, barred ; rump and tail, dark, plain ; crissum, black ; bill, black ; feet, (lusky yellow. Female: — With bead and neck altogether dirt'eront ; under j)arts much paler and obscurely spotted, bnt known by the wing marks ; size, same as rarolineunix.
Hah. Xorth America in general, but chioHy the Kastern Province; north to Alaska, and south to the West Indies and northern South America; breeds from the northoiii United States northward.
Nest, comjjosed of dry grass and weeds, lined with feathers.
Kggs, eight to ten, dull greenish or buflf.
At Hamilton very few of this species are seen in spring, but in the fall they often appear in flocks of considerable size, and during theii- short stay afford good sport to the gunners, who wait for them in the evetnng near their feeding ground.
At St. Clair T have .seen them in June, evidently mated, and have
SHOVELLER.
73
heoii told that a few pairs still ))ret*(l there, though the number of suiuiner residents is small compared witli former years.
Dr. Macallum n^ports the same particulars i'e<(ai'ding the occur- rence of the species on Mohawk Fsland. Several couples still Jiest there, and are seen during the summer with tiieir young, hut, com- parer! with former years, the numbers are greatly reduced. Karl}' in the fall these are joined by Hocks which liave bred fai'ther north, and all retire to the south before the Green-winged Teal arrives.
The species is very abundant throughout the North-West, where Mr. Macoun found it exceedingly i)lentiful during the fall of 1H80. At Hudson's Bay it is mentioned as rare by Dr. Bell: and Mr. Nelson saya that during the four years he passed at»,St. Michael's he failed to .see a single individual of this species. In his list of Alaskan birds, Mr. Dall reports it being found spai-ingly at Fort Yukon and the Yukon mouth.
Genus HPATULA Boie. SPATULA CLYPEATA (Linn.).
i.y
.4:i. Shoveller. (142)
Bill, much longer than head or foot, wiiloniug rapidly to the end, where it is twice as wide as at the base, with very numerous and prominent laminie ; head and neck of male, green; fore breast, white; belly, purplish -chestnut ; wing coverts, blue ; speculum, green, bordei-ed with black and white ; some scapidars blue, others green, all white-striped ; bill, blackish ; feet, red. Female known by bill and wings. Length, 17-21 ; wing, !)J ; tail, li ; bill, "2^.
H.\B. — Northern hemisphere. In North America, breeding from Alaska to Texas; not abundant on the Atlantic coast.
Nest, on the ground.
Eggs, eight to ten, greenish-gray.
An adult male Shoveller procured in the inonth of May makes a handsome specimen for the cabinet, for thei'e are few of our water- fowl so gaily attired. The large spoonbill somewhat spoils his beauty of proportion, but it serves as a distinguishing mark for individuals of the species, of any age oi' sex.
It is not common in Ontario, but is oocasi«)nally found by the gun- ners steering up some sluggish creek, or sifting the mud along its shores. Its flesh being hehl in high estimation for the table, it is never allowed to get away when it can be stopped.
!'
p
7+
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
Dr. Macalluin has olmerved it leading out its young within half a niilr of the town of Dunnville. It is reported occurring at all the points of .(b.servation in Southern Ontario during the migratory season. In the North-West, Macoun found it hreeding abundantly <»n the prairie ponds and about Pleasant Hills. it is also mentioned by Dr. Hell as breeding in large numbers on Lake Winnipeg. One or two specimens have been found by Turner in Alaska.
This species is said to have the widest distribution of any of the duck tribe, being moi-e oi- le.ss common in every portion of Europe and Asia, except in the extreme north. It occurs in northern and central Africa, is somewhat I'are in England, but more common in Scotland. They all leav« Ontario '/i ♦^he fall, but in spring return regularly to their old haunts.
;
Gents DA FT LA Sticpukxs. DAFILA ACUTA (Linn.).
44. Pintail. (143)
Tail cuneate, when fully tlcveloped the central feathers projecting and nearly ecjualling tlie wing ; much shorter and not so narrow in the female and young, foui' to nine inche.s long ; wing, 1 1 ; total length, about 24. Bill, black and l)lue ; feet, grayish-lilue ; head and upper neck, dark brown, with green and purple gloss; sides of neck, with a long wliite stripe; lower neck and u ider
PINTAIL.
76
parti*, wliite; dorHal line of neck, hliK^k, paHHiiig into tlu> gray of tlu; liack, which, like the 8i<le8, is veriiiiculatud with hhick ; Hpeciiliiiii, ){i-euiiiH)i-|>iir|>l« aiiteiiorly lior(U;rf(l hy hufl' tijw of tlie j^reater covertM, elHcwht-rt! l>y hlaik anil white; tertialaaml .soajiulaiH, l)hitk ami «ilvery. Fimnh' nnd yoi//i(/; -With the whole heatl and nock Hpecklcd or linely streaked with dark brown, and grayiHli or yellowiHii-hrown ; below, dusky freckled; above blackish, all the feathers pale-cdged ; only a trace of the speculuni l>etweeii the white or whitish tips of the greater coverts anil secondaries.
Hab. — Northei'u heniisphei'e. In North America breeds from the northern parts of the United States northward, and migrates south to I'atianui and (hdia.
Nest, on the ground, in a bunch of tall grass near the water.
Eggs, eight to twelve, didl grayiah-olive.
This is another very handsome nieinher of the duek family which is common in Southern Ontario in Hprinji; and fall. Accordinj^ to Mr. Saunders, a few sfuMid the summer and raise their youni; on St. Clair Flats.
The Pintail is ([uite common throughout the North-West. Dr. Bell mentions it havin<( been found lireedinj^ near Norway House, and Mr. Nelson says : " It is one of the most cttnunon, if not tfif most common, of the ducks which breed alonj^ the Alaskan shore, of Behring Sea. It is about the first of tlie water-fowl to commences nesting. The date when the first eggs are laid vai'ies from May IHth to 2r)th, according tt» the season. The nest, which is placed in a tussock of grass, is lined with grass, stems and feathers, a,nd is pretty well concealed. The eggs are rather small for the siz(i of the bird, and are pale olive green when fresh. When the young ar-e hatched the parents lead them to the adjacent pool, and they keej) in the most secluded parts of th(^ marsh until able to take wing. Tn the fall the Pintails feed upc<n the various berries growing on the hill-side till they become extremely fat, and a young bird at this season is the most delicious of the water-fowl found in the north. Toward the end of August they unite in flocks of from five to fifty, and the end of September finds but few remaining of the large numbers seen a few weeks previous."
(Jkxus a IX IJulK. AIX SPONSA (Lixx.).
45. Wood Duck. (144)
Male : -Head crested, iiietiiUic green and purple; line ahove and liehind the eye. wliito ; throat, wliite ; aliove, cojjpfi'v black with a glosH of green and purple; Iteneatii, wiiite; uppiM' part of the l)reast, chestnut; sides, hulFy, very finely xariegated witli hlack ; tiie shoulder bordered also witli black; covert and (|uills with more or fewer tips and shades of wlute and piu'])le. Ffinale: — (^'hestnut of tiie neck detaciied and dull; sides, not striped; head and neck, <lidl; bill, reddish, edges dusky; legs and feet, yellowiwli ; iris, red. Length, lit; extent, 'iTA; wing, it; tarsus, \h.
Hah. Temperate Xoi'th America, bi'eeding tiirougiiout its range.
Nest, in a hole in a tree.
Eggs, about twelve in nundter, pal<; but!" slightly tinged witli green.
This, tlu' most beautiful of all oui' water-fowl, is v(My <(('nerally distributed tlirou^^liout the oouiitiy, arrivin<j; from the south about the time tlie ice disajipeais from our lakes and rivers, and retiring early in the fall. Owing to the great beauty of the male, these birds uic much sought after by all clas.ses of sportsmen, and are now seldom .seen except near the i"etif(;d ponds and mai'shes where they breed. Twenty-five years ago T used to see them leading out their young fiom one of the inlets of tlie Dundas marsh. The}' were known at that time to breed near (Jage's inlet also, but of late years they have
i: >
WOOD DUCK
77
Ix'cri ohst'i'Vfd only lis jtassin;^ mi^^iaiits in .s|tiiiij^ iiiiil tall. Tlio W«M)(1 Ihu'k hiiH t'r(M|U(«iitly Ihm'ii (liMnt'stioatcd, jind mids i,'i<'atly to tliH iiittM't'st and lirauty of an artitic-ial pond in a |il<'a.sin'c ;^n'<>und.
Tilt' fact of its ncstiii;^ in a hole in a Itt'c is oni- (»f tlif intcrrstinf^ points in tlu' history of tlu; Wood Duck, altlioiij^li it is not the only duck with this hahit.
The hoh; s('l(!cted is a natural cavity, a \v(H)d|)eck»'i''s or s(|uirn<rH hole, or the decayed end of a Itroken hranch. The nest is warmly lined \<ith feathers, and tiiert* the female rests in peaiM' duiin^' incu hation, her lord having f(»r the time deserted her society for- that of his own sex. ff the nest is placed over the wat«'r, the youn;; soon after heinj^ hatched, scramble up to the ed^^e, spread their little winj^s and feet and coura^^eously take their Krst leap in lif(! toward the water. If it is a short distance off, th(! mother takes the tiny youn<(sters jL^ently in her hill and drops them carefully on tlu' surface, whert! for many days she stays with them, directing; all thtnr movements.
The Wood Duck, thou<,di found in all parts of Ontario, except perhaps in the extreme north, is nowhere abundant thioui^hout the Province. At St. Clair Flats it u.se(i to breed in considerable numbers, but of late years has not been so often observefl.
Throughout the North-West it is mentioned as a raic summer residtiiit, and among the birds of Alaska it does not appear at all.
In some of the States to the west of us, in the interior, these ducks are said to be abundant, keej)inir by themselves in large flocks in the fall, as the Redheads and IMuebills do. Dr. Hatch, in the " liirds of Minnesota," says of them : " Arriving simultaneously with the other early species, none other biaves the last rigoi's of the departing winter in the closing days of a Minnesota Mardi with greater .spirit, and when they come, like the i-ains in the tropics, they pour in until every jtool in the woodlands has been deluged with them. This may sound strangely and exaggerated to ears unfamiliar with the history of bird-life on the boidei's of civilization, yet such has heretofore been my personal observation at the very location of our city" (Minneai)olis).
IS
im
It
'
78 BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
(Jenus AYTHYA Hoik. AYTHYA AMEHTCANA (Eyt.).
40. Redhead. (14<1)
Hill, tlull l)liie will) a l)liiek l>flt at cud, hroiid and dcpi'us.sed, .sliortei' than head (two or less), tlio luistiils witliiii its hasal half; oolor of head, rich, jiiire diestimt, with lii'on/y oi' red rellfctions ; in the female, j)laiii brown; hody aiiterioi'ly, runij) a>id tail coverts, Mack; in tiie female, dark Iti-own; hack, scupidars ami sides, plumbeons-wiiite, finely waved with nn)>roken hlaitk lines, less distinct in the female; specnlnm, liluisli-ash. Length, aliout "JH; wing. ()-l(t; tarsus, l|j-l.V-
IIaii. -\ortii .\mcrica, breeding from I'aliforn'a and Maine nortiiward.
Neat, like that of a coot, composed of broken bits of ruslies on a clump of liog, often afloat.
Hggs, sevca or eiglit, dull buff or creamy white.
TIh' Hedlu'ful i.s one of the i.iost JilmiHliiiit species which visits Ijiike (^)uta:io, Jind, jiulj;in!4 by the miniljt'rs which are sent down tVoin the .shootiiifj; stfitions farther we.st, it seems to he e(|ually set at other points. Tliey are strong, hardy l)ird.s, and a heavy charge, skilfully aimed, is necessary to stop them when on the wing. During the jKist two seasons a ilock of 100 to 1")0 ren^aii\ed in Tjake Ontaiio all wintei', about lialf a mile from the shore, oppo.site the \illa);,'e of lUirlington. The birds .spent most of their time at one paiticular place, sometimes diving, sometimes sitting at re.st on the watei', and always close together, as if for greatej- warmtl>. When the weather moderated in March they sliifted about for a few flays, and then went ott' to the fiorth-west, the direction taken by most wat^'r-fowl when leaving this part of Ontario in sjn-ing.
These large flocks of Redheads are somewhat capricious in their movements. They are seldcmi found more than <me or two seasons at one j)lac<', having perhaps to "shift the ])asture." They are among the most abundant species at all the shooting stations in Southern Ontario in the fall, and are said to breed abundantly all thi'ougli the North-West, but are not named as being found at Alaska nor at Hudson's Hay.
They are greatly |)rized for tht^ table, and are often sijd for ('anvas-l)acks, which they reseml)le in v-aste and color.
CANVAS-BACK — AMERICAN SCAUP DUCK.
79
AYTHVA VALLISNEHIA (Wit,s.). 17. Canvas-back. (147)
Similar to the pioc idiug, l»ut i)ill l>liicki«ii, iiij;ii at tlit- liiisi- and iiarniw througlioiit, not HJiortcr tiiaii head (two ami a half or more), the uostrils at its middle; head, much ohmmred with dusky; hlack waved lines of the l)aek sparse an<l broken up into dots, the whitish thua [)redominating.
Haii, Nearly all of North Ameriea, hreediiig from the north- western States northward to Alaska. IJreeds in the North-West.
Nest, on tlie ground, of grass ami weeds lined with feathers.
Kggs, six to ten, pale greenisli-hutl'.
The Can Viis- hack occurs witli us, occasionally, in hniitcd iiuuiIhts. It ivsemhles tin* Ucdhcad in many lespccts, l»ut can readily he di.s- tin<;uish(*d l)y its low t'orelicad and hy the sooty color of the head aiul upper part of tlie neck. Its mode of diving is also peculiar. Before going under the water it throws itself upward and forward, descrihing a curve as if seeking to gain iin]»etus in the descent, just as l)oys sometimes do when taking a headei- off a poi;!( not much ahctve the water level.
Its reputation as a tahle duck is very liigh, l)ut the e.Kcellence is attained onl}' when the l»irds ha\t' t'oi- .some time heen feeding on wild celery, of which tliey are very fond. When that fare is not availahle they are no hetter for the table than Redheads or Mhiehills.
The Canvas-hack has heen taken at Ott-iwa, Toront<», Hamilton, St. Clair Flats, and othei* points in Southern Ontario, l)ut onlv as a straggler. It is rare thn»ugh(»ut )'e North- West, hut is mentioned by Mr. Dall as breeding al)undantly at Fort Yukon, tliough it ha;l not lieen observed at any other point in Alaska. Being generally <listributed throughout the marshes in the ititerior through the sum- mer, it gathers in innnenst Hocks al )ng the .Atlantic sea coast in winter, especially on Cii 'sapeake Bay, wlieir the much-prized wild celery alM)unds.
fur
SiiMiKNirs FrLKJl'L.V Stkhiik.ns. AVTHY.V MAKli.A .NHAHCTICA Stk-in.
4S. American Scaup Duck. (I4S)
3/n7f.- With the head, neek and hody anteriorly, lilat-k, the formei with a green gloss; hack ai»d sides, whitish, tinely waved in zigzag with lilack ; ht^low. and specuh:m of wing, white; l)ill, dull hlue with I dark nail; legs, plundxotiH.
80
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
Feiii(iJf:—\\'iih tlie liea<l iiiul .interior pait.s hrowii, ami otlior black partH of the malt', I'atlii'i' In-own; face, pure white. I.ien;;th, alxiiit "id: wing, '.).
H.vit. Xorth America, hi'eeding fai' n<)rtli.
Nest, of weed.s and di'v grant), lined with ilown, placed on the gionnd.
Kgg8, six to ten, grayish-green.
This and tlu' next species, which are nearly allied, arc* the ducks most fref|uently met in Southein Ontaiio. where they are known as Hluei)ills. In the f. 11 they remain in Hamilton P)ay till thev are frozen out, and in sj>rin<,', even hefore the iiay is open, they afjpear out- side OH Lake Ontario, and make tVe(|uent excursions inward to watch for the movin<i of ice. in sprinj^ many remain in tlie ha}' till alM)Ut the first of May, hy which time they stiem all to be paired, but T have no recoi'd of their havinj; been found bicediny, an<l think it likely that nearly all spend the sunnnei- in the in)rth of the I'rovince.
This is the lar^^er biid of the two species, and is coiisidered to be somewhat hardier than its little brother. it breeds commonly thi'oujuhout the North- West and in Alaska. Mr. Nelson says rej^iird- ing it: "Everywhere in suitable locations over all the mainland portions of Alaska this is a common and frecpiently an abundant sunnner resident. In the n(»rtli, as in the south, these birds sh« predilection for the larj^er bodies of water, and at once, after i >. you?ij^ are hatched, they are marshalled oft' to the lars^'est pond in ^ vicinity."
The bi^ Rluebill is connnon at all the sho<;'.in;i: stations in Southern (Ontario, where its larj^e size makes the <j;ame-ba;^f heavy, a fact which is <]uly appreciated by the hunters.
AYTHYA AFFTNTS (Err.).
40. Lesser Scaup Duck. (IHi)
Similar to the preceding, hut ;<nialler, ahout iti: mg. 8- gloss o' neatl cliieHy purple ; flanks and scapidars less iiloselj- waved witii black (?) It is very diifi<;nlt to define tliis hird specifically, and it may he .''mjdy a small soutliein foi'in ; l)ut it appears to j)reservc its characteristics though constantly asso- ciated with the last.
Ma 11. North America in general, l)i'eeding chiefly north of tlic I'uitcil States, migrating south to (iuateniala and tiic West Inilies.
Closely resembles the precedin;.;, except in l)i'in^' '-onsiderablx less in size. Nestinc; liitbits and e^fis are the sanu-.
Accordinj^ to Dr. Coues, this is a south* riy bird, in»t breeding so
RING-NECK Kl) DUCK.
81
t'iir north as tlic Ameiicaii Scau)) Duck, and ^oin;.,' tartlit-r south in vvint*'!'.
In Soutlicrn Ontario it is about equal in ahundancc witli thi' precwhnj^, with wliich it is often associated, but it does not leave Hamilton Ha*' till about the middle of May, wliich would lead us to su|)j)os(i that it does not i^o so far north to breed as some of the others.
In Southern Ontario it is the more abundant (»f the two dui'ini; migrations. Mi'. Saunders mentions that a few bree<l on the ,Si. CI. ir Flats, and l>r. .Macallum states that some still breed in the ma'-sh near Dunnville. Throughout the North-West it is spoken of l)y all the ol)servers as an exct;edingly abundant summer resident. Macoun says: ''Breeding more commonly than the preceding. "
In Alaska, Mr. Nelson had heard of it having been obtained at the mouth of the Yukon, ..nd says regarding it: "This record is ex- tremely doubtful, since during my visit to the Yukon mouth in the spiing of 1S7!), and my long residence only sixty miles nor*h of there, not a single example of this bird was obtained or seen, nor did .my of my collectors in the variotis parts of the territory observe or secure if '
It remains in Southern ^)ntario till the waters are frozen oxer, when it moves to the south to spend the winter.
AYTIIYA COLLAHTS (Donov.).
oO.
Ring-necked Duck. (1")0)
I call icrv lit III
Isso-
|ite<l
less SO
Similar ti) thu fiiri'f^ning, luit iiii oiangc lunwii riiij,' hiuuikI ti?*' ucik ; Mpccii- liini, gray: back, nearly M.iit'oiiii lilai ki.-sli ; ;)ill, lilack. iiaie at lia.sc and iioar tip. Fntiiili: Willi lu'aii ami neck lnowii. ami m> collar, liiit loial spaic ami 1 liin. wliitinl!. a.s is a ring aruiiiid cyi' : liill. plain ilusky. In si/.e. I.olwi'cn the I wu foicgoing.
H.Mi. North Amerion, iMCfding far iiortli. and niigmting sontli to Cnatr mala and the W'ost Indies.
N'est, on the ground, compoaed of grass, lined with tVatlier.s.
KggK, eight to ten, varying from grayish to huH'.
This handsome little duck is mtt so common as either of the pre ceding. While here it resembles the Teal in its habits, preferring marsh to open wat<«r, on account of which the gunners have given it the name of Pond Mluebill.
In distribution its range is aVw.ut the same .is that of (he I'.lue G
82
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
lulls. It has not been observed in summer in Southern Ontario, but breeds commonly thi-oughout the North-West. In Alaska, Turner mentions having seen the species at St. Michiiel's and on the Aleutian Islands, but in small numbers, and so shy that he was unable to iiecure a specimen.
Genus GLAUCIONETTA Ste.ine«er. GLAUCIONETTA CLANGULA AMERICANA (Boxap.).
51. American Golden-eye (lol)
.l/fiA'/^With the liead and iipjier neck, glossy green, and a wliite oval or loiinded loral spot, not touching tlie base of the hill throughout ; lower neck all r()un<l, lower parts, including sides, most of the scapulars, wing coverts and secondaries, white ; the ^vhite of outer surface of wings, continuous ; lining of wings and axillars, dark; most of upper parts, black; no waving on the back or sides; hill, black witii pale or yellow end, witli nostrils in anterior half- feet, orange; webs, dusky; eyes, yellow; head, nniforndy puflfy. FeninJc: — With liead snuft-l)r()wn, and no wliite patcli in front of tlie eye, and wiiite of wings not always continuous. Lengtii, 1619; wing, 8-!).
H.VB. — Nortli America, breeding from Maine and tlie liritish Provinces northward; in waiter, scmth to Culm.
Xest, in hollow trees; it is made of grass, leaves .md moss, lined with <lowu.
Eggs, eight to ten, ashj -grciiu.
This species is a regular vi -itor at Hamilton Pay during the spriUpf and fall migrations. While here they do not keep by them- selves, but seek the society of whatever species ma}'^ be at hand. They are v(;iy watchful, and diiHcult of approach. If any one of m^' reader J has^. ever ti'ied to scull up behind the rushes towards a bunch of Blvebills among which were one or two Golden-eyes, and suc- ceeded in getting a shot, he has had much better luck than I have had. Frequently, before getting within one hundred yards, T would hear the whistling of the Golden-eyes' wings, and looking up, see them going off, with the others following, 'jike many ithers which are known jn Southern Ontario only as vinit«>rs iri sj ;i:g aiul fall, lie Golden-eyes breed in suitable places throughout the North-Wect Territory.
Dr. Bell mentions their breeding near Norway House, on Hudson's Bay, and Mr. Nelson .says : '• In the Aleutian Islands this bird is a winter usident, as observed by Mr. Dall. The same authoi- also reports it as being always one of the first arrivals along tin' Yukon." At the shooting stations in Southern Ontario it is uot abundant, but
11
IJARKOW S GOLDEN-EYE.
88
nt certain points, where the favorite mussels are obtained, it is more fomm<m. Di'. Macallum mentions the mouth of the (ii-and Hiver, near L)unn\ille, as one of the resorts wliere tliese birds assemljle in great nunjbors, and remain till frozen out.
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(JLAIICTONETTA ISLANDTCA (Um.). ;")2. Barrow's Golden-eye. (15-')
Very similar to tlie preceding, ditt'criiig chiefly in being larger in si/.e; glos.s of the liead, purple and violet; loral spot, larger; white on the wing divided by a daik bar; t'eatlier.s on the iiinil head lengthened into a crest; l)ill bhiti'hed witli led. Length, 1!)2"J; wing, U-lO. The female can prol)ably not be distin- guislied from tile jireceding.
Hah. -Xorthern North America, south in winter to New York, Illinoi.s and I'tah ; breeiling fi'oni the (Udf of St. Lawrence northward, and south in the Kocky Mountains to Colorado.
Nest and eggs, like the preceding.
Di*. (larnier, who i-esides at Lucknow, a little to tlie east of Lake Huron, reports the finding of this species occasionally in winter in the iidets along the lake shore. The Doctor, who is not entirely in harmony w ith the nnxlern school of ornithologi.st.s, thinks thi.s a case of unnecessary subdi\ision. At all events, he claims to have found both forms, and he is likely correct, for the pre.sent .species is found on Fjjike ^licliigan, which is within easy reach of the point to which the Doctor lefers. Ft was also taken at Toronto, by Mr. C. Pickering, on the ISth of April, 1885; and at Hamilton I am aware of three being obtained, one of which came into my possession. They may, however, be more connnon than we are aware, for the hunters do not trouble the Whistlewings if anything more suitable for the table is in view.
in the " Uirds of the North AN est," Dr. Coues says: "Barrow's (Jolden-eye, upon whic}i sinne dttubt has been cast by myself among t)thers, appears, nevertheless, to be a \alid species, thi' differences [lointed out in the Key and in other works being apparently constant as well as appreciable ; and there being, moreover, certain anatomical peculiarities in the form of the skull, of which T have oidy lately become aware."
" Originally descriited in 1788, it was subse(|uenlly renamed and figured in 1831. The species was ignored by Audul)on, who mist<M>k it for the sunmier plumage of the common (rolden-eye. It is the mo.st north.<-rly species of the genus, having appai-ently a cii-cumpolar dis-
Il
84
HIUDS OK ONTARIO.
tributioii, bleeding only (f) in high hititucies, find jMMU'trating l»ut a liniitctl distance soutli in winter. Tts chiini to !i [ilace in tlie present connection rests upon its occuiience in the Koeky Mountains as tar south as Utah, where it was procured by Mr. H. W. Henshaw ; on the eastern coast it occurs as fai- south in winter as New York."
Mr. Edwin Carter was the lirst to find the nest and eggs of this species. He met witli th» ni in the mountains ot" Coloiado in 187G.
Dr. liell mentions its occurrence at Hu«ison's Hay, and it has been ol)tained in Manitoba, but only as a riire stragglei.
(!kms CHAKTTONKTTA SmiNK(;Ki<. CH^XHITOXHTTA ALIJKOLA (Linn.).
•").•}. Buffle-headed Duck. {\'>^)
Soiiicwliat siiiiiliii' to tlif rldiniiihi fiiiii rii'Kii'i in color, hut iiki/< with tlie IumiI particularly piitf'v, of varifi! licli iriik'scfiicc, with a largf m liite auricuhir patih loiiHueiit with il.s fellow on the na})u: .xniall. Lenyth, I4-I(i; wing, <)7; l>ill, 1. with no.sti'ils in its liasal lialf. Fi in<il< : Still snialh'r. an in«ii,'iiiHcant lookinu' iluuk, witli liead scarcely piitl'y. dark j;iay. with tiaccsoC the wliitu aiiiiiiilai- patcli.
Hab. North AniericNi, *nit!i in winter to ('ul)a ami Mexico. Mrefil.> ffom Maine northwai'il, throufrh the fiii- countries ami .Alaska.
l)i'. Cones (Hinl.s N.W., .")7")) ilescrilie.s the nest of this ihick ])lace(l in the hollow of a (lead tree, and composed of feathers.
The eggs, from six to fourteen in number, iire dcscrilied as varying from liulV to a creamy white or grayish-ujix e color.
The IJuttie-heads ai-e connnon at all the shootinji stations in South- ern Ontario in sjiring and tall, but owinn '"• tlieir small size they are not niu<'li soi:;''it after. Th«' nnile in full spring dre.ss is a \ery liand- sorae little felhtw, and, like many other animals of diminutive propor- tions, seems to feel himself ,is 'oig as any of those about him. I ha\e in my collection a young male >\i tliis species of a uniform cream color, which was shot in Hannlton liay a few years ago.
Ml'. Saunders menti(»ns that a few pairs breed at St. Clair Flats. Throughout the North-West their distribution set-ms to be somewhat irrt'gular. Macoun says <»f them ; ' Abundant in the ponds in the autunni, not seei\ in the prairie regitms. While Thompson, writing from Carberry, says: "Connnon xoaimer resident, breeding also at west slope of Duck Mountain, Portage la Prairie."
From Alaska, the reports are similar. Nelson sajs : *' Hischofi found it at Sitka, and at the Yukon nuiuth Dall notes them as
OLD SQUAW ; LONG-TAILED DUCK.
85
nbuiKhiiit, atifl piolMilily Invedin^f. Dui-iii^ my visit to the latter point, fxtfiuliiig tliiouiili tlic latttT lialf of May and the first half of •IiiiH'. not a siiiifU' individual of this sjM'cics was seen, nor was it foiunl bv nif alon<i; the coast fai'ther to the north."
I>i. Hateli, in his report on the hirds of Minnesota, says of the l?ufflt'-head : "Such has been my confidence that to a limited extent they breed here, that T have left no opportunity unimproved to discover the final pioof l)y the Hndint? <)f a veritable nest. Hut for this testimony I must still wait, notwithstanding,' the oft-rej)eated a8.surances of several persons that they ha\e found them. In one instance my hopes had been nearly realized, when I found the nest t«t lie that of the Wood Duck."
In Southern Ontai'io they ai-e amonjf the first to ari'ive in sprinu' and tlie last to leave in the fall, bein^f apparently ipiite hardv and able to stand the cold.
iSuutli-
Lropor- ha\<'
Ileum
Flats. lcv\ hill 111) the
iritiiiii' [Iso at
M-Iiotl
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.")4.
(Jknts CLANCiULA Lkacii. CLAN(irLA HYEMALIS (Linn.).
Old Squaw; Long-tailed Duck. (154)
'I'iiil, of fourteen narrow poiiiLuJ feathers, in tl»e male in .>iuinnier tlie central ones vfiy slemler and nnifli elongated, aoavly or quite eiiualling tlu' wing: nail of l)ill occupying llie whole tip; sea.sonal ciiangcs leniarkaKle, Male, In suju- //jer.— With the back and the long narrowly lanceolate scapulars varied with leddish-hiown, wanting in winter, when this ( olor is exchanged for pearly-gray or white; geneial color, hlackisli or vei'y <laik hrown ; helow from the breast :ibniptly, white: no wliite on the wing; sides of head. pluml)eous-gray ; in
&
t t
S6
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
winter, tlie lieail, neck and Ixxly antcriitrly, wliite, hut the gray clieek patch IKMHiHtent, and a large dark patcli ))el(iw tliis; hill, at all seasouH, hlauk, hioadly orange harred. Fiina/f: -VVitlunit lengtiiened Hcajjularn or tail feathers; the hill, duHky greeniHh, and otherwiHc different; hut lecogjiized hj presence of iieail and ne(;k patches, and ahseiice of white on the win Length, l.l-iH (jr more, according to tail ; wing, S-H.
Hah. — Northern henusphere, in North America south to the Potomac and the Ohio; hreeds far northward.
Nest, on the ground.
Eggs, six or seven, drah c(dor, shadeil with green.
Vast numhers of "cowheens" (a.s these Itinls are called here) spend tlie winter in Lake Ontario, out on the deep water away from the shore. Even there they are not free from danger, for great niunbers get entangled in the gill nets. Pas.sing along the heach in winter, strings of (h'owned, draggled cowheens may he seen dangling from th(* clothes lines about the fishermen's outhotises. T have frequently heard the HsluM-men, when trying to force a sale, declare positively, that if buried in the earth for twenty-four hours before being pre- pared for the table, the.se birds are excellent eating. Notwithstand- ing this assertion, the supply still keeps ahearl of the demand, and numl)ers are turned over to the pigs, - sorrowful end for the beau- tiful, lively ('/oH;/iif(i hi/i'malis.
'i'his species frecjuents the northern shores of both continents, making its sununer home in the Arctic regions, where, among the tall grass by the margins of retired lakes and ponds, the nests are found in great immbers. Nelson says, regarding its place among the l)irds of Alaska. "The Old S(|uaw is the first duck to reach high northern latitudes in spring, and along the Alaskan coast of Behiing Sea is one of the most abundant species during the summer. The seal hunters find them in open s{)aces in the ice off St. Michael's, from t'.e 1st to the 20th April, but the first o])en water near the shore is sure to attract them. In the fall they retreat ))efore the ice, and 1 y i-he ISth or 20th October they are either on their way .south or well out to sea."
*' During the pairing season the males have a rich, musical note, frequently repeated in deep, reed-like tones. Amid the general chorus of water-fowl which is heard at this season, the notes of the Old S(|uaw are so harmonious that the fui'-traders of the upper Yuk(»n have christened him the Organ Duck, a well-merited name. T have fre(|uejitly stopped and listened with deep pleasure to these harmonious tones while traversing the broswl marshes in the dim twilight at midnight, and while passing a lonely month on the dreary
!
i.
HARLEQUIN DUCK.
87
l)anks of the Yukon delta I lay in m\' blankets many horns at ni;,'ht, and listened to these rhythmical sounds wliich, with a few exceptions, were the only ones to In-eak the silence." This cry is very familiar to all who have occasion to he near the shores of Hamilton Hay in sprinji;. Hei-e the birds assemble in lar<,'e flocks, b(^fore leavin<f for the north, and whtMi this cry is started and kept up with spirit by each member of the Hock, the concert is heard a lon<^ way off, and is a subject of wonder to all who hear it for the first time. The note consists of five syllables often repeated, and is variously ti-anslated in different re<.(ions. Alonu; the shores of the north of Scotland, where largo bands of tluf birds spend the winter, it is said to call for two articles which are indispensabh' during the long, dark nights of this dreary season : "Coal and can'le licht, coal and can'le licht."
(iKNUS HT8TRI0NICUS Lesson. HISTEIONTCUS HISTRTONTCUS (Linn.).
55. Harlequin Duck. (155)
Bill, very small and short, titpering to tlie tip, wliioli is wholly occupied liy the nail, and with a nieinhi'ancous lolie at its Itase; tertiaries, cui'ly: phiniagc, singularly ])atched with dillerent colors. .)/«/»- ; --Deep hluisli lead color, hrowner below; sides of tlie head and of the body posterioi-ly, diestnut; coronal stripe and tail, black; a white patch at the base of th(! bill and another on tiie side of the occij)Ut, of l)reaHt and of tail, two transverse ones on side of neck forming a nearly complete ring, and several on the wings; a wiiite jugular coUai'; speculum, violet and j)urple. Feiiia/i- : — Dark brown, paler below, a wliite j)atch on auriculars and before the eye. Length, 1.")- 18 inches; wing, 8; bill, 1.
Hab. — Northern North Ameiica, breeding from Newfoundland, tiie Rocky Mountains, and the Sieiia Nevada northward; south in winter to tiie .Mid<lle States and California.
Nest, composed of weeds and grass, lined with down from the breast of the owner; it is sometimes placed in a hollow tree or stumj), more frerpiently (m the ground, not far from the water.
Eggs, six to eight, pale green shaded with buff.
The Harlecjuin is found on the northern shores of Europe, Asia and North America. On the last named continent, it breeds spar- ingly in Maine and in the Novth-West as far as Alaska. It has also been found in the northern Rocky Mountains and in the Hierra Nevada. Tn winter it descends to the Middle States and Califoi-nia.
With these facts before us, we naturally expect to hear of the
H8
lUKDS OF ONTAKIO.
specu'H liavinj; been seen occaHioimlly in Uiitario, Wut of huc-Ii (iccur- ences (he iccuids are very few.
William lif)ane, of Toronto, re|i(»rts liaviuf^ killed a paii- near that eitv in the Hprin;^ of 18(5.'), and in the fall of 1H8I he killed another, a fenjale, which is now in the rooms of the Toronto (inn (JIul).
One of the residents on the heach, near Hamilton, told me some years aj^o that he had sc^en a pair th<a'<^ in sprin;,'. The male in full pluma^'e was correctly descrihed hy my informant, and Hp(»ken of as the most "dapper little drake" he had ever seen. The name riaileipiin is sii;^fj;ested hy the peculiar markiii<,'s on the head of the male, which are sujiposed to resemlile those often assmned l»y tln' cl(»wn in a circus.
In the eii,ditli \()!ume of the l)ulletin of tlie Nuttal Clul), Dr. Meri'iam yi\es the following,' summary of the hiid's hreediufj; rang*' : " In Siberia it is known to lii-eed aliout Lake Baikal and in the liure/.a .Mtiuntains (iiadde), in Mantchuria, and at various points in the great Stanowi Hange (von Niddendorf), alM)Ut the upper A moor (von SchretU'k) and in Kamtschatka. On the American continent it has been foun<l l)ree<ling along the tributaries of the Yukon in Alaska (Dall), in the interior of the fur countiies and alwiut Hudson's l»ay (llichardson), on the fresh-water ponds in Labradoi- (Audubon), and in the |{ocky Mountains within the limits of the I'nited States (Coucs). It also nests in (Jreenland, Iceland and Newfoundland."
Tn all these placi's, and wherever el.st' it appears, it is regarded as \erv rare.
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(Jkms SOMATKHIA FjvVcii.
SrmJKMs SOMATKKIA.
S( ) M AT K H i A I ) Pv 1-:SS VAU Sua h \'K.
•')<■). American Eider. (HiO)
Mill, witli liiiig club-shaped frontal processes extending in a line with the cuhaen ajjon the sides f)f the forehead, (hvided ))y a hroad featiiered interspace. .\fn/< : \u Itrt'cding attire, white, cieaniy-tinted on hreast and washed with tffeen on the head; under jwi'ts from the lireast, lower hack, rump, tail, (juills, and large forked patch (m the crown. Mack. Fenia/e : — With the bill less developed, general plumage an extremely variable shade of I'cddish-brown oi' ochrey-brown, speckled, mottled and barred with darker ; male in certain stages rcsend)ling female. I.iength, about 2 feet ; wing, 1 1-12 inches.
H.vn. — Atlantic coast of North America, from Maine to northern Labrador, .south in wintei to the Delaware.
KINO KIDEK. 8V
Ni'st. "Ml tilt' jiioiinil. ciiiniioMfd of (Irv ^i'^'^'*- iii'>nm uikI si-ii wcnl, |jn<-<| with ■down ami tViitlMU'H.
K^H>*. HJx to tell. (Iiiili, tiiigiMl with >,'r»'fii.
The KuU'i Duck is cMSfntially n liiiil of the sea cdjist, l)i'c»'<liii;,' iiliiiii(liiiitlv uloMi;: tilt' sliiiit's t>t' N*-\vt'(iuii(llaii(l and [ial)ra(l(ir. Its viHits to our inland '.vatcrs aif iiiadf duriii)^ tlie seustMi of nii^i'tition, when tlif niovt'rnt'iits of all nii<j;ratoi'y l»irds art- considerably aff«H!t«>d liv till- iufvailin;; wiiidjs. On Ijikc Ontaiio it is a casual visitor in winter, hut is seldom, if ever, seen there in mature )tlumayt'.
The one in my eollectitm is a yoiin^j male in the ^'arh of the feniale. I shot it from the pier of the canal at the entrance to llamilttin IJay a few years ajfo. They were seen occasionally all that winter. l)Ut thev wfif known to he "(ishy, ami as there is nothing attiacti\(' in their tlress they wt-re not much disturlied, although they allowed a nearer apiiroach than other water-fowl are disposed to «lo.
< »n the 7th Novemher, iSS'.t, Mi'. ( leorge 1{. White ca[iturtHl a young male of this species on the liNcr near Ottawa. It was in th«; plumage of the female.
Mr. William Cross obtained a sjiecimen which was shot at the island near Toronto on Decenihcr (Jth, 1H!)0.
Mr. Krazer fouiul the Eider Duck hreeding on the small islands along the cttast of jjahrailor. Tlu^ nest was huilt in a hollow among the soft short grass, t>r at the foot of a rock where it was sheltered from the wind. It was contposed of grass and lined with slate- ■eolored (low n from the hreast of the hird.
SOM.ATKIJI.X SI'ECT.M'.lidS (Einn.).
• )(
King Eider. (Hi-')
Ailnll, iiia/i : Mill, pule yellow; at the hii.st; of thu ii|)i)i.'r iiiiiiiilihie is a •coiiijii't'sscd gil)l)oii.s siili.stiini'e of ii hright orange color, the front eovereil with .short lilack feathers, the sides margined with tht; same color, the ft;ather8 extending liaek in a point nearly to the eye; heuil. liluish-gray, dai'ke.st liehind ; cheeks, shaded witli sea green, a spot of hlaek helow the trye ; on the throat, two lines of blaek forming an inverted V; middle of neck, white; lower neok and forepart of the hrea.st. hiitt'; lower plumage, l)laeki.''iii ; a large spot of white on either side of the rumj); jiosteriorly, hlaek ; wings and tail, brown, the former broadly marked with white. When in full i)lumage the seeondarieB curve over the primaries, [..engtli, '2") inches. }'o*i//;/ . -Dark brown, many feathers on the neck margined with white; gibbous substance on the bill .scarcely pereeptiV)le. AV^irtA- .•- -Much like the eomntoi) Kider, the shape of the
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BIRDS OF ONTARIO,
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liili being the ])iinci[)iil puint of (litfereuce. Of oircinupolar distribution, breed- ing almudiuitly on the shores of the Arctic seas; in winter, sontli on the west coast to the Aleutian Islauils in great numbers. On the east, south irregularly as far as Xew York.
Nest, a depression in the ground lined entirely with down. ' l*'ggs, usually six, gi'ayish -green.
This is a foyal visitoi- fi-om the north wyioni we are pleased to welcome, though he rarely comes in his royal rohes. Nearly all of those found in Ontario are in immatui'e plumage. In this garb Eider Ducks have occasionally been seen near Torontcj and Hamilton during, the winter, but they all looked so much alike that it was only after a close examination that many of them were found to l)e the young* of the King Eider.
On the 'iSth November, 1889, Mr. Cross reports having obtained a fine male in summer plumage which was shot in Toronto Bay. There must have been something irregular about this specimen, for Mr. Murdoch and others, who have seen them in the summer, report that as soon as the breeding season is over the male loses the gay, light-colored plumage, and assumes a plain brown di-ess similar to that of the female, the change in the majorit\' of cases taking place in September.
The s})ecies is reported fi'om Lake Erie by Dr. Wheaton, of Columbus, and also by Dr. Bergtold, of Buffalo, but neither mentions in what dress i', appeai'ed.
Mr. Murdoch names this as the most abundant bird at Point Barrow, where it appears in enormous numbers during the season of migration. Very few remain there to breefl, the great bulk of the species going along the coast to the eastward of the Point, where they settle down early in May.
» ; I
Genus OIDEMIA Flemixo.
SuuGEXUs OIDEMIA.
OIDEMIA AMERICANA (Sw. ct Rich.).
58. American Scoter. (163)
Phunage of male, entirely black ; bill, black ; the gibbosity, orange. Female: — Sootj'-brown, paler below; on the belly, grayish-white, speckled with dusky ; waved with dusky on the sides and flanks ; throat and sides of the head, mostly whitish; feet, livid-olive; webs, black. Length, 22 to 24 inches; female, 18 to 20 inches.
AMEKICAN SCOTER.
91
Hab. — Coasts ami larger lakes of northern Nortli Anieriia. lireeds in Lab- rador and tlie northern interior. South in winter to New Jersey, tlie (ireat Lakes and (Jalifoi-nia.
Nest, in a hollow in the ground near the water. It ib lined with coarse grass, feathers and down.
Kggs, six to eight, pale brownish -but!".
This is one of tlie sea (lucks whose home is in the north, and its line of niijjfration beinj^ mostly alonj,' the sea coast, its visits to the inland waters are only accidental. The specimen in my collection was obtained a,t the west end of Lake Ontario, where the species is often seen in the fall, in company with others of its class.
Being undesirable cither for use or ornament, it is allowed to spend the time of its visit here in peace.
jNIr. White reports it as a regular visitor at Ottawa, where it appears singly, or in small numbei's, in the fall.
Dr. Bergtold also mentions its being found in Lake Erie near Buffiilo.
Mr. E. W. Nelson, speaking of these l)irds in Alaska, where they breerl in great numbei's, says ;
" At St. Michael's these ducks are never seen in spiing until the ice begins to bn>ak ofi' shore and the marshes are dotted with pools of open water. May IGth is the earliest date of arrival I recorded. Toward the end of this month they leave the leads in the ice and are found in abundance among the salt and fresh water ponds in the great marshes, from the Yukon mouth north and south. The mating is ([uickly accomplished, and a nesting site chosen on the border of some pond. The spot is artfully hidden in the standing grass, and the eggs, if left by the parent, are carefully covered with gi-ass and moss. As the set of eggs is comj)lete(l, the male gra<lually loses interest in the female, and soon deserts her to join great flocks of hi.s kind along the sea shore, usually keeping in the \icinity of a bay, inle*^^, or the mouth of some large stream. These flocks aie formefl early in June and continue to grow larger until the fall migration occurs. The numbers gradually decrease until the 10th to the 1 5th of October, when all have gone south. Until the young are about half grown, the female usually keeps them in some large jiond neai' the nesting pi .'f, but as August passes they gradually woi-k theii" way to the coast, and are found about the shores and inner bays until able to fly. They do not at any time ascend rivers, preferring to keep near the sea shore."
i
92 BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
Si.BcKNus MELANITTA Bon:. OTDEMIA DEULANDT Box ah.
59. White-winged Scoter. (10"))
Mall / -\Mth a large patch of white on the wing and another under the eye; feet, orange-red, witli dusky webs ; bill, Idack, broadly ti|)j)ed with orange. Femali' : — Sooty-brown, grayisli below; whitish about the head; speculum, white. Length, "24 to 2(i inches; female. '2(( to 22 inches.
Hah. -Northern Noi-th America; breeding in Labividor and the fur countries; south in winter to the Middle States, southern Illinois and southern California.
Audubon found this s))ecies breeding in Labi'ador. 'I'he nests were built by the side of small la'.<;s, two or three miles distant from the sea, and usually placed under low bushes. They were formed of twigs, mosses and various plants matted together, and were large and almost flat, several inciies thick, and lined witli featiiers.
Hggs, usually six, pale buff, clouded with green.
This is tli<^ most muiieious of tlie tliree Scoters wliich are found in Ontario, for it seems more j)artial to tlie inland waters than either of the others.
In sprinj;- and fall it is connnoii on all the large lakes, and it is repoi'tefl at BiiHalo, Ottawa, Kingston, Toronto, Hamilton, etc.
They are large, heavy biifls, and their jet-black color makes them look larger than they really are.
When moving about from one place to another, they tiy heavily, at no great iieiglit above the water. They have not the restless habits of some ot'.ier species, aiul if left undi.sturbed, will remain for days together feeding neai' the same s})ot.
At Hamilton Bay they are regular visitors, appearing toward th(> end of April, and lemaining for two or three weeks. Very soon aftei- theii' arrival, they are affected by .some malady which residts in many of their number being washed up dead on the shore. These birds are in fine plam.ige aiul excellent condition, but that does not save them. Whether they Ijring the seeds of disease with them when they come, oi' whether the em})tying <if the city sewage and refuse from the oil refineries into the bay has anything to do with their trouble, has not yet been detei-miiied.
Tn the spring of the piesent year (189."?), this disease prevailed to as great an extent as ^'ormerly, so many as six Ixtdies being observed in a walk of half a mile along the shore.
Mr. Nelson saw very few of this species in Alaska, but they breed abundantly on the lower Anderson River. They have also been observed in sunniier on Lake Witniipeg and other lakes in Manitoba, where they were supposed to be breeding.
SURF SCOTEK.
9»
HuDfiKNUs PELTONETTA Kaup. OIDK^FTA PERSPTCILLATA (Liw.).
•iu. Surf Scoter. (iCO)
Bill, iiaiTinvly uiiuioaclied upon by the frontal featiiers. on Ihv iiilnit'U, nearly or (juite to the nostril, but not at all upon its sides; about as long as the head, with nail narrowed anteriorly. Tiie swelling lateral as well as superior, nostrils beyond its niidille. Hill of )iin/<-, orange-red, whitish on the sides, with a large circular black base; plumage, black, with a patch of white on the fore- head, and another on the nape; none on the wing. I'Viun/e: — Smaller; bill, l)lack ; feet, dark, tinged with reddish; webs, black; ))lumage, sooty-brown: below, silvery -gray ; whitisii patches on each si<le of tlie head. Length, '2'2 to 24 inches; female, 20 to 22 inches.
Hab. — Coasts and larger inlaiul waters of northern \orth .Anuji'ica. Soutii iu winter to tlie ('arolinas, (Jliio River and Lower (,'alifoi'nia.
Audubon observed this species breo<ling in Labradoi-. He found a nest in a fresh-water marsh, among the tall grass and weeds, ^t was comj)osed entirely of withered weeds, lined with the down of the l)irils, and contained five eggs of a pale yellowish or cream color.
This handsome Scoter visits the wateis of Ontaiiu in spriiin' and fall, where it is observed in limited numbers in company with tlir white-winged species, which it reseml)les in its habits, the clear white patches in marked contrast to the deep black of the plumage serving, even at a distance, to mark its presence in a Hock. Ft is never numerous, though more frequeutl}' seen than the black Scoter ; and has been observed at Toronto, Hamilton, Ottawa and along the sea coast. It breeds in innnense numbers in the north, and judging from the fact of so few being seen elstnvhere, it is probable that the bulk of the species remain thei'e over the wintei'.
Mr. Nelson, in his "Birds of Alaska," says ivgarding this species: "During the summer of IHSl 1 found them common about the head of Norton Sound, on both shores of Behring Strait, and in Kotzebue Sound. Although I did not find these birds nesting commonl}' near St. Michael's, yet from about the first of 'luly until autumn, inmiense Hocks of males frequented the shores of St. Michael's and tiie adjoin- ing Stewart Island. The seaward shores formefl the ordinary haunts of these birds until the approach of a gale forced them to seek the lee of the islands or the sheltering bays. Prom the fact that these Hocks are formed exclusively of males, it is evident that the females assume the duties of incubating the eggs and I'earing the young.
" The main breeding ground of this species remains unknown to me, for, although females and young were not rare in summer, they
94
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
were never numerous enough to account for the vast nunihers of males to be found.
" On Au<,'ust 23rd, 1878, I visitetl Stewart Island, about ten miles to the seaward of St, Michael's. As I neared the island in my kyak, T found the water liteially black with the males of this sp(!cies, which were united in an enormous Hock, forminj^ a continuous band around the outer end of the island for a distance of about ten miles in length, and fi-om one-half to three-fourths of a mile in width. As the boat approached them, those nearest began to rise heavily by aid of wings and feet from the glassy surface of the undulating but calm water. The first to rise communicated the alarm to those beyond, until as far as could l)e seen the water was covered with Happing wings, and the air filhid with a roar like that of a cataract. The rapid vibration produced in the; air l)y tens of thousands of wings could be plainly felt.
" In all my northern experience among the water-fowl which Hock there in summei", I never saw any approach to the nui iber of large birds gathered here in one Hock, nor shall I soon forget the grand effect produced by this enormous body of birds as they took wing and .swept out to sea in a great black cloud, and settled again a mile or so away."
Gkxus ERISMATURA Bonap. ERISMATURA RUBTDA (Wils.).
61. Ruddy Duck. (167)
Malt hi fall plnma</i : — liill, slaty-bhie; the nail, black ; neck all round and tiie upper parts, bright chestnut ; the lower parts, silky white, watered with dusky ; chin and sides of the head, white ; the crown and nape, l)lack. Female: — Brown above, tniely dotted and waved with dusky ; paler and duller below, with sometimes a slight tawny tinge, which also occurs on tlie side of the head. Length, 14-17; wing, ">-(); tarsus, 1^.
Hai5. — Northern North America, generally breeding throughout its range.
Nest, on the l)og near the water.
Eggs, five to ten ; grayish-white.
Mr. Shields writes from Los Angeles, California, that it breeds there abundantly, preferring the abandoned nest of a coot to one of its own making.
The Ruddy Fuck is very generally distributed throughout Ontario, but, except near its breeding places, it appears only as a visitor in spring and fall. At the St. Clair Flats, I have seen it in summer, and have been told that a few pairs breed there every season. The
GREATER SNOW GOOSE.
95
<rreatest number I ever saw at one place was in a fisherman's wa;j;on in tlie Hamilton market. Tt was early in May. A larfj;e flock, composed chiefly of males and nuniherinjf about l-")0, had become entanf^led in the gill nets, and been dr(»wi\ed in Lake Ontario, where they had tarried for rest and refreshment. The tishermen, main- taining that all is fish which comes into the net, tried to make the most of their "haul." But, although the birds attracted a good deal of notice on account oi theii- being strangeis and rii-hly di-essed, they did not meet with a ready sale.
Throughout Ontario they are found at all suitaljle ])laces, and Dr. Bell, of the Geological Survey, reports one ])eing shot at York Factory, where it was considered rare, because their breeding places are usually farther south.
Dr. Coues found them nesting in Dakota and ]Montana, and they have even lieen known to breed in Cuba, West Indies.
As divers, they have no equal among the ducks; and they also have the power of suddenly sinking backward, forwai'd, or sideways, after the manner of the Grebe^i, without disturbing the surface to any extent. They can remain a long time under water, and a chase after a wounded one is a hopeless task.
The eye is placed high in the head, the lower ]>luinage is stiff and glossy, and the tail is black, short and rounded, the feathers being very stiff and narrow. When not in use it is carried eiect, giving the bird a very spirited look when seen amongst others which carry their tails horizontally.
Subfamily ANSERINE Gkksk.
Gexis CHEN BoiK.
CHEN HYPERBOREA NIVALIS (Fohst.).
62. Greater Snow Goose. (169^6)
Bill, with lauiiiiit' very prominent, owing to inching of the edges of tlie Mil; adult plumage, pure wiiite, the head often washed with rusty rod ; primaries, broadly tipped with black; bill, hike-red, with white nail; feet, the same; claws, dark. " Yoinuj: — Dull l)luish or ])ale lead coh)r on tlie liead and upper part of the body."— Cassix. Length, about 80 inches; wing, 17 to 19; tail, oi to 6 ; bill, 2i ; tarsus, 3i.
HaB. — North America; breeding far noith, and migrating south in winter, chiefly along the Pacific coast, reaching Cu))a.
Eggs, five to eight, yellowish-white.
96
I{1HF)S OK ONTAUIO.
I;
III (>iiliiri() lilt- Snow (Joosc ciui only 1)(' ifj^iudcd us a cii.-.uiif \isit(»i' (luriim- iIk* st^ison of iiiinrfition, for its suiiiiiiei' lioinc. acconl- iiijf to Dr. hell, is "still to tlif north of tlic rt'j,noiis known to tin- Kskiino,'" wlicnue it retires to the south iit the Jipproach of winter. It is seen at ditlerent points in this province diiriny sjirinj; and faJl. l)Ut as there ai'c seldom more than two or thi'ee toifether, they me rejfai'ded as sti"i<^«,ders from tlie main i)o(ly, who.se line of mij^i'ation is aloii^' the Mississippi or the Pacitie coast. The specimen in my
)er.
collection was killed at the l»ea(;li, in the niontli of l>ei'eml
few years ajio, while makini;' its way toward the open water in Lake
Ontario.
Dr. Macailuni, speak iiii;' of the occurrence of this sjx'cies at !>unii- ville, says: "The (Jreater Snow (ioose is often seen here in small tlo'.-ks in the fall, svheii tli(;y fi'e<|uent fall-wheat fields near the lake, often in company with the Canada (ieese. I have three specimens in my collection taken here, two of which came up to farmers' liarn-^ with tlie tame du'-ks and were domesticated."
Sir -John liiehardson, in the Fdiiua lidfriili Aiiiirii'inin after notinj.( the ahundance of these birds, continues: ''The ey;,i(s. of a yellowish-white color, and rei,'ulai'ly ovate form, are a little larger than those of an Kider Duck, their len<;th lieiny three inches and their (greatest hreadth two. The youiii;' Jiy in .\u<;ust, and hy tiie niidilie of September all have departed southward.
"The Snow (ioo.se feeds on I'ushes, insects and, in autumn, on l)ei'ries, ])articularly thost' of the i'in/)i'fri())t nlf/nn/i. W'iieii well fed it is a very excelle. t liird, far su|ierior to the Canada (Joose in juiciness and tiavor. It is said that the youiii;- do not attain their full plumaije before tlie foui-th yeai-, and until that period they ai)pear to keep in separate tiocks. They are numerous at Albany Foil, in the southern part of Hudson's Bay, where tlit^ old birds are rarely seen, and, on the other hand, the old birds in their migrations \ isit York Factory in great abundance, but are seldom accompanied by the
Samples of the eggs in the Smitli.sonian Institute agree exactly with the abo\e description, but shov the usual variation in size, some being noticeably less than three inches in length by (,\er two in breadth.
The occuri'ence of onfi .yjerimfii of the Lfsxcr Snow tTO(»se {i'lu-n hyperhonii) is I'eported by Mi-. W. E. Saunders.
L Cl^llJlf
iiccoril- I til tlir
\s illtlT.
in.l fidl. :liey iuc litiiMtioii n ill iiiy ■iiil>t'i-. ii ill Lakt'
it l>Ullll-
all rincks ki'. iit'tfii IS ill my iiis witli
'11(1 after (Ill's, ot a tit' lai'.i-'fr and tlit'if (' inidillt'
uinii. on llifii well
(ioosf ill
Itlitnr full jipear to t, in the ■Iv seen, Isit York bv the
exai'tly
in size,
Iver two
i
AMERICAN WHITE-FRONTED fJOOSE. 97
Genus ANSKIl Uuissox. ■ ANSHIl ALIUFIIONS (JAMUKIJ (Hakti,.).
<).'5. American White-fronted Goose. (171a)
Tail, 'noiiiially of Hixtttcn fi'iitlicr.s ; hill, siiioolli, tiio laiiiinn' luodcriitt'ly exposed. ,h//(//; IJill, pink, pak' lake or eanuiue ; nails, wliile; fuet, yellow; claws, wliite. A white hand along hase of upper inandihle, bordered behind by blai'kish ; upper tail coverts, white; under parts, whitish, blotched with black; sides of the rniu]) and crissiini. white; head and neck, grayish-brown, shading ligiiter as it joins the breast ; back, dark gray, the feathers tipped with brown j greater coverts and secondaries, bordered with whitish; primaries and coverts, eilged and tipped with white ; shaft of (juills, white. Yoiiii;/:- Prevailing color, brown ; no white on tlie forehead, which is darker than the rest of the head ; no black on under parts. Length, aliout "27 inches; wing, Ki; tail, ,"> ; tarsus, 2.7o.
H.vii. — North America; south to (Juba and Mexico.
Neat, a <le|)ressioii in the sand, lineil with hay, feathers and down.
Kggs, six or seven, smooth, dull yellowish, with an olive shade, mai'ked in places with a darker tint.
Tliis, like tlic preceding species, is only a casual visitor in Ontario, the vast flocks which annually leave their breeding grounds in the north at the approach of winter evidently preferring to make their journey along the western coast rather than by the Atlantic or through the interior. Stragglers have been observetl at the \arious shooting station.s, where they are considered rare. The specimen in my c(jllection was shot at the St. Clair Flats, and is an innnature male.
Speaking of tliis species in the " Birds of Alaska," Nelson says : " Tn early seasons the first White-fronted Goose reaches St. Michael's about April '2 7th, but tlie usual time is from the oth to the 8th of May. From abtmt the 10th of May they are very common, and remain to breed in considerable numbers all along the Alaskan shore of Behring Sea and on the Arctic coast of Point Barrow, where they are plentiful, arriving the latter half of May."
" During the sunniier of 1S81, a number were found breeding upon St. Lawrence fsland, and, they also nest on the Siberian shore in the vicinity of Behring Strait.
" During the migrations, they occur at various points along the Aleutian chain, but are not known to breed there. Dall found their eggs all along the Yukon, from Fort Yukon to the sea, and it is well known as a widely spread species, breeding all around the Arctic mainUmd portions of America."
|
; r |
|
i |
|
i 1 I 1 |
ps
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
"All through Se})t('inl)('r, did and yoiiiif,', wliicli have hccii <n\ the winj? since Au^^ust, ^'athor in lai'j^tT ilucks, and as tiio ;iliar[) frosts toward tlic end of S(!j)toinl)er warn them of approaching; winter, com- mence moving,' south. The marshes resound with their cries, and after some days of chatterinj;, ilyin;,' hack and fftrtli, and a jjeneral l)ust]e, then' sud<l(!nly start off in considcralde Mocks, and the few laj,'j,''H'ds which i-emain ;,'et away by tlie 7th oi' Sth of ( )ctol)er," to return ayain late in Api'il or early in May, accttrding to tlie season.
i i
iii
I*' ;
II
II!
! i:
iS?
(1|.;ni:s P. 11 ANT A Scopom. BllANTA CANADENSIS (Liw.).
01. Canada Goose; Wild Goose. (17*J)
Tail, iioi'inally, eighteen foatliored. (irayisli-l>t<)wii, below palei' oi' wliitiMli- gray, hleachiiig on the crissmn, all the feathers with lighter edges ; head and neck, l)lack, with a bioad white ])atch on the throat mounting each side of the head; tail, hlaek, with white uj(])ei' (!ovei'ts. Length, about .S(>; wing, lS-'J{t; tail, (U-7i ; bill, l^-'i; tarsus, usually over 3.
Hut. — The whole of Xorth America, breeding in the United States, as well as further north. AeeicU'ntal in Kui'ope.
Nests, usuallj' a hollow in the sand, lined with ilown, and a few sticks roinid the outei- edge. In the "Birds of the Xorth- West," Dr. t'oues makes mention of their breeding in trees in the upper Missouri and Yellowstone regions, carrying their young to the water in their bill.
Kggs, live, pale dull green.
The Canada (jroose is the most abundant and best known of its class in Ontario. P]arly in April the A-shaped flocks are seen passing on to their breeding gi'ounds in the North- West, led by an experienced gander, whose well-known call is welcomed by the Canadian ])eople as the harbinger of sjiring. It is associated with the return of warmei' days, and the passing away of the ice which for so many months has held everything under control.
Tn former years the flocks used sometimes to settle in Hamilton Bay, and similar places on their route, for rest and refreshments ; but now their haunts have })een invaded by trolley cars, electric lights, telegraph wires and other innovations, which cause them to fly high und to pass on with fewer stoppages.
Their return in the fall is eagerly watched for at the shooting .stations; but so acute is their sense of hearing, and so careful are
CANADA OOOSE ; WILD GOOSE.
99
tlii'V ill llif .sclfi'tinii nt' it rcstiiii,' plaw, tliat. only fi very t't'W aro olitaiiicd.
I)r. . McU, nf tlif <!f(>lu;4ii'al Siirvry of Canada, wlio is \v<'ll ac- (juainted with mir natisc hirds, and lias furnislitMl nui(;li valualilt* int'onnation rci^Mrdini,' their haliits in the dilVcrtMit rcj^'ions hf has visited, says of this speries: "The southern limit of the ordinary hreedin^' ;,'roiiiid of the Canada (ioose runs north-westward across tlm continent from the Maritime Provinces to the valley of the McKen/ie. I have ini't with them hreediiii; in consideralile iiumliers in the interior of Nf'wfoundlind, hut in the same latitude, between the Great Ijakes and .James' Hay, only chance pairs lat; behind in their north- ward tli<,dit to hatch their hroods. I'hey also hreed on tin; islands along the east coast of Hudson's Hay. To the westward of th«! hay they are first met with, raising their young on the lowei' part of Churchill Hiver. To the eastward it is said that very few Canada Geese hreed northward of Hudson's Strait."
In these remot- regions tlun' no douht enjoy the (juiet which is necessary to the I'aising of their young. Farther south, while on their migratory journeys, they are suhjectefl to continual peisecution, which lias trained them to he extremely vigilant; and when f(iediiig or reposing on the water, sentinels are placed on the outskirts of the Hock, who at once sj)read tin; alarm on the slightest appearance of danger. "So acute," says Auduhon, "is their sense of hearing, that they are able to distinguish the ditl'erent sounds or footsteps of their friends or foes with astonishing accuracy. Thus the breaking of a stick by a deer is distinguished from the same accident occasioned by a man. If a d(jzen large turtles di'op into the water making a great noise in their fall, or if the same effect has been pioduced by an alligator, the wild goose pays no regai-d to it; Init however faint and distant may be the sound of an Indian paddle that may by accident have struck the side of the canoe, it is at once marked. Every individual raises its head and looks intently towards the place from which the noise has proceeded, and in silence all watch the move- ments of the enemy."
100
BIllDS OF ONTARIO.
HHANTA CANADENSIS IILJTOI INSTI Sw. & Wwu.
IH i
Of). Hutchin's Goose. (17-'")
Tail, of Hixtt.'t'n fcatliers; itolors, exactly as in the ( 'aiiaila ( Jooso Imt Hize less. Length, al)()iit :{l) iiicliL'.s; wing, 1.")I7; tail, i5-(i; hill, i/i-lji-
Hah, --North Anicriea. Breeds in the Arctic regions, soiitli in winter to Mexii:o.
.Vest, nsnally a depression in the sandy l)ea(;h, lincMl with h^ases, grass, featheis and down. In the Anderson Kiver region, the eggs of this species have heen taken from the deserted nests of crows and hawks.
Kggs, white, four to six, laid in .Inne oi'.luly.
This is iij>]tui('iitly ii small nice ot' the prccefliii;^, fiom wliich it (liHers s]ij,'iitly in pluina^'e, and it has heen raised to tlie rank of a separate suhspeeies, in which |)osition it is as easily considered as in any other. Small <^eese are occasionally seen in company with the last groups of the others which jiass in spring, Imt they are fewer in niimbei' and are less freipiently obtained.
I once saw a fine pair of these birds in the hands of a local taxidermist, with whom thtn' had been h^ft to be "stuffed," and with such vigoi- was the o])ei'ation performed, that when finislied it was a hard matter for anyone to tell to which species the birds originally belonged.
The differences l)etween Hutchin's and the Caiuida Goose seem to be constant, and most writers are satisfied to treat them as now placed.
Mr. E. W. Nelson, who was familiar with tlie appearance oi this species as it occurred at St. Michael's and the mouth of the Yukon, says regarding it in the " Birds of Alaska " : " From my ob.servations r should decide the centre of abundance of this s[)ecies to lie along the lower Yukon and thence south to the Kusko(|uim."
" The main difference between this form and (•(maden.ns is tlie smaller size of the former. In hutchhimi, the l)lack of the head and neck tends to assume a glossier black, and the dark color very com- monly encroaches upon the white cheek patches, fre(juently separating them by a broad black throat-band. The main distinction, however, besides the smaller size, is in the nmch lighter color of the lower surface. The white abdominal area extends forward and almost encloses the thigh in some cases, and almost invariably there is no definite line of demarcation between the white and brown areas. Tn addition, the grayish-brown of the breast is very light, and the
URANT — WHISTLIN(; SWAN.
101
Hull.
pncroiicliiiK'iit of tlic white mxm its |>osti'ri(ir IjonltT ^ivt-s a inottlcd gray and white suifact'." *
r havt) given th<^ above (l«'tails in full, so that Jinyoin' nicfting tin' .specij.'s may ho aljlc to identity it.
,ul sizo leas.
II wiiitiT to
jtiveB, griiBB, Hpecies hiwe
m which it e rank of a idered as in ly with the lire fewer in
s of a local d," and with led it was a Is originally
oose seein to leni as now
l-ance of this the Yukon,
lo\)servation8 to be aUnig
jiennix is the Ihe head and lor very com- Jly separating |on, however, bf the lowei- and almost there is no In areas. Tn Iht, and the
HKANT.A l?KUNICI..\ (Ijnn.). till. Brant. (IT.S)
Rill, ffot and «la\v«, hlaok; lifiitl, neck all round iimi a littU: of \\w. foiepail of the body, glossy black ; on each side «)f the neck a small patch of white streaks, also some touciies of white on the eyelids ami chin; hiuast, ashy gray, Viej^iiuiinL; al)ruj)tly fioni the hlaik, fading on the helly and ciissuin into white; tail feathers, wing ijuills and |)riniai'y coverts, l)la(;kish, the inner (|uills whitish toward the hase. Length, '24 inches; tail, 4-,'i.
Hah. --Xorthei'n portions of northern hemisphere, partial to salt water, rare in the interioi'. lireeds only within tlie Arctic circl(^
Xest, a hollow on a sanily beach, lined witii feather.s and down.
I"'ggs, four to six, gi'ayish oi' dii'ty white.
This is another casual visitor to the waters of Ontario, where it is loss fre(|uently seen than any other of the geese. It is by no means a .scarce species, but seems partial to the sea coast. Tn Mr. Saunders' "List of Uirds of Western Ontario," it is mentioned as a rathei- rare migrant. I have only seen it once, flying past out of range.
The Brant is of almost cosmof)olitan disti-ibution, being found on the sea coast of Europe and eastern North .Vmerica, breeding only within the Arctic circle. It is said to breed in immense numbers in Spitzbergen and on the islands along the coast. On the rocky shores of Greenland, where it also breeds, the nests are often placed on the ledges of the rocks.
Subfamily CYGNTNiE. Swans. Genus OLOR Wagler. . OLOR COLUMRTANUS (Okd.).
67. Whistling Swan. (180)
Pure white; head often stained with rusty; bill, black, usuiilly with small yellow spot; iris, dark brown ; feet, black. Length, 4 i feet ; wing. 2l-2'2 inche.s.
Hab.— The whole of North America, breeding far north.
Nest, in a tussock of grass near the water, often surrounded by it so closely that the bird while sitting on the egga has her feet submerged.
Eggs, two to five, white, often stained with brown.
PI
ill
5!
1:^;
102
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
These beautiful birds, never at any point abundant, are seldom seen in Ontario, h; cause they breed in the far ncnth, and generally make their migratory journey along the sea coast, east or west, where they spend the winter.
In the interior they are sometimes seen singly or in pairs at the shooting stations, where rifle bullets and buck shot at once come into demand.
I once saw four, in full adult plumage, come up Lake Ontario on a stormy afternoon toward the end of March. They alighted for a short time on the open water near the canal, but had a wild, restless look, evidently feeling themselves cIT their route, and they soon wheeled around and went off east again.
On another occasion a family of four visited Hamilton Bay in the fall. They were not allowed to remain long undisturbed, and one young bird was so disabled by a pellet of shot in the wing, that it was prevented from leaving with the others. It conld still take care of itself, however, and remained till the bay was frozen over, when it walked ashore, and was ca})tured in an exhausted condition by one of the fisherinen.
Writing from Dunnville, in August, 1893, Dr. Macallum says : " On the 24th of April last, a fine young female Whistling Swan was shot here, which had been frecjuenting the river for about six weeks. One or more of this species visit us every spring."
During such visits they sometimes get bewildered by fog, and so fall into the hands of the enemy.
Dr. Bell tells us: "This species breeds near Churchill, and on the islands toward the eastern side of Hud.son's Bay. Their skins constitute an .".rticle of trade, but only a small number of them are collected annually."
For further particulars of their habits we turn again to Mr. Nelson, who is one of the few who have been privileged to see the birds in their northern home.
He says; "The last of June or first of July the young are hatched, and soon after the parents lead them to the vicinity of scyne large lake or stream, and there the old birds moult their (|uill feathers, and are unable to fly. They Hre pursued by the natives at this season, and many are speared from canoes and kyaks. Although unable to fly, it is no easy task, single-handed, to capture them alive. The young men among the Eskimo consider it a remarkal)le exhibition of fleetness and endurance for one of their number to capture a bird by running it doAvn.
TRUMPETER SWAN.
103
Lie seldom
generally
est, where
lirs at the : come into
Ontario on
fhted for a
ild, restless
they soon
Bay in the ■d, and one iufjj, that it U take care vev, when it )u by one of
allum says :
Si Swan was
six weeks.
fog, and so
liill, and on Their skins )f them are
iMr. Nelson, the birds in
" About twenty miles fi'om St. Michael's, toward the Yukon mouth, is a small, shallow lake, about one-fourth of a n)ile in diame- ter, which is grown up with 'horse-tails' (^lu/itislfuyn). This lakelet forms a general rendezvous for all the swans of that vicinity during the sunmier and fall. During the breeding season they gather there to feed, and the males make it their home. In autumn, as the old birds ivgain their wing feathers and the y<)ung are able to Hy, all congregate here, so that T have rarely passed this placts without seeing from <me hundred to five hundred swans gathered in this small area.
"I have fre([uently sat and listened with the keenest *)K'a;,uri! to the organ-like swell and fall in their notes, as they were wafted on in rich, full harmony, then sank to a faint mui-mur, not unlike that of lunning watei". A series of low hillocks afforded a cover by which the lake could be aj)[)roached, and it was a majestic sight to lie there on a mossy knoll, and gaze on the unsuspecting grou{)s of these graceful biids as they swam back and forth, within liffe shot, not suspecting our presence. Their snowy bodies and l)eautiful forms, as T last saw them in that far away spot, will linger long in my mind as one of the most unique and interesting .sights of my experience in the north. The report of a rifle is sutHcient to change the scene into wild confusion. A chorus of confused cries and the heavy beating of hundreds of mighty wings is heard. A cloud of white ri.ses, breaks into numerous fragments, and the birds scatter over the wide flats on every side."
" Toward the end of September these birds begiti to gather into flocks, j)rej)aratory to migrating, and from the last of this month to the 6th or 8th of October all leave for the south, the exact date varying with the season."
Hre hatched, same large kithers, and (this season, lugh unable lalive. The exhibition l) capture a
OLOR BUCCINATOR (Rich.). 68. Trumpeter Swan. (181)
Adii/f: — Plumage, t-ntircly white; younger, the head ami neck wa.sheil with a rusty brown ; still younger, gray or ashy ; bill and feet, black. Length, jr) feet; tail (normally), of twenty-four featliors ; no yellow .s])ots on hill, wliidi is rathei' hinger tlian the head, the iiostiiLs fairly in its ba.'sal iialf.
Hah. — t.'hiefiy the interior of North America, from the (Julf coast to the fur countries, breeding from Towa and Dakota northward, weist to the ['acific coast, but rare or catiual on the Atlantic.
c
if V
h 1
in
1 :
104
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
Xeat, oil dry, liigli ground, near tlie l)ea(;li, a mixture of gra.ss, down and featliers.
Eggs, two to five, dull white, stained with brown, siiell rough.
Swans are seen nearly every spring and fall at one or other of the shooting station.s in western Ontario, but the points of specific dis- tinction are .so inconspicuous that unless the birds are secured, it is difficult to tell to which species they belong. Dr. Garnier rcjports having taken one at Mitchell's Bay. There was one in the collection sent from Toronto to Paris in 1867, and T have seen two which were killed at Long Point, in Lake Erie.
The highway of this species from north to south is evidently by the Mississippi Valley, where it is ([uite common during the ])eriod of migration, those we see here being merely stragglers off the route.
The history of this swan is not so well known as that of the other. Nelson mentions one specimen with its eggs having been secured at Fort Yukon, which lenders it an Alaskan sjiecies, though there is no further evidence of its presence in the territory. The lack of obser- vations may be owing to tlie fact that the interior of Alaska remains almost unexplored, so far as its summer birds are concerned. Hearne speaks of both species breeding on the islands in the lakes to the north-west of Hudson's Bay, and Sir John Richardson gives the Trum2)eter a breeding range of from 61" noith to well within the Arctic circle.
Order HERODIONP^S. Herons, Storks, Ibises, etc.
Suborder IBIDES. Spoonbills and Ibises.
Family IBIDID^. Ihisks.
Gkn'us PLEGADIS Kaup.
PLEGADIH AUTUMNALIS (Hasselq.).
69. Glossy Ibis. (1H6)
Phnnage, rich dark chestnut, changing to glossy <lark green, with purplish reflections on the head wings and elsewhere; bill, dark. Yoiduj: — Similar, much duller, or grayish lirown, especially on the head and neck, which are white streaked. (!laws, slender, nearly straight; head, bare only about the eyes and between the forks of the jaw. Length, about 2 feet; wing, 10-11, tail, 4 ; bill, 4.^ ; tarsus, .'i^ ; middle toe and claw, .3.
Hab. — Northern Old World, West Indies, and eastern United States. Only locally abundant, and of irregular distribution in America.
t
«
II'
AMERICAN HITTEUN.
ms
down and
\ev of the lecific dis- ured, it is SI" reports collection hich vere
idently by 3 period of
route.
the other, secured at thei'e is no Ic of oV)ser- ka remains i. Hearne ,kes to the yives the within the
Xest, among the rct'ds. l)uilt of dead ami withered reeds, attached to the living ones, well and tirndy hnilt, not far above the water.
The eggs of the (Jlossy lois measure from 1-iK) liy l-4."> to "i-lO l)y 1 -.")<), and are of a dull greenish-hlue color, without nuirkings. The uuml)er usually deposited is believed to he three.
About tlie end of ^lny, li^")?, Mr. John Bates, whose farm arljoins the creek near tlie Hamilton waterworks, saw two tii'ed-lookinj.' bird.s wb' h he took to be curlews, circling round with the evident inten- tion of alighting near the ci-eek. Mr. Bates' gun was always in order, and none in the neighljorhood at that time knew better than he how to use it. In a few minutes he picked up a pair of Glossy Ibises, the only birds of the kind which have 'been observed in Ontario. This pair, which subsequently came into my possession, were male and female in fine adult plumage. They are not counnon anywhere on the American continent. Wilson knew nothing of the species, nor was it known to naturalists till after his death.
Tl)is bird is widely distributed and well known in Europe, and has also been observed in Africa. A few breed in the West Indie.s, and also in the more southern parts of the eastern United States, but the hal'itat is local, and the numbers small. In the west is a closely allied species, named the White-faced Glossy Ibis, which is very common along the coast of California to Oregon.
:SES, ETC.
lith purplish iy: — Similar, whieh are about the Kving, 10- 11,
Itates. Only
Suborder HERODII. Herons, Egrets, Bittekns, etc.
FAMit^- AUDEID^E. Hkroxs, Bittkk.ns, ktc.
Subfamily BOTAURIN^. Bittkuxs.
Genus BOTAURUS Hermann.
SuuGE.vus BOTAURUS.
BOTAURUS LENTIGINOSUS (Montap..).
70. American Bittern. (100)
Plumage of upper part, singularlv ^:\.jiiied with brown of various shades, blackish, tawny an<l whitish; neck and under parts, ochrey or tawny-white; each feather marked with a brown dark-edged sti'ipe; the throat line, while, with brown streaks; a velvety-black patch on eacii side of the neck above; crown, dull brown, with buff superciliary stripe; tail, brown; quills, greenish- black, with a glaucous shade, brown tipped ; bill, black and yellowish ; legs, greenish; soles, yellow. Length, 23-28; wing, 10-1.3; tail, 4.^ ; bill, about .S; tarsus, about 3.^.
ill
li !
;
i I
lOG
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
Haii. - Teinpeiate Noitli America, south to Guatemala and the West Indies. The nest of the Bittern ia phiced on the ground.
Tiie eggs, tliree to five in nuMil)er, are l)ro\vniHh-(h-ab, measuring about 2.00 by !.-.().
The American Bittern is a common summer resident, found in all suitable places throughout Ontario, where, during the early summer, may be heard the peculiar clunking sound which has gained for the species the not inappropriate name of "Stake Driver." It seldom leaves the marsh, where it makes its home and finds its favorite fare of fish, frogs and lizards. It drops readily to a light charge of shot, but wlien wounded makes a fierce resistance, raising the feathers of the head and neck 'and striking str. ,]ght at the eye of a dog with its sharp-pointed bill. It arrives as soon as the flags begin to show green, about the end of April, and leaves again for the south toward the end of September, or later, according to the weather.
During the breeding season it has a wide distribution, being quite common in the Northern States, and Dr. Bell tells us it is found on both sides of Hudson's Bay. It does not frequent the clear, running stream, l)ut the wide, stagnant marsh, where its cry is one of the characteristic sounds heard the summer through. The cry is very peculiar, and I d(j not think it well understood just how it is pro- duced. Many people believe that it is caused by water being taken into the tliroat and quickly thrown out again, but so far as I have noticed, no water is used in the operation. t
Once or twice, while hidden among the reeds watching for ducks, I have seen a bittern uttering his love notes, and the impression made upon me was, that however pleasing they migl^; be to the ears for which they were intended, their production must be painful to the operator, for he looked as if he had recently taken a violent emetic, and was suffering the usual results.
There are two distinct calls used by these birds, but whether or not any one bird can utter both is not at present known. These calls consist of three syllables each, with the accent strongest on the first and weakest on the middle syllable. They are heard with about e(jual frequency. One is soft and windy, like "pumph-ah-gah," while the other is harder and more decided, like " chunk-a-iunk." Both are repeated a good many times, and in the still evening, when they are m(»st frecjuently observed, they can be heard a long way off". This call, though loud and deep, is not equal in that respect to the call of the British Bittern, which is said to resemble the bellowing of a bull, and is the origin of the term liotaurnti, by which the bird is now
AMERICAN BITTERN.
107
known. Tn the "Old Country," it is very generally believed that when the liittern booms, the whole Hoating bog on which he is stand- ing at the time vibrates with the sound.
Burns knew this, and refers to it in his writings. We often wish that he had said more about the birds, for the incidental references he makes show that he was a close observer, aiu'. well acciuainted with their habits.
This will be noticed in the passage in which the Bittern is referred to. He is calling on the feathered tribes to join him in mourning the loss of his friend, Capt. Matthew Henderson :
" Mourn, ye wee songsters o' the wood; Ye grouse that crap the heatlier-l)U<l ; Ye curlews calling thro" a chid ;
Ye whistling plover ; And mourn, ye whirring paitrick brood ;
He's gane foi- 1 "er !
" Moiun, sf)oty coots, and speckled teals,
Ye tisher herons, watching eels ; \
Ye duck and drake, wi' airy wheels
Circling the lake ; Ye bitterns, till the (^uagniii-e reels,
Rair for his sake.
" Mourn, clani'ring craiks, at close o' ilay, 'Mang tiel<ls o' flow'ring clover gay ; And when ye wing j-our annual waj-
Frae our cauld shore. Tell thae far warlds, wha lies in clay, Wham we dejjlore.
" Y^e houlets, frae yo\u- ivy bow'r In some aidd tree, or eldritch tow"r, What time the moon, wi' silent glow'i',
Sets up her horn. Wail thi-o" the dreary midnight hour
Till waukrife morn !"
In the spring the plumage of the Ajiierican Tittern often looks bleached and faded, but in the fall their shades of brown and yellow are exceedingly rich. When wishing to escape notice, T have seen them standing perfectly still among the bulrushes, with the neck extended and the bill pointing straight upwards. On these occasions, their colors were in such perfect harmony with the surroundings that so long as they kept still they were rarely observed.
I
f
i
f »
108 BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
HuijfiKNUs ARDETTA Guay. B0TAUKU8 EXILTS (Gmkl.).
71. Least Bittern. (191)
Nf) peculiar featliens, Imt those of the h)\vei- neck, long and loose, as in tlie Bittern; size, very .small; 11-14 inclies long; wing, 4-"); tail, 2 or less; hill, 2 or less; tarsus, ahout 1|^. .Vrr/c ; -With the slightly crested ci'own, back and tail, glossy greenish -1 )lack ; neck l)eiiin{l, most of the wing coveits, and fiuter edges of innei- ((uills, rich chestnut, othei' wing coverts, brownish yellow; front and sides of neck anil undei' jiarts, brownish-yellow varied with white along the throat line, the sides of the breast with a blackish-brown patch; bill and lores mostly pale yellow, the culnien blackish; eyes and soles, yellow; legs, greenish- yellow. Fcnidlt .- -With the black of the back entirely, that of the ciown mostly or wholly replaced by rich i)urplish-ehestnut; the edges of the scapulars forming a brownish-white stripe on either side. Length, 1 1-14; wing, 4-;"); tail, bill, tarsus, "2 each.
Hab. — Temperate North America, from the British Provinces to the W'est Indies and Jirazil.
Nest, among the rushes.
Kggs, three to five, white with a bluish tinge.
This diminutive Bittern, though .seemingly .slender and tender, i.s not only generally distributed in Southern Ontario, but has been reported by Professor Macoun "common throughout the country" in the North-West, and Dr. Bell has specimens from Manitoba and from Yoi'k Factory. At Hamilton Bay it is a regular summer resident, raising its young in the most retired parts of the marsh. The nest is large for the size of the bird, a platform being made for its support by bending down the flags till they cross each other a foot or more above the water level. The whole affair is very loose and readily falls asunder at the close of the season. The Least Bittern is not supposed to be so plentiful as its big brother, but from its retiring habits may be more so than we are aware. It is seldom seen except by those who invade its favorite haunts, and when disturbed it rises without note or noise of any kind, and with a wavering, uncertain flight passes off for a .short distance, again to drop among the rushes.
At other times it has been noticed by the hunter to drop at a point which he marks and goes to as quickly as possible, but can see nothing of the bird. He may find, however, that these little birds breed in communities, often associated with the Rails, and that the portit)n of the bog which they occupy is interlaced with a series of covered runs, like rat roads, among the flags, along which the little birds travel at a rate which neither dog nor man can emulate, and
CORY 8 BITTEUN. 109
they are thus enabled to get (|uickly out of danger without being
seen.
!i» in the
«; l)ill, 2
biick and
mil cinter
3W; front
along the
and h)res
greenish-
,he fi'own
scapuhirs
, 4-5 ; tail,
the West
bender, is has been counti-y " toba and summer le marsh, made for other a ery loose le Least but from IS seldom d when d with a igain to
~lrop at a It can see |,tle birds that the series of Ithe little llate, and
In Manitol)a the Least Bittern is mentitmed as an accidental visitor, only one specimen having been obtained in ten years.
At Hamilton Bay he arrives about the middle of INIay and leaves early in September.
r.OTAUIUTS NEOXENUS (Cory). "
7-J. Cory's Bittern. (l!»b^)
"Top of the head, hack and tail, dark greenish-black, showing a green gloss when held to the light; sides of the iiead and throat, rufous chestnut; the feathers on the hack of the neck showing greenish-hlack tips; breast and undei- parts nearly uniform rufous ciiestnut, shading into dull black on the sides; wing coverts, dark rufous chestnut ; under wing coverts, paler ciiestnut ; all tlie remiges entirely slaty phnnbeous; undei' tail coverts uniform, dxdl black. Total length, 10.80; wing, 4.30; tarsus, 1.40; culmeu, l.SO. " Hah. — Florida, Okeechobee region.
"In the specimen above described, two of the Hank feathers on one side are white, but this may be attributed to albinism. There is no trace of a stripe on the sides of the back as in A. exi/ix. The bird in (juestion is claimed to have been shot in .south-west Florida, and w;is brought to Tampa with a number of other species, including J. rxi/is, Aii«s fnlvigiila luid Ajaja <ij<tj<t. It is without doubt perfectly dis- tinct from any other known sr^ecies."
The above is copied from the Ank\ Vol. TIL, page 1*02, which is the first published notice of the species. The wiiter is Mr. Charles B. Cory.
In the Auk, Vol. VIIT., page ."509, is a notice of another specimen of this bird being secured. There is also given an account of the nest, which was discovered on the borders of the small lake near which Mr. Cory's specimens were found. It was ^uite similar to the nest of the Least Bittern which occurs in the same region, the one being known as the hroiru, anfl the other as the /dark bittern. The nest contained four young birds about two-thirds grown, the female allowing herself to be taken in the hand rather than leave the nest. The male was also within three or four feet during the examination.
I read the first account of this little bittern as given above in the Auk, for 1886, but thought no more about it till the sunnner of 1890, when Mr. Wm. Cross, taxidermist, of Toronto, sent me for identi-
55F
|> ■:
-I
'I
'if
no
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
ficatidii a iiiountBd specimen of a bii'd which liad been sliot in tlie inarsli near Toronto. Ft corresponded e.xuctly with the description given of Cory's Bittern, hut to make sure I sent the specimen to Mr. |{idj,'way, who at once pronounced it a genuine specimen of neoxoniti. Mr. Cross got the specimen in good conditif)n and mounted it very nicely, ft is now in the collecti<jn of the Canadian Institute in To- ronto. So the record stood for Canada until the summer of the pi-esent year, when notice was received «)f a second specimen having been captured at Toronto. On this (tccasion a female in perfect plu- mage was shot by a fisherman named Ramsden, in the Ashbridge marsh, near where the first was found, and within two (lays of the same date, the first being taken on the ISth of May, 1890, arid the second on the 20th May, 18i).'i. This makes a total of eight speci- mens now known to be in collections.
This is evidently a southern bird, and it has not been found any- where away from Florida, whei'e it was first discovered, except these two specimens which have been ol)tained so near the same place at Toronto. No doubt this species associates with our common little bitterns, many of which spend the winter in Florida, and it is just possible that some gallant exilix has in his own way painted the l)eii,uties of Ashbridge's mar.sh in such glowing colors as to induce this little brown lady to accompany him to the north, when he started on his annual journey in spring. Pity she did not fare better, as her repoi't might have induced others to follow the route.
Subfamily ARDETNiE. Hkrons and Ehrets.
Genus ARDEA Linn.
Subgenus ARDEA.
ARDEA HERODTAS Linn.
73. Great Blue Heron. (194)
Hack, without peculiar plumes at any season, but scapulars lengthened and lanceolate ; an occipital crest, two feathers of which are long and filamentous ; long loose feathers on the lower neck. Length, about 4 feet; extent, 6; bill, 5J^ inches; tarsus, (5.^; middle toe and claw, 5; wing, 18-20; tail, 7. Female.: — Much smaller than male. Adult of both sexes grayish-blue above, the neck pale purplish -brown with a white throat line; the^head, black, with a white frontal patch; the under parts mostly lilack, streaked with white; tibia, edge of wing and some of the lower neck feathers, orange-brown; bill and eyes,
GREAT HI.UE HERON.
Ill
ed and jiitoiis ; hill, 5^ lafe: — |e neck white \', edge eyes,
yellow; (riilinen, dusky; lorc-s and legs, greenish. The young difl'er consicU'iahly, hut are never wiiite, ami cannot he confounded with any of the .succeeding.
Hai;. Xortli America, from the Arctic regions southward to tiie West Indies and nortlieru South America.
Xc^t, usually in trees, sometinu's on rocks.
Kggs, two or tiiree, elliptical ligiit, dull greenish hliu-.
As the Great Blue Heron breeds in commuiiitie.s, it is not ot'lcn .seen during the suunner, except in tiie vicinity of tlie heronry. In the fall, when the young birds ai? able to shift for them.selves, they disper.se over the country, their tall, gaunt figure.s being often seen standing motionless watching foi- (M'Is by the; shore of some muddy creek. Tn the report of the (Jrnithological Urancli of the Ottawa Field Naturalists' Club, for l(S<S."J, is a most interesting account of a visit paid by a number of member.s of the club to a heronry situated on the bank of the river about twenty-five miles from the city. Limited space will admit of only a short extract: "The heronry is located in the centre of a thick swamp which, on the occasion of our first visit, was so deeply submerged as to bar all ingress. ( )n the 19th of July, however, the water was but knee deep. After proceed- ing about half a mile into the swamp, our attention wa.s arrested by a peculiar sound which we at first thought proceeded from some distant .saw-mill or steamer on the river. As we advanced, however, the sound resolved its(>lf into the most extrat)rdinary noi.sos, .some of which resembled the yelping of dogs or f(;xes. On penetrating still deeper into the swamp, we discovered that the noises proceeded from immense numbers of herons, some perched on branches of trees, some sitting on the nests, and others Hying overhead. The uproar was almost deafening, and the odor arising from the filth with which the trees and ground were covered w;is extremely disagreeable. We tramped all through the heronry, and calculated that it must extend about half a mile in each direction. The nests were all of the same pattern, great cumbersome piles of sticks, about a foot thick, with but a very shallow cavity and no lining.
"The birds were very tame, making no attempt to fly until we began to climb the trees on which they were; and even then they moved lazily oflF and manifested little or no alarm at our near approach to their young."
Usually the adult Heron is an exceedingly wary bird, and is seldom obtained except when he happens to tly above some hunter who is concealed among the rushes watching for ducks.
When thus brought down from above with neck, wings and legs all mixed up, he presents a most nigged appearance, but when seen
r^
112
BIRDS OP ONTARIO.
alive at slKxttinj^ distance, the gracufful movfiiieiits of the long, lithe neck, witli its pointed jdiunes, preHent a sij^ht we all like to look upon. Tn SouthciTi Ontario, Herons are seen occasion/dly wherever their favorite fish is to he found. Throuj,'hout the North- West, they are not coininon, thou}j[h Mr. Th(JUipson tells of hein;^ one of a party who accidentally found a heronry where it was little ex{)ected, in the Poplar W^Htds, at the head waters of Birds-tail Creek.
HuwiKNUs HERODTAS Boik. AllDEA EdBETTA (Jmkl.
li
li
71. American Egret. (l!><i)
\() ()l(\i(HiHly leugtliened feathers on tlie liead at any time; in the luc^eding season, liac.'k with very h)ng plumes of decomposed feathers ttiooping far l)ey()nd tlic tail; neck, closely feiithered ; [)lnnmge, eiitii'cly white at all seasons; hill, lores and eyes, yellow ; legs and feet, black. Length, .'}(>-4"2 inches (not including the dorsal train); wing, I(i-I7; l)ill, neaily ."> ; tarsus, nearly (i.
Hab. — United Stalts, southerly, sti'aggling northwanl to Nova Scotia. Massa(;iiusetts, (Janada West and Minnesota. West Indies, Mexico, Central and South America.
Nest, in trees or l)UKhes.
Kggs, three ov four, pale greenish-l)lue.
This species has a wide distribution in the south, but Canada seems to be its northern boundary. It is only an accidental visitor here, and, strange to say, nearly All of those obtained have been young birds. There is a record in the Ank, Voh II., page 110, of a pair seen at Uockcliffe, on the Ottawa River, in the spring of 188."i. The male was obtained, and is now in the Museum of the Geological Survey at Ottawa. These were adults, but the specimen in my collection, which was obtained at Rond Eau, near the west end of Lake Erie, and others which I have heanl of ahmg our southern border, were all young birds.
Dr. Wheaton gives the same account of those found in Ohio, find Dr. Coues in his "Birds of the North-west," page 521, .says: "I may here observe that a certain northward migration of some southerly birds at this season is nowhere more noticeable than among the Herons and their allies, the migrants consisting chiefly of birds hatched that year, which unaccountably stray in what seems to us to be the wrong direction."
#^
•f
Si'i;.;i;ms (iA|{ZKTTA Kait. AMDKA CANDIDISSI.M.. ({mkl.
I ■>.
Snowy Heron. (l'.»7)
,|f/»//;- Willi a loiii,' uccipital < Tfst <>t' ili'i.i)iiii)n.s(Ml t'oat hers ami similar dorsal plumes, latter nrnrrtil wjieii pei'fe'ct : similaf, Imt not reeiiiNeil plumes on the lower neck, whieli is hare hehiiid; lores, eyes ami toes, yellow; hill and legs, hlack, former yellow at liase. latter yellow at lowei' ])ait hehind. I'lnmage always entirely white. Length, 2\: wing, ll-l'J; hill, W; tarsus, 3A-4.
Hah. 'I'empeiate ami tropical America, from Xew .lersey, .Minne.sota and Oregon, south to Patagonia: rasnally on tiie .Atlantic coast to Xova Si'otia.
Nest, a platform of sticks, usually in top of a tall tree, sometimes in a hush ahove the watei'.
Kggs. three to fi\-e. jialc hluish-green.
The youu^' of the Snowy Hei'ou iiiheiit the family peculiarity of making their tir.st journey in the wroni;' direction, and it is to this fact that we are indeljted for the visits we occasionally receive from them along our southern frontier during the early fall, I have had them sent to me from Long Point, on Lake Erie, and have heard of their being captured at other places, hut all were young birds, and 1 have no record of the species Ijeing found breeding in Ontario. 8
114
Binns OK ONTARIO.
i3
<)it tli(^ «'ii.st coiMt, it is fmuid hnicdin;,' as far imitli as [.oiijf ThIhikI, and in the iiitorior it occurs in Orc^fon, hut the true luinif of these little herons is farther soutli. In all suitahlii places throus,'h- out South and Central America, the West Indies an<l Mexico, they hrecnl in colonies in iuniitMise nundxMs, thouj,'h I yrieve to say that of late years they have been almost exterminated by plume hunters.
HuHOKNUs lU'TOUl DKS Blvtii. AHI)lv\ VIUKSCKNS Linx.
Hi.
Green Heron, (lioi)
r
f
Ailiill: III tlio liri'tMliiif^ si-iisoii with tlu; iMown, long soft (Kcipital iifMt, antl liMigtlit'iKMl iianow luatlu'i's of tlii' Imck, lustrous dark gifuii, soniftiiiu's witli a lirou/.y iridescoiici;, ami on tlio hack often witli a gliuicoiis cast; wing (•ovi'its. grt'cii, with conspinioiis tawny c'lgingM; neck, pui'itlishchcstniit, the throat-lino variegated witii iliisky or whitish; umler jiarts, mostly dark hrown- ish-tish, belly variegated witli white; ((uills and tail, greenish-dusky, with a glaucous shade, edge of the wing white; some of the (juills, usually wliite- tipped; hill, gieeuisli-l)laek, much of the under niaiidilde, yellow ; lores and iris. yellow; legs, greenish-yellow; lower neck, with lengthened feathers in front, a bare space hehiiid. Ydiimi: With the head less crested, the hack without long plumes, liut glossy greenish; neck, merely reddisli-))rown, and whole under parts, white, variegated with tawny and dark hi-own. Length, Ui-lS; wing, about, 7; hill, 12],; tarsus, -l; middle toe and (daw, ahf)Ut the same; tibia, liaie, I oi' less.
Hah. — Canada and Oregon, southward to noithorn South America and West Indies; rare or absent in the Middle Provineea.
Nest, coin])osed of twiga, placed in a bu.sli or low tree in a .swam]) or liy the bank of a stream.
Kggs, three to six, pale gi-eenish-blue.
This handsome little Heron linds its northern limit ahmj,' the southern border of t)ntario. According to Dr. Macallum, it breeds regularly on the banks of the (Irand Kiver-, near Dunnville, and has also been observed, occasionally, near Hamilton ;ind at the St. Clair Fhit.s. Like the others of its class, the (li'een Heron feeds mostly at night, and is seldom seen abroad })y day, except by tho.se who have occasion to invade its marshy haunts. On this account it may be more numerous than it is supposed to be. It arrives al)out the end of April, ami leaves for the south again in September.
In the North- West it has been taken in the Assiniboine, and is said to breed in the sloughs around Turtle Mountain, but is nowhere common.
BLACK-CHOWNED NIGHT IIKUON.
115
as Ln»J(
llOllH' <»f
tliruugli- ico, tlu'V y that of
iters.
pitlll CllT't,
soiiu'tinu's .■iist ; wiii]L, est nut, tlif liirk lirowii Uv, with a ally wliite- i-es anil iri-. ; in t'lKiil, ii ck \\itl\uut
vliok' UUlllT
i-lS; wing, liliia, liart',
a and Wei^t
)) or liy tla-
|
ilouj;' the |
,)y |
|
it bi'eeds |
|
|
', and lias |
'■'t |
|
St. Clair |
i |
|
mostly at |
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who have |
V' |
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(iKNt's NYCTrColJAX Stki'iiknh. Sni.iKMs NVC'l'ICOlJAX.
NvcricoiiAX ^•^'("'n('(»l{A\ n.kn'ii's (I'.oi.m.).
77. Black-crowned Night Heron. (Joj)
No iMiuliiii tiMtlicrs. cxci'ijtin^' tsvo or tliici' vci_\ Inn;,' lilaincnlous plnnii'M Hprinji^in^' Inon the (ircipnt, ;;i'nfi'all_v iniliricutcMl in nnc ImuhIIc; liill. \rvy HtDUt; tarsi, itiiciilalf lidow in front. Lcii;;tli, aliont •_' (V<1 : win;.', Ii'lt ini'lu's; l»ill. taiMii.x ami niidillc tot', al>ont :{. Ciowii. s(a|inliirs ami intfi- scapiiliu's. veiy ilark ;,'loMMy gri-u n ; goni-ral |»luniago. IiIuIhIi grav , more or Ichh tin;i«'il niili lilai'; fori'liiNid. throat lini' an<l niont nnilrr parts, whitish; onipital piniiii's, wliiti'l hill, hhu'k; lores, greunish ; eyes, leil ; feet, yellow. Yuinni: \'ery ilittei(Mit ; hu^kiiig the pinnies; grayisii-lirow n, paiei iielow, e\tensi\ely spoel;!eil with white; (|iiills, ehoeolate hrown. white-tipped.
Hais. Anieriea. from the Mritish possessions soiitiiwaicl to the l'',dklaiid Islands, iiieluding part of thi! West Indies. Hrtieds in ( oMiiiiniiities, ret iirniiii; to tin.' same plaee year after year.
Xest. a large loose platform of sticks and tv\ igs, placeil well up in a tall t lei'.
lOggs, four to six, pale greenish-ldue.
Ill < )iil!ifii> tlic Xij,'lit ILernii, 111' '• (.^iifiwk,"' as it is (•(iiiiiiiiuily i-ulli'il, is iKii ^'ciierally distributed, though stra;,'i,ders are lu'caHionaiiy seen at different points throii<fhoiit the l*ro\iiice. 'I'iieii- bieediiiif places are by no means connnoii, the vieiiiity ot' tlie sea bciiii,' e\ideiitly preferred to the interior.
Aloiif,' the banks of the lower St. Lawrenee they breed in immense numbers, every tree in certain districts luivinj^ several nests timoiiL; its bouj,dis. W'lieii \iew('(l from a distance these trees have the appearance of being heavih' coated with dirty whitewash, <iiid the entire^ vegetjition utiderneath them is killed by the accumulated drojipinys of the birds.
Thoujih somewhat untidy in theii- surroundings at home, the biids them.selves when seen in spring plumage are very handsome, the fiery- red eyes and long, flowing plumes giving them <|uite an interesting aj)[)earance.
In the North-West they occur in limited numbers, but are not regularly distributed. There the nests are made in the maish, and fixed to the reeds, eight or ten inches above the water.
Night Herons have been found throughout the greater portion of South America, and in some sections of the United States they have large heronries, where thousands breed together. They usually select a clump of tall trees, not easy of jiccess, and hiive four
nc
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
or five nests in each tree. Tliey all go wandering when the young are able to fly, hut return again to their Ijrceding place with the return of the season.
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Order PALUDICOL.E. Cranes, Eails, etc.
Suborder GRUES. Cranes.
Family GKUIDtE. Cuaxfs.
Genus GRU8 Pallas.
GKUS AMERICANA (Lixx.).
7S. Whooping Crane. (:^04)
J ■/ ii// : —With the biire part of head extending in a point on the occiput aliov. , on cacli side below the eyes, and very hairy; bill, verj' stout, convex, ascending, thiit ))ait of the under niandil)le as deep as the upper opposite to it. Adult plumage, pure white, with Idack prinuvries, pi'inuiry coverts and alida : bill, dusky greenish ; legs, l)lack ; head, carmine, the hair-like feathers blackish. YoKiiij: — With the head feathered ; general phunage, gray (?), varied with l)rf wn. Length, about .10 inches; wing, "24; tail, 9; tarsus, 12; middle toe, ") ; l)ill, ().
Hab. — Interior of North America, from the fur (countries to Florida, Te.xas and Mexico, and from Ohio to Colorado. Formerly on the Atlantic coast, at least casiuiUy, to New England.
Nest, on the ground among weeds or rank grass, built of fine, tough grass, tirndy put together and neatly formed.
Kggs, two oi' three, light brownish-drab, marked witii large, irregular spots of dull chocolate-brown and obscure shell-markings.
^[r. John Ewart, of the village of Yaricer, in the county of Acklington, has a mounted specimen of the Whooping Crane in his collection, which is the only record I have of the species in Ontario. In the fall of 1871, it was observed frequenting the borders of a small, shallow lake in the township of Camden, and for a week or ten days the local gunners were on its track. It was very shy, but finally fell before the gun of Wesley Potter on the 27th of September.
Wilson speaks of this species as an occasional visitor in the marshes at Cape May during its migration, but now it is hardly kni)wn in the East, its line of migration being along the Mississippi valley. It breeds in Manitoba, and is said to be found also in the fur countries.
SANDHILL CRANE.
117
lie young with the
5TC.
When wounded, it is a dangerous l)ird to approach, for it drives its sharp bill with great force and precision at its antagonist.
For many years the Sandhill Crane was believed to V)e the young of this species, but in all stages of plumage they can now be readil}' identified.
.he occiput it, convex, )()site to it. and iilulii : I's blackish, aried with Idle toe, ") ;
rida, Texa.s coast, at
nigh gra.ss,
uhir spots
ountv of ne in his
Ontario, lers of a
week or v^ery shy, 27th of
in the
is hardly
lississippi
Iso in the
'n
GRUS MEXICAN A (Mull.). 7!). Sandhill Crane. C-'On)
Adult: — With the l)ai-e ])art of head forking behind to receive a jiointed extension of the occipital feathers, not reaching on tiie sides below the eyes, and sparsely haii'y ; bill, moderately stout, with neatly straight and scarcely ascending gonys, that part of the under mandible not so deep as the upper at the same ])lace; adult plumage, plumbeous-gray, never whitening; primaries, their coverts and ahila, blackish. Yoiiinj: — With head feathcretl, and pliuiiage varied with rusty brown. Rather smaller than the last.
Hah. — Southern half of Xortli America: now rare near the Atlantic coast, except in tJeorgia and Florida.
Eggs, two, light brownish-drab, marked, except at tiie greater end, with blotches of dull chocolate-brown; shell, rough, with numerous warty elevations.
T am indebte<l to Dr. Garnier, of Luck now, for the first recor<l T have had of the occurrence of the Sandhill Crane in t)ntai'i(i. Wait- ing, under date December Gth, liSi^-l, he says: "About twenty-two years ago a pair of these birds spent the summer in the marshes near Murphy's Landing, County Kent. Later ir.. the season they were seen stalking about, accompanied by two young, and finally all disap- peared as the weather grew cold.'
"In 1S81 a pair spent the summer neai' Mud Ci-eok, in the same locality, and were often seen by the people residing there. On the 1st of November, Mr. Joseph Martin, while out shooting in his canoe, suddenly came upon them at short distiince. He killed one, and the other, being hard hit, dropped on a shaking bog close by. Mr. Martin brought me the dead one, and next day I went with him in search of its mate. We saw it lying (|uite dead on the bog, but, though my partner and I tried hard to force our way to where it was, we were compelled to give it up, to my very great regret."
In the Auk, Vol. V., page 205, is a notice by Mr. W. E. Saunders, of London, stating that he had received from Mr. M. J. Dodds, of St. Thomas, a Sandhill Crane, which was killed at Uond Eau in 1809, by Mr. John Oxford.
These are the only well authenticated instances of the occurrence
118
BIllDS OF ONTARIO.
of the Sandhill Crane in Ontario that 1 know of, Ijut as they aie known to hi'eed in Michigan, we cannot he surprised at their .some- times being found on the east side of the Detroit Kiver. Tlie .species is most abundant in the Mississippi A'alley, west to the Pacific coast. It is irreguhirly distrilmted, having l)een found breeding in suitabh' places outside of its ordinary range. It was seen 1)y Dr. Bell neai- Norway House, on H ulson's Bay. In the Xorth-^^ est it is repoited as tolerably common, and is often taken young and domesticated, making an intere.sting pet. .Mr. Thompson says of it : " x\s a game bird, T aiM inclined to place the present species as first on the game list in Maiiitol)a. An avei-agc specimen weighs about ten pounds, and the (|uality of the fiesh is unsurpassed by any of our ordinary birds, unless it be the partridge. 1 should strongh' advocate the protecticm of this bird liy the game law were it not that it is so tli(trouglily able to take care of itself that legislation in its favf)i' seems altogether unnece.ssarv."
11
!l i
!;
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i» >i
Suborder RALLJ. Rails, Gallixi:les, Coots, etc.
Family HALLIT)^]. I^ails, (i a llixi- lls, Coots, ktc.
StuKAMiLV KALLTNiI<:. Kails.
(iKXLS U ALIUS LlNN.FATS.
RALLUS ELEGANS (Aid.).
SO. King Rail.
.'(»S)
.Above, l)r()wnihli-l)lack, viiricgatod with oli\ e-Lrowii, Leiioiiiiiig lich dicstmit on the wing coverts; umler parts, rich nifou.-* or (■iuiianion-hrown, usually paler on the middle of the l)elly and whitening on the tlii'oat ; Hank.s and axillars, blackish, white-barred, (..cngtli. about Ki ; wing, ■")-(); tail, '2-'2h; ))ill, '2h; tarsus, 2; middle toe and claw, 2\. F( mah .--Smallei-.
Hau. I'resh-water marslies of the eastern )M)rtion of the United States, from the .Miildle States, northern Illinois, Wisconsin and Kansas southward. (Jasually north to Mas.sachusetts, Maine and (Litaiio.
Xest, a rude mass of reeds ami glass, on nuirsliy ground close to the water.
Kgg.s, six to twelve, bufl' or cream color, s])eckled an<l blotched wi*' eddish- brown.
This large and handsome Rail, which, until recently, was considered to be only a casual visitor to Ontai-io, is now known to )>reed plenti- fully in the marshes all ahmg the River St. Clair. It has also been
■4
ill
VIRGINIA lUIL.
119
found at otlier points in Southern Ontario, l)ut the St. Chiir Flats seem to be its favdi-ite breecHnjf place. The extent of the marsh and the ahnost staj^nant water aj^pear to suit the taste of these birds, and her-e they spend the summer and raise their young %vithout being disturbed.
They are seldom seen on the wing, but become very noisy and excited l.>e£ore rain, keeping up an inct^ssant cackling, which, better than anything else, gives an idea of the number that are moving about under cover of the rushes.
This seems to be the n(jrthern boundary of their halntat in Ontario, for they are not found in the Xorth-AVest, noi' anywhere else to the north of us. They arrive in May and leave in September.
KALLUS VTRGINIANUS (Liw.).
.^1. Virginia Rail. (21 1>)
t.'oloration. exaitly ns in (lnjdns. of wliich it i.s a ])crfi;it niiniatiiiL'. FAiiigth, S.ii-lUJ,; wing, ahoiit 4: tail, aliout U, ; l.ill, 1 .1 I H : larsii.s, Ijll: nii<lille tue. li-lf.
Hab. — North AiiR'ri(!a. from, iJritisli i'rovinccs south to (iiiateiiiala and Cuba.
Xc8t, in a tuft of reeds or I'ushes, some of tlieni hent down to assi.st in form- ing the structure, which is usually phiced close to the water.
Eggs, six to nine, buff or creamy, speckled and blotched with leddisli- lirowu and obscure lilac.
Although this cannot l)e said to be a numerous species, it is very generally distrilmted, being found in all suitable places throughout the Province. When not disturbed, it may be seen (juietly wading in the shallow ponds in search of its food, M'hich consists of acjuatic insects, snails, worms, and the seeds of such grasses as grow near its haunts. If alarmed, it at once takes to the rushes, and passes with such swiftness along the covered runways which interlace the rush beds, that it will elude the pursuit of an active dog, and avoid exposing itself to the aim of the sportsman.
It is found in the North-AVest, but is not abundant.
In Southern Ontario it arrives early in May and leaves late in September.
?'l:
120
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
I
^
i
i
i
Genus POKZANA Vikillot.
SuHOKNis POKZANA.
POKZANA CAKOLFNA (Linn.).
sl'. Sora. (iM4)
Above, (jlive-brown, varied witli black, with miiiieroiis .sliarp white .strealvs and specks ; flanks, axillars and liniii;^ of wings, lianed \\itli white ami blackisli ; belly, whitish; crissnni, rufeseent. vlf/((/V.' -Witii tlie face and central line of the throat black, the rest of the throat, line ovei- eye, and especially the bieast more or less intensely slate-gray, the sides of the bi'cast usually with some obsolete whitish bai'ring and speckling. Toe/^f/ .—Without the black, the throat whitish, the breast l)rown. I^engtb. S-!); wing, 4-4J; ; tail, about '2; bill, Ij-4' ; tarsus, \\; middle toe and claw, 1^.
H.\B. — 'I'emperate North America, l)Ut most common in the Kasteiii Pro- vince, l)reeding chiefly nortliward. South to West indies and northein South America.
Unilds a rude nest of grass and rushes on tiie giounil near the water.
Kggs, eight to ten, dull di'ab. marked witli reddish-ln'own.
Here, us elsewhere, tlie Suru is the most numerous of the Kail family, and is found breeding in all suitable places throughout the country. Many also pass up north, and when they return in the fall, accompanied bj' their young, they linger in the marshes along the southern bfirder till they ai'e found .s .vanning everywhere. They are very sensitive to cold, and a sportsman may ha\e good rail shooting till late in the evening, l)ut should a sharp frost set in during the night, he may return in the nu)rning and find that the birds have all left.
Many sjjend the summer in the Xorth-West, but they are most abundant in the ^Middle Atlantic States, where great numbers are killed for the table in the fall.
Tn Southern Ontario they arrive in May, and leave in September at the first touch of frost.
ii
'^ ^
SuBGENrs COTUKNICOPS Bonapakte. POKZANA NOVEBOKACENSTS (O.m.).
H3. Yellow Rail. (I'l-"))
Above, varied with blackish and ochrey-brown, and thickly marked with narrow white semicircles and transverse bass; below, jmle ochrey-brown, fading on the belly, deepest on the breast where numy of the featliers are tipped with
HLACK RAIL.
121
(lark brown; tlaiiks, rufous with niiiuy white Itars; liiung of the wing, white; a brownisii-yellow streak over the eye. Length, altout (i inches; wing, 'Ah; tail. \\: hill, i. "
Had. — Eastern North America, from Nova Seotiti anil Hudson's Bay west to I'tali and Nevada. No exti'a-liniital record except Cuba and the Herniudas.
Nest, like that of the otlier rails.
Kggs, six to eight, daik bufi'eoloi', marked with reddish spots at the gi'eater end.
We know little of tliis bird, partly bpcause it belongs to a class much given to keeping out of sight, but chiefly because it is a rare species (nerywhere. During the present year, T saw a fine mounted specimen in the store of Mr. Cross, taxidermist, Toronto. It was oV)tained in the marsh near that city, and I have heard of another which a few ^ears ago was shot near the same place, and is now in the public museum at Ottawa. The greater number of specimens of the Yellow Hail now in existence have been found in New Engl.ind, but that may be owing to the greater number of collectors there. It would be well for our Canadian sportsmen to look out for the species when visiting its haunts, because from its general resemblance to the 8ora, it may readily be overlooked.
One observer reports it as a toleral)ly common summer resident near Winnipeg, and it has also been noticed at Fort George by Dr. Bell. It has, therefore, a wide distribution, but is nowhere abundant.
Subgenus CRECI8CUS Caboxis. PORZAXA JAMAICENSIS (Gmel.).
84. Black Rail. (210)
Upper parts, l)iackis]i, finely sj)eckled and barred with white; the hind neck and fore neck, dark chestnut; head ami under parts, dark slate color, paler or wliitening on the throat; the lowei- belly, flanks and under wing and tail covert barred with white ; ((iiills and tail feathers with white spots, very small. Length, about .')..")0; wing, 2.7.V3.(XI; tail, 1.35; tarsus, U.7o.
Hab. — South ami Central America and West Indies.
Nest, in a deep cup-shaped depression resendiling that of the Meadow [.^rk, only deeper in proportion to its wi<lth; the imtei' portion comiK).sed of giass- stems and blades, the inner poition of soft blades of grass arranged in a circular manner and loosely interwoven.
Eggs, ten, clear white, thinly sprinkled witli reddish-biown dots which become more numerous towai'd the greater end.
This is one of the rarest of American birds, or, rather, it is one of those least frequently found. From its small size and the fact that
%
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1
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nl
i
122
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
its life is spent mostly among the rank vegctdtion of tin; marsh, where it cannot be aeen, it may not l)e so rare as we suj>i)08e.
I mention it here on the authorit}- of the late Dr. Cottle, of Woodstock, who, in aii article in the ('ii)i(ifUiin Journal for 8ap- teml)er, iSoSJ, claims to have found a hii'd of this species near Tnger- soll in 18.")7, which at the time of his writing was in the collection of Wm. Poole, jun.
I have not seen this specimen, hut T knew J)r. Cottle, and feel sure that no mistake would he made in the identification. There is no reason why the JJlack Rail should not he found in Ontario, for it occuis to the east and we^t of us, and will yet, I expect, he found in one or more of the many suitable haunts which oicur throughout the Province.
The Dundas marsh is exactly the sort of place where one might expect to meet with this species. The marsli extends from the Hamilton city limits abf»ut four miles westward to the town of Dundas, and has an average width of a mile, with many inlets wind- ing inland. The banks are generally steep and wooded, and the water in the sunnner is covered with aquatic plants and clumps of floating bog. Malaria leigns there, and there are niosijuitoeH in abundance.
About 1873-74, 1 heard that a young man, named Nash, was diligently exploring this uninviting locality, to find out what birds were there during the summer, and that he had been successful in his researches ; but he left for the North-West aljout that time, and the matter was forgotten.
On learning that Mr. Nash had (juite recently returned to reside in Toi'onto, I wrote to him on the subject, and promptly received the following reply, which came to me while the first part of this article was passing through the hands of tiie printer :
"ToKONTo, Jamuuy 12th, 1894. "Thos. McIlwraith, Esq.
"Dear Sib, — My original note as to the capture of the Black Rails is as follows :
"'August 18th, 1874. — Shot four of these birds this evening at the upper ;;iiu of the Dundas marsh. My dogs put them up wheie the rushes had l)een iiinvvcd. This is the first time I ever noticed them here.'
"After this date I saw sevci'al other.'s about the same place, during this t>'mc '. ' ir (1874). I also shot a few Yellow Rails, and saw many.
" Yours, etc.,
"C. VV. Nasu."
PURPLE GALLINULE— FLORIDA GALLINULE.
128
Subfamily (IATJJXULFN^.
(tenus TONORNIS rvKiniKXHArii.
lONOHXTS MAHTIXICA (Lin\.).
«•■). Purple Gallinule. (liis)
Hi'iul, iit;ck ;iiiil iiiidur ])iii'ts beautiful j)Ui'j)lish-l)luu, hliifkoiiinj^ on tlic l>clly, llif LTissum white; iil)i)ve olivauuous-greeii. tiiu cervix iiiul wing coverts tinted witii l)lue; frontal sliidil Miic; hill red. ti|>iic(l «ith ycllo\\- : legs yellowi.sli. )'ci /'/(,'/.■ -With the hcail, neck ami lower hack hrowniwli, tlie under iiarti-i mostly white, mixed with ochrey. Length, Id-l'J; wing, (i.^-T; tail, •.'.j-8; hill from ga])e. ahout \\; tai'sus, ahout lij ; middle-toe ami claw, ahout .S.
H.\i!. — South Atlantic and (iulf Slates, noith casually to New iMiglaud (Maine, Nova Scotia) and Ontai'io.
Nest, huilt among ruslies over the watei'; the taller rushes are heut down and wo\ en togetlier as a support.
Kggs. eight or nine, cream color, finely dotted with chestnul-hrown and lunher.
Ill April, 1SU2, T received a letter frimi Pickering, describing a bird wliicli bad recently Ijeen .shf)t 1)}' Mr. James Cowan, at tlu; uioutb I if the Houge in that township, and asking nic to identify it. The description was so perfectly correct that T had iio dilhculty in deciding it to be the Purple Gallinule, though T had not before heard of its occurrence in Ontario, and I replied to that ert'ect."
T have since learned that the specimen is now mounted and located somewhere in Toronto.
This beautiful Gallinule is a resident of the South Atlantic and GiUf States, but occasionall}' strays as far north as Ohio, AV isconsin, Maine and New York.
Tt is a very handsome bird, whose presence in our marshes would add to their interest, but we are too far north to expect it, save as a vow rare visitor.
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Gexus GALLINULA Buissox. GALLIXULA GALKATA (Licht.).
80. Florida Gallinule. (219)
Head, neck and under parts grayish-black, darkest on the former, palei' or ■whitening on the belly; back, brownish-olive; wings and tail dusky; crissuni edge of wing, and stripes on the flank, white; bill, frontal ])latc, and ring around tibiiu red, the former tipped with yellow; tarsi and toes, greenish; I'i-IT) long; wing, 6.^-7 A; tail, ;U ; gape of bill, about 1.^; tarsus, about "2.
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RIRD8 OF ONTARIO.
Hah. -'renipenite and tinpiual Aiiiurita fidiii (.'ansiila to Urazil ami (.'liili.
Nt'.st, a mass of hiokcii, rtitteii iceils ami iiishcs, with a slight hollow in the iifiitre; it is sfldnni iiiuuii above water level, and often aHoat, l)Ut is fastened t<> the sedges.
Kggs, ten to twelve, hrownisli-hntl', thiekly spotted with reddish-brown.
This is a oominou suiiiinei- I'esident, breeding in suital>le places tlii'ougliDUt Southeni Ontario. Near Hamilton it is ([uite connnon, a t'ew paiis genei'ally spending the sunnner in the Waterdown cfeek, and also in thi; l)ini(his niaish. Its retired haunts are .seldom invaded during the sunnner months, for the mos([uitoes form a bar to the intrusion of visit<jrs, and its flesh not being in demand for the table, it is n(tt much disturl)ed.
Southern Ontario seems to be the northern limit of its habitat. It is not mentioned among tlie birds of Manitoba, neither have I heard of it appearing els(>\vhere in the north.
Like most of its class, it an ives in May and leaves in Sej)tember.
SUHFAMIIA- FULTCIN^l
Gknl's FTLTCA Liw.Kis.
FUIJCA AMEHICAXA (Jmkl.
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H7. American Coot. (-'-'!)
Dark slate, palef or gi'ayish below, blackening on the head and neck, tinged with olive on the back ; ui'issnni, whole edge of wing, and top of the secondaries white; bill, white or flesh -eoloi'ed, marked with reddish-black near the end; feet, dnll olivaceous. Yoiiixj : — Similar, i)aler and iluller. Length, al)out 14; wing, 7-S; tail, 2; bill, from the gape, l^-IA; tarsus, about "2; middle toe and claw, about '^.
Hah. -- Xoith America, from (ireeidand anil Alaska soutliward to West Indies and (Jentral America.
Nest, of vegetable rubbish from the marsh, often afloat and fastened to the rushes like the (irebes, but .sometimes on diy ground back from the water.
Eggs, ten to twelve, clear clay color, dotted minutely with dark brown.
This species is very generally distributed in suitable places through- out Ontario, and also in the Xorth-West. It breeds abundantly at St. Clair, but at Hamilton is only a migratory \isitor in spring and fall. They are hardy birds, often arriving in spring before the ice i.s <[uite away, and again lingering late in the fall, as if unwilling to depart. They are sometimes mistaken for ducks by amateur gunners^ and in thi.s way a few lose their lives, but except in such cases they
RED I'HALAROPK.
12:)
are not molested, "Mud-lieus" not being generally loukcd upon as
game.
The Coots are strong of wing, gttud swinnners, and capable of enduring both cold and fatigue. Tliev are verv abundant tlirnui-'hout the North-West, their haunts being in the marshes, for which (heir lobed feet are admirably adapted. There tlu^y sj)en(l the sunnner and find the enjoyment peculiar to tlunr ra,ce. In the fall they assemble in vjist Hocks and generally all disajipear at unce during the night. In Alaska, only one wanderer of the species is repoited. There is a similar report from Oreenlaiid, which is its most iiurtherly record.
Order LIMICOL.K. Shork Biifi),>«.
Family PHALA1{()1'< )|)||)yE.
Gknus CRYMOPHILl'S Vikim.ot.
CRYMOPHTT.US Fl'ldCAinrs (Linn.).
88. Red Phalarope. (122)
Ailii/f: — With the under parts, purplisli cliL'stuiit nf variiildi' iiilciisity, wliilo in the young; above, variegateil with l)laci<iNii and tawny. lAMigtli. "J-S inclie.H; wing. ."); tail, "if; bill, 1, yellowisii, black-tipjicd ; taisiis, ■,', greenisii.
HaI!. — Xorthern parts of the nortlieru lieniispiiei'e, breeding in the Ai'ctic regions, and migrating south in winter; in the United States south to the Middle State, Ohio, Illinois and Cape St. Lucas; chielly maritime.
Xest, a hollow in the ground lined with dry grass.
Kggs, three or four, variable in color, usually biowiiish-ulive. s])otted or blotched with dark chocolate-brf)wn.
Vast numbers of Phalaropes breed in Sj>'t/.bergeii, and on the .shores of the Polar Sea. At the ai)proach of winter tlun' r(!tire to the south, l)ut in these migratory journeys they follow the line of the sea coast, so that the stragglers we see inlaiul are most likely bewildered by fog, or driven In' storm away fr(»m their associates and their regular course.
Dr. Garnier saw a flock of six, one of which he secured, at Mitchell's Bay, near St. Clair, in the fall of ISSO; and on the 17th of November, 1882, Mr. Brooks, of Milton, shot a single bird, which he found swimming alone on Hamilton Bay, a little way out from Dynes' place. On the 21st of October, 1886, 'Slv. White shot one on the Rideau River, and on the 1st September, ISSS^ he got a second specimen on the River Ottawa, which completes the recoi-d for Ontario, no far as 1 know at present.
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BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
TurniiijLf (<• oui- usual aullioi'ity t'oi' iiit'oi'umtioii ahnut luntlifcii spcficM, we find Mi-. Nelson nayiii<,' : " Tliis liaiidsoiiic PlialiUn|ic anivas at tlic Yukon uioutli and adjai-cnt parts of lU'liiinjii •''^'''i <<'asl duiinf( llic last few days of Mayor Htst of .lunt', ai'i-ordiiiy to the season, its ]iicfer<'nc'(' is foi' the (lat, wet lands hordpriiijL; tlie (•oar«t and livers, wlicif it ronuiins to luccd. \'<'iy caily in .June the females have each paid their court, an<l won a shy and j^entle male to shai'e their comini,' eares. The e,!,'i;s are laid in a slii,'ht depression, •general!}' on the damp tiats where the l)irds are found. There is rarely any liniiiji^ to tlie nest.' The e<;i(s are hatched in July, find as soon as the youiii;' are aide to tly, all leave the nesting iiidund and aro found only at sea.
"They breed all alonj,' the Arctic shores of Alaska iind Siberia, wherever suitable flats occur, and even reach those isolated islands, forevei- encirclefl by ice, which lie l)eyon(l. It is not raiv in Spit/- berj:;en, wliei'c its e,n;ij;s ha\<' i)een found laid upon the biii^ ,i,n'ound.
"During the cruise of the ('oriflii, in the summer of ISSI, uc found this and the Northern I'halarope abundant whei'ever we went on the Alaskan or Siberian shores of the Arctic, and their pretty forms, as they llitteil here and there over the surface of the smooth sea, i\ow ali^'ht ing a moment and ylidinn' (juickly to right and left, pecking at the nn'nute animals in the water, then taking wing foi- an instant, a])peared in ever-changing groups." " In wintei- these birds pass south and occur along the coasts «»f the Pacific on both shores, reaching the south coasts of India on the Asiatic side."
The foregoing are but brief extracts from Mr. Nelsons interesting account of the h(»me habits of the.se little-known birds, my limited space having jtrevented me from making more lengthy (juotaxions.
Gknus PHALAROPITS Brishon.
SiBGRXus PHALAIIOPUS.
PHALAHOPUS LOBATUS (Linn.).
89. Northern Phalarope. (223)
Adult: — Dark opaque ash or grayish-black, the back variegated with tawny: upper tail coverts and under parts, mostly white; side of the iiead and neck. with a broad stripe of rich chestnut, generally meeting (m the jugulum; breast, otherwise with ashy-gray. Yoidhj: — Lacking the chestnut. Length, al)()Ut 7 inches ; wing, 4^ ; tail, 2 ; bill, tarsus and middle toe, each under 1 , black.
NORTHERN PHALAROI'E.
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Hah. — Norllii-ni imrtion.s of iimllifrii lu'inisjilit'rf, liicciliiig in Antie lull- tiiilvH; south ill wiiitci' to the tropicH.
Newt, a iiollow ill tile ^,'roniiil, liiicil with dry k'™***'. •
KggM, tiiit'c or four, Mimiliir to tinisc of tiic Ki'il l'hiihii'<)|K!, hut Hiiiiillt'r.
liike the prec«!(liii<,', this is a liird ut' the sea coast, Imt, siii<,'ly <>f in paiis, it is sdinctiines seen inland (hii'iii},' the season of nii;(ratioii. The two in my (.•oUection wcie t'oniul in the fall on one of (he inietn of Flaiiiilton l'>ay.
In the fiist of the *'r>ii(lsof Western Ontario," mention is made of tliree havinjj; been taken in Middlesex, and om; found dead at Mitclieirs hay in ISS-J.
Wliile this was pas.sinir through the press, K. ( '. Mcllwraith shot
a young male of the species, as it rose from one of the inlets which lun from the bay ii{) to tlie Meach rojid near Hamilton.
Althou<.;h a hii'd of the sea coast, the N'orthern Phalarope is found more fre(|uently in tlie interior than the Wvd Phalaropc. It has i»ecii observed at Ottawa, Toronto, Hamilton, London, and also at |)unn- ville, where Dr. Macallum says it may be counted on with tolerable
tainty every season during October.
Tn Manitoba, most of the oliservers are mute regarding it, tiiough
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Mr. Nash
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ion autumn visitor very abunchmt at the prairie sloughs near Winnipeg, where 1 saw immense Hocks of them in August and September, 1S86."
Of Alaska, Mr. Nelson says that the first arrivals reach St. Michael's in full plumage about the middle of May, and by the first of June they are in full force, and reddy to begin the business of the season. The young are hatched during .June, and by the 'JOth of July are Hedged and on the wing. Soon they begin to gather in parties of from five, to one hundred or more, keeping by the large ponds and inlets till about the end of September, from which date they are seen no more for the season.
"They breed on all the islands of Behring Sea, the north coast of Siberia, and we saw them common about Herald and Wrangel islands ill July and August, 1881. It is plentiful throughout the interior tif Northern Alaska, as well as on the salt marshes of the crmst."
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128 mUDS OF ONTAUIO.
Si-iKiKM-H STKOANolTS Vikili.ot.
PHAI.AIIOPI'S TIMCOLOK (Vii.im..).
DO. Wilson's Phalarope. (-'i-'i)
Ailiilt: A«li V ; M|i|ifr tiiil cnvcitM iiml iiiiclcr piiitN, wliitc; n lilack Htii|M' tiniii tli(^ oy*! <l<>wu tlu' Hide of tlu' \\vi\k, sprcjidiiij,' into lidi |»iii|iliMli-clu'.sliiut, uliicli iil.Hd viiiicgatt'H tlic Ixu^k iiml mImkIcs I lie tlnoat. Yniiinj: Lucking tlii'r*e liiHt ('(iloiM. I^cn^'tli. (tl(»; wing, .">; tail, '1; liill, lai'.-oiM ami niiildlc tci,'. iwicli over I, black.
Hah, — Tt'iniioriitc Nintii Anu'rica, cliicfly (lie interior, Incfiling tVoni noiih- I'l'ii Illinois anil Utah nortiiward to the SaHkatciu'wan icgion, south in winter to Itra/il and Patagonia.
Nt'Ht, in nioiNt nieadovvH.
i'-ggs, thfco or font', vaiiahk- in pattcMii, iisnally liiowiiish-drali, marked with .s|ilaslu'.s, H))()tH and Hcrateht'M of ehoeolate-hroM n.
This is tlie l!ir<i;»>st of tlio PImliii'opcs and tlic liaiidsuiucst ot" ail (tuf wadci's. ITiiiike the otlicfs of its class, it is fai'c aloii-^f the sea coast, hut common inlaiul. its line of mi<,'ratioii hciiii; aionj; the Mississippi N'allcv. Another pecuiiafity of the species is that the female is the liirj^ei' and more gaily attiied, and, fi'om choice or nece.ssity, the eggs are iiicuhated hy the male. In scnne othei' lespects theif domestic relations are not in accordance with the rec(»gnized rules of propriety.
'I'he first record 1 had of it as an Ontiirio species was in Mr. Saun- <lers' "List of Hirds of Western Ontario," where mention is made of one having been taken at Mitchell's l>ay in .May, ISSJ. 1 did not hear of it again until I received the rep(jrt of the .Subsection of the Canadian Institute, in which it is stated that, at a meeting held .June 2nd, IcSyO, Mr. Wm. Cross reported having received on the 'Ind inst. a female Wilson's Phahirope in full breeding plumage, which had been shot in Toronto marsh. At a aubseijuent meeting held Septem- ber 2."{rd, it was stated that, while Mr. Hunker was watching for (hicks off the sand bar at the west end of the Island, a Wilson's Phalarope pitched among hi.s decoys and was secured. So the rect)rd of Ontario stands for the present.
It is more common in the interior than along the sea coasts, and is now known to breed in suitable places throughout the northern tier of States, and also from the Red River to the Rockies, along the boundary line.
On July 24th, 1880, Mr. Macoun reports finding it breeding around the ponds at Moose Mountain.
The prairie ponds seem to be the favorite resort of this beautiful species, and as these are not common in Ontario, we maj'^ not have the birds except as visitors.
AMEKKAN AVOCET — AMEHIUAN WOOD('(K!K.
129
Family UK('rilVI|{()STHII)/E.
(;kni:s i{i<:(;ri{vii{()sri{A LiNN-fMH.
UKCrUVIUOSTIJA AMKKICANA Cm. 'M. American Avocet (-"-;'>)
Wliitts liiick unit \viii;.'s, with iniicli liliU'k ; lu'inl iiii.l neck, ciiiiiiiiiiDii Itinwii ill the mliilt, iLsiiy in tlio youii^'; liill, lilack, .'<,' to Kii|h' ; h'K^*. liliu!; t■,V(^s, ri'd. Length, 1(1-18; wing, 7-H; tuil, 3^; tarsiiH, H^.
H All. 'r<'in|)crate Vorth Ainurit'ii, fnmi the Saskiitchewiin iind (irciit Sliive I'Mcmlii, in winter, to ( tiiiiteinalii anil tlie West liiilies. I'aie in tlie I'luMteiii
Lak Proviuee.
Kj^'gM, thrive III' fiiur. vaiialile in .si/.i! ami marking, usually l>ii>wiiisiiiliah, niai'keil witii spots of ehoeolate-hrDWll.
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lis i.s fiiiotlii'i' (H'lR'utt' iiiluiid wiuli'f, I'iii't' DM the ,sca enusl, Imt
abuntliuit in the Missis.sipjii Valley. Stra^i^'lcis appear oeoasioiially at far distant points, and are at unee idontifie<l liy their peculiar iiiarkin<,'s and awl-sliaped hill. I ani awaco of three individuals havinj^ heen taken at dilVerent times at Hond Eau, on the north shon? of Liiki'. Krie, but tlicvse aie all 1 have luiard of in Ontario. Tn Manitolia it is spoken of as heiiiJj exceedingly rare, but it is very
abu
ndaiit arfiun
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le saline ponds anc
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d lakes in the North-West
(^^acoun).
According to Dr. Coues, "Tt is more abundant than (Osewhen^ in the interior of the United States along the Mississifipi Valley, and thence westward, in all suitable localities, to the llocky Mountains."
Its preference for salt or brackish waters is indicated by its abundance at (Ireat Salt Lake, in Utah, and about the alkaline waters of Dakota.
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Family SCOLOPACTD^]. Smpks, Sandpipkijs, ktc.
Genus PHTLOHELA (iuAV.
PHILOHELA MINOR ((Jmkl.).
92. American Woodcock. (228)
Above, variegated and harmoniously blended black, brown, gvtiy and russet ; below, palo warm brown of variable shade. Length, mn/c, 10-11 ; fcninfi', 11-12; extent, Ui-l.S; wing, 4^-5; bill, 2i-3; tarsus, 1.^; middle toe and claw, U; weight, .")-!) ounces.
H.vii. "Kastern Province of North America, north to the British Provinces,
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130
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
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west to Dakota, Kansas, etc. ; breeding throughout its range. Xo extraliniital recortls.
The nest, which in composed of a few ilead leaves, is usually placed at tlie root of a tree, or in a clump of weeds.
Kggs, three or foui', grayisli-hrown, marked witli spots and blotches of lilac and ciiocolate.
The Woodcock is ji .summer resident in Soutliern Ontario in uncertain numbers, appearing al)out the time the snow is going out of siglit. In the fall it is mucli sought after by .sportsmen, with var3ang success. Occasionally good bags are made, but in this respect no two seasons are alike.
The birds seem to be paired on their arrival in spring, and at once select a site for the nest, which is usually placed in dense woods or swampy thickets. When the breeding season is over, they change their places of resort and are often found in corn fields, orchards and moist places, where they feed mostly during the night. They remain as long as the ground is soft enough for them to probe, after wliich they retire to the south.
Writing from Hamilton, I may say that this species seems to be better known to the south and east of us than it is to the north and west. Dr. Bell .saj's : " I saw one specimen of the Woodcock in August last at York ]'\'ictory. This bird is not uncommon in Manitoba, though the fact is not generally known." Other observers in Manitoba report single birds having been procured at long inter- vals, so that it must either be very scarce or seldom seen.
Throughout the Eastern States it is more common, but is so highly prized as a game bird that it is persecuted wherever it is known to exist.
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Genls GALLINAGO Lkach. GALLTNAGO DELICATA (Ohu.).
93. Wilson's Snipe. (:.'30)
Crown, black with a pale middle .sti'ipo; back, varied with lilaok, bright bay and tawny, the lattei- forming two lengthwise stripes on the scapulars; neck and bieast speckletl with brown and dusky; lining of wings, barred with l)lack and white; tail, usually of sixteen feathers, bari-ed with black, white and chestnut; sides, waved with dusky; belly, dull white; quills, blackish, the outer, white edged. Length, !(-ll; wing, 4h-')^; bill, about 2A ; whole naked j)ortion of leg and fixit, about H.
Hab. — North and middle Anusrica, breeding from northern United States northward; south in winter to West Indies and northern South America,
Xest, usually a de])re.ssion in a grassy meadow.
Eggs, three or foui'; grayish-olive, heavily marked with uniDer-brown and irregular lines of black.
This is the Snipe (if America, although the name i.s often errone- ously applied to other species, Tt is sometimes called English Hnipe, owing to the close resemblance it bears to the British bird, but those who have compared the two species state positively tliat they are different in their marking.s.
Tn Southern Ontario this species is known only as a migrant in spring and fall. During the former sen son the}' are more protected
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BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
by the Game Act, so that the short visit they pay us in April must really be to them a time of enjoyment. In the fall it is quite differ- ent, for every nominal sportsman wants to go snipe shooting, and the birds are so fre(|uently fired at, they are kept continually on the move from the time of their arrival till they take their final departure for the season.
In former years, the breeding giound of the Snipe was a matter of speculation. It is now known to lireed along the northern border of the northern tier of States, and is also common during the summer season in suitable places throughout Manitoba and the North-West.
Here again. Nelson's report from Alaska is (juite interesting. He says : " This is a rather uncommon but widely spread species in Alaska along the mainland shore of Behring Sea. I found it both at St. Michael's and on the lower Yukon in small numbers, making its presence known in. spring-time by its peculiar whistling noise as it flew high overhead. It nests wherever found in the north, and is a rather common species along the entire course of the Yukon, extend- ing thence noith to within the Arctic Circle, but its limit in this direction is not definitely known.
" It was found at Sitka and Kadiak by the Western Union Tele- graph explorers, but is not known on any of the Beliring Sea islands nor on the coast of Siberia, but it is to be looked for from the latter region, at least."
Genus MACRORHAMPHUS Lkach. MACRORHAMPHUS GRISEUS (Gmel.).
94. Dowitcher. (231)
Tail and its coverts, at all seasons, conspicuously 1)arrc(l with black and white (or tawny), lining of the wings and axillars the same; quills, dusky; shaft of Hist primary, and tips of tlie secondai-ies, exce])t long inner ones, white; bill and feet, greenish-black. In sunnner, brownish-l)!ack above, variegated witii hay; below, brownish-red, ^•ariegated with dusky; a tawny superciliary stripe, and a dark one from the bill to the eye. In winter, plain gray above, and on the breast, with few oi' no traces of black and bay ; the belly, line over eye and under eyelid, white. Length, 10-11; wing, ii-'th; tail, 2^,; bill, about '2\; tarsus, H; middle toe and daw, Ij.
Hab. — Atlantic coast of North America, breeding far noi'th.
Nest, a hollow neai' the borders of marshy lakes or ponds, lined with a few leaves and grass.
Kgga, three or four ; identical in appearance with those of the common snipe.
STILT SANDPIPER.
183
Althouf^yi this species is al)un(laMt along the sea coast durin<j; the season of mignition, it can only be fejj;arde(l as an accidental ti'aveller in Ontario. The specimen in my collection is the only one 1 have ever found near Hamiltim. In the " List of Birds of Western Ontario" it is spoken of as rare, and Dr. Wheaton. in his exhaustive " List of the Birds of Ohio," says he never saw it in that State, but has had it. repcjrted as a rare spring and fall migrant.
(xeo. Iv. White has found it on one or two occasions at Ottawa, but it is restricted to the Atlantic coast, and those found inland are only stvagglers from the ranks during the season of migration.
They are gentle, unsuspicious birds, allowing a near approach, and, as they fly in compact flocks and gather very closely together when alighting, there is great opportunity for unlimited slaughter among them by anyone bent on filling the "bag."
They are a very abundant species and must breed in great num- bers somewhere, though exactly where I have not found on record.
Dr. Coues says that it breeds in high latitudes, and Bidgway describes it as "breeding far northward, Nushagak River, Alaska (sti'aggler)." It is spoken of by Dr. liichardson as having " an <ixtensive breeding range throughout the fur countries, from the borders of Lake Superior to the Arctic Ocean. ' Which of the two species he found on the borders of Lake Sujjerior is not apparent.
These birds are seen in greatest numbei's along the shores of the Atlantic States in fall and wintei-. They are highly esteemed for the table, and are slaughtei-ed in great numbers for the market.
In the North- West, including Alaska, the class is represented by the Long-billed Dowitcher, a bird very similar in habit and aj)pear- ance but of larger size, the bill, especially, being longer than in the present species. ,
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Gknus MICHOPALAMA Haiud. MICBOPALAMA HIMANTOPUS (Bonap.).
95. Stilt Sanipiper. (23.S)
Adult ill xiiiiiiiicr : — Above, hlacki.sli, each featlier edged and tipped with white and tawny or hay, wliich on tlie suapularn becomes aciillojjed ; auriculars, che.stnnt; a dusky line from hill to eye, and a light reddiMh superciliary line; upi)er tail coverts, white with dusky bars; primaries, dusky with l)lackish tips; tail feathers, lashy-gray, tlieir edge and a central field white ; under ))art8 mixed, reddish, Itlack and whitish, in streaks on the jugulum, elsewliere in liars; bill and feet, greenisli-black. Yoniuj and adult In nnnter : — Ashy-gray above,
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134
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
witli ()!• witlioiU tiuces of l)lack and hay, the ftathers usually with white edging; line over the eye and under parts white; the juguluni and sides sutl'used Willi the color of the hack, and streaked with dusky ; legs, usually j)ale. Length, 8-i) inches; wing, .">; tail, '2\; hill and tarsus, hoth U-IH : middle toe, 1.
Hah. — Kastern Province of Xorth America, breeding north of the United States, and migrating in winter to the West Indies, Central and South America.
Nest, a depression in the gi'ouiul, lined with grass and leaves.
Kggs, three or four, ligiit-drah or grayish-white, with hold spots and markings of chestnut-brown.
I have some scruples about including this species in my list, for 1 have no record of its having l)een taken within the Province; but, when we consider that it breeds to the north of us, and winters far to the south, there can be no reasonable doubt that it passes through Ontario. Being rathei- a scarce species, it may have escaped the notice of sportsmen, or it may have been taken and no record made of the occurrence. I anticipate that when this list is made public, T shall learn of birds having been found in Ontario which are not included here, for the sinijjle reason that I had not heard of them. There is no convenient way of placing such records before the public, and they drop out of sight and are forgotten.
It is to be hoped that the writer of the next list t>f the birds of Ontario will, for this reason, have many additions to make to the present one.
While this article is in the hands of the printer, Mr. Cross, taxi- dermist, of Toronto, sends me a bird for identification, which proves to be this species. It is one of two which were shot near Toronto about the 25th of June last, by Mr. Heinrich. Mr. Cross has made a happy hit in mounting them. They look like a pair of miniature curlews.
The above was written eight years a;_<i, and since then there has been but little to add to our ac(|uaintance with this species in Ontario. That little comes from Torontf), where the birds seem to have found a place to suit them, but I fear they are not to be allowed peaceful possession of the same. The first record appears in the report of the Ornithological Hub-section of the Canadian Insti- tute for ISSI), where it is stated: "On September '-'(ith, we secured three of these rare Satvdpipers, all shot at Toronto." At a meeting of the same sub-section, held on the 'iMrd 8e[)tember, 1890, it was stated by Mr. T. Hannar, that on the "J8th July he shot a fine Stilt Santlpiper on Ashbridge's Bar. The fact of thii^ specimen having been obtained in July would indicate that the birds are breeding in that neighborhood, but so far we have no account of their nests.
11
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I I.
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(4E\rs TIUN(JA Liw.EUs.
SuBCEMs TIUNGA. TIMNGA CANIITUS Liw.
i\
as in
96. Knot. {■2:U) *
Bill, ecjualliiig or rather exceeding the head, comparatively stout. Adii/f in, .iiimmer: — Above, hrownish-black, each feather ti])ped with ashy-white, and tinged with reddisli on scapulaivs ; liclow, unifoi'ni hrownish-reil, nuich as in the robin, fading into white on tlie flanks and crissum ; U|i|)ei' tail covert-s white with dusky bars, tail feathers and secondai'ies grayish-ash with wliite e<lge8; (juills, blackisli; gray on the inner webs and with white shafts; bill an I feet, blackisli. Yoiiii;/: — Aliove, clear asli, with numerous ))lack and white semi- circles; below white, moi'e or less tinged with reddish, dusky speckled on breast, wavy barred on sides. Lengtii, 10-11; wing, H-().^ ; tail, '2},, nearly S(piai'e; bill about 1 ;.\ (very variable).
Hah. — Nearly cosmopolitan. Hrecds in high n<ji'thern latitudes, l)Ut visits the southern hemisphere duiing its migration.
Nest, a de))i-ession in the .sand.
Eggs, light pea-green.
This is the largest and handsomest uf the Sandpipers, and though common along the sea coast, it is only an occasional visit oi* inland. The specimen in ray collection I killed many years ago on the muddy
136
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
!
shore of one of tlie inlets of the Bay. I did not see the Knot again till May, 1H84, when K. C. Mclhvraith killed iouv very fine speci- mens in a moist vegetable garden on the beach. Dr. Whcaton met witli it only once in Ohio, and it is not mentioned in the " List of the ]^>irds of Western Ontario," from which it may be infeii-ed that we are not on the line of its migrations.
Mr. White reports its occurrence at Ottawa but once. He says: "On the 4th June, 1890, E. White obtained eight out of a Hock of about seventy bi' ., They were all in full adult plumage, but, strange to Sii^, we lii/e not seen a single specimen since."
In Manitoba, it occurs occasionally during migrations, but iriegu- larly and not in large numbers. One observer (Hunter) says: "1 have never seen the Knot along the Red River, but have seen large flocks west of Hr .il '>>."'
Tn the North-' ost. '. i>''L Macoun says that it is frecjuently found along the borders of *• il> : i • .fies.
Ill Alaska, Mr. Neison ssc'ii' d ,i single specimen, which was the only one sci n duriu;.- i'"- r'^side.-. . ipvo.
Alonjx the isiioifc.^ v>f >
.i„»;
;"iug spring and fall, it is
still abundant, though the nuinuHrs n.i;.e during past years been greatly reduced in comimrison with what they once were.
It is observed, occasionally, along the coasts of Scotland, and in England it is sometimes seen in very large flocks, all of which are
0
i
On the west coast of the Pacific, it migrates as fai' south as Australia and New Zealand to spend the winter, and at that season has been found in Damara Land, Africa, and also in Brazil.
In the Auk for January, IS'J."?, page 1*5, Mr. (leo. H. Mackay gives a most interesting and exhaus+ive history of the haunts and habits of this species, from which I should like to ([uote at length, did my limits permit. Mr. Mackay says: "This bird, which formerly so- journed on these shores in great abundance, and occurs now to a limited extent dui'ing its migrations, has been the subject of consider- able intjuiry as to the cause of its appearing now in such reduced numbers. As each contribution to the subject may add something in assisting to correct conclusions, I have to present the following resume, especially of the habits and movements of this bird during its short stay in Massachusetts, while on migration." Mr. Mackay then speaks of the clouds of these birds which visited the coast of New England thirty or forty years ago, and how they were slaughtered wholesale by a most barbarous practice called "firelighting." He continues :
KNOT.
la?
"I have it directly from an excellent authority, that he has seen, in the spring, six barrels of these birds (all of which had been taken in this manner) at one time on the deck of the Cape Cod packet for Boston. He had also seen barrels of them, which had spoiled during the voyage, thrown overboard in Uoston Harbor on the arrival of the packet. The price of these birds at that time was ten cents per dozen; mixed with them would be Turnstones and Black-bellied Plover. Not one of these birds had been slK)t, all had been taken with the aid of a 'firelight.'
" Besides those destroyed on Cape Cod in this way, I have reasons for believing that they have been shot also in large numbers on the coast of Virginia in the spring, on their wiiy north to their breediiig grounds; one such plac^ shipping to New York city in a single spring, from April 1st to June .'b-d, upwards of (j,00() Plovei', a large share of which were Knots.
" Tt is not mj' intention to convey the imjjression that the Knots are nearly exterminated, but they are much reduced in numbers, and are in great danger of extinction, and comparatively few can now be seen in Massachusetts, where formerly there were twenty to twenty- five thousand ;i year, which I consider a reast)nable estimate of its former abundance."
For many years the great desiderata among oiilogists were the eggs of the Knot. Even now there are very few in existence, and it is only a few years since the first authenticated specimen was procured. The members of every expedition which visited the lands wheie the Knot was known to breed had instructions to search for these eggs, but one after anothei' returned without success. Major N. W, Fielding, naturalist to the Nares' Arctic Exjiedition of ]875-7(), says: "I was not so fortunate as to obtain the eggs of the Knot during our stay in the polar regions, though it breeds in some numbers along the shores of Smith Sound and the north coast of (liinnell Land. During the month of July my companions and I often endeavored to discover the .lest of this b'rd, but none of us were successful.
"However, on July ."{Oth, 1876, the day before we broke up <jur winter-quarters, where we had been frozen in for eleven months, three of our seamen, walking along the border of a small lake not far from tlie ship, came upon an old l)ird accompanied by three nestlings which they brought to me. These young ones 1 have since seen in the British Museum at South Kensington, where, in compajiy with a pair of the old Vjirds, they constitute one of the most attractive of the many natural groups which adorn Mr. Sharpe's department."
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138
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
Finall}^, Lieut. A. W. Greely, coiniriiindor of the late expedition to Lady Franklin Sound, succeeded in obtaining the long sought-for egg, and witli great propriety re(|ue.ste(i J)r. C. H. Merriani to accept the honor of heing the first to puhlisji the acct)unt of it.
Tii(! specimens of bird and egg w(;re obtained in the vicinity of Fort Conger, latitude 81^ +4' N.
In color the egg was light pea-green, closely spotted with brown in small specks about the size of a pin-head.
w
H
m I
i I
Si iKiKxuH AUt^UATELLA Baird. TRINC^A MARITIMA (Brunn.).
97. Purple Sandpiper. {'2'^'))
KM, little longer tliaii the head, iiiueh longer than the tarsus, straight or neai'ly so; tihial feathers, long, reaching to the joints; though the legs are rarely bare a little way al)ove. Adult : — Above, ashy-blaek, with purplish and violet reflections, most of the feathers with pale or white e<lgings ; secondaries, mostly white; line over eye, eyelids and under parts, white; the breast and juguluni, a j)ale east of the color of the l)ack ; and sides marked with the same. In winter, and nK)st immature birds, the colors are similai' but much duller;. very young birds have tawny edgings above, and are mottled with ashy and dusky below. Length, H-!> inches ; wing, 5; tail, 'i.ij, rounded; l)ill, \\; tarsus, §; middle toe, I, or a little more.
Har. — Northern portions of the northern hemisphere; in North America, chierty the northern portions, breeding in the highinorth, niigi'ating in winter to the Kastern and Middle States, the (Jreat Lakes and the shores of the larger streams in the Mississippi Valley.
Nest, a mere depression in the ground with a t<cant lining of gi-ass.
Tile eggs are said to be four in numl)er, clay coh)r, shailed with olive, and marked with rich um])er-l)rown.
This, like the preceding species, is common to both continents, and is of circunipolar distribution. If it has been in tho habit of passing tliis way, it did so without being observed till the: .'Hst of October, 18S.5, when one individual was killed at Hamilton Beach, by Dr. K. C. Mclhvraith. This is the only record we have of it in the Province.
As its name {maritini<x) implies, it is a bird of the sea coast, but though a Sandpiper, it is not so f(md of the sandy shores as it is of the rf)cky ledges covered with sea weeds, where it no doubt finds something to suit its taste. The name pnrph' might lead a stranger to expect this to l)e a bird of showy colors, but in general appeai'ance
PECTORAL SANDPIPER.
189
it is pei'hiips the least so of its class, and inij,'ht he flescnl)e(l as ahout the si/e and build of the IMack-heart, dull slaty-blue abovt;, belly and vent white. When in full pluniaj^e, the feathers feel soft and silky for a bird of this class, and in certain rays of light seeiu slightly glossed with purple.
Since the above was written, eight years ago, (Jiie or two more specimens have been found at Hamilton. Mr. White got one at Ottawa, and Mr. Cross had one brought to him at Toronto. This tends to show that the bird is a rare straggler so far from the sea.
Tt does not appear among the " liirds of Manit(»ba," nor those of Alaska, but breerls abundantly on the shores of Hudson's Hay and Melville Peninsula.
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HiBCEMS ACTODKOMAS Kaup. TKTNGA MACIILATA Vikim,.
i)s. Pectoral Sandpiper. (2:^1))
Coloration iiiuch as in Baird's Sandpiper, lint crown uoticuaMy different from cervix; chestnut edgings of scapulars, straigiit-edged ; cliin, wliitisli, detinitely contrasted witli the lieavily ashy-shaded and shar])ly dusky-sti'eaked juguhun. Large. Length, S\-J) inclies ; wing, 5-.")^ ; hill, tarsus and middle toe with claw, ahout 1^; hill and feet, greenish.
H.VB. — The whole of North America, the West Indies, and the greater part of South America. Breeds in the Arctic Regions. Of frecpient occurrence in Europe.
Nest, in a tuft 'of grass.
Eggs, four, j)ale gi'ayish-huff, varying to pale olive-green, hlotclied and sjiotted with vandyke-hrown.
While on their extended migrator}' journey in .spring and fall, these birds rest and refresh themselves on the marshes and lake shores of Ontario, where they are fretjuently observed by sportsmen, in flocks of consideral)le size.
Near Hamilton they are not of regular occurrence, though they occasionally appear in the fall in goodly numbers, and if the weather keeps soft, remain till October.
While here they fretjuent the grassy meadows and nmddy inlets near the Bay, being very seldom noticed on the sand.
Like several others of the same class, this species has a wide geographical distribution, being found in Iceland, Europe and Asia.
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140
BIUDS OF ONTARIO.
Those wlu) have seen tliis species only in Onlariti can have hut little idea ot" its a|ij)earanoe durinj? the hreedinj^ season, us seen hy Ml'. Nelson in Alaska, and 1 i-egret that his description is too lon<^ to be copied in full. He was under his tent on a lonely island near the inouth of the Yukon. He says ; " My eyelids began to droop and the scents to become indistinct, when suddenly a low, hollow, bonniing note struck my ear, and .sent my thoughts back to a spring morning in Northern Illinois, and to the loud, vibrating tones of the prairie chickens. A few seconds passed and again arose the note; a moment later and, gun in hand, T stood outside the tent. Once again the note was repeated close by, and a glance revealed its author. Stand- ing in the thin grass, ten or fifteen y<irds from me, with its thi-oat inflated until it was as large as the rest of the biril, was a male Pectoral Sandpiper.
" The succeeding days afforded opportunity to observe the bird as it uttered its singular notes, under a variety of situations, and at various hours of the day or during the light Arctic night. Mefoie the bird utters the.se note.s, it fills its o'.sophagus with air tf) such an extent that the breast and throat is inflated to more than twice its natural size, and the great air sac thus formed gives the peculiar resonant (juality to the note. Whenever the Pectoral pursues his love-making, his rather low but pervading note swells and dies in nmsical cadences, which form a striking part of the great bii'd chorus heard at this season in the north."
TRTNGA FUSCTCOLLIS Vikill. ' 99. White-rumped Sandpiper. (240)
Size, medium; upper tail coverts, white; feet, l)lack ; 1)111, black, light- colored at base below ; coloration otherwise much as in Haird's Sandj)iper. An ashy wash on the jugnlum is hardly perceptible except in J'oung birds, and then it i.s slight ; the streaks are very nuniei'ous, broad and distinct, extending as specks nearly or quite to the bill, and as shaft lines along the sides.
Hab. — Eastern Province of North America, lireeding in the high north. In winter, the West Indies, Central and Soutii America, south to the Falkland Islands. Occasional in Eurojie.
Nest, a depression in the ground, lined with grass and a few withered leaves.
Eggs, three or four, light olive-brown, spotted with deep dark chestnut.
Several of our Sandpipers resemble each other so much in general appearance that by the gunner they are considered as all of one sort
HAIHDS SANDPIl'EK.
Ui
and tivati'd alike that is, they are tied in Ijuiu'lics liy tlic in'ck or l«'j;s and handed over to be prepared for the lahU*. With tlio collector it is dit}'(!reiit ; every iiidiNidual is carefully examined as to species, sex, aj^e and condition, so that nothing >nay he lost that is worth preservinfj;. In the present species, the wliite rump is always a distinguishinfj; mark, most conspicuous while the hirds are on the wing. Inland it is not very connnon, hut a few are usually seen associating with the otluus duiing the season of migration. The pair in iny collection I found on the .sandy shore of Lake Ontario iHvir the Burlington Canal.
It is an eastern species, with a long range north and south. It is very abundant on the .shores of New England during the season of migration.
Iidaiid it is found in Ontario, ^[anitoba and the North-West, but only in small Hocks while migrating. It does not appear west of the llocky Mountains, and only one or two stragglers have been found in Alaska. Ft is .said to breel abundantly in the Mackenzie Hiver region, and it was found by ^^cFarlane breeding on the shores of the Arctic Sea. As winter approaches it moves south through the United Sttites to the West Fndies, Central and South America and the Falkland Islands. Stragglers have also been found in Europe.
ilf
II
THIN(iA BAIRDII (Coue.s).
100. Baird's Sandpiper. (-'41)
Adnll /;*r</( .• — Bill, wliolly lilauk, small and slender, sliglitly .sliorter than the head, just as long as the tarsus, or as the middle toe and claw, .sliglitly ex[)anded or lancet-shaped at the end, the point acute; grooves, long, narrow, deep; feather.s on the side of lower mandil>le evidently reaching further than those on uj)per. Upper parts, l)r()wnis]\-l)lai;k (deepest on tiie rump and middhr upper tail coverts, and lightest on tiie neck behind), each feather l)ordere<l and tip])ed with pale hi'ownish-yellow, the tipping of the sca])ulars l)ioadest and nearly white, their mai'ginings l)niad and brightest in tint, making several dt^e]) scallops toward the shafts of tlie feathers ; only the outer series black, the f)thei's plain gray, with j)alei' mai'gins ; jugulum, tinged with light, dull yellowish- brown, spotted and streake<l with ill-defined blackish markings, as are also the sides under the wings; throat and other uniler parts, white, unuuirkeil ; feet, black, like the bill. Length, 7.25; extent, lo.-J."); wing, 4.00; bill, 0.8."); tarsus, middle toe and claw, the same. The femnle is entirely similar, but slightly larger. The yoiuuj have the upper parts wholly light brownish-asii, darker on the rumj), and all the feathers with a dark field, and pale or whiti.sh edging;
V
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142
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
I' !
wii\'<!H iif ItrowiUMli-liliick nil tlic .sc'a|)iiliirH; jii^uliiiii and luciut. Hiitt'uHeil nnIiIi (lull. Ii;,'lit i( ilcli.sliliidwii, I lie .spotting,' .Hiiiiill. spaiNf iiiiil \t'iy iiiilist iiict .
IIaii. 'I'lii; wIkiU.' of .North and South Anii'iica, Imt cliintly the interior of North and tins wcMtern poitionn of Soutii America. Rare along tlio Atlantio count, and not yet reconlod fi'om the I'licifie eoawt. Kiioun lo lncfd only in the Arctic R(^gion«.
Ne.st, a Mlight depression, lined witii gra.s.s. usually shaded hy a tuft of graus, KggH, three or four, clay (tolor, spotted with rich iiinlier-iiiown.
I)r. Couos, ill hi.s new " Key to Nitrth Amerioiiii IJii'd.s," H)iy.s tluit this is the luttst iihutulaiit -sniiill Satidpiper in schik! parts of the w<iHt <luriii;i iiii^^fatioiis, hut it has not Ih'cii t'oiind on the Pacific eoiiHt and is (|nite rare on the Atlantic. The only record we liav«f of its occmrence in ()ntari<» is that of a firje specimen now in my collection, wiiicli was .shot at FCamilton Heach on the '2')t\i of Auj.;ust, 1885, l)y K. C Mcllwraith. It was .sinj^led out amon<^ a tlock of small sand- {)ipei's by its i)eculiar erratic sniiie-like lli^'ht, and on beiny .secured, its dainty little body was jiicked uj) with feeliiiffs which only the enthusiastic collector can understand.
Tt is named after S, F. Maird, of the Smithsonian Institute, and, .so far us known, is peculiar to the American continent.
On the '2'.hd of August, 1886, while this article was in the printer's hands, the locality wliere the specimen herein referred to was ol)tained was again visited, and, sti'ange to say, another indi- vidual of the species was .secured at the same place, under similar circumstances. On the 1st of September the place was again \isited, and two more were obtained, but 'cm two subsecjuent visits, made within a day or two, no more were seen. Those who are observant <»f the migratory movements of the birds must often have been iistonished to see with what persistent regularity certain birds appear at certain places at a given time. Tn the present instance these are the only birds of the kind we have ever seen or heard of in Ontario, but they were all found within a few yards of the same spot, and within ten days of the same date in different years.
This species seems to prefer travelling inland, as it is rare on the Atlantic coast, and has not yet been observed on the Pacific. Mr. Nelson found only one, an iunnature bird, during his residence in Alaska ; but it is known to breed in the barren lands in the Arctic Regions.
It was not until 1861, that Dr. Coues disentangled this species from the general crowd, and gave it the name and rank by which it has since been called. It is so little known, that we have yet much to learn of its peculiarities.
LEAST SANDl'll'EH.
148
THINCJA MINl'TILLA Vikii.i.
101. Least Sandpiper. d-'J--')
In
V
pjitT |iiii'tH ill .siiiiiiiK'i'. with cju
ii tViillicr IdiK'ki.sii (•(■lit rally, cil^jcd «itli
l>rij,'iil liay, mill ti|i|M'il with iisiiy nr wliilr; in « iiitiT and in tlic yminy, Miinply iiHJiy ; tail featluTM, gray, with whitish ('(lycM, the <t'ntral liluckiMli, usually with I'tiihlisii im1;^<'.-< ; crown, not <'oii.s|)iriiiiii.-4l\ (liirciciii tioiii liiml lu-ck ; dit'st- iiilt u)l>{ing.s lit' .si.'ii|iulars u.sually .sualii>|ii'il : lirluw, uhitc, the iu;.;iiluin with (liinky HtrutikH tiinl an ashy iir lii'iiwiii.sh .suiruNion; hill, lilark ; Icl;^, iliisky grw'iii.sh. Siiialh'.st of the saiiilpipcr.s. Length, .">.J,-(i iiu'lu'.s ; winj^, .■{l-.SA ; tail, •J or h^sH ; hill, tarsii.s aiut iniililk; loi! with claw, ahoiit 'i'.
ILvii. AVlioli; of North ami South America, hrcuiliiig north ol tiie Unitud StatcM. Accidental in Kuro|it'.
Ne.'it, a depri's.sion in the ground, lined with gra.ss and leaves.
Hggs, three or four, light drali. tliickls sprinkled with rcddisli-lnow n spots,
TIh; <i{)|)eanince of this, the .sinalU'st nt' tlif Saii<ljiiii»'i'.s, always excite.s a foeliii<,' of pity a.s he i.s seen hui ryinj? aloii<f tlie .sand in leai- of his hi^ brotli(!rs, uttering his feeble '*|)(^e])" as if hcgt'inj; them tn leave a little for him.
Tn Ontario it is a common species, found in all suitalile places in spring and fall, but its breeding ground is far north, and little, if anything, is known of its nest or eggs. Some might consider that a matter oi no c(Mise(|uence, but here is what Dr. Coues says about it in his "Birds of the North-West": "Fogs 1 iig low and heavy o\(>r rock- girdled Jiabrador. Angry waves, palled with rage, exhau.st theni.selves to encroach ujion th(^ stern shores, and, batlled, sink back howling into the depths. Winds shriek as they cour.se from crag to crag in mad career, till the humble mosses th.at clothe the rocks cn.'uch lower still in fear. Overhead the Sea (lulls scream as they winnow, and the Murres, all silent, ])ly eager oars to escape the blast. What is here to entice the steps of the delicate birds ? Yet they have come, urged by resistle.ss impulse, and have made a nest on the ground in some half-sheltered nook. The material was ready at hand, in the mossy covering of the earth, and little care or thought was needed to fashion a little bunch into a little home.
" Four eggs are laid (they are buffy-yellow, thickly spotted over with brown and drab), with the points together, that they may take up less room and be more warmly covered ; there is need of this, such large eggs belonging to so small a bird. As we draw near the nuither sees us, and nestles closer still over her treasures, quite hiding them in the covering of her breast, and watches us with timid eyes, all anxiety for the safety of what is dearer to her than her own life.
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14+
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
a
I
H('i- iiiiite stands motionless, but not unmoved, hard \)y, not ventur- ing even to cliirp the note of encouragement and sympatliy she h)ves to hear.
" Alas ! hope fades, and dies out, leaving only fear ; there is no further concealment — we are almost upitn the nest -almost trodden upon, she s[)rings up with a piteous cry and Hies a little distance, re-alighting, almr)st beside her.self with grief ; for she knows only too well what is to be feared at such a time. If there were ho[)e foi- her that her nest were undiscovered, she might dissimulate, and try to entice us away by those touching deceits which maternal love in- spires. But we are actually bending over her treasures, and deception would be in vain ; her grief is too great to l)e witnessed unmoved, still less portrayed ; nor can we, deaf to her beseeching, change it to desi)aii'. We have seen and admired the home — -there is no excuse for making it desolate ; we have not so much as touched one of the precious eggs, and will leave them to her renewed and patient care."
Tt is found as a migrant in Ontario and the Nortli-West as far as Alaska. In the latter region it is rare, none hiiving been found on the islands of Behrinjr Sea.
• !
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SuHGKXus PELIDNA Cuviku. TRINGA ALPFNA PACIFICA (Coi es).
102.
Red-backed Sandpiper. ('2t.'5<0
Ailiill ill siiwiiiif : — Above, cliestnut, each feathw with a central black tield, anil nio.it of them \vhitisl>-ti|)peil ; rump au<l ujtper tail coverts, blackish; tail featiiers and '.^iug coverts, ashy-gray; (piiils, dusky with pale shafts; second- aries, mostly white; and inner ])riniai'ies, edged with the same; iiniler parts, white; belly, with a broad jet black area; breast and jugulum, thickly sti'eaked witii <lusky ; bill ami feet, black. Adult in ii'iiifer, and 1/011111/: — Above, plain ashy-gray, with dark shaft-lines, with oi- without red or black traces; below, white; little or no trace of black on the belly; jugulum, with a few dusky stieiks and a! ashy sutt'usiou. Length, S-i) inches; wing, 4.';-.'); tail, 2-2\; bill, l.l-l.'i, longer than head, couijji'essed at base, rather ilepressed at the end; tibia, bare about h; tarsus, I, or luther less.
Hah. — North Amei'ica in general, bi-eetling far north, and straggling to eastern coast of Asia.
Nest, in the vicinity of lakes and ponds, a hollow in the ground lined with a few withered leaves.
Kggs, tiu'ce or four, clay color, spotted, staineil and blotched with chestnut.
This is the Black-heart Plover of sportsmen. It is a regular
< I
CURLEW SANDPIPER.
145
to a,
lit.
lar
visitor in Ontario in the season of migration, appearing on the shores of Lake Ontario with wonderful regiihirity on tht? Queen's birthday (May 24th), as if to aflford sport to our gunners on that Canadian holiday. It is much in favor with tliose who are fond of kilHng a great numljer of birds at once, for it usually appear.s in large, com^ pact flocks and is not very ditticult of approach. T once saw seventy- six killed or wounded with the discharge of two barrels. They had just arrived on the shore, and, seeming tired after a long flight, settled on a partially submerged log near the water's edge, from which they were unwilling to rise, and allowed the gunner to do as stated, to his extreme delight. It did not occur to one, looking at so large a number of dead and wounded birds, that any very com- mendable feat had been accomplished, V)ut so it was considered at the time, and so it will be again, I presume, with that class of sports- men, but the like opportunity may not happen soon again, as the number of Black-hearts which now visit that locality is ver}' small.
On leaving Southern Ontario in spring they pass on to the North- West, where they breed abundantly in Alaska and in the .Vrctic Regions,
They are again seen in the fall, when they spend a few da3'8 before leaving for winter-quarters in the south.
TRTNGA FERRUGINEA Bhunx, 103. Curlew Sandpiper. (-244)
Adult .—Crown of the liead and entire upper parts, greenisli-hlack, eacli feather tipped and indented witli yellowish-red ; wing coverts, aslij -hrown, each feather with dusity sliaft line and ividdish edging; upper- tail covoit.s, white, with broad dusky hara, tinged at thjii- extreniitius witii reddish; tail, pale gray, with greenish reflection; sides of the neck aiul entire under jmrts uniform, deep brownisii -red ; under tail coverts, i)ar' jd witli dusky; axillars and under wing coverts, white; bill and feet, greenisii-black. Length, HA; wing, about 5; bill, l^.
Hab. — Old World in general; occasional in eastern Nortii America.
Nest, by the mai-gin of lakes and rivers, a sligiit hollow lined witii le;..vef.
and
grass.
Eggs, three or four, pale-greenish buif, spotted and ))lotched with chestnut-
brown.
So far as at present known, the Curlew Sandpiper is only a straggler on the American continent, about ten or a dozen being all the recorded captures. It is quite a common British species, and 10
11
1
t
'■■Vi '.r
1 I
r
J
146
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
t ■
like others peculiar to those eastern lands, may occasionally be wafted westward against its inclinations, V)ut no nest of the species has yet been found on this side of the Atlantic.
In 1867, the Board of Arts of Western Canada prepared a "Cata- logue of Birds Observed in the Country," in connection with the collection which, during that year, was sent to the Paris Exposition. The Curlew Sandpiper is named in the catalogue, but no specimen was available for the collection. I have mentioned it here, chiefl\' with the view of placing the technical description in the hands of those interested, so that they may be able to identify the species should they at any time fall in with it.
Gknus EREUNETES Tlli(;eh. ,. •
EREUNETES PUSILLU8 (Linx.).
104. Semipalmated Sandpiper. (246)
A</ii/t 'II .tiiniiiK'.r : — iVbove, variegated with black, l)a_v and ashy or whiter each feather with a black field, reddish edge and whitish tip; rump and iij)per tail coverts, except the lateral ones, bhickish ; tail feathers, ashy-gray, the central darker; primaries dusky, the shaft of the first white; a dusky line from the bill to the eye, and a white superciliary line; below, pure white, usually rufescent on the l)rea8t, and with more or le.ss dusky speckling on the throat, l)reast and sides, in young l)irds usually wanting; in winter the up])er parts ntostly plain ashy-gray ; but in any plumage or under anj' vai'iation the species is known by its small size and semipalmated feet. Length, oA-fiA inches; wing 4:}-4j ; tarsus and middle toe and claw, about 1 ; bill, variable from A to 1 A, averaging J.
Hab.— -Eastern Province of North America, breeding north of the United States ; south in winter to the West Indies and South America.
Nest, a depression in the grcmnd, in or near some moist place, lined with withered grass.
Kgga, three or four, variable in color, usually clay color, blotched f»r spotte<l with umber-brown.
This is a very abundant species during the season of migration, thronging alike the shores of the Atlantic and those of our inland lakes and ma-shes.
They visit the borders of Hamilton Bay in spring and fall in con- siderable numbers, but are so much disturbed by amateur gunners that they soon seek for more retired feeding grounds elsewhere.
They are usually found associating with the Least Sandpiper, which they much resemble in general appearance, but the semipal-
SANDERLINO.
147
mated toes of the present species are always a reliable (Iistin<,'uishin<( mark.
This is an eastern species, which prefers the shores of the Atlantic as its line of travel, juissing up north in spring. Tt is tolerably •common in Manitoba and the Xorth-AVest, but i.s not seen in Alaska. Its centre of abundance seems to be the shores of Labrador and Hudson's lUiy, where it breeds in gi-eat numV)ers. They can raise ■<mly one broorl, for they return fi'oni the north before August is out, and soon pass on south, where they are saifl to winter from the Carolinas south wai'd.
M
(iivMs CALlDlilS Ci viKif. CALTDIUS A REN A lU A (Linn.
I'
i^
10.-). Sanderling. C^iK)
Ailnit ill siiiiiiiur : Ki-inl. \wv\t iiml iippi^r parts vaiicd willi liliU'k. ashy ami Idight lecUliish; below, from the lueasl. ))iiie white ; tail, except eeiitral feathers, light-aiih. nearly white; primaries, gray with hlackisli edges and tips, the shaft.s of all and hases of n\o«t. white; Hecoudarie.s. white. exeej)t a 8j)ace at tiie end, and greater coverts lii-oadly white ti|))ied ; l)ill and feet, black. Ai/ii/f in iiinfff am/ j/oiiiii/ : -"Sit reddisli ; s|)eekled with black and wiiite; .sometimes tawny tinged on tiie juguhun. length. 7.^ H; wing. 4.\ .■>; tail, 2] ; bill, about 1 ; tar'sus, 1, oi- ratlier le.s.'^; middle toe and claw. •,'.
H.Mi. Nearly (;osnio})olitan, breeding in the Arctic and sul)ai('tic re^ a», migrating in .America, south to (Jhili and Patagonia.
Nest, a liollow in the grovuid, lined with gi-aHS and dead leaves.
Kggs, two to four, greenish-brown, spotted and lilotcheil wit!) l>rown of •"litferent sinules.
148
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
The Sanderling is a species of very wide geijgriipliicjil di.striljution, being found in suitable places nearly all over the world.
It visits the shores of the great lakes in Ontario during the season of migration, and appears in different dress according to age or the season of the year. In spring the breast and foreneck are tinge'l with pale rufous, but in autumn the whole lower j»arts are as white as- snow. It is a very active species, and, when feeding along the shore, shows great celerity in following the receding wave, <jr keeping clear of the next one that rolls up on the beach. When wounded in the wing, it will run with great swiftness, and even take to the water and swim well. In spring their visits to Hamilton Bay are uncertain and of short duration, but on the return trip tliey appear about the end of August, and are found all through the fall.
The flocks of Handerlings which come over the boundary into- Southern Ontario in May, soon pass on by easy stages up north, being noticed at various points on the way. They have l)een found breed- ing on the islands along the coast of (Greenland, also in (Ti-imiell Land, and on the shores and islands of Hudson's Bay. Mr. Nelscjn did not see the species at St. Michael's, but he says that it breeds along the barren Arctic shore of the north Alaskan coast, east of Point Barrow, but not in any numbers south of this point.
It is found wintering in low latitudes on both shores of the Pacitic,. but is rather rare on the coast of India.
Genus LIMOSA J^kissox. , LIMOSA FEDOA (Liw.).
lOG. Marbled Godwit (-249)
Tail, barred tliroughoiit with l)lai;i< ami rufou.s; I'limp and upper tail coverts like the back; no pure wliite anywhere, (ieiieral i)luniage, rufous, or ciniianion- brown; below, nearly unmarked, and of very variable shade, usually deepest on the lining of tlie wing; above, variegated with black and ))ro\vn or gi'ay ; <juill8, rufous and black; bill, tlesh-colored, largely tipped with black; feet, dark. Large. Lengtli, l(j-2'2; wing, itbout !>; tail, a))out .3.\ ; bill, 4-.">; tibia bare, 1-U; tarsus, 2.V.3:^ ; toes, \^, stout.
Hab. — Xortii America, breeding in the interior (Missouri I'egion and north- ward), migrating in winter southward to Central America and (Jul)a.
Nest, on the prairie, not far from water.
Eggs, three or four; olive-drab, spotted with various shailes of und)er-brown.
The Marbled Godwit is occasionally seen singly, or in pairs, on the lake shores of Ontario during the season of migration; but these can
HUDSON IAN GODVVIT.
149
only l>e regarded as stragglers, for we learn that in spring it passes up the Mississippi Valley in flocks of consideraVjle size, and has been found nesting in Iowa, Minnesota and Dakota. It was also found by Prof. Macoun "feeding in large flocks along tlie salt marshes at Old Wives Lakes and other points '" in Manitoba and the North-West.
It is a handsome bird, in general appearance resembling the Curlews, from which, however, it can readily be distinguished by its straiglit bill.
LTMOSA HiEMASTTC.V (Linn.).
lu;
Hudsonian Godwit (i';")l)
Tail, hliick, laigely wliite tit hase, its covui'ts iiio.stly white; riiiiip, l)lacki.sh; lining' of wings extensively lilackish; under parts in the ln-eeiling season intense rufous (chiefly l)arre(l) with (hisky ; head, neck and upper parts brownish-black, variegated with gray, reddish and usually some whitish speckling; (juills, blackish, nun-e or less white at the base. Yoiiinj and ajiparently winter .speci- mens, niucii paler, tawny-whitish below, more gray above. Considerably Si nailer than the foregoing; about lo; wing, S or less; l)ill, 3j oi' less; tarsus, 2j, or less.
Hab. — Kastern North Aniericii, and tlie wliole of .Middle and South America. Hreeds only in the high north.
Nest, a hollow, lined witli leaves and grass.
Kggs, four, f)live-drab witli dai'k s]«)ts.
This species is less abundant tlian the preceding. It seems to prefer the line of the Atlantic for its migrations, but is also noticed inland in smaller numbers. I have seen it in spring at St. Clair Flats, and also on the shores of Hamilton Bay, where the specimen in my collection was obtained.
It is not known to breed anywhere within the limits of the United States, and Prof. Macoun, in recording its presence in the North- West, speaks of it as "less abundant than the preceding and more to the north."
Tn spring the pievailing color of the plumage is rich chestnut-red, crossed with wavy lines of black. Jn the fall, it is less attractive, being mostly ashy-gray.
Though not abundant, this species is generally distributed east of the Rocky ^Mountains. It breeds aliundantly on the barren lands of the Arctic Ocean, and on the lower Anderson River region. It associates with the Maibled Oodwit, and has the .same habits and characteristics.
%
siii 1
150 BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
Genus TOTANUS Hkciistkin.
SimiKNUs (JLOTTTS Kooii.
TOTANUS MELANOLEUCUS (Umkl.).
108. Greater Yellow-legs. (2r)4)
Bill, straight or slightly heiit upwards, very slendei-, grooved Imlf its lengtii. or less, black; legs, long and slender, yellow. In summer, asliy-hrown; aJiove varied with black and speckled witli whitish; below, white; jugulum, streaked; breast, sides and crissum, speckled or barred witli blackish; these latter marks fewer or wanting in wintei' and in the young; u])i)er tail coverts, wiiite, with dark bars; tail featliers, marbled or Ijarred witli ashy or white; fjuills, blackish, l^arge. Length, over 12 inches; wing, over 7; tail, 3 oi' moi'e; bill, 2 or moi'e;. tarsus, about 2^; middle toe and claw, lA; tibia, bare, l.\.
Hab. — America in general, breeding in the cold, temperate and subarctic portions of North America, and migrating soutii to Huenos Ayres.
Nest, a hollow, lined with giuss and leaves.
Eggs, three or four, gi'ayish-white. marked with s])ots of dark l)rown and lilac.
In spring, even before the ice i.s (juite gone tVoiu the lake."* and rivers of Ontario, the shrill, piercing cry of this V)ird may be heard overhead, as it circles round in search of some quiet, marshy inlet a,s a temporary i-esting place. It is a \ery watchful species, sure to observe the stealthy approach of tlie gunnei-, and give the alarm to. the neighborhood, on account of wliicli it lias been di.bbed tlie 7'eU- tale.
But a short .stay is made in spring, for it passes ijuickly on to its breeding place in the far north. As early as the end of August the- birds again appear, toiied down in dress and manners, accompanied by their families. Many <»f them become the victims of misjdaced confidence by exposing themselves witliin reach of the e\er-ready breech-loader, which at that sea.son of the year seems omnipresent in the marshes.
Like others of its kind, this species is an occasional visitor at the- Beach, near Hamilton, but the visits of all this class of birds at that point are now of less frequent occurrence, and of shorter duration,. than in former years.
In Manitoba and the North- West, it is observe,! migrating in spring and fall, but is not known to breed. Mr. Nelson thinks it breeds in Alaska, but he has not found the eggs. Audubon found it breeding in Labrador. Its eggs are still scarce in collections.
YELLOW-LEGS — SOLITARY SANDPIPER.
lol
TOTANUS FLAVaPES (Gmkl.). 109. Yellow-legs. (255)
A miniature of the lust; colors precisely the aaiiie ; legs coiiipanitively longer; bill grooved rather farther. Length, under 12; wing, under 7; tail, nnderli; hill, under, 2; tai'sus, alxmt 2; middle toe and claw, ami hare tihia, each 1^.
Haii. — America in general, hreeding in the cold, teni))erate and suharctic districts, and migrating 8(mth in winter to southern Stnith .\merica. Less connnon in the Western than in the Eastern Province of North America.
Nest, a slight depression in the ground, lined with dried grass or leaves.
Kggs, thi-ee or four, variable in color, usually clay coloi', blotciied or sfjottcd with umber-brown. '
111 color, haiint.s and habits, thi.s specie.s clo.sely resembles the precedinf^, but the difference in size serves at all times to distinguish one from the other. Both are esteemed for the table, and they are therefore sought for by sportsmen, and often exposed for sale in the market. When one is wounded in a flock, tlie others raise a great outcry, and remain near it so long that their ranks are <jften still further thinned before they move off. Alone, or in company with the preceding, this species pays a passing visit to the shores of Hamilton Bay in spring and fall.
In some localities it is more numerous than the Greater Yellow- legs, but both follow the same route.
Coming into Canada from the Northern States in May, they pass up north through the British possessictns, but do not stop to breed till they reach the far north.
The Yellow-legs has been found breeding abundantly in the Macfarlane and Anderson River regions, where its eggs were found early in June. Tt is also known to breed at the mouth of the Poi-cu- pine River, which empties into the Yukon in Alaska. In the fall it is again seen in noisy groups, that become reduced in numbers at the different points they visit on their way to their winter quarters, which are said to be in the West Indies and South America. ,
1,!
K''n
■{■i
C i,
'• ii;
Subgenus RHYACOPHILUS Kaup. TOTANUS SOLITARIUS (Wil.s.).
110. Solitary Sandpiper. (25G)
Bill, perfectly straight, very slender, giooved little beyond its middle ; daik lustrous olive-brown, streaked on the head and neck, elsewhere finely speckled with whitish ; juguluni and sides of neck, with brownish suffusion and dusky
152
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
I' I
stroiik«; iitinp and upper tail coverts, like the back; tail, axillara and lining of wingH, beautifully hai'i'od witii hlack and wliite ; (juills, entirely hlai.'kisJi ; hill and feet, very dark olive-green. Voidii/: -Didler ahove, less* speckled, jugnluni merely suffused witii grayisli-hrown. I..ength, S-9; wing, T); tail, 2i ; Mil, tarsus an<l middle toe, eacli about 1-I|; tihiie, hare, ij.
Ha It. -Xoi'tli America, breeding tiwougliout the tenijierate portions (more oonunonly northward), and migrating southward as fai' as Hra/il and Peru.
Nest, a iiollow in tiie ground, not fai' from water.
Kggs, clay color with a reddish tinge, thickly marked with reddish and hhukish brown.
As it.s iiiimc iiiiplit's, this is a solitary bird, nowhere abundant, yet widely distributed. Ft is seen during the .summer months in Soutliern Ontario. Prof. Macoun reports it as "of frecjuent occur- rence on the phiins " of the North-West, and it has been found in Ala.ska.
Ill tlie " List of lUrds of Western Ontario," puljlished in the f'nua- din It S/i(irfn)tidii (I ml Xnfurnfinf, for November, \SH2, it is stated that "in the summer of 1879 this })ird l)red very commonly along the streams in Middlesex, but has since then been quite rare." Most of tho.se I have seen near Hamilton have risen unexpectedly from some pool by the roadside, frecjuently from places where cattle have been in the habit of \isiting to obtain water. T have not seen more than two together. 1 n their motions they are (juiet and sedate, but have the habit peculiar to others of this class, of nervously jerking their liinder parts in a nifinner apparently .satisfactory to themselves, though what particular purpose is served by it, is not to us apparent. Front having seen this species in all the summer months, T have placed it on the list as a rare summer resident here.
T have often fancied myself in close proximity to its nest, but so far T have not found it. T may state, however, that T do not search for eggs, and, therefore, do little collecting during June and July.
There is no trouble in deciding the breeding range of a common species, but the reverse is the case with a rare bird. In the " Birds of Manitoba," several of the observers mention it as probably breed- ing, but Macoun states positively: " Frecjuent throughout the Winni- pegosis region, along the route of 1881, breeding, for young were observed with some down yet." It is reported as breeding at several points in Ala-^ka, but even there it is not abundiint, and the eggs are still rare in collections.
WILLET.
158
Gkxis SYMPlIEAfTA Kakixksquk. SYMPIIKMIA SEMJPAI.MATA (Umkl.)-
111. Willet. (L'08)
ISill. straight, coni])anitivL'ly stout, gi-ooved little, if any, inoi'c than half its lengtli. In suniniur, gi'ay above, with nun«M'oiis black marks; white, lielow; the juguluni, Mti'eake<l; the bieai<t, sides and ci'issuni, barred, or with arrow- sliu))ed marks of dusky (in winter, and in young l>irds, all these dark marks few oi' wanting, exce])t on jugulum); ui)|)er tail eoverts, most of the secondaries, find basal half of piimaries, white; ends of primaries, their eoverts, lining of wings and axillars, black; bill, bluish or dark; toes, with two conspicuous basal webs. Length, I'J-U); wing, 7-H; tail, 'Ih-'-i; bill or tarsus, '2-'2'^; tibia, bare, 1 or more; middle toe and claw, U-'2.
Hab. — Temperate Xorth America, south to the West Indies and Krazil.
Nest, in a tussock of grass in the marsh, just above water level.
Kggs, three or four, usually clay color, splashed or spotted with varying shades of umber-brown and purple.
Very little is known of this species in Ontario. On two occasions I have seen it brought in by gunners from the marsh, but have not met witli it alive. That it passes this way in spring and fall is probable, for it breeds generally throughout the United States as far north as Dakota, anfl has iilso been observed in the North-West by Prof. Macoun. 1 n general appearance it resembles the Greater Yellow- shanks, but in the present species the legs are bluish-lead color. The Willets are very wary birds, and along the sea coast, where they are jnore c<»mmon and much sought after, decoys are used to .attract them within range. Tn the fall they are said t(t get extremely fat, and are much prized for the table.
Although generally distributed throughout Ontario and across the interior to the Pacific coast, they are nowhere numerous, the centre •of abundance being fai-ther to the south. Coljb's Island, Virginia, is mentioned as one of the breeding places.
Tn Davie's " Nests and Kggs, ' it is stated that there is a tract of salt grass in Beaufort County, South Carolina, where it breeds in great numbers. A hundred pairs or more are commonly observed breeding in this locality at the same time. The eggs are very difficult ttt discover, but the crows find them out and feed upon them, the •empty shells being strewed plentifully over the field.
154
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
(iKN'iJH PAVONCKLLA Leaoh. PAVONCELLA PlHiNAX Lixn.
112. Ruff. (2()0)
A1m»v»', viuieil witli Muck, rufous, and gray; tlie scapuliir.s uiul turtials fxliiliiting tlioxe colors in o)ili(iuc haitils; bcneatli, white, varied on tlie juguluni and tliroat; primaries, <lark brown, with gi'eenisii reflection ahove ; tiie inner wehs tinely mottled towards the liase ; outer three tail feathers plain, the remainder ti'ansversely l)arre<l ; bill, brown; sides of rump, white; legs, yellow. Mall' in spring dress with the feathei's of the neck gi'eatly developed into a rufJ'; the face covered with reddish papillie. Length, alwut IW inches; wing, 0.4U; tail, 'KiO; bill, 1.2">.
Hah. -Northern jiarts of the Old World, straying occasionally to Kastern North America.
Nest, made by the females, in a dry tussock of grass in a wet swam]).
Kggs, four, grayish-green, blotched and spotted with reddish-brown.
.\ wiiiulercr from the ( >kl World, which lia.s been ctccasiuiiiilly obtained on Lon^' Island, on the coast of New England and in the Middle State.s.
The fact of a specimen having been killed on the island near Toronto, in the spring of IHH'i, gives me the privilege of recording this species as a rare visitor to Ontario. This is farthei" inlanil than any of the others occurred, and the probabilities are that it will not often be found .so far from the sea. The specimen referred to is appar(!ntly a young male in nearly perfect plumage, and is now mounted, and in the possession of Mr. Young, of Toronto.
Along the eastern shores of England and Scotland, the Hufts are migrants in s})ring and fall, in foi-mer yeai-s a few pairs used to^ remain and rai.se their young, but now, owing to the clearing of the land and the bii-ds being more shot at than formerly, nearly all pass on to Scandinavia, where they Vireed in great numbers. Rutts are polygamous, and the males have a curious habit of a.ssembling on bare knolls in the spring to fight for the females. Thei-e they erect their long feathers and charge each other with a gi-eat tleal of fuss and flutter, but their differences are usually settled without blood- shed, and soon afterwards the females retire, select the site, build the nest, and raise their brood without receiving any further atten- tion from the other sex.
In autumn the}' pass south to the Mediterranean, tlience down both coasts of Africa as far as Cape Colony.
BARTRAMIAN HANDIMPEH.
155
Ukxls I'.A KT|{ a M i A I.kshon. liAKTKAMlA LONtJiCArDA (Ukchst.).
ll;l Bartramian Sandpiper. (201)
Al»f>ve, liliit'kiHli, with a nlight greeiiiHli rcflectidii. viiriegatt'd with tiivsiiy and whitiH)) ; below, palo tawny <>t' vai'ying Mliade, Meaching on tlu'oiit and Welly: jngnlnni with islreakH, lireast and siduH with arrowheads and hars of hlaekitih : axillars and lining of wings, pnre white, black -barred ; (jnillH blackish, with wliite bais on the inner webs; tail, varied with tawny, black and white, (^hierty in Imrs; bill and legs, pale, former black-tipj>ed. Length, 11-13 inches; wing, H-7; tail, 3-4; bill, \-\]; middle toe and diiw about the same; tarsjis, about 'J.
Hah. - Kastern North America, north to Nova Scotia and Alaska, breeding throughout its Nortli American range, migrating in winter soutiiwanl as fai- even as southern Soutli America. Occasional in Kurope.
Nest, on the ground, a sligiit depression lined with grass often in an old pasture field.
Eggs, four, clay color, marked all over with snuill sjjots of mnber-bi-own, most numerous at the largei' end.
The Field Plover, iis this species is frequently called, is now \ery seldom seen in Ontario, thouj^h the older sportsmen tell us tl)at in former times it was often observed in the pasture fields in sprinfj; and fall. The few that I have noticed near Hamilton have always been in such places, but the.se can only be regarded as straf^j,ders, bewildered by fog, or driven by adverse winds away from their regular habitat. In all the country between the Mississippi and the Rocky Mountains, this species is said to be exceedingly abun(hint • hiring tiie seasons of migration, many remaining to raise their young in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Dakota, while large flocks pass on for the same {)urpose, going as far north as the Yukon. According to Prof. Macoun, they are al)undaiit on the prairies of the North- West, where the}* will afford good sport and a table delicacy to many a future settler in that promising country.
The only point in Southern Ontario at which 1 have heard <jf these birds being seen lately is on the Lake Erie shore not far from Dunnville, where Dr. Macallum is aware of at least two pairs having raised their broods during the two past summers. They have also been lieard of on the lake shore farther west, but the increased cultivation of the land, and the increased number of people firing their guns at them, lead such birds to seek for greater retirement elsewhere.
m
If '
* Hi
i
150
lURDS OF ONTAUIO.
11; 1 I
(iKMs TI{YN(}TTKS Cai.ams. TltYN(JlTKS SIIIJIUIFK'OLLIS (Vikiu.).
ML Buff-breasted Sandpiper, (-'"ii')
t^iiills, largely wliitc on tin; inner \vel>, iiml witli oeiiiitifiil liliiok injir))ling or mottling, heat Heen from i>elow; tail, uni>ai'riMi, gray, the central feathei'A darker, all with Hiihtcrminal hla<'k edginj,' ami vhitetips; crown and upjMsr parts hlackish, the feathers with whitish or tawny edging, e.si)eeially on the wings: sides of the head, neck all round and iindei' parts, pale rufous or fawn coloi', speitkled on the neck and hreast with dusky; hill, hlack ; feet, greenish- yellow. Length, 7-S; wing, .")-.").^; tail, '2\; tarsus, Ij; middle toe and claw, and hill, under an inch.
Hah. — North America, especially in the interior; hreeds in the Yukon district and the interioi' of British America, northward to the Arctic coast; .South America in winter. Of fre(|uent occurrence in Kurojje.
Nest, a defjression in the grounil, lined «ith dry grass or leaves.
Kggs, four; clay color, hlotched or sj)otted with undiei--hrown.
In tlie early fall 1 have several times met with these interesting little birds, runnin<^ ani<tiig the short ^'rass on the sand}' knolls, north of the canal at the beach, but have not seen them elsewliere.
They are .said to breed in high latitudes, a dozen sets of eggs in the Smith.sonian Institute having all been collected by Mr. Macfar- lane in the Anderson Kiver region, and along the Arctic coast.
With this record before me, 1 was not a little surprised to receive frtmi Dr. (J. A. Macallum, of Dunnville, a notice of his having found a nest of the species near his home, a few miles back from the north shcjre of Lake Erie. In answer to my recjuest for further particulars, I received a prompt and full reply, from which the following is an extract : "About the Bufi'-breasted Sandpiper — I find on turning up my notes that it was taken June 10th, 1879, when two of the eggs were hatched and the other one chipped, but of thi.s, however, I was able to make a good specimen, and it is now in my cabinet.
"The female was .shot, and with the two little fellows, stands my collection. The young are fawn-colored, with black spots over th whole body; the egg measures l.lif) x .9"), is pyriforin in shape; color, ground, buff, thickly covered with dark blotches of two shades of brown, making the general appearance very dark — almost .is dark as the eggs of Wilson's Snipe.
" The nest was placed between two tussocks of grass on the ground, a short distance from the bank of the river, where the ground is
SPOTTED SANDI'IPKH.
SAT
tdh'nildy lii^'li, luid whcif it is tlu* custom to cut iiiarsh hay. The nest WHS ot' a ducided shape, and was composed of the fine moss or weed which i;rows between the tussocks of mafsh ^rass. This is the only case of its l)iee(hnj,' here to my l<riowle<lj;e.''
This sjteci«'s not bein;{ conun<»ii anywhere, tliere is not much opportunity foi- ol)taining positive information ic^'ardinj^ its distri- bution during the l)reedinf( season, it may be that the case referred to by I)r. Macalhnn is an isolated one, but it may yet be found, like its neai' relative, IJarti-ams Sandpiper, breedinj; occasionally in suitable places throuj^liout the country. The l>ull'-l)reaste(l has a wide geographical range, and although many pairs breed in the far north, a few remain and i-aise their young in the middle districts. Those r obtained were got on the .")th of September, 1885, and, though evidently young birds, were in good plumage at that time.
in the " llirds of .Manitoba," it is mentioneil oidy as a rare transient visitor.
Gkni-.s ACTTTIS [uAdEii. ACTITIS MACULARIA (Linn.).
IIT). Spotted Sandpiper. (I'O.S)
AVmivc, olive ((jiiaki'r-<'ol()r, exai^tly ii.s in the ('ucUod), witii a coppery lustre, finely varied with i)laL'k; line over eye, and entire xuiiler parts pure white, with numerous sharp circular black spots, larger and more crowded in the female tlian in the //(rt/^, entirely wanting in very young hirds; secondaries, broadly white-tippeil, and inner prinuiries with a white spot; most of the tail feathers like the back, with sub-terminal black bar and white tip; bill, pale yellow, tipped with l)laek ; feet, flesh color. Length, 7-S ; wing, about 4; tail, about 2; bill, tarsus and middle toe, each ab((Ut 1.
Hab. — North and South America, south to Hrazil. Ureeds throughout temperate North America, Occasional in Kuro])e.
Nest, on the ground, usually in sheltei- of higli weeds, conij)osed of dried grass.
Eggs, foiu', clay color, blotched with l)lackisli-brown.
No bird of its class is so well known throughout Ontario as the "Teeter Snipe." Merry bands of children, getting out to the woods to pick flowers in the early summer, listen with delight to its soft "peet-weet," as it flits from point to point along the margin of the str- am, and find great amusement in watching the peculiar jerky, tee ring motions which give rise to its common name. It thus be lies associated in the mind of the rising generation with the
lira of summer and its many outdoor enjoyments, and so is always
I 1
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158
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
welcome. About the middle of April, the Peet-weets c!'o.s« oui' soutlieni boundary, and are soon dispersed in pairs all over the <*ountry, where they are heard and seen by every brook side till <ibout the end of September, when they move off to spend the winter in the Southern States. Tn the fall they become (juite numerous, and many may be seen along the lake shore at one time, but they are not gregarious, each individual choosing its own time to rise and place to alight. The female is rather largt'r and : lore heavih- sjiotted than the male.
The species is common throughout the NortliAVcst, and has l)een found by Dr. Bell in the Hudson's Bay regions, l)ut it rarely, if ever, \isits Alaska.
Gems NUMENIUS Biusson. ' NITMENIUS LONdTKOSTRTS Wils.
I I
IIG. Long-billed Curlew (-'(U)
Bill, of extreme lengtii iind (Uii-viitiu'e, nieiisuring from ."> to S or !) inche.s; total length, about 2 feet; wing, 1 fo(it or less; tail, about 4; tar.su.s, 'Ik to 2^. IMuniage very similai' to tliat of tiie (lodwit, prevailing tone, rufous, of varying intensity in dirt'erent birds and in ditt'erent parts of the same bird, usually more intense undei' the wing than elsewhere ; below, the juguluni streaked, and tho lireast and sides with arr<>w-iu;ads and Ikii's of dusky; above, variegated with lilauk, especially on the crown, l)a':k and wings; tail, bai'red throughout with black and rufous; seconthiries, rufotis; primaries, blackish and rufous; no pure white anywhere; bill, black, the undci' mandible tlesh-colore<l for some dis- tance; legs, dark.
Hah. — Temperatt North .\ineri<;a, migrating s(mth to (Guatemala and the West Indies. Breeds in the south Atlantic .States, and in the interior tlp'ough most of its North American range.
Nest, on the ground, a slight hollow lined with grass.
Kggs, three or four, clay color, blotched oi' spotted with und)er-brown.
The Ltmg-billed Curlew is a bird of the prairie rather than the coast, though it is often met with along the shores of the sea. It is said to breed in suitable places from Carolina to Minnesota, but is hpoken of by Prof. Mticoun as rare in the NorthAN'est. In (Jntario, it is occjisionally seen tilong the shores of the lakes, but only as an ineguhir visitor, and not in large numbers. Among the veteran sportsmen near Hamilton, it is spoken of as one of the kinds whi^h have been scared away by the railroaifls. Whether or not the snorting of the locomotive has anythiisg to do with the di>^ appearance of the liirds from their former haunts it is hard to say, but certain it is that
HUDSONIAN CURLEW.
159
the number of wjuiers and swimmers we now see is small coinjiured with former years.
In the "Birds of Minnesota," r)r. Hatch, at the connnencement of his article on the Ijong-billed (.^urlew, says ; "Tliis widely distributed species is nowhere bett^jr represented than in Minnesota," but refer- ring to this statement he says, in a foot-note: "The al)o\e was true when written, but the curlews of this species, once so conunon, have l)ecome less so within the last decade ; and now, having Ix^en driven back from both coasts by the advance of civilization, ai-e found in great numbers far inland on the dry plains, where they ai-e kille<l
in scores and hundreds."
Dr. Bell remarks that it has not been seen near Hudson's Bay.
Tt does not migrate so far north as either of the other species with
which we are acquainted. It still breeds alnmdantly o?i the soutii
Atlantic coast, and is resident from the Carolinas south to Mexico.
NUMENIU8 HUDHONICrS Lath.
117. Hudsonian Curlew. (-*();"))
Bill, iiiediuni, 8 or 4 inches long; Icngtii, l(i-lS; wing, i); tail, .SA ; tarsus, •2|-'2A. I'luniage, as in the last species in pattern, liut gciieial tone nincli paler; (Itiills, bai-red.
Hab. — All of North and Sontii America, including tlic West Indies; lirceds in the high north, and winters chiefly soutii of the United States.
Nest, a tlepression in the ground, lined with gia.ss.
Kggs, ashy yellow, marked with chocolate and nndici-lnnwn.
According to Dr. Coues, hii>h<>nii'iis is less abundant than either of the other two Curlews, but at Hamilton it is, of the three, most frequently observed. I was onc<> on the Beach in May, when there appeared to be a migratory movement of Hudsonian Curlews toward the north. They flew high, in regular older, like geese, ai\d showed no inclination to alight till a boy, with a long shot, brought down one, wing broken, from a passing flock.
Knowing the habits of the V)irds, he t|uickly tied it to a stake in a moist meadow, and concealing him.self clo.se by, luwl good shooting during the afternoon, for the loud outcry made by his prisoner brought down every passing flock.
(^f late years very few have bt>en seen.
This is a truly northern -species, for Mr. Nelson reports it as a nugrant in Alaska, only an isolated pair remaining here; and there ti. pass the summer, the main IkkIv going farthei' noi-th, where they
ii:
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BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
have been found breediii/^^ on the barren hind of the Arctic Regions. They seoni to prefer the eastern route during migrations. .Mr. Chambci'lain repoHs tiieni as abundant along the Athmtic, as far north, at least, as Antico.sti. l>r. Hell found them in plenty near Fort Churchill, but in the " IMrds of Manitoba," no mention is made t»f them. ]n Southern Ontario they are still rare. Occasionally a ■straggling tlock of migrants is .seen in spring, and Dr. .Macallum reports them as regular visitors at Mohawk Island every June, Itut on such occasions they appear only in small numbers.
NUMENIUS liOREALTS (Fokst.). US. Eskimo Curlew. (20(5)
Hill, siii ill, uiiik-r '.i inclies long; leiigtli, \-2l't inclios ; wing, under 9; tail. ;i; tiusiis, '2. I'luniage, in tone iiml pattern ahno-st exactly as in tlie hist species, hut avei'aging nioce rufous, espeeiallj' under the wings, and j)rinuiries. not barred.
Haii. — Kasteru j'l'ovince of Xoilli America, breeding in tlie Arctic regions, and migrating south to the sontliein extremity of South .\morica.
Xest, in open plains, a hollow lined with grass and leaves.
Kggs, olive-dral) shading to green gi'ay. or lirown maiked with ilark clioco- late.
The Curlews idl resemble each other in {)lumage, but in size thej- vary considerably, this being the smallest of the three. Tt is very abundant in the remote regions which it fretpients in summer, and also along its migratory wmrse, from which it does not seem to deviate nmch. On the Pacific coast it has not yet been observed, and on the Atlantic shores it appears (mly in limited numbers. The great highway of the species is through the States just east of the Ibtcky Mountains, where it is seen in innnense Hocks in spring and fall. Dr. Coues says it is extraordinarily abundant in some places duiing the migration, as in Labradoi', where it fairly swarms in August, r once found myself, unexpectedly, in close proximity to a solitaiy individual on the shore of the beach, near Hamilton, and secui'ed it, but that is the only record 1 have of its occurrence in Ontario.
Dr, Macallum's experience with this species is similar to mine. He .secured two, which were feeding ii\ an old pasture field along with some (iolden Plovers ; but these are all he has seen in twenty years.
< (I
Fa^iii.v CHAHADHlIDyE Pm.\ i:ns.
(Ikm.s CHAHADUIUS Linn.ki.s.
SiHciKNTs SgUATAlioLA Ci viKK.
CHARADRIUS SQUATAKOLA (Linn.).
11!*. Black-bellied Plover. (270)
Adult III hricflliiij ■•'('r(.vo//.--Hiii'ely seen in tlii' United States; face and eiitiru undef parts, Idack; tipper ])aits, varie^'iitcd with Idack and white, n\- ashy; fail, barred witli liiack and white; i|uills. dusky with liwge wiiite patiJies. Adiiltf nt o/lii r /inns aiiil i/oinii/; IJehiw, wliite, more or less sliaded with gray; tlie tliroat and lireast, more or less speckled with tlnsky; aliove, lilaekisii, speckled with white or yellowish ; the runij), white, with dark hais; legs, dull hliiish. Old l)ii-ds changing show every grade, from a tew isolated feathers on the under parts to numerous lai'ge hlaek patidies. !,engtii, II 12; wing, 7 or more; tail,.'!; hill, 1-1 ); taisiis, "J; middle foe and claw, 1 1", ; hind toe, hardly i.
Hab.— Nearly cosmopolitan, hut chiefly in the northern hemisphere, lireed ing far north, and migrating south in wintei-, in America, to the West Indies, lira/il and New (irenaila.
Nest, a hollow in the ground, slightly lined with gi-ass.
Eggs, four, dark gray color, blotched or spotted with brownish -black. 11
162
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
Altliough of nearly cosmopolitan distribution, this large and hand- some Plover is nowhere abundant. It has been found breeding on the Arctic coast east of the Anderson River, where its eggs were taken by Mr. IVlacfarlane.
In its migrations, it prefers the sea coast on either side to the interior, but a few are also observed inland.
At Hamilton, it visits the beach in spring and fall in limited numl)ers. I once got two out of three very handsome individuals which I saw there on tlie .'5r(l of June. In the "List of Birds of Western Ontario," it is mentioned as a "common migrant" at 8t. Clair Flats. It is also seen passing throughout the North- West, and Mr. White has found it at Ottawa.
Until (juite recently, the only breeding place I had heard named for this species was within the Arctic Circle. In the " Birds of Minnesota," Dr. Hatch says: "In the .summer of 1875, a clutch of four eggs was sent to me with the female, which proved to be a Black-bellied Plover. It was obtained in the vicinity of upper Lake Minnetonka. Since then several nests have been reported l)y persons competent to determine them, and 1 accept the conclu.sion that this species breeds to a limited extent in some portions of the State."
A few are said to breed at the mouth of the Yukon in Alaska, but at St. Michael's, where Mr. Nelson was stationed, he did not find it in summer.
Subgenus CHAllADHirS Linn.eus. CHARADRIUS DOMINICUS (Mull.).
l-'O. American Golden Plover, (272)
Phiniiige, sjieckleil ahove, iiml, in the l)reeding season, black below, as in the last species, but much of the speckling bfight yellow; and the i'Uin|) and upper tail coverts, like the bai-k : forehead and a broad line ovei' the eye to the nape, white; tail featliers, giayish-brown, with imperfect white or ashy ))ar.s; axillars, gray or ashy. At other tinies, th uder parts neai'ly as in the last species. Length, 10-11; wing, 7 or less; tail, undeili; bill, 1 or less.
Hai«. — Arctic America, inigratiiii,' southward throughout North and South Aineiica to Patagonia.
Nest, com])osed of dry grass, in a natural hollow in the ground.
lOggs, four, similar to those of the pi-eceding species but not (juite so large.
Old sportsmen tell us that (Jolden Plovers used to follow the line of the Detroit River in immense flocks, passing quickly to the north
KILLDEER.
163
in the spring, and lingering along the shores and in the pasture fields on their return in the full.
According to the " List of Birds of Western Ontario," they are still regular visitors there, but only in small numbers. Near Ham- ilton they have never been common. Small flocks of immature birds are seen passing south in the fall occasionally, but not regularly.
The Golden Plover in full breeding plumage is a very handsome bird, but, like the Snow-bird and some others which breed in high latitudes, it does not assume the nuptial dress till it reaches its northern home, and by the time it gets back within the bounds of civili.iation it has donned the sober garb of winter.
Mr. White reports the Golden Plover as a regular visitant at Ottawa during October. It is an abundant migrant in the North- West, but none remain during the summer. It breeds abundantly on the coast and islands of the Arctic Sea, and on the barren lands, and again puts in an appearance at the usual stopping places on its return trip in the fall.
:|
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Genus ^GIALITIS Boie.
Subgenus OXYECHUS Reicuenbacu.
iEGIALITIS VOCIFERA (Linn.).
121. Killdeer. (273)
Above, qiiaker-browu, with u greenish tinge, soinetiniea most of the feathers tipped and edged witli orange-brown; rump and upper tail coverts, orange- brown; most of tail feathers, white at base and tip, sutfused with orange-brown in part of their length, and with one to tln'ee black bars; secondaries, mostly white; and primaries, with a white space; a Idack l)ar across tlie crown; and two black bands <m the neck and breast; forehead and entire uniler parts, except as stated, white; bill, black; feet, pale; eyelids, scarlet. Length, 9-10 inches; wing, 6 or more; tail, 'i\, much rounded; tarsus, about \h.
Hab. — Temperate North Amcricca, migi-ating in winter to the West Indies, Central Ameiica and northern South America.
Nest, in the grass or shingle, in the vicinity of water.
Eggs, four, clay coUn*, marked with blackish-brown.
This is a noisy, well-known bird, generally distributed throughout Ontario, and abundant in the North- West. In April, even before the snow is cjuite gone, the shrill cry of the Killdeer is heard in the upper air, as it circles around, surveying its old haunts, and selecting a bare spot on which to settle. 11*
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164
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
Its favorite resorts are pasture fields or waste places near water, where it spends much of its time on the ground, sometimes running with great speed, or sitting quietly as if aware that it is more likely to escape observation in that way than by moving. It can scarcely be called gregarious, yet, in the fall, when the young birds are getting strong on the wing, they may be seen in companies of ten or a dozen, visiting the muddy shores of streams and inlets, till about the end of September, when they all move off south.
It is common during summer in Manitoba and the North-West, but is not named among the " Birds of Alaska."
Subgenus ^OIALITIS Boie. ^OIALITIS SEMIPALMATA Bonap.
122. Semipalmated Plover. (274)
Above, (lark ashy -brown with an olivaceous sliade ; below, white ; very broad coronal and pectoral black liars in the adult in spring; in fall and in the young the coronal bar hardly evident; the pectoral, grayish-brown; edges of eyelids, bright orange; bill, moderately short and stout, orange or yellow, black tipped ; legs, yellowish ; toes, conspicuously seinipahnate. Length, about 7 inches ; wing, 4} ; tail, al)out 2^ rounded.
Hab. — Arctic and subarctic America, migrating soutli throughout tropical America, as far as Brazil and Peru.
Nest, a depression in the giound, lined with dry grass.
Eggs, four, clay color, marked with blackish-brown.
The Semipalmated is a solid, plump little bird of very pleasing plumage, particularly in spring, when the colors are clear and decided. In company with other beach birds, it is found along the shores of the lakes in Ontario from the middle till the end of May. In the fall it is again seen in increased numbers in similar places till about the end of September, when it disappears for the season. Dr. Coues found the King-necks breeding abundantly in Labrador, and mostly remaining there till the beginning of September. The dis- tance between their summer and winter home is very great, but their flight is rapid, and as they seem to know the way, the journey is quickly made.
They have been found breeding in the latter part of June on the Arctic coast and in the Anderson River regions, as well as on the islands off the Alaskan coast and at the mouth of the Yukon.
PIPING PLOVER.
165
It is probable that a few stop and raise tlieir brood by the way, for in A[anit(jba, where the species is abundant as a migrant, Macoun says : " Abundant in company with tlie Killdecr, and evidently breed- ing, as T saw young with them at th(> Sah Spiings on Hed Deer River, July 2L'nd, 1881, at Lake Manitoba."
^GTAIJTIS MELUDA (Ord.).
"10;
123. Piping: Plover. (i'77)
AlKjve, very piilo ashy-hrown; the black biuids luiirow, often imperfect; bill, colored aa in the last, but shortei- and stumpy; edges of eyelids, colored; no evident web between inner and middle toes, and only a sligiit one between middle and outer. Length, about 7 inches; wi:ig, !^; tail, '2.
H.\B. — Eastern Province of North America, breeding from tlie coast of New Jersey (at least formerly) northward ; in winter, West Indies.
Kggs, four, deposited among the shingle of tiie beach, clay color, marked with spots of brownish-iilack, not exceeding a pin's head in size.
The Piping Plover is a more southern bird than the Ring-neck, and evidently does not penetrate far into Ontario. I have met with it at Hamilton Beach, but only on two occasions. It has also been found on the island at Toronto, but is uKjre common along the north shore of Lake Erie, and Mr. Saunders reports it as breeding at Point Pelee, at the western end of that lake. When sitting (juietly among the shingle of the beach, the colors of this little bird harmonize so well with its surroundings that quite a number may be close at hand without being observed. The birds seem aware of this, and if suspicious of danger, sit perfectly still till it is time to fly, when they rise simultaneously and move off with a soft, plaintive, piping note.
In looking over Mr. Thomp.sf)n's "Birds of Manitoba," I was surprised to find this species reported as occurring there, Macoun having " shot it in company with some sanderlings on the shore of Lake Manitoba on the 12th June, ISiSl," Its centre of abundance during the summer is along the Atlantic coast, from the Carolinas north to the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
If;
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HI'
11
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166 BIHDS OF ONTARIO.
^GIALITIS NIVOSA Cass. 124. Snowy Plover, (278)
Malv in hrcMluii/ dre.xn: — Above, pale aaliy-gray, little dai'ker than in iiieloda; top of iiead witii a fulvouH tinf,'e; a bi'oad Mack cf)ronal bar fi'oin eye to eye; a narrower black posl-o lular alripe, tending to meet its fellow on tiie nape, and thus encircle the fulvous area; a broad black patch on each side of the breast; no sign of its completion ;>,bove or below; no (;oni])lete black loral 8trij)e, but indication of such in a .small 'lai'k patch on either side of base of np])er nian- diblii; foreliead, continuous with line over the eye, sides of head, excepting the black po.st-ocular strij)e, and whole nndei' parts, cxcej)ting tiic i)la('k lateral bi'east patches, snowy white; no white ring complete around i)ack ri neck; primaries, blackish, especially at bases and ends, the intermediate extent fuscous; shaft of first, white, of others, white for a S))ace; nearly all the primaries bleaching toward bases of inner webs, but only some of the inner ones with a white area on outer webs; primary coverts like the primaries, but white- tip])ed; greater coverts like the back, but white-tipped; secondaries, dai'k bi'own, bleaching internally and basally in increasing extent from without inwards, theii' siiafts wliite along their respective white poi'tions; tertiai'ies, like back; several intermediate tail feathers like back, darkening toward ends; two or tliree lateral paiis entirely white; all the feathers more j)ointed than usual; l)ill, slendei' and acute, black ; legs, black. Length, (i.oO to 7.U0; extent, \•^.r^^) to 14.(K); wing, 4.00 to 4.25; tail, 2.00 or less.
H.VH. — Westei'n Province of Xoi'tli America; in winter, both coasts of Central America and western South America to Chili.
Kggs, three, placed among the shingle on the beach, pale buff or clay color, finely marked with blackish -brown spots.
The Snowy Plover i.s a western bird very seldom seen east of the Rocky Mountains, and would not have been mentioned here, but for the following notice of it which appears in the Auk for ()ctoi)er, ISSr-). It is contributed by E. E. Thompson, of Toronto. "A speci- men of this l)ird was shot here by Mr. J. Forman, May, 1880, and is now in the rotmis of the Toronto Gun Club. It was at the time in company with some Piping Plovers. This specimen answers in general to the description in 'Coues' Key' and fully in regard to the bill ; it differs in being much lighter in plumage. I had no opptntunity to make measurements, but in the same case were meloda and semvpnlniata, and comparison with these makes me almost certain that it is nivosa. The bill is noticeably long, black and slender. I never met the bird before, and have no material to aid me in settling the point."
If Mr. Thompson has correctly identified the specimen described, it can only be regarded as a casual straggler from the far west which may not be seen here again.
Family APMUrZID^l Si uk I>ir£)s a\d Tuhxstonks.
Subfamily ARENARTINvE. Tuhnstones.
Gknuh arena hi a liRissoN.
AHENAKTA JNTEUPKES (Linn.).
12"). Turnstone. (2S;})
Adiilf, ill .siiiiitner: — Pied above, with black, white, brown and chestnut-red, I he latter color wanting in winter and in young birds; below, from the breast (which is more or less conij)letely black); throat, most of the secondai'iea, bases of the ])riniaries, and bases and tips of the tail feathei's, white; bill, black ; feet, orange. Lengtli, S-!( inches; wing, ."t.\-(}; tail, '2h; bill, J, almost recurved; tarsus, 1 ; tibia', bare but a little way.
Hab. — -Nearly cosmopolitan. In -America, fnmi (ireenland and Alaska, to the (Straits of Magellan ; more or less connnon in the interior of North America, on the shores of the (Si'cat Lakes and the larger rivers. Breeds in high latitudes.
Nest, a hollow scratched in the eartii, lined with bits of grass.
Kggs, two to four; greenish-ash, spotted, blotched and dotted irregularly with yellowLsh and umber-brown.
In the " Birds of Ohio," Dr. Wlieaton 8a3's that Mr. Sinnett observed this .species on the coa.st of Texas in the breeding season, and he believes that they breed there.
The beautifully marked Turnstone is a bird of nearly cosmopolitan
f.
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lUUDS OF ONTAUIO.
diHtril)ution. Tt is t'ound in Aiimrica on l)()tli coasts, and also in tlif int(!rior. At Ilaniilt(»n llcacli it is a regular visitor in spring and fall, hut there nvt^ scjldom nion^ than two or three found together.
They are vjjry socialtle in their hahits, mixing freely with any other wadej's they chance to meet, and are seen hero till the end of the first week in .hin(!.
They are ohservt'd again, young and old togctiier, early in Sep- tember, and ling(U' around the shores of the hay till the end of that, month, when they move farther south to spend the winter.
They are migrants throughout Ontario and the North-West, but breed abundantly on the barren lands of the Arctic coast and the Anderson River district, and sparingly in Alaska.
Order CtALLIN.K. Gallinackous JiiuDs.
8uH()HDi:u PHASTANI, Pheasants, Groisk, Pautuidges,
Ql'aii^s, etc.
Family TETHAONTD^E. (Jhousk, PAiniiiixiKs, ktc.
.SrnKAMii.v PKHDICTNyE. Pahthiim:k.s.
Gkxis COLIN us Lksson.
COLINUK VrPGTNTANUS (Lixx.).
l->n. Bob-white. (J.^D)
Coronal featliers erectile, Imt not fnrniinj,; a true crest. Foreiiead, super- ciliary line anil tliroat, wliite, l)oi'(lere(l witli l)laek; crown, ni'(;k all roiinil and upper part of breast, hrowniali-red ; otiier umler [laits. tawny wliitisii, all with more or fewei' douhly ore.scentii' lilack liar.s; sides, liroadly streaked with brownish-red; upper parts, varieyated with chestnut, black, gray and tawny, the latter eilging the inner quills. Female: — Known liy having the throat buff instead of the white, less black about the forej)arts, and general colors less intense, rather smaller than the male. Lengtii, O-lO; wing, 4h-'): tail, '2A-3.
Hab.— Eastern United States and southern (.'anada, from soutliern Maine to the South Atlantic ami (Julf States, west to Dakota, eastern Kansas and eastern Texas.
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170
lUUDS OF ONTARIO.
\t!Ht, on tlu! Kiriiinil ill II iiiitiiral or excavfttcil liollow, liimd with j^riiHH or leiiveM, iiNiiiilly HluilttTfil liy tiill f^ras.s, wihiiIh, IhihIh-.s iir i)i'iiNli. ^
'"•i?K**' P'"'*' white, Haiti to raiij^o in iiinnherB ffom ten to forty, the larger lotn Hii|i|ios('il to iiicliuK! eoiitrihutiouH from Hevural feinaleH; (ifteen heing eonsiilercd
thr usual nvt.
|{(tl) wliiti^ limy 1m' cliiiincd us a pcriiuiinint ri'sidcnt in SouIIhtii Ontario, which is thci iiorthcMii limit <»f his raiij^c, hut h«' Iikh hard work to hold his own a^^aiiiHt the many inHueiices that are continually operating against him. IJirds of prey, crows, jays, weasels, dogs, cats, mowing machiiuis, and sportsmen of all cla.sses t<;nd to thin the ranks: hut worst of all are tin; vicissitudes of winter. Tlu* spells (jf cold weather, during which the mercury gets down helow zero, and the occasional long-continued deep snow, tell so sev(!rely against this little bird, that wore it not for his wonderful capacity for increa.se he would .soon be exterminated.
The Quail follows in tlu* wake of cultivation, and under ordinary circumstances thrives best near the abod«! of man. It is a good friend to the farmer, and is w<4l entitled t(» his protection in return for the service it renders, not only in the consumption of large (|uantities of the seeds of noxious weeds, but also in the destruction of many sorts of in.sects whose ravages among the crops are often very .severe and dilHcult to prevent. A recent writer mentions having examined the crop of one which was killcMl as it ro.se from a potato patch, and having found that it contained seventy-five potato bugs. This is only one of the many instances illustrating the value of this bird tf> the farmer.
Were F a farmer, T should hang on the end of'my barn the motto, inscribed in goodly characters, "Spare the Quail."
Arany interesting articles have from time to time appeared in sporting magazines concerning the tjuery — Has the Quail the power to withhold its scent?
No one acquainted with the habits of the birds can deny that at times the l)est of dogs fails to find them where they have been marked down, but how this happens is a subject regarding which sportsmen still hold different opinions.
From among many instances given in illustration of the fact, we select the following by Dr. H. E. Jones, an enthusiastic sportsman and naturalist: "A few years ago I was out with a friend, and we flushed a very hirge bevy, and marked them down accurately on an elevated piece of ground in a woodland pastiii '«. The grass was short and there was not even a weed or briar, but here and there a large
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UOB-WMITE.
171
tree. We iiiovcd foiwiud with thn't* <1<»;,'n, expnctin;; t>> Iiriiijij on un «'ii;,'(i<,'('iiit'fit, at (iiu'c. W(' iiifi(ii> llui (lo^s approiicli cant iuu>sly, ^iviiij( tli<"m waniiii;; that j^aiiu^ was in tlu^ iunncdiatt' vicinity, Imt t h«*y arrived at th<! identical spot whcro wes l»ad hchui as many as thirty birds ali;^lit, witiiout making tlw Umst d(>nioti.stration wiiatcvci' that thijre was anything unusual about tlio phicc. Wo i<new hotter, and uiafh' them <(o over and over, crossing and recrossin;;, until it seemed Hvery foot, every inch of ;,'round had heen most thorou;,'hly examined. We did this until two sportsmen and three do<^s jjjave up the pursuit. It was now past noon, and we sat down on the grass, uncorked (»ur i!ante(fns and opened out our lunch. We won; eating,J talking and laughing, occasionally nnvarding the dogs with a cracker, when my friend, hy way of sport, said, 'Look at old Tom, he is on a j)oint.' The dog was standing half up, half down, with his nose thntwn under his chest between his front legs. Sure enough he was on a point, for there was the bird, with its bright black eyes, only partially conctNiled by a leaf, alm(tst under the dog's body. My friend put his hat ov»^r it and caught it without moving from the dimier table. At that instant another dog made a point within six inches (»f my feet. I saw the bird at once, and tried to capture it with my hand, but it made its escape. This was the signal foi- a general move, und the whole covey now arose from all around and about us. The concert of action in the manner of going down, retaining their .scent, remain- ing still under the most trying circumstances, and the mode of leaving — all indicated an understanding and education by conunand how to act in tiine of danger."
Sonu! time ago the (lovernment of Ontario passed an Act prfthibi- ting the killing of ipiail under any circumstances for a period of three years, and this law, coincident with mild winters, had the effect for n time of increasing the numbers, but again they are greatly reduced and in need of the protection which they well deserve.
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172
BIRDS OF ONTAUIO.
, 1'!
I' J
Subfamily TETUAONINyli Gkoisk.
(^ENts DENl)RA(}APrs Klmot.
SiBGENUs DENDRAdA PUS.
DENDRAGAPUS OBSCURUS RJCHARDSONII (Sau.).
\-2;
Richardson's Grouse. (2!i7A)
Ailii/t male: Back and wings. Mackisli-hrowii, cto.sscmI witli wavy lines of slaty-gra}', mixed with yellowish-brown on the scapnlars ; long featliers oT the sides, tipped with white; nnder parts, ligiit slate eoloi', mixed with wliite on the lower parts; cheiiks, hlaek; ohin and throat, s[)»;ekled with hiauk : and white feathers on the sides of the neck slightly enlai'ged, covering a rudimen- tary air sack; tail, l)rownisli-l)laek, veined and niai'hled witii gray, and iiaving a hi'oad terminal hand of the same ooloi'. Fi inali : Smallei', more \aiied and generally ligliter in color, bnt having tiie nndei- parts and l)ar at the end of the tail, slaty-gray as in the male, l^ength, 'JO-^i inches; wing, 9-lH; tail. 7.
Hah. -Rocl.^v Mountains, from central Montana iioitiiward into Hritisli Aiiierica.
Nest, on the ground, in shelter of a rock or log; it consists of only a few pine needles scratched together, on which the eggs are laid.
I'ggs, eight to lifteen, creamy -hull', freckled all over with chocolate-brown.
For !i notice of tlie occurrence of this species in Ontario 1 am indeljted to C. J. Banipton, of Sault Ste. Marie, who has fre(jueutly seen it brought into market at that phice.
It bears a strorig re.senibhmce to the Dusky Grouse (Dendragnpus obsntriis [Say.]), of which it is regarded us the northern form. The Dusky Grouse is found chieriy on the west coast, as fai- south as New Mexico and tlie Wliite Mountains of Arizona. In the Rocky Moun- tains, toward the north, it gradually assumes the f ecuiiarities oi the present species, but many intermediate individuals are found which cannot positively be said to belong more to the one than to the other.
In rirhurdHonii, tlie tail feathers are hniger and broader than in o/isnirNs ; the slate-colored bar at the end is smaller, or wanting, and the general colors darker, specially so on the throat.
CANADA GROUSE.
173
SuBGKNUs CANACHITES Stkjnegeh. DENDRAGAPUS CANADENSIS (Linn.)-
128. Canada Grouse. (298)
Adult Dinli' : ' 'V'aW, of sixteen feathers, rounded, Idack, with an orange- brown l>ar al tlic end; prevailing eoloi', lilack, barred and spotteil with white on tlie lower parts, and above, crossed with wavy lines of tawny and gray, /^wa/r; .Smaller, variegated all over witii black, Id'own, wiiiti; and tawny; tail bar, as in the male, but less decided. Lengtii, lb; wing, 7; tail, o.aO.
Hat.. - IJi'itish America, east of the Rocky Monntains, from Alaska soutii to northern Micingan, northern New York and northern New Kngland.
Nest, on the ground in secluded places, well concealed, built of twigs, leaves, moss and grass.
Eggs, twelve to fourteen, creamy-l»rown, sometimes dotted or blotcheil with a darker shade.
When young bird.s of different .species are cast loose from parental oversight, and go out into the world on their own account, they are often very erratic in their movements, are frequently found in places where they have no business to be, and sometimes thereby come to grief.
It was from some such cau.se as this that 1 once got a s^)ecimen of the Canada (irouse in the Hamilton market. It was in the moTith of October that a farmer hud .seen this small dark-colored bird in company witli some Rutted Urouse, and, followin them up, had singled it out as something new. They are not known to breed any- where near Hamilton, but are connnoii in th.> picture que district of Muskoka, between (ieorj/ian Ray and the Ottiiwa River, where tliey breed and are resident.
They breed also in suital)le places throughont the North-West, and with regard to Alaska, Mr. Nelson says : "This handsome Grou.se is found throughout tli'; wooded ])ortion of Ala-ska, extending to the sh',);'es of IJehring Sea, at the points wliere tiie spruce forests reach the vicinit}' of tide-water. It is more numeious, hiwever, in the interior and along the upper portion of the Yukon. It is perma- nently resident wherever found."
They are plump, liand.some little birds, but for the table are not equal t'" the Quail or the Railed Grouse.
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174
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
(JiErus BONASA Stephens. BONASA UMBELLUS (Linn.).
129. Ruffed Grouse. (-JOO)
Sexes nearly alike; variegated reddish or grayish lirowii; the liack, with numerous ohloug, pale, black-edged spots; neck-tufts, glo.ssy-black ; below, whitish, barreil .ith brown; tail, with a broad subterniiual black zone, and tipped with gray. Length, 16-18; wing, "i-H.
Hah. — Kastern United States, south to North Carolina, (Jeorgia, Mississippi aiul Arkansas.
Nest, in a hollow in the ground, lined with grass or leaves, often placed by the side of a log or stump.
Kggs, eight to twelve, cream color, sometimes minutely spotted with uhoco- 1ft te- brown.
Notwithstanding the continual persecution to which the Ruffed Grouse is expcsed, it is still a connnon species throughout Ontario, breeding in all suitable places from the shore of Lake Erie to the northern boundary of the Pmvinoe, and even in Alaska.
It is a rol)U.st, hardy bird, well able to stand the rigors ol our climate, and being exceedingly strong and active on the wing, gets away oftener from the sportsman than any other spec os lie {iursues. Occasionally, when the bii';ls are found feeding among Ijushes of stunted growth, with a good dog a fair bag may 1)P made, Ijut follow- ing them through the *.angled masses of foliage and fallen trees, where they are usually found, is attemied with great fatigue, and, usually, very slim results. The birds get up with wonderful sudden- ness, and disappear as if by magic. They seem always to rise at the wrong time, from the wrong place, and to go oft" in the wrong direction to suit the spcjrtsman.
Much has been written regarding tiie mode in which tliis bii'd produces the peculiar drumming sound so familiar t<» all who have had occasion to visit its haunts, but it is now generally believwl to be caused by the rapid vibratory moti<)ii of the wings beating the air; a similar sound being produced in a similar way by the Humming- bird, and also by the Nighthawk. The Grouse, in the spring time, prt)duees this music as a call to his lady fii,ir, who, no doubt, del'ghts to hear it, and responds accordingly. It is also heard, occasionally, late in the season, when he is posHil)ly working off the e^cuberance of his .spirits after s^nie happy experience in his sylvan life.
At different points throughout its extensive habitat, tliis species is subject to considerable variation in plumage, and on this account
IlUFFKl) GltOUSK.
< O
'
the American Ornitholo;^ists' ITnum Comiuittee has separated from the orif^'iiial Hotidsn imihifhis three sub-speeies, some of which liad been [>reviously descril)e(l, but were not jjfenerally reeo^'uized as diffeiinj^ from the typical fornj. The three sub-species are thus defined by Mr. IJid^way: *
" linnrj. lioiia.sa iintlnlhi.i toijata (Canadiaii liiitl't'il (ironse). Darkcf, with brown markings on lower parts very c<>nHj)icuous, everywlierc exposeil, and horih^'ed hy very di-'tinct (hiaky bars; hais on tianks vei-y dai'k l>rown or hrownisli-ltlack ; uppe parts, witli more oi- less of t,'iay, often mostly grayisii; tile tail, usually gray sometimes tingetl with ociiract'niis). Had. Washington Territoi'v, east to Moote Factory, Nova Scotia, Maine, etc.
"U(MI//. liniKtsa iiiiilic/hi.i innht //oii/i'" ((!ray Untied (Jrou.se/. Tpper parts, mostly or entirely grayish; the tail, always gray. ll.\li. Rocky Mountains anil nortii to Alaska (NukoM Valley), east to Manitoba.
".'1(M)('. Jioiiasd iinihil/iis snhiiii {Ow'^ou Hul.ed ( irouse). Upper pai'ts, dai'k rusty, with little, if any, admi.xture of gray; tiie tail, tisually deep rtisty (very rarely grayisii). Hah. Noi-th-west coast, from ii;M-thern California to liritisii (."oluniliia. "'
At present w(> have no hir<,'e public colU^ction of specimens in Ontario to refer to, and the number of private ones is .so small that it is ditKcult to tell just how these j^roups are represented among us, or whether the forms are ol)served to be distinct.
While in Manitoba, Ernest E. Thomp.so'i found both 'AOOn and 300/>, the identification of which was subseipiently confirmed bv Mr. Uidgwav. We may, therefoi-e, e.xpect to find these two in suitable places along tmr northern frontier. In Souchern Onta'io the species varies considerably in ])lumage, some being grayisii-white, others red- <lish, and a good many intermediate. A few years ago, some Indians from the Grand lliver brought to the Hamilton maiket specimen;; of a race decid(Mlly red, their tails l)eing fo.x-colo • d, but these wer(i di'tm during one fall only.
From all I have obser\ cd, 1 think that wc have in Ontario imli \i'lual:, of l)oth /Somisit tnnb»'lhix and /ioiiasa iinihifhis tiujntu, lliat the.se two intergrade, and produce a mixed nice, which is found throughout Southern Ontario, but cannot propei'ly be classed with tiithei- of the \arieties.
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17(3
lUUDS OF ONTARIO.
1
(iKNIH LA(;OPi:S HlUSHON.
LA(J()PrS LA(J()PL:s (Linn.). \'MK Willow Ptarmigan. (Jul)
lull, stout, ii.s liigii as tliu (liatiiiici; from llie nasal groove to ius tip; in HUiiiiiiur. rufous or oraiige-eliestiuit on tlie head and neck; the feathers of the hack, l)la(:k, Imrrod rather closely with yoUowi.sh-hrown an<l chestnut. In winter, white; the tail, l)lii;;k, ti|i|)eil with wliite. lAMigtli, l.">-17; wing, about 8; tiiil, .")..")(>.
Hah. -Arctic America, south to Sitka and Labrador.
\est, on the ground, a slight (leprcssion, lined with grass, leaves and a few feathers.
Kgtr^t, ton lo fifteen, fiiwn color, spotted with reddish lirown.
Ptiinni^aiis iife foiuid hotli in the Old and New Worlds, ns fur north as vegetation extends, and s(» thorouifjily hoieal are they in their habits, that they seldom come within the homuls of civilization. C '}. l>ampton, Hej,'isti'ar of the histiict of Alj,'oma, who has fur- nished me with many interesting,' notes regardinj,' the birds of. that remote district, mentions the Willow Ptarmigan as a rare winter visitor at Sault Ste. Marie.
Their southern migrations depend, to some extent, «)n the pecu- liarities of tlie season, but usually they are eounnon winter visitors throughout Manitoba and the Nortli-West, and l)r. DeU reports them as conunon every winter ne'.,r Fort Cumberland, in the Hudson's Pay region.
Tn Alaska, the species is a summer nsident, fre(juenting the extensive oj)en country, beirg most al)undant along the barren sea coast region of I'ehring Sen and the Arctic. The birds assemble there in innnense Mocks, and we might suppo.se that in those f(.ilorn land.s, so sehlom visited by their greatest eneni}'. man, the birds enjoy a time of peace and security, but it appears from Mr. Nelson's account that such is not alwaj's the case. He says: "Among the Ahiskan natives, both Eskimo ami Indian, especially those in the nortlu'in two-thirds of the Territory, this bird is one of the most important sources of food sujiply, and through the entire winter it is snared .ind shot in great abundance, ami many times it is the <mly defence the peo{)le possess against the ever-recurring periinls of scarcity and famine."
Fn some districts the Eskinto have a w.-iy of catching the birds during their migralion which is very destructive. Taking a l<mg fishing net, they fasten poles to it at regular distances apart, and lay
M
IIOCK PTARMIGAN.
177
it oil tli(! tfrouiid across soiiic <)|K!ii valh'y or swiile lumiiug iioilli iind south, filoii<f which the birds are known to tiavel. Soon after sunset the poles arc set uprif^ht, and the net is thus stretched across the passai^e. Ki-c loiiif tlie men wlio are on the watch see th.' Ptarniij,'aii advanein^f, skiunnini^ close to ihe snow-covered eartli in th<' dim twili;,'ht. A moment later, and the Hrst l)irds of the flock strike the obstacle, and the men then thr^^w the net down, so as to cover the stru^<^linj^ captives, usually to the number of fifty oi- sixty. While th(! men hold the net, the women and children rush from their hidiiiLf, and kill tlu! birds by wriiij^iny their necks or bitinj,' their heads. On some eveninj,'s this process is repeated several times, and the party return to their homes heavily laden with the spoils.
In the Old Country this species is conmion, also in Scandinavia, Fiidand, Russia, and in many parts of Siberia ; while in the; north of Scotland, they are found breedini^ near the tops of the hi<,diest heathery hills in that mountainous country.
Their presence there is one of the attractions for stran;,'ers, and many a corpulent southei'n sportsman has expended much wind, and reduced his corporeal dimensions, scalintj; those precipitous hill-sides in the vain ho|)e of secuiinj,' a brace of Ptarmij^an. In another connection it is used with more delicacy by a young Highlander, who, in persuafling his Lowland maid to go with him to the '" Ihaes aboon lionaw, ' sings :
" W'f'll limit the rue, tliu liart, tlic ilnc, Tilt,' ptunnigiui siu; shy, lassie; l'"c)r (liiek am] iliake we'll sail the lake, Xae want shall e'er eoiiic nigh, lassie."
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LA<iOPrs KrPHSTIllS ((iMKL.).
1-il. Rock Ptarmigan. (."{Oi')
15111, sleiiiler, clisi;iiic<' from the nasal jiiodve to the ti|) ^'leater than hriylit at liase; in siiinnier the feathers of hack Idaek, handed ilistinctly with yelhtwish- hrown and tinpeil with white; in wintiu' white, the tail hlark, tip|ied witii whit(;. Afa/i : U'itli a hlaek liar froni the hill through the eye. I^eiigth, 14 to l,-i: wing, 7 to 7. •">'•; tail, 4. ."in.
Hm!. Ai'(;ti(; .Anieriea. from .Vlaska to Lalirador.
Nest, on the i^rotnid. a liollow lineil with gi-a.ss and a few feathers.
KggH, ten to tifte'. II, reildishhniwn, s}iolted with darker hrown.
This is another northern species reported by Mr. IJampton as being occa-iionally exjtosed in the winter time in the market at Sault 12
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HIUDS OF ONTAHIO
Stc. Mario. It rescniljlfs the prcc-cdiii^' in jfciit'ral ii)i|it'aiMiic'<', Init is ratli(!r Iuss in size, and in winter ))luniai,'e the l)iack l)aii(l tluougli tlie eye of tlie male serves ai once to decide liis identity.
Tiie rtannif,'ans Imve a most interestinj^ liistoiT. Tlieir small feet, covered densely witli liair-iike feathers, the wonderful change which their )iliimaire iinderi,'oes to match their suiroundin^'s, and their life amid the rijL,'ors of an Arctic winter, are matters which invest the story of the group with peculiar chaini.
The Uock is a moi'e northern species than the Willow Pt^irmigau. It is not mi'ntioned among the hirds of Manitolja, so we pr<'sume that it has not Ix-en seen there. |)i'. liell has observed it migrating at Hudson's Hay, and Mr. Macfailane found it breeding in the vicinity of l^trt Anderson. Mr. Nelson, speaking of its presence in .Maska, says: "This beautiful Ptarmigan is a i-ommon resident of the Alaskan mainland, from iJehi'ing Straits to the Hritish border on the east, including the entire north and south extent of the main- land. Uidike the common White Ptaiinigan, it freipients the sum- mits of the low hills and mountains during tlie sunnner season, where it iM'mains until the severe weatle-i' of early winter forces it down to the lower elevations and undei- the shelter of the bush-bordered ravines and furi'ows iiuirking tiie slopes. |)ui-ing the entiic \ear these Inrds are resident north at least to Hehring Straits, as I obtained specimens from that \ii;inity on one of luy w inter expeditions."
(iKMs TY.Ml'.Wl I'll IS (\uM.rM. TYMTANUCHIS AMKKICANIS (Kkicii.;.
W:\ ^
V-Vl. Prairie Hen. (••U*-"))
,\1kivh. vufiej^iitt'cl with IdiuU. Iuhsmi, tiiwiiv ui ocIhtn ainl wliitc, the lattfr <'.s|ii'ciiill\ nil tlu' wings; lif'.nw, pivltv reguliiily luiricil witli tliiik lirowii. wiiite iii.d tawii\ : liii-uiit tawiiN, a little speckleil, or not; vi'iil ami cris.srt.in. iim.stly wliitc; ijiiills, fii.si'ous. with white .spnts on llu' outer weli; tail. finHrmis, with narrow or iiii|iei tVct wliitc or tawny Itars ami lips; si'xe.s, alike in <-«»iMr. hut the femal-' sniallor witli shorter iitck tufts. JA-ngth, Ki-lS; wing, S-9; tail, alniiit '».
Hah. Prairies of the Mississippi N'ailey, south to [^ouisiaii.v, east to Kuii- tiicky ami Iiuliana.
Xest, on the grouiitl, in a tuft of gra.ss or «iiiiall siiriih.
Kggs, eight to twelvi', pall) grjeiiish-gray. soiiiet iiiics niinutcly ilott«Ml with lirowa.
SHAHl'-TAlLEl) GROUSE.
179
SouUiorn Ontario lifis no jiriiirie to meet tlie riMiuirfiiKMits of the Prairi*' Chicken, and thcict'on! the l)inl is rarely here. J'rom variou.s .sources J have heard of its being still found alouLf the south-western frontier, hut the numbers are on tii<' deerease. In (he "List of liirds of Western Ontario," it is stated that a few still breed at St. Clair. From W. K. WajfstaH", one of the oldest and most respected settlers in the county of Ks.sex, 1 have a most interesting letter regarding the birds he has observed during his long residence there. Of this species he says: "I have never seen Prairie Chickens alive, but have heard ot their being seen in bands about SancJwich. When I first came to Amherstburg, about ISJO, T heard the old s|)orts tell of having killed them in the gardens of the town."
From tlu! foregoing, it would appear that the days of the Piairie Chicken in Ontario are numbered. It allbrds excellent sport to the gunner, and the facilities for reaching it in its remote haunts are now so much increased, that year by year, excn in the United States, it is being driven to regions still more remote.
In the tirst week in May, liSiSlI, some young men were practising flight shooting at any water-fowl that happened to be ])assing between the bay and the lake, near the canal at the Peach. Presently a bird of diil'erent flight and shape came bu/./iiig along, and was brought down by one of the gunners, who was greatly astonished tir> find he had killed a male Prairie Chicken in fine; spring plumage. \ pas,se(i shortly aftctrwards and saw the bird Just as it had been picked u{). It had been going at a very rapid rate, but Mhence it came, <tr whither bound, was not apparent.
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Genus PEDIOCyETES P.aikd. PFDIOC/ETKS PH ASIAN KLLT^S (Linn.).
1 •'{■'. Sharp-tailed Grouse. (-{OS)
Adult male : \ decurved crest of iwirrow featliorw, ,i liiin; .space dii eacli side of tlie neck, caimhle of being intliiteil; tail, .shoi'l, nmcli graduated, of sixteen featliers, nil of wliicli are more or less coneave, excepting tlie two middle ones along i\w inner eil;;e. ohliipiely and ahniplly terminated, the two midiUe ijrojecting an inch heyoml the rest. I'ppet- j)art8 variegated witli light yellowish-red, iirowni.s)'. iilack and white, the latter in terminal triangular or guttifonn spots on the scapulars and wing coverts; (piills, g?-nyish-hrown, pi-imaries with white spots on the outer wehs; secomlaries, ti])|)ed and liai'red
ISO
IjIRDS of ONTARIO.
witli wliiti'; (iiil, wliilc, viiricgiitcil at (lu; Imihc, llic two inidilU? t'i'iilliei-« like tho buck; liiiiil apace uiid a liaiiil Itcliind tlio eye, yullowisliwliite, a duHky Htroak midci- tlie eye; throat, ri'ddiHli-wliitc, with dusky spotM; fori; parts and sides of the neck, hailed witli ii'ihlish-wiiite ; on the hieast the (hisky spots heeoiiie lifst ciii\('d, then allow -shaped, aiicl so continue narrowing' on the hind part of tlie iircast and part of the sides of wliicli tiie upper portion is liarred; ahdoiiiuii, lower tail coxeits and axiiiars, white: tarsal feathers, lij^lit iirownish-j^ray, faintly haired with whitish. /■'iiiiii/( : Smaller, thi' tints of cidois less hrii^ht. Length, IH-2(I; wilig. Hit; iili<ldle featlielMof the tail, »■(»; outer feathers, U. H.Mi. Mritisii America, from tlu' northern shore of Lake Superior and British Coliimliia to lludj-on's Hay ii'iritory and Alaska. Nest, in a tuft of grass on the jirairie. iKggs. ti\e to twelve, gravish olive or diah color, minutely dotted with lirown spots till' size of a jtins head.
Writing; from tlic Nortli-Wcst, Fiof. Maoomi .sjiys of tliis sjiocios: "This is tlic Piuiii(! Chickt'ii of our westei-n plaiii.s, the true Prairie (.'liioken not l)tiii<^ o\)serve(I here."
Dr. Coues, writing in the; sunif strain, says: "This is the Prairie Chicken of the whole North-West, usually occurriiij,' where the Pinnated (irouse does not, although tlie habitats of the two speciea overlap to some extent." From the foregroing it appears that while the present species occu|»ie(i the North-West, tlu; Prairie Chicken flourished more in the south-east, Imt that now both are heinj.; driven farther to the north-west, as the prairies come under cultivation.
The Shai'p-tail is abundant m'ar Winnipeg, from which point it has reached the Hamilton market. Ft is also reported bv Mr. Pmmi)ton as being found.at Sault Ste Marie.
Family PII ASIANS :)7P]. Piikahant.s, ktc.
Si nKAMihv .MHLHACHlNyE. Tuukkvh.
(Jkxus MF:LEA(JK1S i.iNN.Kis.
MHl.KACHIS (JALLOPAVO I.ixn.
^« 1:54. Wild Turkey. (■•^0)
Naked skin of head and neck, livid blue; general iiolor, coppei--l>ronze with copper and green reflection, each feather with a narrow hlack horder; all the ([uills. hrowii, closely haired with white; tail, chestnut, liarred with hlack and a hi'oad suhtcrminal lilack liar. Ti]) of tail feathers and upper tail coverts, lighter chestnut. Length. IV4 feet.
WILD TITRKEY.
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Hak. I'liittMl Stiitt'M, from >ii)iitlierii Ciihinlii tu llictiiilt' cnH.st, uml west to the I'liiiiis, aloiij,' tlic I iiiil>iTt'il rivi^r viilliiVH; formerly iiloiiL; I lie Alhiiitii' roust to Moiitlierii Miiiiit.-.
Nest, on thu >;r(>uii(l.
Kj,'i,'M, ten to liftciMi, (lurk ImtV or crciiii color, tliirkly si>riiiklfil with ihirk iimh('r-l)ro\\ II.
NN'itliin tlic rt'colh-ctiuii of iicoph' still li\iii<^. W'ihl Tiiikt'ys wore t'(»iiijiarfitivt'ly i-oiniiioii aloii;,' our snutli-wcstciii front i<'r. .Mr. W a<;- .stiiir, ill his letter iilreudy rt'tVrn'fl to, says: " Wild Turkeys are „'ettiijg scarce. Tliey were once iiuiiierous in Kent .iiid ivsse,\, .yoiiijL; alxiut in Hocks, but the severe winter of ISH' almost exterminated them. Aljout IHi'A) they had a;,'uin heeome numerous, hut are "gradually ^^ettiiifj; fewer in numher, as the settler's axe clears away the timber." In the " List ot ' rds of Western Ontario," it is stattsd that a nest was found in the county of .Middlesex in \X7H.
That veteran si»ortsman and naturalist, Dr. (Jarnier, of l.ucknow, writini,' under date of December 11th, ISSt, says: "I have kill»'<l .several Wild Turkeys in the county of Kent, and saw one there this seasttn whicli I did not obtain.
"()ii the L'lst of last ()ctol)ei', I had ii female of this species in my hands at Chatham station, which had just been killed near by. About foui' years ago, at iiCguis farm, near .Mitchells hay, 1 saw three gobblers, tw^o of which 1 killed right and left, the third was sliot the .same day liy a boy, from whom I bought il tor a doUai'.
"Most of the domestic turkeys in that .section ai'c eith(U' the wild species tamed or half-breeds, aixi are far superior in tlavor to the ordinary stfick. In IS")(), I killed two out of a large floek within half a mile of Hagei'sville, which at that time consisted of a wugon shop, a toll gate, post-otlice, and a small shoj) called a 'store.' 1 also got a set of nine egifs. and found the female killed liy a fox. lying close by, still warm but (piite tlead."
The VV^ikl Turkey has never advanced into Ontario much beyond the southern boundary, the climate being evidently too severe, and the locality from other causes perhaps not very attractive. The few which still remain ai'c more hunted as they become more rai'c, and to all ajipearances the day is not far distant when this valuable game bird will be sought foi' in vain in the Province of Ontario.
A second species is found, which is believed to be the parent of the domestic stock. It is more of a southern bird, being found chiefly in Texas, New Mexico, .\ri/ona and southward.
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HIHDS OF ONTAIUO.
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(SKNt'S KCTOPISTKS HWAINHON.
IXTOPISTHS MKJUATORIIJS (Linn.). I ">•">. Passenger Pigeon. (.{15)
Ailiill iiiii/i : Dull lilur aliovn with oliviKHioiiM tinge (in Imck ; liflnw, dull pur|ili.sli-ri'il, whiteiiinj^ on vent and crisHurn ; .sides of neek, j,'olden luid luhv ; sonu' wiui,' eoverls, hlack Hpotled ; (|iull«, lilackiHli, with HJaly, whitLsh und lllfons cdLrinj,': middle tail t'eatlier.H, liluish-ltlack ; the (ttliers, white or ashy; the iiniei- wehs. Iiasully! I>laek with chestnut |tateh ; hill, lilaek ; feet, eoral red. Fmin/i' 0111I i/oiiinj: Uuller and niort! hrowiiish or olivaceoim ahove; helow, did! j,'i'ayisli, with a tawny tinj,'e anteriorly, or quite uray ; very yoniij^ have; the feathers skirted with whitish. I^eiigth, I")-I7; wing, 7-8; tail, aliout the Hiinie.
Hah. Kastern N'oi-t'i .Aniei'ica. ffoni Hudson's Bay southward, ami west to tlie (ireat Plains; si ra!,'gliiiii westward to .N'evada and Washington Territory.
Xest, on hushes or small trees, loosely liuilt of twigs.
Kggs, one or two, pine white.
As its name implies, this is a iiiif^'nitory species, but it lias not, like'- many othei\s, a regular migi-atory course which it instinctively follows year after year in the .same direction. On the contrary, the movements] of the Wild Pigeon are (juitc irregular, and guided only by the instinct which directs the birds in their search for food. A few straggling pairs aii' still found in the backwoods in Southern Ontario, where they probably brei'd, but the rising generation of sportsmen can have but inade({uat(^ conceptions of the vast Hocks of pigeons which used in former years to pass over Hamilton.
They were annually looked for in April. The Hrst who observed them circulated the news, "The pigeons are flying," and early in the morning a regular fusilade would be heard all along the edge of the " Mountain," where at (hiylight the gunners had taken up their stand at points where the flocks were likely to j)ass. Th(^se annual migra- tions seemed to attain their maximum in \H')[, "the year of the cholera." During that season, from the ntiddle of April till the end of June, flocks could be .seen in every hour of every day passing^ to the west. The sunnner was unusually warm, and as the heat increa.sed, the birds seemed weak and languid, with scarcely enough energy left to rise above the houses. ^ast numbcu's were killed, till, fortuiuitely for the birds, a rumor got abroad that eating too many
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j)i;;ct»iiH I'iiusfd tlif cliiilcia, luid tlu-ii tlicy wi-ie allowed to jiass (Hi tluMf way uiiiiioU'stcd.
AfU'i' that y«'ar tlit- llncks ia|iidly (U'cmisrd in tiumlxT, till at |»ri!s»'nt tli«' annual iiiijjiations hav*' entirely eease«l.
The t'(i«id of the sjiecies eonsi.sts rhietly of bwioh MUtH, wild herries, and seeds of ditVerent kinds. These disapjiear as the country comes under cultivation, and the j>i;,'t'ons seek the less settled districts in search of their favorite fare. At present we hear of them heinj; exceedin;,'ly al»undant in the valley of the upper .Mississippi, and as they are ipiite hai'dy, they prolial)ly extend up north into the " (ireat Loiu^ Ijand."
Those wlio wish to see such tlocks of piyeons as used to pass over <)ntario will have to folhtw them there, for in all prohahility they will never he si'en hei-e aijain.
Such is the record for the species written in ISST), and since that date there iuis he«'n little to add t<» theii' history in ( >ntario, foi' with tlie exception of one or two straj^^lers occasionally met with in the heech wtiods, they have left the Province.
I find, however, that two enthusiastic ornithologists ha\e acted on the closing suggesti(»n of the pniceding notice, and hav(! followed the birds to the far west. The\' did not succeed in finding any large roost, hut gained much information regarding the habits of the birds, some of which T shall here lepeat, for the (|uestions are often aske(J, "Has the Wild Pigeon become extinct!" "Where has it none?" Ft is to Will. Brewster, Ksc]., of C'ambridge, .Mass., that I am indebted for the information which enables me to reply to the.ie (|uestions. In tlie interest of science he foUowed tin? birds to theii- haunts, and in the An/>' for October, li^Si), he gives a most interesting account of tlie trip. 1 would fain give the artich' in full, but I can only make a few extracts. Il(> says: " In the spring of ISSS, m}- friend C'apt. Bendire wrot«' me that he had received news from a trorresponch^nt ill central Michigan that \\ ild Pigeons had arrived there in great numbers and wer(> ])r«'paring to nest. Acting on this information, I started at once in company with .lonatlian hwight, jun., to visit the (!Xpected 'nesting' and learn as much as possible about the habits of the breeding birds, as well as to securt^ specimens of their skins and eggs." On reaching Cardillac, on the Hth of May, tin;}' found that large Hocks had passed north late in April, and the profe.ssi(»nal pigeon netters expected to hear of their settling not far off, and were l)usy getting their nets in order. From them much information was gained regariling tlie habits of the birds. " Our principal
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informant was Mr. Htevens, of Cardillac, a veteran pi<i;eon-netter of large experience, and, as we were assured by ever3'one we asked concerning liini, a man of high reputation ff)r veracity and careful- ness of statement."
*" Small colonies,' said Mr. Stevens, 'still breed throughout Michi- gan, but the largest roost of late years was near Grand Traverse in 1881.' It was about ei^ht miles long. The largest nesting place he ever visited was in 1876 or 1877. It was near Petosky and extended north-east past Crooked Lake for twenty-eight miles, averaging three or four miles wide. For the entire distance every tree of any size had one or more nests in it, and some were full of them, placed generally not less than fifteen feet from the ground. The usual number of eggs is two, but many nests have only one. Both birds incubate and change regularly. The old birds never feed near the * nesting,' leaving all the beech mast, etc., there for their young, many of them going a hundred miles dail}'^ for food."
Pigeon-netting, as a business, assumed large proportions at Petosky at the time referred to. At least five hundred men were engaged in netting pigeons and sending them to market.
Mr. Stevens thought that each man captured 20,000 birds during the season, for at one time as many as two car loads were shipped south on the railroad each day, yet he believed that not one bird out of a thousand of those present was taken.
Ti. J first birds sent to the market yield the netter about a dollar per dozen, but at the height of the season the price sometimes falls as low as t\Velve cents per dozen.
"All the netters with whom we talked believe firmly that there are just as many pigeons in the west as there ever were. They say the birds have been driven from Michigan and the adjoining States partly by persecutiv)n and partly by the destruction of the forests, and have retreated to uninhabited regions, perhaps north of the Oi-eat Lakes in Britisli North America."
In the A Ilk, Vol. VIII., page 'MO, appear some extracts from a letter written by Mr. Caleb S. Cope, of West Chester, Pa., who is well acquainted with the habits and appearance of the birds, having trapped them many years ago. During the spring of 1887, Mr. Cope, in company with his son, travelled extensively through the west, straggling beyond the plains into California, Oregon, western Wash- ington and V^ancouver Island. Of the last-named place he says : " I saw and heard more Wild Pigeons (Eeto/mtps) than I remember to have ever met with in any other place. The locality where most
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of the pigeons were observed was on an extensive plain in Pierce County, Washington, fifteen miles east <»f Puget Sound, between the Sound and the Cascade Mountains. Tliis fertile plain was dotted over witii clumps of pine and fir trees, in nnny instances bent down by Hocks of Wild Pigeons, that feasted on the strawberries which, in some place.s, wen- so abundant as to give the sward a .scarlet tinge. Tiiese flocks numbered several Inindieds in each, and duiing the short time spent there (a few days) plaiidy showed they wei'e l)ut ' ti'ansitory visitants' passing northwai'd, and unlikely to breed in that vicinity."
In Ontario we still see and hear of single birds or pairs oUserve:! in the wocds. In the report of the Ornithological Sub-section of tiie Canadian Institute for 1890-91, are two records of specimens being observed near Toronto, one of which, a young female, was secured.
In Dr. Bergtold's "Birds of Buffalo and Yicinitv," tlie auth(jr sivs that the Wild Pigeon [Ecfopitites nugratorias) is tolerably common, and breeds there.
I haVe similar reports from many points in Ontario, where I have made inquiry, but on the whole this part of the sul)ject is left much as it has been so long as I can remember. The migratory flocks are now seen no niore, and if these vast roosts exist anywhere, it must be beyond the reach of railroads, or assuredly the birds would be slaughtered, as already described, and carried to market. If, on the other hand, they have been greatly reduced in number, the prol)a- bility is that tliey will abandon their gr-egarious habit, as many pairs have already done, and breed throughout the country generally, each piir selecting a nesting place to suit its own ideas, as most other birds do.
Since writing the above, I have received a letter from Vernon Bailey, of the Department of Agriculture, Washington, (hited October 14t1i, 1893, in which the following passage occurs: "I stopped at Elk River, Minn., and while there asked my bi-';thers and sevei-al others about Wild Pigeons. My brother had seen two or three flocks of about four to six birds during the past summer, and had killed two pigeons, but had seen no nests, neither had he heard of any of the birds breeding there."
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BIKDS OF ONTARIO.
Genus ZENAIDURA Bonapartk. ZENAIDURA MACROURA (Linn.).
136. Mourning: Dove. (316)
Bi'ownish-olive, glossed witli blue oy the crown and nape; below, piirplish- red, beuoniing tawny white on the vent and crissuni ; neck, metallic-golden ; a velvety-black spot on the auiiculars and others on the wing coverts and scapulars ; middle tail featliers, like back ; the rest, ashy-blue at the base, then crossed by a lilack bar, then white or ashy-white ; bill, very slender, black ; feet, carmine; the female and yotimj differ as in the wild pigeon. Length, 11-13; wLig, S-O; tail, 6-7.
Hah. — North America, from southern Maine, southern Canada and Orepan, south to Panama and the West Indies.
Nest, usually in a tree or bush, sometimes on a log or on the ground, com- posed mostly of twigs.
Eggs, two, pure white.
The Mourning Dove breeds sparingly throughout Southern Ontario, but is more common farther south. It feeds in the open fifelds on berries, buckwheat and the seeds of certain weeds, but on being disturbed, seeks shelter in the nearest woods.
It is a gentle, timid species, and as it does not occur with us in sufficient numbers to make it worth following, it is seldom disturbed. It is one of the most ditHcult birds the collector undertakes to handle, the skin beinj; so tender that should the bird be brouglit down even from a moderate height the fail is almost sure to burst the skin and destroy the specimen. For this reason the greatest care is necessary when preparing the skin for the c ibinet.
Ontario is about the northern boundary of this species, and it is, therefore, not so numerous as it is in many places farther south. Dr. Coues says that it is " the most widely and equally diffused of its tribe, abundant in most localities, in some, swarming. ' Millions ' in Arizona, for example. Irregularly migratory, imperfectly gregarious; great numbers may be togetlier, but scarcely in compact flocks." They leave South rn Ontario about the end of September, and are not seen again until April. They are recorded as rare summer resi lents in Manitoba.
OUR BIRDS OF PREY.
We a up: now about to enter on the consideration of the JJirds of Prey, which, as a class, have in all ages borne an evil reputation. Within the past few years, however, their lives have been subjected to a most searching scrutiny, which has placed them in a more favorable light, and I think it very desirable that all lovers of birds should be made aware of this fact, and give their friends justice.
In Scotland, I can well remember, they were regarded by sports- men as the thieves and robbers of the bird creation, ready at all times to swoop down upon the grouse on the moois, the ducks on the lake or river, or to hang around the farm-house, waiting for a chance to steal the domestic poultr3\ Nothing suitable was supposed to be safe from their attack. Lambs were carried off from the hill- sides by the eagles, and even the human species was not exempt, for instances are on record of young children having been carried away from the cottage door in remote parts of the country.
As the hawks and eagles were believed to live entirely by plunder during the daj^ so were the owls supposed to take up and carry on the work during the hours of darkness, reluctantly giving way to, the other class as daylight appeared.
With such a record, it is not surprising that every man and boy who carried a gun believed it to be his duty to kill a hawk or an owl whenever opportunity offered. The keepers who were entrusted with the care of the game had instructions to this effect, and their industry in carrying out their orders was testified to by the numbers of eagles, hawks and owls which were to be seen nailed upon the outside of their houses.
But even in these old lands an occasional voice was raised in re- monstrance agjiinst the indiscriminate slaughter of the Birds of Prey, some of which were believed to be totally innocent of the chai-ges brought against them ; while others, it was stated, if their habits were properly under8tt)od, might be found to be really beneficial. For instance, I have heard at least one observant keeper remark, in
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BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
regard to the common Buzzard of Britain, a l)ird which was believed to be one of the most destructive among the game, tliat he t«)ok only the w(junded birds, or those of a weak and sickly constitution, which, if allowed to come to maturity, would evolve offspring of a weak and degenerate type, little valued by the sportsman. If this hawk, indo- lent and sluggish in its habits, never heeding the strong-winged, ♦active birds, was permitted to carry out the work Nature intendcil it to do, in picking off the weaklings, the hardy, healthy character of the birds would be kept up, and there would be fewer instances of disease among the grouse to report.
It has been noticed, too, that some of the offenders have noble <jualities, which could not but excite the adniiration of the sportsman who might observe them, but s'^^ll the cry is kept up, "Kill off the hawks, and save the game and poultry," and they are still being killed off to an extent which, to the student of bird-life, is a matter foi" deejj regret.
In this country the same prejudice, inherit d, perhaps, has existed against the hawks and owls among the people generally, and the opinion is fre<juently expressed that they should all he killed off. In sonje parts of the country this opinion became general, and in order that the work might be done more effectually and expeditiously than it had been in older lands, the govei'nments of different States in the Union were petitioned to offer a bounty for the heads of all hawks and owls, on account of the destruction they caused amongst the game and poultry.
In several States a liberal bounty was offered, the slaughter began, and for a time was cairied on with pleasure and profit by those who were working for the money. In one county alone, in the State of Pennsylvania, over five thousand dollars was paid in one year for the heads of hawks and (iwls ; and in Colorado, with the best intentions, many thousands of hawks were killed. But this arrangement, though it satisfied the farmers for a time, was not satisfactory to the ornithologists, many of whom expressed douV)ts as to the correctness of the statements made regarding the extent of the destruction of poultry. Others felt sure that all the hawks and owls were not eqnnllt/ guilty of the charges brought against them, and some even went so far jus to say that some of the species which were being destroyed were positively beneficial.
In this shape the subject was brought l)efore the Board of the Department of Agriculture, at Washington, who, after due considera- tion, placed the matter in the hands of their indefatigable ornitholo-
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OUR HIRDS OF PREY.
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gist, Dr. Merriam, and then hej^an to dawn a l)riglittM- day tVn- mii- beautiful and interestinji Birds of Prev.
Besides beinj^ himself an cntluisiastic ornitho'of^ist, Dr. Meniain has a larjre staff of assistants, hotli in tli'^ field and at \\'ashinfi;ton, and he delegated the work of preparing a " Repoit on the Hawks and Owls of the United States in their relation to Agriculture," to his first assistant. Dr. A. K. Fishei-. The work has now been pul)- lished, and is a credit to all connected with. it. Tt is neatly bound, has twenty-six beautiful, colored illustrations, and about 200 pages of reading matter, evbry line of which is interesting to the lover of birds, and specially valuable to those interested in any branch of agriculture. It is seldom that one meets wi'h a report cm any sub- ject which is at once so full and so concise , othing seems wanting which should be there, and notJiing is there which could be dispensed with. It is thoroughly scientific, and yet presented in such a form that all can read it intelligently. It is a work which should be spread broadcast over the land, and I feel sure that if the (jovern- ment takes that course with it, the results will be for the good of generations yet to come.
On taking up the task assigned to him. Dr. Fisher at once found that nothing short of the examination of stomachs of each of the species named in the list would enable him to make a correct report on the nature of their food ; and to meet all the requirements of the ca.se, these would have to be obtained at far distant points and at different .seasons of the year. This work has engaged much of the time and attention of Dr. Fisher for several years past, while col- lectors and occasional contributors have kept on sending in specimen.s from all parts of the continent. No fewer than 2,700 stomachs have been examined, and the results placed on record in the most careful and impartial manner. Week after week, as the various entries were made, it became apparent to the operators that the general result would be a surprise to nearly everyone, for some of the birds for whose destructi(jn a bounty was being paid on account of the amount of game and poultry used })y them, were found rarely, if ever, to touch such things at all. They had really been doing a vast amount of good, in the destruction of the innumerable field mice and other small mammals which formed the principal part of their food, for these arc the greatest pests with which the farmer ha.s to contend. Others, it was found, had been making themselves useful by devour- ing countless locusts and grasshoppers, which are often a serious scourge in many districts in the west.
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Hllins OF ONTARIO.
In this way, f()rty-eifj;ht species (with their sub-species) of hawks and owls have been considered in their relation to agriculture. The food and habits of each species is _<,'iven in detail, and, for conve- nience, the whole have been classified and placed in four different groups, as follows :
((/) Those wholly l)eneficial or wholly harmless ... 6
{!>) Those chiefly beneficial 29
((•) Those in Avhich the beneficial and harmful (jualities seem
to balance each other ....... 7
(d) Those positively harmful ...... 6
For f)ur present j)urpose it will not be necessary to go over the above list in detail, as many of the species enumerated are not found in Ontario; but we have all the bad ones and a good many of the otliers, and T shall now give these in detail. The total number is twenty-eight.
(a) Those whoU)' beneficial or wholly harmless. In this class w^e have only the Rough-legged Huzzard and the Swal- low-tailed Kite ........ 2
(h) Those chifjfij beneficial, that is, those which take game and poultry occasionally, but kill enough field mice and other vermin to marc than pay for it, leaving a small balance in their favor. In this class we liave the Marsh Hawk, Red-tailed Ha\\k, Red-shouldered Hawk, Swainson's Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk, Spar- row h iwk. Barn Owl, Long-eared Owl, Short-eared Owl, (xreat (Jray Owl, Barred Owl, Richardson's Owl, Saw-whet Owl, Screech Owl, Snowy Owl, Hawk Owl . 1 6
(c) Of those whose good and bad deeds balance each other,
we have the Ureat-horned Owl, Golden Eagle, Bald Eagle, Pigeon Hawk ....... 4
(d) Of those which are positively injurious, we have the Gyr-
falcon, Goshawk, Cooper's Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Peregrine Falcon, Fish Hawk . . . . 6
It is very gratifying to find the report so favorable to our Birds of Prey, and even of Class d a few words in favor might be said. Of course. Dr. Fisher, in the position of judge interpreting the law, could not but condemn where the evidence was so conclusive; but from our standpoint in Ontario, we cannot complain very much, for t''"e two largest and most destructive, the Gyrfalcon and Goshawk, are peculiar to the far north, the former, especiall}', rarely coming within our boundary; and even the Peregrine, though ranked as an
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Ontario species, is by no means common. Occasionally, w(! hear of him striking down a duck at the shooting stations, but we also know that his food at sucli |)laces consists to a great extent of the ditVerent species of waders known as "Mud Hens."
The Fish Hawk has been put upon the black list, because he kills fish. That he does this cannot be denied, but he is a magnilicent bird, whose fine presence adds a point of beauty to many a lovely landscape by lake and river, and surely it would be poor policy to kill oil" this interesting feathered fisher because he tak(\s a few suckers, with now and then a trout or ba.ss l)y way of a change.
This leaves only two of the six to be considered, and I fear that not much can be Scaid in their favor. Cooper's Hawk, the larger of the two, is not so common throughout Ontario as the Sharp-shinned, but he is the (me who will come back day after day to rob the roost or the pigeon loft, and who watches to catch the grouse and ijuail wherever they appear. This is he, in short, whose misdeeds have brought disgrace on the whole class, and given occasion for the bad name which still clings to them all.
The Sharp-shinned is a smaller bird, content with humbler- fare, but his eyes and claws are sharp as needles. He is alwa3's on the alert, and few birds escape which he tries to capture. The recor-d is bad for these two, and Dr. Fisher says of them: " Unc|uestionably both species should be killed wher'ever and whenever possible."
I can hardly follow the Doctor to this extent, because we have been a long time in discovering the true standing of otlier species, and it may be that the two now under consideration have some redeeming points with which we are not yet acquainted. At all events we must give them both credit for reducing the number of Passer domesticus, which they do to a considerable extent. Every sparrow tliey take relieves us of a nuisance, and the greater the number of sparrows they use the le.ss of anything else will be required for their support. Let us then be patient with them, give them another chance, and enjoy the fine exhibitions they give us of their dexterity while capturing their prey in the near neighliorhood of our dwelling houses.
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192
BIRDS OF ONTAIUO.
OuDKK liAPTOUES. Birds of Pkey.
SuBORDEii SARCORHAMPHI. American Vultures.
Kamifa' CATHAHTID^. Amkrican Vultuukh.
(Jknuh CATHARTES Illkjkr.
CATHARTE8 AURA (Linn.).
\M. Turkey Vulture. (•V2r>)
Hlackiwh-lnown; (juills, ashy-gray mi tlieir under surface; head, red; feet, flusli-(!()l()i'e(l ; l)ill, wliite; skin of tlie liead eo!Tugated, sparsely heset with hristle-like featiiers ; ])hnnage, connnencing in a circle on the neelr; tail, rounded. Length, about 2^ feet; extent, (i; wing, 2; tail, 1.
Hab. — Temperate Xoi'tii America, from New Jersey, Oliio Valley, Saskat- chewan region, and Washington Territory southward to I'atagonia. Casual northward on the Atlantic coast to Maine. Breeds generally in communities.
Xest, on the ground, or in a hollow log or stump.
Eggs, usually two, creamy-white, spotted and blotched with different shades of brown.
So far as T am aware, the Turkey Buzzard has been observed in Ontario only in the south-western portion of the Province.
Mr. Wagstaif, in the letter already quoted, says: "Turkey Buz- zards are frequently seen in Essex sailing around in search of carrion." T rmce saw it at Baptiste Creek some years ago, but have not heard of its having been seen farther east. Dr. Coues says : " This species has a curious habit of 'playing possym ' by simulating death when wounded and captured, the feint being admirably exe- cuted and often long protracted."
The Turkey Buzzard is more frequently seen to the west of Ontario than to the east of it. A nest was found by Mr. Arnott at Kerwood, Middlesex County, in 1891.
It is reported as being generally distributed throughout Michigan and Minnesota, and has also been frequently seen in Manitoba.
Dr. Bell says : " T have shot the Turkey Buzzard on the upper Assiniboine, but have never heard of it near Hudson's Bay. The locality refened to is in about latitude 52". It had not before been noticed north of Minnesota, while on the eastern part of the con- tinent it is rarely found north of New York, or about latitude 41°."
It is a rare visitor to the south-west of Ontario, and to the east I have not heard of its having been observed.
SWALLOW-TAILEU KITE.
193
SuBoiiDKR FALCONES. Vulti'Ues, Fau.'ons, Hawks, BuzzAiiDs, Eagles, Kitks, Haukiehs, etc.
' Family KALCONID^. Vt;i/rriu;s, Falcons, Hawks,
Ea(1LKH, ktc.
SrHFAMiLV ACCIPrTHINiE. Kitks, IJuzzakds, Hawks, Goshawks, Ea(jlks, etc.
Genus ELANOIDES Vi billot.
ELANOTDES FOHFICATUS (Linx.).
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13S. Swallow-tailed Kite. (;5-'7)
Head, iiet;k and under ])art.s, white; back, wings and tail. Instrous lilack ; feet, greenish -blue; claws, pale. Length, yJ'///ft/»-, '2S-2"»; wing, l(i-17.j; tail, 14; matt, a little sniallei'.
Hab. — Southern United States, especially in the interior, from IVnn.sylvania and Minnesota southward, throughout Central and South America; westwanl to the Great Plains. Casual eastward to southern New Kngland. Accidental in England.
Nest, on a tree, constructed of sticks, hay, moss, etc.
Eggs, two, rarely three, whitish, blotched and spotted with ilicstnut- brown.
Tn the course of its extensive wanderings, this bold, dashing Kitt^ has been known to visit Ontario. Tn the " List of Birds of Western Ontario," mention is made of a pair having spent a summer about eight miles north-west of London, and there is also a record of one having alighted on the top of a fiagstaff" at Ottawa, where it was closely examined through a glass and satisfactorily identified.
The food of this species consists chiefly of snakes, lizards, grass- hoppers, locusts, etc., and the fact of the.se not being abundant in Ontario readilv accounts for the absence of the birds. According ttc Audubon, the Swallow-tailed Hawk feeds chiefly on the wing, pounces on his prey upon the ground, rises with it and devours it while flying. "In calm weather," he further observes, "they soar to an immense height, pursuing the large insects called musquito hawks, and performing the most singular evolutions that can be conceived, using their tail with an elegance peculiar to themselves."
Tn Dr. Fisher's report it is classed as harmless in its relation to agriculture.
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194
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
Uenus circus Lacici'Kdk. CIRCUS HUDSONIUS (Linn.).
139. Marsh Hawk. (.Jai)
Ailn/I main: — I'alc bluisli-iiHh, nearly unvaried, wliiteiiiug hulow luul on npper tail covoils; (|Uill8, l)la<;ki.sli towards tlie end. Lengtli, Hi-lS; wing, HI."); tail, 8-9. Ftiiiak: — Larger; above, dark brown, streaked with reddiah- l)rown; Itelow, the reverse of this; tail, banded with tiieae colors. Immature mall is like tlie female, tliough redder, but in any j)luniage the bird is known by its wliite Ujjper tail coverts and generic cliaraeter.
Hah. — Nortii America in general, .soutii to Panama.
Nest, on the ground, composed of twigs and dried grass.
Kggs, four or live, pale greenish-wliite, sometimes spotted faintly witli light brown or lilac.
In Southern Ontario the Marsli Hawk in tlie red phiinage is a well- known bird, but in the blue phase it is seldom seen. It arrives from the south in April, as soon as the ice is gone, and from that time till November it may usually be seen coursing over the marshes and moist meadows in search of its food, which consists of mice, small birds, snakes, frogs, worms, etc. It breeds sparingly at the St. Clair Flats, becoming quite numerous in the fall on the arrival of those which have bred farther north.
It is one of our most abundant and widely dispersed birds, being found throughout the whole of North America. In Ontai-io it is found breeding in all suitable places. Dr. Bell mentions its occur- rence at Hudson's Bay ; it is common among the marslies in the North- West, and also appears in Alaska. One of the most remark- able characteristics of this species is its habit of turning somersaults in the air, which is thus described by Mr. Nelson : " While I was at the Yukon mouth, on May 19th, 1879, a pair of hawks was seen repeatedly crossing the river on different days at a certain point, the leader always performing, as he went, a succession of curious antics. He would turn over and over half a dozen times in succession, like a Tumbler Pigeon, and after descending nearly to the ground he would mount to his former height and repeat the performance, so that his progress became a perfect series of these evolutions. The other bird always flew slowly and smoothly along, as if enjoying the performance of its companion." Nearly all of those seen in Southern Ontario are in the brown plumage, and I have never observed one of them indulge in the eccentricities above described. It may be that they are peculiar to the old male in the blue dress.
SHAIU'-HIIINNED HAWK.
195
This is one <»f tluiHc hii'ds rc^^iiidiiij^ wliicii the idcii jncvailt'd that they took piiiic uiid jxtidtiy, uiid should therefore he killed wheiimer tlu'V came within reaeii. I5ut the evideiict^ shows that the Marsii Hawk does so only on very rare occasions. It does h(» mueh good by the destruction of injurious ro(hMits, that 1 hoiie in future it will he allowed to follow its course in peace.
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Gkms ACCrPITEH Mui.sson.
SumiKNu.s ACCIPFTEK. ACCTPTTEIl VET/)X (\Vii,.s.).
140. Sharp-shinned Hawk. (••{.{-')
Feet, extremely slender; Imre portiiiii of tiir.su.s longer than middle toe; soutellie, frequently fiwed; tail, .>i(juiire. Ahove, dark liiown (deepest on the head, the oceij)ital featliers showing white wlien disturbed), with an asl)y or ))luml)eous shade, which increasos with age till the gonural cast is ((uitu hluish- ash; below, white or wliitish, variously streaked with daik brown and luaty, finally changing to brownish -red (palest behind and slightly ashy acro.ss the breast), with the white then only showing in narrow ci'oss-l)ars; chin, throat and crissum mostly white with blackish penciling; wings and#tail, barred with ashy and l)rown or blackish ; the ((uills, white, bai'red basally ; the tail, whitish tipped; bill, dark; claws, black; cei'c and feet, yellow. Male: — 1((-12; wings, 6-7; tail. a-ti. F>wah: — 12-14; wings, 7-H; whole foot, 3^ or less.
Hab. — North America in general, south to Panama.
Ne.st, in trees.
Eggs, four oi' five, grayish-white, shaded with purple and splashed with brown, in endless shapes and shades.
This is a rather common summer resident in Southern Ontario, smaller in size than Cooper's Hawk, but similar in markings. It lives chiefly on small birds, and nothing can exceed the impetuosity with whicli it dashes down and captures them by slieer power of flight.
" Many have been the times, " says Audubon, " when watching this vigilant, active and industrious bird, have I seen it plunge headlong into a patch of briers, in defiance of all thorny obstacles, and passing through, emerge on the other side, bearing off with exultation in its sharp claws a finch or a sparrow which it had surprised at rest."
■ This species is much given to variation in size and markings, making it ditticult at times to distinguish between a large Sharp- -shinned and a small Cooper's Hawk. In the present species, the legs
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196
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
and feet are relatively longer and more slender than in the other, the term " shorp-shirined " being no misnomer. They all seem to retire from Ontario in the fall, for none are observed daring winter.
In the spring they appear about the middle of April, and are soon common throughout the country, making their way noith through British America to Alaska, whore, Mr. Nelson says, they are much prized by the natives, who use their feathers for shafting their arrows and ior ornamenting their dancing costumes.
This species, Dr. Fisher says, lives entii'ely on flesh, and is so destructive to small birds, young grouse and chickens that "it sJiould be killed whenever possible." Tf it could only be compelled to coi.fine its attention to the European House Sparrow, it would s<3on repay us for all the other damage it has done.
ACCTPITEK COOPERT (Bonap.). • 141. Cooper's Hawk. (.-5;^)
Feet, moderately stout; hare poi'tiou of tar.siis sliorter than middle toe; scutellaj, remaining distinct; tail, a little rmnide<l. Colors and their ehaiiges as in A. ve^a;; larger. jVa/e.-^16-18; wing, 9-10; tail, 7-H. Fcinnli-: — 1S-20; wing, 10-11 ; tail, 8-9. Whole foot, 4 or more.
Hab. — North America in general, south to .soutliern Mexico.
Nest, in trees, mostly in evergreens. The deserted Jiest of some otlier species is often used.
Eggs, four or five, white, tinged with green ; sometimes faintly spotted with brown.
This is one of the Chicken Hawks, and it well deserves the name from the havoc it makes among the poultry. It is most common in spring and fall, but sometimes appears suddenly in winter, and shortens the days of PaHurr dovtcHtirux when nothing Ijetter is available.
Cooper's Hawk breeds sparingly throughout Southern Ontario, apparently preferring the vicinity of large marshes, where Blackbirds, Rails, etc., are easily obtained.
Extraordinary migrations of hawks are sometimes seen in the fall, when for two or three days in succession, along a certain section of country, individuals of this and the preceding species are continual) y in sight. Flocks of this description have often been observed at Point Pelee, near the westei'n extremity of Ijake Erie, where the
COOPERS HAWK.
197
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V)irds probably gather when working their way round the west end of the lake, in preference to going across. Although a few remain during the winter, this species is mostly migratory, arriving in April and leaving in October.
This, and its near relative, the .Shari)-shinned Hawk, are the two which Dr. Fisher says are so destructive to small birds, and young grouse and chickens, that they should be destroyed whenever it is possible.
Coopers Hawk is the larger and stronger of the two. It is par- ticularly fond of pigeons, and, if ])ermitted, will return to the dovecot day after day till the last pigeon is taken.
It is a most active bird on the wing, the long tail, short rounded wings, and «|uick sight enabling it to capture at will anything suitable it may surprise while skimming over the meadows or through the open woods.
It is generally distributed throughout Ontario, but is more common farther south. In Alaska it has not been observed.
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SuBGKNUs A8TUH Lacepedk. ACCIPITER ATRTCAPTLLUS (Wils.).
142. American Goshawk. (3.U)
Adult: — Dark bluish-slate ])lackeiiing on the head, with a white superciliary stripe; tail, with four broad dark hai's; below, closely l)arred with wliite and pale slate, and sharply streaked with blackish. Yoniuj: — Dark brown above, the feathers with pale edges, streaked with tawny-brown on the head and cervix; below, fulvous white, witli oblong brown nuirkings. Female: — 2 feet long; wing, 14 inches; tail, 11. Mali-: — Smaller.
Hab. — Northern and eastern North America, breeding mostlj' north of the United States, south in winter to the Middle States. Accidental in England.
Nest, in trees, composed of sticks, twigs and weeds, lined with grass and strips of bark.
Eggs, two or three, soiled white, sometimes faintly blotched with brown.
The Goshawk and the Peregrine Falcon were both much prized in the olden time when hawking was a princely amusement in Europe, and the same spirit and courage which was the admiration of lords and ladies fair in those ancient days still characterize the birds in their native liaunts. They never fail to attract the attention of the sportsman, as, unencumbered by hood or bell, they carry terror and dismay among the ranks of the water-fowl.
RED-TAILED HAWK.
199
In Ontario, the Goshawk is an irregular winter visitoi', sometimes appearing in considerable numbers, and again being altogether want- ing for several years in succession. In the young plumage, it bears some resemblance to Cooper's Hawk, but is always much larger in size, and is more bold and daring in proportion, frequently carrying oflF poultry from the very doors of houses in the suburbs of the city.
It is one of the handsomest species of the family. A small-sized adult male in my collection is the finest T have ever seen, a perfect model in symmetry, the colors clear and bright, and the whole plumage smooth and compact, admirably suited for passing rapidly through the air with the least possible resistance.
In the "Birds of Alaska," Mr. Nelson says: "This is the hand- somest, as well as one of the most abundant, of the birds of prey resident in Northern Alaska. It is present everywhere throughout all the wooded region, and in spring and autumn, especially during the latter season, it is a common visitor to the open country bordering on the shore of Behring Sea and the Arctic coast, and is a character- istic bird in the fur countries, breeding nearly to the Arctic coa.st.
" The Goshawk has a bad reputation among the natives, from its habit of stealing birds from their snares, as well as for hunting the Ptarmigan, upon which, at certain seiisons, the Eskimo depend largely for a food supply. Although many of these birds remain in the north during the winter, I believe that a considerable number of them pass farther to the south."
This is one of the six hijurioas species named in Dr. Fisher's report, but we see it so seldom it does not annoy us much.
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Genus BUTEO Clvier. BUTEO BOREALTS (Gmel.).
1 iw 5e, hds in Ihe Hd
UX Red-tailed Hawk. (337)
Four outer (juills oiniU'ginfite on inner web. Adult: — Dark brown above, nany feathers with pale oi- tawny margins, and upper tail coverts showing much whitish; l>elow, white or redtlish-white, with various spots and streaks of diflferent shades of brown, generally forming an irregidar zone on the abdo- men; tail above, bright chestnut-red, with subtermnial black zone and narrow whitish tip, below pearly -gray; wing coverts, dark. Yonwj: — With the tail grayish-brown barred with darker, the upper parts with tawny streaking. A large, stoutly-built hawk. Femalt: — 23; wing, 15J; tail, 8^. Made: — 20; wing, 14; tail, 7.
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BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
Haii. — Kastern North America, west to tlie (Jreat Plains. Nest, placed on a high tree, composed of sticks, twigs, grass, moss, etc. Kggs, two to four, dull white, sometimes blotched with rich brown of ditt'ercnt shades.
This is a large and powerful bird, strong of wing and stout of limb, but incapable o^ performing the feats of dexterity common to the liawks and falcons. Tt is most frecjuently seen sitting bolt upright on a stub in a field, or by the edge of the woods, carefully scrutinizing the ground below in search of the small quadrupeds on which it feeds. Tt is resident in Ontario, having been seen both in summer and winter, but is most freijuently observed during the period of migration in .spring nd fall, from which it may be inferred that many indixiduals spend the winter farther south. Occasionally, in spring, this species ma}' bo seen singly, or in pairs, soaring to a vast height, sailing rounfl in wide circles, apparently enjoying the warm sunshine and the i-eturn of life to the landscape below.
The Red-tail breeds in Southern <^^)ntario, is generally distributed throughout the Province, and is included in the list of birds observed by Prof. Macoun in the North-West.
Tt is one of the " hen-hawks " which have generally been supposed to live on game and poultry, but recent investigations show that it does not touch citliei', save when sorely pressed with hunger, and then it will eat carrion .sooner than starve. Tts principal food con- sists of the smaller mammals and reptiles, and this fact entitles it to the protection of the farmer. Tt has been placed in Class h, for the good it does is supposed to be in excess of the evil.
J?UTE() BOTIEALTS CATATRUS (Cass.). lU. Western Red-tail. (337/))
'I'lie extreme form is chocolate-brown or even darker, <iuite unicolor, with rich red tail crossed by seveial ))lack bais, from which the erythro-melanism grades insensibly into ordinai-y lioren/ix. The usu'l case is increase over horealix of dark rufous and dusky aiiades in bars and spots luiderneath, particu- larly on tlie flanks and crissum, and presence of other than the subterminal black bar on the tail.
Hab. — Western North America, from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific, south into Mexico, casually to Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan and Canadiv West.
Nesting habits and eggs identical with those of the common Red-tail.
KED-SHOL LDEllED HAWK.
201
For the privilege of including this sub-species among the " Birds of Ontario," J am indebted to the following notice which appears in the Aiik, Vol. V., page L-'O;") :
"I have obtained from Mr. J. Dodds, of 8t. Thomas, Ontario, a line adult male of the AVestern Red-tail (/iiifeo hmrnlis calunis) which was killed near that place in the fall of 1885, by John Oxford, This seems to be the first recorded occurrence of this species in Ontario." — W. E. Saixdeks, London, Ontario.
Dr. Coues, who is always averse to making tt)o many sub-species, after describing the ordinary Red-tail, says of this subject: "Such is the ordinary Hen-hawk, so abundant in eastern North America, where it is subject to comparatively little variation. In the west, however, where it is etjually numerous, it sports almost interminably in color, and not always conformably with geographical distribution. Several of these phases ha't i'eceived special names as given beyond. I am willing to spread them upon my page, but too much of my life is behind me for me to spend time in such trivial nmtabilities."
As the subject may still be interesting to younger students, I place the record here for their consideration.
BUTEO LTNEATUS (Gmkl.). 145. Red-shouldered Hawk, (^m)
Four outer priniaiies eniarginate on inner web ; general plumage of the adult of a rich fulvous cast ; above, reddish-biown, the featliers with dark brown centres ; below, a lighter shade of the same, with narrow dark streaks and white bars; quills and tail, blackish, conspicuouslj' Iwnded with pure white; the bend of the wing, orange-brown. Yohu<i: — Plain dark l)rown above; V)elow, white with dark streaks; ([uills and tail, barred with whitish. Nearly as long as B. horea/i.i, but not nearly so heavj- ; tarsi, more naked. Fetnnle : — 22; wing, 14; tail, 9. Mah : — 19; wing, 13; tail, 8 (average).
Hab. — Eastern Xorth America, west to Texas ami the Plains, south to the (tulf coast and Mexico.
Nest, in trees, composed of sticks and twigs, line<l with grass and ii few feathers.
Kggs, twoito four, variable in color, usually didl white, blotche<l with rich in-own.
In Southern Ontario this species is a common summer resident, breeding freely in the less settled parts of the country, where it is more frequently seen than any other of the " chicken hawks."
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202
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
In the fall it becomes quite numenjus on the return of those which have Ijred farther north, accompanied by their families.
Southern Ontario is probably its centre of abundance in summti', for though it (jccurs in Manitoba and has been found by Dr. Bell at York Factory, it i^- not common so far north. During the winter it has not been observed.
Like others of the family, this species varies greatly in plumcage according to circumstances. The young birds do not show any of tlie rich reddish-orange of the adult, and were at one time described as a separate species under the name of Winter Falcon. From western Texas to California, and south into Mexico, the colors become much brighter and more decided, which has led to this western form l)eing described as a sub-species under the name of lintm liiienf.s /'//'(/mis (Cass.). Occasionally we meet here with an adult in full plumage which might well be included in this group, but generally' all are much brighter in the west.
This is another of the chicken hawks which has borne the repu- tation of robbing tlie poultry yard, but it is pleasant to observed that the accusation is not \erified by the recent examination of stomachs. Dr. Fisher says : "The diet of the Red-shouldered Hawk is probably more varied than that of most other birds of prey. For example, the writer has found in the stomachs of the different indi- viduals which have come under his notice the remains of mammals, birds, snakes, frogs, fish, insects, centipedes, spiders, crawfish, earth- worms and snails, which represent eleven classes of animal life. This Hawk is very fond of frogs, and, although these batrachians are mentioned by Audubon and other writers as forming a very con- siderable portion of their sustenance, yet mice furnish fully sixty- five per cent, of their food.
" Besides this very injurious group of rodents, other small mam- mals, such as squirrels, young rabbits, shrews and moles are taken. Some authors insist that the Red-shouldered Hawk is destructive to poultry, but the writer in all his field experience has never seen one attack a fowl, nor has he found the remains of one in the stomachs of those examined."
With this record, he is fairly entitled to a place in the class whose- good acts are in excess of the evil.
SWAINSON S HAWK.
203
BLITEO SWATNSONT Bonap. 146. Swainson's Hawk. ('M-2)
It is liardly possible, witliiii tiie limited space at my disposal, to give any- thing like a detailed description of the various piiases of plumage wliii'ii this interesting Buzzard assumes, according to age, sex, or the season of the year. Sutlice it to say, that individuals differ so much from one another as to ha\e le<l to the description of about a dozen different individuals as new species, all of which are now attributable to liute.o nu'aiii.ioiii.
In measurement, this species is about the same as its nearest relatixe, the Red-tail, averaging about 20 inches in length by alxmt ;">(( in extent, biiL it is less stoutly built, has the wings longer and more pointed, and has only -Vree of the prinuiries emarginate, whei'eas the Red-tail has foui'. Tiie entire ujipcr parts are dark brown, nuiny of the feathers with tawny edgings, those on the head showing white when disturbed. 'I'ail feathers, asliy-gray, crossed with numerous dark bars, and tipped with yellowish wliite; upper tail coverts, chestnut and white, with blackisli bars ; under i)ai'ts, white, more or less shaded with chestnut. A broad pectoral area of brigiit chestnut, usually with a glaucous shade, and displaying sharp black shaft lines; tliis area contrasting strongly with the pure white throat.
In the younger birds, the upper parts are much as already described ; the lower parts, including the lining of the wings, are nearly uniform fawn color, thickly spotted with blackish -brown. These large dark spots, for the most part circular or guttiform, crowd across the fore l)reast, scatter on the middle belly and tibia^, and are wanting on the throat. In all stages of plumage the iris of the eye is brown.
Hab. — ^Western North America, from Wisconsin, Illinois, Arkansas and Texas to the Pacific coast; north to the Arctic Regions, and south to Buenos Ayres. Casual east to Massachusetts.
>''est, in a tree, at a height varying from ten to forty feet from the ground.
Eggs, two to four, greenish-white or buffy-white, often stained or blotched with rusty -brown.
Dr. Coue,s gives an adminil)le history of tliis species in his " Birds of the North-West " (page 356), from which I shall here make a few extracts :
"This large Hawk is very abundant in Northern Dakota, where it came under my ahnost daily observation during the summer of 1873." "Swainson's Buzzard may be seen anywhere in the region mentioned — even far out on the prairie, miles away from the timber, circling overhead, or perched on the bare ground. In alighting, it generally takes advantage of some little knoll commanding a view around, though it often has no more prominent place than the heap of dirt from a badger's hole, from which to cast about for some imprudent gopher espied too far from home, or still more ignoble game."
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BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
"The (lUfirry of Swainson's Ruz/ard is of a very humble nature. T never saw one swoop upon wild fowl or (Jrouse, and though they Htrike ral)hits, like the Red-tails, their prey is ordinarily nothin<( larger than gopheis. Though really strong and sulliciently fierce birds, they lack the 'snap' of the Falcons and Asturs ; and I scarcely think they are .smart enough to catch birds very often. I saw one make the attempt on a Lark IJunting. The Hawk poi.sed in the air, <it a height of about twenty yards, for fully a minute, fell heavily, with an awkward thrust of the talons — and missed. The little bird slipped off, badly scared, no doubt, but unhurt, while the enemy Happed away sulkily, very likely to prowl around a gopher-hole for his dinner, or take potluck at grasshoppers."
From the foregoing it will be seen that the home of Swain.son's Buzzard is on the prairies of the North-West, while in Ontario it is only a casual visitor. I first met with it at an agricultural fair in Hamilton in 186.5, where a young specimen was observed in a collec- tion which was competing for a prize. Being called upon to name the species to which it belonged, I turned to the woi'ks of reference then available, and made it out to be Jhiteo bainli (Hoy.), which is now known to be the young of Jhitco HicninHoni. Since that time, I have occasionally seen birds in similar plumage Hying overhead, but did not agtiin meet with it close enough for examination till the present summer (1886), when I saw one in the hands of a local tax- idermist, where it had been left to be "stuffed." It, too, was a young bird, but in fine plumage, with the characteristic markings fully displayed.
When we have more naturalists among our sportsmen, such a bird as this will be more frequently brought to light. At present, should a hawk come along, when there is nothing better in sight, it is killed in the interest of the game, but is seldom picked up.
In Forest and Stream for December, 1888, Dr. Merriam gives a most interesting account of a flock of this species which he saw- feeding on grasshoppers in Oregon. I have room only for a short extract, to show^ the influence these birds exercise in the interest of the farmer :
"One hundred and fifty hawks were counted, which did not quite include all those present. We counted as many as thirteen in one tree. Two of the three stomachs we examined contained grasshoppers and nothing else ; the third contained, in addition to grasshoppers, the head of a meadow mouse. One contained eighty- eight grasshoppers, another ninety-six, and the third 106. Assuming
BROAD-WINGED HAWK.
205
that eacli liawk captured 200 grasslioppersTa <lay, and tliat tliere were 200 hawks, the (hiily catch would thus he 40,000 j^rasshoppers. At this i-ate these hawks v/ould destroy 2MO,000 grasshoppers in u week, «)r 1,200,000 in a month," And yet tliis is one of the species for whose destruction a Inaunty has recently been offered !
IJUTEO LATISSIMUS (Wils.). 147. Broad-winged Hawk. ('U.S)
Tliiee outer [iiimaries einarginate onUiuier web ; ""above, lunber-brown, the feathers with paler, or even witii fiilvoiiH or aHhy-white edging, those of the iiind head and nape cottony white at base; quills, blackish, most of the inner webs white, barred with dusky ; tail, with three broad tlark zones alternating with narrow white ones, and white tipped ; conspicuous dark maxillary i>atche8 ; under parts, white or tawny, variously streaked, spotted oi' bari'ed with rusty or rufous, this color usually predoniiiuiting in adult Ijirds, when the white chiefly appears as oval or circular spots on each feather ; throat, generallj* whiter than elsewhere, narrowly dark-lined. In the i/oiimj the uppei- parts are duller brown, varied with white ; the under parts, tawn} -whitish, with linear and oblong dark spots, the tail, grayish-brown, with numerous dark bars. Female, 18: wing, 11 ; tail, 7. Male, less.
Hab. — Eastern Noi-th America, from New Brunswick and the Naskatchewan region to Texas and Mexico, and thence southward to Central America, noi'thern South America and the West Indies.
Nest, in a tree, built of sticks and twigs, lined with grass and leaves.
Kggs, two or three, grayish-white, marked with spots and blotches of umber- brown.
This species was first described by Wilson, who met with two individuals in tlie woods near the Schuykill, but does not appear to have seen it again.
In Southern Ontario the Broad-winged Hawk is often very com- mon in the spring. Toward the end of April, or early in May, should the weather be clear, great numbers are seen soaring at a consider- able height, and moving in circles toward the North-West.
About the same time, singly or in pairs, it may be met with in the woods, usually sitting quietly on the lower branch of a tree near some wet place watching for frogs. A few pairs remain during summer, but the greater number pass on to the North-West, and in winter none have been observed.
Late in April, or early in May, the Broad-winged Hawk has been reported at Ottawa, Toronto, Hamilton and London. It does not go^
P"
206
BIRDS OF ONTARIO,
much farther north, foi- it is rare in Manitoba, and is not found in Alaska.
Its food consists chieHy of small mammals, insects, reptiles and frogs, and it is not known ever to have touched poultry, so that on this account it is placed in Class h, the g(K)d work being in excess of the evil.
CxENus ARCHIBUTEO Brkhm. ARCHTBUTEO LAGOPUS SANCTI-JOHANNIS (Gmkl.).
148. American Rough-le^^ged Hawk. {Mia)
iielow, white, vai'iously dark colored, and often with a broad black abdo- minal zone, but generally no ferruginous; above, brown, varying from dark chocolate in the adult to light undier in tlie young; tlie back, scapulars and shorter quills, strongly cinereous; the head above, more or less white, dark streaked; upper tail coverts and tail at base, white, tiie former tipped with blackish ; the latter baried near tiie tip with one, and sometimes with several bands of black or dark brown. In this plumage the bird has been known as A. /rajopiift, the Rough-legged Huzzard, wliile to a melanotic variety of the same, found in this country only, the name ■saticH-johauiiix has been given. This variety is entii-ely glossy-black, except tlie occiput, forehead, throat, inner webs of (juills. base of tail and broad tail-bars, white. As it is now generally conceded that these are vai'icties of the same species, the original name, /aijo/iiiM, is retained, and the American form considered a geographical variety of the European characterized as variety' sattrti-johaniitx. Length, about 2 feet; wing, 1(5-17; tail, 8-10.
Hab. — Whole of North America north to Mexico, breeding chiefly north of the United States.
Nest, on trees or rocks, composed of sticks, grass, weeds and other material matted together.
Kggs, two or three, soiled white, blotched with reddish-brown.
Another large and powerful bird which, from some cause, seems contented with very humble fare, living chiefly on mice, lizards, frogs, etc, while its appearance would lead us to suppose it capable of capturing much larger game. It is sometimes found in a melanotic state, the plumage being nearly black, and in this garb it was formerly described as a distinct species, but this idea has now been abandoned.
It can always be recognized by the legs, which are feathered down to the toes, the latter being short.
In Southern Ontario this is only a visitor during the season of migration, being most plentiful in the fall, when it is often seen
GOLDEN EAnLE.
207
frequenting the marshy shores of Hamilton l>ay. It has not hccii observed during the breeding season, neitlier does it occur in wintei-.
This species in appearance and hal)its bears some resembhince to the owls, its full, soft plumage, feathei-ed legs, larg(! heatl atid flat face all pointing in that direction. Tt is also observed to l»e fond of hunting in the dim twilight, after all the other hawks have retired and only the owls are abroad. Its manner is (juite respcictable. It is neither given to whining nor to ferocity, but is one of the " hen- hawks" for whose head a bounty has been oft'ca-ed. We can readily inuigine the dignified look of injun^d innocence he would assume, if he could be placed on the perch and made t*) understand tliat \w, was charged with robbing the hen roost, Ix^cause the e\ idence now goes to show that he never touched a hen in his life.
The Rough-legged Buzzard has the highest record of any of our birds of prey, for its fowl consists almost entirely of the small mam mals which are the farmers' worst enemies. It is ratluM- irregulai'l\ distributed, but has been found breeding in Labrador, an<l north even within the Arctic circle. On the sea coast and along the Yukon River it is replaced by the Old World form.
Genus AQUILA Brisson. AQUILA CHRYSAETOS (Linn.).
U9. Golden Eagle. (:5t9)
Dark brown, with a purplisli gloss; lanceolate feathers of head and neck, golden-brown; quills, l)lackish. In the young, tail, wliite, with a l)i'oa(l terminal black zone. About 3 feet long; wing, upwards of 2 feet; tail, a foot or more.
Hab. — North America, south to Mexico. Northern jjai-ts of the Old World.
Nest, an accumulation of sticks, usually placed on an inaccessible rocky crag, more rarely in a tree.
Eggs, two, rarely three, soiled white, marked with brown or chestnut.
This fierce and daring Eagle has its home among the rugged and inaccessible cliffs of Canada East; but in the fall it is seen following the flocks of water-fowl, which, at this season, visit the lakes to rest and recruit themselves as they travel southward. Some years ago I asked a boy, whose home I considered a favorable point for getting birds of prey, to shoot any hawks or owls he saw and bring them to me. A few days afterwards I saw him approaching my house with a
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208
mUDS OF ONTAKIO.
Ill
iH
sack Mvcf Ills hIi(iu1(I«'1', wliicli, jiulj^iii;,' from flic hulk, mi^'lit fniitiiiii 11 (lo/.cii hawks, hut jLjrcat was niy suija-isc wlicii lie shixtk out a lint' lai'fi;*' tVuialc (ioldcii l*ia;i^lt', he had sliot that iiKiniiiij; as it fU'W ii\>'f the j)lat't' whoro he ha|>p(>ii(>(l to Im' standiiij,'.
Shortly afterwards F j^ot a youiij; male whieli had l)eeii cauyht near Stony Creek, and I have seen several that were procured near Toi'onlo. hark hrown Kai^les are often observed lioverin;; alon<4 the shores of l^ake Ontario duririjii the fall, hut at a distance it is inipos sihle to distinj^uish between this and the younj,' of tlie llald Ea<j;le, which is also uniformly brown throughout. The (|uickest way of identifyinf^ the species, on ch»He inspection, is by referring to the legs, which, in t\w (!oIden Hagle, are feathered down to the toes, ditlering as much in this respect from the Maid Eagle as the Kough-legged Buzzard does from any of the other hawks.
Except as a wanderer dui'ing the season of migration, the (Jolden Eagle is seldom seen in Ontario.
Tn the fai North-West it is more common. Tn the " Bii'ds of .\laska," Mr. Nelson says regaiding it: " Ft nests rather conniionly on the Fjower McKenzie and Anderson Rivers, and extends its range to the Arctic shores of the mainland, and perhaps reaches some of the adjacent islands north of British .\merica. In spite of the courageous and even fiei'ce character of this fine bird, it sometimes descends to feed upon cari'ion. On one occasion a paii' was dis- turbed by a friend of mine while they were feeding upon the remains of a hog in Northern Illinois. As my friend approached, the birds arose and swooped fiercely at him. Both birds were shot alnujst at the muzzle of the gun. The first fell dead almost at his feet, but this apparently served only to increa.se the rage of the survivor, which renewed the attack until it, too, was disabled."
Tn sections oi the country where prairie dogs, rabbits or gophers are abundant, the (jolden li^agle is \ery beneficial, confining its attention mainly to these noxious animals; but in places where wild game is scarce, it is often very destructive to the young of domestic animals.
From its record, where best known, it has been placed in Class r its good and biul deeds being about equal in quantity.
BALD EAGLE.
209
(Jkmm HALIVEKTl'S S.wKiNV. HALI^:i<:Trs LKrCDCKPHAIAS (Linn).
150. Bald Eagle. (■<'")•.»)
Durk blown; lieiul itiul tail, wliite lifter (In- third year- lint'tui- tlu.s, tlittet* (iiirtH liku tlie real of the phiiiiiigc. .Alioiit tiit- ni/.c of tin' UiHt M]>t!<.'ieH. Imimmi- tiir(! hirilH averaj^e larj^er than ailiilt«.
Mail N'ortii .Aiiu'ricii at large, soiitii to Mexico,
NeHt, of huge iliiiieiiMi<>n.s, l)iiilt of Htii^kH, placiMJ on a tree.
KggH, tw(j, white, often Hoiled Ity their MiiiroiiiiiliiigM.
TliLs i.s more t'n'(|uently seen tluin the preceding species, and may lie coiLsidered resident, for it is often ol)served durin<,' winter, and breeds in suitable places throughout the country, usually on or near the shore of a lake. Tn a letter from Dr. McCorniick, dated llree/e Place, Pelee Island, .fune 12th, 18S4, the writer says : "T chaiice<l to observe an interesting incident a few days since, showing what looked very much like reasoning powers in a Hald-headed Kagle. The wind was blowing (|uite strong from the west, and the eagle had caught a large fish. Kising in the air with his dying prey in his talons, he tried to Hy directly to windward, towards his nest, but the wind was too strong, and after several unsuccessful attempts, he dropped the fish (now dead) into the water. Then flying off toward' the north for some distance, apparentl}' to try the wind in that direc- tion, and finding he could progress more easily, he turned round, went back to the fish, took it up again in his claw.s, and Hying north with a beam wind, made the shore. Then in shelter of a friendly grove of trees, he flew away toward the west and his nest, with his scaly treasure, thus exercising wliat appeared to be a reasoning process of cause and eflFect."
A favorite haunt of this species used to be along the Niagara River below the Falls, where they would sit on the dead trees by the river bank and watch for any dead or dying animals that came down- the stream. This habit becoming known to collectors, a constant watch was kept for the appearance of the birds. Many were picked off with the rifle, and although a few still visit the old haunts, their numbers are greatly reduced.
Twenty years ago, I knew a youth who shot one of these birds as
it flew over him while he lay concealed among the rushes on the
shore of Hamilton Bay watching for ducks. On taking it up, he
found an unusual appendage dangling from the nejk, which proved,
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210'
BIRDS OF ONTARIO,
on examination, to be the bleached skull of a weasel. The teeth had the " death grip " of the skin of the bird's throat, and the feathers jiear this place were much confused and broken.
The Eagle had probably caught the weasel on the ground, and rising with his prize, a struggle had ensued in the air, during which the weasel had caught the bird by the throat and hung there till he was squeezed and clawed to pieces.
Bald Eagles are, during some winters, common at Hamilton Beach, where they pick up any dead fish and " cowheens " that are shaken out of the fishermen's nets. Knowing the habits of the birds, the fishermen o^',en capture them by placing a poisoned carcase near the edge of the ice. The bait is sure to be taken by the first Eagle that comes along, and usually the bird dies before leaving the spot.
They still rear their young in suitable places throughout Ontario, but as the country becomes more thickly settled, the birds seek for greater retirement elsewhere. I learn from Dr. Macallum that a few pairs still breed along the north phore of Lake Erie. " Quite recently," he says, "I had a set of eggs taken from a nest which was placed in an oak 100 feet up. It is known to have been there for sixteen years, and from annual patching had got to be eight feet deep and five feet across, and so firm that a sailor named Fox, who took the eggs, was able to dance on the top, and kneel down on the edge to lower the eggs to those below. The eggs were placed in the middle of the platform, which was composed of sticks and clay, they were three in number, pure white, and were quite fresh when taken, April 3rd. I once saw an Eagle swoop down on a Herring Gull, which it carried ofi" in its claws to a large tree, where it was devoured. It had done the same thing in the same place the day before;"
The food of this species consists entirely of fish, where they can be obtained, and the bird is then harmless, and should be protected, but where fish are scarce, and the birds begin to interfere with the domestic animals, they should be kept within proper limits. They have -thus been placed in Class c, along with others wiiose good deeds are supposed to balance the evil they do.
They are very abundant in Alaska and throughqut the Aleutian Chain, where they are resident. In summer they feed upon fish and the numerous wild fowl that breed among these islands. In winter they feed on Ptarmigan and the sea-fowl which reside there during that season. When at Salmon Neck, in Sanborn Harbor, Mr. Dall saw seventeen eagles all within 100 yards. There, as elsewhere, they
BALD EAGLE.
211
were accused of carrying <»fF young chickens, but \u> authenticated instance was known.
Two years ago, I saw one that had been killed at Hamilton Beach under circumstances which made it appear that his reasoning powers were not eijual to those of the hunter.
It was in January, the bay was hrnily frozen over, and a keen, strong wind was blowing from the west. Half a mile out from the shore sat a Bald Eagle, tearing at the carcase of a small (juadruped, which was frozen into the ice. There was no cover or chance of approach, ivr his view was open all round, and he seemed to enjoy his feast in safety.
Willie Smith, one of the Beach l)oys, looked on him with longing eyes, and his ingenuity was equal to the occasion. Carefully examin- ing his gun, he set sail with a comrade in his iceboat, and by short tacks worked his way up in shelter of the shore to a point about a mile from where the Eagle sat, but directly to windward. Then the tackling was examined and set, and away went the boat at a rate at which only iceboats before the wind can go.
The Eagle must have seen the boat, but probably had little idea of the rate at which it was approaching. When it was still a good way off he got up to fly, Ijut it is necessary for such birds to rise against the wind, and in doing this he went directly to meet his adversary. In vain he tried to sheer off to the right, still flying low. The boat was on his track at once, and for some seconds it looked sis if they would pass each other about forty yards apart, but there was a flash, a crack, and the ^agle fell on the ice. The boat went tearing on, taking a long sweep, and then came round tf» the spot where lay the bird, which was picked up and brought off in triumph.
It takes at any time a quick eye and a steady hand to bring down a bird on the wing, but the peculiarity in this case was that both the hunter and his game were moving rapidly, and the hunter per- haps the more (juickly of the two.
'4
■.iA-
Subfamily FALCONING. Falcons.
Genus FALCO Linn.eus.
SuBOENUs HIEROFALCO Cuvikk,
FALCO ISLANDUS Brunn.
151. White Gyrfalcon. (.{a.i)
One of the largest ami most powerful of the Falcon iiin'. Feet, very stout: tarsus, rather longer than the middle toe without claw, feathered fully half way down in front and on sides, with narrow l)are strip beliind ; elsewhere, seticulate. Wing, pointed by second (juill. supported nearly to the end . the third, only the first decidedly enmrginute on inner web. Tail, rounded; sexes, alike. roMWf/.-- Little different. Wing of male, 13.r)0-14..-)<) ; tail, 8.50-9.50. Wing of female, l.'J-Hi; tail, 9-10. Adults: — (ieneral plumage of upper part.', barred with dark brown and pale ash, the former predominating, especially on the head and neck ; tail, closely barred with light and dark in about equal amounts ;
WHITE GYRFALCON.
213
lower piii'tH, white, iininaciilate on throat; elsewhere, .streaked and variously spotted with dviaky. Fo »«;/.• — Darker tlian the adults at an early stage, some of the lighter markings tinged with ochniceoua.
Hah. — Arctic Regions, including Arctic America and Oreenland.
Nest, placed on a shelf of a ditf".
Eggs, two to four, light hrownish-red, faintly speckled with umber-hrown.
This is thr (iyi'ffilcon of America, and perliaps also of Europe, for the difference between the two, if any, is very triflin<^. There are now two flifferent species and two sub-species of Gyrfalcon described iis American, and we bow to the decision of the revision committee who have so decided, but still hold our own opinion, that when this fever of subdivision has cooled off a little and we become better acquainted with this group, one species will be sufficient to include the whole.
At all events I am much pleased at V)eing able to place this one among the " Birds of Ontario," and for this privilege T am indebted to Mr. (t. R. White, of Ottawa, who secured, on the 'iSi-d December, 1890, a fine adult male that wius bestowing unsolicited attention upon his domestic pigeons.
This is so decidedly a nortliern bird, that it is rare to find it even as far south as Ottawa. It is of circumpolar distribution, and has been found breeding in (Greenland. In Alaska this form is rather i-are, though some of the others are quite common. Speaking of J^alco rusfii'olxK <ft/rf<(lro, Mr. Nelson saj's : "Throughout all Ala.ska, from the Aleutian Islands north, both along the coast and through the interior, extending fnmi Behring Straits across the northern portion of British Anjerica, the present falcon is the commonest resident bird of prey. It fret|uents the vicinity of cliffs and rocky pointK about the sea coast, or the rock}' ravines of the interior, during the bleeding season, and the remainder of the year, especially in the fall, it is found wandering over the of)untry wherever food can be obtained. In a series of skins of this species from various parts of its range, thei-e is found j>.n interminable gradation from the whitest ishindns to the darkest gj/rfn/ro and tnisfirolint.
"Specimens in the Xational Museum collection from Greenland show the widest extrenjes, which are bridged by connecting speci- mens, .so that it is impossible to definitely separate them. Newton's separation of gyrfnlcn from Idandus on the assumption that the head is lighter than the back in one, and uniform with the back in the other, rests upon a purely individual character, as shown by ray Alaskan series of skins."
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BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
In the Hudson's Bay country, Dr. Bell says : " This species is known as the Partridge, or Winter Hawk, although it remains also- during the summer and breeds in the country."
This is one of the destructive class ((/), which is said to live on game without compensation, and should therefore be destroyed, but throughout Ontario it is not likely to be troublesome.
In a letter from Mr. W. E. Brooks, of Mount Forest, dated January 17th, 1894, the writer says : "A few days ago, a fine (rvr- falcon passed over our fowls as they were being fed. It was a little too high to be reached with an ordinary charge, and, as often hap- pens, there was no gun at hand, so that the chance of securing a rare specimen was lost.'
Mr. Brooks is well ac(|uainted with these birds, for he had shot them during his residence in British Columbia.
These are the only positive records of the species having been observed in Ontario, but as they are poweriul birds on the wing, and much given to wandering during the winter, I have no doubt that all of the forms described will yet be found alo.ig our northern fron- tier. To assist in the identification of any that may be secured, I. shall here give Mr. Ridgway's description of the different varieties :
.■J54. F. RusTicoi.rs (Linn.). (}ray (iYrkalcos.
Adult: — Witii upper parts )>i,ii(le(l with dusky and bluish-gmy (sometimes uniform dusky anteriorly); tlie flanks and thighs, barred, banded or trans- versely spotted with dusky. Youn;/: — Without transverse Imrs on upper parts (except sometimes on tail); and lower parts, with all the markings longitudinal.
Hab. — Extreme northern portions of Europe (except Scandinavia), Asia and North America (including Iceland and soutliern (Treeidand); south in winter to northern lM)rder of United States.
3")4rt. F. Ri'STicoLrs (4vrkal<;o.
Athilf : — Witli anterior upper parts (back, scapulars and wing coverts), rather indistinctly barred with bluish-gray, often nearly plain dusky; flanks, heavily banded or spotted with dusky; and thighs heavily bari-eil with slaty (the white groimd color tinged with bluish-gray posteriorly).
H.\B. — Northern Europe and Arctic America, from northern Lal»rador ami coasts of Hudson's Bay to Alaska.
3546. F. HUSTicoLus obsoletus. Black (Jvrkaixjon.
Lower parts, with dusky prevailing, sometimes entirely dusky, except on lower tail coverts, which are always spotted with white.
Hab.— Coast of Labrador, south in winter to Maine, Canada and New York.
DUCK HAWK.
21 r,
Subgenus RHYNCHODON Nitzsch. FALCO PEREGRTNUS ANATUM (Bonap.).
15:
Duck Hawk. (356)
Tarsus feathered but little way down in front, elsewhere irregularly retieu- lated in small pattern, ni)t longei- than middle toe ; fii-st (juill, alone decidedly emarginate on inner web, not shorter than the third. Above, blackisli-ash, with more oi' less evident paler waves; below and the foreliead, white, more or less fulvous tinge, and transverse bars of blackish; conspicuous black ear patches. YoniKj: — With the colors not so intense and tending to brown ; the tawny shade below stronger; the lower parts longitiulinally striped. Length, al>out 18; wing, 13-14; tail, 7-8.
H.\B. — North America at large.
Nest, in a tree, or on a rock, or on the ground.
Eggs, three to five, dull white, blotched with difl'erent siiades of i-eddish- brown.
This is the Bullet Hawk, the terror of the ducks and the admira- tion of sportsmen at the shooting stations, where he is often seen, either capturing game on his own account, or appropriating what has been killed by the gunner before he has time to pick it up. As this species is known to breed in Massachusetts, on the coast of Labrador, and in Alaska, it will also be found most likely to do so in suitable places in Ontario, but .at present we have no satisfactory record of the fact. The steep rocky ledges which overhang the blue waters of Lake Superior oflfer inducements which the birds will hardly overlook, and we expect yet to hear of their being found breeding there.
While here, the Peregrine is no loiterer, but follows the migratory course of the water-fowl, and fares sumptuously every day. Ducks are his favorite game, and he need never be at a loss, yet (by way of a relish perhaps) we see him sometimes scoop up a sandpiper or a mud- hen and pick its bones on an elevation which commands a clear view for some distance around. In Southern Ontario, the Peregrine is seldom seen except in the fall.
The Peregrine was held in great esteem in the olden time when " hawking " was a princely amusement in Europe, and a very high price was often paid for a well-trained pair. Here he is under no restraint, but, handicapped neither by bell nor hood, he follows the bent of his own wild nature, exceeding even the Gyrfalcon in the skill and activity he exhibits when capturing his prey. He is placed in Dr. Fisher's destructive class (d), but he is so seldom seen in Ontario that his habits are not often the subject of complaint. .
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BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
;^
SuBOENis ^8AL0N Kaup. FALCO COLUMBAHIITS Lixx.
153. Pigeon Hawk. (357)
Tarsus, sctiruely feathered a))ove, with the plates in front enlarged, appear- ing like a double row of alternating scutellie (and often with a few true scutella! at base); first and second (juill eniarginated on inner web. Adult male: — Above, ashy-blue, sometimes almost blackish, sometimes much paler; below, pale fulvous or ochreous, wliitish on the throat, the breast and sides with large oblong dark Tirown spots with l)lack siiaft lines; the tibiiv, reddish, streaked with brown; innci' we)>s of primai'ies with tabout eight transverse white or whitish spots; tail, tip])ed with white, and with the outer feather whitening; with a broad subterminal l)lack zone and tliree to foui' black bands alternating with whitisii ; cere, greenish-yellow. Fiina/c : — Witli the upper parts ashy- brown; tlie tail, witii four to five indistinct whitisii bands. Length, about 13; wing, H; tail,."). .1/re/r .•—Smaller.
Hah. — '{'he whole of Xortli America, soutii to the West Indies and northern South .America.
Nest, in a hole in a tree, or on a branch, or on rocks.
Kggs, four, yellowish-brown, blotched with brown of a darker shade.
Thi(s handsome little falcon is a miniature of the Peregrine, and is »juite its e(jual in courage and spirit, often attacking birds of much grejiter weight than itself. It is not a common species anywhere, and in Soutliern Ontario can only be regarded as a migratory visitor in spring and fall. It is at all times a difficult matter to define the precise breeding range of birds that are rare everywhere, and regard- ing the summer haunts of the Pigeon Hawk we have yet much to learn. As it has beeji known to breed in Maine and in Alaska, it is quite likely to breed also in Ontario, where there is plenty of room for it to do so without being observed. In the fall when the black- birds get together in flocks, they are frequently followed by the " little corporal," who takes his tribute without much" ceremony. I once .saw him " stoop " on a flock as they hurried toward the marsh for sheltei". How closely they huddled together, as if seeking mutual protection, but he went right through the flock and came out on the other side with one in each fist.
This species has a wide distribution, going south in winter as far as the West Indies and northern 8outh America. In summer it has been found breeding in Nova Scotia and in several of the New England States. Mr. Macfarlane found it common in the Anderson River regions. And Mr. Nelson says : " It is one of the most numerous and familiar birds of prey throughout the wooded portion
AMERICAN SPARROW HAWK.
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of Northern Alaska, ranging during niigrationH to the bairen coasts <if Behring Sea and thr \rctic.
"On the 6th of Ocvober, 187.S, T saw one of these birds dart down and strike its talons into the back of a Burgomaster Gull as the latter was Hying over the sea. Af*;er holding on for a moment, tlie gull continuing its flight unimpeded, the falc(m let go, and rising almost directly up for thirty or forty yards went clear off", apparently not desirous of renewing the attack." Although the Pigeon Hawk is a true falcon and consumes a great many small birds of different sorts, Dr. Fisher believes it kills sufficient injui-ious insects and mammals to balance the account, and has accordingly placed it in Class c. In Ontario it is never sufficiently numerous to do serious injury.
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SuiJGKNUs TINNUNCULUS Vieillot. FALCO' SPARVERIUS Linn.
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l.~)4. American Sparrow Hawk. (360)
Tarsus and quills, as in rolumharinn; crown, ashy-hlue, with a chestnut patch, sometimes small or altogether wanting, sometimes occupying nearly all the crown; conspicuous black maxillary and auricular patches, which, with three others around the nape, make seven black places in all, hut a part of them
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often ()J)8ciire oi' wanting; Iwitik, cinnanion-lirown, in the iiiali-, with a few lihieiv spots or none; in the ylwa/f-, with numerous Ijlack hars; wing covei'ts, in tlie inalf, ashy-bhie, witii oi- witliout hhvck spots ; in the fmna/e, like tlie l>ack ; (juills, in hotli sexes, l)hickish, with numerous pale or wliite bars on inner M'ebs; tail, chestnut, in the ina/f, with one broad l)lack subterniinal l)ar, white tip, ami onter feather mostly wiiite, with sevei'al black bars; in tha /fiiia/t, the whole tail with numerous imperfect l)lack bars; below, wiiite, vai'iously tingeil with buH'oi- tawny, in tiie wri/c, with a few small l)lack spots or none; in the J'liiiaJt, with many Itrown streaks; throat and rent, nearly white and innnaculate in both sexes; bill, dark horn; cere and feet, yellow to brigiit orange; 10-1 1; wing, 7 ; tail, .'>, more or less.
Hab. — Whole of North America, .south to northern South America.
Kggs, four or rive, deposited in the hollow of a ilecayed linil), or deserterl woodpeckei-'s hole. In color, variable, usually yellowish-brown, blotched all over with ln'own of a darker shade.
Tlie peculiar and liundsome markings of thi.s little falcon serve, even at a distance, to prevent its being mistaken for any other species. Though sometimes seen near the farm-house, it does not bear the stigma of having felonious intentions towards the occujiants of the poultry yards, but is credited with the destruction of large numViers of mice, and is, therefore, regarded with favor by the farmer. It also feeds freely on snakes, lizards, gra.sshoppers, etc., but has the true falcon etiquette of taking only what is newly killed. It is generally distributed throughout Ontario, arriving (n\ the southern frontier about the end of April, and leaving for the south in Sep- tember.
In the " Birds of Minnesota," page 203, is given an account of an experiment made by M. de Lantrie, to test the value of this species to the farmer. He says : " I took five little Sparrow Hawks and put them in a cage. The parents immediately brought them food, and I was not surprised to see that it consisted of twelve mice, four large lizards, and six mole crickets. A meal of like size was brought every day for a month. At one time there wei-e fifteen field mice, two little birds, ajid a young rabbit. Last year I made the same experiment, with similar results ; one meal consisting of twelve small birds, one lark, three moles and one hedgehog. In one month, the five baby-hawks rid the world, by actual count, of 420 rats and )nice^ 200 mole crickets, and 15S lizards." In view of the foregoing record, this species is well entitled to the place which Dr. Fisher has given, it in Class h, as one of those whose (food deeds are in excess of the- evil, and it is, therefore, entitled to the protection of all interested.
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Geni'8 POLYBORUS Vi billot. POLYBOR U8 CHERT WAY (JACti.).
l5o. Audubon's Caracara- (362)
(ienenil colni-, blackish; the throat all around, and more or less of the fore iHick and breast, whitish, spotted and barred witli blackish; upper and lower tail coverts and most of the tail, white, the latter crossed witli numerous Imrs of black, of which color is tlie broad terminal zone; tlie shaft, white along the white portion of each feather; Ijasal portion of primaries, also Iwvrred with whitish; iris, brown; feet, yellow; claws, black. Youikj: — Similar, but rather brownish, tne markings of tlie body running lengthwise; the tail. Inured. Length, 21-23; wing, 14i-16i; tail, 8-10.
H.\B. — Soutlvern border of the United States (Florida, Texas, Arizona), and Lower California, soutii to Kcuador and (luiana.
Nest, on trees, bualies, or cliffs, coaise and bulky, composed of sticks and twigs, lined with leaves and grass.
Kggs, two or tliree, beautiful in color, varying from light cinnamon to innber-brown, with markings of yellowish, umber-brown, cliestnut, claret-brown, or reddish-brown.
A description of this southern bird may seem very much out of phice among the " Birds of Ontario," but as the bird is known to have once paid us a visit, it is only right to place it on record.
The specimen referred to was captured on the north shore of Lake Superior, near Port Arthur, on the 18th July, 1892, and was so reported to the Natural History Society of Ontario, by Mr. Geo. E. Atkinson.
As this species is not a migrant, but considered resident wherever it is found, it is difficult to account for the occurrence of this individ- ual so far north of its usual habitat. Whatever the cause may have been, the journey cost the bird its life — a penalty very often paid by such wanderers.
The centre of abumhvnce of the Caracara seems to be on both sides of the southern boundary of the Unitbd States. It is also common in Florida, Texas and Oregon. In its habits it resembles both the eagles and vultures, catching some of its prey alive, but also feeding greedily on dead animals. In its flight it is sometimes slow and sluggish, like a vulture, but again, when occasion requires, it can be as quick and active as a falcon.
Captain B. F. Goss says regarding this species : " Brown Pelicans breed in great numbers off the coast of Texas. When these birds were returning to their breeding ground with pouches filled with
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ifish, tlie Carncanis would attack them until they disgorged, and then Jilight and devour the stolen prey. These attacks were made from above, hy suddenh' darting down on the Pelicans with shrill screams, Hnd striking at them with their talons. I saw this manceuvre repeated a numl)er of times by a pair of these birds that nested on the island, and by others that came from the shore. They did not jittac'k outgoing birds, but invariably waited for the incoming ones, and as soon as these were over land, so that the contents of the pouches would nf)t fall in the water, they pounced on them, and kept it up until their object was attained."
' They are very fond of fish and frogs ; they also hunt prairie dogs iind other small mammals, but are not accused of disturbing poultry.
Suhfamii.y PANDIONINiE. Osfhkys.
Genus PANDTON Savignv.
PANDION HALIAETUS CAKOLINENHTS (Umel.).
l-'ifi. American Osprey. (3(54)
Pluniage lacking after-shafts, coinpact, imbricated, oily to resist water ; that of the legs short and close, not forming the flowing tufts seen in most otiiei' genera, that of the liead lengthened, acununate ; primary coverts stiff <ind acuminate. Feet, immensely large and strong, the tarsus, entirely naked, j^ranular leticuhite, the toes all of the same length, unwebbed at base, very scabrous undenieath, tlie outer versatile ; claws, very large, rounded under- neath. Hook of the bill, long, nostrils touching edge of cere. Above, dark brown ; most of the head and Tieck and the under parts, white, latter some- times with a tawny shade and streaked with brown. Length, 2 feet ; wing, lH-18 inches ; tail, 8-10.
HAM.^North Ameiica, from Hudson's Bay and Alaska, south to the West Indies and northern South America.
Nest, in a tree, composed of sticks, often very bulky, from annual additions.
Eggs, two to four, variable in color, usually creamy-brown, blotched with •various darker shades of brown.
The Fish Hawk is generally distributed throughout Ontario, breeding by the lakes and rivers in the less thickly settled parts of the country. Along the sea coast it is more abundant, frequently "breeding in communities of several hundreds. .In such cases the nests are placed indifferently on I'ocks or trees, and sometimes the ■eggs have been deposited on the sand. Near these breeding places,
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the Bald Eagle has every opportunity oi tyrannizing over the FiHh Hawks, and compelling them to drop the ttsh they have just caught. On the inland waters of Ontario, the Bald Eagle is of less fre(|uent occurrence, and the Osprey is allowed to enjoy the results of his industry in j)eace.
The Fish Hawks arrive in Ontario as s(»on as the ice breaks up in the spring, and are soon distributed thi-oughout the country. Her*' and there in Ontario and elsewhere, a pair will settle aiul remain for the summer, but many of them do not slack in their northern flight till they are within the Arctic circle, where they rear tlieii- young on the banks of the clear streams of the interinr, and along: the Yukon River in Alaska. Only one brood is laised in the season, and in the fall they again w(trk theii' way south, calling at many intermediate stations. Tn Southern Ontaiio they are seen during October, but continue their .southern route by easy stages, till many of them reach the West Indies and northern South America, where they soon again prepare f<)r the spring ti-ij). Fish are pro- tected by a law which ordinary fishers are bound to respect, but thin Hawk lives on fish and nothing else, and he takes the sort he can get without regard to the season of the year. On this account he has been placed <m Dr. Fisher's black list, in Class </, of which the evil deeds exceed the good; but in Ontario I feel sure that the vote would be to let him take all he requires, in consideration of the atlditittnal attraction his splendid presence gives to the scenery of many a lakc and river throughout the Province.
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SuHORDEu STRIGES. Owls.
Family STRKIID^. Barn (hvi,s.
Genus STRIX Linx.kus.
8TRIX PRATrNCOLA Boxap.
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American Barn Owl. {'Mi'))
Tawny or fulvous brown, delicately clouded or niarl)led witli asiiy or white, and speckled with brownish-black ; below, a varying shade frt)ni neaily a pure white to fulvous, with sparse sharp blackish speckling ; face, white to purplish- l>rown, darker or black about the eyes ; the disk, bordered with dai'k broM'ii ; wings and tail barred with ))rown, and finely mottled like the back ; bill, whitish; toes, yellowish. Female : — Length, 17 'inches; wing, 13; tail, i)J. Mode : — Rather less.
Hab. — Wanner parts of North America, fiom the Middle States, Ohio Valley and California, southward thiough Mexico.
Breeds, in hollow trees, frequently in the tower of a church or other higli )>uilding8.
Eggs, five to eleven ; soiled white.
Although this species, so much like the Barn Owl of Britain, has long been known as an American bird, coming as far north as Massa- chusetts, it is only within the last few years that it has l)een observed
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in Ciiiuula. In May, IHS'J, a sprcinx'ii whs l<ill<Ml hy yminj^ Mr. Hv'ul, ^{anlt'iier, York Stn'ft, llainittoii, and in tlu' fall nf the same year anotluT was found in an cniitty outliouHc iicar tin* canal Icadinj; to Dundas. On calliii;,' thf attention ot' Dr. (tarni«M\ of Faicknow, to tlu'sp facts, he mentioned liavinj,' seen one several years before, near where he lives, und from .Mi'. C.I. Mampton eomes a report of his having; seen two individiialH near Sanit Ste. Marie, Compai'ed with the British Harn Owl, the American species is a little lui-yer, Init hy many they are re;,'arded as idtMitical. The Ihitish hird is noted for its partiality to ruinous church toweis and other lonely places. Stran^'e to say, Mr. Uei<rs specimen was killed in the cemetery, while one of those seen hy Mr. Uumpton was perched on the cross on the spiie of the Catholic church.
The harn Owl has a sharp, ini|uisitive visaj^e. and is said to he an e.vpert niouser. In < )ntario it can only he rej^arded as an accidental \ isitor from the south.
No recent instance of the occurrence of this species in Ontario has come to my knowledj,'e. We are farther to the north than its i,sual habitat. In the south, it is (piite common across the continent, from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast, its centre of abundance beinjL^, ai)})ar- ently, in southern California. Tts food consists almost entii'ely of rats, mice, jiophers, and otliei' destructiv«i little mammals, which leads one to expect that it would be j)lace(l in Class <i, as entirely bem^ ficial, but for some i-eason, not appai'ent, it is included in Class l>, among those whose good work is greater than the revei-se. This rank entitles oui- friend to exemption from the pei-secution whicli is accorded to all oui' birds of pi'ey, a practice we hope to see entirely changed in the near future. This is the bird we lind so often alluded to in the superstitions of the old land poets and historians, ancient niid modern, all associating his name with evil.
Shakespeare frecjuently refers to the Owl as a bird of evil repute. For instance, in speaking of the omens which preceded the death of Ctesar, Casca says :
*' And yesterday, the bird of uij^iit did sit Kven at noonday upon the niai'ket -place. Hooting and shrieking."
In Burns' account of that memoralih^ midnight ride, when Thomas (xraham, of the farm of Shanter, was privileged to get a glimp.se of the proceedings of a s(»cial science meeting of tlie moving spirits of the time, the farmer's progress homeward is thus described : "Kirk Allowa was ih-awin' nigh, Whaur ghaists and hoolets nichtly cry."
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Ill the rural districts of Scotland, where suuerstition still lingers, the " hoolet " continues to be regarded with aversion, and its visits to the farm-house are looked upon as the forerunners of disaster to the family. Its cry, when heard at night, is described as most pene- trating and depressing, and it is often referred to in this way in the literature of the country.
In a song by Taanahill, the fellow-townsman and brother poet of Wilson, the Ornithologist, the hero is entreating admission to the chaml)er of his lady-love, and in describing his uncomfortable posi tion outside, mentions among other causes, that the "cry o' hooiets mak's me eerie," Such sounds, when heard unexpectedly at night, i'l a lonely place, are not calculated to inspire courage in a breast already depressed with superstitious fear, but the eifect produced must, to a great e?tent, depend on the train of thought passing through the mind of the hearer at the time. Many a stalwart Scot may have quailed at the cry of the hoolet when heard undei- certain conditions, but it is a matter of history that the sons of that romantic land, when roused to enthusiasm by similar sounds extorted from the national instrument, have performed deeds of personal valor which will live in song and story so long as poets and historians seek such themes.
Family BUBONID^. Hohned Owls, etc.
(tenus ASIO Brisson.
ASIO WILSONIANUS (Less.).
158. American Long-eared Owl. (366)
(Jeneiul phnnage above, a variegation of dark brown, fulvous and whitish, in small pattern ; breast, more fulvous ; belly, wliiter ; the former, sharply stripeil ; the latter, striped and elaborately barred with blaekish ; quills and tail mottled and closely barred with fulvous and dark brown ; face, pale, with ))laok ttmches and eye patches ; bill and claws, blackish. Ear-tufts, of 8 to 1*2 feathers. Length, 14-15; wing, 11-12; tail, 5-6.
Hab. — Temperate North America.
Nest, of sticks, loosely put together, lined with a few feathers, variable as to situation, frequently in a thick evergreen.
Eggs, four to six, oval, white.
The Ix)ng eared Owl is strictly nocturnal in its habits, and is .seldom seen abroad by day, except when disturbed in its retirement among the evergreens. So far as I have observed, it is not a com-
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inon apecies in Ontai'io, but, from its rt^tiring liabits, it may iie more so than we are aware. Those observed near Hamilton have l)een found in the fall, the season when birds of all kinds wander away from their summer resort, befoi-e retiring south to spend the winter. Along the sea coast it is more common, and in New England resides throughout the year. That it breeds in Ontario is vouched for by Mr. Robert Elliot, who found a uest near his home at Bryanston <luring the summer of 1886.
It is reported a tolerably common summer resident in Manitoba, and is also plentiful in the Saskatchewan and Hudson's Bay districts. It is one of the best of the farmers' feathered friends, consuming immense numbers of rats, mice, moles, beetles, etc.
We find it placed in Class />, with a lialance of gotxi work at its •credit, which entitles it to our protection.
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ASIO ACCIPITRINUS (Pall.). lo9. Short-eared Owl. (-367)
Kiilvcus or buffy-brown, paler or whitey-hro\.ii l)elow ; hreiwt and iipner parts, broadly and thickly streaked with dark lunwn ; belly, u.sually sparsely streaked with the same, but not haired cross •isc. ; (juills and tail, buff, with few dark bands and mottling ; facial area, legs, ar d crissum, pale, unnuirked ; ■eye-patch, blackish ; ear-tufts, of from li to (5 feathers. Size of iri/soiiiainis.
Hab. — Throughout North America ; nearly cosmopolitan.
Nest, on the ground, consisting of a few sticks, blades of grass and feathers, loosely thrown together.
Kggs, four to six, white, nearly round.
This is a much more common species than the preceding, and probably more northern in its range. I have reports of its occur- rence at different points throughout Ontario, and it was observed in the North- West by Prof. Macoun. It is less nocturnal in its habits than the preceding, and is somewhat gregarious, being occasionally seen during the day in the fall, in flocks of te.a f)r twelve, hunting in company. It has not lieen my fortune to fall in with any of these migratory groups, but I have observed the species skinuning Jioiselessly over the inlets and moist meadows along the shores of JIarailton Bay.
It is a most expert mouser, destroying large numl)ers of the •farmei"s' foes, and is, therefore, entitled to his protection ; but all If)
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birds of prey are rej^arded as enemies by the .sportsman, wlio allows none to pass that come within his reach.
A few remain in summer, and raise their youn<f in Southern Ontario, but the greater nmnber pass on farther north. They are tolerably common in Manitoba, and are also reported from Hudson's Bay and Alaska. Tiie examinations of the stomachs of this species made by Dr. Fisher, show that its food consists mainly of field-mice and shrews. It has been placed in Class c, among those whose good and evil habits ai-e alK)ut e(|ual.
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Geni's SYRNIUM Savicw. SYRNIUM NEBULOSUM (Fokst.).
IGO. Barred Owl. (368)
Above, cinereous-brown, barred with white, often tinged witli fulvou.s ; below, similar, paler, the markings in bars on the breast, in streaks elsewhei'e ; ([uills and tail feathers, bai'red with l)rown and white, with an ashy or fulvous tinge. Length, about 18 ; wing, 13-14 ; tail, !(.
Hab. — Kastern United States, -vest to Minnesota and Texas, north to Nova iSeotia and Quebec.
Nest, in a hollow tree, or in the deserted nest of a hawk or crow.
Kggs, two to four, rountl, white.
Along the southern Ixjundary of Ontario the Barred Owl is by no means rare, but farther north I have not heard of it being observed. It does not occur west of the Rocky Mountains, but is very abundant along the south Atlantic and (Julf States. It is occasionally seen abroiid by day, but at such times its sight seems to be rather uncer- tain, so that the capture of the small animals on which it feeds is accomplished during the hours of darkness.
Regarding its uncertain vision by day, Mr. (iiraud, in his "Birds of Long Island," says : " My friend, Mr. J. (t. Bell, informs me that when on a collecting tour in South Carolina, and while looking for the Blue-winged Yellow Warbler whose note he had a moment before heard, he was startled by feeling a sudden pressure on his gun. Judge of his surprise when he perceived perched on the barrels a Barred Owl, which, at the same moment, discovered its mistake, but too late U) correct the fatal error, as it was shot down by the astonished gunner."
Audubon mentions seeing one alight on the back of a cow, w hich
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it left so sufldeiily, when tlie cow moved, as to show tliat it liiul mistaken the object on which it perched for symethinjj; else.
In former years, 1 used to find t'le Barred Owl rej^'ularly every fall in the ravines along the south shore of the Dundas marsh, hut now many of the pines and hemlocks which formed an inviting retreat are cut down, and the bird has sought for greater seclusion elsewhere. Its black eyes are at all times a ready mark to distin- guish it from any other member of its family.
This is one of the noisiest of the Owls, and his weird, uncanny cries are often a subject of interest to the lonely wayfarer while dozing by his camp-fire after dark. Nearly all the earlier writers give the Barred Owl credit for being one of the most destructive to poultry and game-birds. Dr. Fisher, after giving a number of extracts to that effect, says: "To all this testimimy, which could be increased by the addition of many other notes attesting the destruc- tiveness of the species to poultry and game, the investigations (»f the writer are in direct variance. Of the 109 stomachs examined, (mly four contained the remains of poultry, and in one, traces of a game- bird were found."
One peculiarity of this species, which, we are glad to say, is not very common among birds, is given by Dr. Fishei', as follows : '"This Owl seems to be more given to cannibalistic habits than any of the other species. In seven stomachs examined, the writei- ft)und the remains of smaller owls among the contents, and from two d'H'erent sources comes the i-ecord of the remains of Screech Owls being found under similar circumstances. Now and then small birds are killed by this species, but mammals furnish a large proportion of its food. The remains of mice, rabbits, scfuirrels (ned, gray and Hying), shrews^ moles, and occasionally weasels, have been found iti the stctmach contents."
The species, owing to its large size, is capable of consuming num- bers of mice at one irieal. Dr. Merriam found the remains of at least a dozen red-backed mice in a single specimen killed neai- McHjse River, in northern New York. ,
Dr. Fisher's evidence, which is indisputable, places this species in a much more favorable light, as a friend to the farmei-, than it has hitherto occupied, and we hope it will get the benefit and be duly protected, as it deserves to be. It is placed in Class c, in which the good done balances the evil.
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(jrENUS ULULA CUVIER.
ULULA CINEREA (Gmel.). 161. Great Gray Owl. (370)
Above, cinereous brown, mottled in waves with cinereous wliite ; below, these colors rather paler, disposed in tttreakx on the breast, in bars elseM'here ; quills and tail, with five or six darker and lighter bars ; the gi-eat disk similarly marked in regular concentric rings. An immense owl, one of the largest of all, much exceeding any other of this country. Length, '2J feet ; wing, 1^ ; tail, a foot or more.
Hab. — Arctic America, straggling southward, in winter, to the northeiii border of the United States.
Nest, in trees, composed of sticks and twigs, lined with moss and a few feathers.
Eggs, two or three, not quite round, white.
This beautifully marked and solemn-looking bird is usually de- scribed as the largest of North American Owls, but it can only be regarded so by measurement, for in weight, strength and ferocity it is inferior to both the Snowy and the Great Horned Owl. The lengthy tail, and the long, loose feathers with which its body is densely clothed, give it the appearance of a very large bird of prey, but when closely examined, the legs, claws and bill are smaller and weaker than those of either of the two species named.
The Great Gray Owl is said to be more northern in its range than even the Snowy Owl. In Southern Ontario, it is a casual visitor in the winter only. I have had two individuals brought to me which were got near Hamilton, and have seen several in the hands of other parties. During the present winter, I saw one which was sent down from Muskoka, where 't was shot in the woods in the month of December.
It is truly a bird of the far north, those we see here in winter l)eing only stragglers from the main body of the species, which is resident throughout all the wooded parts of Alaska, from Sitka north to the northern tree limit, and from the vicinity of Behring Straits east throughout the Territory, extending all over the fur countries.
Mr. Dall speaks of it being so exceedingly stupid that along the Yukon it can be caught by the hand in the daytime. Its food consists mainly of hares, mice, and other species of the smaller mammals, and also small birds. Mr. Dall took no less than thirteen skulls and other remains of Red-poll Linnets from the ci'op of a .single bii-d.
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It has been placed in Class h, as a friend of the farmer, but farmers are so rare in the regions it fretjuents that they are not likely to Jje much affected for good or ill.
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Genus NYCTALA Brehm. NYCTALA TENGMALMI RICHARDSON I (Bonap.).
162. Richardson's Owl. (371)
Upper parts, grayish-brown, tinged with olive ; feathers of the liead and neck, spotted with white ; scapulars, cjuills and tail also with white spots ; rufl' and lower parts, yellowish- white ; throat, white. Male : — 11 inches. Female : — 12 inches.
Hab.— Arctic America, south occasionally in winter into the northern United States.
Nest, in trees. . ^
Eggs, two to four, round, white.
This comparatively small and timid-looking owl is, perhaps, more hyperborean in its range than any of the others we have had under consideration, inasmuch as the records of its occurrence do not extend so far south as those of either the Great Gray or the Snowy Owl. It is warmly clad in a dense coat of soft, silky feathers, which, no doubt, enables it to withstanfl the severity of the winter. In the search foi- food, it evidently finds a supply, for the species is spoken of by Sir John Richardson as being abundant in the region of the Saskatchewan, but only a very few come as far south as Southern Ontario. The two in my collection were both found during winter in the neighborhood of Toronto, but besides these I have very few records of its having been observed anywhere throughout the country.
Proceeding farther north, this species is more frequently observed. In Manitoba, it is reported as a tolerably common winter visitor. In northern Alaska, it is found wherever trees or large bushes occur to aflford it shelter. The Eskimo have a name for it, unpronounceable in our language, which means "the blind one," owing to its being frequently caught alive by hand, on account of its defective sight in the daylight. They are very gentle little birds, and are frequently kept as pets by the Eskimo children. Thty are placed in Class b, which entitles them to our hospitality whenever they elect to visit U8.
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230 BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
NYCTALA ACADICA (Gmel.). 163. Saw-whet Owl. (372)
Size, siiiiiU ; J)ill, black ; tlie cei'»i tiiinid, the circular nostrils presenting iintoriorly ; above, chocolate-ljrown, spotted with white, the tail with transverse white bars ; facial area and forehead variegated with white, the face and supei'ciliary line grayish-v hite ; the lower pans, white, with streaks of the color of the back. Length, "ih-H ; wing, .").], ; tail, 2'^.
'Tah. — Temperate North America, breeding from the northern States and t .. cvn (^anatla southward.
Xest, in a hole in a tree.
Kggs, four to six, lound, white.
Tliis i.s tlie smallest memlxT of the fainily fouiul east of the Rocky M'lui'V; :'s. For some reason all the owls are of irregular occurrence . :; N- , 'ed parts of the country. I liave seen as many as six or eight .1 -jjccies in one wintei', anri again for several years have
not Mc- Ml oiiC. ^^^itliout being migratoiy, in the ordinary senst of the won-'. T think ' ■ MgVily prol)al)le that during the fall these birds
aMs!>ci,ite , f n,l move from one section of the country to
anotiier in searcli oi . ii this way a good many may be observed
at one point, while for many miles around they may be altogether absent.
The Saw-whet is evidently partial to a medium temperature, for it is most common in the noithern States, and does not penetrate far into British America. In the opposite dii-ection, it has been found l)ree(ling as fai* south as Mexico, but mostly in the wooded mountain ranges. Tn Southern Ontario, these l)irds are most at home in the thick sheltei- of the eveigreens in tlu; depths of the wootls, but when deep snow covers the ground, they are often found in the barn, or other outhouse near the farmers dwelling, where they are forced to seek for food and shelter when their supply outside is cut off.
The food of this species consists almost entirely of mice, which renders it woi-thy of our friendship, although the small size of the bird limits the amount of its usefulness in that direction. It takes little else wlien mice can be had, and theiefoi-e the number destroyed in a season is considerable, so that we cordially endorse its position in Class h, where it has been placed,
Occasionally, there is a small owl found, the pluniage of which is uniform chocolate-brown, with wiiite eyebrows. For a time this was defscribed as a distinct species, under the name of White-fronted Owl, nlso as Kirtland's Owl, but of late these names have been dropped
HAW-WHET OWL.
231
from tliH lists, for it is l)j» uiaiiy believed to he the youiif^ of the Saw- whet. I'ltiniately, conclusive evidence that such was the case was ^iven by Ih: J. W. V^elie, of Chicago, who kept a live a/ln/ronn till it moulted, and l)ecanie a fine specimen of Xi/rfd/a itvad'u'n. The tran- sition is described in detail in Baii'd, Brewer and liidgway's "Birds of North Ameiica," from which the following remai-ks are abridged :
The bird was placed in a large cage, where it had abundant room to tly al»but, and was well supplied with food. Through June and July there was absolutely no change in its [)luniage. On the 1st of August, a few medially spotted feathers were observed pushing their way through the uniformly brown ones on the foi-e i)art of the crown. Through the next two weeks they gradually increased and developed, until the full-face aspect of the head was that of an adult Saw-whet. At this stage there was no indication of any second plumage on the other parts, but about August lf)th a few streaked feathers appeared along the central line of the breast and abdomen, while a little later the moulting began over the back and wings, and (|uickly became genei-al Through the last two weeks of the month the plumage gained daily, and by Septemliei" 1st the final stage was perfected, and the bird had become a I'emarkably beautiful Saw-whet Owl.
From this it appears that the brown i)lumage is simply that which succeeds the downy stage, and it is even a little longer than in most other owls before the autumnal dress is assimied.
I am sorry to lose the little n/hij'ronx which T fii'st heard described by the late Di\ Kirtlaiid, but much pleased to see the truth so fully esta1)lished regarding it.
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Geni s .MEGASCOPS Kaip.
MEGASCOPS ASIO (Linn.).
1(54. Screech Owl. (37:5)
One plumage : general aspect giay, palef of whitish below. Above, speckled witli blackish ; below, patche(k witli the same ; wings and tail, dark-barred, usually a lightish scapular area.
Another : general as])ect brownish -red, with sharp black streaks ; below, rufous white, vaiiegated ; (juills and tail with rufous and dark bars. These plumages shade insensibly into each other, and it has been determined that they bear no definite relations to age, sex or season. Length, aliout 10 ; wing, 7 ; tail, 3^.
Hab. — Temperate eastern North America, south to Georgia, and west to the Plains. Accidental in England.
Nest, in a hole in a tree, lined with featliers.
Eggs, four to six, round, wliite.
This is the most abundant of the owls in this part of the country, yet, like the others, it is of very irregular occurrence. I have met with it once or twice in the woods in summer, but it is most fre- quently seen in winter, when the ground is covered with snow. It is then forced to approach the dwellings of man in search of food, and
HCKEECH OWL.
233
during Home winters there is scarcely a t'unn in the country wliich has. not its Hcreech Owl in the burn. There it sits on a rafter, sniH)zing away the hours of daylight, occasionally opening its rounci, yellow, cat-like eyes, and glowering at the farm hands as they move about like shadows below. After dark it is all alive ; not a mouse can stir without being observed, and so. tjuick and noiseless is the Hight of the bird, that few escape which expt)se themselves. It thus renders goo<l service to the farmer, in cons'dei'ation of which it is {)rotected by th«f more intelligent of that class, but it is persecuted almost to extinction by the "boys."
As will l)e seen by the description of the nmrkings given above,, individuals of this species assume different phases of plumage, and are spoken of as the "red" and "gray." For many years great difference of opinion prevailed on this subject, stnne believing the red bird to be the male, and vwe verna. It is now fully urulerstwKj that the color is entirely independent of age, sex or season. It is one of those seeming irregularities which we find in nature, and all we can do is to bear witness to the fact, without being able to tell the reason for it.
During the long winter of 188.S-84, I kept a record of the birds of this species I heard of, in or near Hamilton, and the total num- ber reached forty. In 1884-85, they wei-e less connnon, and during 1885-86, I am not aware of a single individual having been observed-
The Screech Owl seems partial to the south-west of Ontario, for it is common at Toronto, Hamilton and London, while Mr. White has not yet observed it at Ottawa, nor is it named among the birds of Manitoba. Of the twt) colors, the gray is the more common here, the- red being rarely met with.
During summer it has a very varied bill of fare, but in the severe winters it lives chiefly on mice, though it sometimes takes small birds. It has been placed in Class b, as one of the beneficial class, worthy of protection.
The genus is widely distributed, chiefly east and west. It contains eight different species, only one of which occurs in Ontano. They all resemble each other, but are sutticiently different to warrant specific distinction.
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lUUDS OF ONTARIO.
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(Jkms bubo CrviKU. BUBO VIllGINrANUS ((Jmkl.).
105. Great Horned Owl. ('57"))
Distiiigiiislied by its large size, in coniieetiou with tlie coiiapicuouH ear-tufta; the other apec^ies of siinihir iliinensions are tnftless. Tlie phniiage varies iiiterininahly, and no coneise description will meet all its phases ; it is a vaiiegation of blackish, with dark and light brown, and fulvous. A white <:ollar is the most (;onstant color mark. Length, about 2 feet ; wing, 14-16 inches ■, tail, 9-10.
Hah. - -Eastern North An)erica, west to tiie Mississippi Valley, and from Labrador south to ("osta Rica.
Nest, sometimes in a hollow tree, or cleft of a rock, or among the l)ranches •of a high tree in tlie thickest part of the woods, very often the nest of tiie Red-tailed Hawk is a))propriateil, or that of other species where available.
Eggs, two or tliT'ce, round, white.
The Great Honied Owl is well known in Ontario, bein<|; generally (listril)uted thioughout the Province. During the day it hides away ill the deep impenetrahle parts of the woods, but at night sallies forth in (juest of i)rf!y, and does not hesitate to rob the hen roost, return- ing for that pui'pose night after night, unless stopped by a snap shot in the dark, oi- caught in a tia)) l)aited for the purpose. Individuals vary greatly in plumage, so much so that they have been described as tlistinct species. Near Hamilton I have fouiid them varying from light silvery-gray to deep fulvous brown. I once obtained a verj'- handsome specimen in the latter drt^ss which I was unable to utilize from its having Ijeen recently in contact with a skunk. Tt is strictly nocturnal in its habits, but when obliged by the attention of crows, •or other disturbing causes, to mov^e during the day, it makes good use of its eyes, and gets (|uickly away to the nearest thicket for shelter.
This is not the most numerous of the owls which occur with us, but no other member of the family receives so much attention. This is owing to its large size, its loud call, which is heard at a great distance on still evenings in the fall, Imt chiefly to the raids it makes on the hen roosts. In older countries, where, by many of the inhabitants, all the owls are supposed to be to some extent in com- munication with the supernatural agents of evil, this would be regarded as a mo,st " unlucky " visitor ; but in this new land we have no birds of evil (mien and the owl receives his proper place in science .and in literature. Longfellow speaks of him as "a grave bird, a monk who chants midnight mass in the great temple of nature."
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(JUKAT HOKNEI) OWL.
285
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His viHits to the fiinn-hous*' iire well uiidtMstiMxl, and if follitwcd l»y disasU!!', it is UHually to the pmiltry, of to tlu' Inrd himself, if the farnie!''s boys can so airanj^e njatt(M"s. He is of a most savage and untamahle nature, excelling ai>y of the owls in strength and ferocity. Tf hrought to trial in Ontario, ln' would undoubtedly he condemned to he killed oH" at once, on account of his depredations in the hen I'oost and dove cot; but we are told that in some jtarts of the west, where rabbits are so numerous that it is next to impossible to bring to maturity any large propoi-tion of the crops, the (rreat Horned Owl feeds on this destructive rodent, almost to the exclusion of other fcx»d, and thus becomes a most valuable ally to the farmer. On this account he has been placred in Class <\ among those birds whose good and evil deeds are about e(|ual.
On account of the vaiiation in size and plumage, according to the region they inhabit, the American Oi-nithologists' Union Committee I'ecords three sub-sj)ecies of the (Jreat Horned Owl emanating from the original /liiho inrgminnus. These Mr. llidgway describes as follows:
WiTvi. liiilii) rin/iiriniiii^ ■•iiiharrlirus — Western Honied Owl. (leiieral iLspoct (if phunage : al)()ve, grayish, with more or laan of hiitl'y a(^nlixtl^■(^ dark markings of lower ))arts distinct.
Hab. Westui'n United States (except north-west coast), eastward aci'oss great plains, straggling to nortliern Illinois, Wisconsin and Western ('anada, noi'th to Manitoba, south over talile-lands of Mexico.
H~rih. /iiilio nryiinaiiiis arrtiriii — Arctic Hoi'ned Owl. (ieneral aspect of ))himage : a))ove, white through fading of tlie ground coh)r and restriction of dark markings ; lieneatli, pure white with dark mai'kings, usually nuicli restricted.
H.\n. -Arctic America, chiefly in the interioi-, south in wintei- to noi'theni Rocky Mountains and (ireat Plains, Dakota, Montana, etc.
lil'tc. liiiho nriiiiiiainii natural ii-'* — Dusky Horned Owl. Kxtremely dark- colored ; the face, usually sooty brownish, mixed with grayish-white ; tlie })lumage, usually witliout excess of ochraceons ov tawny, sometimes with none.
Hab. — North-west cfiast from Oregon north to Alaska, Lahradoi-.
Tlie common form in Southern Ontario is the original /hiho virgln- ianng, but I have also luid one or two which answer the description given of the western variety, and several apparently intermediate. From Manitoba I have one as white as a female Hnowy Owl, and from the dense forests of Bntish Columbia T have .several which are very dark. . All of these varieties are smaller than the typical species, the best developed .specimens of which are found farther south. A full plumaged female of Ihiht) vin/inintiuti is a very handst)me bird, rich in markings, and the strongest and fiercest of all the American (»wls, i\ perfect flying tiger when hntse among the game or poultry.
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BIHDS OF ONTAIUO.
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Genus NYCTEA Htkpiiknh. NYCTEA NYCTKA (Linn.).
HW). Snowy Owl. (■•{■«)
I'ui'f wliite witli more or fewer bliickiHli iiuirkiiigH, Length, iietvrl}' 2 fevt ; wing, 17 inchet) ; tail, 10.
H.vit. Northern portiono of the northern heniiHpiiere. In N'ortli Anieri breeding nortli of the United States, and extending beyond any point yet reaehed by navigators ; in winter migrating aouth to tiie Middle States, straggling to South (.'arolina, 'I'exaH and the Bermudas.
Xest, on the ground, or on rocks, made up of sticks, gi'ass, and lined witli feat bet's.
Kggs, Hve to ten, laid at intervals, so that tiie nest may contain young birds and fresii eggs at the same time. (Cones Key.)
The Snowy Owl i.s an irregular winter visitor to Ontario, aome- tinies appearinjt in con.siderahle numbers, and again entirely akseiit for several years in .succession. Near Hamilton its favorite resort is on the beach, or aU)ng the shore of tlie bay, wliere it may be seen sitting watchful on the toj) of a muskrat lieap, or pile of driftwood, frequently turning its head right round to look t)ut for approachiin danger. It hunts by day as well as by night, l)ut is most active the morning and evening. 1 once saw a large female uuike several attempts to capture a wounded duck which was swimming in a patch of open water among the ice on the bay near the canal. The (jwl skinuned along close to the ice and tried in passing to grasp the duck, which (juickly went under water and appeared again cautioush' at a different place. The owl passed seveial times over tlie pond in this way, resting alternately on the pier of the canal and on the shore, till, getting into a favorable position, 1 shot it on one of the return trips, and, subsecjuently, 1 also shot the duck, on which I liad a first claim.
The number of these birds which occasionally descend from tlie north in the early part of the winter must be very great, for their migrations extend o\'er a wide extent of country, and at Hamilton, which is only one of the points they pass, I have known as many as thirty to be captured in a single season. Dui-ing the winter they are seen as far south as Texas and the Carolinas. How interesting it would be to know how many of these individuals which travel so far south are permitted to return.
The Snowy Owl is not migratory in the ordinary sense of the term. It is distributed over a very wide extent of country, and
AMEKICAN HAWK OWL.
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those \v«> SCO in Ontario liiiv(> mci'cly «!oin»' tVoiii some partirular locality where at certain seasons their t'o(Ki Mujtply has <i;iven out, and they have to seek it elsewhere. The l)ulk of the species pass the winter near the northern hue of tre«^s.
While at home in the north in siinuner, its fo(xl consists almost exclusively of leinniinjOiH and mice, l)ut in \vinter, when tlu'se can not he htul, it takes readily to flsii, hares, rats, ducks, and even ofl'al. ! once killed a large f(»male which was .so gorg»>d with tallow that ahe could scarcely tly. •
It has been classed in A as a friend of the farmer, hut so little of its time is spent in the agricultural districts that its influence for gomi or ill is very small.
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Genus SUHNIA Di'mkkil. SURNIA ULULA CAPAROCH (Mull.).
167. American Hawk Owl. (377a)
Dark brown ; above, more or less thickly speckled witli white ; below, closely barred with brown and whitish, the throat alone streaked ; quills an«l tail, with numerous white bars ; face, ashy, margined with black. Length, about Mi inches ; wing, 9 ; tail, 7, graduated, the lateral feathers 2 inches shoi-ter tiian the central.
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Hab. — Arctic America, inigiating in wintei' to the northern border of tht- United States. Occasional in Knglaml.
Nest, of .sticks, grass, moss and feathei's, in ti'ees or on rocks. Kggs. fonr to seven, soiled white.
In Southern Ontario the Hawk Owl can only be rcffardetl as a rare winter visitor. Farther north it seems more common, as I have heard of it being fre(|uently seen in the district of Mu.skoka. While here in winter it luis no particular haunt, but takes the country as it comes, like a^ hawk, and is evidently as sharp in the sight as it is active on the wing. The two in my collection were obtained in the neigh))orhcx)d of Hamilton.
The Hawk Owl, like some other boreal birJs of prey, occasionally comes south in the winter in large numbers, and is welcomed by collectors wherever it appears. These extensive migrations occur most frecjuently in the east, fn Quebec, some years ago, in the month of Marcli, I saw them exposed in the market day after day, and when coming we.st I noticed many perched on trees near the lailroad track.
In Manitoba it is reported as an irregular winter visitor, but in Alaska Mr. Nelson says it is perhaps the most abundant resident bird of prey throughout the entire wooded region in the north. On May oth, 186H, Mr. Dall secured six eggs of this bird from the top of an old birch stub about fifteen feet high, in the vicinity of Nulato, on the lower Yukon. The eggs were laid directly on the wood, and the male was sitting. When he climbed to the nest the sitting bird dashed at him and knt»ckefl off his cap, showing the tierce and bold character of the species.
The foo*! of the Hawk Owl varies with the season of tlie year. In snnjmer it feeds on the smaller mammals, such as lemmings, mice and ground squirrels, with a few grasshoppers by way of cliange, but in winter, when these are not availal>le, ptannigan constitute its chief article of diet. When in searcli oi these birds, it is .said to follow the hunter, often pouncing upon his game and carrying it ofl" ere he can reach it.
It has been placed in Dr. Fisher's beneficial list, but it lives too far north to have much influence on agriculture.
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OiiDEK COCCYGES. Cuckoos, etc.
SUBOKDKR CUCULI. CCCKOOS, ETC.
Family CUCULID^. Cickoos, Ams, etc.
Subfamily COCCYGINiE. Amerk;an Ccokoos.
Genus COCCYZUS Vieillot.
COCCYZUS AMERICANUS (Linx.).
168. Yellow-billed Cuckoo. (387)
Above, uniform satiny olive gray or "(juaiter color," with bronzy retleo tions ; below, yure white ; wings, extensively cinnamon -rufous on inner wel)s of the quills ; central tail feathers, like the back ; the rest black with large white tips, the outermost usually edged witli white ; bill extensively yellow l)elow and on the sides. Length, 11-12 inches; wing, 'y-iih; tail, (i-6A ; bill, under 1 inch.
Hab.— Temperate Xorth America, from New Brunswick, Canada, Mi inesota, Nevada and Oregon, south to Costa Rica and tiie West Indies. Lesfi common from the eastern boiiler of the Plains westward.
Nest, on a l)ough, or i:» the ft vk of a low tree, composed of twigs, lea\e» and soft vegetable matei'ial.
Eggs, four to eight, pale glaucous green.
It is a well-known fact that the British Cuckoo entirely ignores fa»?\ily responsibilities by depositing its eggs in the nest of a bird of a different species, and with a pleasant " cuck<K) " bids good-liye to the whole connection.
The two kinds we have in Canada are not so totally deprave<l. They usually build a nest and bring up a family, but even to them the duty does not seem to be a congenial one, and they are some-
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BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
times kiKJwn to slip an eyg into (iiich other's nests or into that of a diflFerent species. The nest they build is of the most temporarj- description, and the e<jffj;s are deposited in such a desultoiy manner that it is no uncommon occurrence to find fresh eggs and young birds therein at the same time.
Of the two Cuckoos we ha^'e in Ontario, the Yellow-billed seems the more southern, apparently finding its iu)rthern limit along our southern border, where it is rather scarce and not generally dis- tributed.
This species seems partial to orchards and cultivated grounds along the banks of rivers. It is very common about Niagara Falls, though not regularly distributed throughout the countrj'. Last .summer a pair had their nest and reared their young within fifty feet of my residence. They were very cjuiet and retiring, were seldom •seen near the nest except while sitting on it, and only occasionally did we hear the emphatic kou'-kniv-koic which reminded us of their presence.
The nest was a flimsy affair, placed near the outer end of a horizontal branch of a mai)le, about eight feet from the ground. As st)on as the young were able to fly, young and old disappeared, j'.nd were not again seen during the season.
Southern Ontario seems to be the northern limit of this species. Tt occurs at London, Hamilton, Toi'onto, but at Ottawa Mr. White has only found it once. To the noith of Ottawa T have not heai'd of it being obsei-ved.
COCCYZUS P:RYTHR0PHTHALMU8 (Wils.). 169. Black-billed Cuckoo. ( W8)
Above, unifoi'in Hatitiy olive-giuy, or "(luakcr color," with bronzy reflec- tions ; below, pure white, aonietiniea with ii faint tawny tinge on the fore parts ; wings, with little or no rufoiis ; lateral feathers not contrasting with the central, their tips for a short distance blackish, then obscurely white ; V)ill, l)lacki8h, except ociuisionally a trace of yellowish below ; eye-li<ls, red ; Imre circum-ocular space, purplish. Length, 11-12; wing, ."i-.v^ ; tail, (i-()A ; bill, under 1.
Hab. -Eastern North America, from Lalirador anil Manitoba south to the West Indies and the valley of the Amazon ; west to the Rocky Mountains. Accidental in the British Islands and Italy.
Neat, loosely constructed of twigs, grass, strips of bark, leaves, etc. , placed in a bush. *
Kggs, two to five, light greenish-ltlue.
BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO.
241
The Black-billed Cuckcx) is a regular summer resident in Ontario, where it arrives about the end of May, after which its peculiar note may often be heard, especially before rain, and its lithe, slim form be seen gliding noiselessly among the evergreens. Though not an abundant species, it is generally distributed throughout the Province, .ind well known to the country people as the "rain-crow."
The food of the cuckoos consists chiefly of caterpillars, with an occasional change to ripe fruit in the season. They also stand charged with sucking the eggs of other birds. They retire to the .south early in September.
Of the two cuckoos the present species is the more common in Ontario, being more generally distributed. Tt also migrates a little farther north, having been reported as a tolerably common resident in Manitoba, where the other has not been observed.
We have heard that the Yellow-l)illed Cuckoo occasionally shirks the duties of incubation by leaving its eggs in the nest of another bird, and now come three separate charges of similar misconduct against the present species.
In the Report of the Ornithological Sub-section of the Canadian Institute for IS90, Dr. C. K. Clarke, of Kingston, Ontario, brings forward three ca.ses of panisitism in the Black-billed Cuckoo, of the correctness of which there can be no doubt.
The first birds Dr. Clarke observed being imposed upon were a pair of chipping sparrows, who raised the young cuckoo at the expense of the family.
Next came a pair of yellow warblers, whose proteife soon crowded out thf legitimate occupants of the nest. They were raised from the ground and placed within reach, but the big boy required all the attention of the foster-parents, and the others died. During the whole period, the old cuckoo was always to be found flitting about in a restless manner, as if she had some doubt in regard to the ability of the warblers to take care of her child.
The third case was another pair of chipping sparrows, in whose nest the cuckoo was observed sitting, and from which she did not move till the obaervers almost touched her. The result was the same as in the other cases. The young cuckoo threw the sparrows out as .soon as he had strength to do so.
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Suborder ALCYONES. Kincmshers,
Family ALCEDINID^. Kingfishers.
Genus CERYLE Boie.
Subgenus STREPTOCERYLE Bonaparte.
CERYLE ALCYON (Linn.).
170. Belted Kingfisher. (390)
Upper parts, broad pectoral bar, and sides under wings, dull blue with fine black sliaft lines ; lower eye-lid, spot before eye, a cervical collar anil under parts, except as said, pure white ; the fimah with a chestnut belly band, and the sides of the same color ; quills and tail feathers, black, speckled, blotched and barred with white on the inner webs ; outer webs of tho secondaries anil tail feathers, like the back ; wing coverts, frequently sprinkled with white ; bill, black, pale at the base lielow ; feet, dark. Length, 12 or more ; wing, about 6 ; tail, .3i ; whole foot, 1 }^ ; bill, about, 2|.
Hab.— North America, south to Panama and the West Indies.
Nest, none.
Eggs, six to eight, white, deposited in an enlargement at the end of a tunnel, four to eight feet deep, dug by the bird into a sand bank or gravel pit.
The Kingfisher is generally distributed throughout Ontario. It arrives early in April, and soon makes its presence known by its loud, rattling cry, as it dashes along and perches on a horizontal bough overhanging the river. On some such point of observation it usually waits and watches for its scaly prey, but when passing over open water of greater extent, it is often observed to check its course, hover hawk-like at some distance above the surface, and then dash into the water after the manner of a Tern. If a fish be secured, it is carried in the bill to some convenient perch, on which it is hammered till dead, and then swallowed head downwards.
The Kingfisher is a strong fiier, and is sometimes seen careering at a considerable height, as if for exercise.
Although many of them breed throughout Ontario, numbers pro- ceed much farther north. In Manitoba and the North- West they occur in all suitable places, and in AJaska they are found along the entire course of the Yukon River, reaching the shores of Behring Sea. They have also been taken at Sitka, and frequent all Lh« clear streams of the interior, nesting as they do elsewhere, in a deep burrow in a bank dug out by themselves.
They are not sensitive to cold, for in open seasons J have seen them remaining till January, but when the frost forces th- fish to retire to deep water, the Kingfislier's supply of food is cut oiT, and he has to move to the south.
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HAIRY WOODPECKER.
243
Order PICI. Woodpeckers, Wrynecks, etc.
Fajjily PICID^. Woodpeckeks.
Genus DRY0BATE8 Boie.
DRYOBATES VILLOSUS (Linn.).
171. Hairy Woodpecker. (39.1)
Back, black, with a long white stripe ; quills ami iriii;/ corerfs, with a profusion of white spots ; four middle tail feathei'S, black ; next pair, black and white ; next two pairs, white ; under parts, white ; crown and sides of head, l)lack, with a white stripe over and behind the eye, another from the nasal feathers running below the eye to spread on the side of the neck, and a scarlet nuchal band in the ma/e, wanting in the ftmala ; youtuj, with the crown mostly red or bronzy, or even yellowish. Length, 9-10 ; wing, nearly 5 ; tail, 3^.
Hab. — Middle portion of the Eastern United States, from the Atlantic coast to the Great Plains.
Nest, in a hole in a tree.
Eggs, four or five, pure white.
This is a resident, though not very abundant species, noticefl more frequently in winter than in summer. It is generally distrib- uted through Southern Ontario.
The Hairy Woodpecker is one of the most retiring of the family^ spending much of its time in the solitudes of the woods, and when these are thinned out or cleared away, moving to regions still more remote. It is a strong, hardy, active bird, and the noise it makes while hammering on a tree, when heard in the stillness of the woods, might well be supposed to be produced by a bird of much greater size.
This is one of those birds which increase in size as they approach their northern limit, and decrease in proportion when found in the south. On this account the American Ornithologists' Union Committee has .separated from the original Dryohnfps vUIosuh two- subspecies, the first of which, under the name of Northern Hairy Woodpecker, is said to be found in North AmericJ^ south to al)out the northern border of the United States. The other has been named the Southern Hairy Woodpecker, and its habitat is said to extend over the southern portion of the United States east of the plains.
The,se subdivisions have lieen decided upon after comparing a large number of specimens from the different regions indicated, but the rule cannot be always correct, for I have some from British
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Columbia which are no hirger than those found in Southern Ontario. It is well to know that the species varies in size according to its habitat, north or aouth, but I hardly think the subdivision necessary, for we see among the members of the human family individuals who diflfer in size far more than the woodpeckers do, and yet we do not make subspecies of them. However, if the new arrangement suits the majority, so let it be. ^
DRYOBATES PUBESCENS (Linn.). 172. Downy Woodpecker. (394)
Coloration, exactly as in P. inllosux, except that the outer tail feathers are barred with black and white. Length, 6-7 ; wing, under 4 ; tail, under 3.
Hab. — Northern and Eastern North America, from British ('Olumbia and the eastern edge of the Plains northward and eastward.
Nest, a hole in a tree.
Eggs, four or five, pure white.
This is a miniature of the preceding species, which it resembles in habits as Avell as in appearance, although it is of a more sociable disposition, being often found in winter in company with the Chick- adees and Brown Creepers. It is alsr an occasional visitor to the orchard, where it goes over the apple trees carefully, examining all injured or decayed parts in search of insects.
It is commonly known as tlie "little sapsucker," but the name is incorrectly applied, for any holes drilled by this species are made while it is in search of insects, those which allow the sap of the tree to exude being the work of the Yellow-bellied Woodpecker.
Like its big brother, the Downy Woodpecker is a resident species, but more plentiful in spring and fall than in summei-, the numbers being increased at those seasons by passing migrants.
They do not, however, migrate in the ordinary sense of the word, but ill the fall often shift about in search of better feeding ground. They are found in Manitoba, the North- West, and in Alaska, and are resident throughout their range. They have been taken along the entire course of the Yukon, as well as at various points on the coast of Behring Sea, and thence south at Kadiak and Sitka. Those found in the north do not differ from the southern individuals, except in being rather larger in size.
ARCTIC THREE-TOED WOODPECKER.
245
(Jenus PICOIDES Lacepede. PicoiDES ARCTICU8 (Swains.).
17.i. Arctic Three-toed Woodpecker. (400)
(>rowii, with a yellow patch in the male ; back, uniform black ; sides of head, striped ; of body, l)arred with black and white ; under parts, otherwise wliite; (juills, with white spots; tail feathers unbarred, the outer white, the central black. Length, S-9 ; wing, 4J-o ; tail, 3^-4.
Hab. — Noitheni North America, from the Arctic Regions south to the noi'thern boi'dei- of the United States ; much farther south in the western part of the United States (Nevada, California), along the mountain ranges.
Kggs, four to six, white, deposited in a hole in a tree.
This is a northern bird, seldom, even in winter, coming so far south as the southern Ixjrder of Ontario. In November, 1859, I killed one on a pine tree on the south shore of Dundas marsh, whicli is the only time I have' ever seen it alive. I have heard of one or two others having been obtained in Southern Ontario, but as the species is common farthei- north, . these can only be regarded as wanderers.
In the district of Muskoka it is resident and quite common, fre- quenting certain tracts of country which the fire has gone through and left the trees standing dead and decaying. It belongs to a small group, the members of which have only three toes. Whether this is a special adaptation of the bird to its life among the pines is not apparent, but it seems quite as aV)le to shift for itself with three toes as its near relatives are with four.
Although this species is a northern bird, so far as its not going south is concerned, it does not bear out the name by going as far north as its near i-elative, americanun. In some of these distant regions it seems almost unknown. Mr. Nelson speaks of it in Alaska : " Very little appears to be known concerning the movements and habitat of this bird, especially in the north. I secured but a single specimen, which was brought to me by Mr. McQuesten from Fort Reliance on the upper Yukon, and its rarity as compared with the other Three-toed Woodpecker appears from the fact that dozens of the latter were br-ought to me each winter. No one among the various naturalists who have visited this region before has secured it, and arcticus is totally unknown west of the point where my specimen was found."
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PICOIOES AMERJCANUS Bheiim. 174. American Three-toed Woodpecker. (401)
Three-toed ; entire upper parts glossy, ))lui8h-black with a few spots of white on the wing quills ; below, white from the bill to the tail ; the sides, flanks and lining of the wings, l)arred with l)lack ; four middle tail feathers l)lack, the rest white. Malf : — With a square patch of yellow on the crown, wanting in the fenia/c ; bill and feet, didl blue. Length, 9-10 inches.
H.VH — Nortliern North America, from the Arctic Regions southward, in winter, to the Northern States.
Nest, a hole in a tree at no great height above the ground.
Eggs, four or five, creamy white.
This is <i more iiorthei-n species than the preceding, and is nowhere so abundant. The two are sometimes seen in company, and were found by Dr. Merriam breeding in the same district in northern New York, ))ut, strange to say, the present species has not been found breeding in Muskoka, where the other is common and resident. During the past two years my friend Mr. Tisdall has been much in the woods in that district, and though he has seen scores of the Black-backed during that time, he has only once met the other.
Since the above was written, a hunter who was shooting grou.se in a different section of Muskoka from that referred to, promised to send me any Three-toed Woodpeckers he came across during a day's excursion. In due course he sent me .sixteen, five of which were of this species. It was late in October, and he most likely came upon a group that had just arrived from the north. Both species are quite rare at Ottawa, Mr. White having obtained only two of each. In Manitoba the present species is said to be very rare. Richardson says it is the most common woodpecker north of the Great Slave Lake. In Alaska the northern form is very common and generally distributed, but here again the work of subdivision has been going on with vigor. Up to the time of writing, three species have been made out of the one, and how many more will be produced time will show, but we are likely to have only the original aniericanus in Oiilario.
Genus SPHYRAPICUS Baihd.
SPHYRAPICUS VARIUS (Linn.).
175. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. (402)
Crown, crimson, bordered all around with black ; chin, throat and l)rea8t, black, enclosing a large crimson patch on the former in the male ; in the female, this patch white ; sides of head with a line starting from the nasal feathers and dividing the black of the throat from a trans-ocular black stripe, this separated from the black of crown by a wliite post-ocular stripe ; all these stripes frequently yellowish ; under parts, dingy yellow, brownish and with sagittate dusky marks on the sides ; back, variegated with black and , yellowish -bro wn ; wings, black with large oblique white bar on the coverts, the quills, with numerous paired white spots on the edge of both webs ; tail, black, most of the feathers white-edged, the inner webs of the middle pair and the upper coverts mostly white. Yoiuiy liirds lack the definite black areas of the head and breast and the crimson throat patch, these parts being mottled-gray. About, 8^ ; wing, 4^-5 ; tail, 3i.
Hab. — North America, north and east of the Great Plains, south to the West Indies, Mexico and Guatemala.
Eggs, four to six, white, deposited in a hole in a tree.
In Ontario this beautiful species is strictly migratory, not having been observed during winter, but from the fact of its being seen late in the fall and again early in spring, we infer that it does not go far south.
It is decidedly a sapsucker, the rows of holes pierced in the bark of sound, growing trees being mostly made by this species. It is not endowed with the long, extensile tongue peculiar to many of
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BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
the woodpt'ckers, hut feeds largely on insects, whicli it Hiids on the outer bark of the ti-ees or catches on tlie winj^. It has been accused of doing serious injury to growing trees, by giidliiig tljein t<» get at the inner bark, on which it is said to feed. Dr. King, of Hiver Falls, in his " Economic Relations of our Birds," exoiiei-ates it from this charge, and says that in the stomachs of thirty specimens which he examined, he found in only six a small amount of material resembling the inner bark of trees, and further adds : "No ii\stance in which the bark of trees has been stripped off has come under my ol)servation> nor do I know of a single case in which their puncturings of the bark have been fatal, or even appreciably injurious to the tree." In Sdutiiern Ontario a few remain and raise their young, but the majority go farther Jiorth.
This species occurs in Manitoba, and Dr. Coues says of it : "Com- mon summer resident of wooded sections, plentiful at Pembina, where it was breeding in June ; again seen on the Moose River, not observed farther north."
(JENtis CEOPHLffirS Cahams. CEOPHLCKITS PILKATUS (Lrxx.).
17<). Pileated Woodpecker. (+05)
Black ; the heatl, neck and wings niucli varied with white or pale yellowish ; hill, dark. Male: — Scarlet crested, scarlet nioustached. FoiicUe: — With the crest half black, half scarlet, and no nmxillaiy patches, i^enyth, 15-19 ; wing, 8i-10; tail, fi-7.
Hab. — Formerly, whole wooded i-egion of Xoilli America ; now rare or extirpated in the more thickly settled ))arts of tiie Kastcm States.
Nest, a hole in the trunk oi- limb of a tall tiee.
Kggs, four to six, oval, white.
This i:s one of the grand old aborigine.s who letire before the advance of civilization. Tt used (so we are told) to he common neai- Hamilton, but seclusion among heavy timber is necessaiy for it." existence, and such must now be sought in regions more remote.
It is not strictly a northern species, being found resident in suitable localities both north and south, but varies considerably in size according to latitude, the northern individuals, as usual in such cases, being the larger. Many spend the winter in the burnt tracts in Muskoka, and in spring dispferae over the country Ut breed in the solitude they seem to like.
They are wild, shy birds, difficult of approach, but their loud
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hainiiu'i-iiig Ih at all tiineH a ^uide tu ttioHe who wIhIi to follow them in the wockIh. A nest was taken in tht; county of MiddlcHex, in May, IHsn, hy Mr. R()l)t. Klliot.
Dr. Macallinn reports that they stil' breed in Huitahle places along tlie north shore of Lake Erie, near Diinnville. Their diHtribution HeeniH to l)e more inHuenced by the size of the timber than by the temperature, as they are common in Manitoba and al)un(hint in British Columbia, but are not named among the " Birds of Alaska." Though now rare, or absent, in the thickly settled parts of the Kastei-n States, tlu^y are still common in the timbered swamps and secluded woods in the south. The nest is usually made in a retired part of the woods, and at so great a height from the ground that it is seldom reached by the oblogist. This fact will help to prevent the species being reducetl in numbers.
(Jknus MELANEHPES Swainson.
SuudENUS MELANEHPES.
MELANEHPES EHYTHHOCEPHALUS (Linw).
177. Red-headed Woodpecker. (406)
Crlossy l)lue-l)laek ; rump, secondaries and under parts from the brmst, pure white ; primaries and tail featliers, black ; whole head, neck and breast ci-inison in both sexes, giayish-brown in the yoioig. About 9 ; wing, 5^ ; tail, 3J.
Hau. — United States, west to the Rocky Mountains, sti-aggling westward to Salt Lake Valley ; rare or local east of the Hudson River.
Nest, in a hole in a tree, varying greatly in height.
Eggs, four to six, white.
In Ontario the Red-headed Woodpecker is a summer resident only, arriving early in May and leaving again in September quite common and perhaps the best known of any oi t! peckers, both on account of its decided markings an 'it
of visiting the orchard during the season of ripe frui It is ai ,m expert fly-catcher, freijuently taking its position on ilic tor of a dead pine, from which it darts out after the passing insect true fly-catcher style. Though a very showy bird when seen in the woods, it does not look so well in collections, the red of the head evidently fading after death.
It is generally distributed throughout Ontario, but becomes rare
RKD-llELLIED W00DPE(;KEH.
251
in Manitoba, iiortli t)f which T havp not heard of its I'.iving been ohservjul.
Besides the ordinary food of wiMtdpeckers, it shows a taste for f^rasshoppers and beetles, in soan;li ui which it may often he observed on the ground. It is also very fond of ripe fruit, and incurs the serious (Hsj)leasure of tlie gardeners by inutihiting or carrying off the finest of the apples, pears, cherries and other fruits.
They are rather noisy and i|uarreLsoiue birds, but this trait may be partly assumed.
They all leave Ontario in October, and during the winter none are observed.
SuiuiENis CENTURUS Swainsov. MELANERPES CAROLINUS (Linn.).
178. Red-bellied Woodpecker. (409)
Back and wings, except larger (|uill8, closely banded with black and wliite ; primaries with large white l)lotche8 near the base, and usually a few smaller spots ; wiiole crown and nape, scarlet in tiie mn/c, j)artly so in the female ; sides of head and nnder parts, gi-ayish-white, usually with a yellow phade, riilifiiiiii;/ on belly ; Hanks and crissum, witii sagittate-l)Iack marks ; tail, black, one or two outer feathers white, J)arred ; inner web of central feathers white with black spots ; outer web of same black, with a white apace next the shaft for most of its iengtii ; white predominating on the rump. Length, 1>-10 ; wing, about "> ; tail, about lih.
Hab.— Eastern United States, to the Rocky Mountains ; rare or accidental east of the Hudson River.
Nest, a hole in a tree.
Eggs, four to six, white.
This handsome woodpecker is gradually becoming more common in Southern Ontario, and like, some others, such as the Lark-finch, Orchard Oriob and Rough-winged Swallow, it evidently makes its entrance to the Province round the west end of Lake Erie.
It seems to find its northern limit in Southern Ontario, and even there confines itself chiefly to the south-west portion. Stragglers have been found near Toronto and Hamilton, while near London it breeds and is tolerably common, but Mr. White has not yet found it in Ottawa, and it is not included among the "Birds of Manitoba."
In the " Birds of Ohio," Dr. Wheaton mentions it as a common summer resident, but it is not named among the " Birds of Minne-
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sota," and in the " Birds of New Enj^land " it is spoken oi as the rarest of all the woodpeckers. Its centre of abundance is evidently farther south, where it is resident.
West of the Rocky Mountains it has not been ol<aerve<l. It is of shy, retiring habits, frequenting the gloomy depths of the forest, though its' dress fi's it for appearing in the best society. The feathers are of a peculiar soft and silky textuve, and are so regularly barred across with black a d white that it is known to many as the Zebra Bird, and is considere<l the handsomest of all the wood- {)eckers.
In Ontario it is migi-atory, leaving aljout the end of October.
Genus COLAPTES Swainson. COLAPTES AURATUS (Linn.).
179. Flicker. (412)
Hauk, wing coverts ami ini Tiiuist quills, olivaueous-brown, thickly Jjarred with black ; rump, snowy-white ; quills au.l tail, golden yellow umlerneath, and shafts of tliis color. A scarlet nuchal crescent and large l>lack pectoral crescent in both sexes. Ma/f : — With black maxillary patches, wanting in the female ; head and nape, ash ; chin, throat and bieast, lilac-brown ; under parts, with numerous i-ound black spots ; sides, tinged with ci-eamy -brown ; belly, with yellowish. About 10 inches long ; wing, al)out (J ; tail, 4^.
Hab. — Nt)rthern and Eastern North America, west to the eivstern slope of the Rocky Mountains ami Alaska. Occasir>nal on the Pacific slope, fi-on) C!!alifornia northward. Accidental in Kurope. ,
Nest, a hole in a tree.
Kggs, five to seven, white.
Eai'ly in April, if the weather is mild, the loud cackling call of the " Higholder" may be heard frcmi his perch at the top of a tall dead limb, where he watches to welcome his comrades as they hourly arrive from the south. For a week or two at this season they are very abundant, but many s<K)n pass on farthei- north, and the others are distributed ovei- the country, so that they are less fre(|uently seen.
In habits this species difl[ei"s considerably from all the other raem- bei-s of the family. It is more terrestrial, being often obsei-ve<l on the ground demolishing ant hills and devouring the inmates, for which achievement its curved bill and lo'.g slimy tongue are admirably adapted. It is also fond of fruit, and of corn, either green or ripe.
FLICKER.
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Tt is by no means confined to the forest, but is often seen peeping from its hole in a stub by the roadside. When alighting upon a tree, it perches on a bough in the ordinaiy manner, being seldom seen clinging to the trunk like other members of the family, excej>t when entering its nest. In Southei-n Ontario it is .seen till late in OctoWr, but only on one or two occasions have stragglers been observed during the winter.
This is at once the most abundant and widel}' distributed wood- pecker in Canada. Crossing our southern liorfler, it Morks its way up north, leaving representatives in jVIanitoV)a, the North- West and other territories through which it passes, till it finally reaches the shores of the Arctic Sea. In Alaska, Mr. Nelson .says of it: "This handsome woodpecker breeds from one side of the Territory to the other, wherever wtx)ded country occurs. It has l>een .sent to the National Museum from the lower Anderson River, and is well known to breed along the entire course of the Yukon, reaching to the mouth of that river.
" It is a regular summer resident at the head of Norton Bay, and reaches the Arctic on the shore of Kotzebue Sound."
It is also reported sis an accidental visitor in (ireenland.
Albinos of this species are of frequent occurrence. Once when driving north in the township oi Beverley, a cream-colored specimen kept ahead of me for half a mile. How beautiful he looked in the rich autumnal sunlight, as with long swoojis he passed from tree t.o tree by the roadside ! I could not but admire him. and that was all I could do, for 1 was unarmefl.
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Order MACROCHIEES. Goatsuckers, Swifts, etc.
SuhORDER CAPRI MULGI. Goatsuckers, etc.
Family CAPRTMULGID^. Goatsuckers, ktc.
Gexus ANTROSTOMUS Gould.
ANTR08T0MU8 VOCIFERUS (Wils.).
ISO. Whip-poor-will. (+17)
(ieiieral color of tlie upper parts, dark biownish-gray, streaked and minutely s])rinkled with brownisli-black ; (luills and coverts, dark brown, spotted in bars with liglit brownish-red ; four niiiUUe tail featliers like those of the back, the three lateral white in their terminal iudf ; throat and breast, similar to the back with a transverse banil of white on tiie foreneck ; lest of the lower parts, paler than above and mottled. Fcina/c : — Similai', but witli the lateral tail feathers reddish-wliite toward the tip only, and tiie band across the foreliead pale yellowish-brown. Length, 9i ; wing, o^; tail, 4J.
Hab. -Kastern United States to the Plains, soutli to Ouatemala.
Eggs, two, deposited in a iioUow or a rotten log, or on tiie ground on a dry bank among leaves. They are elliptical, of moderate polish with a ground color of white or cream, handsomely marked with sjKits of yello- ish-brown ; deep shell nuirks are aV)out as numeixjus as tlie surface marks anil are of a Uhv-gray or lavender tint.
This well-known bird cros.ses tiie southern frontier of (Ontario about the 10th of May, and should the weather be mild its loud and well-known cry is soon heai-rl at nijLj;ht at many different points throu;,'liout the country. It is seldom seen abroad l)y da}-, except when <listui"l)ed at its resting place in some shady part of the woods, when it f^litles off noisele.ssly like a great moth. Disliking the glare of the light, it avoids the city, but not unfrequently perches on the roof of a farm-house, startling the inmates with its cry, which they hear with great distinctness.
This is the on!}' song of the Whip-poor-will, and it is kept up during the breeding season, after which it is seldom heard. We see so little of these birds that it is difficult to tell exactly at what time they leave us, but it is most likely early in September that they "fold their tents like the Arabs, and as silently steal away."
Ft is reported as a common summer i-esident in Manitoba, and Dr. Bell records its prescuice at Norway House, to the north of whicli I have not heai'd of it having been observed.
It is a delicately formed bird, though strong on the Ming. Its legs and feet are very slender, but they are not often called into use,
NIGHTHAWK.
255
Jind are easily carried from the fact of their being light. On the middle toe is a curiously pectinated claw, which is supposed to be useful for ridding the bird of the insects with which it is troubled. When disturbed in the woods, if it alights on a brttnch it always sits lengthways, in which position it is very apt to be mistaken for a growth, and escape observation.
It is one of the few birds whose call can be intelligiblv put into words. The experiment is often tried with other species, but in very few instances can they ])e printed so as to l)e recogjiized when heard out of doi»rs.
Genus CH0RDEILE8 SwArxsox. CHORDEILES VJRGINTANUS ((Jmkl.;.
181. NiRhthawk. (420)
Above, mottled with hlack, brown, gray and tawny, the former in excess ; below from the breast, transversely barred witli blackish and wliite or pale fulvous ; throat in the male with a large white, in the j'emaJc tawny, cross-bar ; tail, 1)lackish, witli distant pale marbled cross-bars and a large white spot (wanting in the/i'iiin/e) on one or Ixjth weVw of all the feathers toward the end ; ([uills, dusky, unmarked except l)y one large white spot on five outei' primai'ies about midway Ijetween their liase and tip ; in the /tma/e this area is restricted or not pure white. Lengtli, altout 9 ; wing, 8 ; tail, 5.
Hab. — Northern and Eastern North America, east of the Gitsat I'lains, south through tropical America to Buenos Ayres.
Eggs, two, deposited on rocks or (m the ground, or among the gravel of a flat-roofed house in the city. They vary from pale olive-buff to buffy and grayish-white thickly mottled and daubed with varied tints of darker gray slate, olive or even blackish mixed with a marbling of purpllih-gray, both pattern and tints Iteing vtjry variable.
This is a well-known and abundant nunmier resident, ari'iving from the south early in May. Though a Nighthawk, it is often seen abroad by day during cloudy weather, and in the evening, just as the sun is sinking below the horizon, numbers of these birds are occasionally seen careeiing around high ov(irhead, uttering their peculiar cry, so rejulily recogni/.ed, yet so difficult eithei" to imitatf> or describe. While thus in the exercise of their most wonflerful powers of flight, and performing many graceful aerial evolutions, they will suddenly change their course and plunge headlong down- wards with great rapidity, pro<lucing at the same time a singular booming sound which can be heard for .some distance. Again, as
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<|uickly, witli a few bold strokes of their long, pointed wings, they will
rise to the former height, and dash hither and thither as l>efore.
Poets, in all ages, have sung the j)raises of their favorite birds,
Hnd even to-day, froin the unroinantic plains of Chatham come the
following lines on the habit of the Nighthawk, just described :
" With half closed wings and quivering boom, Descending tln'ough the deepening gloom, Like plummet falling from the akj'. Where some poor niotli may vainly try
A goal to win He lu)lds him with his glittering eye
And Hcoops him in."
Towards the end ()f August, when the first frosts begin to cut oflF their supply of insect food, large gatherings of Nighthawks may be seen in the evenings moving toward the s(»uth-west, not in regular order like ducks or pigeons, but skinuning. daiting and crossing each other in every imaginable direction, and still with a general tendency toward the south, till daikness hides them tVom our view.
SuHoHDKH CYPSELI. Swifts.
Fa.mii.v MICROPODlDal^.. Swifts.
Subfamily CH^yrUlUN^. Spim: -tailki) Swifts.
(iKMs CH^I^yrrHA Stkhmkxs.
CH^TUHA PKLA(iTCA (Linn.).
\^-2. Chimney Swift. (42;i)
Sooty brown witii faint greenish gloss above ; below, paler, becoming gray on the throat ; wings, black. Length, about "> ; wing, the same ; tail, 2 or less.
Hab. — Eastern North Ame'iea, north t«) Labrador and the Fur Countries, west to the Plains, and passing south of the United States in winter.
Nest, a basket ()f twigs glued together, and to tlie side of the chimney or other support by the saliva of the bird.
Kggs. four or five, pure w fi.
The Swift is a late comei-. and while here seems ever anxious to make up for lost time, being constantly on the wing, darting about with great rapidit}', sometimes high overhead, sometimes skimming the surface of the pond, often so closely as to be able to sip from the water as it i)a.sses over it, or snap up the insects which hover on the surface.
RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD.
257
The original nesting place of the Swifts was in a hollow tree, often of large diameter, and fi'e(|uented year after year by a great many of the birds, but now they seem to prefer a city chinniey. There they roost, and fasten their curious basket nests to the wall, inside the chimney, a few feet down, to be out of i-each of the rays of the sun. A fine exhibition of bird-life it is to watch the ISwifts, in the evening about sunset, circling a few times round the chimney, raising their wings above their backs and dropjting like shuttlecocks down to their nest, near which they spend the night clinging to the wall with their claws. The shai'p spines at the end of the tail feathers, pressed against the surface, form their chief support.
They an-ive al)out the lOtli of May, and leave for the south early in September.
SUBOUDEK TROCHILI. HUMMIXUBIlinS.
Family TWO.CHILIDJE. Hi;mmix(jbiri)h.
Genus TROCHTLUS Linn.eis.
Subgenus TROCHILUS.
TROCHTLUS COLUBRIS Linn.
IS.i. Ruby-throated Hummingbird. (42S)
Male : — With the tail forked, its feathers all narrow and pointed ; no scales on crown ; metallic gorget reflecting niljy-i'ed, etc. ; above, golden green ; below, white ; the sides, green ; wings and tail, dusky purplish. Ftmn/f : — Lacking tiie gorget ; the throat, white ; the tail, somewliat double -rounded, with black bars, and tlie outer featfiers white-tipped. Length, 3J ; wing, !§ ; bill, §.
Hab. — Eastern North America to the Plains, north to the Fur Countries, and south, in winter, to ('uba and Veragua.
Nest, a beautiful specimen of bii-d architecture, usually placed on the iiorizontal brancli of a tree in the orchartl, composed of gray liciiens, lineil with the softest plant down.
Eggs, 2, pure wliite, blushed with pink while fresh.
The Hummingbirds begin to arrive towards the middle of May, and by the end of the month, when the lilacs are in bloom, they are quite numerous. About that time many pass on to breed f»irther north, while others engage in the same occupation here.
In September the)' again become common, showing a strong liking for the impatient ftdva, or wild balsam, which grows abundantly in moist places, and later tbey crowd about the biyntmia or truu^pet- 17
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creeper. This is a late flowering plant, and the tiny birds, as if loath to leave it, are seen as late as the middle of September rifling it of its sweets.
There are alwut sixteen different species of Hummingbirds now known as North American, but this is the only one found east of the Mississippi River. Though small, it is very pugnacious, often attack- ing birds much larger than itself who may venture near its nest. On such occasions it produces an angry buzzing sound with its wings, but it has no voice save a weak chirp, like a cricket or grasshopper.
Order PASSERES. Perching Birds.
Suborder CLAMATORES. Songless Perching Birds.
Family TYRANNID^. Tyrant Flycatchers.
Genus MILVULUS Swainson.
[CATUS (Gmel.).
MILVULUS FCRFK
184. Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. (443)
First primary alone emarginate ; crown patch, orange or scarlet ; general color, hoary ash, paler or white below, sides at the insertion of the wings scarlet or blood-red, and other parts of the body tinged with tlie same, a shade paler; wings, blackish, generally with wliitish edgings ; tail, black, several outer f lathers extensively white or rosy. Wing, about 4 J ; tail, over 12 inches long.
Hab. —Texas and Indian Territory, casually north to Kansas and Missouri ; south to Central America. Accidental in Virginia, New Jersey, New England, Manitoba, and at Yoik Factory, Hudson Bay.
Nest, like the Kingbirds'.
Eggs, four or five, white, Ijlotched with reddish and lilac shell-spots.
The home of this beautiful bird is in Texas, but it is evidently much given to wandering, appearing unexpectedly at points far distant from its usual habitat.
The first record I have of its occurrence in Ontario is furnished by Dr. Garnier, of Lucknow, Bruce County, who reports having seen one near his place some years ago. He had no means of securing the bird, but saw it by the roadside as he drove past, opening and closing its tail feathers with the usual scissor-like motion.
Dr. Bell, of the Geological Survey, speaking of bii-ds which he occasionally found far from their usual habitat, says : " The most singular discovery in regai-d to geographical distribution is the finding
KINGBIRD.
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<»f the ScisHoi'-tailed Fly(vitchei- (Afi/rn/Ks Jhrjiiui/iis ,Sir.) at York Factory.
" Hitherto its lan;.;*' lias heen coiisiderwl to exttMid only from Mexico t<t Central Texas. Baird, Cassin and Lawrence say with ref,'ard to it: 'This ex(|uisitely heautifnl and ^'raceful bird is cjuite abundant on the ])rairies of Southern Texas, and is everywhere conspicuous ainon;^ its kiixhed species. It is usually known as the »Scissor-tail from its hal)it of ojieninj^ and closinj^ the long tail feathers as if they were the bhules of a pair of scissors.' The specimen in tlie (iovei-nment Museum M'as shot at York Factory in the summer of IHSO, and 1 have since learned that these remarkable birds were commonly seen at the )M)sts of the Hudson's Bay Comjiany all the way westward to the valley of the Mackenzie River." .
The Scissor-tails are beautiful l)irds which we should ghidly welcome to Ontario if they find the attractions sutiicient] t^) induce them to extend their habitat in this direction, but of these they are the best judges, and they .viii no doubt act accordingly.
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(iKNUs TYHANNUS Civikk. TYHIANNTS TYRANNUS (Linn.).
b^-). Kingbird. (bU)
Two tmti.'f primaries nliviously iittemiate ; iihovo, l>laokiMh, tlarkei- on tlic head : trowii with a tlaiiie-coloied patcli ; l)elow, })ure white ; the l)reast shaded with i)huid)eo(is ; wings, tliisky, witli iniidi whitish edging ; tail, hlack, Itroadly and rather shaiply ti|)ped with white, tlie outer feathers .sometimeH edged with tiie same; l)ill and feet, hlack. Yniiiir/: — Witliout the patch ; very young birds siiow rufous edging of tlie winga and tail. Length, about 8 inches ; wing, 4i ; tail, 3.^ ; liill, under 1.
H.AB. -Kastern Nortli .\inericii. from the Hritisii Provinces south to Central and South America. Hare west of the Hocky Mountains (Utah, Nevada, Washington Territory, etc. ).
Xest. large for tlie size of tiie bird, placed on the horizontal Imugii of an isolated tree, composed of vegetable tibrons materials and sheep's wool compactly woven together. '
Kggs, tliree to five, creamy or rosy- white, spotted and blotched witli reddish, brown and lilac shell-spots.
The Kingbir<l arrives in Ontario from the soutli aViout the 10th of May, anfl from that time tifl it leaves again in Hepteml)er, it is one of the most familia)- birds in the rural districts. It is generally
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distributed, each pair takiii}^ jmssession of a certain " limit," which is vahantly defended aji^ainst all intruders, no bird, however larj^e, being permitted to come with imjiunitv near where the Kingbird's treasures are deposited. It is partial to ))asture fic^lds, a favorite perch being the top of a dry mullein stalk. Here the male sits like a sentinel, issuing his shaip note of warning, and occasionally darting off to secure a j)assiiig insect. Wlien the breeding m over and the younjL" are able to shift for themselves, he gets over his local attach- ments aijd quietly takes his insect fare wherever he can find it, allowing other l)irds t(t do the same.
The food of this species consists almost entirely of insects, which it takes while on the wing. It may Vje considered a friend of the farmer, for although it does take a few bees now and then, it more than compensates for these by the large number of injurious insects which it destroys.
The contents of the twelve stomachs examined by Dr. King, of Wisconsin, were as ftdlows : — Four had eaten seventeen beetles;, four, four drag(»n tlies; one, a bee; one, six crane flies; one, a large moth ; one, a butterfly; and three, a few raspV^erries.
It is common throughout Manitoba and the North-West, retiring south when its supply of food is cut off by the advance of the sea.son.
Genus MYIARCHUS Cabanis. MYIARCHUS CRINITUS (Linn.).
186. Crested Flycatcher. (452)
Decidedly olivaceous above, a little browner on the head, where the- feathers have dark centres ; throat and fore-breast, pure dark ash, rest of under parts, bright yellow, the two colors meeting abruptly ; primaries, margined on both edges with chestnut ; secondaries and coverts, edged and tipped with yellowish-white ; tail, with all the feathers but the central pair,, chestnut on the whole of the inner web, excepting, perhaps, a very narrow stripe next the shaft ; outer web of outer feathers, edged with yellowish ; the middle feathers, outer webs of the rest, and wings, except as stated, dusky- brown. Very young birds have rufous skirting of many feathers, in addition! to the chestnut above described, but this soon disappears. Length, 8J-9i ; wing and tail, about 4 ; bill and tarsus, eac^ |.
Hab. —Eastern United States and Southern Canada, west to the Plains, south through Eastern Mexico to Costa Rica.
PHOEBE.
261
Xt'st. in lioUow of trees, HoiiietiiiieH in the deserteil hole of a woodpecker, •i'ompDHeil of Ntraw, leaves, rootletH and other vegetalAu niatei'ials, lined with featiiei'H ; aliout the edge are always tr) l>e fonnd |)iec;es of tiie east-otV skins of snakes.
Kggn. four ()!• five, light lmrt'y-')rown, streaked lengtliwise l>y lines and uiarkingH of piirplisii and dai'ker hrown.
This species is a regular Huininer resident aioii",' tlie southern frontier, wliere it arrives early in May, and soon makes its presence known by the loud note of warning which is heard among the tree tops long before tlie bird is visible.
Dr. Wheaton, in his " Birds of Ohio," states that tiiis species is very numerous near Columbus, where the countiy being well cleared and the usual Ijreeding places difficult to find, the birds have taken to the use of bo.xes put up for bluebirds and martins, and have been observed to dispossess the legitimate owners. It has also ))een noticed that the snake skins are left out, when the nests are in boxes.
This Flycatcher is found sparingly in Manitol)a and the North- West; farther south, it is more common. Its food con.sidt.T of insects, Avhile these are obtainable ; l)ut in the fall, befoi'e leaving, it readily takes grapes and othei, berries.
It is the largest f)f the Hycatchers which \isit us, and it shows to great advantage in tlie woods in spring, when its clear colors harmonize with the opening leaves.
Many spend the winter in Mexico.
Gknus SAYORNTS Bonapartk. SAYORNTS PHCEBE (Lath.).
187. Phoebe. (456)
T)nll olivaceons-hrown ; tiie liead nnicii darker fuscous-brown, almost l)lackisli, usually in marked contrast witli tlie hack ; below, soiled whitish, or palest poss'ble yellow, particularly on the belly ; the sides and the breast, nearly or quite across shaded with grayish-brown ; wings and tail, dusky ; the outer tail feather, inner secondaries and usually the wing coverts, edged with whitish ; a whitish ring around the eye ; bill and feet, black, varies greatly in shade. The foregoing is the average sjjring condition. As the ■ summer passes, the plumage becomes much duller and darker brown from wearing of the feathers, and then, after the moult, fall specimens are much brightei- than in spring, the under parts being frequently decidedly yellow.
262
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
at leaHt on tlie belly. Very young l>ir«l« liavt' some featlu'iH eilgiMl with I'UHty, particulurly on tlio edgeH of tliu wing and tail foathuiH. Lungtii, ^^{■' : wing and tail, H 3J\.
Had. - Kadtcrn North America, from tlie HiitiHii I'rovinucH aoutli to KdHteiii Mexico and Cuba, wintering from tiie South Atlantic and Oulf StateH soutli- ward.
Nest, under bridgeu oi' projection about outliouseH. When away from iuiman habitation it is often found among the roots of an upturned true or in a hollow tree, compjjsed of vegetable material mixed with mud and freHcoetl with moss.
Kggs, four or live, usually pine wiiite. sctmetimes faintly spotted.
This is one of the earliest liarhin<jfers of spring, and its quick, queruhius notes are hailed with joy»as a preclude to the j^rand concert of bird music which is soon to follow.
Early in April, the male Pee- wee appears in his former hauut8, and is soon joined by his mate. They ai-e i>artial to the society of man, and their habits, as siiown in their nestings, have been some- what changed by this taste. The original, typical nest of the Pee- wee, we are told, was placed on a ledge uiuler a projecting rock, over which water trickl;^!, the nest itself often being damp with the spray. We still .see one, occasionally, in such a position, but more fre([uently it is plac(;d on the Ixvims of a bi'i<lge, beneath the eaves of a deserted house, or undei- a vei-andah or the pi-ojection of an out- house. They raise two broods iii the season, and J'etire to the south in September.
They ai'e generally tlistributed throughout Ontario, but ai-e most common in the .south. A few have made their way to Manitoba, where thej' have been .seen near Winnipeg and elsewhere. They are strongly attached to a cho.sen locality, and will return year after year to repair their old nest, or entirely rebuild it in the same spot should the old fabric be lemoved. They are often imposed upon l)y the Cow-bird, and accept the situation without remonstrance.
Gknus CONTOPITS Caiianis. CONTOPUS BOREALTH (Swains.).
188. Olive-sided Flycatcher. (459)
Dusky olivaceoiiB-brown, usually darker on the ciown, where the feathers have black centres, and paler on the sides ; chin, throat, l»elly, criasum and middle line of the breast, white, more or less tinged with yellowish ; wings and tail, blackish, unmarked, excepting inc<mspicuou8 grayish-brown tip.s of the
OLiVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER
2t)3
wing covertM, and Monio whitisli edging of the inner ((uillH ; feet ivn<l u|)|k-i' nituulible, hliick ; lower niiin(lil>lu, nioHtly yellowiMli. 'I'liu olive-l>rown hclow haH u pueuliur xtrKiky appeivrunue hardly oeeii in other Hpcuies, and extemU almost entirely acroaa the ItreaHt ; a peuidiar tuft of wliite tliiti'y feathers on the tiankti. Youtiij : — Birds have the featliei-H, eapeuially of tiio wings and tail, wkirted witli nifoui). length, 7-H ; wing, 3.^-4^, remarkably pointed; Hecond ((uill longeHt, support ud nearly to the end by the first and third, tiie fourth al>ruptly slun-ter ; tail, alM)ut 'A ; tarsus, middle toe and daw together, alxtut \)^.
Hab. North America, bree<ling from the northern antl the higher mountainous parts of the United States northward, in winter, south to Central America and L'ohnnbia.
Nest, a shallow structure, composed of weeds, twigs, rootlets, strips of bark, etc., loosely put togethei-, saddled on a bough or placed in a fork high up in a tree.
Kggs, tliree or four, creamy-white, speckled with reddish-brown.
So far as at present known, this species is rare in Ontario, and not very abundant anywhere. Towards the end of May, 1884, when driving along the edge of a swamp, north of the village of Millgrove, I noticed a bird on the blasted top of a tall pine, and stopping the horse, at once recognized the Olive-sided Flycatcher by the loud 0-whee-v, 0-iv/iee-o, so cori'ectly described as the note of this species by Dr. Merriam in his "Birds of Connecticut." 1 tried to reach it with a charge of No. 8, and it went down perpendicuhirly into the brush, but whether dead, wounded or unhurt T never knew, for I did not see it again. That is the only time I have ever seen the species alive.
It has a wide distriVjution, having been found breeding in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and north on the Saskatchewan, near Cum- berland House. la the west it has been observed in Colorado and along the Columbia River.
It has occurred as an accidental visitor in Alaska and also in Greenland, but in all of these places it is reported as rare or accidental. It is spoken of as common in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, where it seems to have been observed more frequently than elsewhere. It is a species which is not likely to be overlooked when present, for its notes and habits readily attract notice.
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CONTOPrs VIHKNS (I.inn.). 180. Wood Pewee. (461)
OIivacc(iiiH-))r((Wii, ratlier cliirkur on tliu liead ; liulow, witli tlic hjiIoh wiwtliud >\ itii a palur Hlindo of tlio aaiiie iiuaily or i|iiitu uciohh thu hroast ; the thront uixl liolly, wliitisli, inori- or less tinged witli dull yijllowiHli ; undiM- tail (,'ovorlN, tin- •sanu', UHually stieakt-d with diixky ; tail and wings, IdackiHli, the former unmarked, the inner qnillti edged and the eovertw tipjied with whitiMh ; feet and upper maudihUs lilack ; undei mandihhs unually yellow, .sometimcN dunky. Spring Hpecimenh are purer olivaeeous. Karly fall liirdH are hrighter yellow helow ; in Hunnuer, l)efore the now worn feathers are I'enewed, cpiite lii'own and tlingyM'hitisli. \'ery young hirdis have the wing-l)arM and |)al(! edging of (luilln tinged with rusty, the feathers of the up|)er paits skirted, and the lower ]ilumiige tinged with the same ; hut in any plumage the species nuiy he known from all the birds of the following genus hy these dimensions, (^ength, (»-(tJ ; wing, ;<1-3A ; tail, "Ji'-.S; tarsus, ahoul \, not longer than the hi//.
Mail Kastern North Amei'iea to the Plains, and from Southern (Janada southward.
Nest, composed of itark lilire, lootlets and grass, linished with lichens; on the outsi<le it is I'omjjact ami firm round the edge, hut flat in foiui, and rathei' loose in the bottom. It is .sometimes saddled on a bough, more fre(|ucntly jilaeed on the fork of a twig ten or twelve feet oi' more from the ground.
Kggs, '!:"ee oi' four, ereaniy-wliite, blotched and variegated at the larger end with ieddiv!.-l)rown and lilac-gray.
This spt'cics rcscmldcs the PIki'Ih- in iippcafaiice, hut is smaller, and has an erect, hawk-like attitude, when seen perched on a dead twig on the outer liml) of a tree. It is a late comer, being .seldom seen before the middle of May, after whieh its prolonged, melancholy notes may be heard alike in the woods ;ind orchards till the end of August, when the 1)irds move south. To iiunuin ears, the iiote.s of the male appear to be the outpourings of settletl sorrow, but to his mate the impressions conveji^ed ma}' be very different.
In the breeding season, it is generally distributed throughout Ontario, and a few aie found in Manitoba.
Its visit here is comparatively short, for it does not appear till the middle of May, and leaves again eai-ly in September. Its food consists chietly of insects, caught while on the wing.
YEI-LOW-HELLIEI) FLYi'ATCHEH.
205
(}KXi!H EMFMhONAX C'ahams. KMIMDONAX KLAVIVKNTIUS IJaiki..
I
1!>0. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. (Kl.i)
Ahove, iilivcgiui'ii, dual' ointiiiiiniiH iiiiil iiiiifiinii iim in (iifii/irn-(, of ('von V)rightui' ; helow, not merely ycHoirixli, iih in tlic muuuH'.dinf,', hut taiipliatically iffilow, hrigitt (Villi pure on tlie IwiUy, uliiuleil on tlie nicies ami anteriorly witli a paler tint of tlie (^olor of tlio hank ; eye-rings and w inginarkingH, yellow ; under niandihie, yellow ; feet, Idack. In renpeia of ecdoi-, this spoiM(!H ditlurH materially fiom all tiie lest ; none of them, even in tlieir autumnal yellowest, fjuite match it. Si/.e of Iraillii or rather less ; feet, |)roportioned as in aaidii'iix; hill, nearly a« in iiiiiiltniis, hut rather larger; tirst (|uill. usually ecpuvl to sixth.
Hah. Kastern North America to the Plains, and from Southern [..ahrador ttouth through Kastei'ii Mexico to I'ananui, l>ieeding from tiie Northern States nortiiward
Nest, in a mossy hank, composed mostly of moss, witii a few twigs and withered leaves, and lined with hlack wiry rootlets and di'V gi'a.ss.
Kggs, four, cieamy-white, sjtotted and hlotched with leddishhrown and a few lilack luarkings chiefly near the larger end.
Several «»t" the small Flycatchei's reseiiihle caeli otlicr so closely tluit it is (it'teii (liflicult for the general observer to identity them correotly. The clear yellow of the umler j)arts of the jireseiit species serves to distiiiguish it from the others, hut it is everywhere scarce and little known except to collectors.
Near Hamilton, I have noticed one or tw(» every spring, anil some- times the same number in the fall. During the summer it has not been observed.
It is only within the past five years that correct information has Iteen obtained regarding the nest and eggs of this species, one of the tirst and best (lescrij)tions being givt^n by .Mr. Purdie in the Nuttall Bulletin for October, 1S7S. The nest in this case was placed among the roots of an upturned tree.
All the nests T have .seen described have been found in Maine, but the species will no doubt yet be found breeriing in Ontario ami elsewhere in the interior.
Tn the "Birds of Manitoba," Mr. Thompson has the following: "Duck Mountain, June 11th, 1884. —Shot a Flycatcher, which was uttering continually a note like ^chee hlic.^ It was all over of a greenish coUtr, but yellow on the belly. It answers fairly well the
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ilescni>tu>ii oi /{(irirfiifrix, hut is very like an Aciuliiiii slmt yester- day. Kvidently the specie.s is lireecliajj; here."
Mi-. ThoinjJSDu's identirtcatitm appears to l)e cori-ect, t'oi- 1 Hud that the hird ji;ave utterance to the same note when found near its nest in Maine.
I<:MPH)()NAX ACADICrs (Umkf,.). HM. Acadian Flycatcher. (46.'))
Above, olive-green, <'lear, iMnitimious aiitl uiuforiii (tliimgli tlie crown iniiv show I'litlier darker, owing to thisky eentres of the sliglitly lengtlieneti, creetile feathers) ; Kelow, whitish, olive-8luitle<l on sides and nearly across l>reast, yellow-wasiied on helly, Hanks, crissuni and axiUars ; wings, (hisky ; innei' iiuills, edged, and <.;ovei't:; tipped with tawny yellow , all the (|iiills whitish-edged iiiteriuvUy : tail, dusky olive-glossed, unmarked ; a yellowish eye-ring ; feet wild uppei- inandihle, hi'own ; lower inandiltle. pale ; in nii<lsunnner, rather darker; in early fall, lirighter and more yellowish i)elow ; when very young, the wing markings more fulvcms, the general plumage slightly Itutly-suttuseil. Length, .")','-(i.l- ; wing, "ij-.S (rarely Si) ; tail, -h-'2l ; hill, nearly or (piite .^. about \ wide at the nostiils ; tarsus. |{ ; midtlle toe and claw, !, ; (xiint of wing reaching neai-ly an inch beyond the secondaries ; second, third and fourth iiuills nearly etiiial and utiirli (| inch or more) longer than first and liftli. which alK)ut eijual each other.
Firtt phiinatii- : Above, nearly puie olive, with indistinct narrow transverse bands of darker: wing bands, ]iale reddish-brov.n ; under parts, soiled ycll.iwish white, with an olivaceous cast on the sides and bivast.
Hah. Kastern United States, chiefly southward, west to tlic Plains, south to tJuha and C'osta Rica.
N'est, composed of catkins. gra.sses. weeil fibivs, slneds of ))ark, ratlu'i' sloveidy in appearance, fror.i three to tveiity tt-et i'rom tnc ground, in a hori/.ontal fork, fastened by the brim. l)ottom without support.
Hggs. two to four, ytllowish-butl', sjxitted round the larger end with rusty
b/'OWll,
r utention this little hird more as one to he looki'd t'or than as one known to occur here, t'(»r I liave no positive record of its havinjn heen foui\d in Ontiirio. i have always tliou<,'lit it would l)e disc(»vered on the north shoic of Lake Erie, and the iiear<'st a[)proach I liave to it is in tlie description of a pair of small Klycatchei's which nested in Dr. Macallum's orchard near Dunnville. In this case the nest and effjjM were taker., hut the hirds were allowed to escape, and, unfortu- nately for identihcation, the egj^s of this sjteoies are iiulistinjfuishable from those of Traill's Flycatcher.
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TRA[LI. S FLYCATCHEU.
267
The. position of the iifst of (letul'irna is f^iveii on the opposite pujfe, iiiui that of Traill's Klycatchet- is said tt) be always in an upiij^ht fork. Straiif^e to say, the nest found by Dr. Macalluni did not correspond with either, being "placed on the upper surface of a tolerably large limb." T still hope to heai* of the species being found in the district indicated, and hope the alK)ve description may lea<l to its i((enfi- Hcation.
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KMPIDONAX PUSTLLUS THAILMI (Aid.). 11>L'. Traill's Flycatcher. (HKia)
Abovf, olive-lit()Wii, lighter ami tlullei' lir(>wiiinli |K>8tiMi(trly. <laiker tiiitfiiorly, owing to obviously dusky centres of tlte fiironal feiitliers ; \)elow, neai'lj' iis in araiUfiis, Imt darker, the olive-gi'ay sluiding (luite aoioss the breast ; wing markings, giayisli-white, witii slight yellr)\vish or tawny shade ; undei' ni.Midible, pale ; upper mandible and feet, black. Averaging a little l«!S8 than (ifat/inis, ,"i.\-<$ ; wing, '2ij-2'/, more roumled, its tips oidy reaiihing about ij of an inch beyond the secondaries, formed by second, third and fourth ((uills AH, before, but fifth not so nnicli shoiler (hai'dly or not ^ of an inch), the first ranging between fifth and sixth ; tail, l2.\ : tarsus, i^ us befoi-e, but middle toe and claw threetifths, the feel thus dirt'erently proportioned owing to length of the toes.
Uab. -Kastei'n \orth America, breeding from the .Middle States (Southern llli'.iois and Missouri) northward, in wintei-, south toCential America.
Nest, in an upright fork, firmly secured i its pla<e with the stringy fibres of bark, <leeply cupped, com|Hised chieHy ()f vegetable fibres, lined with dry grass and thistle down.
Kggs, three (»r four, variable, usiu.lly ccfjaniii -white, blotcheil, chieHy toward the larger end, with reddish-brown.
Traill's Flycatcher is not nuich known in Ontario, ihe numi)er of collectors being few. I»y the ordinary obseiver the bird may nsidily be mistaken for others of its tdass which it closely resembles. Mr. Saunders has found it near [.london, and I have met with it now and then in the moist, secluded ravines by the shore of the Hundas Marsh, but it is by no means connron.
Mr. White has collected one or twn specimens at Ottawa, and Prof. Macoun got oiu' at Ijuke Manitoba.
From its In-ing found to the east, west and north it is most likely distributed throughout the Province, l)ut just how rare or common it may 1m* is harfl to sjiy, for then is nothing attnictive in its appear ance or manner, and in habits it is so retiring that it may rejuiily U' overlooked.
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HIRDS OF ONTARIO.
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iil;
The (lilticulty in idt'iitityinf; these siiiall Flycatclicis it, owing to the close reseinbhinee they hear to one another. lii ooloriug the present species is ahiiost identical with the Least Flycatcher, but it measures hall" an inch lonji^er. It also leseinhles the Acadian Fly catciiei-, but the present spt^cies measures a (juarter of an inch less in lenfj;th, and is olive hroivii, while aradicnx is olive yreen. This slight diffei(Mice in the shade <»f color, or in the size of a specimen, makes it olten dirticult to say to wliich ui'ouji it l)elongs.
KMPTDONAX MTNFMUS M.viim). H>:i. Least Flycatcher. (1(17)
(■(>l(ii> aliDOKt ex!i(!tl_v as in Iraillii ; usuiillv, liowever, olivo-gray rattier than ()live-l)ri)wii ; tlie wing iiiivrkings, fyo-ring and lr)ral feathers, plain grayisli-white ; the wliole anterior parts often with a sliglit ashy cast ; inuier uiamlihle, ordinju'ily dusky : feet. Iihick. it is a sniaUei l)ird than traillil, and not so stoutly luiilt : the wing-li}) piojects only about A an incii i)evond the secondaries : I lie fifth ((uill is Imt a little shorter than the fointii, the first apt to he nearer the sixth than fifth ; the feet are di"'.Meiitlv proj)ortioned, heing inueh as in nrdi/irnx ; the hill is oliviously undei' .^ incli long. Length, r>-,"(.'2ri ; wing. *J.(iO (ir /I'v-i ,• tail, ahout •l.'l't.
H\ii. Kastein Xoi-th .Anicri) a, south in winter to Central .Anu-riea : hi'eeds from t!ie Nortiiern States northwanl.
Nest, in the fork of a sa])ling cr tree, composed of vegetahle iihie and wilted weeds, with a cijuipaet lining of plant down, horseduiir and tii\e grass.
I")gys, three or four, usually pure white, occasionally a set oc p.irt of a set are found dotted with dusky.
Tin- Least Klycatciiei' is \('ryc(»mmon throughou* < )ntario, and is mentioned among the birds found by Prof. Macoun in the North- West Territoiy. In the " lUi'ds of Manitoba" it is mentioned as a C(mimon summer resident, and many instances givni of its capture at dift'ercnt points. It airives near Hamilton about tiie end of the first week in May, soon after v. Iiich its short, sharp call, ^^ Chf.ber" is heaifl by tlic outer edge of the woods, and even in the city orchards it takes its location and rai.ses its family. As .soon as the young ones are able to fly, the birds disperse more generally over the country, and are in no haste to retire, but linger till the cold weather cul < ott' their su|)ply of food.
As the correct identification of the small llycatchers is (tften a jmzzle to the amateur, and as the build of the nest ahd the markings
1
Mr
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269
of tlu; t'jjfijs are often stronj( points in the evidence, I shall give l)v. Cones' instructions, which may \n' of use in this connection :
" t\ arddlcuii — Nest, in the trees, in horizontal forks, thin, saucer- shaped, t)pen-work ; eggs, creamy-white, l)oldly spotted.
h\ fruillif — Nest, in trees, in upright crotch, deeply «ui)i)ed, niort! or le.ss compact walled ; eggs, creamy-white, boldly spotted.
E. miiihniiK — Nest, in trees, in upright crotch, de(|)ly cupjit'd, compact walleU ; eggs, immaculate white.
A'. davhumtrlH — Nest, on the ground or nt^ar it, deeply cupped, thick Mid hulky ; eggs, white, spotted."
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Sup-ORDER OSCINES. SoN(i Birds.
Family ALAUDID^E. Lakks.
(ii:Nus OTOCOllTS Bonapaktk.
OTOCOllTS ALPE8TRTH (Linn.).
IDl. Horned Lark. (474)
Adid* .--Above, brown, tinged with })inkiNii, brightest on the nape, lesHei- wing coverts and tail eoverta ; otlier iipjRi- parts, gray, the centre of tiie feathers, dusky ; below, white, tinged with dusky on the sides, anteriorly with sulphur-yellow ; a large black area on the breast ; sides of the head and Mrhole of the throat, sulpiniry-yellow, with a crescentic mark of black l)elow each eye, and a black bar across the forehead, and thence along the side c)f the crown, prolonged into a tuft or "horn."
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270
IHIIDS OF ONTARIO.
Middle tail fuatl>ci-M like the l>:ick, tlie otliei'H l)lac>i, the outer \ve)i of the outer pair wlii'iah; )>ill, I)hu;kii4li, livid liluu at hasu l>elow ; feet, black. In winter, at which season it is ol)served in Southern Ontario, tiie colors are paler and much less decided. Length, 7 to 7./>0. Finmlr : -Smaller.
HvB. — North-eastern North America, (Jreenliind and northern parts of the Old World, in winter, .soutii in the eastern United States to the ('arolinas, Illinois, etc.
Nest, a sligiit deiu'Ci^sion in the groun<l, lined with gniss, horse-hair and feathers.
Kggs, four or five, grayish -white, marked with spots of Itrownish-purple.
The Shorn Lark, when \ became ao(|uainte(l witli it twenty-five years a^o, was a rare winter visitor in Ontario, only a few beinj; observed. They usually are tound in conijjany with the snowbirds, and are thoroughly terrestrial in their habits, seldom alightin<:f fii>y- where but on tht^ ground. While here they sptMid most of their time, during the short days of wint«'r, .seai'ching for their daily fare on bare, gravelly patches, fi-om which the snow has been blown away. < )ccasionally, toward the end of March, just before leaving, I have .seen the male settle himself on a hillock and warble out a pleasing lark-like song, which is probably givtMi with more power and pathos later in the season near his grassy home, v.ith his mate for an audience.
This is the n«»i'th-ea.steri" type of the family, and it is believed to be id(Mitieal with the British' bird of the same name. In Ontario it is as rare -.y, formerly, '\t^ breeding place being far to the noith and east, i'lid its migratory course generally along th<* coast of the Atlantic. It bretMls abundantly in the region iM'oind Hudson l>ay, including ijabrad',)!", ami has also been found in (Jreenliind. In the soutli ami v,e8t it is t epre.sented bv seveial varieties, differing somewhat in size
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markii.i's.
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The present species, though rather irregular in its movements, is ofter; very abundant along the shor"s of the eastern States. Ft breeds in Newfoundland, and some are supposed to spend the sumnx'r in Maine, but the bulk of the species go farther north.
OTOCOHIS .\LPKSTHIS PliATFCOLA Hknsm. lOo. Prairie Horned Lark. (l74/»)
A<liiU mall . In spring, |M)sterior jiortioii of the crown, iccipnt, nape, sideH of the neek and i>rea8t, lesser wing eovert« an*l shorter upper tail coverts, light vinaeeons ; hack, scuiiulars and rump, grayish hrowii ; 'he t'eathers with darker centres, hecoining darker and much more distinct nn the runi]> ; middle
I'llAIHIK HOKNKI) LARK.
271
wing coverts, liglit vimvceoiis toriuiiially, l)r<>wuiHh-gni\ luisiilly ; wiiigA (except lis <les<;i-i))C(l), grii_visli-l>r<>\vn, tlif fcatli-rs with paler edges, outer priniarieH witii outer wcl) ciiielly white ; iiiiihlle pair of tail feathei'H light hrown (]»alei' on edges), the general portion (longitudinally) much darker, approaching dusky; remaining tail feathers uniform hlaok, the onte- ))air with exterior wehs broadly edged with white; longer' upj)ei' tail coveits, light lirown, edged with whitish and marked with a ln-oad lanceolate streak of dusky ; foreiu-acl (for about .1") of an in(di) yellowish-white, this contimied bark in a broad su}>er- ciliary stri|)e of nearly j>nre white; fore part of crown (for about .',\'t of an inch) deep black, continued laterally liack to and including llie eardike tufts ; lores, suborbital region, an<l broad |)atch on cheeks (with convex posterior outline) deep black, jugular crescent, also deep black, this extending to lower part of ihi'oat ; I'iiin and throat, pale straw yellow, gradually fading into whiti' on sides of fore-neck ; anterior half of ear coverts wiiite. (xisterior half drab-gray, «'ach portion forming a (•i('scent-sjiai)e<l ]>atch ; lower parts ))ostcrioi' to the Jugtdum i;rescent pure white, the sides of the breast light vinaceous. the sides .similar but brown and indistinctly streaked with daiker : upper mamlible, plund)e()ns black ; lowei'. bluish-phnnbeous ; iris, deep brown; legs and feet, brownish-black. Size, slightly less than tiie preceding.
Hah. -Upj)er Mississippi Valley and the region of the (Jreat Lakes.
Nest, a hollow in the ground, lined with grass, horse hair and feathei's.
Kggs, four or live, dull olive, marked with sjiots and speckles of drab.
So far as I can rcnu'inher, this spccit^s fii-st apjx'aivfl in Ontario about the year 1S()S. it was noticed at once as (liH'ercnt from our winter visitoi', being less in si/e and its ]>hnnaf^e having the washec]- out look peculiar to the ))rairie birds. Since that time; it has inci-eased annually, until it has become ijuite established. I think they do not all leave in the fall, but that a few remain o\(m- the winter. < Jreat numbeis appear in F«'bruaiv or early in March, and should the sea.son be late, they swai-m in the road tracks and bare phices evefvwhere, waiting for the disappearing of the snow, and even before it is tjuite gone many ])airs commence building their nests. Soon the Hocks sep;irate, the birds scatter in jiairs over tlu' country, and are not again seen in such numbers until the following .season. This s})ecies is very ccmtmon in Manitol)a. where thcv raise their young in suitable places all ovei- the country.
Be;-ades the original alpcxtris there are now sev'en diti'eient sub- specie.s of the (lenus Ofomris, descril)ed as being found in North America. They all luive a stnmg family likeness, but differ sutli- ciently, in the eyes of the (\>mmittee. to warrant distinction, though .several of the groups are of very recent formation. They are found nuwdy in the west and south-west, only one of th(> \arieties having, till now, l)een observed in Ontario.
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272
HIllDS OF ONTARIO,
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Family COKVID.K. Ckowh, Jaym, MAdPiKs, ktc. SrnKAMii.v OAUKl LINvlC. MA(iiMK.s and Jays.
(iKNl.S PICA llmSHON.
PICA PICA HUDSON ICA. (Sah.) nx;. American Magpie. (47'))
liill, lilai'k ; lu'ni, lU'i'k, tori;-|iiirt i)t tlif Inuiist iiuil liack, liliick, ^IksmimI with gii'eii iiiul lihiu ; niiiliUe of tin- liai'k. griiyisli-wliiti' ; Hfiipiilai.s, wliitt- : Hiiuillei' wing ./ovoits, Itliick, .st!t,'(Hiilary ami |)riiiiaiT covcils, glossed with green and Mill'; ]triiiiaries. lilark, glossed with green, their' inner- we'ps white except at the end ; s( eondaries hi'ight l)liie changing to gr-eeii, the inner- webs gieenisli- blaek ; tail, glossed with gi'eun. (.'hanging to hinish-pnrple and dark green at the en<l ; In-eai-t and aides, ]iin'e white ; legs, alidonien, lower- tail coviMts. Ithu-k. Length, KS-'id inches.
Hah. --Xoi'thein and Western Xoi-th Anieiiea, easually east and south lo Michigan (accidentally in Nor'thei-n Illinois in wintei')und the Plains, and in the Rocky Mountains t(» New Mexico and Ai'izona.
Nest, in a tree, ten or' twelve feet or' irior'e fi-orrr the gr-oiind. Itidlt of coarse sticks, plastei'ed with mud and lined with hail', feather's and othei- soft irratei'ials.
Kggs, five or' six, gr'eeiiish, thickly shaded ami dashed with piii'plish lir'ow rr.
The ,a;au(ly. .t^aiiuious Muj;})it' is, dii the Aniericaii i-oiitiiu-nt. ]tfcii- liar to the iu*i'tli and west, and is nieiitiimed as a liird of Ontario on the autlioiity of Mr. C. .F. IJaiiiptoir, l{e<^istrar of the District of Al»^onia, who reports it as a rare winter visitor at Sault 8te. Marie. It lias l)een seen by surveyinj; parties along the northern tier of States, and is said to he possesseil of all the acecmiplishnients attrili- uted o the iJritish >'^:,gpie, wlutse history lias been so often wiitten. Mr. Trippe, who found it breerling in Colorado, flescribes the nest as being dome shaped, having two apertures, on<» at each side, so that when the bird enters by the front it leaves by the one at the bai-k, and while sitting on the nest the long tail projects outside.
The Magjiie is a gay, dashing fellow, whom we always like to see in his native haunts, and we sliould welcome him to the woods of Southei'n Ontario should his curiosity lead b.sm this way. In Alaska he is common ii\ certain districts, though not generally distributed. His long tai'., showy colors, and cunning ways always gain him attention wherever he appears.
in the rural districts of Scotland these birds are regarded with suspicion, from the l>elief that they know more than birds ought to
J!
BLUE JAY
273
know, Tlicy (uc supposed to iiidicdtc fiitiiic joy or sorrow to th«' wjiyt'jiit'i',' iiwordiiijf to tlic iiuiiiIm-i' lie sees to^'t'tlici-, the idcii Itriiii,' tlius t'.\pivss«'d ill popular rliyiiu' :
" One, iiiii'tli ; Two, grief : Three, a weililing ; Four, a ileatli."
(iKMs ('VAN(K'I']TA Sti!I(Ki,\m.. CVANOCITTA rU ISTATA. (Liw).
it;
l'.»7. Blue Jay. (I77)
I'iiij)li8li-l>hit' : liflow, j)ak' gray, wliiteiiiiit; on thf tliiuat. IxUy ami < rirsHum ; ii'lilai'k collar ii(i<>M« tlu.' lower tliioa' ami up ilu' siilcs of the neck and lieail lieliiml the crest, ami a Idauk frontlet Itorilereil with whitish; wings ami tail, pure rich liliie. with l>hu'k ?>ars. the grofeter coverts, secomlaries and tail feathers, i-xcept thi' central. l>roadly (ipiied with pure white; tail, much roundeil, the gradiiation over an inch. !>engiii. 1 1-1'J ; wing, .")J ; tail. .">'/.
H.vit. Kastern \orth .America to the I'liiiiih'. and from the fur (iountries soutii to eaateiii Texas.
Xist, in trees oi' liushcs. luiilt of sti<-'ks. lincil with weeds, grasses and other soft material.
Kggs. four or li\e. \ariaMe in c >lor. usually day color with Itrown spots.
lii
274
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
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This species is common tlirouj^hout Oiitai-io, and nwiy l)e «'oiisi({- ercd resident, for tlioiij^h tiie j,'re(iter number migrate in the tall, a few always remain and aie heard stiualling among the evergreens ai / mild day in the depth of winter.
Notwitlistanding his gaudy fittire, the Jay is not a favorite, which is probably owing to his having many traits of character ])eculiar to the "bad boy," being always ready for sport or spoil. He fre(|uently visits the farm-house foi' jturposes of plunder, and when so (engaged works .silently and diligently till his object is attained. He then gets off to the woods as (|uickly as possible, where he may be li.-ard chuckling to himself over his success.
There is a swampy spot in a clumj» of bush in West Flamboro' where a colony of Hlue Jays has spent the winter for several seasons, and they .seem to have lots of fun even in the severest weathei-. 1 have occasionally called in when i)a8sing, and have found amusement listening to their varied notes, issued in ijuite a colloquial strain. Sometimes the birds are on the ground, busily gathering nuts with which to replenish their stoi'ehouses, but if a scout arrives with .some interesting intelligence, off goes the whole troop, each individual apparently knowing the ol)ject of the excursion. On the retuin, notes are compared, and 1 almost fancy I hear them laugJi at their narn)W escapes and ludicrous ex[)loits. On such occasitjiis I know T am often the subject of remar-k, l)ut if I keep quiet *hey do not seem to object much to my j)i"e.sence.
They are somewhat gregarious in their habits, and evt-n in the breeding sea.son have a custom of going round in guerilla bands of four or five, visiting the farm-lumse in the early morning, seeking a chance to suck eggs; and woe betide the unlucky owl whom they happen to come across on any of these exeui'sions : its peace for that day is done, for tiie excitement is often kept up till darkness forces the Jays to retire.
PERISOREUH CANADENSIS (Linn.). 198. Canada Jay. (4H4)
Upper parts, dull leaden-gray ; lov/er, dull yellowish -wldte ; forehead, yellowish-white; liind part of the head and neck, grayish -black ; throat and hand passing round the neck, grayish-white ; secondary ({uills and tail feathei's narrowly tipped with white. Youmj : — Dull slate color, jmler on the abdomen, darker on the iiead, the wliite tips of the wings and tail <luller tlian in the adult. Length, 10-11 inches.
CANADA JAY,
27r>
Hah. -N«irtlierii New Knglnnil, Micliij^aii ami Caimtlii, nurtJiwaril to Arctii; Aiueiitia.
Nest. 1)11 the Itraneli cf an evergreen, ('oinixmeil of twigs and grass, lineil witli featliers.
Kggs, four or five, variaMe, UHually grayisli-wliite, niaiketl with yollowisli- lirown. ■
Tlif Indian name for this bird i« V,"tn-K<i-Tjini, which pronounced by an English tongue sounds much Hke "Whiskey John." Through faniiHarity this has become "Whiskey .Jack," tlie name by which the bird is best known in the districts lie frecjuents. The Canada .lay is found in high latitudes, from Lrfibrador to the Pacific coast. Tt in <juit.e common in the District of Muskoka, where it breeds and is resident, f have aluo heard of one individual IxMiig taken at Oshawa, but have no record of its having been seen farther south in Ontario.
Ill file " Birds of the North-West," Dr, Coue.s, (|uoting from Mr. Tn|'|ii', says : "During the warmer months the Canada .Jay fre(|uents the tiarkest forests (»f sj)ruce, occasionally flying a little way above the trees. Tt is (juite tame, coming about the mining camjis to pick up whatever is thrown out in the way of fcntd, and evincing much of the curiosity that is characteristic of the family. In winter its su{)ply of food is very precaiious, and it is often reduced to mere skin and l)ones. At such times it will fi'e<|uently weigh no uudc than a plump sparrow or snowbird, and uiuloubtedly it sometimes starves to death. During the latter part of th»^ autumn, its hoarse croaking is almost the only sound to be heard in the cold, sombre forests which lie near the timber line."
This .species is quite common in Manitoba, and has also been found in Northern Michigan and Minnesota, northward to Hudson Bay and the Arctic Begions, and also in Alaska. In the west it is rather less in size, and being slightly different in color also, it has. been created into a subspecies, under the name oi J'uviifroiis.
In the coast region of Labrador is anotlier form, somewhat darker than the others, which has been separated and named niyt'impUl iit*. But although their names have been changed, their natures i-emain the same. All have the habit of taking eggs and young birds from the nests of other birds, and devouring them in sight of the agoni/ed parents. They become very familiar about the camps of luml)<»rinen and others who have occasion to toil in the woods. This habit is nt» doubt to a great extent the result of hunger, which in the winter time, when deep snow covers the ground, must be the greatest evil with which the birds have to contend.
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276
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
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SiHKAMiLY COllVINiE. Chows.
(Jenus CORVUS Linn^.us.
COllVL^S COHAX HINITATUH (WA(ii-.).
It)!). American Raven. (4S())
Kiitiie liiHtriiiiN l)liu;k ; throat featliei'M acme, longtlieiied and (Usconnccted. Li'iiglli, aWoiit "J feet ; wing, 1(5-18 inclioH ; tail, 10,
H.vii. —Continent of North America, from the Arctic Regions to (iuutemala, )>iit lo(;al anil not common in the United StateH east of the MiHHiHMippi River.
Nest, on high trees or inaccoasible cliH's, built of Bticks with a lining of <'r>arse grass, sea weed and wool.
Kggw, foui- or tive, greenish, dotted, Idotched and clouded with pui-plish and liliicki.sli-lirown. i
l''('\v birds avc so widely disti'ibuted over tlie face of tho earth, and tew have ol)taiiie(l so great a share of notoriety as the Haven, that "grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt and ominous bird of yore." In Southern Ontario it is now seldom seen. The specimen in my collection was oVjtained at St. Clair Flats some years ago, where it was reported as an occasional visitor in the fall. Wilson, speaking of this species, says : " On the lakes, and particularly in the neighbor- hood oi Niagara Falls, they are numerous, anrl it is a remarkable fact that where they so abound the common Crow seldom appears. 1 had an (tpportunity of observing this myself in a journey along the shores of Lakes Erie and Ontario during the months of August and Sej)teml)er. The Ravens were seen every day, l)ut T did not see or hear a single Crow within several miles of the lakes." Since the days of Wilson the case has been reversed, and any one travelling now round the lakes named will see Crows in plenty, old and young, but not a single Raven. They are said to be common in the rocky region of Muskt)ka, where they probably nest on the cliffs. They are believed to contitiue mated for life, and are often heard expressing their feelings of conjugal attachment in what to human ears sounds but a dismal croak.
The Raven appears so seldom in Ontario that we have little opportunity for becoming acquainted with the habits of the bird. We find, however, that they are tolerably common in Manitoba, while in Alaska they seem to reach their centre of abundance. Referring to them, Mr. Nelson says : " Everywhere throughout the entire territory of Alaska, including the shores of the Arctic Ocean and Behring Sea, this Vnrd is a well-known resident. Here, as in
AMERICAN CROW.
277
Home more civilized ivj{i«>iis, it bears a ratlier iiiicaimy cliaractei', and many and stranye are the shapes it assumes in the t'cdkltue oF thr natives of these t'ar-oH' shores."
EHkimos and Indians unite in aecusin^ this hird of |>eekin>; out the eyes of new-l)orn reindeer and afterwards killing them. That they are notoriously mischievous in rohhin^ traps of hait, is well known throughout the fur countries, though the thief sometimes pays the penalty by getting a fo«)t in the trap.
Liitke tells us that "the Havens are the brigands of Sitka. Ni> poultry can l)e raised, as the Havens devour the Hedji(lin>{s as fast as they appear, making <"ily ••"^ mouthful of them. The porkers aro Uh) big to be overcome in the same manner, and the Havens have to .satisfy their greediness by keeping the pigs' tails close cropped. This is why the 8itka pigs have no tails." In spite of this ancient perse- cution, Mr. Dall assures us that the Hitka pigs of the present day have the caudal appendage of the usual length.
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CORVUS AMEHTCANUS Am. 200. American Crow. (iSH)
Color, uniform lustrous l>lack, including tiie bill and feet ; nuMiil ))i'i8tk's about half an long as the bill ; throat feathers, oval and blended ; no naked space on cheeks. Length, lS-20 ; wing, 18-14 ; tail, about H ; bill, l.7'>.
Hab. — North America, fi'om the fur countries to Mexico.
Neat, in trees, built of sticks and twigs, lined with nuiss, strips of burk and tine gnvss.
Eggs, four to six, green, spotted and blotched with blackish-brown.
While the Haven prefers to fretpient the uncleared parts nf the country, the Crow delights in the cultivated districts, where, in the opinion of the farmer, his services could well be dispensed with. Though exposed to continued persecution, he knows the range of the gun accurately, and is wide awake to the intention of all sorts of ambuscades planned for his destruction, so that he thrives and increases in number as the couiitry gets more thickly settled. The Crows mostly leave Ontario at the approach of cold weather, but should the carcase of a dead animal be exposed, even in the depth of winter, it is curious to observe how quickly it will be visited by a few individuals of this species, which are pi'obably remaining in sheltered parts of the woods, and have some means of finding out where a feast
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BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
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is to 1)0 luid. Early in April the iiorthei-ii migration begins, and the birds may be seen dail}^, singly, in pairs, or in 'cose straggling flocks, passing toward the north-west.
Much has been said and written in regard to the Crow anci his relation to the farmer, but so far no very satisfactory conclusion has been drawn. It is matter for regret that the Crow was not included in the list of birds handed to Dr. Fisher to report upon, for we should then have had full details on the suV)ject of his diet. More than likely he would have a{)peared among those whose good deeds l)alance the evil, foi-, though he takes eggs, chickens, sprouting corn, fruits and \egetables, he destroys innnense numbers of mice, moles, grubs, caterpillars and grasshoppers. He is subjected to continued persecution, Imt he is well able to take care of himself, and that he 4oes so is evident by the increase which from year to year takes place in his numbers.
Tn regions where he has not been molested, he ccmies about the dwellings mucii after the manner of the Canada Jay, and where the young are raised as pets they become (juite familiar. Pei'haps a limited check is needed to keep the species in its proper position.
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Family TCTFRTD.^. Blackbirds, Ohiolks, ktc.
(Jknis DOLICHONYX Swainhox.
DOLICHONYX ORYZTVOIU'S (Linn.).
201
Bobolink. (41)4)
M((/i :~h\ spring, black; (•ervix. Itutt ; Hcaj)iiliir.s, rump and upper tail «overts, asliy-wiiite ; inter.scapulars sti'eaked witli hlack, butt' ami ashy ; outer quills, edged with yellowish ; liill. hlackisli -horn ; feet, brown. Male in fall, femnh and ;/oiiiii/, entirely different in color; yellowish-lirown above, brownish- yellow below ; crown and ))aok conspicuously, nape, rump and sides less broadly streaked with black ; ciown, with a me<lian and lateral light stripe ; •wings and tail, blackish, pale e<lged ; liill, lirown. The inn/e changing shows confused characters of both sexes. Length, dS-lh ; wing, .Si-4 ; tail, *2J-3 ; tarsus, about 1 ; middle toe and claw, about 1^.
H.\B. Kastern North America to the (Ireat Plains, nortli to Southern Canada, south in winter to the West Indies and South America. Breeds from the Middle States northward, and winters south of the United States.
Nest, a cup-siiaped liollow in the ground in a liay-tield ; lineil with withered grass.
Kggs, four or five, brownisli-white, heavily blotched and clouded with chocolate-bix>wn niaking the general appearance very dark.
H
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280
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
Tn Southern Ontario the merry, lollickinjj; }>()l)olink is well known to Jill who have oceaHion to ])ass by the clover fields, or moist meadows, in suminei-. He attiacts attention then by his fantastic dress of black and white, as Mell as by his gay and festive manner, while he seeks to cheer and charm his modest helpmate, who, in humble garb of yellowish-lti'own, spends much of her time concealed among the grass. Toward the close of the seas(m, the holiday dress and manners of the male are laid aside, and V)y the time the birds are ready to depart, male and female, young and old, are clad alike in uniff)rm brownish-yellow. The merry, jingling notes fire succeeded by a simple chitik which serves to keep the Hocks t^jgether, and is often heard overhead at night in the early part of Septemlter. In the south, where they get very fat, they are killed \\\ great numbers for the table.
Gknus MOLOTHRUS 8wainson. MOLOTHKUS ATER (Bono.).
■lO-l. Cowbird. (495)
Mali-: — Iridescent black; head and '.ie(;k pnrplish-lirown. Frw/aA; -Smaller, an obscure-looking bird, nearly uniform dusky grayisii-brown, l)ut ratliei' palei' l)elow, and appearing somewhat streaky, owing to darker .shaft lines on nearly all the feathers ; bill and feet lilack in both sexes. Length, 7A-.S ; wing, ovei' 4 ; tail, over 3.
Hap.. — United States, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, noitli into Southern British Amei'ica, south, in winter, into Mexico.
Nest, none.
Kggs, deposited in the nest of anotlier liird, dull wiiite, thickly ilotted, and sometimes l)lotcheil witii brown ; number uncei'tain.
In Southern Ontario nearly all the Cowbirds are migratory, but on two occasions I have seen them located here in winter. There were in each instance ten or a dozen bii'ds which stayed by the farm-house they had selected for theii- wintei- residence, and roosted on the beams above the cattle in the cow-house. Early iu April the migratory flocks arrive from the south, and soon they are seen in small solitary parties, chiefly in ])!isture-flelds and by the banks of streams all over the counti-y.
At this interesting season of the year, when all other birds are mated and are striving to make each other happy in the faithful discharge of their various domestic duties, the Cowbirds, despising
COWBTRD.
281
;rn
It
in )f
•e
all family relations, keep roving about, enjoyinji; tb»^mselves after their own free-love fashion, with no preference for any locality save that where food is most easily obtained. The depoi'tment of the male at this season is most ludicrous. With the view of pleasing,' his female associate of the hour, he puffs himself out to nearly double his usual size, and makes the most violent contortions while seeking to express his feelings in song, but like individuals of the human species whom we sometimes meet, he is "tongue-tied, " and can only give utterance to a few spluttering notes.
As the time for laying draws near, the female leaves her asso- ciates, and, manifesting much uneasiness, seeks diligently for the nest of anothei' bird to suit her purpo.se. This is usually that of a bird smaller than herself, which the owner has just linished and may have made therein a first deposit. Into such a nest the female Cowbii'd drops her egg, and leaving it, with evident feelings of satisfaction, joins her comrades and thinks no more about the matter. By the owners of the nest the intrusion is viewed with great dislike, and should it contain no eggs of their own it is fretjuently deserted. But another expedient to rid themselves of the incumbrance is sometimes resorted to which shows a higher degree of intelligence than we are accustomefl to call ordinary instinct. Finding that their newly- finished cradle has been invaded, the bii-ds build a floor over the obnoxious egg, leaving it to rot, while their- own are hatched on the new floor in the usual way.
Should the owners of the nest have one oi- more eggs deposited before that of the Cowbird appears, the intrusi(jn causes them much anxiety for an hour or two, but in the majority of cases the situation is accepted, and the young Cowbird being first hatched, the others do not come to maturity. The fo.ster-parents are most attentive in supplying the wants of the youngster till he is fit to shift for himself, when he leaves them, apparently without thanks, and seeks the society of his own kindred, though how he recognizes them as such is something we have yet to learn.
Much speculation is indulged in regarding the cause of this appar- ent irregularity in the habits of the Cowbird, and dift'erent opinions are still held regarding it, but whatever othei- purpose it may ser\e in the economy of nature, it musf cause a very lai-ge reduction in the number of the different species of birds on which it entails the care of its yt)ung. Some idea may be formetf of the extent of this reduction by looking at the vast flocks of Cowbirds swarming in their favorite haunts in the fall, aiul considering that for each bird
282
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
ill these flocks tVoiii thi-ee to t'oui' of a (iitfereiit .sjjecies liave been prevented from c )ii)iii^' to iimtui-ity.
The nuniher of s[teeies imposed upon l)y the Cowhird is large, including \VarV>lers, Vireos, Sparrows, Tlu'ushes, BIuel)irds, etc., but tlie one most fre(|uently selected in this locality is the Summer Yellowbird. On the prairies, where the Cowbirds are numerous, and the number of foster-parents limited, it is said that in the month of June nearly every available nest contains an egg of the Cowbird.
In kSouther-n Ontai'io they disappear during July and August, but usually return in vast Hocks in Septembei', when they fi'etpient the stubble fields and patches of wild rice by the edge of the marshes.
Gknus XANTHOCEPHALUS Bonap.vrtk. XANTHOCEPHALUS XANTH( CEPHALirS (Hoxap.).
20.1 Yellow-headed Blackbird. (407)
^M( : — Black ; wliole heiid (except loi'cs), neck and upper hreast, yellow, anil .sometimes yellowish feathei's on the belly and legs ; a lai'ge white patch (m the wing, formed by tiio piimary and a few of the outer secondary coverts. Fcma/i' and yoinnj : — Bro'.vnish-])lack, with little oi' no white on the wing, the yellow restricted or obscured. FetnaJe much smaller than the inri/r, a'.iout 9A. Length, 10-11 ; wing, 'tfi ; tail, 4J.
Hah. — Western Xorth America, from Wisconsin, Illinois and Texas to the Pacific coast. Accidental in tlio Atlantic States (Massaciiusetts, South Carolina, Florida).
Nest, composed of aquatic grasses fastened to the reeds.
Kggs, three to six, grayish-green spotted with reddish-brown.
A wanderer from the west, this handsome Blackbird has appeared from time to time at different points in the Eastern States. The only record I have of its occurrence in Ontario is that given by Mr. E. E. Thompson, in the Auk for October, 1885, as follows: "This species has been taken a number of times in company with the Red-winged Blackbirds by Mr. Wm. Loane, who describes it as the Californian Blackbird. The specimen I examined was taken near Toronto by that gentleman, and it is now in the po.ssession of Mr. Jacobs, of Centre Street."
Though the Yellow-headed Blackbird is only a casual visitor, I think it is quite probable we may yet see it as a summer resident in the grassy meadows of Ontario. At present it comes east as far as Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois and Wisconsin, while in a nortlierlv direc-
UEU-WINGEl) BLACKBIRD.
283
tion h extends its inij,'i'ati()iis to the interior <it' the Fur Countries, reueliin;,' the Saskatchewan ahout tiie I'Oth of May.
We should hl<e to see him liere, liis yellow head making,' a hi'ight spot anicij^- the soinl)re-]»luina<,fed Cuwbirds anil Graekles.
I
I
GKxr.s A(JELA]US Vikillot. A(JELAirS PHCKNTOEUS (Linn.).
204. Red-winged Blackbird. (4<.»S)
M<</( : — Uniforiii liiMtri)iis hlauk : le.ssei- wing coverta, sciirlet, Inoadiy liortlered by browuisli-yellow or brownisli-wliito, the iiiidille row of coverts being entirely f)f this color, and sometimes the g' I'lter row likewise are similar, ])rf>ducing a patch on the wing nearly as large ab the red one. Occasionally there are traces of I'ed on the edge of the wing and below. Fctnnli .• Smaller, miller 8 ; everywhere sti'eaked ; above, blackish-brown with pale streaks, inclining on the head to form median and .-inijerciliary strijjes : below, whitish, with very many sharp dusky streaks : the sides of the head, thioat and the liend of the wing, tinged with I'eddish or fulvous, 'i'he i/oiuii/ male at first like the ,/(///«/' , but lai'ger ; apt to have a general butf'y or fulvous suffusion, and bright bay edgings of the feathers of the back, wings and tail, and soon showing black patches. Length, Hit -. wing. Ah-ii ; tail, 'M,-\.
Hah. — North America in genertd, from <!reat Slave Lake south to Costa Rica.
Nest, large for the side of the bird. coni])osed of rusiies and sedges loosely put together and lined with grass and a few horsedu'irs, usually fastened to the bulrushes, sometimes ])laced in a bush or tussock of grass near the ground.
Kggs, four or five, pale blue, curiously maiked with blown.
This species is generall}' distributed and breeds in suitable places throughout the Province. It is very common near Hamilton, bi-eed- ing alnuidantly in the Dundas mar.sh, and in the reedy inlets all around the shoi'es of Hamilton Bay. .As soon as the young broods are able to tly, old and young congregate in Hocks, freijuenting the stuV)ble fields and moist meadows by day, and roosting at night among the reeds in the marsh. As the .season advances the numbers are increased by others arriving from the north, and during October very large flocks are obser\ed in the places they fre(|uent. Towards the end of that month, if the weather gets cold, they all nu)ve otF to the south. None have been observed here dui'ing the wintei'.
This species has a wide distribution, l)eing found from Texas and Floi'ida, as far north as 50 on the Atlantic coast, and •")" in the west, and breeding throughout its range. Tt is said also to occur on the Pacific slope, where several closely allied species are more or less commim.
284
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
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GKNU8 STUUNELI.A Vikillot. kSTURNELLA magna (Linn.).
•20.^). Meadowlark. (oOl)
A1m)Vc, the jji'uvailing aspect })i'()wii. Kacli featliei' of the back 1)hvckiHli, witli a lei'iiiinal itMldish-hrown area, anil sliar]) brownisli-yellow hordei's ; iie(.'k similar, the pattern smaller ; crown, streaked with black and brown, and with a pale median and superciliary stripe; a blackish line l)eliind eye; several latei'al tail feathers white, the others with the inner (juills and wing coverts barred or scolloped witli l)lack and brown or gray ; edge of wing, spot over eye, and uniler parts generally, bright yellow ; the sides and crissuni, rtaxen brown, with numerous siiai'p blackish streaks ; the breast, witii a lai'ge black crescent (obscure in the young) ; bill, horn color ; feet, light brown. Lengtli, l(»-ll ; wing, .") ; tail, lih ; bill, l.J. Female : — Similar, smaller, J)A.
H.VB. — Kastern United States and Southern (Canada to the Plains.
Nest, on tlie ground, at the foot of a tuft of grass or weeds, lined with dry grass, and .sometimes j)ai'tly ai'ched over.
Eggs, four to six, white, dotted and sprinkled with reddisli -brown.
The Meadowlark is found in all suitable districts throughout Ontario, apparently preferrinjf the south-west. In the southern portion of the Province, it is ifenerally distributed throuijliout the agricultural districts, where its loud, clear, li(juid notes are always associated in our minds with fields of clover and new-mown hay. Here it may be considered migratory, the greater number leaving us ill Octobei to return again in April, l)ut it is no uncommon thing to find one or two remaining during the winter in sheltered situations. On the 7th of Fel)ruai'y, lS(Sr), when the cold was intense and snow covered tlie ground, F noticed an indivichiai of this species digging vigorously into a manure heap at Hamilton Beach. When examined he was found to be in very poor condition, and looked altogether as if he had been having a hard time. The present species is found north to Manitol)a, where it is replaced by the Western Meadowlark, which resembles our eastern foi-m so closely that it is doubtful if any one, judging l)y appearance only, could separate them with certainty. The song of the birds is so entirely different that, chiefly on this account, the western bird has been recorded as a sub-.species under the name of IStarnella magna nt'ylecta, or Western Meadowlark, the dry central plains forming the boundary between the two habitats.
i I >
the
OKCHAHI) OUIOLE. 286
Genus FCTKKUS l5nis.snN. ICTERUS SPUHIUS (Linn.).
206. Orchard Oriole. (■)0())
Male: — Black; lowei' Ixick, ruiiip, Icsner wing covfrtN. uml all iiiicltT parts from the throat, deep che.stuut ; a whitish har across the tips of grcatci- wing coverts ; hill and feet, hliie-hlack ; tail, graduateil. Length, alxnit 7 ; ^^ing, '•^ ; tail, 3. Female: — SnuiUer, plain yellowish-olive ahove, yellowish helow ; wings, dusky ; tips of the coverts and edges of the inner (|nills. whitish ; l:nowi\ from \.\\{i j'unalf of the other species hy its smaller size and very slender hill. YouiKj male. :— At first like t\m /(male, afterwai'ds showing confused characters of lif)th sexes ; in a particulai' stage it has a black mask and throat.
Hab. — United States, west to the Plains, south, in winter, to I'anamu.
Nest, pensile, composed of grass and other stringy materials ingeniously woven together and lined with wool or ])lant down, rather less in size and not <|nite so deep in proportion to its width as tiiat of tlu^ Maltimore.
Kggs, four to six, Iduish-white, s))otted and veined witii hrown.
Oil the ir)th of Afay, 1(S6"), T shot an iniiiiature luale nt' tliis .sjiccie.s in an orchard at Hamilton Ueach, which was the Hist lecoi'd ft»r Ontario. I did not see or hoar of it aj^'ain till the suniiiier of ISSM, when they were observed breedino; at different itoiiits Hrotind the city of Hamilton, but since that year they have not apjicarcd near this place.
Mr. Saunders informs ine that they l)reed rejiularly and in consid- erable numbers near London and west of that city, from which we infer that the species enters Ontario around the west end of hjik*' Erie, and does not come as far east as Hamilton. Most likely it does not at present extend its mi,i>;rations in Ontario very far from the Lake Erie shore. The notes of the male are loud, clear and delivered with great energy, as he sits {)erclied on the l)ougli of an apple tree, or sails from one tree in the orchard to aintther. This species would be a desirable acquisition to our garden birds, both on account of his pleasing plumage of black and brown, and becau.se of the havoc he makes among the insect pests which freijuent our fruit trees.
I learn from Dr. Macallum that the Orchard Oriole breeds regu- larly in small numbers along the north sliore of Lake Erie, near Dunnville, but it evidently does not proceed far north of our southern lx)undary. One wanderer, but only one, is reported by Dr. Cones as having appeared at Pembina.
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Subgenus YPHANTES Vieillot. ICTERUS GALBULA (Lixn.).
20/
Baltimore Oriole. (oO?)
Male : — With head and neck all lound, and the back, black ; rump, upper tail coverts, lessei' wing coverts, most of the tail feathers, and fall the under parts from the throat, tiery-orange, but of varying intensity according to age and season ; middle tail feathers, black ; the niiildle and greater coverts and inner (pulls, more or less edged and tipped with white, but the white on the coverts not forming a continuous patch ; })ill and feet, blue-black. Length, 7^-8 ; tail, 3. Female : — Smaller, and much paler, the black obscured l>y olive, sometimes entirely wanting. Yoniuj : — Entirely without the black on thi'oat and head, otherwise colored nearly like the /ema/e.
H.\B. — Eastern United States, west nearly to the Rocky Mountains.
Nest, purse shaped, pensile, about six inches deep, composed chiefly of vegetable fibre, with which is often intertwisted rags, paper, thread, twine
RUSTY MLACKHIHD.
2.S7
anil (itlitT t'oivigii suli.sfaiiceH, UMiially HUsiuMult-il fi'oin tlie (iiit«'r hi-anclifH i)f a tree, most fii'(|\u'ntl_v an t'liii, at a lu'i^lit i>f tt'U t<» lifty fi'i-t from tlit- grotiii<l. KggH, four to six, white, faintly tiiigeil with hliiu, when lilowii. 8|M>tte(l, sfMiiwletl anil stri'akud with lilacs and lirown moHtly toward the larger end.
The ^ay, (lasliinj;, flashiiif; IJaltiiuore Oriole seems to court the adniiratioii so Keiieially l)estowt'(l on liini, and is much more tVe- i|ueiitly seen amoiif,' tlie oi-iiameiit.il trees in oui' parks and pleasuie •grounds than in tlie more ivtired parts of the country. He arrives from the soiitli witli \v<)nderful rej^uiarity alxait the end of the first week in May, after which liis clear Hute-like notes are lieard at all hours of th<' dav till the early part of July, when with his wife and family he retires, pi-ohably to some shady re;.;ion to avoid the extreme heat of summer. At all events they are not seen in Southern Ontario af,'ain till the be<(inniiij^ of September, when they pay us a passin«^ visit while on their way to winter-cjuarters. The species seems to be well distributed in Ontario, for in the i-eport of the "Ottawa Field Naturalists' Club," it is said to be common in that district, an-ivinii about the lOtli of May. It is also included in the list of birds ol)served at Mo<»se Mountain in the North-West by Prof. Macoun.
Dr. Bell has a specimen which was tjikeii at York Factory, but it prefers the west, bein<( abundant thi-ouj^hout Manitoba, and Dr. Coues found it breedinji at Pembina on the bouiwlary south of Winnipeg.
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Gknus SCOLECOPHAGUS Swainsox. SCOLECOPHAGUS CAROLINUS (Mull.).
208. Rusty Blackbird. (509)
Male : — In siunnier, lustrous black, the i-etlections greenish, and not notice- ably different on the iiead ; but not ordinarily found in this condition in the United States ; in general glossy black, nearly all the feathers skirted with warm brown alwve and bi-ownish-yellow below, frequently continuous on the fore parts ; the ma/e. of the first season, like the- female, is entirely rusty- brown above, the inner (juills edged with the sanre ; a pale superciliary stripe ; below, mixed rusty and grayish-black, the prinmries and tail above, black ; bill and feet, black at all times. Length, male, about 9 ; wing, 4^ ; tail, 3^ ; bill, j ;• female, smaller.
Hab. — Eastern North America, west to Alaska, aaul the Plains. Breeds from Northern New England northward.
M
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
NcHt, a course stnieture, resting on a liiyoi- of twij^w. coiniKwt'il of grass mixed witli mini ; well formeil inHidt! ami lined witii tine grass and rootU^ts, 4isually placed in alder or similar l>nHlieH overhanging the water.
Kggs, fonr to six, grayish-white mai'ked with Itiown. ■•
During tlui la.st week in April or the liiHt in May, accoidinp; to the weather, the Rusty (iiacklcs are Hceii in uniall Hocks huiTvinfi; on to tlieif breeding places farther north. Their stay at that tirtie is very sliort, and tlie collectors have hut little chance of securing a male in adult plumage, spring being the onl}' season when such can he had here, and even then only a few in each Hock have ac(|uiie(l theii' nuptial dress. They may yet he found breeding in Ontario, although, owing to the numhei- of observers being small, the fact /so far as T know) has not yet been recorded. About the end of August, or early in September, they return in Hocks of much greater dinuMisicnis than those which passed up in the spring, and in com- pany with the Cowbirds and liedwings continue to fre(|uent the plowed helds, cornHelds and wet places till the weather gets cold in October, when they all nntve oH' to the south and are in)t seen again till spring.
This species goes farthc north than any other of the blackbirds, for it is found not only thi'oughout Manitoba and the Xoilh-West, but is ctmunon in Alaska, where Mr. Nelson says : "It arrives in the British fur country, at (ireat Bear Lake, latitude 65'^ north, by the .'ird of May, and breeds throughout the tiorthern extreme of the continental land, reaching the farthest limit of the wooded legion on the Lower Anderson and Mackenzie Hivers. In Northei'ii Alaska it reaches latitude 70". On the l>ehring Sea and Arctic coast of this territory, from the mouth of the Kuskoijuim liiver, th(^ bird is a regular, but not numerous, sununer resident wherever trees and bushes are found reaching the vicinity of the sea coast.'" It feeds hirgely on insects, l)ut is also said to be fond of corn, though it leaves us too early in the spring and arrives too late in the fall to do much damage in Ontario.
In the Auk, Volume II., page 107, Mr. Banks, of St. John, N.B., gives an account of a nest of this species, which he found in a difiFerent position from that usually assigned to it.
It was placed in a large spruce, about 28 feet from the ground, .find was a coarse, bulky nest, composed of dried vines of the honey- suckle, loosely entwined at the sides and fastened together by a solid mass of mud at the bottom.
There was no attempt at lining of any sort. It contained two <egg8 and two young birds.
HHONXKI) (iUACKI.E.
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(iKNT.S (^H'lSCAI.l'S NiKll.l.oT.
Sii»ii:N(s Ql'ISCAIAIS.
QrrscAiJ's (^nscn.A /KNETs (|{iim;w.).
•Jn'.i. Bronzed Grackle. (''M'')
Mutiillii' tints, rich, ili'('|i ami unitnnii : IicmiI iiml link all niiiinl, ihIi. .silkv steul-hliie, tliiH Hti'ictly conliiUMl to tli(\sf purtiuiiN, ami iiluuptly ilt'lim-il Ix'liind. varying in uliiulf from an intense I'mssiati lihie to luassy jiieeiiisli, the liittef tint iil'tvays, wlien |iresciit, niost appait'iit on tlie neek, the lii^ail always inoco violaceous ; ioies, velvety-l)hi(:k ; entire lioily, alioM' anil lieiow, unifuini eontinnoiis nn^tallie lirassy -olive, varyiiii,' to Inirnisheil ;,'olilen olivaeeonM-l)niii/.ir, htu'oining grailnally nniforin inetallii.' purplish or purplish violet on wiuj^s anil tail, the last more purplish ; primaries, violet-lthuk : Kill, tarsus ami tou.s, piiie black ; ills, Hulphnr-yellow. Length, l'2..">0 to l.'J.'iO; wing. ti.(M); tail, (iJXI; (Uilinen. 1.2(>; taisus, I..S2; third ami foui'th (|uills. longest an<l ecpial ; tiist, shiM'ter than liftli ; proje(;lion of primaries heyoml secouilarien, l.'JS ; graduation of the tail, 1.4S. {IHduii'ny.)
Hah. From the Alleghanies and New Kngland north and west to Hudson May and the Koeky Mountains.
Xest, coarse and l)ulky, <'r)inpoHed of twigs ami wt'eds, with a mixture of mud. often ])laec(l in a spriu;e or liundoek tree, .s tmetimes in a Imsh over- hanging the water, and oeeaHionally in a hollow stul> or deserted woodi)eekui'".«) hole.
Kggs. four to six, sinoky-lilue with irregidai' dark lirown lilotches, lines and spots.
Tlie l]n)ii/«'(l (^liiicklf was cliristiMU'fl liy Mr. Itidi^way at the Pro tjeedinfjs of tlu- Academy of Natural Sciences of Piiiladel])liia, in June, 1869. Prior to that date, Dr. Baird had sej)arat(>d one as peculiar to Florida, liut all the others were supposed to lielong to the species named hy Liniueus, Qiilscti/iin quimida, or Purple (Ji'ackle. Mr. Ridj^way, on compariiifj; a Iarfj;e number of specimens from ditt'eieiit ])oints, found the grou}) to contain two well-defined sub-species, and his decision has now' been generally adopted. The original Puiple Grackle is the most southern bird of the three, its habitat being given as "Atlantic States from Florida to Long Island," while our present form is said to extend from the AUeghanies and New England, norti; and west to Hudson Bay and th(> Rocky Mountains. Since giving my attention to this subject, I have made a point of examining all available mounted Crow Blackbirds in barber shops, country taverns, etc., and find that all belong to the Bronzed division.
Tt is (juite possible that a few of the others may yet V)e found along our southern lK)rder, but unquestionably the Crow Blackbii'd 19 ' •
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290
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
of Oiitaric is the Bi-onzed (inu-kle. They like to be near water,. and are very common in the town of (Jalt, breedinjj close to the houses along the banks of the river. There is a colony established at East Hamilton, where they breed in the Norway spruce trees near the residence of Mr. Barnes, who protects them from being molested, whether wisely or not is ()j)en t(» ([uestion, for there rests at their door the serious charge of robbing the nests of small birds and destroying the eggs and young, besides that of being veiy destructive- to the sprouting corn in spring-time.
The Bronzed Clrackle is very aV)undant throughout Manitoba and the North- West, and has been cajttured by Dr. Bell at York Factory. The males arrive in Southern Ontario a few days before the females, usually about the middle of April. It is noticed that the first to arrive are in the richest plumage, the fine purple bronze being fully developed. They are soon generally fiistriljuted over, the country, in suitable places, where they cause much family affliction during the breeding season by carrying ofi' the young of the smaller birds. During October they gather in Hocks and retire to the south, where- they spend the winter.
Family FRINGILLID^. Finches, Sparrows, etc.
Genus COCCOTHRAU8TE8 Brisson.
SuBGENis HESPERIPHONA Bonaparte.
C0CC0THRAU8TES VESPERTINA (Coop.).
210. Evening Grosbeak. (514)
Dusky olivaceous, brighter beliind ; foi-ehead, line over the eye ami under tail coverts, yellow ; crown, wings, tail and tiliiiv, black ; the secondary ({uillSr mostly white ; bill, greenish-yellow, of immense size, about | of an inch long and nearly as deep. Length, T^-S^ ; wing, 4-4^ ; tail, 2A. The J'emali^ and youmj differ somewhat, but cannot be mistaken.
Hab. — Western North America, east to Lake Superior, and casually to Ohio and Ontario, from the Fur Countries south into Mexico.
Nest, in a small tree or bush, a comparatively slight structure rather Hat, composed of sticks and roots, lined with soft vegetable material.
Eggs, three, greenish ground color, l)lotched with brown.
This is a western species whose line of travel in the season of migration seems to be along the Mitisissippi Vtilley, casually coming, as far east as Ontario.
EVENING GROSBEAK.
291
ch long x/c antl
|to Ohio
■ler flat.
l8on of bomin^:
I have heard of its being observed during the winter at St. Cloud, St. Paul and Minneapolis, and last winter I had a paii- sent nie by mail in the ilesh, from Redwing, Minnesota. The first leport of its appearance in Ontario was made by the late Dr. T. J. Cottle, of Woodsto' k, who in the month of May, IHGO, observed a flock among the evergi'eens near his residence, and obtained one or two of them.
Again, in 1871, they were noticed near London about the same season, and several were procured, three of them coming into my possession. I flid not hear of the species again till the 17th of March, 18S.'i. When enjoying a sleigh ride along a road which runs through a swamp in West Flamboro', my son and I came unex- pectedly upon two in the bush by the roadside and secured them both.
I have also heard of a female having been olitained by the Rev. Mr. Doel in Toronto, on the 2oth of December, 1854, which com- pletes the record for Ontario, so far as I know. The Evening Grosbeak is much prized by collectors on account of ii^s rarity, its beauty, and the desire we have to know more of its history.
Dr. Coues speaks of it as "a bird of distinguished appearance, whose very name suggests tlie far-away land of the dipping sun, and the tuneful romance which the wild bird throws around the fading light of the day. Clothed in striking color contrasts of black, white and gold, he seems to represent the allegory of diurnal ti-ansnmtation, for his sable pinions close around the brightness of his vesture as night encompasses the golden hues of sunset, wliile the clear white space enfolded in these tints foretells tlue dawn of the morrow." Tlius the glowing words How from the pen of an accurate observer and graceful writer, while to the mass of the people, the beauties of bird- life are a sealed book. By far the larger number of those who have the opportunity of observing our wild birds in their native haunt», belong to that practical class of which the representative is Peter Bell, of whom it is written : »
" A primrose by the river's brim '
A yellow primrose was to him, And it was nothing more.''
I once directed the attention of a successful farmer, whose speech betrayed his nationality, to a fine mounted specimen of the bird 1 have been describing. I pointed out the beauty of its markings and related the interesting parts of its history, but failed to excite any enthusiasm regarding it. In fact the only remark elicited was that it was " unca thick i' the neb."
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292
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
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The first account we have of the nest and eggs of tliis species appears in the Auk, Vol. V., page 113. It is given by Mr. John Swinbourne, of Springerville, Arizona. Here is a»i extract: "On the 5th of June, I88i, while looking out for anything of ornithological interest in a thickly wooded canon some fifteen miles west of the little town of Springerville, Apache County, Arizona, my attention was attracted l)y a bird which T did nt)t know, Hying off it.s nest in the top of a thick willow bush. Having climbed up to the nest and ascertained that it contained three eggs, I returned to the ranch. N'ext day I visited the canon with my shotgun, and finding the number of eggs in the nest had not increased, concealed myself close by, and after a long wait succeeded in procuring the female as she Hew from the nest. At that time I knew so little about American birds or their eggs that I took no eggs except when I could authen- ticate them by procuring the female bird.
"The nest was a comparatively slight structure, I'ather flat in shape, composed of small sticks and roots, lined with finer portions of the latter. The eggs, three in number, were of a clear greenish ground coloi", lilotched with pale brown. They were friRsh. The neat was placed about fifteen feet from the ground, in the extreme top of a thick willow bush. The slight canon, with a few willow bushes in its centre Iwrdering a small stream, lies in the midst of very dense pine timber, at an altitude of about 7,000 feet, as far as I can judge." t '
It will be noticed that the foregoing took place in 1S84, but it was not published till 1888. Tn 1887, Mr. W. E. Brj^ant found a nest, of which he published an account in the " Bull. Cal. Acad. Sci." for that yeai'. Thus, though Mr. Swinbourne was the first to find and identify the nest and eggs, Mr. Bryant's account of the one he fouivd was first published.
The history of the species in Ontario remained as given above until December lyth, 1890, when a boy brought me a paii- which he saifl he had shot from a flock he saw near the shore ut Hamilton Bay. He described where he had found them, and I knew at once that it was a most likely place for the birds to be — the rough, steep bank of the bay, grown up with red cedars, close to the Roman Catholic cemetery, where many of the same trees were cultivated for orna- ment. In the afternoon K. C. Mcllwraith visited the locality, anrl found a small flock feeding on the berries of the red cedai-.
Sunday intervened, but on Monday I was there and was delighted to see a flock of twenty-five or thirty quite at home on the bank.
EVENING GROSBEAK.
298
some t'eecUng and talking (juietly to tlieir ct)rnpanions, while others were down on the sandy shore, pecking j^ravel or (hibblinj^ themselves in the water. It was a clear, briglit flay, and they made a picture I would have travelled man}' miles U) see; but there they were within a mile of my own residence, and my visit to them was repeated every day for over a month. T thought at first that the original flock had remained, but soon found that an easterly migration was going on, and that as one tiock left another arrived, so that some were always present when the locality was visited, within the period named.
Dui'ing Februar\', few, if any, wei'e observed hei-e. In March, the return trip commenced, but was in all respects different from the easterly one. The birds were then fewer in number, and all seemed excited and desirous tt) go west with the least possible delay. Their food in this locality was pretty well exhausted, and they took any apples that still remained on the trees, using the seeds only. Small groups of four or five were seen going west till the middle of April, 1890, but since that time not one has been observed in this neigh- borhood.
The home of the Evening Groslieak is in the coniferous forests of the North- West, though it has been found among the mountain tops as fai' south as [Mexico. The first i'e(;ord we have of its capture is that of a specimen taken by Schoolcraft, in 182."i, near Sault Ste. Marie. So much of its time is spent beyond the limits of civilization, that even now we are but little aetjuainted with its life history. It is known to be migratory, its usual loute to the south being along the line of the Mississippi, but it is very irregular, often appearing at certain points one season where it may not again be seen for several yeai's. Single birds and small groups have been observed in Canada for some years past, but never has it been known to make such an invasion as it did during the winter of 1889-90, already referred to. It is at all times difficult to account foi' the seeming irregularities which occasionally occur in the mo\ements of the birds. The first Hocks which start on the migratory journey take a course that the others usually follow, and if we knew just where the start was made, and under what circumstances, we might possibly be able to explain why the Grosbeaks came so far east of their usual limit as on the occasion mentioned.
It is (juite possible; that a strong west wind caused the leaders to diverge from theii usual course till they found themselves east of Lake Superior, which they wt)uld not cross, but kept on along the eastern shore of Lake Huron till about opposite Detroit, where they
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294
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
took a turn due east towards the west end of Lake Ontario. T first heard of them from near Chatham : tlien neai- London, and a few days hiter they aj)peared at Hamilton. Here the Hock divided, some taking the south shore and others keeping close by the north, still moving eastwai'd. The}' were observed at all points along the lake and the 8t. Lawrence River, to Montreal, a few even going as far east as Quel)ec. North of this point they did not seem to wander, as Mr. (ioldie saw none at Guelph, neither did Mr. White observe them at Ottawa.
On the south side of the lake, Dr-. Macallum saw them at Dunn- ville, and they wt've also common around Niagai'a Falls, at Buffalo, Oswego and other points, cill, finally, Mr. Bi-ewster told us in Forest and Sfremn that they had arrived at Eastern New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
Soon the return trip commenced, and again they were noticed as .strangers at mfiny different points on their route. They were greatly admii-ed wherever they appeared, and many a wish was expre.ssed that they might remain over the summer, ])ut we have not heard of a single instance in which the wish was gratified. All that were left of them i-eturned to the North-West.
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Genus PINICOLA Vikilu.t. PINICOLA ENUCLEATOH (Linn.).
211. Pine Grosbeak. {')l'^)
.]/«/('.—' 'aniline red, paler or wliitish on the lielly, darker and .HtreaUe<l with dusky on the hack ; wings and tail dusky, iiiuuli edged witii white, the former with two white hars. Feinalt- : — Ashy-gray, paler helow, marked with lirownish-yellow on the head and rump. Lengtli, S-i) ; wing, 4i ; tail, 4.
H.vii. — Northern portions of the northern hemisphere, breeding far north, in winter, south, in North America, irregularly to the Northern Uliited States. South in the Rocky Mountains to Colorado, and in the Sierra Nevada to California.
Nest, in a hush, four feet from the ground, oompo.sed entirely of coarse ■green moss.
Eggs, four, slate color, tijig'^d with green, spotted and clouded with hrown and purple.
Tn Southern Ontario the Pine Grosl)eak is an irregular winter visitor, sometimes appearing in large flocks and again being entire!}' absent for several years in successi m. During the winter of 1882-83, and also of 1883-84, they were quite common, and were ob.served throughout the country, wherever their favorite red cedar or moun- tain ash berries were to \ie found, but since that time not one has been seen. . They are fine, robust birds of a most sociable, gentle disposition. I have often watched them feeding in flocks, sometimes
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296
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
in placfts wliere food was not over abundant, Init nevei' noticed a ijuaiiel among them, all being willing to share alike.
Very many of the individuals which visit us are females, or young males, clad in a uniform of smoky-gray, more oi- less tinged with greenish-yellow, but in every flock of twenty or thirty there are two- or three adult males in the showy crimson di'ess, which, when seen with a background of the sombie foliage of the Norway spi-uce, foi-ms- a most attractive t)l)iect at this season of the year when the tide of bird-life is at its lowest ebb.
Our knowledge of the breeding habits of this species is as yet very imperfect, the description given of the nest and eggs being- that of a fiiipjxtKfd (Trosbeak's nest which was found in Maine by Mr. Boardman, l>ut the birds to which the nest lielonged wei .* not secured.
Mr. Trippe found them in Colorado in summer, living up near the timbei- line, and observed young birds fully feathered and shifting for themselves in June, which gives the impression that they must breed very early. I think it highly pi'obaV)le that iA\ey may yet be found breeding in Northern Ontai'io, for on the occasions already leferred to they appeai'ed early in January, and remained as late as April, so that they would not have time to travel far before engaging in their domestic duties.
They are reported as connnon winter visitors in Manitoba, while in Alaska Mr. Nelson says that "along the entire west and north- west coast of America, from Vancouver Island north to within the Arctic circle, these birds occur in greater or less abundance. T have fre(|uently passed a pleasant half-hour on the wintry banks of the Yukon white making a mid-day halt and waiting for the natives to melt the snow for our tea, listening to the chirping and fluttering of these birds as they came trooping along the snow-laden woods in small parties. They withstand the severest cold in these forests,, even within the Arctic circle, and appear to be about e(|ually distributed throughout the wooded region."
PURPLE FINCH.
297
CrKNua CAHPODACITS Km v. CAHPODACUS PrRPUHKrs ((Jmkl.).
•2V2. Purple Finch. (■)17)
M(Ue : — Crimson, rosy or piirplisli red, most iiiteiisu on tlu: ci'own. t'iidiug to wliite on the belly, mixed witli dusky streaks on tiie hack ; wings and tail, dusky, with re<ldish edgings, and the wing coverts tipped with the same ; lores and feathers all round the hase of the hill, hoary. Fi ma/i- and >/oiiiii/ with no red ; olivaeeous-hrown, brighter on the. rump, the feathers al)ove all with paler edges, producing a streaked api)ear-ant.'e ; helow, wiiite, thickly spotted and streaked with olive-hi'own, excej)t on the middle (»f the i)elly and under tail covei-ts ; oi)scure whitish su})erciliary and n\axillary lines. Yoini;/ inalex show every gradation between these exti'enies in gradually assuming the male plumage, and ai-e fre(iuently biownish-yellow or lironzy below. Length, T)^ ♦ij ; wing, .S-;^| ; tail, 2:i-2i.
Hab. — Kastern Xorth America, from the .\tlantic coast to the Plains. Breeds from the Middle States northward.
Nest, usually but not always in an evergreen, composed of weeds, grass, strips of bark, vegetable fibre, etc., lined with hair.
Kggs, four or five, pale green, scrawled and spotted with dark brown and lilac, chiefly toward the larger end.
In Southern Ontario tlie Puq)le Finch is most iil)un(liuit durinjf the month of May. At tliis season tlie few wliich have lemained with us during the winter put on their brightest dress, and l)eing joined by others which are daily arriving from the south, they make the orchards for a time (juite lively with their sprightly song. Their presence, howev^ii-, could well be dispensed with, for they are oljserved at this time to be very destructive to the l)uds and blossoms of fruit trees. As the sea,son advances, they become genei-aily (hsti'ibuted over the country and are not so often seen.
The male does not ac([uire tlie bi'ight crimson (h-e.ss till after the second season. The young male, in the garb of the female, being observed in full song has led to the belief that both sexes sing alike, but such is not the case. Crim.son Fincli would have been a more appropriate name for this bird tlian Puiple Finch, for the color is certainly more crimson than purple.
It breeds sparingly in Southern Ontario, but many go farther north. It is common during summer in Manitoba, l)eyt>nd which I have not heard of it having been t)l).served. It remains (juite late in the fall; and, occasionally, T have .seen stragglers in the depth of winter. In Ontario the species can at no time be said to be abundant.
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BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
In the procec(Hn<,'.s of the Ornitholo^'ical Sul)-section of the Cana- dian Institute is an account of an intere.stinf; hybrid in which this .species is concerned.
Mf. Wm. Cross says ie<^ar(iin<^ it; "On Januaiy 2"Jnd, 1890, a small-sized Finch, which was taken fi-oin a Hock of Pine (ilrosbeaks, was Itrought into my store. As the bii'fl was new to me, I had it submitted to J. A. Allen, who said ; 'It is clearly a hybrid between the common Purple Finch and the Pine Grosbeak. It is certainly a most intei-estiiifi; capture, combining about equally the characteristics of both. It is just half-way between them in size and very nearly so in all other features.' "
Gknus LOXIA Linnaeus. LOXIA CURVIROSTRA MINOR (Brehm).
lU;}. American Crossbill. (521)
Malt .— Bricky-reil ; wings, blackish, unmarked. Female : — Brownish-olive, streaked and speckled witii dusky, the rump saffion. Immature males mottled with greenish and greenish-yellow. Length, about 6 ; wing, 3^ ; tail, 2J.
Hab. — Northern North America, resident Sparingly south in tlie Eastern United States to Maryland and Tennessee, and in the Alleghanies, irregularlj' abundant in winter ; resident soutii in tlie Rocky Mountains to Colorado.
Nest, among the twigs of a spruce, composed of twigs, rootlets, lichens, etc. , lined with hair and feathers.
Eggs, three or four, pale green, spotted toward the larger end with brown- purple and lilac or brown.
Throughout Ontario the Crossbills are very erratic in their move- ments, sometimes appearing unexpectedly in considerable numbers
WHITE-VVINOED CROSSIlILL.
299
ill stvtioiis of tlic CDuntrv wIkm'c, for se\Pi'al preocdinj; years, tlioy have be»'ii entirely absent. Tlieir time of ne.stinjj is also uuuhuhI, the duties of incubation beinj,' performed whih' tlie i(round is still coverefl with snow. Hf^nce the youn<:j, bein<; soon set at liberty, are often seen in Hocks quite eai'ly in sunnner, and somt>times in the fall we hear their I'attlin;; call, and see them descend from the upper air to visit a patch of suntloweis, on the seeds of which they feast with evident relish. Eai-ly in s))rinj,', v/hen food is less abundant, [ have seen them alight on tiie ground and dig the seeds fi-om a s(|uash which had been left out duiiug the winter.
Their favoi-ite resorts, howevei', ai'e the sj)ruce and hemlock trees, whose dark green foliage foinis a tine back-ground for tlie rich red color of the male as he swings al)out in every possible position, searching for food among the cones at the end of the slender brandies.
They are chieHy found east of the Plains, but north and south they are widely distributed, there being records of theii' nesting at \arious points from Northern (Georgia to Alaska. Tn Southern Ontario thev occur chietiv as winter visitants.
LOXTA LFAT COPTER A (I.uki-.
->U. White-winged Crossbill ('y22)
Wings ill l)otli .sexes, with two c'on8i)icuous wliite bars. Mali : -Rosy-red. Fema/i : — Bi-ownisli-olive, streaked and speckled with (hisky, tlie ninip saffron. Length, alxmt H ; ving, 3^ ; tail, 2^.
H.AB. — Northern jiart.s of North America, soiitli into tlie United States in wiiitei'. Breeds fi'oin Northern New Enghind iioitiiwai<l.
Nest, similar to tlie preceding species.
Kggs, three oi' four, pale blue, dotted toward the larger end witii lilac and ])urple.
This species resembles the precedipg in its habits, but does not appear in such large numbers. They visit the same localities, some- times in company, sometimes in separate Hocks. Both are quite unsuspicious, and when eagerly searching for food among the pine cones, they admit of a very near approach without taking alarm. They vary much in plumage with age and sex, but the present species can at all times be identified by the white wing-bars.
It seems to be more northern in its haliitat than the Red Crossbill.
300
HIRDS OF ONTARIO.
Ill the " Hirds of Alaska," Mr. Nflstwi says: " Altli(>u>,'li tlu* Hwf Crossbill ill the iiortlieni portion of the territory occurs only as an (•xcp(Miiii;;ly rare visitant, the present species is found in the greatest ahundance wherevei- there are trees enough to afford it shelter. It is in even greater nuiuhers than the Fine (Jrosheak, sharing its range with that species." It has also been found occasionally in Ureenland, and is often taken on board of ships in the North Atlantic, far from land. "
t*j
ACANTH IS H( )HNEM ANN II. •Jl">. Greenland Redpoll. (o27)
Hill, legularly conic, only iiioileiutely coiiipresseil ami acute, as high a.s h)iig at tlic l)a8e ; color, black or yellow according to the season ; frontlet, black, overlaid with hoary, a recognizable light su])ei'ciliai'y Htripe reaching to. the bill ; criiiit:<on caj) over nearly all the ci'own ; upper parts, streaked with brownish-black and white^ the latter edging and tip])ing the featheis, this white nearly pui'c, only slightly Haxen on the sides of the head and neck ; wings and tail, as in the other species; rump and entii'e iindei*|)arts, from the sooty throat, white, free from spots ; the luinp and ))reast, rosy. Length, H ; wing, ;i.SO; tail, 2.80.
HaI5. -(ireenland and North-eastern Noi'th America, soutii iriegidaily in wintei- to New England, New Yt)i'k and Northern Illinois.
About the year 18(5;}, a fi-iend who used to join me in some of my local collecting trips was in the town of Gait, and seeing a small flock of large light-coloi-ed Redpolls, secured two of the lot and sent them to me in the flesh. T have neither befoi-e noi- since met with any so large and hoary. One of them which I still have, mounted, seems t<.) answer to the above description, but the countiy from which the Redpolls come is large enough to produce varying forms from different latitudes, and I think it is open to »|uestion whether or not it is wise to divide them int« so many species.
i.
(iKNUs ACANTHTS Bkciistkin.
ACANTHIS HOKNEMANNTI KXILTPES (Coi ks).
•21 fi. Hoary Redpoll. (r)27<0
Colors pale, the Haxuu of linaria bleaching to wliitisli ; rump, wliite oi- rosy, entirely iniatreaUed in liie adultH ; l)rea8t, pale rosy, and streaks on the •sides small and spai'se ; hill, verj- small with heavy plumules ; feet, small, the middle toe and claw hardly equal to the tarsus. Length, Tt.T-A) ; extent, !) : wing, 3 ; tail, 2.50.
Hah.— Arctic America and North-eastern Asia.
Nest, somewhat bulky for the size of tlie bird, built of small twigs and gra».s, lined with fine grass and feathers.
Kggs, two to five, pale bluish-green, speckled toward the larger end with reddish -Vu-own.
So few Redpolls are taken from the vast flocks which in .some winters visit lis from the north, that it is unsafe to say how rare oi- common any particular species may be. I have, however, observed a >t(ioi\ many in different winters duriiijx the last thirty years, and have only seen one of this species. It was killed by K. C. McIlwM'aith at Hamilton Beach, on the 6th of April. 1885, and on beinp; picked up at once elicited the exclamations which follow the capture of a rare bird. It was a male in fine pluiiiafi;e, the feathers being full and soft, and beautifully tinted with the rosy color peculiar to tlie race.
This species is said to inhabit the whole of l>oreal America, but
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HIRDS OF ONTARIO.
Iiiis seldom Wccii t'ouiid us fur south us cveii the iioitlicni titf ot' States.
Ite^^ufdiii}; tills Hjieeles, Mr. Nelson shvh in the '* Hlrds ot' Alaska ": "'I'liis is the pn'vailiiij^ sjiecies of the ;,'eiius throu<,'hout N'oithei'ii Alaska, where it oecui's in j,M'eat ninui)ers. Its hahits and i'an;,'e uie shared hy the Common l{ed|toll, and the two are almost indistinifuish- able, exceptinj^ for the differences in coloration. Their notes, nestiiii; sites, nestH and ej;j.(s are indistin^^'nishahle.
"Both forms are summtM- and winter reii(idents, inakin„' a partial mi<,'ration into the interior dui'in^ the severe weather of winter. The series obtained by me contains l)oth forms from vari(»us points alon.u: the Yukon from the sea to the Mritish boundaiy Hiu'. Tliey are u.sually found in parties of vaiyin^' size comprising both forms, althouj,di owin>( to the j^ivater abundance of i:rlfi/>f'H, parties coni^ p(»sed wholly (»f it are found at times.
"It is conunon on the Connnander Islands in limited nunibeis during the winter."
ACANTHTS LINARTA (Lin\.).
217. Redpoll. (528)
Ui)per parts, streaked with dusky and flaxen in about e(iual amounts ; rump, white or rosy, streaked with (hisky ; below, streaked on the sides ; belly, iluU white ; bill, mostly yellow ; feet, blackish. Length, ."i^-.^j ; wing, 2^3 ; tail,
H.4B. —Northern portions of northern henusphere, south irregularly in winter, in North America, to the Middle United States (Washington, D.C, Kansas, South-eastern Oregon).
Nest, in a low tree or bush, composed of grass and moss, lined with plant down or feathers.
Kggs, four or five, pale bluish-white, speckled with reddish-brown.
H()LH<KLLH HEDI'OIJ,.
.SOH
Like our otlici' winter hirdH, th« Kt'tlpnIlH iir« Monu'wliut iiifjiulur ill their visits, l)ut iiif iiiorf tr('»|U«'ntly h»'(mi tliaii citlitT tin- (!i*on- l»(!aks (»r C'ldHsltills. SoiiietimcM they iippeur in Oi'toher and remain till late in Mareii, while in <»th«M' Hea.sons <n»ly an occasional rovinj; Hock is seen duriiij; the winter, and aj^ain they aie entii-ely al)senl. They are hardy, active little birds, and must consume a lar;,'e t|tiantity of seeds, which can well lie spared tVoin the weedy places the Itirdn t'reciuent.
before leaving in spi-inj,', the breast of the male assumes a s(»ft rosy tint, which adds <;reatly to his beauty when seen ainunn' the
SJIOW.
This is another of our winter visitors whose home is in the far north. Mr. Nelson says rej^ardinj^ it: "This species is found in Alaska in smallei- numbers than the jirecedin^. On tht^ south-eastern coast of the tei'ritory, includin<^ the Kadiak and Sitkan rei,don, the pr(^sent l)ii(l is found t(» the exclusion of tlii' other, as also to the south alonj^ the coast to Washin;;ton Territoi-y and Ihitish Columbia, where Mr. Lortl found it resident."
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- ACANTHIS LINAHIA HOLBCELIJl (Uhemm). 218. Holboell's Redpoll. (5-28,0
Like Utuiria. Length, B ; whig, 3.25 ; tail, 2.7") ; l»ill, longer.
Hab. — Northern portions of northern hemisphei-e, near the sea coast.
I have occa.sionally found among the conuiKm Redpolls, individ- uals of large size which answer to the description given of thi.s species. As they are never numerous, and have not been observed in flocks by themselves, those we see may be stragglers from the main body of their race, which Is said to keep well up to the north and east.
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Ukms HPIIsUS Koch. SPTNlr' TRTSTTS (Linn.).
I'll). American Goldfinch. (52!i)
Mall- : — 111 auininei', I'ieli yellow, changing to whitish on the tail coverts ; a l)lnck patch on the crown ; wings, l)lack. n»oi'e or less edged and barred with white ; le.s.scr wing coviM'ts, yellow : tail, hlaek. every feather with a white .spot ; hill and feet, tlcHh-colored. In Septeniher the black cap disappears and the general plnniage cliange.s to a j)ale flaxen-brown above and whitey-brown below, w'v'' traces of the yello\\'. especially about the head ; this continues till the following Ajiril or .May. F<iiinli :-- Olivaceon.s, including the crown ; iielow. soiled yellowish : wings and tail, dusky, whitish-edged ; i/oinii/ like the j'iiiiali . F.,ength, alxiut 4v : wing. 'I'l : tail. "J.
H.MS. Temperate Xi>rtli .Anieiica generally, breeding southward to the middle districts of the UnittMl States (to about tlie Potomac and Ohio Rivers, Kansas and California), and wintciing mostly south of the northern boundary of the United States.
Nest, a neat, strong structure!, resembling that of the Summer Yellow-bird, coniposetl of miscellaneous soft materials firndy felted together and lined with plant <lown. usually placed in the upriglit fork of a tree or bush, from six to twenty feet from the gi'ound.
Eggs, four to six, jmlc bluish-white, unmarked.
Til Soutliern Ontaiio tlie (loldtiiicli may he considered a resident species, for it nests tlirouf::hout the country '/jienerally. and even in the de})th of winter, is often met with unexpectedly in some favored locality where it iiiids food and shelter. In the severe winter of ISSo-SG, 1 came upon a colony of this kind in West Flamboro", where several hundreds of the birds were frequentin;jf a ji;rove of hendock ; and, judginjf l)y the amount of dchris on the snow underneath, they nuist have been there all \\intei'. They were very lively, keepinjj up a continual chattering as they swayed to and fro on the slender branches, extractinji' the seeds from the cones. Occasionally, when cheered by the mild I'ays of the winti'v sun, some of the males would come to the sunny side of the tree and warble out a few of their varied sunnner notes, but they spent most of the short wintry day in feeding and in dressing their plumage, retiring early to the thick shelter of the evergreens.
At other seasons of the year, they frecpient the cultivated fields, -orcharfls and gardens; and in the fall, when they are seen in greatest numbei's, they do good service in consuming the seeds of the thistle anil other nctxious weeds. They are not in any great haste to begin the duties of housekeeping, and are seen in Hocks till towards the
HOUSE SPARROW.
305
end of May. About that time they pair off, and are actively engaged in their domestic duties till some time in August, when the males throw off their gaudy summer dress and join with the females and young in making up the flocks we see i-oving about the country in their own wild way.
''-.il
^Ids, Itest Istle
Ithe
Gknus passer (Brisson). PASSER DOMESTICUS (Linn.).
220. House Sparrow.
Form, .stout and stiunpy ; l)ill, stout, conical, Inilging, longer than deep ; upper mandible longer than the lower. Adult male: — Lores, black, a narrow streak of white over each eye ; crown, nape and lower back, ash-gray ; region of the ear coverts, chestnut -brown, streaked with black ; wings, brown, witli a bar of white on the middle coverts ; tail, dull brown ; throat and breast, l)lack, sometimes suffused with bright chestnut checks, and sides of the neck white ; belly, <lull white ; bill, bluish-black ; legs, pale brown. Length, (5 inches ; wing, .3 inches. In winter the colors are duller and the bill yellowish-brown. In the ffinate. the upper parts are striated <lusky brown ; there is no black on the throat or gray on the pate, and the under parts are brownish-white.
Hab. — From the Atlantic coast to the Mississippi and from Xew Orleans to Saulte Ste. Marie ; many isolated colonies elsewhere throughout the country, some of which have originated by the birds being brought from a distance thi'ough being accidentallj' closed in empty grain ears.
Nest, about houses, under projecting cornices or in crevices in outhouses, also in trees ; large and clumsy outside, but deep and wannly lined with hair, feathers and other soft material.
Eggs, varying in number from six to nine, soiled white, speckled with brown.
The name English Sparrow is a misnomer as applied to this bird,, for it is no more English than it is Scotch, Irish, French, or German. House Sparrow is the name it has gone by in Europe, whence it came, and it was no doubt bestowed on account of its persistent habit of nesting about dwelling-houses wherever it occurs.
Throughout Europe, in former years, when very many of the houses were covered with thatch, the constant habit of the sparrows was to pull out as much of the thatch as made a hole big enough for them to build their nest in. This, of course, led to leaky roofs; and the result was a constant warfare between the outer and inner tenants, in which the former usually gained their object. Sometimes there would only be one ladder in a large district, and it could not 20
.' 'I
r,^~'\
306
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
II i
always be borrowed conveniently to stop the sparrow holes. In <^)ther cases, when a })uil(iing bore a financial liurden and repairs of any kind received but little attention, I have seen as many as twenty pairs of sparrows with their nests among the thatch of one roof.
In America the bird was unknown till 1850, when the Directors of the Brooklyn Institute imported eight pairs into Brooklyn, N.Y.
This lot did not thrive, and in 1852, a much larger consignment was brought from England by the same parties. These were kept in confinement over the winter, and in the spi'ing of 185.'5 they were all let loose in the grounds of Greenwood Cemetery, where they did well and multiplied rapidly. There seems to have been a wild craze on this subject just then, for many other shipments were made l)y individuals in difterent parts of the country, all of which have no doubt helped to swell the grand army which is now looked upon as a scourge to the agriculturists, and one which is entirely beyond control.
It was, I think, in 1875 that the fir.st sparrows were observed on the streets in Hamilton. The fact was mside known to the City Council, who, being always ready to encourage desirable settlers, at once provided a handsome, commodious house for them in the Gore Park, and arrangements were made to have them regularly fed and miide as comfortable as possible. But the sparrows, unused to so much kindness, seemed afraid that there was some trap about the house, or poison in the food, and betook themselves to the roadtracks for food, and found nesting -places of their own choice. They increased so rapidly in numbers that the house was taken down, and the birds were allowed to shift for themselves.
My own experience with these birds was similar to that of others, but may here be repeated as illustrating their introduction to the country. It was in the summer of 1874 that I first noticed a pair of these birds about the out-houses, and in a few flays they became (juite familiar, having evidently made up their minds to stay with us. T made them welcome for old acquaintance' sake, and thinking the}' would make good settlers, was about to put up a house for them ; but before my well-meant Intentions were carried out, it became apparent that they were providing for themselves in a manner quite characteristic.
On a peak of the stable was a box occupied by a pair of swallows, who were at that time engaged in rearing their young, and of this l)ox the sparrows seemed determined to get possession. The swallows resisted their attacks with great spirit, and their outcries bringing a
HOUSE SP/RROW.
307
host of friends to their assistance, the intruders were for ii tinif driven off, liut only to return again with renewed energy and perse- verance. Tlie swallows were now sorely beset, for one had to remain on guard while the other went in search of supplies. Still they managed to hold the fort till the enemy, watching his opportunity, mjide a strategic movement from the rear and darted into the box more quickly than T can tell it. He emerged with a callow swallow hanging by the nape of the neck in his bill, and dropjied it on the ground below. Another soon followed, amid the distressing cries of the swallow.s, who, seeing their hopes so completely blighted, sat mute and mournful on th(! ridge of the house for a short time, and then went away fiom the place, leaving the sparrows in undisputed, possession of the box. There they i-emained and raised some young ones during the sunnner.
Tn the si)ring of the following year the numbers had increased, and they began to roost u idei* the veranda jiround the house, which brought freciuent complaints from the sanitary department, and a protest was made against their being allowed to remjiin there at all. Still, in view of the prospective riddance of insect pests from tlie garden, matters were arranged with the least possible disturbance to the birds, and we even stood by and saw them dislodge a pair of house wrens who had for years been in possession of a box fixed for them in an apple tree in the garden. So the second year wore on, no further notice being taken of the sparrows except that they were getting more numerous.
T had missed the sprightly song and lively manners of the wrens, and in the spring when they came round agjiin seeking admission to their old home, I killed the sparrows, which were in possession, in order to give the wrens a chance, and they at once took advantage of it and commenced to carry up sticks in their usual industrious manner. They had enjoyed possession only for two da}-s, however, when they were again dislodged. Again the intruders weie killed ofiF, and domestic felicity i-eigned for three days, when a third pair of sparrows came along bent on the same object, and, if })ossible, more overbearing and determined than their predecessors. This time I thought of a different mode of accomplishing the object in view, and, taking down the box at night, nailed a shingle over the end and worked it flush around the edges. With a centre-bit T then pierced a hole just large enough to fidmit the wrens, but too small for the sparrows, and put the box back into its place. Early in the morning the assault was renewed, but the wrens found at oiice that
11? s
1
308
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
they were masters of the situation, and never were two birds more delighted. From his perch aloft, the male poured forth torrents of scorn and ridicule, while the female inside the box fairly danced with delight, and I almost fancied was making faces at their enemy,, as he struggled ineffectually to gain admission, or sullenly, but fruit- lessly, tried to widen the aperture.
Shortly after this dispute was settled, I noticed ten or twelve sparrows (juietly at work at the grape vines, and feeling pleased at the ha\oc they were apparently making among the insects, passed on, speculating mentally on the probable increase of fruit I should have. In the afternoon they had moved to another trellis, and I thought, "Well, they are doing the work systematically, and no doubt effectually." But shortly afterwards, while passing the trellis where they commenced, I observed a slight debris of greenery along under the vines. This led to an examination which showed, to mv intense mortification, that the heart nad been eaten out of eveiy fruit bud where the birds had been, and nothing left but the outside leaves. The report of firearms was heard several times in the gardin that afternoon ; many dead and wounded sparrows were left to the care of the cats, and every crevice where the birds were known to' breed was at once clo.sed up.
Since then the wrers have kept possession of their box, and with a little attention I can keep the sparrows out of the garden, for they find plenty of provender round the stables ; but they are still on the increase, and if this continues in the future, as in the past, the time is not far distant when the streets and stable-yards will not furnish food enough for the increased numbers, and there is no doubt that then they will betake themselves to the fields and gardens and take whatever suits them. This is the serious view of the subject which has called for legislation in other countries, and may do so here unless some unexpected check arises to prevent the necessity for it.
In the meantime it is well that all parties who have the oppor- tunity should take notes of the movements and increase of the birds for future consifleration.
Since the above was written, more accounts have been published about this Sparrow than there ever have been about any American bird. Articles without number have appeared in the different maga- zines, pointing out the folly of our having imported a bird whose character as a plague and a pest was established in the countries whence he was brought. Sparrow Clubs have been organized for their extinction, bounties have been offered and paid in different States
PINE SISKIN.
309
for their heads, traps have been advertised warranted to catch them by the hundred, poison has been reconnnended and used for their destruction, and at all agricultural meetings it has been voted that the sparrow "must go." But he has not gone yet, except in small colonies to occupy new territory, and he is on the increase wherever •established.
The Department of Agriculture at Wasliington has issued a most exhaustive i-eport of over 400 pages, giving the most ample and •circvunstantial details of the history and habits of the bird in this and othei' countries, all tending to show the injury it causes to agri- culture in all its branches, and how much would be sa\efl by our being rid of it ; but, taking my eyes from the report and looking at the birds outside my window, there is something in tlieii" manner which tells me they are here to stay, and we may as well make up •our minds to it. We have recently had occasion to change our ideas regarding our relation to the hawks and owls, who, from being looked upon as enemies, are now, with one or two exception.'^) believed to be our best friends.
Some such change may yet take place in our feelings toward the Sparrow, but at present I see no indications of it.
!*.' a
vhicli here it.
SPINUS PINUS (WiLs.). 221. Pine Siskin. (533)
Bill, extremely acute ; continuously streaked above witli (lu.yky and •olivaceous-brown or flaxen ; l)el()W, witli dusky and wliitisli, the whole plumage in the breeding season more or less suffused witli yellowish, particularly bright on the rump ; the bases of tlie (juills and tail feathers extensively sulphury-yellow, aiul all these feathers more or less edged externally with yellowish. Length, 4^ ; wing, "i'^ ; tail, IJ.
Hab. — North America generally, breeding mostly north of the United States -find in the Rocky Mountain region, in winter, soutli to the Tlulf States and Mexico.
Nest, placed high in an evergreen. It is composed of dry grass and pine .needles with a lining of feathers.
Eggs, pale greenish-blue, speckled with brown.
The Siskin, or Pine Linnet, is a more northern bird than the Goldfinch, and as a winter visitor in Southern Ontario is sometimes present and sometimes absent. Occasionally they appear in October in large flocks, swarming on the rank weeds in waste places, and
310
BIRDS OF ONTAHIO.
lianj,'iiig oil the silder bushes by the banks of creeks iUid gullies. They are extremely restless, and in certain districts the twittering sound of their voices fills the air for days togethei-, till they rise and pass away like a cloud of smoke, perhaps to b';^ se?n no more for the season. They are said to have been found nesting in New York State, and also in Massachusetts, but at present I have no record of their being found so engaged i!i Ontario. As the country become.s more explored, we shall have many such items to add to our present stock of knowledge <jf the birds.
, (iENus PLECTROPHENAX Stk.ine(;kr. PLECTHOPHENAX NIVALIS (Linn.).
•)■)•)
Snowflake. (5;U)
Bill, -siiiall. truly conic, luH'eil at base ; hind claw, decidedly curved. Iir breeding phnnage pure white, the back, wings and tail variegated with black ; bill and feet, black. As geuei'ally seen in Ontario, the white is clouded with warm, clear brown, and the bill is lnownish. Length, about 7 ; wing. 4A ; tail, -25.
Ham. — Northern parts of the nortliei'u licniis|)hcre, l)reeding in the Arctic Regions, in North America south in winter into the Northern United States, iiTegularly to (leoi'gia, southern Illinois and Kansas.
Neat, on the ground, composed of gi'ass and moss, lined witii feathers, concealed by a tuft of grass or projecting ledge of rock, ca\ity dee|), sides warm and thick.
Kggs, four. ))ale greenish-white, scrawled and spotted with brown and lilac.
The Snowbirds are our most regular visitors from the north, and they come in greater numbers than any of the other species which descend from high latitudes to avoid the rigors of winter. As early as the 20th of October, their tinkling, icy notes may be heard, but more frequently the birds ai-e first obser\'ed later in the season, driving with wild eccentric flight before the earliest flurry of snow. By the shores of the lakes, on bare sandy spots, thinly grown over with the Andropogon ticoparius, on the seeds of which they freely feed, they may be found with tolerable certainty any time between the end of October and the first of April. Elsewhere thi-oughout the country, they are frequentl}^ seen by the rofidsides, examining the ttill weeds which appear in waste places above the snow, or running in the road tracks searching hurriedly for their scanty fare. They
WftSM
SNOWFLAKE.
811
are exceedinj^ly restless, never reinainiiij^ loJ'g in ^•iit' place, and e\en when feeding, the Hock will often arise without apparent cause of alarm and go off as if never to return, but not unfreiiuently they come swirling back and alight on the spot fi'om wliich they have just arisen. There are one or two instances on record of their nests and eggs having been found among the highest mountain peaks in Massachusetts, but their breeding ground is within the Arctic circle, from which they descend over the nortliern poitions of both continents, enlivening many a dreaiy region with theii- s]»i'iglitly presence during the dull days of winter, till reminded by the lengthening days and I'ising temperature to return again to their northern home.
All our Canadian boys and girls are familiar with the Snowbird, which is frecjuently the rmly one they see when out for the first sleigh ride of the season, and often have I been inteirogated as to where the birds go when they leave us in spring and where they have their nests. With the view of satisfying my juvenile readers on these points, I sliall here make a short extract from Mr. Nelsons most interesting work on the "Birds of Alaska," which tells how he found them in that distant and dreary country ;
"The Snowflake is a well-known sunnner bird in all the circum- polar regions, and none of the various Arctic expeditions ha\e extended their expkn-ations beyond the points where this handsome species is found. About Plover Bay, on the high mountains rising abruptly from the water, I found it common and l)reeding the last of June, 1881, and on June :i4th, the same season, it was also . found in fine breeding plumage at the south-west cape of St. Law- rence Island, where we landed from the "Corwin." At the base of this blulF were the ruined huts of the famine-stricken Eskimo, and the steep hill-side was studded with the glistening skulls of the victims. Every large depression held a heavy snow-})ank, and the tops of the hills were gray with masses of lichen-colored rocks or a stunted vegetation.
" On the summit overlooking the desolate scene were two walrus- hide huts, sheltering a few survivors of a village which contained nearly 200 inhabitants a little over a yeai- before. As we made our way up to these huts, we were greeted by the hard, rattling chirr of several Snow Buntings as they rtew from place to place beiore us.
" Their note was different from any I ever heard them utter during their winter visit to the south, and was one of protest or alarm, as shown by the uneasiness of the birds as they flitted over-
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BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
head. We suspected they were nestinf^ from their movenieiits, and a.skod three or four native children, wlio i-aii to meet us, if they knew where tlie birds had their e<,'<<s. In an instant a broad smile illuminated each grimy countenance, and away they scampered, each eager to be the first to reach the spot fuid gain the prize.
"Just back of the huts, about 100 yards distant on the hill-side, and sheltered by a slight tus.sock, was placed a wai'm clo.sely-mJide structure of fine gi-ass stems, interwoven throughout with feathers and the cottony seed-tops of plants. The central depression was built unifoi'inly like the rest of the nest, and the entire structure mesusured 2] inches high by 4 A inches across the top, and 2.1, inches across the central depression, which latter was 1 1 inches deep and contained one fresh egg.
"The nest was tak(>n and the female shcjt as she hovered restlessly about, uttering her shaip chirring note.
" As we returned slowly to the slK)re, the male Hew about us continually, uttering a loud plaintive call note, the entire time of our stay in the neighborhood. It exhibited the gi-eatest distress, and appeared to be perfectly awai'e that we had the female in oui- possession, for the vicinity of the I'itled nest was deserted, and it followed us ovei" 100 yards, circling alK>ut and keeping clo.se by, perfectly regardless of any danger to itself."
.-^ffC- ■■■/.-.
(^ENUs CALCAHTUS Bkciistkin. CALCARTUS LAPPONTCUS (Linx.).
■2-2:]. Lapland Longspun, ("i.'^r))
Bill, moderate, uiirull'ed, but with a little tuft of featiiers at the base of the rictus ; hind claw, straightish, witli its digit longer than the middle toe and claw. Adult mn/t : — Whole head aiul tln'oat, jet black, bordered with butfy or whitish, wiiicii forms a postocular line, separating the l)lack of the crown from that of tlie sides of the head ; a broad chestnut cervical collar ; upper parts in general. bla(;kisli. streaked with butty oi- whitish that edges all the feathers ; l)elow, whitish, the breast and sides black streaked ; wings, dusky, the greater covei'ts and inner secondaries edged with dull nay ; tail, dusky, with an oblicjue white area on tiie outer feathers ; l)ill, yellowiali, tipped with black ; legs and feet, black. Winter innfi.s show less black on the head, and the cervical chestnut duller; the_/J;);a/*' and i/oiniij have no continuous black on the head, and the ciown is streaked like the back, and there are traces of the cervical collar. Length, ()-<U ; wing, .'iJ-.'H ; tail, '24-2(.
H.\K. — Northern portions of the northern hemisphere, breeding far north ; in North America south, in winter, to the Northern United States, iri-egularly tf> the Middle States, accidentally to South Carolina, and abundantly in the interior to Kansas and Colorado.
814
niRDS OF ONTAKIO.
II
!i
Ni^Ht, iiikUt u tuNHock (if ^niHH. Iiiillt <it iiioMH and Kiie dried griiHH, liiivd witlv ii few fciitlioi'H.
KggM. four III five, gieeniBli-gray, wliicli luloc is nearly ubHcured by u lieuvy nmttliiig tif oiuicoliitu-hi'own.
[iikf tho Hiiow Hake, tlie present species is coniinon to lioth uon- tiiients. They i-oine and go togetlier and keep company while here : l)iit at all times the Snowflakes far exceed the others in numbers.
The malti Longspur, in full breeding plumage, is a very handsome i»ird. It is seldom found in Ontario in this dress, but some yeain ago, two young men who were collecting at Mitcliell's Hay, met with quite a large tlock in tlu^ month of May, and got some very fine- specimens, several of which came into my possession. All those I have uwi with have been in winter dress, in which state the colors ai-e obscured by the black featln^rs of the head and breast being tipped witii yelhtwi.sli-gray.
Here again we have pleasure in t;iking a sunmier chapter frouv the life of this interesting bird as observed in Alaska. " Like the preceding species, the Lapland I^ongspur is a widely-spiead circum- polar bird, whose presence is recordi'd from nearly evei-y point visited by the explorei's along the shores of the Arctic coast. It is found breeding in Iceland, (Greenland, and on nearly all those islands lying in the icy sea just north of the continental mainlands. In the territory covered b}' the present paper, it is an extremely abundant and familiar bird, found, ]>erhapa, moi'e numerously upon the main- land, but Jilso known fi-om the various islands of Behring Sea. Regarding its pi-esence on the Seal Islands, Elliott tells us : ' Thi» bird is the vocalist jxtr I'.iri'llencf of the Pribilov group, singing all through the month of June in the most ex(|uisite manner, riaing high in the air and hovering on fluttering wings above its sitting mate. The sontj is so sweet that it is always too short.' "
(iENUs POOC^TES Baiku. POOC^ETES GRAMINEUS (Umkl.).
224. Vesper Sparrow. (540)
Thickly streaked eveiy where a.bove, on sides and across breast ; no yellow anywheie ; lesser wing coverts, cliesfiiiif, and one to three outer pairs of tail feathers partly or wholly white; above, grayish -brown, the streaking dusky and brown with gi-ayish-white ; below, white, usually bufTy-tinged, the streaks very
%
SAVANNA SI'ARROW.
:n5
iiuiiit'rouei on thu tort' ixii't iiml MJdttH ; wiii^; covcrtH iiml iiiiifr i|uillH iiiiicli edgLMl and ti)i]K!(l with Itay ;'i:i'()Wii, like liack, witlioiit iiumUiui sti'ipt- : line ovci- and ring round uyc, whitiHli ; feut, palu. Lfiiglii, .")i^-tl] ; wing, '2i'.i\ ; tail,
H.Mi. -KaattTM North America to thi- I'lains, from Nova Scotia and Ontafio southward, l)recdH from Vii'ginia, Kentucky and MiHsoiiri noitliward.
Nest, a deep cup-HJiaped iioUow in tlie gri)und, lined witli gi'aMH and liait'. KggH, four, grayish-white, lieavily eloiided witli ('hoiiolate-lirown.
This is one of th«' "(iray Hii'ds," and tlic most abundant in Ontario of the several specitw to whicli tins name is applied.
Its sonj,' is very sweet and phiintive, and btiini,' most fi('(|iiently uttered in the (*venin<^ about sundown, it has <,'ained for tlie liird the appropi'iate name of Vesper Sjjai'i'ow.
It is a summer resident, arriving in Soutliern Ontario toward the end of April, and soon becominj;; connnon all over the country. It does not penetrate far north in the Province, and in Manitoba it is replaced by the Western Vesper Sparrow, a pale j^i'ay form peculiar to the prairies.
The favorite perch of the nuih; is the top of a fence post, and his nesting place amon^ the grass close by. Tn the fall the birds get to be abundant before leaving, but from their habit of skulking among the rank weeds, they are not so consj)iouous as the blackbirds and other species which keep in tlocks on the wing. They move to the south in October, none having been observed during the winter.
(iKNUs AMMOD RAMUS Sw.\inso\.
Subgenus PASSERCULUS Bonapaktk.
AMMODRAMUS SANDWICHENSIS SAVANNA (Wils.).
o.)r
Savanna Sparrow. (')4l^o
Above, brownish-gray, streaked witli bhickish, whitish-gray and pak- bay, the streaks largest on the inner scapulars, smallest on the I'ervix, the crown divided by an obscure wliitish line ; superciliary line and edge of wing, yellowish ; sometimes an obscure yellowish suffusion about the head ; below , white, pure or with faint bufTy shade, thickly streaked witli dusky, tlie individual spots edged with brown, mostly arrow-shaped, running in chains along the sides, and often aggregated in an obscure blotch on the breast ; wings and tail, dusky, the wing coverts and inner secondaries black edged ami tipped with bay. Length, 5^-5^ , wing, 2^-2;^ ; tail, 2-2|.
B16
HIllDS OF ONTARIO.
Hah. KiiMtt'in I'ruviiu'i.' of Nortli Ainericii, l)i'(H'iUiig from the Northern I'liitcd StiitfH tit l.,iiliriiil(ir iiiiil Hn(U(»ii"H May 'I'l'rritor'y.
NoHt, iM)iiip(iMi3il iif tine witlicreil gniHM pluced in ii i\v,i'.\> (MI|>-hIiu|m)iI hole jn tlu> grounil.
KggH, four lo Hix, ground color jijniyiHli, Ituiivily chtuded witli uhocolnte- J)rown.
Thf'Ho (|ui«t, uiu»l)trusiv(> littln Hpari'ows may be hooii and hoard in tlie inoiHt iiieadowM in Hpi-ing and summer, hut they are not very plentiful anywhere.
Towards the end of Auj^usl they become aV>undant ahtnf^ the marshy shores of Hamilton I5ay, wliere they evidently fhid f(K)d to suit their taste, and they continue to enjoy it until reminded by the cool nights in September that it is time to be ott' to the south. The specimens secured at this season are evidently northern-bred birds, being more fully developed in size and niarkinos than those which breed with us. Often when picking one up, T fancy T have ^ot the Ijjswich Spai-row, but so far have not succeeded in doing so. I still think the latter species will bi; found near Hamilton, for there are .several suitable resorts for it which will in future be carefully watched at the prctper season.
The Savanna is chieHy an eastern species, going as far noi'tli as Labrador and Hudson iiay. In the North- West, it is replaced by the Western Savanna Sparrow, which diflers from the present species in having the pale gray colors peculiar to the birds of the prairies.
SuBOKNus COTURNICULUS Bonapaktk. AMxVlODUAMUS SAVANNARUM PASSERINUS (Wils.).
226. Grasshopper Sparrow. (')46)
Kdge of wing, conspicuously yellow ; le-sser wing coverts and short line over the eye, yellowisli ; below, not or not evidently streaked, but fore parts and sides buff, fading to dull white on the belly ; above, singularly variegated with lilack, gray, yellowish-brown, and a peculiar purplisli bay in short streaks and specks, the crown being nearly black, with a sharp median brownish-yellow line, the middle of the back chiefly black, with bay and brownish-yellow edgings of the feathers, the cervical legion and rump chietlj' gray, mixed with bay ; wing coverts and inner quills, variegated like the back ; feet, pale. Young: — Similai, not so buffy below, and with pectoral and maxillary duskj' spots. Length, 4J-5:)^ ; wing, 2,^ ; tail, 2 or less, the outstretched feet reaching to or beyond its end.
I.AllK HPAllKOW.
317
II All. Kaxtriii IJiiiU'd Stiiti'H iiiid Soiitliciii Ciiiiiulii tn tlii' I'laiiiH, Kout'i to Klitriilii, ('iil)ii, I'lirli) Kiun iiiid (uuiMt of ('tuttiiil Aiiu-iicii. NuHt, II (:u|i-Nliiipi!(l liolii ill the t'lirth, liiieil witli ilry ^i'iimh. I'lgK"' t'""' '"' ''^'t' <'ryntiil-white, Hpeckltnl with rt'ildiHli-ltrowii.
So far us !it pre. unt known, the (JriusHhoppcr S|iairo\v i.s nt' very rare occurrence in () itario, the southern iMnder senniiiy t<» In- tl.' nortliern limit of its di triliution.
.Many y(!ars af^o I kilh;(l a niah', vsho was s(|uee/,iii;f out his. wheezy note.s from the top of a mullein stalk. Mi'. Saunders iiuMi- tions having taken one near London, l»ut these two t-ases complete the record for ( )ntario.
It is named among the birds found in the North-West hy Prof. Macoun, hut is not found in Mr. Thompson's list of the " I'.inls of Western Manitoha." It is much given to concealing itself among the rank herbage, and uuuf in some localities l)e a rare suiinnt!!' resident in Southern Ontario, but 1 do not expect to s«'e it here, except as a casual visitor.
(Jknus CHONDESTES Sw.vin.son. CHONDESTES GRAM M ACTS (S.w.).
'I'll. Lark Sparrow. (55l')
Head, curiously variegated with chestnut, Mack and wliito; (irowii, i:lie.stiuit, blackening on the forehead, divided by a median stripe antl bounded by two lateral stripes of white ; a black line through and another below the eye, enclosing a white streak under the eye and the chestnut auriculars ; next, a sharp black maxillary stripe, not (juite leivching the bill, cutting off a white stripe from the white chin and throat ; a black blotch on middle of breiist ; under parts, white, faintly shaded with grayish-brown ; up])cr jjarts, grayish- brown; the middle of the back with tine black streaks; central tail feathers, like the back, the rest jet black, broadly tipjHid with pure white in diminish- ing amount from the lateral pair inward, an<l the outer web of outer pair entirely white. Length, tiJ-T; wing, .SJ; tail, 3.
Hab.— Mississippi Valley region, from Ohio, Illinois and Michigan to the Plains, south to Eastern Texas. Accidental near the Atlantic coast (Massachusetts, Long Island, New Jersey and Washington, D.C. ).
Nest, on the ground, composed of dry grass.
Eggs, three to five, white, irregularly veined with dark.
In May, 1862, a pair of these birds was observed near Hamilton, and the male was obtained and shown to me shortly afterwards. I did not hear of the species again till the publication of the
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BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
■"List i>f Birds of Western Ontario," in 18S'J, in which it is men- tioiH'fl as " breedinii;, hut raie." More recently, Mr. Saunders informs me that it breeds rejj;uiarh' neai- London. In the spring of 1885, I saw several «)n the l>each near Hamilton, and it is also reported by Ml'. 'rhf)mpson as havino; been observed near Toronto.
It is evidently, like s< me others, making its way into Ontario arouiid the west end of Lake Erie, and all lovers of birds will do well to encourage its progress, for it is a sweet songster and a hand- some little bird of confiding, pleasing manners.
Gkni's ZONOTlilCHIA Swainson. ZONOTHiCHTA LEUCOPHRYS (Fohst.).
•2-2X. White-crowned Sparrow. (554)
Ai/ii/fi: Of l)()th si'Xi;s witli the crown puio white, eiiolo.sing on either aide .a ludiul l)liick stiipi; that meets its fellow on the forelicad and descends the lores to tlie level of the eyes, and hounded hy another black stripe that starts lu'iiind the eye and curves around the side of the hind head, nearly meeting its fi'Uow on the nape ; edge of undei' eyelid, white. Oi', we may say, crown Itlack, enclosing a median wliite stiij)e and two lateral white stripes, all conduent on the hind iioad. (Jeneral color, a tine dark ash, paler below, wliitcning insensibly on the chin and belly, more brownish on the rump, ciianging to dull brownish on tiie flanks and ('lissuui, the middle of the back streaked with dark ])urplish-bay and ashy-white. Xo bright bay like that of (tllucnUis anywiiere, except some edging on the wing covert and inner second- aries ; middle iind greater c'overts, ti))ped with white, forming two bars; no yellow anywhere ; bill and feet, redilisli. Vniinr/ : — Birds have the black of the head repla(;ed by a very rich waiin brown, the white of the head by pale lirownish, and the general ash has a ))r()wnish suti'usion and the back is more like nihirollis. Length, (>.2.')-7 : extent. 9.20-10.20 ; tail, 2.90-8.20.
Hah. North An\erica at large, breeding chiefly in the Rocky Mountain region (including Sierra Nevada) and noith-east to Labrador.
Nest, on the ground among the bushes, coniposed of grass and weeds, intermixed with moss and lined with tine, hair-like grass and rootlets.
Hggs. four or five, gi-omid color, greenish-blue, heavily clouded with caoco- late-bi-own. Very variable in j)attei'n.
The White-crowned Sparrow is a more northern bird than its white-throated relative, but it does not arrive so early in spring, seldom appearing along our southern border before the first week in May. During the tw(t succeeding weeks, it is very common a?nong 4^ he l)ramV)les atid thorn bushes by the wayside. j^
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW.
319
They tnivel in small compiiiiies of ten or twelve, the individuiiKs keepirxg each other in view, as they skulk from one brush pile to nnother to avoid being observed. My . e 25th of May they have all gone north, apparently far north, for I ha\(' no record of theii- having been found breeding in Ontario.
In the fall they are again seen on the return trip, but not in such great numbers as in the spring, and none have been observed to winter within our limits.
ZONOTRICHIA ALBICOLLTS (flMKi..).
229. White-throated Sparrow. (5oS)
Adult ))ia/( : — With tlio crown hhick, iliviiled by u mc<lian white .strijie, bounded by ii white superciliary line and yellow spot from the nostril to the eye ; below this a black stripe through the eye ; below this a maxillary black stripe bounding the indefinitely pure white throat, sharply c()ntrasted with the dark ash of the brciist and sides of the neck and liead ; edge of wing, yellow ; back, continuously streake<l with black, chestnut and fulvous-white ; rump, ashy, unmarked ; wings, much edged with bay, the white tips of the median and greater coverts forming two conspicuous bars ; quills and tail feathers, dusky, with pale edges ; below, white, shaded with ashj'-brown on sides, the ash deeper and purer on the breast ; bill, dai'k ; feet, pale. Female : — And immature birds with the black of "leail replaced by brown, the white of throat less conspicuously contrasted with the didler ash of surrounding j)arts, iind frequently with obscure dusky streaks on tlic breast and sides. Length, (JJ-Ti ; wings and tail, each about J-J.
Hab. — Eastern North America, west to the Plains, nortli to Labrador ami the Fur Countries. Breeds in Northern Michigan, Xorthern New York and Northern New England, and winters from the Middle States southward.
Nest, among the bushes, on or near tiie ground, composed of weeds, grass and moss, lined with fibre and thread-like rootleiri.
Eggs, four to six, variable in color and pattern, usually greenish -blue, ohnnled and blotched with chocolate-brown.
These beautiful Sparrows make their appearance in Southern Ontario about the 20th of April, and till the middle of May are seen among the shrubbery and underbush, working their way in small flocks towards their summer residence to the north of us. (ireat numbers are said to go right on to the Fur Countries, but many no doubt find suitable nesting places in the intermediate districts. T first found them breeding near a retired pond surrounded by tamaracks, in the township of Dumfries, about thirty miles north-
320
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
west of HfUTiilton. Tt was towards the close of a warm day in the early part of July, and the last rays of the sun were brighteuiii!^ the tops of the tamaracks, while, underneath, the still wateis of the pond, enclosed in a deep natural basin, were shrouded iii glooui. There was little to break the silence, till a bird, mounting to the topmost twig of one of the trees, his bill j)ointing upward, his tail hanging limp and motionless, and his whole attitude indicating lan- guor and weariness, drawled out the plaintive, familiar " Old Tom Peabody, Peabody." This song hanuonized so perfectly with the surroundings that I felt at once he was at home. The hour, the attitude, and above all the feeling of weariness expressed in the plaintive notes of the bird, reminded me strongly at the time of the Yellow-hammer of liritain.
Allan Brooks has also found this species breeding at Milton, a few miles north of the west end of Lake Ontario, but such cases are by no means common in this district. In the fall they are again seen in limited numbers, but at that season the plumage of the male has lost much of its brightness, and young and old, male and female, resemble each other in appearance.
Their food, which consists chiefly of seeds, is obtained on or near the ground. During October they are seen travelling from one brush pile to another, and by the end of that month they are gone for the season.
Genus SPIZELLA Bonapaute. SPIZELLA MONTICOLA (Gmel.).
230. Tree Sparrow. (059)
Bill, l)lack above, yellow below ; legs, brown ; toes, black ; no black on forehead ; crown, chestnut (in winter specimens tlie feathers usually skirted with gray) bordered by a grayish-white superciliary and loral line, an<l some vague cliestnut marks on sides of head ; below, impurely whitish, tinged with ashy anteriorly, washed with pale brownish posteriorly ; the middle of the breast witli an obscure duskj' blotch ; middle of back boldly streaked with black, bay and flaxen ; middle and lesser wing coverts, black, edged with bay and tipped with white, forming two conspicuous cross bars ; inner secondaries similarly variegated ; other (juills and tail feathers, dusky, witii pale edges. Length, 6 ; wing and tail, nearly 3.
Hab. — Kastern North America, westward to the Plains, and from the
CHIPPING SPARROW.
321
Aictii' Ocean south, in wintei'. to tlie Carolina^, Kentucky and Eastern Kansas. Hreeds noitli of llie United States, east of the Rocky Moui!tains.
Nest, indifferently on the ground or in a tree or hush, composed of grass, rootlets, mud, tine grass and hair.
I'iggs, Iduish-green, sjieckled and hlotched \\ Xh reddisli-ln'own.
Tn Southern Ontririo tlie Tree Sparrow i.s a regular winter visitor, arri\ ing from the north during tiu; montli of October, and remaining over the winter in sheltered hollows or among the brush and weeds b}^ the banks of streams. Tn appearance it does not look like a hai'dy bird, but while here it is exceedingly lively and cheerful, its silvei'v, tinkling notes l)eing frequently heard during the coldest snaps in winter. At the approach of spring all the Tree Sparrows niu\e off to the north, and none are observed during .summer.
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SPIZELLA SOCIALIS (Wils.). -'•■')l. Chipping Sparrow. (OGO)
All lilt :- -Hill, hlack : feet, ])alc : crown, chestnut, extreme forehead hluck, a grayish-wliite superciliai'v line, l)elo\v this a blackish stripe througli eye and over auricnlai's ; lielow, a variable shade of pale ash, nearly uniform and entirely unmarked : back, streaked witli Iduck, dull bay and grayishd)rown ; inner secondaries and wing coverts, similarly variegated, the tips of the greater and lesser covei'ts forming wliitish bars ; rump, ashy, with slight blackisli streaks ; j)rimaries and tail dusky, the l)ill ])ale bi'own, and tlie head lacking definite black. Length. r->-')}, ; wing, about '2iJ ; tail, rather less.
Hab. - Kastern North Ameiica, west to the Rocky Mountains, north to <;real Slave Lake, and south to Kastern Mexico.
Nest, in a busli or among tlie vines, composed of rootlets and tine grass, lined witli liorseduiir.
Eggs, tliree or foni', ))ale bluish-green, dotted, speckled or scrawled with dark brown.
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Prior to the ad^ ent of the House Sparrow, the Chipper was the most familiar and l)est known bird around our dwellings, and though now in the minority, it still builds its nest in the garden, and comes familiarly near t'>e dooi* to pick up crumbs for the support of its family.
It is \ery generally distributed over Ontario, l)eing found near the dwellings of rich and poor alike ; in shade trees in the city as well as in weedy cf»rners and thorn bushes in the pasture-field.
It arrives from the south about the end of April, and at once 21
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BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
begins building its nest. It is most diligent in the discharge of its varied domestic duties during the summer, and when the young are able to shift for themselves, old and young get together in fl(»cks, and about the end of October all move ofH to the south.
SPIZELLA PU8ILLA (Wils.). 232. Field Sparrow. (oO.S)
Hill, ))ale recMiHli ; feet, very pale ; crown, dull cliestuut ; no decidetl black oi' wliitissli about head ; below, white, unmarked, but niucli waslied with pale brown on bi'east and sides ; sides of head and neck, witii some ague brown markings ; all the ashy parts of nociafiK replaced by i)ale brownish ; back, bright bay, witii black streaks and some pale flaxen edgings ; innei' secondaries, similarly variegated ; tips of median and greater coverts forming deciiled wiutish cross-bars. Size of .soc/m/As, but more nearlj- the colors of iiwiilico/d. Yon III/ : — For a shoi't time, streake<l below as in .sor'/'fi/M.
Hab. — Eastei'u United States and Southern (Canada, west to the Plains.
Nest, on tiie ground, or near it, in a low l>ush, composed of grass and rootlets, lined witli tine grass and hail'.
Kggs, foui' oi' five, greenish-white, vai'iously marked with reddisli-bi'own.
The Field Sj)arrovv is sparingly distributed in suitable places in Southern < )ntari(), which probably forms its northei'n limit. It arrives from the south during the first week in May, and soon makes its presence known by its pleasing ditty, which proceeds from the top of a low tree or bush in the pasture field. It resembles the Chipper in size, but is more like the Tree Sparrow in coloring. The cinnamon-tinted bill is always a ready mark by which to distinguish it from any other of the small sparrows.
It raises two bro-ils in the season and retires to the south in September.
Gknus JUNCO \Va(jler. J UNCO HYEMALIS (Linn.).
'-'.'?.'{. Slrite-colored Junco. (567)
Blackish-ash ; below, abruptly pure white from the breast ; two to three outer tail feathers, white ; bill, flesh colored. In the female, and in fact in most fall and winter specimens, the upper parts have a more grayish, or even a (lecidedly brownish cast, and the inner (piills are edged with pale bay. Lengtii, (i-(ii ; wing and tail, about ',i.
iinil
SONG SPARROW.
323
Hab.— North America at lai'ge, Imt chiefly east of tlie Rocky Mountains, breeding from the higiier parts of the Alleghanies and Xortliern New York, and northern New Knghmd northward ; soutii in winter to the (Jwlf States.
Nest, on the giound, rarely in a husli alxjve it, composed of strips of bark, gi'ass and rootlets, lined with moss and hair.
Kggs, four or five, greenish-white, spotted and l)lot<;hed with reddish-hrown.
In Houthern Outurio the "White IJill, ' as this species is familiarly called, may fairly l>e considered resident, for althouj^h it is most numerous in April and October, it lireeds connnonly throughout the country, and a few are always observed remainin<f during the wintei-.
It is a veiy familiar species, showing a marked partiality for rocky ravines, quarries and stone heaps. ft is also common by the roadsides and in gullies and other uncultivated {)laces, but in the dense bush we seldom see it, until we come to a spot where men and horses have been at work felling and hauling timber, in such a place at all seasons, its white tail feathers are almost sure to be noticed Hirting al)Out among the luush. The ordinary note of this species is a simple "*•////>,"' like the sound pnxJuced l)y striking two pebl)les together, but in the spring the male has a lather pleasing little song, with which he cheers his mate while they are fitting up their home.
This species extends its migrations a long way to the north, where Mi-. Nelson says ; " This is one (>f the rarest sparrows visiting the coast of the Behring Sea. It is, however, much more numerous in the interior, and is found more or less ccjinmon along the entire course of the Yukon, at the mouth of which it breeds."
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Ukms :MEL0SPIZA Baird. MELOSPTZ.V FASCIATA ((^mkl.).
'2:U. Song Sparrow. (')^\)
Helow, white, slightly shaded with brownish on the flanks and crissiini, breast and sides with numerous <lusky sti'eaks, with brown edges, coalescing to foi'ni a pectoral blotch, and maxillary stripes bo\mding the throat ; crown dull bay, with tine black streaks, divided and bounded on eitliei- side by ashy-whitish lines ; vague brown or dusky and wiiitisii nutrkings on the sides of the head ; the interscapular streaks black, with liay and ashy-white edgings ; rump and cervi.\, grayish-brown, :» ith merely a few bay nuvrks ; wings with dull ))a}' edgings, the coverts and i'lner <juills marked like the interscapulars ; tail, obviously longer than the wings, pale brown, with darker
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BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
ahiift lines on the middle feathers at least, and often with obsolete wavj- markings. Length, (i-fi^ ; wing, a))ont 2i ; tail, al)out 3.
Hab. — Eastern United States to the Plains, breeding from Virginia and. tiie northern portion of the Lake States northward.
Nest, on the gronnd, more rarely on a low tree or bnsh, composed of rootlets and leaves, lined with fine grass and occasionally some horse-hair.
Eggs, four or five, very variable in marking, nsually grayish or greenish- M'hite, blotched or spotted witli brown, the shades of which ditl'er greatly in 4litt'erent specimens.
This is an abundant summer resident, and one which seeks the iciety of man, being found wherever human habitations ha\e lieen raised witliin its range. Large numbers pass on to the north in April, returning again in October on their way south, V)ut they do not all leave us. While getting on or off the ice on Hamilton Bay in the '^^pth of winter, I have several times been surprised by seeing a i.i(a)v. Sparrow rise from among the flags, whicli at that season have a I i .sKf)w, and no doubt afford a comfortable shelter to the
liitle bird;?, In the same locality, on a comparatively mild day in 1 lie iiiddit ' f /iiter, I have seen a male of this species mount to the tup of b'll ad w.),rble forth his pleasing, familiar notes, pei'haps
in appreciac.vM t ' ' rising temperature.
In the " Birds of Ohio," Dr. Wheaton mentions the following singular instance of the strong attachment which this species has for its nest. Some laborers, who were cutting grass on a railroad track near Columljus, found a nest of a Song Sparrow on the embank- ment, and though rather a delicate piece of work for this class of men to undertake, they moved it from its original site among the grass and placed it gently, but loosely, on the fork of a horizontal limb of a maple sapling, three feet from the trunk. Instead of deserting the nest, as many birds would have done, or attempting to secure it to the limb on which it was placed, the sparrows brought long stems of timothy grass, and twisted them together and around a limb extending over the nest at a distance of one and a half feet. The lower ends of these stems were firmly fastened into the rim of the nest, and other stems were woven in transversely, forming a complete basket. The whole structure resembled an inverted balloon, and in this remarkable construction the eggs were hatched and the young safely raised. After the nest was deserted, the guy ropes were found to be sufficiently strong to bear up the nest, after the limb on which it was placed had been removed. , The Song Sparrow is generally distributed throughout Ontario,
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LINCOLN S SPARROW.
325
and extends its summer visit to the Fur Countries. Tt is not at any season gregarious, each individual coming and going as suits itself. Tt is so common everywhere, that should those frecjuenting any given (.listrict all take wing at one time, the Hock would be very large.
MELOSPTZA LINCOLNI (Aud.). 235. Lincoln's Sparrow. (583)
Below, white ; breast Itanded and sides often shaded witli yellowish ; every- where, except on the belly, thickly and sharply streake<l with dusky ; above, grayish-brown, crown and back with blackish, bi'ownish and paler streaks ; tail, grayish-brown, the feathers usually showing l)lackish shaft lines ; wings, the same, the coverts and inner (juills blackisli, with bay and wiiitish edgings ; no yellow on wings or head. Length, r)J ; wing and tail, about 2A.
Hab. — North America at hirge, breeding chiefly ncrtii of the United States and in the higher parts of the Rocky Mountains, south in wintci' to (iuatcniala.
Nest, on the ground, composed of grass throughout, the finest used for lining inside.
Eggs, four to six, greenish -white, clouded with brown.
Nest and eggs scarcely distinguishable from those of the Song Sparrow.
This quiet little Sparrow is almost ;nknown in the east, although it has been found at a number of different points, and from its retiring habits may be more common than we think it is.
_ Audubon found it first in Labrador, the young being able to Hy on 4th of July. Tt has occasionall}' been captured during the season of migration, chiefly in Massachusetts and Connecticut, and there is in the Bulletin of the Nuttal Club, 1878, an account of a nest being found by Mr. Bagg in ITamilton County, N.Y.
Ontario was without a record of this species till the ■23rd of May, 1885, when K. C. McTlwraith got into a bird wave which had been stopped at Hamilton Beach by a head wind during the previous night, and from a crowd, composed of different classes in large numbers, picked out two Lincoln's Sparrows, and on the 25th he got two more at the same place. Since that time Mr. George H. White reports having taken one at Ottawa, and Mr. Saunders has also secured one at London.
Tn the west the history of the species is entirely different. Mr, Trippe, writing from Colorado, says : " Lincoln's Finch is abundant and migratory. Tt breeds from about 9,500 or 10,000 feet up to the timber line. Tt arrives at Tdaho Springs early in May, and soon
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becomes very common, haunting' the thickets and brush heaps b}- the brooks, and l)ehavinf,' very much like the Hon<,' Sparrow. During th(! })reeding season, it is most al)un(lant amcmg the bushes near and above timber line, nestijig as hi<,'h as it can find the shelter of widows and junipers. Hea})pearing in the valleys in Oct<)l)er, it lingers by the streams for a few weeks and then disajjpears.."
It is also said to be abundant in spring and fall in Iowa, and Mr. Ridgway reports it as wintering in great numbers in Southern Illinois.
ft has been found breeding at Fort Yukon in Alaska, and also throughout tiie northern portions of British America to the Arctic Ocean.
MELOSPIZA GEOUGIANA (Lath.). •2:W. Swamp Sparrow. {^>>^^)
Cfown, l)rigl)t hay m- clicstmit, l)lackeniiig on the foiehoad, often with an ohiScure median ashy hue and usually streaked witli hlack ; cervix, sides of head and neck and the hreast, strongly ashy, with vague dai-k auricular and maxillary nuirkings, the latter hounding the whitish chin, the ashy of the hreast ohsoletely streaky ; helly, whitisii ; sides, flanks and crissuni, strongly shaded with l)rown and faintly sti'eaked ; hack and rump, hrown, rather darker than the sides, boldly streaked with hlack and pale hrown or grayish ; wings so strongly edged with l)right hay as to appear almost unifoi'mly of this color when viewed closed, hut inner secondaries showing l)lack with whitish edging ; tail, likewise strongly edged with ha}- and usually showing hlack shaft lines. Further distinguished from its allies )»y the eni))hasis of the hlack, haj' and ash. Length, o^-ti ; wing and tail, 2.|-'2;\.
Hab. — Eastern North America to the Plains, accidentally to Utah, north to the British Provinces, including Xewfoundland and Labradoi-. Breeds from the Northern States northward, and winters in the Middle States and south- ward.
Nest, on the ground in a moist place, sometimes in a tussock of grass or low bush, composetl of weeds, gi'ass and rootlets, lined %\ ith fine fibrous substances.
Eggs, four to six, grayish-white, speckled with reddish-brown.
This is, perhaps, the least known of any of our common Sparrows, for it seldom comes within reach of the ordinary observer, and even by the collector it is apt to be overlooked, unless he knows its haunts and goes on purpose to .seek it. It is ver}^ common by the shores of Hamilton Bay, where it may be seen skulking along the line where land and water meet, and if disturbed at once hides itself among the
FOX SI'AKROW.
327
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rank herbage of the marsh. Occasionally, during the excitement of the mating season, a male will mount a bulrush and warble out his not unjtleasant song, l)Ut most of their time is spent in placets which are difKcult of access either by land oi" watei-, and therefore they are seldom seen.
This species is common during the bi-eeding season throughout Ontario and Manitoba. It was found in Lal)rador l)y Audulion, and Richardson records its occurrence at Fort Simpson.
They arrive from the south early in May and leave again in October, none being observed during winter.
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Gexus PASSERELLA Swaixso.n. PAS8ERELLA ILIACA (Mkkr.).
23
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Fox Sparrow. ("tHo)
General color, ferruginous or rusty -red, purest antl hriglilest on the rump, tail and wings; on the otiier upper parts appearing a.s streaks laid o<i an ashy ground ; below, white, variously )iut thickly niai'ked, except on the l)elly and crissinn, with rusty red ; the markings anteriorly in the form f)f difluse conHuent l)lotehea, on the breast and sides consisting chiefly of sharp sagittate spots and pointed streaks ; tips of middle and greater coverts forming two whitish wing bars ; under mandible, dark ; lower, mostly yellow ; feet, pale. Length, 6J-7i ; wing and tail, each .3 or more.
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BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
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H.AB. — KivHteni Noi'tli Aiiicri<:ii, west to tlie I'laiiis aiicl Aliisku (ViillfV ot t\w Yukon to tilt! I'acitic), tiiid from tlio Ar(;ti<: Coast soutli to the (iulf States. Breeils north of the Uuitud States, winters chiefly south of the I'otoniiie iiiul Oliio Rivers,
Nest, indifferently on the j^round or in a tree, composed of grass, moss and fibrous roots, lined with iiair and feathers.
Kggs, four to six, greenish-white, thickly spotted w ith rustylirown.
This large and handHomc Sparrow lu'ceds in the north and \vint(M'H in the south, but l)y what particulai' route it ])asses between tlie two points I am at a loss to determine, foi- in this pai't of Ontario it is seldom seen.
In the London list it is mentioned as " lare durinjf mi<,'ratioii, four or five specimens taken." Fn all my ranii)les I have only met with it a few times, and but once have I heard it utter its rich, musical notes, which are the admiration of all who hear them. Speakin<; of this species, Dr. Coues, in his " Hirds of the North-West, " says : " During the sunny days which precede theii- departure, the males are fond of perching on the top of a small ti-ee or bush to warble a few exijuisitely sweet notes, the overture of the joy<JUs music which, later in the year, enlivens the northern solitudes whithei- the birds resort to breed." The nest has not been found within the limits of the United States or Ontaiio, so far as I am awai'e, but in tlie list of "Birds of Western Manitoba," Mr. Thompscm mentions it as breeding on Duck Mountain.
Audubon found it bi-eediny; in Labrador in .lulv; it is kiu)wn to spend the summer in Newfoundland. Kennicott jtiid ^Facfarlane found it breeding in the Arctic Regions.
Of Alaska, Mr. Nelson says: " Along the coast of Norton Sound, this bird is an abundant summer resident, sharing with the Tree Sparrows the bushy shelter of the alder thickets on the hill-sides and sheltered ravines. Wherever, along the northern coast, a fair- sized alder patch occurs, this hardy species may confidently l)e looked
for On pleasant frosty mornings at this season, the males take
their stand upon the roof of the highest building, or the cross upon the (Ireek church, just back of the dwellings, whence they [>our forth their clear thrush-like whistle."
I have noticed it once or twice passing south in Octol)er, but none have been observed during the winter.
TOWHEE.
nS!)
;is
(iEMS PIPILO ViKILLOT.
PJPTLU EHYTHKOPHTHALMUS (Linn.). . IMS. Towhee. ('^x')
Atiii/f uifili : — lilauk ; l)t'lly, wliite 8i<lt'», chestnut; crissuin, fiilvoimbiowii ; priiniuieH anil inner Hec'ondaiifs witli wliite toiu'lies on the outer welm ; outer tail featliers with the outer weh and nearly the terminal half of the inner web wliite, the next two or tlii'ee with white Hjiots, deereaHing in si/e ; hill, hhu'kiHh ; feet, pale brown ; iris, red in the adult, white or creamy in the i/oiin<j, and generally in winter specimens. t\)iiah' : — Rich waiiii lnown wliere the niah; is l)la(;k ; otiierwise similar. Very yoiiiuj. birds are streaked brown and iliisky above ; below, whitisii, tinged with brown and streaked witli dusky. Length, male, HA ; wing, '^h ; tail, 4 ; female rather less.
Hab. — Kastern United States and Southern Canada, west to the Plains.
Nest, on the ground, more rarely in a busii or sapling, a ruile structure, composed of gra])e-vine liark, weed stalks, leaves and gi'ass, lined witii tint' vegetable fibre.
Kggs, tiu'ee or four, variable, usually white, tliickly freckled witii reddisii- brown.
This species has a int)ie northern i-ange than we have been in the habit of attributing to it, for it was found by Prof. Macoun in the Noi'th-West Territory, and Mi'. Thompson reports it as common in Southern Manitoba. Fn Southern Ontario it arrives fioni the south about the 1st of May, the males coming on a few days ahead of the females. Much of their time is spent on the ground, scratching and rustling about amt)ng the withered leaves in search of seeds and insects. During the pairing time, the male will frequently rise from the scrub bush to the lower branch of a tree, and sing his original song in his best style, accompanying the perfoi'mance witli many a jerk and flirt of his long handsome tail, which shows to advantage on these occasions. If we sit down to watch his motions for a little, we may be favored with a glimpse of the female stealing through the underbrush, but except under such circumstances she is rarely seen.
This is one of the species which apparently enters Ontario from the south-west, for on looking at the dates of its arrival at London and Chatham, we find it is always there before it reaches Hamilton, while at Ottawa Mr. White has not met with it at all.
During the heat of summer, the loud, ringing Towhee, which has given the birds their common name, is discontinued, and they
380
lUUDS OF ONTARIO.
Hpciid their time (juietly in thti Hhade. In ScptemlMT it is again luiard, |)t'iliaj)s as a Imglc nott^ to call tlu' flocks toj^etlicr hcfor*' starting' foi" the south. \V<' have no rcooni of any heinj^ observed duriii'' winter.
Genus CAKDINALIS Bonaparte. CAHDINAMS CAIiDlNALIS (Linn.).
'2-M). Cardinal. (59:?)
Mti/i' : — liicli voi'inilioii or roMv-red, obscured witli tisliy on the hack ; face, Ma(;k ; Idll, reiMisli ; feet, l)rowii. Feinn/e: — Ashy -hvowii, palei' lielow, with evident trace.s of the red on tlie crest, wings, tail antl under parts. Length, Kit ; wing, iihout .'iij ; tail, 4.
Hab. — KaHtern United States, noith to New Jersey and the Oliio Valley (casually farther), west to tiie Plains.
Nest, in a bush oi' low tree near tlie ground, usually' not far fi'oni water, 4;oinposed of hark, leaves, grass and rootlets rather loosely put together.
Kggs, throe or four, greenish-white, thickly spotted with dark reddish- brown often wreathed round tiie larger end.
The C'ardinal can only l)e ref^arded as a casual visitor ^ our
south western holder. It is quite conunon in Ohio, and, as might he expeeterl, a few occasionally cn^ss the lake. Mr. Norval reports one or two being foujul at Port Rowan, and Dr. Macalluni mentions that a few are seen eveiy sununer along the lake shore .south of Dunnville, where they are supposed to breed among the evergreens. They make showy, interesting cage birds, on account of which great numbers are caught in trap cages and .sold in the .southei-n markets.
Dr. Coues de.scribes the Cardinal as "a bird of striking appear- ance and brilliant vocal })owei's, resident and abundant from the Middle States southward ; inhabits thickets, tangle and undergrowth of all kinds, whence issue its rich, rolling notes, while the performer, brilliantly clad as he is, often (>ludes observation b}' his shyness, vigilance and activity."
(JkNUH HAIUA HKirilKNHACII.
HAIUA LUDOVTCTANA (Linn.). -HO. Rose breasted Grosbeak, (i")!)'))
Ailiill Din/i : — With head ami ncfk all fouml and m<wt of the iipjuT pai'ts, l)laik ; tlie r\imj), uppei' tail coverts and luidfi- j)ait.s, wliite ; tlie lneaMt and under wing coverts, exijuiaite carmine or lose-red ; wingH and tail, hlack, variegated with white ; hill, pale ; feet, daik. /-'f ///«A . — Ahovc. sti'cakvd witli l>lacki.-<h and <>li\e or lluvcn hrown with nieilian wliite coronal and .snperriliary line ; helow. wliite, more or' less tinged with fulvous and streaked with dusky ; under wing coveils, satl'ron \ cUow ; upper eoverts and inner ((uills with a wldte spot at end ; liill, hrown. ) nnj ii)al< -^ -At first resend)le the female. Length, 7i-8.i ; wing, ahout 4 ; tail. alio\it 'A^.
H.\B. — Kasterii United States and Soutliern Camida. west to tlie eastern honler of tiie Plains, soutli in winter to Cului, (.'entral America and Noi'thcrn Soutli America.
Nest, in a low tree, composed of twigs, vegetahle tihre and grass, I'ather loosely put together.
Kggs. tiiree or four, greenishddue, thickly ••potted with reddishdirown.
This lubu.st and jj;aily attired songster arrives from the south ahout the 10th of ^Fay, and .soon its rich, rollinj^ .song is heard in the trees and thickets where it spends the sununer. It l)reeds reguhirly along the southern l)order of Ontario, and has also beeti found in Labrador and in the Ked Ki\(r Valley. Its favorite haunts are -along the wooded banks of sti earns, where, even at noonday, when most other birds are silent the male, in the shade of the luxuriant foliage, cheers his mate during the tedious hours of incubation with the song she loves to hear. The food of the species consists of .seeds, buds and berries, but it also takes a variety of insects, and is one of the few birds which visit the potato patch and snap up the potato
i!li
m
1 i:'
in l1*
1^
III
:^
332
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
buj^H. C)n this account alone, it is entitled to our protection, hut it is also one of the most attractive hinls which visit the shrublterv, and should be most welcome if it could be tauf^ht to consider itself protected and come nearer to our dwellings.
Before retii-ing in the fall, the males lose the greater portion of their lilack, but retain the carmine on the breast and under wing coverts.
Genus PA8SE11INA Vieillot. PA8SERTNA CYANEA (Linn.).
241. Indigo Bunting. (598)
All nit uiolc : — Blue, tinged with ulti'a-iiiiifiiie on tlie head and tliroat, elsewhere witli verdigris-green ; wings and tail, lilaekish, glossed witli green; featliers ai'ound base (»f l)ill, l)lack ; l)ill, dark above, rather palei' below, with a curious l)lack stripe along the gonys. F< iiia/i- : — Above, plain warm bi'own ; lielow, whitey-bi'own, obsoletely streaky on the lireast and sides; wing coverts and inner quills, pale edged, l)ut not whitish ; uppei' mandible, blackish, lower l)ale, with the black sti'ipe just mentioned. Voiiii;/ iiia/i- : — Is like the female, but soon shows blue ti'aces, and afterwards is blue, with white variegation below. Length, .lA ; wing, 2'^ ; tail, 2S.
Hab. — Eastein United States, south in winter to Veragua.
Nest, in a busii, composed of leaves, grass and weed stalks, lined with tiner material of the same kind.
Kggs, four oi' five, white, tinged with l)lue, sometimes speckled with reddish-brown.
About the loth of May, the Indigo arrives from the south, and at once connnences to deliver his musical message, such as it is, with considerable animation. While so engaged, he is usually perched on the upper twig of a dead limb, withiti hearing of the female, who is of retiring habits and seeks to elude observation amcmg the Ijriars and underbrush.
It is i-ather ;i tender species, and probably does not peneti-ate far north into r>ntario. It is not mentioned either by Pi-of. Macoun or by Mr. Thompson as having been seen in the North-West, and by the middle of Sei)tember it has disappeared from Southern Ontario. The rich plumage and lively manners of the male make hira (juite conspicuous while here. Individuals vary considerably in the regularity of their coloring and in the intensity of the blue, but a male in rich spring plumage is a very handsome little bird.
A favorite resort of the species near Hamilton is about the railroad track, near the waterworks reservoir.
DICKCISSEL.
333
Gkxls SPTZA Bovapahtk. SPIZA AMERICANA ((Imkl.).
242. Dickcissel. (004)
Male .— Al)ove, grayish-brown ; the iniihlle of the hack. Htrcakcil with hlack ; the hind neek, ashy, lieconiing on the ci'own yeUowish-olive, with Itlaek touches : a yellow i<U|)er(iliarv line ami maxillary touch of tlie samc^ ; eyelid, white ; eai' coverts, asliy ; t:liin, white ; thi-oat, witii a large jet hlaek patch ; under parts in general, wliite, .shaded on the .sides, exten.sively tinged with yellow on the hieast and helly ; edge of wing, yellow ; lesser and middle coverts, ricii chestnut, the other coverts and inner secondaries edged with paler: hill, dark horn blue: feet, hi'own. Fitnnh: — Smallei' : above, like the male, but head and neck plainei' ; below, less tinged with yellow, the black throat jiatch wanting and re))hiced by sparse sharp maxillary and pectoral streaks. Length, <)A-7 ; wing, 2.1 ; tail, i^.
Had. — Eastern l.^nited States to the Hoi:ky Mountains, north to Massa- I'husetts, New ^'oi'k, Wisconsin ami .Minnesota, and south in winter through Central America to Northei'u South America.
Nest, on the ground or in a low bush, built of leaves and tine grass.
Kggs, fotu' or five, greenish-wiiite, sometimes s|)eckleil witii I'eddish-brown.
The only i-ecord we liave jit pivseiit (»f tlie IMiick-tliroatt'd liuntiiiji; us a bird of Ontai'i(» is tliat tui'iusheil l)v ^Ir. SauiidtM's, in the Aiik, for July, 1SS5, paf;;e .S07. The writer di'sc'iil)es findin<i the sjH'cies in June, 1S84, at Point Pel(>e, iit the west end of Lake Erie. The birds wei'e tolerably eominon and evidently l)ieedin<i;, one or two pairs beinff in eveiy field within a limited district, but it was oidy after considerable waiting and watchinjj; that the pai'tv succeetled in discoverinij a nest with fi\e fiesh efj;jfs.
It is just possible that " Dickcissel, " like some otheis, lia\ in^i leached the noi-th shoi'e of Lake Erie, may come alonjf as far as Lake Oiitai'io, but it is rather a weakly, tender species, and we hai'dly expect to see it much noith of the present limit, althou,<,di there are several records of its capture in Massachusetts and Con- necticut.
I
« r. " 3
II
334 HIKUS OF ONTARIO.
Family TANAGRID^. Tanaoers.
Genus PFRANGA Vieillot.
PIRANGA ERYTHROMELAS (Vieill.).
' 24;{. Scarlet Tanager. (008)
J/«/(- ;— Soai'let, with hlack wings find tail ; bill and feet, dark. Ft mal'' : — Clear olive gi'een ; below, cleai- greenish -yellow ; wings and tail, dusky, edged with oli\-e. Vonii;/ mnfi- :— At first like the female, afterwards variegated with red, green and black. Length, 7-"4 ; wing, 4 ; tail, l^.
Hah. — Kastern United States, west to the Plains and nortli to Southern Canada; in wiiitei-, the West Indies, C'euti'al Anieri(^a and Nortiieru South Amei'ica.
Nest, on the horizontal limb of a low tree on the oiitskii'ts of the busli. a shallow, saucer-shaped structure, composed of vine-bark, lootlets and leaves, lined with vegetable Hbi'e.
Kggs, three to Hve, tluU greenish-blue, spotted with reddish-brown and lilac.
The .Scarlet Tanager is <jne of uur most brilliantly colored birds, but his rich plinnaf,'e is all he has to coinniend him to popular favor, for he is neither hantlsorae in form nor eloijuent in top<i[ue. Still he sini^s liis song as well as he can, and it prol)ably pleases the female foi- whose gratification it is intendt^d, so we let him pass. [n Ontario the species is peculiai* to the soutli and nuikes but a short stay, arriving al)out the 10th of May and leaving again about the middle of September.
Tn the fall the bright scarlet of the male's plumage is replaced In' green, but he retains the black on wings and tail.
The food of the species consists chieflj' of insects, in the capture of which considerable dexterity is exhibited. In the fall, when the wild berries are ripe, the Tanagers take to them with e\ ident relish^ and tlu)ugh they usually keep to the retired parts of the woods^ sometimes at this season they ^■isit the fanners i-aspbei-ry patch in such numbers that they leave but little fiuit for household "se.
Tn Southern Ontario they are generally distiil)uted but nowhere abundant.
Tn Manitoba they occur only as stragglers during summei-. In the history of American birds, it is stated that at least three years is required before the male assumes the perfect plumage. Tn the fiist year the young male is like the female, but has the l)lack wings and tail, while in the following year the red predominates in patches.
SUMMER TANAGER,
385-
l)y
I u I'e tlie isli,
in
Tn
•s is ii'st iuul
PIRANGA RUBKA (Linn.). •-'44. Summer Tanager. (filO)
Mall.- — Rich lose-ieil or vermilion, including wings anil tail; tlie wings, liowever, dusky on the innei' webs ; bill, ratiier i)al«; ; feet, ilai'ker. /'( hki'c .— Dull bi'ownish-olive ; below, dull brownish-yellow. Yoiiii;/ malt : — Like the female ; the male changing plumage, shows red and green confused in irregular patches, but no black. The fenuile, with general resemblance to female injthro- iiif/a.f is distinguished by the dull brownish, ochre or butty tinge, the gieenish and yellowish of i ri/fliromc/as being nnujh purer ; tiie liill and feet also are generally much paler in ruhra. Size of irythrotncla-t or ratiier larger'.
Hah.— Eastern United States to tiie Plains, north to Soutiiern Xew .lersey and Southei'U Illinois, casually noi'tii to Connecticut and Ontario, and accident- ally to Nova Scotia ; in winter, Cuba, Centi'al America and Northern South America.
Nest, on the horizontal bough of a tree, composed of strips of bark, rootlets and grass, lined with tine grass an<l fibre.
Kggs, three to five, light green, spotted with ieildish-])rown and lilac.
We sometimes meet in the humbler walks of life people with little education, who, from a natural love of the subject, are wonderfully correct in their observation of the l)irds.
A man of this class, who, at the time of which I speak, li\cd near a clump of bush on the "mountain," above the reservoii', thiee miles east of Hamilton, told me that one summer while he lived there a number of red birds, which had not black \vin<,'s and tail like the common kind, bred near his house. I felt sure he was descril)ini,' the Summer lied Bird, and looked throu;,di that bush with interest every subseijuer spring, but it was not till ^lay, ISS."), that T found thf first and only individual of the species I ever saw in Canada, it was a female in fine adult plumage, and was anumg a group of Scarlet Tanagers, which apparently had just arrived from the south, and were enjoying the last rays of the setting sun that gilded the topmost twigs of a dead tree in the bush already referivd ttj. [ndividuals have been found straggling as far north as Massa- chusetts and Connecticut, but the home of the species is farther south, and the above is the only record for Ontario.
Mr. Ridgway says that the male reijuirea several years to attain the full plumage, immature individuals showing a mixture of red and yellow in relative proportions, according to the age.
ih
336
BIRDS OF ONTAllIO.
li'
Family HIRUNDINTD^. Swallows.
(Jknus PROGNE Boie.
PHOGNE SLTBIS (Lixx.).
•-'!"). Purple Martin. (Oil)
Lustrous l)lue-l)lack ; tlie female ami i/oini;/ nm muc]i iliiller above, and more or less wliite ))elow, streaked witli gray. Length, 7 or nioi'e ; wing, nearly (i ; tail, lU, simply forked.
H.\n. — Temperate Xoilli Amei'iea, south to Mexico.
Nest, of hay, straw, hits of twine and paper, lined with feathers.
Eggs, four or five, j)ure white, gloss}', oblong, pointed at one end.
The Purple Martin arrives in Southerii Ontario about the 10th of ]Vray, and thou<j;h generally distributed is nowhere abundant. Its original nesting place was in a knot-hole or other hollow in a tree, but now, seeking the society of men, it raises its young in boxes put up for its accommodation, or in the interstices of the Gothic archi- tectui'e of our city buildings.
Its flight is rapid and its aerial evolutions often e.xtreinely grace- ful, while at other times it may be .seen sailing, hawk-like, with very little action of the wings.
The Martins are general fa\orites in town and countr}-, and ai-e made welcome everywhere. Before leaA'ing in the fall they have a grand gathering, which is tlius described by Dr. Wheaton in the " Birds of Ohio":
"After the breeding season is f)ver, these birds congregate towards night in large flock;?, and having selected a suitable cornice on some high Ijuilding, make preparations for spending the night. Tlie retiring ceremony is very complicated and formal, to judge from the number of times they alight and rise again, all the while keeping up a noi.sy chattel'. It is not until twilight deepens into evening that all are huddled together in silence and slumber, and their slumbers are often disturbed by some youngster who falls out of bed, amid tlie derisive laughter of his neighl)ors, which is clianged to petulant scolding as he clambers over them to his perch, tumbling others down. All at once the scene of last night's disturbance is (juiet and deserted, for the birds have flown to unknown southern lands, wliere they find less crowded beds and shorter, warmer nights."
It occurs in Manitol)a as a rare sunmier resident, and that seems to be the northern limit of the species.
v|
CLIFF SWALLOW,
im
(Jkxis PKTHOCHEIJDON Cauams. PETHOCHELIDOX LTNlKltONS (Say.).
-U6. Cliff Swallow. (012)
LiLstiDus steel -1)1 lie ; forelieud. wliiti^ili or lnowii ; ruin]), rufous ; ciiiii, tliioiit iiuil sides of lieatl, cliestnut ; a steel-l)lue spot on the tliroat ; hreiist. sides and generally a (.'ervical (Millar, rusty-gray, wliiteniiig on the lielly. Ytiiiiii/: — Suttieiently siinilai'. Lengtii, ."> ; wing, 4A ; tail, •2:J.
H.vi!. — Nortli America at large, and soiitli to iirazil and Paraifuav.
Nest, a tlask-shaped Imilding of niiul, lined with wool, featlieis and l)its of stiaw.
I'lggs, four Of five. \\ hite. s|)otted witji reddisli-lnown.
Eai'ly ill Muy, tlie Cliff Swallow crosses tlie soutlicni hordcr of Ontario, and itiadiialiy work.s its way up to the far north, lueediiig in colonies in suitaMe places all ovei' tlie country. In towns and \ illaiies, the nests ar(.> placed under the eaves of outhouses ; in the country, they are fastened under projectinLf led^'es of rock and hard embankments. The birds are of an amiable, sociable disposition, as many as lifty families l)eing sometimes ol)served in a colony witliout the sli^ditest si^ni of (|uarrellini;. Two broods are raised in the season, and by the end of Auj^ust they l)ei;in to move ort' and are seen no more till s))rin<;'. They are .somewhat fastidious in their choice of a nestinfj; jtlace, and on this account are not equally abundant at all points, but still they are very numerous throughout tlie Province, passing; alon^ to the North-West, where Mr. Thompson i('l)orts them as bi-eedinii abundantly in Manitoba. On the iioun- dary, at Pembina, Dr. Coues noticed them as the most abundant of the family, and he traced them all along the line we.stward to the liockies.
Ill Alaska, Mr. l)all st;i,tes that he found the species nesting at Nullato, ''about tlu trading stations, and was told l)y the natives that it nested on the faces of the sandstone cliffs along the Yukon, before tiie advent of the white man placed at its disposal the con- venient shelter of the trading-post. Tiie birds were (piick to tjike advantage of the hospitality offered tiiem, and to change from their ]»rimitive nesting sites to civilized domiciles."
•>•)
L.
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If
338 HIllDS OF ONTARIO.
(iKNUH CHKLIDON FOKSTKK.
CHKLIDON EHYTHRO(^ASTHH (Hodd.). 247. Barn Swallow. (<)l.<)
Lustrous stoel-Miie ; liulow, rufous or pale i^lit'.stiiut of viuying shinle ; forehoad, chin and throat, (leej) cliestiiut ; Ijicast. witli an inipui'fect stoel-Muc collar; tail, with white .spots on the inner well of all the featheis, e.\coj)t the innei' pair. Sexes alike, i/oiiii;/, less lustrous, much paler helow ; tail, simply forked. Wing, 4\.4:l i tail, 2h-'>.
Hab. — North America in yeneral. from tlie Kur Countries southward to the West Indies, Central America and South America.
Nest, in a liarn or other outbuilding, composed of pellets of mud and hit.-* of straw, and lined with feathers.
Kggs, four or five, white, s|)otted with reddish-hrowii.
While the Cliff Swallow chooses to fix its nest oufsidf the buildinjf under the eaves, tlie present sjiecies prefei-s the irix'uh', where it:> (Iwellin*^ is seen attached to the beams and rafters.
They, too, are to some extent yrej^arious, as many as twenty or thirty pairs being ot'ten found nesting together in the same outhouse.
The Swallows, as a class, from their great raj>iditv of Hight an«l graceful aerial evolutions, are the most easily recognized of all oui- birds, and this species is perhaj)s the most accomplished of the group. It is seen skimming over the fields and meadows at a rate which leaves the "lightning express" f; " behind, and suddenly checking its course it will dart, with surprising i-apidity, to right or left in pursuit of some passing insect. It likes to be lU'ar a still, sheltered pond, where it can drink and bathe while on the wing. Beautiful it is, on a still summer evening, to see these birds take their plunge bath,^ and. almost without checking their speed, rise gracefully from the surface of the water, shake sparkling di-ops from their burnished backs, and continue their airy gambols till the fading light calls them to their humble home. They arrive in Ontai'io early in May, and are generally distributed over the country during summer, but about the end of August they begin to move toward the south, and soon all have disappeai'ed.
During the summer this species seems to be somewhat irregularly distributed, for in Manitoba Mr. Thompson speaks of it as a rare spring visitant, and Dr. Coues says it is a Aery rare summer resident at Moose River and various other points along the boundary line, while in Alaska Mr. Nelson says that it is the most common and widely distributed of all the swallows throughout the north.
TRKE SWALLOW.
331>
In Alaska it is touiid along the .south-eastern coast, exteiuliufj;' thence over nearly the entire Aleutian chain, and north alonj^ the coast of the mainland to Kotzebue Sound, and thence throughout the teriitory wherevei- suitable situations occur.
m
(Jkncs TACHYC[NETA Cahanis. TACHYCINETA BICOLOU (Vikill.).
248. Tree Swallow. (OU)
Lustrous green ; lielow, pure wliite. Voini;/ : — Similar, not «<< glossy. I.«iigth, (!-(iA ; wing, ."> ; tail, '2\.
Hah. — Noi-th America at large, from the Kur (Jountries southwaiil, in winter to the West Indies and tJentral America.
Nest, of leaves and grass, lined with down and feathers.
Eggs, four to seven, wliite, unspotted.
A common summer resident, arriving early in May and leaving about the middle of September.
The White-bellied Swallows must at times have considerable trouble in finding suitable place.s foi' their summer abode, but it may be that, like peoi)le who move often, the\' have come to enjoy the occupation of house-hunting. The original nesting place was a hole in a tree or stub near water, but as the birds are incapable of making such an excavation themselves, they had to search for- a natural aperture, or the deserted hole of a woodpecker to suit their purpose, the finding of which must have been to some extent accidental. As the country became settled, and the swallow trees were cleared away, the birds betook themselves to breeding in boxes, which in the eaist were put up in great numbei's for their accommo- dation. On the advent of the English SpaiTow, many pairs of swallows were summarily ejected from their boxes, and were oblige*! to retire to the remote parts of the country, and resume their primitive habit of nesting in trees. On this account they are not so common in towns and villages as they wei-e some years ago, but are more generally distributed throughout the country. In Southern Ontario they are seen in greatest numbers during the season of migration.
This species is reported as common in Manitoba and the North- West, and reaches its northern limit in Alaska, where its distribution
T
MO
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
is limited to those; portions where proper accoinmodatioii is found for its nesting.
It still retains its ancient habit of occupying holes in trees or i)anks, and where these are absent the Viirds are unknown.
In the fall, it is the first of the swallows to leave for wintei- (juartin's.
Henus CLIVICOLA Fokstkk. CLIVICOLA RTPARJA (Linn.).
-HO. Bank Swallow. (016)
Lustreless gray, with a pectoral hand (if the .•juine ; otlier uiuler |>artH, white. .Sexes exactly alike. Yoiiinj : — Similai', the feathers often skirted witli rusty or whitish. Length, 4J-4i{ ; wing, 3J-4 ; tail, '2.
Hab. — Northern lieniisphere, in America, soutii to the West Indies, Central America and Xoi'thern South Amei'ica.
Nest, a few l)its of straw and some feathers placed at the en<l of a tuiniel, two to four feet <leep, dug by the liirds in a sand bank.
Kggs, four to six, pure white.
A common sunnner resident is the Bank Swallow, breeding abun- dantly in suitable places all over the country. It arrives about the end of April and leaves in September, both dates being dependent, to some extent, on the weather.
Near Hamilton this species is very abundant, a favorite nesting place being in the gravel bank which is cut through to form the canal to Dundas. There are also many sand banks around the Bay shore, perforated to an extent which shows that Hocks of young ones ai'e raised there every summer.
Dr. AVheaton, in the " Birds of Ohio,'' mentions that this species, from being a common summer resident in the iunnediate vicinity of Columbus, has becimie only a passing migrant in spring and fall. This he attributes partly to the frequent disturl)ance of the nesting places b}'^ freshets, and partly to the advent of the Rough-winged Swallow, which, though comparatively a new species at Columbus, is rapidly increasing in numbers. The Bank Swallows are sprightly little birds, greatly attached to their homes, and we hope that nothing will happen here to cause them to change their residence.
Thi; is another species which is common to Ontario and the North-AVest, and is also found in Alaska. In the latter territory it
ROUUH-WINOED SWALLOW.
Ui
is rare along the sea coast, but on the river courses in the interior it is one of the most abunchint species of Swallow. Thei-e, as elsewhere, it raises its brood in holes dug in a sand bank. It arri\es at the mouth of the Yukon from the 20th to the "jnth of May, and leaves
for the south about the end of August.
• UExrH STP:r.GIL)OPTEHYX Baiud. STELGIDOPTERYX SEllRIPENNTS (Aun.).
250. Rough-winged Swallow. (017)
Lustreless biownish-giay, paler below, whitening on tlie helly ; latlier larger tliiui tlie hist. Hooklets on outer web of outer primal'}' wanting, or nuicli weaker in the female.
H.VB. — United States at large (in the Eastern States north to Connectieut), south to (luatemala.
Nest, in holes dug by the birds in t)ie sandy banks of ci'eeks anil rivers, a few straws an<l feathers at tlie end of the excavation representing tiie nest.
Eggs, five or six, pure white.
This species seems to be gradually advancing from the west to the east, for we hear every now and then of it being observed at points in the Eastern States where it has not before been noticed. 1 have no record of it from any j^art of Ontario except from London, where Mr. Saunders has found it breeding for the last year or two. It is not so decidedly attached to the sand or gravel bank for a breeding place as the Bank Swallow, the nests having been found in crevices of rocks, on beams under bridges, and even in a hole in a brick wall.
It bears a very close resemblance to the Bank Swallow, and as there are not many of them killed, it is possible the Rough-winged species may be more common than we imagine. When closely examined, the curious little hooklets on the outer web of the first primary, which are most fully developed in the male, are always sufficient to identify the species.
342 BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
Family AMPELTD^l WAxwixcfs, ktc.
Subfamily AMPELINiE. Waxwinos.
(Jknus AMPKLIS Linn.kus.
AMPELIS GAERULUS (Lixx.).
•J51, Bohemian Waxwing. (018)
(JoiHMiil color, l)rowiii8h-(isli, shatliiig iiiscnsildy from tlie clear asli of the 'tail and its ii|)per coverts and ruiui) into a reddish-tinged ash anteriorly, tliis pocidiar tint heightening on the head, especially on tiie forehead and siiles of the head, into orange-hrown. A nariow frontal line, and broader l)ar through the eye, with the chin and throat sooty-hlack, not shar])ly bordered with white ; no yellowish on belly ; under tail coverts, orange-brown or chestnut ; tail, ash, deepening to blackisii-ash towards the end, broadly tipped with ricli yellr)W ; wings, ashy-ldackish ; piiniaries ti])ped (chieily on the outer webs) with sharp sj)aces of yellow or white, or both ; secondaries with white spaces at the ends of the outei- webs, the shafts usually ending with enlarged, horny, red a|)pendages ; i)riinary coverts, tipped with white ; bill, blackish,-l)lunibeouH, often paler at l)a8e below ; feet, black ; sexes alike. Length, 7 or S inches ; wing, about 4,j ; tail. '2S.
Hab. — Northern jiarts of the northern heniis|)iiere ; in North America, south, in winter, irregularly, to the Noithern United States.
Nest and eggs, similar to those of the cedar bird. *
This handsome, eccentric, garrulous waii(l<MV!" is common to the high latitudes of both continents, often a})|)earing unexpectedly in very large flocks, and disappearing (juite as mysttniously, not to be seen again for many yeans in succession.
The Ontario records are mostly of small flocks which occasionally visit us dxu'ing the winter, and feed on the berries of the red cedar or the mountain ash. Sometimes they move l)y themselves, some- times in company with the Pine (jrrosbeaks ; the Waxwings taking the pulpy part of tiie berries and the Grosbeaks preferring the hard -seeds. The nest of this species was found by Mr Kennicott on the Yukon, and by Mr. Macfarlane on the Anderson River, but when we read the accounts of the vast flocks which liave been seen by travellers, we have to admit that it is little we know of their summer haunts and homes. ,
T have always had a great admiration for these northern sti-angers, as they appear from time to time during the winter, but those I had captured became insignificant when compared with a few adult .specimens sent to me by Mr. Allan Brooks from British Columbia,
CEDAR WAXWINO.
343
'M
m which ivll th«> points of hoauty peculiar to the species were inoHt fully developed.
The nest and »'j^;js of this species are still a fh'nidfrata in American collections, the oidy specimens we have for reference beinj? those taken by Kennicott at Fort Yuk(»n, >Iuly 1th, 18(51. The nest was placed on the side of a branch of a small spiuce f^rowinjj; on the edge <»f a clump on low j^round. Ft was larj^e, the base being made of dry spruce twigs, and the nest itself compo.se(l of fine gra.ss and moose hair, lined with larger featln'rs. The female was shot as sh(* left the neNt. The one egg obtained had a stone-colored ground, spotted with <lark V)rown of a violet shade.
AM PELTS CEDRORUM (Vikim..). -'52. Cedar Waxwing. (61!))
<»«neml oolor as in ijnrni/ui; under tail coverts, wliitiali ; little or no orauge- })r()wn about head; no wliite on wings; chin, lilaok, siiading gnulually into the color f)f the tliroat ; a black frontal, loral and ti'ansooular stripe as in ijnmUnK. but this bordered on the forehead witii wliitish ; a white touch on lower eyelid ; feathers on side of lowei' jaw, white ; abdomen, soiled yellowish ; tail, tipped with yellow. Length, 7-7A ; wing, about .S/.
Hab.— North America at large, from the I'm- Countries southward. In winter, south to (Juateniala and the West Indies.
Nest, large, built in the orehard or in a low tree in the bush ; eoinposed of twigs, V)ark, leaves, rootlets, etc., lined with tine gra.ss, hair or wool.
Kggs, three to five, slaty blue oi- stone color, spotted and blotched with Itrownishdilack.
The Cedar Bird is generally distributed throughout Ontario. It is a resident species, being here Ixith in summer and winter, but it is sr» uncertain in its movements that its presence at a particular point at a given time cannot be counted uj»on with any degree of certainty. The birds do not begin housekeeping until (juite late in the season, and may be seen visiting the orchard in Hocks up to the end of May. At this season their food consists chiefly of insects, •some kinds of which they chnerly capture on the wing. They are also accredited with the destruction of large numbers of canker- worms and other noxious insects. As the .season advancas, they show a great liking for fruit, especially cherries, with which they often cram themselves till they can hardly maintain their balance on the branches. In the fall and winter the berries of the poke
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344
HIRDH OK ONTARIO.
weed, rf<l c'cdiir iiiid iiiMuntaiii iish afford tliciii u Ixiiiiitiful supiily ot' food. Tlicif voicM' is lit'uid only in u wi'iiix cnW initf, easily i'<'('iiniiiz»Ml l)iit didicult t(» dt'S(!ril)c.
In many iiulividuals the sfcoiidarics Hiiisli with a hard honiy aj)|K!iidaf^e, haviiij; the a|Hifaiaricc nf red scahn^^-wax. Tliis is not indicative of a^^c or sex, hut is most fro(|Uently found in the a<hilt male. In some instances the tail featlieis arc similarly tipped. The usH of these apjx'ndai^es is unknown to us.
Family LANMD^]. Siihikks.
Genits LANIUS Linn-kis.
LANIU8 BOH KALIS (Vikill.)-
-T).?. Northern Shrike. (<;•-'])
C'ltiiir ))husli-asli, l)ltuicliing on tliu niiii)) <in<l scapuhii-s ; ) alwiiys verinieulated with tiiiu wavy hlackisli lines ; a l>la«:l. lui the heail, not meeting its feUow across foreiiead, intei '■ u v<
(!ent on under eyelid, and bordered above by hoary \ iluil ,( 'ooui s
the extreme forehead; wings and tail, black, the formei ih a Ian spot near hose of primaries ; and the tips of most of tiie quills, white, tlv latter with nearly all the feathers broadly ti|)ped with white, and with coi > aled white bars; bill and feet, black. Length, 9-10; wing, 4^ ; tail, lathei nioie. The yoiiiijf are similar, but none of the colors are so tine or so intense ; the entire phunage has a brownish suH'usion, and the l)ill is flesh-colored at liase.
H.\B. — Northern Noi-th America, south, in winter, to the middle ])ortions of
LOOfiEKHEAI) SHKIKE.
Uh
tlu' IJiiitftI StiUcs (W'a.sliin^'toii. !).(., Keiiluckv, Kiuimus, ('(iIdiiiiId, Ai i/.niiii, Noi'tluMii Citliforniiil.
N't'Ht, I'fHted 1)11 a pliitfoini of stirkH aiiti twigs in a low trt.'u di' Itiisli ; <'()|ii|)(ih(mI of weeds, lotitlets, liiii'k strips, moss, tine gi'iiss iiiiil feiitherH.
Kggs, fdur li> six. 'I'iie ^(loiniil chIdi- is greenisli gray, iiul this is iilniost liitlden liy tlie profuse markings of purple ami redilisli^rown.
Fn SoutliKni Ontario ii tew iiulividuals i»t" this sperics arc seen every winter. They arrive from the north in (Jctoher, and remain with lis if the weather be mild, but if it heeomes severe alxtut tiie end of the yeai', they disappear and are not observed aj^'ain until March. Tliey like the open country, usually takinj,' their position, sentinel-like, on the t^)pniost twij^ of a low tree or bush, from which they notice all that moves within a certain radius.
I once saw a pair of these birds unite to hunt down an unfor- tunate .Junco. It took shelter in a patch of scrubby brush, and the Shrike.s, not bt^n;^ able to clutch it as a hawk would have done, sought U) wear it out by friglit and fatigue. .\s there weie two of them taking the work by turns, they would probably have succeeded hful [ not stopped the proceedings by collecting the two Shrike.s, and so saving the life of the Junco. They, no doubt, breed in the mtrthern ]n>rti(»n of the Province, but in the south i have not heard of their being found so engaged.
They are connnon in Manitoba and the North-West, also through- out the interior of Alaska, and Dr. Bell mentions having seen them on the western side of Hudson's Bay. From these distant regions they advance tlucmgh Ontario in the fall, finding an abundant supply of game awaiting them in /xisKt'r i/tnuf'xfirii.i, whose ranks are thus thinned without apparent reduction in their numbers.
I h
c i
It
ili Im;
LANIUS LUDOVICIANrs (Linn.). 1'")+. Loggerhead Shrike. (Ol'l')
Slate-eoloi'ed, shghtly wliitisli on the rump and seapulars ; helow, white, with ii few obscure wavy black lines, or none ; black bai- on one side of the head, meeting its fellow across the forehead, not interi-upted by white on under eyelid, ami scarcely or not boi-dered above l)y hoary white ; otherwise like hortalis in color, but smaller ; H-S^ ; wing, about 4 ; tail, rather more.
H.AB. — Eastern United States, north to Maine, west to the Prairies of the U])per Mississippi Valley.
il
346
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
I<»
Nest, ill II tree or Inisli not often more than Hfteeu feet from the gioiuid, the middle of a thorn l)eing often selected.
The eggs oannot witli certainty l)e distinguished from tliose of tlie Wliite- rumped Shrike.
This and the next species resemble each other so closely that a doubt is raised in the minds of many whether or not they should ever have been sej;;'.rated. ])r. Coues, in his "New Key," savs on this subject : " Extreme examples of f.irithititndfx look very dift'erent from fiidovirumus proper, but the two are (tbserved to melt into ejich other when many specimens are compared, so that no specific characters can be assigned." All those T have found near Hamilton a|.^ree best with the description given of f.rruhifnridt's, but there are other observers who think we have both kinds, and some believe we have ludovu'ianus only. As a guide to a proper understanding of the matter, I have given the technical de.scriptions of both, l)ut hold ., my i)wn opinion that of the two, only f'.rciihifortdfs has been found in Ontario.
LANIUS LirDOVICIANUH EXCUBITOUEDES (Swains.).
•J.r-h
White-rum'^ed Shrike. (Cy2-2<i)
With the .size mid essential characters of iiead stripe of vnr. hidovlrinuu-'<, and the under parts, as in tliat species, not or not ol)vi()usly waveil, Imt with the clear liglit ashy ujijier jiarts and lioary wiiitish suiierciiiary lint, .scapulars ami rump of honn/is.
H.vit. — Western United States, east to tiie Middle antl New Kngland, breeding as far iiortii as Xoi'tiiern New York and Noi'thern New Kngland am' Ontario. Rare or local east of the Allcglianies.
Nest, in a tree or l)usii, seldom more than ten feet from tiie ground, exterifU'ly huilt of prickly twigs, interwoven witli strips of liark, rags, twine and rootlets, lined with iinc grass and i)ieces of cotton waste picked up on tiie railroad truck.
Kggs, four to six, light grayisli color, sjiotteii with yellowisii-hi-own.
Besides the great northern Butcher Bii'd {Ldiiius hortuiU»), there are two Shrikiw, smaller in size, described as North American. One is the Loggerhead Shrike of the south-east, and the other the White- rumped Shrike, which was originally described as a western species, but has of late years been extending its tei-i-itoiy to the eastward, north of the Loggerhead's range. Taking exam,)les from the south- east to compare with those from the noi'th-west, the difference is seen at once, but as they approach each other in habitat, they alsi»
wit\i )ii\ars
•
iglaiul, (1 iuu'
rouivl, twine on the
, there One White- ipeciea, itward, south- ^iice is
WHITE-RUMPEI) SHRIKE.
ap);)roach each other so closely in appearance that we ai-e almost lirou<,'ht to the conclusion that they are simply ditierent races of the same hird which should not have heen sepaiate(h Those t'ound in Ontario are of the western race. They wei-e first ol)serve(] about 1^60, and have since become quite common, extending? north to the banks of the Saskatchewan, where they were" observed by Prof. Macoun. The species is also included in Mr. Thompson's list of the " Birds of Western ^Fanitoba,'" and is said to be ''abundant all over" from May till ScptcMuber.
In Southeiii Ontaritt the little Shrike is not found in the city nor in the dense bush, its favorite haunts beinji alonji the roadsides in the open country, where it raaj' often be seen on a fonc«>-post or on the telegraph wire by the railway track. My first ;ic<iuaintance with this bii-d at its home was made on one of my Saturday after- nfM)n t>xcursions, shortly after its first appearance in this part of tlie country. While di-iving along a back road east of the city, my attf»ntion was attracted V)y an ancient negro, who, with a table fork fastened to the end of a fishing pole, was poking vigorously into the <'entre of a very large, dense thorn-bush near his shanty. < Jetting over the fenc(^ to find out wheat he was d<iing, f was inftivmed that a little Chicken Hawk had its nest in there, and that it had killed two of h's 3'oung chickens. Looking along the pole, T saw in the heart of the dense bush a Shrikes nest with some young ones, which one of the old birds was valiantly defending, biting at the end of the fork when it came too near the youngsters. Taking the ))ole from the mans hand 1 worked it into the bush, but it broke b(>fore 1 got it out, and tills j)ut nn end to hostilities for the time. I tried to con- vince my colored friend that he was mistaken about the bird having kille^l his chickens, that this kind livcil only on grassliopptMs anfl crickets, but he insisted that it was a Chicken Hawk, giving em- phasis to the name by the use of several |)r )fane adjectives, and \owing he would lia\t' him out before night, even if he should have to burn him out The appearance of th(> bush the next tinie I jia.ssed that way indicated that he had carried out his threat.
My opinion regarding tht> food of this species, whi<'h I gave in good faith at the time, I have since had occasion to change, and to believe that after all Sambo was probably right on the subject. For twenty-five years no one could have gone a few miles into tlu> country in any directicm near Hamilton, <i\n'ing .June, .Fuly or August, without .seeing one or more pairs of these biirls in suitabh* places, until the yt^ar ISSfi, during which not one was observed.
1 1 -I
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i;i5'.
348
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
Trustinj^ tlmt the exodus was only locul and temponiiy, w<! watched for the return of the birds witli interest.
Tlie species evidently overlooked its Hamilton connection in 18S(), hut it has since then been as connnon as t'orineily, watching silently near the roadside foi- its favorite fare of beetles, mice, oi* small birds. It is very common in the west, goini^ as far north as Manitoba, In the ((ast it seems more rare, ]\lr. White not having yet observed it at Ottawa, though he has looked for it during several seasons.
Famh.v VIIJKONTD^E. Vihkoh.
(IkXCS VIREO VlKILLOT.
SiuGKXus VIREOSYLVA Bonapakti:. VIREO OLrVACEUS (Linn.).
'2n(\
Red-eyed Vireo. (O-'O
Al)()vo, olivo-gi-euii ; crnwii, ash, t'dgfil on each side with a l>la(.'kisli line, lielitw thus a wliitt' siipeiciliaiy line, Itelow this again a (hisky stripe throngli tlie eye ; nnder parts, wiiite, faintly shaded witii olive along sides, and tinged with olive on nnder wing and tail coverts ; wings and tail, dusky, eilj,^t'd with olive outside, with « iiitish inside ; l)ill, dusky, pale lielow ; feet, leaiuni olive ; eye.s, re<l ; no spurious (|uill. i^ength. 'yl-i't\ ; wing, .'Vj-.S^, ; tail, •Ji'^-'J^ ; hill, about (^ ; tarsus, •/.
H Aii, — Ha.stern N'ortli Anieiicit. to the Koc^Uy Moinitains, north to the Aii'tic Regions.
Nest, pensile, fastened l»y tlie rim to a iiorizontal folk, ten to twenty-tixe feet from the ground ; a thin ligiit structure, composed of hark strips, pine needles, was])'s nest, ]>apei- and tine grass, felted and ap])arently ])asted togethei-.
Kggs. thiee to five, |)lire while, marked witii tine dark I'eddisii-hrown s|)ots towanl tile hiigei- end.
A veiy common sunnuei- resident is the Red-eyed V^ireo, and his loud, clear notes ai'e heard in the outskiits of tlie woods at all houis of tlu> day. Hven during t-lie sultry month of 'July, when most other songstei's sing only iii the morning oi' evening, the Red-eye keeps on all day with tireless energy. In Ontaiio it is the most numerous species of the family, arriving eaily in May and leavitig in September. In the early part of the .season its food consi.sts entirely of insects, which it is at all times ready to capture, either on the wing or otherwise, fn the fall it paitakes of raspberries, and the berries of the poke weed and of other wild plants, with the juice of which its
PHILADELPHIA VIREO.
349
]tluinage is often found to be stained. It is fiv(|iH'ntly imposed uixm by the Cowbird, whose ytnin;; oth's it tcais as tenderly as if they were its own.
In the east it is said to travel as far iioitli as Antieosti. I{ieh- ardson found it at Fort Simpson, and accord in, i.' to Mr. Fannin, it is a summer resident along the southern border of Uritish Columbia. A great many .spend the winter in the (Uilf States, and go even farthei' south.
■I
VTRFO PHTLADFLPincrs (Cas.s.). ■257. Philadelphia Vireo. (<)2fi)
Aliovc, (hill olive-gieeii, Ijriglitcniiig on llie riiiii)i, fiuliiig iiiseiisihly into iisliy on the crown, wliiuli is not ixudered with Ulackish ; a dull white MUjier- ciliiiry line ; lielow, ))alest possible yellowisli, whitening on thioat ami helly, .sliglitly olive-.sliadeil on sides ; sometimes a sliglit creamy or luitly sliade tiiroughout the nnder jjarts ; no ohvious wing liais ; no spurious (|uill, Length. 4J-5:} ; wing, about "ijj ; tail. al)out iJ] ; bill, liai'dly or abo'it A ; tarsus '^.
Hah. -Kastern Nonn America, north to Hudson's Hay, soutli. in winter, to Costa Hiea.
The only record of the nest and «'ggs of this species I iiave ever seen is published by Mr. Ei'ne.st E. Thom])s<»n in the Aid; for .luly, ISH."). He says: "On the !)th of .June, 1SS4, while cam])ed near I )uck Mountain, 1 found a nest (»f this sju'cies. It lunig from a forked twig, about eight feet from the gi'ound. in a willow which was the revei'se of dense, as it grew in the shade of a po])lar gi-ovc. The nest was ])ensile, as is usual with the genus: formed of tine gi'a.ss and birdi bai-k. The eggs were four in number, and ])re.sented no ol)vious difference from those (if the Red-eyed N'ireo, but unfortun- ately they were destroyed by an accident before lliey were measured."
The owners w^re not secuicd.
Very many of the mon- recent additions to the list of our .Vnu'ri can birds have been made by the discovei-y that within ctulain well-ki\own groups were indi\iduals differing in some respects from the others. If these (Hil'erences were found to be uncertain and irregular they received oidy a i)assing notice, but if they were found to be coi\stant they w«>i'e made the basis on wiiich to build a new s|>ecies.
Thus, altiiough the American Vireos had pa.ssed in review before many distinguished ornithologists, it was not until ISli' that .bilin Cassin found one closely resembling several <jf the otliers, but difl'ci- ing in some respects from all of them.
In IS;')!, he published a description of tiie bird he had found,
Ih
in 1 4
If 1:
I
V
r
350
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
pointed out its jiwuliurities, claimed for it s))ec;iHc distinction, and named it after the city near which he fiist (»l)served it. Fur many succeeding,' years it was aj^ain lost sight of. most likely because no one was lookini; foi' it, but as tlu' numbei- of collectors increased aiui rare Inrds weie souj^ht after, the species was again observed, and at far distant points, giving it an extensive range from north to south, and "west to the middle of the continent. How relatively rare it is it would be unsafe to say, for it is diHicult to identify it without close inspection, to accomplish which might i'e(|uire the slaughter of Warbling Vireos enough to excite the ire of the Audulion Club.
8onie time in the early part of KSS.'{, I took up casually the Bulletin of the Nuttall Oi-nithological Club, and read therein a charming article l)y Win. I5rewster on the distribution of this Vireo in the Eastern States. It showed the little bird to be more connnon and more widely distributed than was fust sup])osed, and left on my mind the impression lliat it must pass through Ontai-io.
In May, when the N'ireos began to arrive, 1 scrutinized them closely, and the tii'st I shot on suspicion jiroxcd to be of this species, and was, 1 believe, the first record for Ontario. When seen in tin- woods it looked rathei- smallei- than the Warbling Vireo, was more solid and compact in the ])lumage, and was noticeably tinged undei- neath with yellow. From these features in its genei-al appi-aiance. I have since recognized it both in spring and fall. 1 have also heanl of its being taken at other points in Ontario, but have no record of its having been found breeding within the Fiovince.
Since the above was written, it has been found by Mr. White at Ottawa, by ^Ir. Chamberlain at Edmonton. N.IJ., by Mr. Hoardman at St. Stephens, N.IJ., and by Mr. Drexler at Moose P'actory, H.B.T. These records show that it is widely distributed, but how abundant it mav lie. relatively, is still an uncertain point in its historv.
li'
• VIUEO (ULVrs (ViKii,!..)
I'oH. Warbling Vireo. (Ol'T)
Priniiiritvs. tun, the exposed |>nrtic>n of the first of wliicli is oiu'-third or less of the seeonil, no ohviou.s wing bars, no blaekish stripe along the side of the crown, iinil no a)>i'upt contrast between color of back and «'f()wn ; upper |)urt.s, greenish, with an ashy shade, rather brighter on the rump and edgings of the wings and tail, anteriorly shatling insensibly into ashy on the (M'own. Ash of (!rown boriU-red innnediately by a whitish superciliary and loral line : region innnediately before and behind the eye. dusky ash ; lielow. sordid white with faint yellowish (sometimes ereaniy or buffy) tinge, more obviously shucled
YELLOW-THROATED VIUEO.
351
m
(laiit
.)f the
■ parts.
of tlu-
Asli of
region
|te with
shiuleil
along tlie sitles witli a dilution of tlie color of tlie hack ; tiuills and tail feathers*. fuscoiiH, with narrow extei-nal edgings as ahove said, and hroader whitiisli edging of tlie inner wehs ; the wing coverts witiiout oltvious whitish tipping ; hill, dark horn coloi' ahove, palei- helow; feet, plmnheous ; iris, hrown. jjengtli. .') inches, or latlier more : wing, 2.H(> ; tail, 'i.'i") ; hill. .4(1 ; tarsus, .((7.
H.'VB. — North America in general, from the Kiir Countries to Mexico.
Nest and eggs, chisely re8end>ling those of the Red-ej'e, hut usually placed at a greater distance from the grounil.
This aini!i1)l(> litth^ songster is very common in Southern Ontario, from the end of the first \v(>ek in May till the beginning of September. Although less abundant than the Red-eye, it is j)rol)ably known to a gneater number of peo{)le, t)\ving to the preference it shows for isolated ornamental trees in parks and gardens and the shade trees in cities. Its song is soft, subdued and flowing, like the murmuring of "a hidden brook in the leafy month of June."
It has little excitement in its nature, and keeps its usual compo- sure under circumstances wiiicli would drive most other l)irds off in alarm. T once saw one warbling forth its pleasing ditty in a shade tree, t|uite close to which a large tire was in progivss. Firemen^ engine.s, and crowds of j)eople wei-e all around, but the bird was to windward of the blaze and seemed to l)e connnenting on the unneces.sary excitement which pievailed.
SuiMiKNis LANTVIHEO B.viiu). VIREO P^LAVTFRONS (Vikilt..).
2")*). Yellow- throated Vireo. (fi-'S)
Above, rich" olive-green ; ci-owu, the same or even hriglitcr; rump, insensihlv shading into hluiah-ash ; helow. hright yellow ; helly and crissum, ahuiiptly white; sides, anteriorly shaded with olive, ])o.steriorly witli phnnheous; extreme forehead, superciliary line and ring ai'ound eye, yellow ; lores, ilusky ; wings, dusky, with the inner secondaries hroadly white-edged, and two broad white bars across tips of greater and median coverts ; tail, dusky, nearly all the feathers completely encircled with white edging; bill and feet, dark leaden blue ; no spurious (piill. Length, ii'^-V} ; wing, about '.i ; tail, only about 2\.
H.VB. — Eastern United States, .south, in winter, to Costa Rica.
The ptisition and frame-work of the nest of this sjiecies is similar to that of the Hed-eye, but its appearan.'e and comfort ai'e greatly increased by an artistic outside coating of gray moss, intertwisted with the silk of caterpillars.
The eggs are not with certainty distinguishable fi'om those of the Red-eye.
This is a sunmier resident in Southern Ontario, but it is by no means common. It seems [lartial to the beech woods, and being
J \^E
$
I
mnl''
r
!
«•■
il
3o2
BIUDS OF ONTARIO.
inont i-etii'iiijij than the pieceding and less noisy than the lit^d-ryc, it is not much ohserved. It is by some considered the handsomest of all our Vireos, and a male in full sj)rin<f i)lumaj,'e is j>leasin<i; to look at, but r prefer the succeediiifj; species. The Yellow-throated Vireo, though not abundant, seems to be generally distributed throughout Ontario. It has beep f(jund at Ottawa by Mr. White; at London Mr. Saunders reports it as a connnon suinmei' icsident ; and it is also included in Mr. Thompson's "List of llirds of Manitoba, " where, however, it is mentioned as being rare or accidental. The female differs but little in ))luinage from the male, the eolnrs neing less decided.
A^KEO SOLlTAKirS (Wii.s.). 200. Blue-headed Vireo. (OJit)
Aliove, olive-green ; cniwii and siilew of lieati, liliiisli-ash in marked conti'iiKt ; a )>roa(l white line from no.strilH to and around eye and a dusky loral line ; helow, white ; flanks washed witli olivaceous, and auxiliaries and ci'issuni, pale yellow ; wings and tail, dusky, most of tiie feathers edged with white or wliitish, and two conspicuous Itars of the same across lij)s of nii<ldle and great coverts ; l)iil and feet, l)lackiah hoi'U coloi-. Length, .")|-.")'| ; wing, 'i^'-.S ; tail, '~i-2fi ; spui'ious (juiU, A-ji, about \ as long as second.
FIah. — Eastern United States to the Plains. In winter, south to .Mexico and (Uiatemala.
Nest and eggs, similar to those of the other \'ireo.s, ies('nil)ling tiiosc of tlie Vellow-throat moi-e tiiaii either of tlie others.
This is a stout, hardy-htoking bird, appai'ently bettei- adapted to live in the north than any other member of the family. It arrives from the .south with the earliest of the Warbler.s, and in .some 3'eai-s is (juite common during the first lialf of May, after which it is not seen again till the fall. While here it is niuch among the evergreens, leisurely seeking its food, and is usually silent, but when at home it is .said to have a very pleasant song.
Some of tlie specimens procured in spring are beautiful bii'ds ; the plunuige is soft and silky, and the different shades of col(»r delicate, but in others it is worn and ragged, as if they had been roughing it during the winter. Quite a numV)er of these birds cross our southern border in spring and fall, but I have no record of their nesting in the Province. Tt is more of an eastern species, being rare in Michigan and Manitoba, but, according to Mr. llidgway, " its known range during the breeding sea.son extends from Eastern Massachusetts and the region along the nortliern border of the (Jreat Lakes northward nearly to the limit of the tree growth,"
Family MNIOTILTIDvE. Woon-WAKHLKHs.
Gkxus MNTOTTLTA Vikillot.
MNIOTILTA YAK I A (Linn).
2(il. Black and White Warbler. ((■)•{<; )
Kntirely white and black, in streaks exi:e))t on tin- l)elly ; liiil. « liitc. Hpiitted ; wings, wliite harred. Length, iil)()ut ."> ; wing, 21, ; tail. "J.}.
Hab. — Kiistein United States to the Plains, noith to I'oit Simpson, soutii. in winter, to ("entral America and the West Indies.
Nest, on the groiinil, huilt of hai'k fihre. g'-i-is and lea\cs, lined witli plant down or hair.
Kggs, four to six. ci-eauiy white, spotted and sprinkleil witli rcdilisii-lirown.
Thi.s dainty little bird, formerly known as the Hliiok und White Crcffti'i; has now been named the Black and White Wdrhhr. but as it is nuich more <];iven to crt-i^/nnf/ than to ifar/i/lni/, it is likely that with the ordinary olwerver it will retain its former name as long as it retains its creeping habit. It arrives in Southein Ontaiio (hiring the last days of April, and even before the leaves are expanded, its neat, decided attire of black and white is observed in stiiking con trast to the dull coloi'ed bark of the trees, around which it goes creeping with wonderful celerity in search of its favorite insect HihhI. It becomes very common during the first half of May, after which the numbers again decrease, many ha^•ing passed farther noith, and only a few remain to .spend the summer and raise their young in Southern Ontario. The note of the male is sharp and penetrating, resembling the sound made in .sharpening a fine saw.
The Black and W^hite Warbler is a typical representative of the family of Wood-Warblers, which is remarkable for the number of its •2'.i
f I I?
ill
;3d4
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
UK^inlwrs, fiH well as tor the richness and vui'iety of theii' dress. There is, perhaps, no <froup of small birds which so iinich interests the collector, or furnishes so many atti-active spc^cimens to his cabinet, as that we ai-e now about to considei'.
Some of the members of this family aie so rare that the capture of one is the event of a lifetime. To <jet any of them in perfect plunuijife they must be collected durinj^ the s})riii<; mi^n-ation, and thai season is so short and uncertain that if a chance is missed in May, another may not occur for a year.
(rame bii'ds are followed by sportsmen with much enthusiasm and vaiying success, though Huffed (irouse, Woodcock and Quail are MOW so scarce in the more settled parts of the country that it is liaidly worth while searching for them.
Our inland hikes and rivers are, at ceitain seasons, \isited by crowds of water-fowl, and the hunter, hidden Ijehind his screen of rushes in the marsh, delights to hear the hoarse honking of an old gander as he leads on his A-shaped flock of geese, or to see the flocks of ducks wheeling around and pitching down into the open watei" beside his decoys. At Long Point and other shooting places whei-e the ducks have l)een protected, the number killed in a day is often \ery large. Dull, windy weather with light showers of rain is pi'eferred. If the hunter is fortunate in choosing a good point at which to screen his boat among the rushes, he may remain there all day, and if the ducks are moving about he needs only to load as tjuickly as he is ;)ble and kill as many as he can, the proof of his success l)eing the nu.riber he biings home at night.
Not so with the field ornithologist, whose pursuits I have always felt to be more r(>fined and elevating than those of the ordinary sportsman. As soon as the winter of our northern clime relaxes its gras|), and the season of flowers and brighter skies returns, he enters the woods as if by appointment, and hears among the expanding l)uds the familiar voice of many a feathered friend just returned from winter-quarters. The meeting is pleasant and the birds pass on. The walk is enjoyable, the busli is fragrant and freckled with early spr-ing flowers. The loud warning note of the Great Crested Fly- catcher is heard in the tree-tops ; Tanagers, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, etc., are there in brilliant plumage and full of life, but a note is heard or a glimpse is seen of something rare, and that is the time for the collector to exercise his skill. He must not fire when the Inrd is too close oi' he will destroy it. He must not let it get out of reach or he may lose it. He nmst not be flurried or he may miss it, and if he
ways inary es its liters iidinji from s on. early U Fly- bi'aks, heard ;)r the is too or he if he
I'KOTHONOTARY UAUIILEK.
lior,
hiiii;.'s it (low II lie must iiutiee |i!iiticulaily the spot where it fell iiiid ^et there as (|iiiel<iy as lie can. fui- if the Wild is only NSdUiided it may thittef away and hide itself, and e\cn if it falls dead it may he covered with a leaf and not seen ai^ain, unless the spot wheic it fell is earefully marked.
All seasons liave tlieir attraetions, Imt the month of May above all others is enjoyed hy the eolleetor, and liri^^ht and rare are the feathered «^eins he then l)rin;4H from the woodiS to eiirieii Ids ealtiiiet.
(Jkms PU()T()\()T.\KI.\ I5.\ii!0. PUOTONOTAUI.V CITHHA (Uood.) I5o.
-'<•-'. Prothonotary Warbler. (•••"^T)
(idlik'ii velldw, piiler (III the licllv, cliaiiging to oliviu'eoiis i,;, tli.- hack. tluMii-e to hhiisli iwliv on tin- riiiii|). wings anil tail ; most of the tail fcatlicrs lai'<.'cly wliiti- on tln^ iiiiicr wclis ; hill. l)lack. Li'ii;;tli. 't^: wiii^'. '2\-'.i: tail. 'Jj.
HaI'.. South .Atlantic ami (liilf .States, iiortli to Ohio. Illinois, .Missouri and Kansas. .-Vceiilental in Nhiine ami \ew Urunswick.
Ni'st. in a holo in a trt'o or .stuiii]). linctl with moss, h'avcs anil giasH. If tlic lioh' i.s too ilt'ej) at first, it is filU'il to within four or five inches of the to|).
I'ljrgs. five oi' six. creamy-white or huff'. s))otteil with rich cliestnut-reil.
The only reeoni I lia\e of this speeies in Ontario is that of a female taken hy K. C. Meriwiaith, which was re])orted at the time in the Aiik as follows: "While eollectinjf Warblers near Hamilton. 4)11 the nioniiiii^ of the ll.'h'd of May, ISS8, I met a fj;rouj) which had evidently jii.st arrived from some favored jioint in the South, their plumage beinj; i)articularly fresh and brif^ht, and such rare species as the Mourniny and Connecticut Warblers and the (Ireeii lilack-cap beiuy conspicuous. Presently I noticed, on a willow overhan<j;iii,ii; the water, one which seemed to be a compromise between the Sum mer Yellow Bird and the Yellow-throated Vireo. ( )n pickint; it up, T was j^reatly jtleased to find I had iLjot a specimen of the Protho- notary Warbler — a female in the ordinary plumajfe of the season.
"It is thi first record of the species for Ontario, and the second for Canada, the first beiuju; that of a specimen which was found at St. Stephens, New IJrunswick, by Mr. Boardinan, in October, 1S()2."
Aloiiy the Atlantic coast it is rare or accidental, throughout the <!iilf States it is common, hut its centre of abundance in the breedins;
^
356
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
season is probably reached in the States lyiiifi; about the juiK;ti(.»n <»t' the Ohio and Mississipiii Hiveis. So it has been reported by Mi'- Brewster, who spent several weeks in that rejfion in tlie sprin;,' of 187H, and as one result of the trip, has ;4;iven us in the Nutt. Hull.. Vol. .'{, paj^e 15;}, by far the best account we lia\t' of the life habits of this sjiecies. We have not ayjain seen or heard of its beinj; taken in Ontario, or anywhere near the boundary, so that the instance recorded above must have been only accidental.
) »
(iKNUs HELMTNTHOPHILA KiiHiWAV. HP:LxMINTHOPHILA CHKYSOPTEHA (LivN.).
•JG.i. Golden-winged Warbler. (»M-')
.l/«/c; -In .spi'iug, sliity-hlue, pult-r or wliitisli lielow wlieie frtMiUL'ntly tiiigeil with yell<)winli ; erowii anil two wing Imi'M, rich yull<)w ; hroad stripe on side of head through eye, ami lai'ge patcii on the Ihi-oat, Mack ; iiolii these hordei'ed witli white ; several tail feathers, wliite blotched ; l)ill, black ; hack ami wingM, fre(|nently glossed with yellowish-olive in young l)ii(ls in whicii tlie Idaiik markings are somewhat ohscuce. lA-ng'!., 4.7">; extent, 7. •"><•: \* ing, •J.4(t; tail, 2.(M».
Hab. — Kastei'n United States, Central America in winter.
Nest, on the ground, l)uilt of dry leaves aii<l grape-vine liaik. lined with tine grass and hoi'se-hair.
Kggs, four to six, pure white, sjjotted with reddish-lirowu or lilac.
A trim aiul beautifully marked spo'cies, veiy seldom seen in Ontario atul not abuiulant anywhere. The (Jolden-winyed is .spokt'n of as one of the rarer Warbleis in the Eastern States. Westward it is said to be common in one district in Tiuliana. Mr. Saunders meets with it regularly near London, from which I infer that it is one of those birds which enter Ontario at the south-west coiner, and having cros.sed the boundary flo not care to penetrate farther into the Dominion. I have met with it on two occjisions near Hamilton ; have also heard of its being noticed at Poi-t Kowan. Dr. Macallum sees it every spring and summer near his home at Dunnville. It i.s an exceedingly active, restless species, and is most frecpiently found among the low shrubbery on the moist ground near some creek oi- marshy inlet, where under a bro>id lejif or tuft of grass the nest is usually found.
NASHVILLE WARBLKU — OHANGE-CUOWNEn WARBLER. IM7
HELMINTHOPHFLA lUTFrCAPTLLA (Wii.s.). -'••». Nashville Warbler. (<)4r))
Aliovt;, (•livo-green, hriglitcr on tUv. r(iiM|), cliaiigiiig to pure lutli <m the lirad ; lielow. lii'iglit Vfllow. piiler on tlie belly. olive-Mliiuled on tlie sides ; <'iu\vii, witii a more or less (^onrtNileil itlieHtiiut patch : loi'es and ring round the eye, pale; no «uperf:iliary line. h\ni<il<: And autumnal Hpe(;imenH have the head glossed witii olive, and the crown pateii nuiy he wanting. Lengtii, 4.^-4^ ; wing. 'l\'lh\ tail, \'{±
Haii. Kastein Noitii America to the IMains, north to the Fur ('f)untrie8, iiree<ling from the Xorthern Tnited States noi'thward: .Mexico in winter.
Nest, on the ground, conii)iise(l of withered leaves aiul stripK of liark, lined with tine grass, pine iicedle.s or hair.
Kggs, fom- or five, wliite, speckled with lilac or reddish-hrown.
The Xashville Warhh'i', iilth»)U>fh an ahuiidaiit species, is not very i'c},'iilai- in his visits to this part of C)ntario, beinj; sometimes with us in considerable immbers (hirin<^ tlie s(uis(»ii of mi<i;ration, and again being ahnost (»r aitogetln'i- ab.sent. When they pass this way in the spring, a few pairs usually remain over the summer with us, l)ut the greater numl)er go on fartlu'r north. In tin* fall they are again seen in limitefl numbers, working their way .southwarfl in company with their young, which are distinguished by tlie al)sence of the crown patch. In this part of Ontario, we never se(^ so great a number of Warblers in the fall as we do in spring. Kithei- they are less con- spicuous on account of die time (»f their migrati«m extending over a longer period, or they have some other return route by which the majority Hnd their way .south.
%
HELMINTHOPHILA CELATA (Say.). 200. Orange-crowned Warbler. (046)
Above, olive-green, rather brighter on the rump, never ashy on the head ; below, greenish-yellow, washed with olive on the sides : crown, with a more or less concealed orange-brown patcii (sometimes wanting) : eye ring and obscure superciliary line wanting. Length, 4.80-5.20; extent, 7.40-7.7o; wing, 2.30-2..')0.
Hab. — Kastern North America (rare, however, in the Xortii eastern United States), breeding a.s far northward as the Yukon and Mackenzie River disti'icts and southward through the Rocky Moiuitains, wintering in the South Atlantic .and (tulf States and Mexico.
Nest, on the ground, com|H>8ed of leaves, bark fibre and fine grafts.
Kggs, four to six, white, nnirked with spots and blotches of reddish-brown.
.4
358
lUKDS OK OXTAUIO.
'i'lu' rim;i<' ot" tliis s|icfi('H is chicllv iiltm;; tlic wcsl coii-il i>v iniddlf <li.strict (»t" tin- (MintiiH'iit. In tlic ciiNt it oct'iirs nircly. As a stnij^^'liT. I liiuc iiit't with it only un two uccusions, tin- liittci' ItcitijLr oil tlic lltli ot' May, lNi^*">, wlii'ii 11 s|icciin<'ri whm tiikrii iit tin- llfacli hy K. ('. Mcllwiiiitli. Mr. Suuii(i«'i's iiientions liaviii;; olitaincd two near LoiKioii, and Mr. Allan iSrooks ^rot on<' at .Milton.
[t is a very j)laiiily atlirod .species, and may readily he <»\erIooke(l, for there is nothinji in its dress oi' niannei' to attract attention, lint on close examination the color ot' the crown patch is a distin^fuishini; mark not likely to he mistaken. 'I'he se.xes closely resemble each other, and the youni; are like them, c.vccpt that they do not always have the brown crown patch till after the tir.st year.
They are hy no means conspicuous birds, but they have theii' own route to follow, and keep by it reyidarly every season.
Province, county, township, territory are passed (piietly o\er till they reacli the far distant land of .Maska, where Mi-. Nelson says, they have l)een observed throu<,diout the wooded rej^ion of the north from the liritish boundary line, west to the shores of Behrini? Sea, and north within the Arctic ciicle as far as the tree limit. They breed throuf,diout the interior, and Kennicott secured a set of eggs- on the 10th of -June and another on the loth of the same month.
I; -*
HELMINTHOPHII.A PKKKtilJINA (Wil.s.). L'fiO. Tennessee Warbler. (<)47)
Olivii-gi'ceii, Itriglitur liuhiiid. luit iiovei- (|uite yelhtw on tlit- tail i'o\frts. iiKH'e nv less a«liy towards and on tiic liuad ; no ('rowii |)atoii ; lielow , white, often glo.>fHt'd witli yellowish, Ixit nc\fr <|iiit(' yellow ; a ring round the eye aiid 8ii|)erciliary line, whitish, freipiently an ohsenre wiiitish sj)ot on outer tail feathers; lores, dusky; in the _/(-//!«/*• and i/oiiinj. tiie olivaeeous glo.s.ses tiie whole upper parts. Lengtii, 44-45^ ; wing, ahout "J/ ; tail, '2 or less.
This coni{)arative length of wing and tail, with other ehaiaete's, probalily always distingiiislies this s]»ecies from the foregoing.
H.VB. — Kastern Noi'th America, breeding from Xorthwrn New York and Northern New Knglan<l northward to Hudson's Hay Tei-ritoi-y ; (."entral America in winter.
Nest, on or near the ground, l>uilt of grasses, mosses ami liai'k strips, lined with line grass and hair.
Eggs, foui', white, with nuirkings of i-eddish-hrown about the larger end.
I'AHIII.A WAHHLKH.
.S59
The Triiiicsscc W'fuhlfi' Itn'cds in tlir llii«ls«ms Uiiy Tfiiituiy, wIhtc it is l)y no iiu'iiiis I'lirc, l)ut the liiu' of its ini^'riitioii "scciiis to 1k' iil«)nj( the MisHissippi N'allt'y, so tluit in tlu' fast it is soldoin s«'»'n. r have only met witli it twice, onrr in spring' and iinff in tail. It is probable that a few visit us with the mi<,'ratiirv birds everj' season, Imt lik«^ one or two otlier speeies, it may owe its safety to its plain attire, bein;,' allowed to pass wlieic one of more i^audy plnma;;e would be stopped.
I
(Jknuh COMPSoTHLYPIS (.".viiams. COMPSOTHLVPIS AMKUTCANA (Ijw).
i'(
)< ,
Parula Warbler. (<)b^)
crts.
Iiiti'. le C'\ i-
oilier fS tlic
)))ill)lv
Mall III ■iprlii)/: Aliove, hltie, liack witli a guldcii-hrnwn pati'li, tliioa*. iiml hi'iuvHt yellow, with a rieli lirowii or Itlackish patcii, thi' foniuT soiiu-tiiiieH extending along the sjiles ; belly, (iyeliilx, two wing liars and sevoral tail spotH, wiiite ; lores, lilack ; iipper niandilile, hlack ; lower, tlush-folored. Fiinnli- ill spri iiij: -With the hhu; less hright, iiack and thtoat patches not NO well dctined. Voiiikj: -With these patches obscure oi- wanting, but always i-ecognizable by the other marks and very small size, i^eiigth, ■t,',-4'i; wing, •2i;iail, li
Hah. — Kastern tJnited States, west to tiie I'lains, north to Ciuiiida, iiiul south, in winter, to the West bidies and Central Anieri<'ii.
Nest, glol)ular, with a hole in the side, siisjiended from tiie end of a boiigli, often twenty feet or more from the gi-ound, composed of hanging mosses, so as often to look like an excavation made in the side of a bunch of moss.
Kggs, four or live, creamy-white, with sjiots of lilac and blown.
This small and neatly dressed speeies is very common diirinu tlu' spriiif^ mij^ration, when it may be seen in the tops of the tallest trees, often haiij^ing back downward like a Titmouse, searching for insects amonjj; the openin<^ leaves. In winter it withdraws entirely from Canada, and even from the Tnited States, yreat numl)ers being at that season obs'-rvefl in the West Fndies.
On the return trip in sprin*,' a few pairs stop by the way, but the majority pass on still farthei* north to breed. I have not heard oi the nest being found in Ontario, but T have the impression that this and many others of the same family will yet be found breeding in the picturesijue District of Musk<»ka, between (reorgian Bay .md the Ottawa River.
f
360
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
'^i!t'
^\
(iKSva DENDHOICA (Jray.
SuBOKNt's PEKISS()(;L()SSA Baird.
DENDHOICA TKJRINA (Gmel.).
•ifif*. Cape May Warbler. (050)
.]fa/< III x/>ri III/ : —lim:li, yellowish-olive witii liiifk .s))ots; crown, hlackisli, more or inns iiiterrujitcd with ln'owiiisli ; ear pati'h, oraiige-hrown ; eliin, throat and jMwtoi ior j)()rtion of a yellowish superciliary line, tinged witli the same; a hlack loral line, rump and under pai'ts rich yellow, paler on lielly and criasuni, the hrciist and sides streaked with hlack ; wing ])ars, fused into a large whitish patcii : tail Idotches large, on tliiee j)airs of retrices ; hill and feet, hlack. Fiiiinli ill spntiii: — Somewliat similar, hut lacks the distinctive head markings; the under parts an,' |)aler ami less streakecl ; 'he tail spots small or obscure; the wiiite on the wing less. Yoiiiui: An insignilicant-looking hird, re-sendiling an overgrown l-tuhy-crowned Kinglet without its crest ; olmcure greenish-olive ahove : iiim|), olive yellow; under parts, yellowish-white; lireast and sides with the streaks obscure or obsolete ; little or no white on wings, which are edged with yellowish; tail spots very small. Length, Tt'\\\ wing, 2^ ; tail, '1\.
Hah. Kasteri North America, north to Hudson's Hay Territory, west to the I'lains. Breeds fi'oni Xorthern New Kngland northward and also in ilamaicii; winters in the West Indies.
Nest, fastened t<i the outermost twigs of a cedar bough about three feet from the ground. compose<l of minute twigs of dried spruce, grasses ami strawbeii'v vines woven togetiier with spiiler welis. The rim is neatly formed and the lining is entirely of horse-hair.
Kggs, three to five, creamy-white, marked with lilac and reddish-brown.
This i-jife aiifl Ix'autit'ul VVfirbler i.s iieculiiir to the east, not yet liuviiiij; been found west of the ^^ississi^)])i. ID th(^ Eastofu States it is occasionalh' ol)taiiie(l, hut is so i-aic that it is always fej^aidecl as a pi'ize, and th<^ collector wImi i-ecognizes in the woods the orange ear-coveits and striped breast of this species is not likely Hf)on to forget the tingling seiLsatioii which pa.sses up to his finger ends at the time.
1 have altogether found si.x in Ontario, l)ut the occasions of their caj)ture extended over a good many years. The above description of the nest and '"ggs is condensed from an account given by Montague Chamberlain in the Auk for Jainiiiry, ISS;"), of the finding of a rtest on the northern boundary of New I'ruiiswick in the sununt-r of 188'2.
^•! I
I'! ?, J.)
HI
ill ili
YELLOW WARBLER.
.%!
SiHCKxis DENDROICA (Ihay.
DENDHOICA ESTIVA ((4mki,.).
26i». Yellow Warbler. ((>:)-•)
(iolileii-yell<>«' ; liack, olive-yellow, ffe(|ueiitly witli olt.solutL- brownish Ktreakw : l>reast and sidew, str'^akcil with oi'angel)i-own. wiiirh soinelinios tinges tile crown ; wings ami tail, ilusky, tiie lattci' mai'ki'il witli yellow hlotches ; hill, dark hlue. Fcmnh and i/oiiinj, |)aler ; less or not streaked below. Lengtii, .")| : wing, 'iH ; tail. '2\.
H.Mi. Xoi-th Aiiieiica at large, south, in winter, to Central America and Xortiiern South America.
Nest, placed in the crotch of a snudi tree or l)Ush. composed of a variety of soft, elastic nuiterials, including wool, iiair. moss. l)ark fibre and plant down, closely felted together.
Kggs, four or five, greenish- wiiite, spotted and lilotciied witli ditiercnt shades of r-cddish-browi..
This is, |ierlmp.s, the best known nt' all the Warbler family, its nest heinj^ more t'rei|uently found in a lilac husli in tin- garU-n than in any nioi-e retired situation. Ahfiut the lOtli of May it ani\es from the s(»uth, and s(»on makes its presence kin)wn h}' its sprightly notes, the males heip" in full song at the time of their arrival.
It Hpend.s much of its time picking small caterpillars oft' the foliage of the willows, and is a general favorite on account of its sociable lisDosition and coiiHding manners. I'nfoi tunatelv for its domestic mfort, it is often reluctantly compelU' s to lu'come tlie foster-jiarent of a yoinig Cowl)ird, but it does not always accept the situation. After the obnoxious egg has been deposited, it has been known to fiiise TJie sides of the nest an inch higher, build a second bottom oscr the top of the egg. and rai.se its own brood abo\e, lca\ii\g the t'ow- bird egg to rot in the basement.
This amliitious little bird, not satislied with the I'nited Suites luid Canada as a breeding grouiul, has extended the area to .Alaska, where Mr. Nelson says it is perhaps the mo.'t ai)Uiulant Warbler throughout the territory. 't is found iverywhere in tlic wooded interioi'. on the i)ushy i)ovders of the watercourses, or unong the (lumps of stunted alders on the shoiH's of llehring Sea, and the coast of the .Vrctic about Kotzebue Soun(! on the south-east coast of the territory. Richardson reports its arrival at Fort Franklin in latitude t)0', on the latli of May.
This species and the ('I'eeii Rlack-capped Flycatcher are the only two of this class whicli bi-eed in the alder tliickets in the vicinity of St. Mirliael's.
(
CI 1
.'562 lilKDS OF ONTARIO.
DKNDKOICA C.-EKl' I.KSCENS (U.mkl.). i.'7(». Black-throated Blue Warbler. (t).'>i)
M(tli ill Mjtiiiii/: Alinvc. uiiifoi'in sliitv-ltlue, tlie pcifect continuity <>f wiiifli is (inly interruptt'd, in very higii piuniagos. l»y a few ])lack tloi-Hal streaks : lieluw. pui'e white ; the sides of the heail to alM)ve tlic eyes, the i-hin, throat ami \vii))le sides of the hody eontinuously jet hhvck ; wing hars wantiii;^ (the coverts heing lihiek. edgeil witii Itluel. luit a hirge wiiite sjKit at tile liasf ot tlie priinaiies ; i|iiill feathers, lihickisli, oiilwai'dly edged witli hliiisii. the iinier nues mostly wliite on tlieir inner webs; tail, witli tlie onlinary white lilotches, tlie central featheis edged with Ulllisli ; hill, hlack : feet, da''k. Yoitiiij iiiii/i : Similar, luit the hliic glossed with olivaceous, and the Itlack interiiipted and restricted. /■'< ninfi ■ Kntiicly diH'eretit : dull olive-greenish with faint Idnish sliiidc. helow pale, soiled yellowish, iccogni/.alile l»y the white spot at the hase of the |)rimaries. which, though it may lie reduced to a mere speck, is always evident, at least on pushing aside the prinuiry coverts; t.iil blotches, small or cdis' i;re; fet-t, rather pale. Length, about ."> ; wing, •*!, : tail, '2\.
H.vii. Kastei'u North Anii'rica to tiie Plains, breeding from Xortherc New Kngland and Northern New N'oik northward, and in the Mleghanies to Northern ( ieorgia : West Iiulies in winter.
Nest. )ilaced in the fork of a bush near the ground, composed of grape-vine bark and rootlets, lincil with vegctalile fibre and horsehair.
I''ggs, three to tivc. crenmy-wl. 'c. with a few spots of reddish liiuw ii toward t he larger end.
hilling tlif spring- luigiatio" tins spet-ies is always fairly ivprc- sriitcd, ;.n<l soint' seasons it e.xctH'ds in nuiiilu'is any othcf gidup itt the t'ainily to wliicli it iH-longs. It anives alxmt tlu lOtli of .May and I'ontinufs coinnion till tin* 2;")th, l)y whicli time tJiuse hound fuf the north have disa|)|M'aicd. ( have heard of individuals l)eing seen in the \vo«»ds in sunnner, and think it i|uite likely that a f;'w j»aiis hreed ill siiitahle places in the southern part of th' }*i'o\ iiu-e, hut the majority uiu|Uestionahly go faither noith. \\ hile here the favorite haunt of the species is in the ojien w(io<ls. hut i' also visits tl • orchard, and is often seen among the lilac l)uslies in search of its insect food. In the fall it is in the woods during the greater jiart of Septeinher, after which it disappears and is .seen no more till the following spiing.
Since the alM>\(' was written I find the tollov.ing notice in Davie's " Nests and Kggs of American Birds": "Mr. Wm. L. Kells found tlie Black-throated lilue Warhh-r hreeding in the tliick underhrush of J'e high timh«'red land near I.ii.sto'>vel, Ontario, in June, and on the r)th of that inunth, ISStl. discovered a cojnpactly huilt nest of this species in ;< small mtiple. On the ';)th it contained tliree eggs of the NVarhler aiul one of the C'owhird."
MYKTLE WAKIJLEK.
:\m
lis
lilK
lie
U'S tllv'
of the
tins th.'
DENDKUICA COllONATA (Linn.). 271. Myrtle Warbler, (d')"))
Malt: — In Hjiriiig, ^slaty-l>lut■ wtreiiked witli lilack : lux-iist ami .siilos, ii.ohlly black; tliroat and holly, pure white, iiiniiaculate ; i'iiiii|), ceiiti'al crown patdi anil sides of hi'cast, sharply yellow, there heing tlnis fouf detinite yellow places; sides of head, hlack ; eyelitls and superciliary line, white; ordinary white ving liars and tail hlotches ; hill and feet, hlack : nid/i in winter Mn\ f'l ii.i/i in snninicr similar, hut slate color less jiurc or ijiutc hrownish. Yoiuiii : - t^uite iirown aho\e, ohscurcly streaked lielow. Length. r)J-.">i' ; wing, '.\ : tail. "Ji.
Hah. Kastern Noith America chiefly, straggling more or less commi njy westwai-d to the Pacific ; hreeils from the Northern United States northward, and winters from the Middle States and the Oliio N'alley southward to tin- West. Indies and (Central America.
Nest, in a low tree oi' hush, compo.sed chietiy oi iiemlock twigs and .soft vegetable fibres, lined with feathers.
Kggs, three to live, creamy-white, marked witii brow nisii purple.
The t'aniiliiir Yclluw-iuiiiji is tin- first of the t'aiuiiy to arrive in spring, often apjteariiif^ eai'ly iix April, and for a time it i.s the one most fretjueutly met witli ii; the wocd.s, vvheie it is ohsei'ved passim^ in loose Hocks anion;; the upper hranciies of the trees.
By t!ie middle of May, they have mostly disappeared, and are not ayain seen in Southern Ontario til! the end uf September. No doiiht many of the warhlers spend the summer in the thinly settled, uncul- tivated tracts of Ontario, hut their hauras are so seldom visited V>y anyone interested in tlie hirfls, tiiat it is only occasi(»naliy we hear of them.
Quite recently .Mr. \V. L. Kells found dws species l)reedini,' near Listowei. The locality in which t.ie nest w.is found was a clumj) of black ash, intermini,ded with cedars and balsams.
Macfarlaiie found this species nesting on tiie Andeison liiver. There its nest was often ])Iaced on the ground, but that n\';.'ht be a necessilv, for trees or bushes are not always avuilal>le in that northern region.
They linger late in the fall, as if uuwillini; to ii ave, and many proi)ably do not ^'o much beyond our southern i>oundary. though none have been known to rer.iain here o\er the winter. < >n the Pacific e«»ast, this species lias Ijeeii replact'd by /Ji'/idroiiui niiilnfioiil (Audubons Warbler). 'I'lie.se two species resemble eii.ch other very closely, the principal difi'eience l)eing that in the western species the
iUH
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
tliTDiit is yellow, whilt' in ours it is white. Ou-' »*astt'rii speoies has frKtjuently l)een found on tlie Pacific coast, hut in tlie cast the western one has only once l)een ohserved, the recoi'd being of a sj)eciinen taken near Cambridge, Mass., on the l")th Xovember, 1H7<').
DENDKOTCA MACULOSA ((Jmkl.). '-'72. Magnolia Warbler. (<):">')
Ma/<' ill sprliii/: liiick, Idiitik, tlic feiit)iei'.s more or less skiited witli olive, rump, yellow ; crown, clear ash, bordered l)v black in front to the eyes, heiiind tlie eyes by a white stripe ; forehead ar.d sides of the hea<l, l)lai'k, continuous witli that of tlic back, enclosing the wliitc under eyelid ; entire \inder parts lcxce|)t white umler tail covuits), rich yellow, thickly streaked across the lircH"* and almg the sides witii l)lack, the pectoral streaks crowtled and cutting ort" tlie definitely bounded imnuiculate yellow throat from the yellow of the other under ])arts ; wing bars, white, generally fused into one patch; tail spots small, rectangular, at the middle of tlic tail and on all the feathers except the central j)air ; bill, black; feet, l)rowii. I'liimli in .</*>•/(/;/ ; (^)uite si;nilar ; black of back reduced to spots in tlie grayish-olive ; ash of l:ead washeil with olive ; other head markings oltscure ; l)lack streaks below smaller and fewer. Yniiiiij : -(j)uite ditt'eren. ; iijjper |)ai'ts. ashy -olive ; no head nuirkings whatever, ami strc^aks below wanting or i-optined to a few small ones along tiic siiles, but always known l)y the yellow rinii|.' in connection wi^h extensively or completely yellow under ftarts (except white lUider tail coverts) and snuill tail s])ots near the miildle of i'.l'. the feathers e.vcept the central. Snuill, T^ inclw.'s or less; wing, •Ji ; tail, 'i,
H.VB. — Kastern Xorth .\merica to the biise of tlie Kocky .Motmlains, breeding from Xoithern N'ew Kngi.uid, Northern New York and Nortliern .Michigan to r'udson's Hay Territory. In wintei', ISahanuis, Cuba and Central .\iiieri<ii.
Nest, usuaily place<l in a low sprui^e or hemlo(^k, a few feet above the ground, sonu'times ten to tiftctn feet up in a young hemlock, composed of twigs, "ootlets and gra.ss, and lined >vith hoi'se-hair.
Kggs, foui- or Hve, dull white, marked with lilac and brown.
This by many is considered the most gaily (hv."sed of the \" irbler family. In Soutiiei-n O.uario it is a migrant in spring and fall, ai'd usually juite numerous. Trom its remaining neiir Hamilton ti"l late in May, and appearing a.gain about the end of August, we may infei- that some of the numlx'rs which paf^s in spring breed at no great distance. Mr. (\ J. Young, of the (^)llegiate Institute, Perth, men tions having found a nest of this sj>ecie.s in his neighborho(Hl oti the 1st •Tuly, IHS"). I'he de.scription of tiie nest, its position and the four eggs it contained, correspond exactly witli that given by oth*>rs
CEKUI.KAN WAKHLER.
365
who have seen them elsewhere. 80 fai* as 1 have observed, this is not one of the hi<fh fHers, heiny seUloni seen anionj^ the tree tops, Imt mostly in youn;^ wotnls, particularly evei'^^'reens, where its colors show to advantaije against the hack-gnmiul of dark foliage.
When seen in spiing, flitting from hush tn hush, one is apt to .suppose that it will not travel much farther before settling for the summer, but .Macoun reports finding it at l^ake .Mistasini t>n the ■Joth May, l<*^S."), and Kichardson met with it on the banks of the Saskatchewan i>n the "Jtith Mav, ISl'T.
DKNDIiort'A Cil<:i{ri.KA (WiLs.). i.'73. Cerulean Warbler, ((i^")''^)
.)fa/c ill .ijniiiii: .-V/.uro-lihii', witli hliick streaks ; l)el(tw. piiri' wliile ; lufiist 1111(1 Hides with blue or hlue-lilai'k streaks ; two wliite win;,' liars; tail lilotclies small, Imt occupying every feather. ex<'ept, perhajis. the ceiiti'al pair; hill, lilack ; feet, ilark. F< iii<(/i and i/oiiini with the lilue strongly gl()SHe<l with greenish, and tiie white soiled with yellowish ; a yellowish eye ring and superciliary line. Length. 4-4A.
U.\H. Kastern United States and Soiitliern ('aiia<la to the I'lains. Kaie or casual east of (leiitral \ew York and the .Mleghaiiies. ("utia (rare) aii<l (■eiitral .America in winter.
Nest, in the outei' folk of a hraiich. twenty to fifty feet from the ground, composed of hark stiips, grass ami rootlets, and lined with line glass and tihre ; outside are many pieces of gray moss fastened with spider silk.
Kggs, four, greenish- white, hlotched with hiown ami lilac at the larger end.
The Ceridean Wai-bler i.s, I think, a regular summer icsident in Southern Ontario, but is .somewhat local in its distribution. One spring I searched for it carefully near Hamilton without seeing a single individual, while acro.ss the l>ay, four miles otl", Mr. hickson reported it as <|uite common, and breeding in the w<iods neai- the Waterdown station of the (Jrand Trunk railway. Its home and haunts ai-e among the upper branches of the tre«'s, and, except on a blu.stering, iviiny day, it is seldom seen among the lower branchei Its song is almost identical with that of th«> Panda Warbler, but in the latter species it rises to a .slightly higher key at the chise, while the Cerulean's ditty is uniform thidughout. The colors of the bird are very pleasing when it is seen in a gotnl light, fluttering among the topmost twigs ot a beech or maple, the azure blue and silverv- white seeming like a shred wafted from the drapery of the sky. I>r. Wheaton mentiotis the species a.s abundant in Ohio, but generally it i.o con.sidered rare.
.M6«)
151 RDS OF ONTAHU).
W
ii
n
DENDIiorCA PENSYLVANI(\\ (Linn.) 274. Chestnut-sided Warbler. (HoO)
.\fn/f' ill xpriiii/ : IJiifk, .stunikcd witli hhick iiiiil pule yellow (sniiKitimea asliy <ii' whitish), whfih; <;i-()Wii pure yellow, imim-diately bonlcifil svith white, then enclosed in ))laek ; sides of head and neck iinil wiiole under parts, pure white, the former' with an ir-remdai' l(la<'k crescent liefore the eye, one liorn c\tending liackward over tiie eye to imrder the yellow crown and he dissipated on the sides of the na])e, the other reaching downward and )>Hckward to cim ncct with a chain of ])in'e cliestnut streaks that run tiie whole length of the liody, the under eyelid and auriculars heing left white ; wing hands, generally fused into one large ))ateh. and like the edging of the inner .sei'ondaries, much tinged with yellow; tail spots white as usual; hill, hlackish ; feet, lirown. I'tinnli' III s/iri ii;i : —Qniif, similar; eoloi's less j>ure; Mack loral crescent ohscure or wanting; chestnut streaks thimiei'. Yiiinni : .Miovc. including the crown, ■clear yellowish-green, ])erfectly uniform or liaek with slight dusky touches ; no distinct head markings ; iu-low, entirely white fi-om hill to tail, or else sliowiug a trace of chestnut streaks on the sides ; wing hands, clear yellow, as in the ailnlt : this is a diagnostic feature, shared hy no other .species, taken ill connection with the coiitiiiiioiisly white under |)ait.^ ; hill, light colored l)clo\\. Length, .")-."t| ; wing. '2h ; tail. '2.
H All. -Kiistern I'nited States and Southern ( 'aiiada, west to the Plains, hieeding southward to ('entral Illinois and in the .\ppalachiaii Highlaiuls, prohahly to \<irthein (ieoigia. X'isits the Mahamas and Central America in winter.
Nest, in the fork of a hush or sa])ling, three to eight feet from the ground, composed of hark stri|iH and grass, and lined with plant down and hair.
Kggs, four or ti\c creamy-white with reddish lirown marking.
The Chestiiut-sided is a i-niiiimni sinnnier resident, l)ieecliii<j; in suit il)le places near the city and throuj^diout tlie country, and laisinj^ tsMi liroods in the season. It is very partial to l)riar patclies, hut sometimes ijoes jj^ieaninj^ for insects amony the tree.s, when tlie iilendin^ of its \aiied )>lnniaa;e with the fr«'-.h spiinj^ foiiaije produces a very pleasing crteot. It arrives from the south aliout tiie 10th of .May, and departs early in September.
Althoufjh it seems <)uite at home in Southern Ontario, many individuals must; take a wider ranjj;e, foi Dr. Coues reports it as a commtm summ 'r resident in the wooflUnds near Pemhina, and Kennicott found it at the Lake of tiie W ..(ds on the L'r)th of May. The .soiifi, when heard in its haunts in the early spring, is pleasing, ami d»>livered with much spirit. Any of these iiirds whose notes I have once or twice heard I readily recognize again, and trust to the I'lir more than to the fi/r to tell what birds are about me in the bush,
BAY-BREASTED WAHBI.EH.
:{67
l)Ut only in ii few cxcfptuMial cuscs »!oul(l I cunvcv lo my iciidt'is in words or lettt'is any idea of the sctn^^s of birds, and I innst adniil that 1 niak<> hut poor j)ro<;r«\ss in tiyin;; to folluvx others ulio tiiink tlu'V have succeeded in doin<' so.
|)KX[)1{()IC'A C'.\ST.\NK.\ (\Vii,s.).
but tlie
any
as
land
ay.
L I
ti
:(.).
Bay-breasted Warbler. ('KWi)
le
sn,
.l/'//i //( y/iriiKj Hiick. tliiikly streaked witli lilaek ami i,'ra\ isli ulive ; fiirolieail ami sides of liead, Idaek. eiielosiii^ a large deep I'liestinil paleli; a duller chestnut (exactly like a Hlueitird's hreasti occupies the \» lioje chin and throat, and extends. ui<)re oi- less interrupted, along the entire .--ides of the liody; rest <tf undei- parts, ochrev oi- l)uHy wiiitish. a similar liullV area heliind the ears; wing liars and tail spots, ordinary; hill and feel, hlackish. Fimalt hi ■iprlinj: Is more olivaceous than the inah . with the markings less |irouounced, hut always shows evident chestinit coloration, and prohahly traces of It iiersist in all nthill l)irds in the fall. The i/ouiiij, howevei', so closely resendile yotnig strlafn that it is sometimes impossilile to distinguish them with I'ertainty. (Jnxtniitd is, however, tinged with l)\dry or ochrey Itelow. insteail of the clear pale yellowish of striiiin : moi'covcr. (•(istnnm is usually not streaked on the sides at all. Si/e of ■i/rin/n.
Hah. -Kastern Xortli .\merica. north to Hudson's Bay. Breeds fiom N'orthern New England and .Northern Michigan northward; winters in Centi'al -America.
Xest. in a hendock ticc. fifteen oi' twenty feet from the ground. com)io.s(<d of larch twigs and moss, woven together with sj)ider silk, and liiu'd witii lilirous roots.
Kggs, four, hluish-green, thickl\ spottid with lilac ami lnown at tlu' larger end.
My olj.scrvations of tliis species aj,nee with wlnit lias l)een pub- lished regardiiiff it by those who have observed it in the Haslern States, 1 liave f<iund it abuixhuit 'ii spring some years, and in others rare, or entirely wantinj,', while in the fall it is always searce, if it is .seen at all. This has led t(t the belief that the species (hies not always follow the sann' lin<' of mig;rati(Mi in spring, and that in the fall the return trip is inach' along a liin- to tin- west of ns, the few we see being only strag;.^lers fr(un tin' main body. It is i late comer, beinj.' .seldom seen till at'ter the middle of .Mav, and it is "ess active in its nmvements than other members of the familv. Tt is seldom seen on the jfround oi near it. usually keeping among the upper branches of the trees.
The tmlv time I ever saw more than three or four together was in
868
BIHDS OF ONTARIO.
tilt' s|>; iiiji' ot' ISS."), wlu'ii I (ibserved ii Hock of fifty <>i' inort- t'ftMliii;; ill ii ctluiui) of willows ov('rliHn<jfin>( iin inlet <tf the Hfiiuiltoii May.
Listiiwi'l seems ii fiivorite iocality with the Warblers, aiic' Mi'. Kells evidently gives them some attention, for this is aiH>ther species which he found hreedint; in a low, swampy, mixed hush not far from his home. .Mr. Kells found a nest i)laeed between a slendei- limit and the trunk of a small cedar about five feet uj>. Another was found in a hemlock at an elevation of fourteen feet. The nests were built as describttd above, of rather small si/e, the interior beinir only about two inches in diameter by one in depth.
»<■. .
1) KN I) HO 1 C A ST n I ATA (Kokst.).
•J7(
(»).
Black-poll Warbler. (•)<)!)
a"4 *j '■
4
Mith ill .•i/iri'iiij: I'pper parts liiickly struaked witli liliick and uli\ acuous- asli : wliolc ci-ciwii. ])iu(' Mack: lu'ail lidow tlic level of the eyes ami whole \ni(ler ])aits. while, the sides thickly marked with hlaek sf ,<tks eiowdiiig forward on tlie sides of the neck to foi'ni two strijtes tiiat eonveige to meet at hase of the Mil, ciittin;; aft' the while of the ciieeks from that of the throat; wing liars and tail hlotches, white; inner secondaiies. white-edged; primaries usually edged externally with olive; feet and under mandible, flesli color or pale yellowish; upper mandilde, lilack. Fi iii(i/< in spiini/ : I'jiper parts, including the crown, greenish-olive, l)oth thickly and rather sharply lilack streaked; white of umler parts soiled anteriorly with very pale olivaceous- yellow, the streaks smaller and not so crowded as in the male. Yoinni: (,'Iosely resemliling the adult female, hut a lirighter and more greenish-oli\ e above with fewei' streaks, often obsolete on the crown: below, more oi' less tinged with pale greenish-yellow, the streaks very obscure, sometimes alto- gether wanting; luider tail coverts, usually pure white; a yellowish superciliaiy line; «ii!g bars, 'iiiged with the same color. Length. ">.i-">'i ; wing, 'J','-.'!; tail.
Hah. Kastern Xoitli America to the Hoeky Mountains, north t<i (Iicen- liind, the liaircn ( ir<iiuids 'and Alaska, breetling fi'om Xorthern New England northward; south, in winter, to Xorthern South America.
Xest. in an evergreen, eight or ten feet from the ground, built of lai'ch twig.s wo\en together with moss and gi'ass, and lined with tine grass.
Kggs, four or five, variable, usually white, spotted with purple and reildish- lirown.
The Black-poll is a regular visitor in Southern Ontario in .spring and fall. Tt is the last of the family to arrive from the .south, beiiig seldom seen before the 20th of May. Its staj' at that time is of short dui'ation, and when it goes the collector considers the VVarblci'
RLACKFJURNIAN WAUHLKR.
369
season is over. In the fall these birds uie iv^tun seen in increased nunil)ers, many Ix-inj^ in the youii;,' j)lunia<,'e, and nut in sncli haste to depart, ahlnaij^h none remain over tlie winter.
The nuisical |)o\vers, it' they havci any, are not exercised in thin latituch", the hirds whih' here heinj,' mostly silent. They feed hujiely on \sin^ed insects, which an- never plentiful till the end of .May, and this may account for tlu; lUack-polls hein^ lat(! in arrivin;,' in sjirinj^.
Viewed from the ortlinary traveller's standp<iint, one would e.xpect that the birds which go farthest north would be the first to start on the journey, but such is not tlu^ case. This species, which is the \ovy latest to arrivt! from the south, keeps mo\ini( on tht^ northern rout*', pa,ssiuj,' many which left the wintiu* rendezvous Ix'fore them, and though some may drop oil" by the way, large numbei's keep on till they re*r:li Alaska, and the}' are found «'ven in (Jreeidand.
Mil. farlane no. iced this species breeding on the Anderson l{iver, and ilM eggs were taken at F<)rt Yukon on the .'"'th and lOth of .luiie.
DENDUOTCA iiLACKIU:RNI^<]. ((Jmki,.).
ili\ e
less
illtn-
iUiuy
tail.
.li.sii
•ruig eiiig , of bier
277. Blackburnian Warbler. (OOl*)
M(i/( ill .v/<c,»;//- liiic'U, hliiclv, more or' less iiitcfriipti'il with ycllowisii ; Clown, lilacU, witli a central orange s))ot ; a ln'oail Mack slri|i!' tlirougli the eye, enclosing the <»rangt^ under eyelid; iv.st of head, with whole thioiit, niost brilliant orange or flame I'oloi-; otlief undei- |)ait.s, whitisli, more or lens tinged witii yellow, and »'u\k» streaktMl with hlaek ; wing liars, fused into m liirge wliite patch; tail hlotehes, white, oecupying nearly all the outer feathers; l)ill and feet. dark. Fi'iiialc aiul i/onii;/ male: — Upper pai'ts, olive and lilaek, streaked; superciliary line and throat, clear yellow, fading insensiiily on the lireast; lower eyelid, yellow, eontined in the dusky ear-patch ; wing ])atch, resolved into two ))ars; tail lilotehes, nearly as extensive as in the adult male, the outer feathers showing white on the outei' wehs at hase. Length, oj; wing, '2'i{; tail, -ii.
Hah. — Kastern \orth .Ameriiia to the Plains, bleeding from the northern anil more elevated parts of the Kastern United States northward; in winter, south to the liahamas, Uentral .\inerica and Xorthern South .America.
Xest, in an evergreen, twenty feet from the ground; built of twigs, gias.s and moss, and lined with fine fibre, hair and feathers.
Eggs, three or four, bluisli-green, speekled toward the larger end with red<lish-brown an<l lilac.
This " Hying gem," clad in black, and orange of the richest shade, is by many regarded as the most gaily attired of all the Warblers. 24
ml
:i70
UlliDH OF ONTARIO.
r*. JH a rnj^ular visitof in spnn<^ and fall, and tli<>iij,'li no) ahiindant is vory >^(»nerally clistril)iitf<l.
A fow liave Imm'h oljscrved in Manitoba, and it has also l)c(>i\ reported as a strafjfj^ler in Labrador, l)Ut from its lingering' late in the spring in Southt'in Ontario, and appearing again early in Sep- tember, the liulk of the species prol)al)ly does not go much farther north to spend the summer. In the .!///•, Vol. TI., page \{)'.\, Dr. Merriam gives an account of a ncist of this species which he found in Lcnvis County, N.Y., on the •Jnd of .June, I87ii. It was saddled on a linil) of a large pine, eighty-four teet from the ground, and- eontained four fresh eggs of the owners of the nest and one of the Cowhird.
(.)ne of tht^ few erroi's made hy ^^'ilson was his desci'iption of th<^ young of this bird as a separate Hj)ecie.s, which he name<l the H(!mlock Warbler. Tn this he was for a time followed by other writers, till further observations brought out the truth.
Like most of its clas.s, this species crosses the .southern frontier in May, and is again .seen passing south in September.
If
'i
DKNDROICA VIRKNS (Hmkl.). ■27S. Black-throated Green Warbler. (<)«)7)
,\/fi/i ill ■i/tiiiiij: Hack ami ciowii, cU-ar yellow-olivu ; forehead, .supii'ciliary i'ue, sides of lioad, licli yellow (in very high plumage, middle of ha'^k with dusky niarkis, and dusky or dark olive lines through eyes, aurieuhii-s, and even (•ordering the ci-own); chin, tlu'oat an<l l)rea8t, jet Itlaek, prolonged hehind in .streaks on the sides; other under parts, white, usually yellow -tinged ; wings and tail, du.sky, the foimer with two white liars and much white edging, tin' latter with outer feathers nearly all white; hill and feet, Idaekish ; iiitt/<' in the fall anil /miin/i' in the spring similar, hut hlaek restrieted, interiupted or veiled with yellow. Yontuj: — Similar to the fenuile, hut the hlaek more restrieted oi' wanting altogether, exeept a few streaks along the sides. Length, ahout ."); wing, '2\ ; tail, ti}.
Hab.— Eastern North Ameriea to the Plains, north to Hudson's Bay Teiri- ritory, breeding fi-om the Northei'U United States northwartl. In winter, south to ('uha and I'anania. .\cci<lental in (ireenland and Euro|)e.
Nest, snuill, neat, eom])aet, placed in a fork of a pine tree, near the end of a hraneh, often twenty to fifty feet from the ground; composed of twigs, stri])s of vine hark and drieil gra.ss, and lined with vegetable fihi'e and horse hair.
Kggs, three or foui', creamy-white, nuirked Mith reddish-brown and lilac, nuwtly toward the larger end.
IMNE WAllULKU.
:ni
llCtMl
riic liliick tliiMiitfd (iiciMi \Viii'l)l<'f is a r<'i^iil)if visitor in spilnjr niul t'nll. It H|ip»'!iis u tVw diiys oiilicr in sprin;,' tlian somh' otlii'i-s dt' its class, and soon announces its arrival by the t'it!(|Ut'nt uttcMiincf ot' its chunicteristic notes, wliich are readily lecoj^ni/.t'd sslit-n heard in the \V(H>ds, hut are ditlieult to translate into our lanj^ua^e. VN'lien the Warhlers are on tluur nuj,'ratory journey, they use trees of all kinds as n'stiii;^ plaees, hut while seekini,' food this species evidently prefers the pines, and is most fre(|Uently seen auionj; the hi;,'her liranehes. In the fall they are as active as ever in their uiovenienis, hut are mostly silent, except in the utterance of a simple chirp to H(l\ ise each other of their wherealxtuts.
)ther
DENDKOICA VKJOHSn (Ai i..).
iliiuy witl)
I'Vl'll
ml ill wiiigx IK. tlif tlu' veiled U'd or Diit .">;
Tcrri- south
il of a •i])s of
lilac,
-'7!>. Pine Warbler, (tnl)
I'liit'iiiM yi!llo«isli(>livf iil>ov(\ yellow helow, paler or white on Kelly iiiiil miller tail covcrtH, shaded and sometiiiies olmoletely streaked with darker on the .'ides; siipereiliaiT line, yelhtw ; wing hars, white; tail Kloteiiet* coiitined to two outer pairs of feathers, large, ohliiiiie. Fiiiinli and ijoiniij : Similar, duller; sometimes merely olive-gray al)(»ve and sordid-whitish lielow. The variations in iireeise shade are iutt^rminahle, l)iit the species may always l>e known hy the hiek of any special sharp markings whatever, except thiisiiju'r- ciliary line, and hy the conihination of white wing liars with largi; ohliniie tail spots confined to the two oiitei' paii's of feathers. Length, 'il to nearly (» inches.
H AH. Kastern I'liiteil States to tin; Plains, north to Ontario and N'l-w liriinswick, wintering in the South Atlantic: and (!ulf States, ami the liahama.s.
\est. ill a pine tree, well up from the ground, liiiilt of .stiips of hark, rootlets and grass, and lined with plant down, hair and feathers,
Kggs, usually four, white, tinged with pink and .spotted with leddish-hiown and lilac toward the larger end.
The Fiiie-creepinj? Warbler is remarkable neither for the ,i,'aiety of dress nor the activity of movement which distini^uish most of the others of its cla.ss. It is a larj^e, (juiet Warbler, yellowish-j^reen above, and ;freenish-yellow below, and is most fre(|uently obser\(M| cHM'ping on the trunks or branches of the pine trees, searchinj^ for insects amon^ the crevices of the bark. Tt does not seem to i)e j,'enerally flistributed, for Dr. Wheaton speaks of it as beiny rare in Ohio, and Mr. Saunders has not met with it near London, while at Hamilton it is rather a common species, and raises its youni^ near the citv every 8ea.son.
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23 WEST MAIN STREET
WEBSTER, NY. 14SB0
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372
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
It arrives from the south quite early in spring, and for a time is quiet, but as the weather gets warmer the male indulges in a ratlier pleasant little y.ong, resembling that of the Chipping Sparrow. In the fall they disappear about the middle of September.
DENDROICA PALMARUM (Omel.). 2H0. Palm Warbler. (672)
Atbtf/ mah : — In spring, henoatli, ycUowisli-whitc, tinged with yellow, the throat and crissinn ileepening into gamboge ; sides of the neck, sides and entire breast streaked with wmber-brown, tinged with rusty, the shafts of the feathers darker; a distinct superciliary stripe of clear yellow ; pileuni, uniform rich chestnut, darker next the bill, when divided medially by a short and indistinct streak of yellow ; upper parts in general, olive-gray, deepening into yellowish olive-green on the upper tail coverts; tail feathers, dusky, edgeil externally with i)ale olive-yellowish, the two outer pairs with their inner webs broadly tipped with white ; wings, dusky, the reniiges edged like the tail feathers with yellowish olive-green, both rows of coverts tipped with ].ale grayish-buff, forming rather distinct indications of two bands. Wing, 2. .")."); tail, -i.SI).
H.AB. — Northern interior to Great (Slave Lake; in winter and in migrations, Mississippi Valley an<l Uulf States, including Western and Southern Florida and the ^Vest Indies. Casual in the Atlantic States.
Nest, on the ground under a bush or tussock of grass, composed of grass, lined with rootlets, hair uiterpillar silk and mo.ss.
Kggs, three, rosy wlute, spotted with brown and reddish at the larger end.
From the way in which western birds creep up into Ontario around the west end of Lake Erie, I think it highly probable that this species will be found here. I have noticed some individuals less bright in the yellow than others, but at present the number of specimens available for comparir,on is so small that I cannot say positively that we have both species of Palm Warbler, and have some doubts as to whether or not the recognized authorities have acted wisely in making the separation.
DENDROICA PALMARUM HYPOCHRVSEA (Ridgw.). 281. Yellow Palm Warbler. (672rf)
Adult mnh' : — In spring, entire lower parts and a conspicuous superciliary strij)e brigiit yellow, entirely continuous and uniform beneath ; entire sides nuirkeil with broad streaks of deep ciiestnut, these most distinct on the side»
YELLOW PALM WARBLER.
373
of the breast; aurieulai' inixeil olive iind cliestmit (the hitter prevailing), somewhat darker iininediately behind the eye; lore, with an indiHtinct dusky streak ; entire pileuni, rich chestnut, becoming darker next the bill when divided medially by a short and rathei' iniiiHtinet yellow streak; rest of the iipjjer parts, olive, tingeil with brown on the back and brightening into yellowish olive-green on the rump and upper tail coverts, the latter having shaft streaks of reddish-chestnut ; tail feathei's, dusky, edged externally with J, jllowish-olive, the niner wel)s of the two outer feathers bi'oadly tij)pe<l with white; wings, dusky, all the featheivs edged with pale brownish-olive, this edging rather widest on the ends of the middle and gi'eater coverts, where, however, they do not form any indication of bands. Wing, 2.0."); tail, 2.50.
Hai!. — Atlantic States north to Hudson's Bay. Hrye<ls from Xe.w Bruns- wick and Xova Scotia northwai'd ; wintei's in the South Atlantic and (Jalf States.
Xest, on the grouiul, built of bark fibre, grass and moss, and lined with hair and feathers.
Kggs, four, creamy-white, blotched with reddish-bi-own and lilac at the larger end.
As tliis interesting bird is said to be aljundant in the Eastern ►States as far west as the Plains, we should ex{)ect to find it also plentiful in Ontario, but I have not so observed it near Hamilton. Occasionally, late in the fall or early in spring, it is seen running about on the ground, by the roadsides or in liare weedy fields, but it is not at any time abundant, and sometimes is altogether absent. It is very different, in many respects, fr<>m the other members of the group in which it has heen placed ; the building of its nest on the ground and the jerky motions of its tail suggesting relationship with the Tit Lark.
8ome ten years ago, while examining a large series of specimens of this species in the National Museum, Mr. Ridgway observed a wide diflFerence in the intensity of the coloring <jf different individuals in the group. An examination, as to the localities from which they had been ob '^ined, showed that the highly colored individuals were from the east of the Alleghanies, while those in plainer attire were all from farther west. A comparison of specimens in the possession of different collectors in these districts, showed that the differences referred to were constant, and this has led to the variety we are now considering being described as a sub-species, under the name of Dpiidroica palmarum hyimchrynea ; the original Dpndroica pahnarum of Gmelin being supposed to be the plain colored form observed in the west. I have described both, so that collectors may satisfy themselves as to whether we have here the eastern form, or the western, or both.
fM i
374 BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
Genus SEIURUS Swainsox. HEIURUS ATJROCAPILLUS (Linn.).
■2H-2. Oven Bird, (t'74)
Crown, o.ange-brown, bordered with two black stripes, no superciliary line ; above, bright olive-green ; below, pure white, tliickly spotted with dusky on breast and sides ; a narrow maxillary line of blackish ; undei' wing coverts, tinged with yellow ; a white eye ring ; legs, Hesh color. Sexes alike. Yomxj : — Similar. Length, 5^-6^; wing, 3; tail, 2'^.
Hab. — Eastern North America, nortli to Hudson's Bay 'I'eriitory anil Alaska, breeding from Kansas, the Ohio Valley and Virginia northward. In winter. Southern Florida, the West Indies and Central America.
Nest, on the ground, usually on a sloping bank, freijuently loofed over with an entrance at the side ; composed of twigs, leaves and moss, and lined with tine grass and haii\
Kggs, foui' or five, creamy-white, spotted with reddish-brown and lilac-gray.
The Oven Bird, so called from its habit of building its nest .some- what in the form of an oven, is a summer resident in Ontario, and is very generally distributed, being found in suitable places all over the country, from the early part of May till the beginning (jf September. To see it walking gingerly on the ground, jerking its tail after the manner of the Tit Lark, conveys the impression that it is a quiet, retiring little bird, with clear, handsome markings ; but should it mount to one of the middle branches of a tree, it is astonishing to observe with what emphasis and energy it delivers its notes. With a little help from the imagination, its song resembles the word fforfter, frequently repeated with increasing emphasis. This loud, clear call may often be heard in the moist woods during the month of May, but the bird is said to have also another song, more soft and musical, which must be reserved for special occasions, for I have not met with anyone who has heard it.
In Alaska it is known to breed from Fort Yukon .some distance down the river, where the natives call it the Grandfather of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet.
SEIURUa NOVEBORACENSIS (Gmkl.). 28.i. Water-thrush. (675)
Kntire upper parts, deep olivaceous-brown ; conspicuous superciliary line, yellowish ; below, white, more oi' less tinged with pale yellowish, thickly and sharply spotted with the color of the back, except on lower belly and c.issuni ; feet, dark. Length, .5J-6; wing, 2^; tail, 2^ ; bill, about h.
LOUISIANA WATER-THRUSH.
375
i illlil
1. In
Hab. — EasteTii Uniteil States to Illinois, and northward to Arctic America, breeding from the Northern United States northward ; south, in winter, to tlie West Indies and Northern South America.
Neft, on the ground, often under the exposed roots of a tree, l)uilt of leaves, moss and grasses, and lined with tine grass and I'ootlets.
Eggs, four to six, of crystalline whiteness, marked with reddish-brown or lilac.
Thi.s iuhabitaut of the moist woods and swampy thickets is found in all suitable places throughout the country, but it has not the loud decided notes of the Oven Bird, and is therefore less known, though (|uite as abundant. It is terrestrial in its habits, being often seen walking with careful steps by the edge of the pools, or along wet logs, nervously jarking its tail, after the manner of the Teeter Snipe.
In appearance it closely resembles the next species, with which it has often been confounded, but the distinction, once clearly under- stood, is afterward.s readily recognized. In the present species the throat and bi-east are streaked from the bill downwards, while in the Louisiana the throat is always unstreaked.
This species also reaches Alaska, where Mr. Nelson says of it, after quoting the observations of others : " My own experience at the Yukon mouth proves the bird to be one of the commonest species breeding at that place. Its favorite haunts, in the midst of dense thickets, shelter it from the observation of one not accustomed to its song, which, however, is one of the most striking that reaches the ear of the traveller in that region ; but the songster, perched on some low branch, is quick to take alarm, and skulks away beyond the sight of one penetrating its haunts."
SETURUS MUTACILLA (Vieill.). 284. Louisiana Water-thrush., (676)
Very similar to the last ; lather larger, averaging about 0, with the wing 3 ; bill, especially longer and stouter, over A, and tarsus nearly I ; under parts, white, cmlj' faintly tinged, and chiefly on the flanks and crissum, with bufly - yellow ; the streaks sparse, pale and not very sharp ; throat, as well as belly and crissiim, unmarked ; legs, pale.
Hab. — Eastern United States, north to Southern New England and Michi- gan, west to the Plains. In winter. West Indies, Southern Mexico and Central America.
376
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
I i
Nest, on the ground, composed of twigs, moss and leaves, and lined with fine grass and tiie fur of some (|uadruj)ed.
Kggs, four 01' five, wiiite, tinged witii I'o.se coloi- and lightly nuirked witii reddish-brown, chestnut or lilac gray.
Southern Ontario is perhaps the northern Hniit of this species, and even here it is not generally distributed. My first accjuaintance with it was made early on a bright May morning, a good many yeai's ago. I had gone out under the mountain, west of Hamilton, and was ci'ossing a deep ravine, whicli there cut through the escarp- ment, when 1 heard farther up the glen the clear, rich, li([uid notes of a bird that was then entirely new to me. Following with some dilHculty the course of the stream, which was heard trickling be' eath the moss-grown rocks at the bottom of the rivine, I came, at length, in sight of the musician. He was on the prostrate trunk of. a tree, which, years before, had fallen and bridged over the chasm, and was then moss-grown and going to decay. On this car; ated plat- form the bird moved about with mincing steps, often turning around with a jerk of the tail, and uttering his characteristic notes with such energy that, for a time, the whole ravine seemed filled with the sound. I have seen the species many times since then, ])ut the recollection of our first meeting has lingered long in my memory, and this particular biixl still occupies a prominent place in my collection.
The Large-billed, or Louisiana Water-thrush, as it is now called, is by no means so common a bird in Ontario as the preceding .species, but along the southern border of the Province, wherever there is a rocky ravine, its loud, clear notes are almost sure to be heard in the spring, mingling with the sound of the falling water. It arrives from the south early in May and leaves in September.
Genus GEOTHLYPIS Cabanis.
Subgenus OPORORNIS Baird.
GEOTHLYPIS AGILIS (Wils.).
28,^. Connecticut Warbler. (678)
Above, oliv^-gi'een, becoming ashy on the head ; below, from the breast, yellow, olive-shaded on the sides ; chin, throat and breast, grayish-ash ; a whitish ring round eye; wings and tail, unmarked, glossed with olive; under mandible and feet, pale : no decided markings anywhere. Length, fl^ ; wing, 2i ; tail, 2.
MOURNING WARBLKR.
877
Hah. — Raatcrn North Aineric'ii, breetling north of the United States.
Nest, sunk in the ground level with the .surface, composed entirely of dry grass.
Eggs, four, creamy-white, a few spots of lilac-hrown ami hjack, inclining to form a ring round tlu; larger end.
Tlie Ci)niiecticut War})ler was discovered by Wilson, and named by him after the State in which he fecund it. It is a widely -dis- tributed species, but i:i nowhere abundant, though it seems to be more common in the west than in the eastern portion of its habitat. It is of sliy, retiring habits, frequenting low, swampy places and keeping near the ground.
On one or two occasions I have met with the adults in spring, and have seen them again in the fall, accompanied by their voung. In their haunts and habits they clo.sely resemljle the Mou.ning Warbler, and in certain stages of plumage they are also like the latter in appearance, but the present species can always be recog- nized by its wings, which are longer and more })ointed.
This species undoubtedly breeds in Ontario, and as the nest -and eggs are still unknown to naturalists, they are a prize which our Canadian boys should try to secure. I found the young in August, and they certainly looked as if they had not travellcil far.
Since the above was written, the nest of this species has been found at Duck Mountain, in Manitoba, by Mr. Ernest E. Thomj)S()n, who in the Auk, for Api-il, 1884, gives an interesting account of the occurrence which happened on June 21st, 1883. The life history of this graceful species has so long continued in obscurity, that it was with exceptional pleasure Mr. Thompson found himself enabled to i^ast light upon several of the most important of its habits. He had the good fortune to find the nest, the first of its kind known to science, and it was subsequently sent to the Smithsonian Institute, where the identification was confirmed, and the nest finally deposited.
GEOTHLYPIS PHILADELPHIA (Wils.). 286. Mourning Warbler. (679)
Bright olive; below, clear yellow; on the head, the olive passes insensibly into ash ; in high plumage, the throat and breast are black, V)ut are generally ash, showing l)lack traces, the feathers lieing black, skirted with ash, producing a peculiar appearance, suggestive of the birds wearing crape; wings and tail, unmarked, glossed with olive; under mandible and feet, flesh color; no white
378
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
fl^
about eyes. Vouiig hitds luive littk' ur lui iisliy du tlie liwiil uml no Ijlack on the throat, tlius nearly leHeiiihling tlie Ojiororni" a;/li'ii. Liiigth, ")[-.")i; wing and tail, each ahout 2\.
Hab. -Eastern North .\inerica to the I'lain.s, breeding from the mountain- ous portions of I'ennsylvania, New Knglaml and New York, and Northern Michigan northward. Central America and northern South America in wintei'.
Nest, on or near the ground, huilt of leaves ami weed stalks, and lined with Hne black rootlets.
Kggs, three; "light Hesii color, uniforndy speckled with Hne Imdwu specks."'
Very little i.s yet known of tlie nest and eggs of the Mourning Warbler. Tlie above de.sciiption is given by John Burroughs of a nest found Ijy liiin in New York State, which is farther south tlian these birds usually .spend the sunnner.
Some years ago, while waiting for tlie train at a way station on the Kincardine brancli of the Grand Trunk Railway, I strolled into the neighboring wtxxls to pass the time. Sitting on a prostrate log on the sunny side of a ravine, birds of man;-' kinds fluttered about, and a pair of Mourning Warblers soon attracted nw attention by the displeasuie and anxiety they manifested it being disturbed. I changed my position, and the female moved cautiously towards the place r had left. A few minutes more and I certainly should have seen the nest, but the engine whistle sounded, and being some distance from the station I had to leave. Nexh day, as the train slowly passed the place, the male was again obser^'ed singing on his former perch.
Any one who has giver attention to the moveme.'its of the birds for a number of years, must have been surprised at the persistent regularity with which certain species appear at particular places at a given time, especially in spring.
For many years after I commenced collecting birds, T considered tlie Moui'ning Warbler only a straggler in this part of Ontario, having met with it on but two occasions. More recently, I have carefully studied the topographical aspect of the neighborhood with special reference to the habits of the birds, and have calculated where certain species should be found at certain dates. One result of this was, that on two visits made to a partictxlar place in May, 1885, K. C. Mcllwraith obtained nine Mourning Warblers in a very short time. In the spring of 1886 they were again observed at the .same place, but were not molested. The name Mourning does not refer to the manners of the bird, for it sings with much spirit and is quite lively in its movements, but was suggested by the ashy tips
MARYLAND YELLOW -THROAT.
379
to the black feathers of tlie throat, i-eseiiihUng the effect produced by wearing crape.
Mr. Thompson found this species (|uite common in Manitctba, but difficult to collect, owing to its habit (»f keeping back in the under- brush.
Lks."
.idered ntaiio, have d with tulated result May, la very I at the 3s not it and ly tips.
UEOTHLYPIS TRICHAS (Linn.). 287. Maryland Yellow-throat. (<>.'< 1)
^f(ll^ ill xpriiiij : {.)\\\ii green, nitlier grayer anterioi-ly ; foi'eliead and a liroati hand tlirougli the eye to the neck, p'lre black, Ixirdered above witli lioary ash ; oliin, throat, breast, under tail coverts and e<lge of wing, ricli yellow, fading into whitish on the belly ; wings and tail, unmarked, glossed with olive ; bill, black; feet, Hesii colored. Feiimli' in spriii;/: -Without the definite ])lack and ash of the iiead ; the crown, generally brownisii, the yellow pale and restricted. The i/oiiii;/ in genei'al i'e8eini)le the female, at any rate lacking the head markings of the male, but are sometimes hutl'y-bi-ownish below, sometimes almost entirely clear yellow. Length, 4'^-.l ; wing and tail, lj--i.
Hab. — Kastern United States, mainly east of the Alleghanies, nortli to Ontario and Nova Sc(jtia, breeding from (ieorgia northward. In winter, Soutii Atlantic aiul (Julf States, and the West Indies.
Nest, on the groiuiil, composeil of leaves and grass, and lined witli tine withered grass, sometimes partly rohfed over.
Eggs, foTir to six, white, thickly sprinkled with reddisii-l)rown, chiefly at the larger end.
The Maryland Yellow-throat is widely but .somewhat irregularly distributed. I have heard its familiar notes on the banks of the St. Lawrence, near Quebec ; by the marshy ponds between Gait and Paris I have found it breeding abundantly; but near Hamilton, where there are places which tt) us appear ecjually suitable for its summer residence, it is only observed as a casual migrant in .spring and fall. It is a very lively little bird, and makes its summer haunts ring with its loud, clear whif-fi-fee, often repeated, which once heard is not soon forgotten by any one who has an ear for bird music. It arrives during the first week in May, and disappears about the end of August.
It is very common in Manitoba, but beyond that to the north, I have not hearfl of its having being observed.
:^so
BIRDS (JF ONTARIO.
Ckxith ICTEKIA Vikillot. ICTKIllA VIRENS (Linn.).
2.SK. Yellow-breasted Chat. (Os;})
IJright olive-green ; hulow, golden-yellow ; belly, ahi'ujjtly wliite ; lore, l)lii(:k, isolating the vvliite under eyelid from a wiiite superciliary line above and a slioit maxiilary line lielow; wings and tail, iniiiiarked, glossed with olive; hill anil feet, Idue-lihiek. F< inah and //o/o*;/; -Similar, colors less l)rigiit. Length, 7-7^: wing, about 8; tail, about 3[.
H.\it. — Kastern United States to the I'laina, nortli to Ontario and Southern New i<)ngland, south in winter to Kastern Mexico and (liuitenuila.
Nest, in a thicket, in the upright fork of a sapling, three to six feet from the ground : composed of leaves, strips of gra])e vine bark and grass, lined with fine « ithered grass and iibre.
Hggs, tlu'ee or four, very smooth, white, spotted and blotched with several tthades of reddish-l)rown, heaviest toward the larger end.
Bird collectiiij^ is attended with all the excitement of other speculations. The very uncertaint}', as to the amount of success attainable, tends to increase the feeling.
Laying aside accidents by gun, boat or buggy, much time and labor are sometimes expended with very slim results, while on the other hand the prizes are often o))tained quite unexpectedly. On the Ifith of May, 1884, I went for a short excursion to the woods, impressed with tlie idea that I had lately spent too much time collecting common species which I already had, and that, by a more careful inspection of the birds I came across, I should have a better chance of finding something new. I observed quite a number that afternoon, but came back without a specimen of any kind, and, as it began to rain, I got home thoroughly damped, and unhitched my horse, firm in the belief that the subject was unworthy the attention I was giving to it. Just then I noticed an olive-backed bird lying dead on the ground close by, and on picking it up found it to be the decaj'ing body of a Yellow-breasted Chat, that had probably been killed by fiying against the telegraph wire which crossed above the spot where it was found. It had evidently been there for two or three days, and I must have passed close to it several times daily. It was too far gone for preservation, so I had to console myself with its being the first record of the species in Canada. A week or so afterwards, when visiting Mr. Dickson, who is station-master on the G. T. R. at Waterdown, he pointed out to me an old, unused mill-race, grown up with briars and brambles, where the day before
'
HOODED WARHLER,
381
ite ; lore,
ilxtve iiml
Dlivc; Kill
Leiigtli,
SoulhtTU
feet from lined with
th several
of other i success
time and le on the Uy. On le woods, ich time a more a better iber that ,nd, as it ched my ittention rd lying o be the ly been e the two or les daily, lelf with lek or so ,ster on unused ly before
bov(
he had seen a pair of Chats mated, ^^r. Dickson was collecting at the time, and was greatly surjjriscd at their sudden appearance within ten feet of where he was standing, but on his moving bnck- wurd, with a view of getting to a safer sJKKiting distance, they disappeared in the thicket and did not again become visible, though they kept up their scolding as long as h(* remained near the place.
A pair of this species was also found by Mr. Saunders breeding on the north shore of Lake Erie, near Point Pelee, which comph-tes the record for Ontario, so far as T have heard.
GicNis SYLVANIA Nutt.u.l. SYLVANIA MTTRATA (Gmel.).
289. Hooded Warbler. (084)
Clear yellow-olive ; below, rich yellow shaded along the ai'les ; whole head and neck, pure bhick, enclosinif a broad golden mask acroHS foreliead and through eye.s; wings, unmai'ked, gh)ssed with olive; tail, with large white blotches on the two outer pairs of feathers; bill, black; feet, Hesh color. Ffjunfi': — With no black on the head; that of the crown replaced by olive, that of the throat by yellow. Yoinii/ ;/(fi/f .---With the l)lack nuich restricteil and interrupted, if not wholly wanting, as in the female, [^ength, 'i-'t^; wing, aViout 2Y : tail, about 2^.
Hah. — Eastern United States, west to the Plains, north and east to Michigan, Southern New York and Soutliei-n New England. In winter, West Indies, Eastern Mexico and Central America.
Nest, in a low l)ush or tree, a few feet from the ground; built of leaves and coarse grasses, and lined with fine grass and horse-hair.
Eggs, four, white, tinged with flesh color and nuvrked with reddish-brown.
The Hooded Warbler is a southern species which rarely crosses our southern border. Mr. Norval reports finding it, occasionally, at Port Rowan, on the north shore of Lake Erie, and T once found a young male near Hamilton. It was tcjward the end of May, when there had been a big bird-wave during the previous night, and this one had apparently got carried away in the crowd. It is a most expert fly-catcher, very active on the wing, and has the habit of flirting its tail after the manner of the Redstart. Its favorite haunts are in thick, briary patches and among underbrush, where it finds food and shelter for itself and family.
There has been considerable discussion regarding the plumage of
382
BIKDS OK ONTAUIO.
tln» Jhnair of this speciftH, whicli liii.s apidireiitly Hulwided iiiU» the Itclii^f that in mature adult hii'ds the scsxcs arc in'aily alike, hut that tlie t'euiah'! is l()nj,'ef in ac(|uirin^' the hlack of the head and thi-nat, and is sometimes found with it impei'feotly (h'veloped or entirely wanting.
SYLVANTA PUSTLLA (\Vii,s.). -'!)0. Wilson's Warbler. (<)'^"))
( 'Ifiii' jx'llow-olive ; crown, gl(>H«y l(hif-l)la('k ; furulieiid, si(l«'.s of liciid iiiid ciilii'o under parts, cleai' yullow ; wings and tail, plain, glossed witli olive; npi)er mandible, dark; under, pale; feet, brown. Ftnin/e an<l i/oiiii;/: Similar; color.s not so bright, tlie black cap obsc inc. Small. 4!^-."); wing, about 'J| ; tail, about 2.
H.\n. — Kastern North Amei-iea, west t(» and including the fiocky Mountains, north to Huflson's Hay 'I'erritory and Alaska. Hreeds chiefly north of the I'uitcd States, migrating south to Kastern .Mexico and (Central America.
Xest, a hollow in the ground, lined with tine gra.ss and hoi'se-hair.
Kggs, five, dull white, freuklcil witii rusty-brown and lilac.
WiLson's Fly-catcher pa-sses through Southern Ontario on its way to the north, in company with the Mourning Warblers and other late migrants. Like some of the others, it has certain resting places, where it appears regularly in limited numhers every spring, l)ut strangers, unaccjuainted with its haunts, might ran.sack the ctmntry foi miles without seeing a single specimen. The greatest number go far north to spend the summer, but it is probable that a few remain in intermediate districts, for Mr. (teo. R. White found a pair nesting in hi.s garden in Ottawa. This is the only recf)rd of the kind I have for Ontario.
In "New England Bird Jjife," Part I., i)age 17'-', is an account of a nest found by Mr. D. H. Minot on Pike's Peak, 11,000 feet up, near the timber line. The nest and eggs were as described above.
Of its bccurrence in Alaska, Mr. Nelson says : " On the Upper Yukon its ne.sts and eggs have been taken by the 20th of May, and by the middle of that month its presence is noted on the coast oi Behring Hea, where it is a summer resident, occupying the same alder thickets as the Yellow Warbler."
ititd tlu*
hut that
1 thiout,
ciith'ely
lieiiil and ■itli oUvf ; — Siiniltii' ; ahf>ut 21;
VlouDtiiins, irth of the icii.
11 its wiiy ind other i<i; j)Uice.s, v'niti, but country luiTiber go
|\v reiiiiiin ir uestiufi 1(1 I have
jcount of feet up,
libove.
|e Upper [of May, bhe coast bhe same
CANADIAN \VAllHLEU.
883
SVLVANIA CANADKNSIS (Linn.).
I'll I
Canadian Warbler. (OSfi)
BhiiHh-aHli; crowii, Hpc-ckU'd with laiict^olatt' lilack iimrkH, ornwilvil ami j^cntTally uontiiiiKiiiH nn the t'ori'licail ; tlii' latter iliviilcil h'iigtl)\\is4' liy a nliglit Vfllow line; nliort .snpiTciliaiy liiiv ami cd^^os i>i cvflids, yellow; lore« Itlack, continiinus with l>hK'k iiiider tiic eye, and this |m>iHiii^ a.s a chain of Mack streaks down the side of the iic'ck. and picttily encirclin;,' the throat like a necklace; e.\ce|)tiiig these sti-eaks and the while inider tail coverts the entire tuider parts are clear yellow; winjxs and tail, unmarked; feet, flesh color: in the female and yoimj,' the hlack is ohsciire or much restricte<l, and the hack may lie sli^'htly j,dosseil with oli\e. Leni;th. aliout .")^, ; wing, '2A ; tail. 2.1.
Haii. Kastern North America, westward to the Plains and n<irth to \ewff)undland. Southern Lahrador and Lake W'innipej,', south, in wintei', to Central America and Northern South Ameiii'a.
Nest, on the ground in a tussock of jrriiss or weeils, composed of fibre, rootlets, leaves and pine needles.
Kggs, five, white, "lieautifully marked with dots ,ind small i)lotche8 of blended hrowu. purjile and violet, varying in shades and tints and grouped in a wreatli around tlie larger end."
From the loth to the 25th of May, thi.s specie.s is very connnon in all ••suitable phices in Southern Ontario. After the latter date the number,'* are much reduced, but a few remain to sjiend the .summer, while the bulk of the specie.s goes fartluM- north. When here their manners resemble those of the (ireVn Hlack-cap, with whom they are often fomid in company, and they prefer briary ':hickets, through which they pass nimbly, picking up their insect fare as they go. Iiv the fall they are less frecpiently seen, returning south, perhaps, by some other route. They art; first seen about the middle of May, and disappear toward the end of August.
Mr. Kells found this Vipecies breeding in the low, damp woodlands near Listowel. The nests were built in the cavities of upturned roots of trees, and in the depressions in bunks near pools of water.
384 BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
Genus SETOPHAGA Swaixson. SETOPHAGA RUTICILLA (Linn.).
29l>. American Redstart. (087)
Male: — Lustrous bluo-hlack; belly and crisauiu, wliite; sides of the liieast, huge spot at bases of the reuiiges, and basal half of the tail feathers (except tlie middle pair), fiery orange, belly often tinged witli the same. Fciiia/i^: -{)\i\n- eeous, asliier on the head, entirely white Itolow; wniga and tail, blackish, with the Hame color of the male represented by yellow. Voiiikj wa/f ;— 'Like the female, but browner, the yellow of an orange hue. From the circumstance tluit many spring males are shot in tiie general jjlumage of the female, l)ut showing irregular isolated black patches, it is probal)le tliat the species requires at least two years to gain its perfect plumage. Length, T).^ ; wing and tail, about '2^^.
Hah. — North America, north to Fort Sim])son, west regularly to the (ireat Basin, casually to the Pacific coast, breeding from the middle portion of the United States northward. Li winter, the West Indies, and from Southern Mexico thi'ough (Central America to Northern South America.
Nest, in the fork of a sapling, six to twenty feet from tlie ground, composed of grape vine bark, grasses and weeds, and lined with fine grass, hoi'se-iiair or plant down.
Eggs, four or five, greenish or graj'ish- white, dotted with browu, lavender and purple.
The lletlsturt i.s one of the most active iind restless little birds found in the bush, where its glowing garb of black and orange shines to great advantage among the, fresh gi'een leaves. It is generally distributed throughout Ontario, and from its manners and markings is well known to all who give any attention to the birds. In spring it arrives from the lutii to the 15th of May, the first to apjiear being the adult male in full costume, after which come the females and young males in plumage nearly alike. While here, they are not high-fiiers, but like to disport them-selves among the middle and lower branches of deciduous trees, from which they dart off in pursuit of passing insects, making the clicking of the bill distinctly heard.
The male is so decided in his markings, that he is not likely to be mistaken for any other species. The female is plainer, but has the habit of opening and closing the tail feathers, which serves, even at a distance, to indicate the species to which she belongs.
After the end of August they are seldom seen.
AMERICAN PIPIT.
385
> lu'cast, xept the .--Oliva- ish, with Like the iUK'e that ; showing s at least out -ifv the (iieat ion of the Southern
coini)«>8etl i-se-hair or
1, lavender
ttle birds i<re shines generally markings In spring Ito appear ^e females
they are lidcUe and lin pursuit
heard. |kely to he
t has the L, even at
Family MOTACILLID^. Wagtails.
Genus ANTUUS Bechstkix.
SuHOENUs ANTHUS.
ANTHUS PENSILVANICUS (Latu.)
293. American Pipit. (697)
Points of wings fonneil hy the four outei' prima', ies, tlie fifth lieing ahruptly shorter. Hiiid claw, nearly straight, nearly or quite ecjual to its digit. Ahove, dark hrown, with a slight olive shade, most of the feather's with dusky centres; eyelids, superciliary line and under parts, pale hutt'y oi' ochrey-lirown, variable in shade; breast and sides of neck and body, thickly .streaked with dusky: wings and tail, blackish; inner secondai'ies, pale-edge<l ; one or more outer tail feathers, wholly or partly white. Length, about iih ; wing, 3;^ ; tail, "J'^-S.
Hab. — North America at large, breeding in tlie higliei' parts of the Rocky Mountains and subarctic districts, and wintering in the (iulf States, Mexico and Central America. Accidental in Europe.
Nest, a cavity in the ground, lined thickly with coarse, dry gi'ass.
Eggs, four or five, dark chocolate, with spots and streaks of grayisli-bi-own.
In spring and fall, loose straggling Hocks of Pipits are seen on the commons, either searching for food on the ground, or in short stages working their way to their breeding grounds in the far north, though how they ever get there is a wonder to any one who notices their weak and vacillating flight.
In the spring they pass iilong very (juickly, but in the fall they are seen in flocks by the shores of mudd}' ponds or creeks, or in moist meadows in the open country, nervously jerking their tails after the manner of the Water thrushes. Their only note while here is a weak, timid chfpp, uttered while on the wing.
On the 20th of July, 1871, Mr. Allen found y<mn,- birds of this species, scarcely able to flj', on Mount Lincoln, Park County, Col- orado, among the snow fields above timber line.
Dr. Coues found them breeding abundantly on the coast of Labrador, and noticed their haVjit of resorting to the sea shore at low tide, there to ramble about in company with the Sandpii)ers in search of food. »
Mr. Nelson says that they arrive at Fort Reliance on the upper Yukon about the 1st of May, and leave about the 5th of October. Kumlien reports that near his (juarters, at the Cumberland Gulf, they nested in crevices among the rocka, but in Greenland he found them nesting in tussocks of grass like Spari'ows. He tells us that 25
386
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
the Eskimo regard this bird as an enemy, and accuse it of telling the reindeer when a man is in pursuit. It is also said to tell the deer whether or not the man is a good shot. Kuralien adds that he has seen an Eskimo waste his last charge in trying to kill one of these birds, when a herd of deer was close by.
Family TROGLODYTID^. Wrens, Thrasiiehs, etc.
Subfamily MIMING, Thrashers.
Genus MIMUS Boie.
MIMUS POLYGLOTTOS (Linn.).
294. Mockingbird. (70.3)
Wings considerably shorter than tail; above, ashy-gray; below, whitish; wings and tail, blackish, the former with two white wing-bars and large white spot at base of primaries, lattei- with one to tiiree outer feathers more or less white. Length, 9-10; wing, about 4; tail, about .j.
Hab. — United States, south into Mexico. Rare from New .lersey, the valley of the Ohio, Colorado an<l California northward.
Nest, in bushes and low trees, composed of twigs, leaves, grass, etc., put together in a slovenly manner.
Eggs, four to six, bluish-green, heavily marketl with several shades of brown.
Am^iig birds, as among men, individuals differ greatly in natural ability, some being much more highly endov.'ed than others, and their gifts are also varied. Some, representing the architects of the community, excel in building their homes, which have not only all the necessary requirements for the comfort and safety of the inmates, but exhibit a skill and taste in their construction, and in the selec- tion and arrangement of the materials, which never fail to excite our admiration. One of the most complete nests which has come under my observation is that built by the Summer Yellow-bird. It is often placed in the fork of a lilac bush near a house, and is not only luxuriously comfortable, but so well put together that it stands the blasts of winter. It is in good shape in the following spring, but the birds do not use it a second season, and are seen tugging pieces out of the old to help to build the new. Another interesting specimen of bird architecture is the curious, pensile, purse-like nest of the Baltimore Oriole, which is quite a familiar object, swaying at the end of a slender twig of a drooping elm, while in the solitudes of a
MOCKINGBIRD.
387
atural ■i, and of the only all nniates, selec- cite our under It is lot only nds the but the ces out pechnen of the at the des of a
■cedar swamp the Winter Wren provides a wonderfully cosy home for her numerous family in the centre of a ball of green moss.
Others may be regarded as the poets, the musicians of the feath- ered tribe, and it would be a curious study for us to try to find out whether those who cannot sing enjoy the singing of those who can. In human ears the melody of many of the birds is as pleasing perhap" as it is to their own species, and in this respect there is none more fascinating than the Mockingbird, whose rapturous music excites admiration wherever it is heard.
One of America's most gifted poets, who evidently knew and appreciated the musical powers of the bird, thus describes it in words well worthy of the subject. The scene is on the lower Mississippi, a band of exiles is descending the river on a still evening in the early summer.
" Softly the evening came. The sun from the western horizon Like <!, magician extended his golden wand o'er the landscape ;
Then from a neighboring thicket, the Mockingbird, wildest of singers,
Swinging aloft on a willow spray that hung o'er the water.
Shook from his little throat such floods of delirious music,
That the whole air and the woods and the waves seemed silent to listen.
Plaintive at first were tiie tcmes and sad ; then soaring to madness
Seemed they to follow or guide the revel of fienzied Bacchantes.
Single notes were then heard, in sorrowful, low lamentation;
Till, having gathered them all, he flung them abroad in derision.
As when, after a storm, a gust of wind through the tree tops
Shakes down the rattling rain in a crystal shower on the branches."
In the Southern States the Mockingbird is a constant resident. Occasionally a pair come farther north to spend the summer, but as soon as the young are able for the journey, they again retire to the south. In the " Birds of Long Island," Mr. Giraud mentions it as an occasional summer resident there, and speaks of a pair having spent a summer near the beach at Egg Harbor. " The male," he says, " became the pet of the residents, to whom it also seemed much attached, and, as if in return for the attention they paid to his wants, he poured forth his charming melody, which on calm, bright nights, blending with the subdued voice of the ocean, rendered the thne enchanting beyond the powers of description."
In Ontario, the Mockingbird is best known as a cage bird, numbers being occasionally brought from the south in captivity, and when exposed for sale are readily bought up by those who are fond of feathered pets. Even in confinement it seems to retain all
388
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
its natural power and energy as a songster, and being of a sociable^ familiar disposition, soon gets attached to those who are in the habit of attending to its wants. Among American birds it has been justly styled the " Prince of Musicians," and indeed, with the exception of the British Sky-lark, whose grand, soaring flight adds greatly to the effect of its music, I know of no bird in any country possessed of such a wonderful compass of voice. Often while exercising its powers of mimicry, it will give so correct an imitation of the notes of other birds, that the most retiring species will come from their haunts, expecting to meet their mates, when suddenly they will be driven in fear to the thicket by as correct i a imitation of the harsh scream of the hawk.
The following incident gives nie the privilege of claiming the species for Ontario, a pair having spent the summer of 1883 near Hamilton,
Ha<l any one, acquainted with this neighborhood and with the habits of the bird, been asked to suggest where it was most likely to be found, he would certainly have said East Hamilton, and it was there that Mr. Eastwood first observed the male, early in the season, in one of the leafy lanes between his residence and the mountain. Mr. Eastwood was in the habit of taking exercise on horseback in the early morning, and seldom passed the place where the bird was first recognized without again seeing hira on the dead branch of a low tree which he had chosen for his perch. As the season advanced these frequent visits grew into something like personal friendship, for the bird evidently recognized his visitor, and, if absent at first, would readily respond to a call, and, mounting his usual perch, would answer in his own eloquent style. He also caught up many of the local sounds of the neighborhood : the crowing of the rooster, the cackling of the fowls, and the notes of other birds were imitated with wonderful correctness, but sweetest of all were his own rich, full tones, which gave a new charm to that favored localit}'. Only once during the season was a glimpse obtained of the female, who was evidently engaged in domestic duties, though, with the view of making the pair feel as much at home as possible, the nost was not sought for.
It was hoped that this pair or some of their family would return the following season to visit their old friends in Ontario, but, if they did so, they have not been obsei-ved.
In the " Birds of Western Ontario," mention is made of one specimen being taken by Mr. Sandys at Chatham in 1860, which is all we know of the Mockingbird in Ontario at present.
CATBIRD.
389
Id return ], if they
of one I which is
Genus GALEOSCOPTES Cabanis. GALEOSCOPTES CAROLINENvSIS (Linn.).
295. Catbird. (704)
Wings, but little shorter than tail ; dark slate color, somewhat lighter below; crown of head and tail, black; under tail coverts, dark chestnut. Length, 8-9 ; wing, 33 ; tail, 4.
Hab. — Eastern United States and Britisli Provinces, west to and including the Rocky Mountains, occasional on the Pacific coast. Winters in the Southern States, Cuba and Middle America to Panama. Accidental in Europe.
Nest, in a shrubbery or thicket, a few feet above the ground, composed of twigs, leaves, liark, rootlets, bits of twine or rags.
Eggs, four or five, dark bluish-green.
A very common summer resident in Southern Ontario is the Catbird ; and in the North-West it is said by Prof. Macoun to be common wherever there are bushes. This is a bird well entitled to our protection ; but, unfortunately, it is the subject of an ignorant prejudice, which leads to its being persecuted, especially by boy.s, who would thr' w a stone at a Catbird with much the .same feeling that they would at a cat. Perhaps one of his most familiar notes may have originated the prejudice, but outside of this, it should be remembered that he ranks high as a songster, coming next in that respect to the Mockingbird. He is one of the first to begin in the morning, and delivers his message with so mucVi sprightliness and vivacity that we are always pleased to hear him.
In the garden he is one of our best friends, destroying an innu- merable number of injurious insects, but we seldom think, when enjoying our luxuriant crop of cherries or raspberries, that we are largely indebted for such results to the much despised Catbird.
This species is common throughout Manitoba and the North-West, and was noticed by Dr. Coues as a summer resident in the Red River region and west along the boundary to Turtle Mountain.
It is a most unfortunate thing for the Catbird that he evcsr acquired the habit of imitating the cat-call, foi* it is that alone which has cast a shade over all his accomplishments, and brought upon him the derision and contempt with which he is so often regarded.
That it is an acquired habit I can well believe, for it is noticed at once to be entirely out of place in his song ; but he belongs to the family of Mockers, and more than likely in ages past some mis-
390
BIRDS OF ONTARIO,
chievous ancestor, while teasing a cat, picked up the cry, and trans- mitted it till it has now become hereditary. But for this, the bird might have been known by some respectable name, giving him the first place in the list of Canadian songsters, to which I believe he is well entitled. The only rival he has in the woods is the Brown Thrasher, which we admit is also a grand performer. Ho is a larger bird, and his notes can be heard a long way off, but, having listened to both attentively, I find that for variety and richness of notes, as well as for sweetness and execution, I can cordially award the palm to the Catbird. In the color of his plumage there is nothing attractive, but he is handsome in form, and of a most sociable and kindly disposition. He is not partial to the solitude of the woods. His great delight seems to be to nestle near a log-house in the edge of a clearing, where his rapturous notes are the first sounds heard in the morning by the squatters' children, and again in the evening they are soothed to slumber by his plaintive strains. By all means let us give the Catbird the encouragement and protection that may be in our power, and we shall be well rewarded both by good music and by good work in the garden.
Genus HARPORHYNCHUS Cabanis.
Subgenus METHRTOPTERUS Reichenbacii.
HARPORHYNCHUS RUFUS (Linn.).
296. Brown Thrasher. (705)
Above, reddish-brown ; below, white, witli more or less tawny tinge ; breast and sides, spotted with dark brown ; throat and belly, unspotted ; bill, black above, yellow below; feet, pale; iris, yellow. Length, 11; wing, 4; tail, 5-6.
Hab. — Eastern United States, wjst to the Rocky Mountains, north to Southern Maine, Ontario and Manitoba, south to the Oulf States, including Eastern Texas. Accidental in Europe.
Nest, most frequently placed in the fork of a small tree in a thicket, three to six feet from the ground, sometimes higher, occasicmally on the ground ; composed of twigs, grass, leaves and rootlets, lined with bark fibre, horse-hair and a few feathers.
Eggs, four or five, greenish-white, thickly spotted with light reddish-brown.
The Brown Thrasher is not so abundant as the Catbird, neither is it so confiding or familiar in its habits, seldom coming near our dwellings. It delights in the tangled, briary thicket, in the depths of which it disappears as soon as it is aware of being observed. Near Hamilton it is a common summer resident, appearing regularly about the 10th of May. At first the birds are seen stealing quietly through the underbrush, or scratching among the withered leaves like the Towhees, but once arrived at their breeding place, the male is heard from the topmost twig of an isolated tree, pouring forth, morning
392
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
and evening, his unrivalled strains of music, which are heard long ere the performer can be seen.
80 far as [ have obsei-ved, the Thi-asher is somewhat local in its distribution, there being certain sections of country of considerable extent where, without apparent cause, it is entirely wanting.
It occurs throughout Ontario and crosses the boundary to Mani- toba and the North-West.
During September it retires from Ontario.
Gents THRYOTHORUS Vieillot.
Subgenus THRYOTHORUS.
THRYOTHORUS LUDOVICIANUS (Lath.).
297. Carolina Wren. (718)
Adult ma/e;— Upper parts, brownish-red, a broad streak of j'ellowish-white commencing at tiie nostril and passing over tlie ej'e along the side of the head, a band of reddish l)eliind the eye; nnder the eye, a spot of dusky gray; throat, dull white ; lower parts and sides of the neck, pale reddish-bufF; wings and tail, barred with blackish-brown, the outer webs of the lateral tail feathers more distinctly barred; secondary and first row of small coverts tipped witii dull white; lower tail coverts of the same color barred with black. Length, 6 inches; extent, nearly 7 inches; tail, 2.2").
Hab. — Eastern United States (rare towards the northern border), west to the Plains. Rare in Southern New England.
Nest, a large coarse structure, composed of grass, iiay, leaves, etc., lined with horse-hair and feathers. Found in holes in trees, wood piles, low bushes, sometimes arched over.
Eggs, four to six, creamy-white or buff, tiiickly sprinkled with brownish- pink.
I have now the pleasure of introducing a species I have long expected to meet in Ontario. Tt is our near neighbor and a strong, active bird, well able to make the journey from its usual summer resorts to Canada, but it is evidently a shy visitor and not decidedly migratory, many of the species remaining over the winter near the nesting place. It is abundant in the south, common in the middle Eastern States, and is also found, .though less frequently, in New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Ohio.
With this record before us, we might reasonably expect a casual Wsitor, but it was not until very recently that I learned through
CAROLINA WREN.
393
^e long
jstrong,
lumraer
jidedly
fear the
Imiddle
New
Mr. Saunders that a specimen of the Carolina Wren had been taken in Ontario.
This individual was shot in the town of Mount Forest in Feb- ruary, 1891, by Montague Smith, who had observed it singing daily near a favorite haunt for a month before it was captured. Tt is a true Wren, having the habit of erecting its tail and appearing and disappearing among a pile of logs, or similar cover, as nimbly as a rat or weasel. It has all the nervous irritability of the other members of the family, one evidence of this being the fact of its keeping up its song during the winter, when most of the other birds are silent. It is a special favorite with the colored people in the South, who like to hear its notes in the woods in winter, and have given it the name of "Jubilee Bird." The Carolina Wren is a very prolific species, the female turning over to the male the care of the first brood before they are able to shift for themselves, while she proceeds to deposit a second set of eggs in another nest, which the male has prepared for their reception. Family number two is turned over to the male in due course, and in this way three broods are raised during the season in a very short time. It is the largest of the Wrens, and not likely to be mistaken for any other species. Its voice is strong, sharp and clear, and can be heard at as great a distance as those of the Brown Thrasher and CatViird. Tt has some of the habits of the Creeper, being occasionally seen going spirally up the trunk of a perpendicular tree, examining the crevices of the bark for insects. It also resem- bles thfc House Wren in its breeding habits, the nest being often built in an outhouse or under the verandah of a dwelling, but it seems most Jit home in the woods, where its favorite haunts are among piles of logs or heaps of brush, on the banks of streams or ravines, where it can inspect the surroundings one instant and be entirely concealed the next. Individuals are observed to differ some- what in color, some being rusty brown, while others are compara- tively gray.
casual irough
TROGLODYTES AEDON (Vieill.).
298. House Wren. (721)
Above, brown, brighter behind; below, rusty-brown or grayish-brown, or even grayish-white, everywhere waved with a darker shade, very plainly on wings, tail, flanks and under tail coverts; breast, apt to be darker than either throat or belly. Length, 4J ; wings and tail, about 2.
Hab. — Eastern United States and Southern Canada, west to Indiana and Louisiana.
Nest, in a hole or crevice, the neighborhood of a dwelling preferred, composed of twigs, leaves, hair, feathers, etc.
Eggs, seven to nine, white, very thickly spotted with reddish-brown.
In the thinly settled parts of the country where this Wren has been observed, it breeds in any convenient hole or crevice in a tree or fence-post by the roadside, and on account of this habit, and an imaginary superiority in point of size, those found in such places were described as a separate species, and named by Audubon the Wood Wren. The individuals procured in town and country being subsequently found to be identical, this name has for some years been allowed to drop. The birds, having taken kindly to the society of man, are nearly all furnished with houses, or, finding other suitable nesting places near our dwellings, are living almost domesticated. They are sprightly, active little birds, and do good service by the destruction of insects, which they find on the trees in the orchard, or about the outhouses. Being possessed of all the scolding propensities peculiar to the family, they resent with great spirit any intrusion in
WINTER WHEN.
396
the neighliorhotxl of their dwelling. Tlieii- giviitent ciKMiiy in this respect at present is the HouHe Sparrow, who does not hesitate to eject the Wrens, when their premises appear to suit his jmrpose. This habit may in time drive the Wrens hack to their original mode of life in the woods.
We should be very soi'ry if this should ever come to pass, for the Wrens are industrious insect hunters, prying into many out-of-the- way corners which no other bird would stop to examine.
In Manitoba and the North- West, this is replaced by a closely allied species, named Parkman's Wren, which is common on the Pacific coast and east to the ^Iississij)pi Valley.
has a tree md an places ion the being s been iety of uitable ;icated. by the ard, or jnsities sion in
SuBfiKNlS AN(^irrHUHA llENXIE.
TROGLODYTES HI EM ALTS (Vieill.). 299. Winter Wren. (722)
Deep brown above, darkest on the head, brightest on tlio nunp and tail, obscurely waved with dusky and sometimes with whitish also ; tail like rump ; wings, duskj', edged witli color of l)ack, and dark i.. "red; several outer prim- aries also whitish barred ; a superciliary line and obscure streaks on sides of head and neck whitish; below, pale brown; belly, flanks and under tail coverts, strongly barred with dusky. Length, about 4 ; wing, 2 or less ; tail, 1 J or less.
Hab. — Flaaterii North America generally, breeding from the northern parts parts of the United States northward, and wintering from about its southern breeding limit soutliward.
Nest, in moist places among fallen trees or upturned roots, usually a ball of gieen moss, warmly lined with feathers, entrance by a hole at one side.
Eggs, five to six, clear white, spotted with reddish-brown.
In Southern Ontario, the Winter Wren is most frequently seen during the periods of migration, but a few remain and raise their young in suitable places throughout the country. There is a cedar swamp in West Flamboro', made impenetrable by fallen timber, moss-grown and going to decay. In the stillness and gloom of that uninviting region, I have listened to the song of the Winter Wren in the month of June, and thought it one of the most pleasing specimens of bird music I have been privileged to hear. Tinged with melan- choly it may be, but there is still a hopeful sprightliness about it that seems to rise above the gloomy surroundings and point to a brighter world outside. I have not heard of the species having been observed
aoG
HIRDS OF ONTAKIO.
in winter, hut it arrives from the south <'iirly in Apiil, and hnxers (|uite late in the fall. During tiie latter season, they are freijutmtly seen in the city gardens appearing iind disappearin<^ like mice among the r(M)tH of the l)UHhes.
Tn my hoyish days I was familiar with the haunts and homes of the eoinmon Wren of Britain, 7'roi/l(>(li/fi's ni/i/firis, along the " Ranks and Ihaes o' lionnie Doon," and in song, size and color I believe it is identical witii the present species.
In Manitoba this specie.s is said to be conumm during the sum- mer. Farther tt) the North- West it is replaced by a closely allied sub-species, named Western Winter Wn^n, which is the form found along the Pacific coast and in California.
GENU8 CISTOTHOIUTK Cajunis.
SuimENUs CISTOTHORUS.
CIHTOTHORUS STELLARTS {\acut.)
.'iOO. Short-billed Marsh Wren. (V24)
«
Dark hrowii ahove, crown and middle of tlie hack, 1)lacki8h, nearly every wiiere conspicuously streaked with wliite; below, l)uff'y-white, shading into pale brown on tiie .sides and ))ehind; wings and tail, barred with blackish and light brown ; Hanks, barred with dusky ; throat and middle of belly, whitisii. Length, 4^; wing and tail, about 1','; bill, not ^ long and very slender; tarsus, middle toe and tlaw, togethei- IJ.
Hah. — Eastern United States and Southern British Provinces, west to the Plains. Winters in the Gulf States and southward.
Nest, similar to that of the Long-billed species, but sometimes placed near the ground ; no mud used in the structure, which is very compact and wannly lined with down.
Eggs, si.c to eight, pure white, unspotted.
Never having happened to meet with the Short-billed Marsh Wren in any of my excursions, I consider it to be either locally distributed or less abundant than the Long-billed species, which is common in all the marshes in Southern Ontario.
Throughout Northern New England, the Short-billed species is a common summer resident, and Mr. Thompson speaks of it as being "abundant all over" in Western Manitoba. It is probable, there- fore, that it is a summer resident in Ontario, but so few people follow these little birds into their marshy haunts that, at present, their
LONO-BILLED MAHSH WREN.
.S97
hi8t/)ry hert^ in Homewhiit coticf'fiIe<l. Mr. HauiKlerK Hays it i.s frmnd in Uie iimr.shes alonj^ Uie River St. Clair, ;iii(l lie has a .set of egg* which were taken in a marsh near Toronto.
It is found at certain phvcew in Michij^an, al.so in Minne.sota, ami is altuiuhmt in the lied Hiver Valley. At Pembina, Dr. Coues found it to be "erratic in distribution." It is observed in Mani- toba, but Mr. White has not seen it near Ottawa, and T have not yet found it in Stmthern Ontario, from which it would appear that it i» u western species, and irregular in distribution.
Marsh
locally
irhich is
hies is a Ls being L there- le follow It, their
SuBfiENUs TELMATODYTES Cab.wis. CISTOTHORUS PALUSTRIS (Wilh.).
:{0I
Lon{2:-billed Marsh Wren.
(725)
Above, clear brown, unbairetl; Ijack. with a black patch, containing distinct white streaks ; crown, l)rowni8h-lilack ; su))ei'ciliary line to nupe, white; wings, not noticeably barred, i)Ut weba of innei' secondaties, blaitkish; tail, bt-owii, dusky barred. Helow, dull white, often quite pure, the sides alone biownish washed, and under tail coverts somewhat varied. Length, 4^-').^ ; wing, aiiout '2; tail, less; tarsus, '^■^; bill, J or more.
Hab. — Simthern Hritish America and the United States, soutii in winter to Guatemala.
Nest, a large globuhir nuiss of coarse grass and rushes loosely laced together, sometimes plastered with mud and fastened to the reeds, wai'udy lined with tine, soft grass ; entrance by a hole in one side.
Eggs, six to ten, variable in shade, but usually so thickly spotted with choeolate-brown as to ap]>ear uniforndy of that color.
The Long-billed Marsh Wren is a common summer resident, found in suitable places throuj^hout Ontario. Near Hamilton it breeds in all the inlets around the Bay, and is seen from the beginning of May till the end of August, climbing, hopping, and swaying to and fro among the reeds in every conceivable posture. In the spring it appears to be constantly under great nervous excitement, which it works off in nest-building, often constructing two or three when only one is required. So large a numljer of nests, when ob.served, gives the impression that the birds breed in colonies, but I have not noticed this to be the case. All the nests I have seen have been so- placed that they could only be reached by wading or in a boat, and sometimes -they were among the reeds on a (juaking bog where approach was impossible.
398
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
The mode of migration of these birds is a mystery. We are accustomed to say that they retire to the south early in September, but how do they travel ! Do they rise in flocks like Swallows and go oft' during the night, or do they make the long journey from the Saskatchewan, where they were seen by Richardson, south to Guate- mala, flitting singly, or in pairs, from bush to bush 1 In either case it is strange that they are seldom, if ever, seen except in the marshy tracts where they spend the summer.
Mr. White has found this species breeding near Ottawa, and it is said to be common at K.any points in Manitoba, which seems to be its northern limit.
Family CERTHIID^. Creepkrs.
Genus CERTHIA Lixn.eus.
CERTHIA FAMILTARIS AMERICANA (Bonap.).
302. Brown Creeper. (726)
Plumage above, singulaily barred with dusky, whitish, tawnj' or fulvous- brown and bright brown, latter chiefly <m the rump; below, white, either pure or soileil, and generally brownish washed liehind; wings, dusky, oddly varied with tawny or wliitish bars and spots; tail, plain, about oA; wing and tail, about 2'i.
Hab. — North America in general, breeding from the northern and more elevated parts of the United States north as far as Red River settlement, migrating south in winter.
Nest, nearly always in a crevice where the bark is partially separated from the trunk of a tree. In the crevice is placed a basis of twigs, on which the nest is built, of strip.s of l)ark and moss, lined with spiders' cocoons and down.
Eggs, five to eight, dull white, spotted with reddisli-bfovvn or hazel.
This singular little bird is seen in Htnithern Ontario at nearly all seasons, but it is most abundant during the period of migration. About the end of April and beginning of May, it becomes quite common in the woods, and is seen flitting like a great moth from tree to tree, or winding its spiral way upward on a trunk, uttering its simple note so descriptive of the motion, creep, creep, creep. In summer a pair may be seen, occasionally, in more favored spots, evidently nesting, but at that season they are (juite rare. Early in September they again become numerous, in compariy with other migrants who are travelling southward, and in the depth of winter I
WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH.
399
have occasionally seen them mixed up with a small band composed of Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers, Nuthatches and Goi den-crowned Kinglets. These birds seem to find pleasure in each ctlier's society, when they are spending the short, shai"p days of winter in some sheltered patch of evergreens.
Family PARID^. Nuthatches and Tito. Subfamily SITTING. Nuthatches.
Genus 8ITTA Linn^us. SITTA CAROLINENSIS (Lath.).
303. White-breasted Nuthatch. (727)
Back, rump and miilille tail feathers, ashy-bhie; crown and nape, glossy black, restricted or wanting in the young and many females ; tail, except as above, black, spotted witli white ; beneath and sides of head, white ; flanks and under tail coverts, rusty-brown ; wings varied, black, blue and white. Length, C ; wing, 34 ; tail, 2.
Hab. — Southern British Provinces and Eastern United States to the Rocky Mountains.
Nest, a hole in a tree, sometimes a natural cavity, or again dug by the birds with great labor, lined with hair and feathers.
Eggs, six to eight, white, spotted thickly with reddish-brown.
This is one of the few birds which remain vith us summer and winter. It is quite a common species, well known to all who have occasion to be in the woods in spring, when it is seen climbing nimbly alx)ut, or hanging head downwards on the bark of a tree. In the winter time the country lads who are chopping in the bush listen with pleasure to its familiar quank, quank, which is often the only evidence of animal life observed. As a climber, it has few equals, its long hind- claw enabling it to travel head downwards, a feat which even the Woodpeckers do not attempt. Its food consists chiefly of insects, which it finds lurking in the crevices of the bark. It is also said to hide away nuts and acorns in the holes of trees, a habit which may have suggested its name.
It is rather more southern in its habitat than its Red-breasted relative. Mr. White reports it as resident at Ottawa, and we find it so along our southern border, but it is not named among the birds of Manitoba, from which we infer that it is not found in that Province.
mmm
400 BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
SITTA CANADENSIS (Linn.). 304. Red-breasted Nuthatch. (728)
Above, (lark ashy-blue; tail, as in raroline.iuii»; below, rusty-brown; wings, plain; crown and nape, glossy black, bordered by white superciliary line; a black line from bill through and widening beyond the eye.
Hah. — North as far as Lake Winnipeg, breeding mostly north of the United States, migrating south in winter.
Nest, in a hole in a stub, about eight inches deep, warmly lined with down and feathers.
Eggs, white, speckled and spotted with reddish -brown.
Compared with the White -bellied Nuthatch, this is the more migratory in its habits, being seen in Southern Ontario only in spring and fall, and it is not at any time numerous. I have been accustomed to think that those we get in the fall with the red breast were in full plumage, but recent observers state that, when in mature dress, the lower parts are dirty-white, slightly shaded with brown on the sides, and that only young birds have the lower parts uniform rusty-brown. While here they are very active, show- ing a decided partiality for the upper parts of pine trees, where they no doubt find something to suit their taste. The note resembles that of the White-bellied species, but is softer, weaker, and more frequently repeated. It arrives during the first week of May, and is soon lost sight of again till September, when it is seen passing south.
Ontario is probably its northern limit, foi- although it has been found in Manitoba, it is said to be exceedingly rare.
SUBFA.MILV PARING. Titmice.
Genus PARUS Linx^us.
Subgenus PARUS Linn^.us.
PARUS ATRICAPILLUS (Linn.).
305. Chickadee. (735)
AlK>ve, brownish-ash ; crown and nape, chin and throat, black ; beneath, white, brownisli on sides; wing and tail feathers, more or less whitish edged, length, T) ; wing and tail, 2i.
Hab. — Eastern North America, north of the Potomac and Ohio Valleys.
HUDSONIAN CHICKADEE.
40]
more nly in e been ,he red , when shaded e lower , show- sre they sembles more and is south, been
Nest, a hole appropriated or dug by the birds in a dead tree or stump, not tisually very high up, lined with hair, grass, moss, wool, feathers, etc.
Kggs, six to eight, white, speckled and spotted with reddish-brown, chiefly towai-d the larger end.
Tn Southern Ontario the Chickadee is one of our most familiar resident birds. During the breeding season it retires to the woods, but at other times it is seen in little troops visiting the shade trees and orchards of the city, searching the crevices for insects, and utter- ing its familiar chickadee, dee, dee, so well known to all the boys. It has also another note, or rather two notes, one quite high which drops suddenly to one much lower, soft and prolonged, and probably both convey a meaning to the ears for which they are intended. During the severity of winter, they are most frequently seen in tamarack swamps, where they no doubt find both food and shelter.
The Chickadee breeds and is generally distributed throughout Ontario, in the northern part of which it meets with hudK()7iiciif^ on the east and septentrional is on the west, but whether or not it breeds with the latter form, I am not aware. In the "Birds of Manitoba," page 631, it is said "the Manitoba bird is not strictly septentrionnliH, but is nearer to that form than to atricapillus." Thus it sometimes happens on the boundary l)etween the region inhabited by a species and sah-specien that individuals are found, of which it is difficult to say positively to wliat group they belong.
The Chickadee is a general favorite and well deserves to be so. Noisy, restless, familiar and cheerful, he is welcome wherever he appears. He does good work for the farmer and fruit-grower in the destruction of noxious insects, and, unlike many others in this class of workers, he keeps at it summer and winter. It has been cal- culated that a single pair of these little birds will kill daily five hundred insect pests.
PAR US HUDSONICUS (Fohst.).
beneath, h edged.
Illeye.
306. Hudsonian Chickadee. (740)
Crown, nape and upper parts, generally clear hair-brown or ashy-brown, with a slight shade of olive, the coloration quite the same on back and crown, and continuous, not l)eing separated by any whitish nuchal interval; throat, quite black, in restricted area, not extending backward on sides of neck, sep- arated from the brown crown by silky white on side of the head, this white not reaching back of the auriculars to the sides of the nape ; sides, flanks an<l 26
402
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
under tail coverta, washed with dull chestnut or nisty-biown ; other under parts, whitish; quills ami tail feathers, lead color, as in other Titmice, scarcely or slightly edged with whitish ; little or no concealed white on the rump ; bill, black ; feet, dark. Size of P. atricapiUnx or rather leas.
Hab. — Northern North America, from the more elevated parts of the Northern United States (Northern New England, Northern New York, Northern Michigan, etc. ) northward.
Nest, in a hole in a tree or stump, lined with fur of animals, felted firmly together.
Eggs, five or six, creamy-white, speckled with hazel.
The home of the Hudsoniau Tit, as its name implies, is in the Hudson's Bay country. It is also common in Labrador, and I have seen it on the banks of the Lower 8t. Lawrence, travelling in little troops from tree to tree, much after the manner of our familiar Chickadee. It is truly a northern species, but as it has been found in Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire, I thii k it will yet be found in the districts of Parry Sound and Muskoka. At Ottawa, and also near Toronto, it has been found as a rare' straggler. In Manitoba, Mr. Thomp.son says it occurs only in the coniferous forests of the north and east. It has been found throughout the wooded portions of Alaska, from its southern coast line at Fort Kenai, north throughout the Kuskotiuim and Yukon lliver regions, to the northern trse limit, well within the arctic circle.
It is a diligent insect hunter, but lives too far north to benefit agriculture, and for the same reason it is exempt from the perse- cution to which all little birds are subject in more thickly peopled districts.
Family SYLVIID.^. Warblers, Kinglets, Gnatcatchkks. Subfamily REGULIN-^. Kinglets.
Genus REGULUS Cuviek. REGULUS SATRAPA (Light.).
307. Golden-crowned Kinglet. (748)
(Ireneral color as in calendula; crown, bordered in front and on sides by black, inclosing a yellow and flame-colored patch (in the 7nale; in the/emo/e the scarlet is wanting); extreme forehead and line over the eye whitish. Young: — If ever without traces of black on the head, may be told from the next species by smaller size and the presence of a tiny bristly feather overlying the nostril ; this wanting in calendula. Size of calendula.
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET.
403
3enefit
perse-
aeopled
[KKS.
Hab, — North America generally, breeding in the northern and elevated parts of the United States and northward, migrating south, in winter, to ■Guatemala.
Nest, in appearance resembling a ball of moas; it is opened at the top, the •cavity warmly lined with feathers, plant down and wool, fastened to the outer twig of a branch, six to eight feet from the ground.
Eggs, ten, ground color creamy-white, with numerous shell marks of purplish-slate and a few superlicial markings of deep buff, making the whole appear of a cream color.
This is an abundant winter i-esident, appearing in November and remaining till April. During the severe weather in February and March, when the mercury is near zero, it is really surprising to see these tiny, feathered creatures, full of aiiiniation, flitting about among the evei'greens, uttering theii* cheerful notes of encouragement to their companions, and digging out their insect food from the crevices of the bark. On these occasions they are usually accompanied by Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers and White-l)ellied Nuthatches, making a merry company, nowise discouraged by the severity of the weather.
The Gold-crest is known to bi-eefl in Northern New England, a nest containing young having been found by Mr. H. D. Minot in a forest of evergreens anfl birches on the White Mountains of New Hampshire, on the 16th of July, 1S76. I once met with a pair, evidently mated, who were located in a swamp in West Flamboro' about the end of June. T did not persevere in seeking the nest, though I felt sure it was close at hand. That is the only time I have seen the species here in summer.
It is generally distributed throughout Ontario, but is rare in Manitoba, and in Alaska is replaced by the western form (Eegulun satrapa olivaceus). Mr. Brewster found it lireeding in Worcester County, Mass., where he secured three nests with eggs, a detailed account of which is given in the Auk, Vol. V., pages 337-344.
sides by imcde the ''oung : — :t species nostril ;
REGULUS CALENDULA (Linn.). 308. Ruby-crowned Kinglet. (749)
Above, greenish-olive ; below, whitish ; wings and tail, dusky, edged with greenish or yellowish ; wing coverts, whitish tipped ; crown, with a rich scarlet patch in both sexes (but wanting in both the first year), no black about head; bill and feet, black. Length, 4-4^; wing, 2J-2i ; tail, 1^-1 J.
404
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
Hab. — North America, south to fiuateniala, north to the Arctic coast, breeding mostly north of the United States.
Nest, large for the size of tlie bird, a mass of matted hair, gi-ass, mosc and feathers, placed on the bough of a tree.
Eggs, five to nine, whitish or pale buff faintly speckled with light brown at the larger end.
In Southern Ontario, the Ruby-crown is a regular migrant in bpring and fall, l)ut in summer or winter it has not been observed.
During the latter part of August and beginning of September, these little Inrds are exceedingly abundant, although from their small size and the weak, lisping note they utter at this season, their num- bers can be estimated only by close observation. I wars once caught in the rain in the woods in the month of April, and took shelter in a clump of evergreens, which I found was in possession of a flock of Ruby-crowns. When the clouds passed away and a light breeze shook the sparkling drops from the foliage, I was delighted to hear some of the Kinglets indulge in a song of considerable compass and duration. It was more full, soft and musical than anything I ever heard from so small a bird. At that season their stay is short ; sometimes they are seen only during two or three days, but in the fall they travel more leisurely. Their breeding ground is far north, and for many years their nests were sought for in vain. Now their discovery is reported from many and far distant points. Colorado, Montana and Oregon are named as supplying the little domicile, and Mr. Chamberlain tells us of one which was taken at Lenncxville, Quebec, May loth, 1882. This was pensile, and was attached to the branch of a small tree. It contained nine eggs, one of which was a Cowbird's.
Subfamily POLIOPTILIN^. Gnatcatchers.
Genus POLIOPTILA Sclater.
POLIOPTILA C^RULEA (Linn.).
309. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. (751)
Alx> e, ashy-l)lue, bluer on the head, lighter on the rump; forehead and ;■-'" over eye, black, wanting in the female; ring around the eye and under ^.,il<) v/hitish; outer tail feather, except at base, two-thirds the second and tip of third, white, rest of tail, black. Length, 4^; wing, 2; tail, 2J.
Hab. — Middle and southern portions of the United States, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, south in winter to Guatemala, Cuba and the Bahamas; rare
WOOD THRUSH.
405
north toward the Great Lakes, Southern New York and Southern New England, straggling north to Masaachusetts and Maine.
Nest, a model of bird architecture, compact-walled and contracted at the brim, elegantly stuccoed with lichens fixed to slender twigs at a height varying from ten to fifty or sixty feet from the ground.
Eggs, four or five, greenisii-white, speckled with reddish, umber-brown and lilac.
The Gnatcatcher is, I believe, a regular summer resident in South- ern Ontario, though apparently locally distributed and not very abundant. There is one particular patch of bush where I usually see this species every spfing, but elsewhere I have not observed it. Mr. Dickson finds it regularly at Waterdown, and Mr. Saunders reports it as not very rare near London. It keeps mostly to the tops of tall trees, and might readily be overlooked by anyone not accjuainted with its habits.
In the breeding season it is said to have a pleasing song, and it shows considerable spirit in driving off intruders from the neighbor- hood of its nest.
In Ontario this species is apparently limited to the south-west border, north of which I have not heard of its having been observed. Mr. White has not met with it at Ottawa, neither is it mentioned in Any of the local lists north of those named.
Family TURDID^. Thrushes, Solitaires, Stonechats,
Bluebirds, etc.
Subfamily TURDINiE. Thrushes.
Genus TURDUS Linn^us.
Subgenus HYLOCICHLA Baird.
TURDUS MUSTELINUS (Gmel.)
310. Wood Thrush. (755)
Above, bright tawny, shading into olive on rump and tail ; beneath, white, everywhere except throat and belly, with large distinct spots of dusky; bill, dusky above, yellowish below; legs, flesh-colored. Length, 7i inches; wing, 4 ; tail, 3.
Hab. — Eastern United States to the Plains, north to Southern Michigan, Ontario and Massachusetts, south, in winter, to Guatemala and Culm.
406
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
Nest, in a 8ai)ling or low tree, seldom more than twenty feet from the ground, composed of twigs, leaves, grass, rootlets and moss, cemented together with clay.
Eggs, three or four, deep greenish-blue.
The Wood Thrush is a shy, retiring songster, little known except to those who are fond of rambling in the woods in spring-time. The favorite resort of the species is in moist beech woods, where the clear, flute-like notes of the male may be heard in the early morning, and also toward sunset, during the months of May and June. Were the song of the Wood Thrush continuous, the bird would take the highest rank among the songsters of the grove. Its tones are loud and full of liquid tenderness, but they suddenly break off short, which to us is a matter of regret.
Early in May they arrive from the south, and are soon generally distributed over Southern Ontario, but they are somewhat fastidious in their choice of a summer residence, and are absent from many clumps of bush in which we expect to find them. They avoid the dwellings of man, and seem most at home in the retirement of the woods, where they raise their young. During September they all move off to the south.
In the east Mr. White has found this species at Ottawa, but in the west T have no i*ecoi'd of it at any distance to the north of our southern boundary. Even in its usual habitat, it is so retiring that its full, liquid notes are seldom heard save by the few who are out in search of some of the beautiful souvenirs which Nature scatters so profusely throughout the woods in our lovely Canadian spring-time. When will some divinely gifted Canadian appear to sing the praises of our native birds, as men of other lands have done for theirs 1
Hogg and Shelley have eulogized the Sky Lark in strains so musical that they rival those of the birds they have sought to honor.
TUllDUS FUSCESCENS (Steph.). 311. Wilson's Thrush. (756)
Above, uniform tawny; below, white, olive-shaded on sides and strong fulvous tint on breast; breast and sides of neck, with small dusky spots. Length, about 7; wing, 4; tail, 3.
GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH.
407
the
Hab.— Eastern United States to the Plains, nortli to Manitoba, Ontario, Anticosti and Newfoundland.
Nest, on or near the ground, composed of grass, leaves and rootlets, rather loosely put together.
Eggs, four or five, greenish-blue, unspotted.
With the exception of the Robin, the Veery is the most numerous of the Thrushes which visit Southern Ontario. It arrives here during the first week in May, and for a few days is quite common in the woods everywhere. Many soon pass on farther noi'th to breed, but some remain and locate themselves among the undergrowth in moist, uncleared places, where they spend the summer. On their first arrival, they remain for a few days quietly in the woods, but, as soon as nesting begins, the clear, loud vee.ry is heard at all hours of the day. The song has a sharp metallic I'ing, and at first is pleasant to listen to, but when heard in some favored locality, where several males are answering each other, it becomes monotonous through frequent repetition. It is rather a tender bird, and is one of the first to move off in the fall. The young are able to shift for themselves in August, and by the end of September all are gone.
Dr. Coues found this species breeding abundantly in the vicinity of Pembina in June, and Mr. Thompson also reports it as common throughout Manitoba, but farther north I have not heard of its having been observed.
TURDUS AIACIM (Baird.).
«
312. Gray-cheeked Thrush. (757)
Similar to the Olive-backed Thrush, but without any buffy tint about head, or yellowish ring around eye; avei-aging a trifle larger, with longer, slenderer bill.
Hab. — Eastern North America, west to the Plains and Alaska, north to the Arctic coast, south, in winter, to Costa Rica. Breeds chiefly north of the United States.
Nest, in a low tree or bush, compactly built of fine sedges, leaves, stems and dry grass, interwoven and lined with fine grass. Sometimes mud is used as in the Robin's nest.
Eggs, three or four, greenish-blue, marked with spots of reddish-brown.
It is still a question with many ornithologists whether or not this should be separated from the Olive-backed, or regarded as only a variety of that species. The Committee of the American Ornitho-
408
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
loj^'ical Union decided to Heparate it as above, and [ (juite agree with tiie decision, for the few I have found could l)e idiMitifuHl at onci* by the description. When seen in the woods, howtiver, it resembles the Olive-backed so closely that, till well ac<iuaint(!d with its appearance, it is difficult to tell the one from the other. On this account, we cannot with certainty say which is the more numerous, but so fai- as I can judge, the proportion of the Gray-cheeked species whicli passes this way is not inore than one to two of the other. Dr. Coues regards it as the northern fonn of the Olive- backed, and sugg(!sts that this difference in the breeding range produces the change in size and color, which are regarded as specific distinctions. Like all the other Thrushes, it is most likely musical at home, but here it comes and goes in silence.
The home of this species is in the far north, and while in Ontario it is only a migrant in spring and fall. In the "Natural History of Alaska," Mr. NeLson says: "This species is common throughout all the northern portion of Alaska, wherever willow and alder thickets afford it shelter. Its western range extends to Behring Straits and beyond, and it has been recorded from Kamschatka. Along the entire Yukon and other streams bordered by trees or bushes in this region, it is present in great abundance during the breeding season." They are usually very shy, but "as soon as the breeding season is over, they become less retiring and frequent the vicinity of villages and more open spots, where many are killed by the native boys, armed with their bows and arrows. Their skins are removed and are hung in rows or bunches to dry in the smoky huts, and are pre- served as trophies of the young hunters' prowess. In the winter festivals, when the older hunters bring out the trophies of their skill, the boys proudly display the skins of these Thrushes and hang them alongside."
TURDUS USTULATUS SWAINSONII (Cab.). 313. Olive-backed Thrush. (758fl)
Above, uniform greeniah -olive ; below, white, olive-shaded on sides; sides of head, throat, neck and breast, strongly tinged with buff; breast and throat, thickly marked with large dusky-olive spots. Length, about 7 ; wing, 3|; tail, 3.
Hab. — Eastern North America and westward to the Upper Columbia
N
I
OLIVE-BACKED THUUSH.
409
Rivur and Kast Hiiiuholdt MouiitaiitM, Mtraggling to tlie I'uuiKc uoaiit. Urueda mostly north of thu United Stale8. ■,
Nest, in a tree or In !i, six or eiglit feet from tlie ground, composed of rootletH, leaves and moss.
Kggs, tlireo or fonr, greenisli-lilue, freckleil witli hrown.
•
[ii Southern Ontario, the Olive-biickt'd Thrush :'s a re^^ular visitor during the season of migration, appearing in small companies alnjut the 10th of May, and remaining till about the 2r)th of the same month, after which none are seen till they retui-n in the fall. While here they frequent low, moist woods, and spend nuich of their time on the ground, where theii- food is evidently obtained. When at home, near their nest, the male is said to have a very pleasing song, which lie takes delight in repeating, but while here they have only tt low, soft call-note, easily recognized in the woods, but difficult to describe.
The return trip liegins toward the end of September, and con- tinues for about three weeks. At this time the birds move leisurely, and as they fare sumptuously on different sorts of wild berries, they get to be in excellent condition, both as regards flesh and plumage. We occasionally fall in with individuals of this species much below the average size, and with the lower parts more deeply suffused with buff. Dr. Wheaton has also observed these little fellows, and sug- gests that they may be a local southern-bred race. In Southern Ontario, none have been observed except in spring and fall.
They are said to breed in Manitoba, and Prof. Macoun reports them as sunnner residents in the North-West Territory. Of Alaska, Mr. Nelson says : " From the observations and collections made on the upper Yukon, the Olive-backed Thrush appears to be a common summer resident there, and thus extends its breeding range within the Arctic circle. Tt appears to be influenced to a great extent in its range by the presence or absence of woods, and its nortiiern limit may be marked as coinciding with the tree limit. The Gray-cheeked Thrush, on the contrary, extends beyond this, wherever a bunch of dwarf willows will give it shelter, to the very shores of the Arctic and Behring Seas."
410
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
;
TUKDUS AONALASCHK^E PALLASII (Cab.). .'iU. Hermit Thrush (75%)
AlM)ve, olive, Hliii(Unj{ into riifouM ou iiiiii|> (iii<i tail; Inslow, white, olive- Hliaileil on sideH; hMoh of head, eyulitU, neck and lireaHt, Htrongly tinged with hntf; tiu'oat and hroaxt, niiii'k(!<1 with lav^v. dusky-olivu Hpotu. length, about 7.i ; wing, ',i^ ; tail, li.
Hah. — EaHtern North America, hr*!«ding from tin; NTorthern United States northward, and wintering from tin- Nortiun'n Stat<;M .soiithwai'd.
Xest, on tilt! gi-onnd, Hoinutiinex slightly aJMive it, uom^ioHed of weedB, leaves, rootlets and grass.
Kggs, three or four, greenish-blue, without spots.
Th«^ Hermit Thi'usli is a reyuliir visitor in spring and fall, arriving a few (lays before the Oliver-hacked, and making but a short stay, altliough it probably does not go so fai- north to breed as the latter species. Referring to the Hermit, the following occurs in the " List of Birds of Western Ontario ": " Found common in full song in a large swamp, June 22nd, 1882. No nest found, although it was undoubtedly breeding. None observed in summer in any other locality."
At home, the habits of the Hermit are in keeping with its name. Among the dense shrubbery in some retired spot, it builds its neat and raises its young. There, too, it pours forth its swoc^t song oa the "desert air," where very few have been privileged to hear it. During the seasons of migration the birds come more into the open country, but they are at all times shy and fond of concealment. On these occasions they have only a simple call-note, apparently used to tell their companions where they are.
This species is found on the Island of Anticosti during summer. Mr. Thompson reports it as a summer resident in Manitoba, and Prof. Macoun found it breeding at Lake Mistassini.
In the Rocky Mountain region it is replaced by Audubon's Hermit, and on the Pacific coast by the Dwarf Hermit, both closely allied but still differing slightly from the present species.
Gknus MERULA Lkach. MERULA MIGRATORIA (Li\n.).
* 315. American Robin. (761)
Above, dark olive-gray, blackish on head and tail ; below, reddish-brown ; throat, vent and under tail coverts, white, throat with black streaks; outer pair of tail feathers, white-tipped; bill, dusky above, yellow below; feet, dark;
AMEItlCAN ROHIN.
411
very young hinU H])otte(l atmve tind Iwlow. F^ongth, 0^ inrlicH ; win^, l^i', Ui\, 4.}.
FIaii. -Knstern Noitli Amuricii to tlic Fiocky NFoiiiitivinH, iiuiliuliiig F'^iiHtcni Mexico and Alankii. Hreeils from near the Houthei'ii Itoriler of the United StateH nortliward to the Arctic coatit ; winters from (Southern Canada and the Nortliern States (irreguhirly) soutliward.
Nest, in a tree, fr(!(|uently an apph; tree in an orchard ; hirgo and rougFi l(K>king, composed of twigs, grass and weeds cemente<l together with mud. Fined with fine grass.
Kggs, four or five, phiin greeni8h-l)lue, witliout spots.
The Robin is well known and widely distributed throughout Ontario. Tn the south it is most abundant during the period of migration, but great numbers breed all over the Province, and along the southern border it is no uncommon thing to meet with indi- viduals spending the winter in sheltered hollows, from which they are ready to start out and hail the first indications of returning spring. As the season advances, nortlmrn-bound individuals of this •species arrive from the south and pass on with little delay, but those which are satisfied to remain at once become engaged in the great business of the season, that of raising their young. The males are the first to arrive, and are occasionally heard rehearsing their summer song, evidently somewhat out of practice. In a few days the females make their appearance and receive every attention.
The site for the nest is soon selected, ami both birds work dili- gently till the structure is completed. The first sot of eggs is laid ill April, and during the tedious days of incubation the male often mounts his perch to cheer his faithful mate with what to her may seem delightful strains of music. To human ears the song does not rank as a brilliant performance, but it is given with great earnest- ness and liberality, and is welcomed as the prelude to the grand concert of bird music which is soon to be heard in the woods and fields all over the country. At this season the food of the Robin consists chiefly of worms and various insects. It is a fine exhibition of bird-life to see him, early in the dewy morning, hop daintily over the newly cut grass to where an earth worm is exposing himself near the surface. With his head on one side, the bird watches every wriggle of the worm with intense interest. If it is well out of the ground, it is seized, and with a jerk thrown clear of its hole, but if only a part of the worm is exposed, the course is different. It is then caught quickly and held firmly while it struggles hard to get into its hole. Robin knows that now a sudden jerk will part the animal and give him only a portion, but he knows how much strain
III
412
BIRDS OF ONTARIO.
the material will bear, and he holds on till the exhausted worm relaxes its hold, is tossed out and pounded till fit for use.
As the season advances a second and even a third brood of young may be raised. The birds acquire a fondnesf^ for fruit, and now come the charges against them of robbing the cherry-tree. No doubt they do take a few for themselves and families, but after all they are entitled to some consideration on account of the numbers of noxious insects which they destroy in the garden, and for my own part I would sacrifice a good many cherries rather than have the Robins banished from around the house.
Those which travel to the far noi'tli have a different experience. Dr. Richardson tells us that " the male is one of the loudest and most assiduous songsters which frequent the Pur Countries, beginning his chant immediately on his arrival. Within the Arctic circle the woods are silent during the bright light of noonday, but towards midnight when the sun travels near the horizon, and the shades of the forest are lengthened, the concert commences, and continues till* 6 or 7 in the morning. Nests have been found as high as the 54th parallel of latitude about the beginning of June. The snow even then partially covers the ground, but there are in these high lati- tudes abundance of berries of vaccinium ugliginosum and vites idea, arbutus alpina, empetsmn nigrum, and of some other plants, which, after having been frozen up all winter, are exposed by the first melting of the snow, full of juice and in high flavor. Thus is formed a natural cache for the supply of the birds on their ari'ival, and soon afterwards their insect food becomes abundant."
In Southern Ontario large numbers are seen congregating together, feeding on the berries of the mountain ash, poke weed, red cedar, etc. If the weather is mild, they remain till November, but usually we have a cold blast from the north in October, which hurries the bulk of them oflF to their winter-quarters in the south.
Genus SI ALIA Svvainson. SIALIA SIALIS (LiXN.).
316. Bluebird. (76G)
^fale.: — Uniform sky-bhie above, leddish-browu below ; belly, white. Female : — Duller. Young : — Spotted.
Hab. — Eastern United States to the eastern base of the Rocky Moiuitains, north to Manitoba, Ontario and Nova Scotia, south, in winter, from the Middle States to the Gulf States and Cuba. Bermudas, resident.
BLUEBIRD.
413
Nest, in natural or artificial holes in trees, stubs or posts, or in bird-boxes, composeil of miscellaneous material, loosely put together. Kggs, four to six, pale blue, unnuirked.
In former years the Blucbirfls were among our mo:!t abundant and familiar birds, raising their young near our dwellings, and returning year after year to occupy the boxes put up for their accommodation. Since the advent of the English Sparrow, they have been gradually decreasing in numbers, and are now seldom seen near their old haunts, from which they have been driven by that pugnacious tramp, Passer domesticuH. They are still common throughout the country, where they are everywhei-e welcomed as early harbingers of spring, and in the fall they linger till late in October, as if loath to depart. This species was a special favorite with Wilson, on account of which it is often spoken of as Wilson's Bluebird, to distinguish it from the Indigo bird., and one or two other species to which the name is sometimes applied.
That enthusiastic lover of birds has made it the subject of one of his pleasing poetical effusions, in which he faithfully describes many of its habits, amongst others its early arrival in spring and reluctant departure in the fall. With a short extract from this production, I shall say good-bye, for the present, to the " Birds of Ontario":
" When winter's cold tempests and snows are no more,
(Ireen meadows and brown furrow'tl fields reappearing, The fisliermen hauling their shad to the shore,
And cloud-cleaving Tieese to the lakes are a-steering; VN'hen first the lone butterfly flits on the wing.
When red glow the maples, so fresh and so pleasing, 0 then comes the Bluebird, the herald of spring,
And hails with his warblings the charms of the season.
" When all the gay scenes of the summer are o'er.
And autumn slow enters, so silent and sallow, Aiul millions of warblers, that charmed us before,
Have fled in the train of the sun-seeking Swallow, The Bluebird forsaken, yet true to his home,
.Still lingers and looks for a milder to-morrow. Till, forced by the horrors of winter to roam.
He sings his adieu in a lone note of sorrow."
ADDEI^DA.
CESTRELATA HASITATA (Kuhl). 317. Black-capped Petrel. (98)
Top of head, and upper parts generally, except upper tail coverts, uniform dusky, the back and scapulars paler, with perceptibly still paler terminal margins to the feathers ; upper tail coverts, basal half (approximately) of tail, head and neck, except top of the former (and sometimes the hind neck also), together with lower parts, including axillars and under wing coverts, pure white; the sides of the chest sometimes with a broAiiish-gray wash. Length, 14-16 inches; wing, 11.40-11.75; tail, 4.80-r).30.
Hab. — Middle Atlantic, straggling to coasts of North America and Europe.
On the 30th of October, 1893, the dead body of a Black -capped Petrel was picked up on the shore of the Island, at Toronto, and brought to Mr. Spanner's shop, where it was seen by Mr. K. C. Moll wraith and others, and correctly identified.
This is a bird which rears its young on the lonely islands of the sea, and, except in such places, is rarely seen on land anywhere. The individual now referred to was, from some unknown cause, entirely out of its reckoning, and most likely died for lack of suitable nour- ishment.
GLOSSARY
OF TECHNICAL TERMS ISED IN THE PKECEDINC!
DESCRIPTIONS.
MEASUREMENTS.
LENGTH. Distance between the tip of the hill an<l the end of the longest tail
feather. EXTENT. Distance between the tips of the outspread wings. LENGTH OF WING. Distance from the angle fonned at the (carpus) bend
of the wing to the end of the longest primary. LENGTH OF TAIL. Distance fiom the roots of the tail feathers to the end
of the longest one. LENGTH OF BILL. From the tij) of the u[)i)cr mandible to the point where
it meets the feathers of the forehead. LENGTH OF TARSUS. Distance fnmi the point where the tarsus joins tlie
leg above, to the point where it join.s the middle toe below. LENGTH OF TOES. Distance from the point where the leg joins the foot
along the top to the root of the claw. LENGTH OF CLAWS. Distance in a straight line from the root to the tip
of the claw. ♦
A ABERRANT. Deviating from ordinary character. ACUMINATE. Tapering gradually to a point. ALBINISM. State of whiteness, complete or partial, arising from deficiency
or entire lack of pigment in the skin and its appendages. ALULA. Literally, little wing. The bastaid wing, composed of tlie feathers
which are set on the so-called thumb. ATTENUATE. Slender and tapering toward a sharj) point. AXILLARS. Elongated feathers on the sides of the body under the wings.
B BAND OR BAR. Any color mark transverse to the long axis of the body. BEND OF WING. Angle fonned at ca.pus in the folded wing.
CALCAREOUS. Chalky.
OANTHUS. Corner of eye w\jere the lids meet. CAROTID. The principal blood-vessel of the neck.
CARPAL ANGLE. Prominence at the wrist joint when wing is closed. From this point to the end of the longest quill constitutes the " length of wing." •CERE. Fleshy covering of the base of the bill.
416
GLOSSARY.
CERVICAL. Pertaining to the hind neck.
CHIN. Space between the forks of the lower jaws.
CLAVICLE. Collar bone.
COMMISSURE. Line where the two mandibles meet.
CRISSUM. Under tail coverts.
CULMEN. Ridge of upper mandible.
CUNEATE. Wedge-shaped. A cuneate tail has the middle feathers longest.
DECIDUOUS. Temporary ; falling early. DECOMPOSED. Separate ; standing apart. DEXTIROSTRAL. Having the bill toothed or notched. DIAGNOSTIC. Distinctively characteristic. DORSAL. Pertaining to the back.
E EMAROINATK. Notched at the end; slightly forked. ERYTHRISM. A peculiar reddish state of plumage.
FALCATE. Sickle-shaped.
FEMORAL. Pertaining to the thigh.
FERRUGINOUS. Rusty red.
FISSIROSTRAL. Having the bill cleft far beyond the base of its horny part.
FORFICATE. Deeply forked.
FULIGINOUS. Sooty-brown.
FULVOUS. Of a brownish-yellow color.
FURCATE. Forked.
FUSCOUS. Of a dark grayish-brown color.
G
GIBBOUS. Swollen; protuberant. GONYS. Keel or outline of the bill so far as united. GRADUATED. Changing length at regular intervals. GULAR. Pertaining to the upper fore nee.':. GUTTATE. Having drop-shapeil spots.
HALLUX. The land toe.
I
IMBRICATED. Fixed sliingle-wise ; overlapping. INTERSCAPULAR. Between the shoulders.
JUGULUM. Lower throat.
J
LAMELLA. A thin plate or scale, such as are seen inside a duck's bill. LANCEOLATE. Shaped like the head of a lance.
LARYNX. Adam's apple ; a hollow caitilagiuous organ ; a modification of the windpipe.
GLOSSARY. 417
LOBE. Membraneous flap, chiefly on the toes. LORE. Space between the eye and the bill.
M MAXILLAR. Pertaining to the upper jaw. MELANISM. State of coloration arising from excess of dark pigment; a
frequent condition of Hawks. MEMBRANE. Soft skinny covering of the bill of some birds.
N
NUCHA. The upper part of the hind neck next the hind head.
OSCINES. A group of singing birds. OCCIPUT. The hind head.
P PALMATE. Web.footed.
PARASITIC. Habitually making use of other birds' nests. PECTINATE. Having tooth-like projections, like those of a comb. PECTORAL. Pertaining to the breast. PLUMBEOUS. Lead color.
PRIMARIES. The large stiff" quills growing on the first bone of the wing; usually nine or ten, sometimes eleven, in number.
REMIGES. Quills of the wing. RETRICES. Quills of the tail. RICTUS. Gape of the mouth.
s
SAGGITATE. Shaped like an arrow head.
SCAPULARS. Long feathers rising from the shoulders and covering the sides
of the back. SECONDARIES. Quills which grow on the second bone of the wing. SECONDARY COVERTS. The wing feathers which cover the bases of the
secondary quills. SEMIPALMATE. Having the feet half webbed. SERRATE. Toothed like a .saw.
SPECULUM. A brightly colored spot of the secondaries, especially of ducks. SPURIOUS QUILI . The first primary when very short. SUPERCILIARY. Pertaining to the eye-brows.
TAIL COVERTS. The small feathers underlying or overlying the bjise of
the tail. TARSI. The shanks of the legs. TERTIALS. Feathers which grow from the second bone of the wing at the
elbow joint. TIBIA. Principal and inner bone of leg between knee and heel,
27 - '
|
INDEX. |
|||
|
A |
Asio wilsoniaims . |
158 |
|
|
Acanthis homemanii . |
215 |
Auk, Razor-billed |
11 |
|
hornemanii exilipes |
216 |
Avocet, American |
91 |
|
linaria .... |
217 |
Aythya affinis |
49 |
|
linaria holboellii . |
218 |
americana |
46 |
|
Accipiter atricapillus . |
142 |
coUaris .... |
50 |
|
cooperi .... |
141 |
marila nearctica . |
18 |
|
velox .... |
140 |
vallisneria . |
47 |
|
Actitis macularia |
115 |
||
|
.^gialitis nieloda |
123 |
||
|
nivosa ..... |
124 |
B |
|
|
semipalmata . |
122 |
Baldpate .... |
40 |
|
vocifera |
121 |
Bartraniia longicauda . |
113 |
|
Agelaius phceniceus |
204 |
Bittern, American |
70 |
|
Aix sponsa .... |
45 |
Least .... |
71 |
|
Alca torda .... |
11 |
Cory's .... |
72 |
|
Ammodramus sandwichenais sa |
Blackbird, Red-winged |
204 |
|
|
vanna . |
225 |
Rusty .... |
208 |
|
savannarum passerinus . |
226 |
Yellow-headed |
203 |
|
Ampelis cedrorum |
252 |
Black-capped Petrel . |
317 |
|
garrulus |
251 |
Bluebird .... |
316 |
|
Anas americana . |
40 |
Bobolink .... |
201 |
|
boschas |
37 |
Bob-white .... |
126 |
|
caroliiiensis . |
41 |
Bonasa umbellus . |
129 |
|
discors .... |
42 |
Botaurus exilia . |
71 |
|
obscura |
38 |
lentiginosus . |
70 |
|
strepera |
39 |
neoxenus |
72 |
|
Anaer albifrons gainbeli |
63 |
Brant |
66 |
|
AnthuH pensilvanicus . |
293 |
Branta beniicla . |
66 |
|
Antrostomus vociferus |
180 |
canadensis . |
64 |
|
Aquila chrysaetos |
149 |
canadensis hutchinsii |
65 |
|
Archibuteo lagopus sancti-joiiaii |
Bubo virginianus . |
165 |
|
|
nis .... |
148 |
Bufflehead . . '. |
53 |
|
Ardea candidissima |
75 |
Bunting, Indigo . |
241 |
|
egretta .... |
74 |
Buteo borealis |
143 |
|
herodias |
73 |
borealis calurus . |
144 |
|
viresceiis |
76 |
latissinius |
147 |
|
Arenaria interprea |
125 |
lineatus |
145 |
|
Asio aocipitrinus . |
169 |
swainsoni |
146 |
I;
420
INDEX.
|
c |
Crane, Sandhill . |
• ♦ . |
79 |
|||
|
Calcarius lapponicus , . 223 |
Whooping |
78 |
||||
|
Calitlria arenaria . |
105 |
Creeper, Brown . ... |
302 |
|||
|
Canvas-back |
47 |
Croaabill, American |
213 |
|||
|
Caracara, Audubon'M . |
153 |
White-winged |
214 |
|||
|
Cardinal . '''■-. |
239 |
Crow, American . |
200 |
|||
|
Cardinalia cardinalis . |
239 |
Crymophilua fulicariua |
88 |
|||
|
Carpodacus piupureus |
212 |
Cuckoo, Black-billed . |
169 |
|||
|
Catbird |
295 |
Yellow-billed |
168 |
|||
|
Cathartes aura |
137 |
Curlew, Eakimo . |
118 |
|||
|
Ceophl(EU8 pileatus |
176 |
Hudaonian . |
117 |
|||
|
Cepphua grylle . |
9 |
Long-billed . |
116 |
|||
|
Certhia familiaria aniericanti |
302 |
Cyanocitta cristata |
197 |
|||
|
Ceryle alcyon |
170 |
|||||
|
Chietura pelagica |
182 |
D |
||||
|
Charadrius dominicus . |
120 |
Datila acuta |
44 |
|||
|
aquatarola |
119 |
Dendragapus canadensis |
128 |
|||
|
Charitonetta aibeola |
53 |
obscurus richardsonii . |
127 |
|||
|
Chat, Yellow-breasted |
288 |
Dendroica wstiva. |
269 |
|||
|
Chelidon erythrogaster |
247 |
blackburnirt' |
277 |
|||
|
Chen hyperborea nivalis |
H2 |
Cffirulea |
273 |
|||
|
Chickadee, Black -capped |
305 |
cftTulescens |
270 |
|||
|
Hudsonian . |
306 |
castanea |
275 |
|||
|
Chondestes granmiacus |
227 |
coronata |
271 |
|||
|
Chordeiles virginianus . |
181 |
maculosa |
. 272 |
|||
|
Circus hudsonius . |
139 |
palmarum |
280 |
|||
|
Cistothorus palustris . |
301 |
palmarum hypochrysea |
281 |
|||
|
stellaris |
300 |
pensylvanica |
274 |
|||
|
Clangula hyemalis |
54 |
striata .... |
276 |
|||
|
Clivicola riparia . |
249 |
tigrina .... |
268 |
|||
|
Coccothraustes vespertinii |
210 |
vigorsii .... |
279 |
|||
|
Coccyzus aniericanus . |
168 |
virens .... |
278 |
|||
|
erythrophtlialmus |
169 |
Dickcissel .... |
242 |
|||
|
Colaptes auratua . |
179 |
Dolichonyx oryzivorus |
201 |
|||
|
Colinus virginianus |
126 |
Dove, Mourning . |
136 |
|||
|
Colymbus auritus |
2 |
Dowitcher .... |
94 |
|||
|
holbddlii |
1 |
Dryobates pubescens . |
172 |
|||
|
nigricollis calit'oi'nicus |
3 |
villosus |
171 |
|||
|
Compsothlypis aiiiericana |
267 |
Duck, American Scaup |
48 |
|||
|
Contopua borealia |
188 |
Black .... |
38 |
|||
|
virens . |
189 |
ButHe-headed |
53 |
|||
|
Coot, American . |
87 |
Harlequin |
56 |
|||
|
Cormorant . |
31 |
Lesser Scaup |
49 |
|||
|
Double-crested |
32 |
Long-tailed . |
54 |
|||
|
Corvua aniericanus |
200 |
Ring-necked . |
50 |
|||
|
corax sinuatus |
199 |
Ruddy .... |
61 |
|||
|
Cowbiid |
202 |
Wood . |
, , |
45 |
INDEX.
421
|
E |
Golden-eye, American . |
. 61 |
|
|
Eagle, Bald .... |
150 |
Barrow's |
. 52 |
|
Golden .... |
149 |
(Joldfinch, American . |
. 219 |
|
Ectopistea migratorius |
. 135 |
(Joose, American White-fronted |
. 63 |
|
Egret, American . |
. 74 |
Canada .... |
. 64 |
|
Eider, American . |
. 86 |
(ireuter Snow |
. 62 |
|
King .... |
57 |
Hutchins' |
. 65 |
|
Elanoides forficatus |
. 138 |
Goshawk, American . |
. 142 |
|
Empidonax acadicus . |
. 191 |
(rrackle, Bronzed |
. 209 |
|
flaviventris . |
. 190 |
Grebe, American Eared |
3 |
|
minimus |
. 193 |
Holbddl's . |
1 |
|
pusillus traillii |
. 192 |
Horned |
2 |
|
Erismatura rubida |
61 |
Pied -billed . |
4 |
|
Ereiinetes pusillus |
. 104 |
Grosbeak, Evening |
. 210 |
|
F |
Pine .... |
211 |
|
|
Rose-breasteil |
240 |
||
|
Falco columbariue |
. 153 |
||
|
Grouse, Canada . |
. 128 |
||
|
islandus |
151 « |
Richardson's |
127 |
|
peregrinus anatum |
. 152 |
Ruffed .... |
129 |
|
sparverius |
. 1.54 |
Sharp-tailed . |
133 |
|
Finch, Purple |
212 |
||
|
' r |
Grus americana . |
78 |
|
|
Flicker .... |
179 |
||
|
mexicana |
79 |
||
|
Flycatcher, Cresteil |
\m |
(iuillemot, Black |
9 |
|
Acadian |
191 |
Gull, American Heriing |
18 |
|
Least .... Olive-sided . |
193 188 |
Bonaparte's . Franklin's |
22 21 |
|
Scissor-tailed |
184 |
Glaucous |
16 |
|
Traill's .... |
192 |
(ireat Black-lmeked |
17 |
|
Yellow-bellied |
190 |
||
|
Fratercula arctica |
8 |
Ivory .... Kittiwake |
14 15 |
|
Fulica americana . |
87 |
||
|
Laughing |
20 |
||
|
G |
Ring-billed . |
19 |
|
|
Gadwall .... |
39 |
(iyrfalcon, \\'hite |
151 |
|
Galeoscoptes carolinensis |
295 |
||
|
Gallinago delicata |
93 |
H |
|
|
Gallinula galeata . |
8(j |
Habia ludoviciana |
240 |
|
Gallinule, Florida |
80 |
HaliiKetus leucocephalus |
150 |
|
Purple .... |
85 |
Harporhynchus rufus . |
296 |
|
Gannet |
30 |
Hawk, American Rough-legged |
148 |
|
(lavia alba .... |
14 |
American Sparrow |
154 |
|
Geothlypis agilis . |
285 |
Broad-winged |
147 |
|
Philadelphia . . . . |
286 |
Cooper's . . . . |
141 |
|
trichas . . . . . |
287 |
Duck |
152 |
|
Glaucionetta clangula americana . |
51 |
Marsh |
139 |
|
islandica . . . . |
52 |
Pigeon . . . . . |
153 |
|
Gnatcatcher, Blue -gray |
309 |
Red-shouldered |
14d |
|
Godwit, Hudsonian |
107 |
Red-tailed . . . . |
143 |
|
Marbled . . . . |
106 |
Sharp-shinned |
140 |
422
INDEX.
|
Hawk, Swainson's |
. 146 |
LaruB argentatus smithsonianus |
18 |
|
Western Red-tailed |
144 |
atricilla |
20 |
|
Helminthophilu celata |
. 265 |
delawarensis . |
19 |
|
chrysopte'-a . |
. 263 |
franklinii |
21 |
|
peregrina |
. 266 |
glaueus. |
16 |
|
ruticapilla |
264 |
marinus |
17 |
|
Hen, Prairie |
132 |
Philadelphia' . |
22 |
|
Heron, Blaok-crowned Night |
77 |
Limosa fedoa |
106 |
|
Great Blue . |
73 |
htemastica |
107 |
|
Green '. . . . |
. 76 |
Longspur, Lapland |
223 |
|
Snowy .... |
75 |
Loon |
5 |
|
Histrionicus histrionicus |
55 |
Black-throated |
6 |
|
House Sparrow . |
220 |
Red-throated |
7 |
|
Hummingbird, Ruby-tiiroated |
183 |
Lophodytes cucuUatus |
36 |
|
Hydrochelidon nigra surinamensis 29 |
Loxia curvirostra minor |
213 |
|
|
I Ibis, Glossy |
leucoptera . |
214 |
|
|
69 |
M • |
||
|
Icteria virens |
288 |
Macrorhamphus griseus |
94 |
|
Icterus galbula . |
207 |
Magpie, American |
196 |
|
spurius .... |
206 |
Mallard .... |
37 |
|
lonornis martinica |
85 |
Martin, Purple . |
245 |
|
J Jaeger parasitic . |
Meadowlark |
205 |
|
|
13 1 O |
Megascops asio . Melanerpes carolinus . |
164 178 |
|
|
pomarine Jay, Blue . rianadft |
12 197 198 |
erythrocephalus . Meleagris gallopavo . |
177 134 |
|
Junco hyenialis . |
233 |
Melospiza fasciata |
234 |
|
Junco, Slate-colored . |
233 |
georgiana |
236 |
|
lincolni. |
235 |
||
|
K |
Merganser americanus |
34 |
|
|
Killdeer .... |
121 |
serrator |
35 |
|
Kingbird .... |
185 |
Merganser, American . |
34 |
|
Kingfisher, Belted |
170 |
Hooded |
36 |
|
Kinglet, Golden-crowned |
307 |
Red-breasted |
35 |
|
Ruby-crowned |
308 |
Merula migratoria |
315 |
|
Kite, Swallow-tailed . |
138 |
Micropalama himantopus . |
95 |
|
Kittiwake .... |
15 |
Milvulus forficatua |
184 |
|
Knot |
96 |
Mimus polyglottos |
294 |
|
Mniotilta varia . |
261 |
||
|
L |
Mockingbird |
294 |
|
|
Lagopus lagopus . |
130 |
Molotluus ater . |
202 |
|
rupestris |
131 |
Murre, Brllnnich's |
10 |
|
Lanius borealis |
253 |
Myiarchus crinitus |
186 |
|
I'ldovicianus . |
254 |
||
|
ludovicianus excubitorides |
255 |
N |
|
|
Lark, Horned |
194 |
Nighthawk .... |
181 |
|
Prairie Horned |
195 |
Numenius borealis |
118 |
INDEX.
42S
|
Numenius hudsoniouB . |
. 117 |
Petrochelidon lunifrons |
. 246 |
||
|
longirostria . |
. 116 |
Pewee, Wood |
. 189 |
||
|
Nuthatch, Red-breasted |
. .304 |
Phalacrocorax carbo |
31 |
||
|
White-breasted |
. 303 |
dilophuH |
. ,32 |
||
|
Nyctala acaciica . |
. 1(53 |
Phalarope, Northern |
89 |
||
|
tengmalnii richardsoni . |
. 162 |
Red |
88 |
||
|
Nyctea nyctea |
166 |
Wilson's |
. 90 |
||
|
Nycticorax nycticorax moviua |
77 |
Piialaropus lobatus tricolor . |
89 90 |
||
|
0 |
Philohela minor . |
. 92 |
|||
|
fp^strelata hasitata |
317 |
Pim-be . |
. 187 |
||
|
Oidemia americaua |
58 |
Pica pica hudsonica |
. 196 |
||
|
deglandi |
.59 |
Picoides americanus |
. 174 |
||
|
perspicillata . |
60 |
arcticus |
. 173 |
||
|
Old Squaw .... |
54 |
Pigeon, Passenger |
. 135 |
||
|
Olor buccinator . . . . |
68 |
Pini(!()la enuoleator |
. 211 |
||
|
cohjmbianus . . . . |
67 |
Pintail |
. 44 |
||
|
Oriole, Baltimore |
207 |
Pipilo erythrophthalm |
18 |
2.38 |
|
|
Orchard . . . . |
206 |
Pipit, Ameiioan . |
293 |
||
|
Osprey, American |
156 |
Piranga erythromelas |
243 |
||
|
Otocoris iilpestris |
194 |
rubra . |
244 |
||
|
alpe.-jtris pratieola |
195 |
Plectrophenax nivalis |
222 |
||
|
Oven-bird |
282 |
Plegadis autumnalis |
69 |
||
|
Owl, American Barn . |
157 |
Plover, American (iold |
en |
120 |
|
|
American Hawk . |
167 |
Black-bellied |
119 |
||
|
American Long-eared . |
158 |
Piping . |
123 |
||
|
Barred |
160 |
Semipalmated |
122 |
||
|
Great Gray .... |
161 |
Snowy . |
124 |
||
|
Great Horned |
165 |
Podilymbus podiceps . |
4 |
||
|
Richardson's |
162 |
Polioptila cffirulea |
309 |
||
|
Saw-whet . . . . |
163 |
Polyborus cheriway |
155 |
||
|
Screech . . . . |
164 |
Poocaetes gramineus |
224 |
||
|
Short-eared . . . . |
159 |
Porzana Carolina . |
82 |
||
|
Snowy |
166 |
jamaicensis . noveboracensis |
84 83 |
||
|
P |
Progne subis |
245 |
|||
|
Pandion haliaetus carolinensis |
156 |
Protonotaria citrea |
262 |
||
|
Parus atricapillus |
305 |
Ptarmigan, Rock |
131 |
||
|
hudsonicus .... |
306 |
Willow |
130 |
||
|
Passerella iliaca .... |
237 |
PuflSn, Common . |
8 |
||
|
Passerina cyanea .... |
241 |
Q |
|||
|
Passer domesticus |
220 |
||||
|
Pavoncella pugnax Pedioceetes phasianellus |
112 133 |
Quiscalus quiscula aeneus . . 209 Quail 126 |
|||
|
Pelecanus erythrorhyuchos . |
33 |
R |
|||
|
Pelican, American White . |
33 |
Rail, Black 84 |
|||
|
Perisoreus canadensis . |
198 |
King 80 |
|||
|
Petrel, Black-capped . |
317 |
Sora . |
J |
. |
82 |
424
Rail, Virginift
Yellow . RuUiiH ulegaiiH
virviniftniiH . Raven, Aiueric^an Recurvirostra aiiiericaiia Redhead Redpoll
(Jreenland
Hoacy .
Holb.pir8 . Redstart, American ReguluB calendula
Hatrapa . . « . Rissa tridaotyla . Robin, American Ruff ....
Sanderling . Sandpiper, Baird's
Bartramian .
Bulf-hieasted
Curlew ,
Least
Pectoral
Purple .
Red-hacked .
Semipalmated
Solitary
Spotted
Stilt
White-rumped Sapsucker, Yellow-hellied Sayornis phn?be . Scolecophagus carolinus Scoter, American
Surf .
White-winged Seiurus aurocapilluM
motacilla
noveboracensis Setophaga ruticilla Shoveller Shrike, Loggerhead
Northern
White-rumped Sialia sialis .
INDEX.
81
80 81
m)
01 40 217 215 216 218 292 .')()8 307 15 815 112
105
100 IK) 114
um lou
98
97
102
104
110
115
95
99
176
187
208
58
60
59
282
284
283
292
43
254
253
255
316
Siskin, Pine Sitta caiuidenHis ,
carolineuHis . Snipe, Wilson's . Snowllake Soniatoria drcsseri
Npe(;tabiliH Sparrow, (.'hipping
Fiel.l .
Fox
(ri-asshopper .
House .
Lark
Lincoln's
Savanna
Song
Swamp .
Tree .
Vesper .
White-crowned
White-throated Spatula clypeata . SphyrapieuH variuB Spinus pinus
ti'istis Spi/a americana . Spizella monticola
pusilla .
socialis . Stelgidopteryx serripennis Stercorarius pomarinuH
parasiticus Stenia antillarum
forsteri .
hirundo
paradisaja
sandvicensis acuflavida
tschegrava Strix pratincola . Sturnella magna . Sula bassana Suniia ulula caparoch . Swallow, Bank .
Barn
Cliff .
Rough-winged
Tree Swan, Trumpeter
221
304
303
93
56
57
231
232
237
226
220
227
235
225
234
236
230
224
228
229
43
175
221
219
242
230
2.32
231
250
12
13
28
25
26
27
24
23
157
205
30
167
249
247
246
250
248
68
IM>KX.
42f
|
221 |
Swan, Whistling . |
. |
67 |
1'urduH ustulatUK awainsonii |
. 311 |
|
|
804 |
Swift, (IhiiMiioy . |
182 |
Turkey, Wild |
. 13* |
||
|
303 |
Nylvania canadeimiH |
291 |
Turnstone .... |
. 125 |
||
|
08 |
mitrata . |
289 |
Tympainichus americanun , |
. 182 |
||
|
222 |
puHilla . |
21K> |
Tyraunus tyrannus |
. 185 |
||
|
06 |
Symplieiiiia Siiinipaliiiata |
. Ill |
u Ulula cinerea |
|||
|
57 |
Syrnium nplmloHum |
. 160 1 |
. 161 |
|||
|
231 232 237 |
T Tachycineta liicolor |
. 248 |
Uria lotnvia Urinator arcticus imber |
10 6 5 |
||
|
226 220 |
Tanager, Scarlet . Sutimuir |
. 243 . 244 |
lumme . . . . |
7 |
||
|
227 |
Teal, Blue-winged |
42 |
V |
|||
|
235 |
(Jreen- winged |
41 |
Vireo flavifrons . |
. 259 |
||
|
225 |
Tern, Arctic |
27 |
gilvuB . . . . |
. 258 |
||
|
234 |
Black . |
20 |
olivaceus |
. 256 |
||
|
23tt |
Cabot'a . |
24 |
philadelphicus |
. 257 |
||
|
230 |
Caspian |
23 |
solitarius |
. 260 |
||
|
224 |
Common |
26 |
Vireo, Hlue-headed |
. 260 |
||
|
228 |
Forster's |
25 |
Philadelphia. |
. 257 |
||
|
229 |
Least |
28 |
Red-eyed |
. 2.56 |
||
|
43 |
Thrasher, Brown . |
. 296 |
Warbling |
. 258 |
||
|
175 |
Thrush, Gray-cheekec |
. 312 |
Yellow-thioiited , |
. 259 |
||
|
221 |
Hermit . |
. 314 |
Vulture, Turkey . |
. 137 |
||
|
210 ' |
Olive-backed |
. 313 |
||||
|
242 |
Wilson'- |
. 311 |
w |
|||
|
230 |
Wood . |
. 310 |
WarbJ" Bay-breasted |
. 275 |
||
|
232 |
Thryothorus ludovicie |
mus |
. 297 |
Bin :i and White . |
. 261 |
|
|
231 |
Tetanus flavipes . |
. 109 |
Blackburnlan |
. 277 |
||
|
250 |
melanoleucus |
. 108 |
Black-poll |
. 276 |
||
|
12 |
solitarius |
. 110 |
Black-throated Blue |
. 270 |
||
|
13 |
Towhee |
. 238 |
Black-throated Green |
. 278 |
||
|
28 |
Tringa alpina paci6ca |
. 102 |
Canadian |
. 291 |
||
|
25 |
bairdii . |
. 100 |
Cape May |
. 268 |
||
|
26 |
canutus |
96 |
Cerulean |
. 273 |
||
|
27 |
ferruginea . |
. 103 |
Chestnut-sided |
. 274 |
||
|
24 |
fuscicollis |
99 |
Connecticut . |
. 285 |
||
|
23 |
maculata |
98 |
Golden-winged |
. 283 |
||
|
157 |
maritima |
. 97 |
Hooded |
. 289 |
||
|
205 |
minutilla |
. 101 |
Magnolia |
. 272 |
||
|
30 |
Trochilus colubria |
. 183 |
Mourning |
. 286 |
||
|
167 |
Troglodytes aedon |
. 298 |
Myrtle . |
. 271 |
||
|
249 |
hiemalis |
. 299 |
Nashville |
. 264 |
||
|
247 |
Tryngites subruficoU |
8. |
. 114 |
Orange-crowned . |
. 265 |
|
|
246 |
Tardus alicisB |
. 312 |
Palm , |
. 280 |
||
|
250 |
aonalaschkse pal |
asii |
. 314 |
Parula . |
. 267 |
|
|
248 |
fuscescens |
. 311 |
Pine |
. 279 |
||
|
68 |
mustelinus |
. 310 |
Prothonotary |
. 262 |
||
|
28 |
426
INDEX.
|
Warbler, Tennessee |
266 |
Woodpecker, Red-headed . |
. 177 |
|
Wilson's . . . . |
290 |
Wren, Carolina . |
. 297 |
|
Yellow |
269 |
House .... |
. 298 |
|
Yellow Palm |
281 |
Long-billed Marsh |
. 301 |
|
Water thrush . . . . |
283 |
Short-billed Marsh |
. 300 |
|
Louisiana |
284 |
Winter .... |
. 299 |
|
Waxwing, Bohemian . |
251 |
X |
|
|
Cedar . |
252 |
||
|
Whip-poor-will |
180 |
Xanthocephalus xanthocephalua . 203 |
|
|
Willet |
111 |
Y |
|
|
Woodcock, American . |
92 |
||
|
Woodpecker, American Three |
Yellow-legs, Greater . |
. 108 |
|
|
toed |
174 |
Lesser .... |
. 109 |
|
Arctic Three-toed. |
173 |
Yellow-throat, Maryland |
. 287 |
|
Djwny .... |
172 |
z |
|
|
Golden-winged |
179 |
4b |
|
|
Hairy .... Pileated |
171 |
Zenaidura macroura |
. 136 |
|
. 176 |
Zonotrichia albicoUis . |
. 229 |
|
|
Bed-bellied . |
178 |
leucophrys |
. 228 |
177 297 298 301 300 299
203
108 109
287
136
229 228