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 near 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 often 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 shore 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 off 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 whose good deeds are supposed to balance the evil they do. They are very abundant in Alaska and throughout 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 were accused of carrying off young chickens, but no 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 equal to those of the hunter. It was in January, the bay was firmly 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 quadruped, which was frozen into the ice. There was no cover or chance of approach, for his view was open all round, and he seemed to enjoy his feast in safety. Willie Smith, one of the Beach boys, looked on him with longing eyes, and his ingenuity was equal to the occasion. Carefully examining 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, but 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 as if they would pass each other about forty yards apart, but there was a flash, a crack, and the Eagle fell on the ice. The boat went tearing on, taking a long sweep, and then came round to 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 perhaps the more quickly of the two. One of the largest and most powerful of the Falconina. Feet, very stout; tarsus, rather longer than the middle toe without claw, feathered fully half way down in front and on sides, with narrow bare strip behind; elsewhere, seticulate. Wing, pointed by second quill, supported nearly to the end of the third, only the first decidedly emarginate on inner web. Tail, rounded; sexes, alike. Young: Little different. Wing of male, 13.50-14.50; tail, 8.50-9.50. Wing of female, 15-16; tail, 9-10. Adults:-General plumage of upper parts, 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: lower parts, white, immaculate on throat; elsewhere, streaked and variously spotted with dusky. Young:-Darker than the adults at an early stage, some of the lighter markings tinged with ochraceous. HAB.-Arctic Regions, including Arctic America and Greenland. Eggs, two to four, light brownish-red, faintly speckled with umber-brown. This is the Gyrfalcon of America, and perhaps also of Europe, for the difference between the two, if any, is very trifling. There are now two different species and two sub-species of Gyrfalcon described as 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 being able to place this one among the "Birds of Ontario," and for this privilege I am indebted to Mr. G. R. White, of Ottawa, who secured, on the 23rd December, 1890, a fine adult male that was bestowing unsolicited attention upon his domestic pigeons. This is so decidedly a northern 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 rare, though some of the others are quite common. Speaking of Falco rusticolus gyrfalco, Mr. Nelson says: "Throughout all Alaska, from the Aleutian Islands north, both along the coast and through the interior, extending from Behring Straits across the northern portion of British America, the present falcon is the commonest resident bird of prey. It frequents the vicinity of cliffs and rocky points about the sea coast, or the rocky ravines of the interior, during the breeding season, and the remainder of the year, especially in the fall, it is found wandering over the country wherever food can be obtained. In a series of skins of this species from various parts of its, range, there is found an interminable gradation from the whitest islandus to the darkest gyrfalco and rusticolus. "Specimens in the National Museum collection from Greenland show the widest extremes, which are bridged by connecting specimens, so that it is impossible to definitely separate them. Newton's separation of gyrfalco from islandus 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 my Alaskan series of skins." hear 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 (d), 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 Gyrfalcon 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 happens, there was no gun at hand, so that the chance of securing a rare specimen was lost." Mr. Brooks is well acquainted 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 powerful 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 along our northern frontier. To assist in the identification of any that may be secured, I shall here give Mr. Ridgway's description of the different varieties: 354. F. RUSTICOLUS (LINN.). GRAY GYRFALCON. Adult With upper parts banded with dusky and bluish-gray (sometimes uniform dusky anteriorly); the flanks and thighs, barred, banded or transversely spotted with dusky. Young-Without transverse bars 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 southern Greenland); south in winter to northern border of United States. 354a. F. RUSTICOLUS GYRFALCO. Adult: With 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 barred with slaty (the white ground color tinged with bluish-gray posteriorly). HAB.-Northern Europe and Arctic America, from northern Labrador and coasts of Hudson's Bay to Alaska. 3546. F. RUSTICOLUS OBSOLETUS. BLACK GYRFALCON. 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.. |