PART II.

BIRDS AND REPTILES.

CHAPTER V.

Rapacious Birds-Bald-headed Eagles stooping on Fish - Similitude between Birds of boreal America, Asia, and Europe-Hawks, OwlsEffects of Climate and Civilization on certain Rapacious BirdsNumerical Estimate of the Migratory and Resident Birds- Effects of Cold and Climate on the inward and outward Economies of Animals and Plants-Results of Climate on certain Indigenous and Foreign Animals and Trees-Pines split by Frost-A Silver Frost-Climate affecting Fruits-Ox-eye Daisy-Crows and Jays-Canada Jay assuming the Habits of the Kingfisher-The Thrushes-Robin and his Habits-Young Birds Feeding their Companions-Songs of American Thrushes-Catbird, or Carolina Mocking-bird; its modes of Mimicking Sounds-Woodpeckers prospecting rotting Pine Trunks-The Log-cock-Differences in dimension of Species from different Latitudes and Longitudes—Birds laying indefinite numbers of Eggs.

THE

HE rapacious birds observed within our boundaries amount to about thirty species, of which only a few reside throughout the winter, as may be readily surmised considering the climate, and the fact that by far the greater number of the smaller birds are migratory; but doubtless the former is less a barrier to their appearance in winter than the absence of the latter, and as the extinction of forest and reclamation of land extends, so will the numbers of birds, great and small, increase. Moreover, the hare, as I have shown elsewhere, is now fast attaining the characteristics of the European rabbit, and is as

rapidly multiplying as its four-footed foes are being destroyed, so that we may expect such hawks and owls as prey on it will in time become plentiful and resident, just as are the peregrine and goshawk, which must fare now far better during the winter months than formerly, when the feline quadrupeds were plentiful.

A solitary instance of the TURKEY BUZZARD and two specimens of the GOLDEN EAGLE are recorded by Boardman, who thinks the latter may remain throughout the year. The WHITE-HEADED or BALD SEA EAGLE is seen at all seasons on the coasts, and on the lakes and rivers in summer, where it preys extensively on salmonoids. Few recommend themselves to notice more forcibly than this noble-looking bird, more especially when engaged in hunting for food; the pure white head, neck, and tail contrasting with the black of the other parts, as with break-neck impetuosity he plunges headlong on his quarry, remind us of the glowing descriptions and vivid delineations of the American ornithologists, Smith and Audubon, who have certainly spared neither pen nor pencil in attempts to render imperishable and impressionable all the ennobling qualities of this the heraldic emblem of their country. Nevertheless, allowing for the heightened enthusiasm of these patriotic naturalists, the main facts they describe are still rehearsed daily on many of the great rivers and along the shores of the United States and Canada. On one occasion, during an examination of the geology and Indian refuse heaps before mentioned, in the vicinity of the pretty little town of St. Andrews, in the Bay of Fundy, I found myself on the domeshaped or rather glacial rounded summit of Shamcook Mountain, some 700 to 800 feet above the level of the lovely Passamaquoddy Bay, with its little islands and outline recalling recollections of the Gulf of Naples as seen from the summit of Vesuvius, whilst the scenery towards the north was hilly with deep intervening troughs containing natural tarns where the

The Bald Eagle Stooping on its Quarry.

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When

togue or grey-spotted trout (S. confinis) is plentiful. contemplating the enchanting panorama, I observed four of these eagles circling gracefully over the placid waters, their dark bodies and white extremities showing boldly forth against the deep blue of the heavens. At last one, parting company from the rest, descended to lower levels, and after a gyration or two suddenly turned and sank perpendicularly on the surface, but only for an instant, when it rose again and made shorewards with a fish in its talons, before the others had time to observe its movements. At length one perceiving the successful capture, hesitated for an instant, when with closed wings it stooped grandly some 300 yards in one fell swoop, followed by the remainder, and, although the distance was far, I could hear their wild cries as each contended for the fish, which after all fell into the lake during the mêlée, and must have escaped, as none of them followed, but, on the contrary, returned to their former outlook, to use Longfellow's words, by "invisible stairs ascending and scaling the heavens."

The position from whence this scene was witnessed displays in a remarkable manner the so-called "muttoning" and stric caused by ice friction, just as if a glacier from the highlands northwards had passed down the lakes and over the Shamcook hill down into the bay; indeed, along all the river valleys opening into the Bay of Fundy precisely the same phenomena are visible, showing, as I shall notice elsewhere, that in all probability a vast sheet of land-ice once covered the area, and moved steadily, or pretty much so, from north to south.*

The birds of boreal Europe and America are, perhaps, more closely allied than many naturalists suppose. If we eliminate the absolutely identical, and those which differ from each other to a very small extent, there remain but only a few peculiar to * See Hind, Dawson, and Bailey: especially the Report of Mr. Hind, p. 190.

the northern portions of both continents. I think there is also a disposition in the present day to keep closely-allied birds apart, rather than link them together-too much of what might be called the cabinet diagnosis, founded on the bare aspect of skins in museums, without any consideration of the influence of habits, climate, and other causes, in bringing about alterations in form and external appearances of such objects as closely resemble each other, but differ in a few minute points of distinction. Again, the naturalists of particular countries often hold fast by the names originally given to species since shown to be identical with others previously known; thus the Canadian eagle, duck, hawk, and American osprey still retain separate specific appellations, although it is well known that they are identical with the golden eagle, peregrine, falcon, and osprey of the Old World.

The PEREGRINE remains here throughout the year, and breeds on the rocky shores of the Bay of Fundy.

The OSPREY is plentiful along the rivers and their fiords in summer, where it may be seen constantly stooping on fish. It arrives early, when the ice is breaking up on the lakes and rivers, and just as the migratory fishes are pushing up from the sea.

The PIGEON HAWK (F. columbarius) spends the year in the region, and feeds in winter on the Canadian grouse and ruffed partridge, as does its ally the goshawk, one of the most destructive and daring enemies of the poultry-yard. I am inclined to believe it kills hares also; at all events the young suffer in common with smaller rodents. A straggler of the Greenland gyr falcon has been seen now and then in winter, but, according to Baird, it has been killed as far south as New York and Providence. When all the alder swamps are bare, and the forest more opened out, no doubt buzzards, now uncommon, will increase in numbers in summer, when there is abundance of frogs and the like. At present the marsh, broad-winged,

Fat on Animals during Winter.

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and red-tailed buzzards are common in suitable places, and also breed.*

The LITTLE KESTREL (F. sparverius) lays its eggs in hollows in rotting trees; and I am assured, on the authority of Mr. Boardman, that when such is the case, it may, as with the woodpeckers, noticed elsewhere, be made to lay an indefinite number of eggs by leaving one in the nest.

The OWLS, like nearly all the resident animals, get fattest in winter; however, as might be expected, this would be almost if not altogether without a single exception, still as regards woodpeckers, I did not observe any difference between their summer and winter conditions; for the reason, I suppose, that they return in winter to the far less rigorous temperatures of the depths of the forests. It is a noticeable circumstance, moreover, that in the case of the brown Virginian owl, its plumage is paler at this season, which I suspect is the Atlantic variety mentioned by Baird.† Some individuals procured by me in mid-winter had no less than a quarter of an inch of fat all over the surface of the skin. Both this species and the snowy owl, which however departs in May, are deadly enemies to the hare, and I was assured that the barred species, although smaller, does capture the latter by inserting its very acute and curved talons into the eyes. The civilization of the backwoods has already allured many owls to the settler's barn. For instance, the pretty little saw whet often takes up a permanent residence in the hay-shed, to the extent, in some instances, of breeding there. I saw a great Virginian horned species taken out of an otter trap baited with a duck; but both this and the large snowy owl prefer hares, inasmuch as when snow is deep, and the rodents lie hidden under it, one or other may be seen intently scanning the openings formed when the lower branches of coniferous trees get borne to the ground by the weight of * I noticed a white or albino specimen of the last in Mr. Boardman's collection. + Pacific Railway Report.