It is, however, proposed to extend the notices to those birds only, of which actual
specimens have been received from the Expedition; this will account for the omission
of many species well known as natives of the districts visited, and which probably
did not appear to be objects of sufficient curiosity to make it desirable to obtain
them.
The specimens collected on the first arrival of the travellers at York Factory were
sent, as soon as received in England, to the British Museum, where they became
mixed with those of other collections from Hudson’s Bay and Baffin’s Bay, and the
vicinities of those seas; it being impossible to separate them, these have been entirely
excluded from this account, which consequently contains a much less number of seabirds
than would otherwise have appeared in it.
The principal supply of specimens was obtained at Cumberland House, in the
winter and spring passed there on the journey outwards ; some of these have peculiar
interest, because, being only summer visiters in the United States, and passing their
winters more southward, that station will be recorded as within the migration of
these wanderers. Others, and a considerable portion, of the specimens, were collected
in the route to the Great Slave Lake, and on its borders.
Falco Falumbarius. Goshawk.
The Goshawk is _common to the Old and New Continents, living chiefly in mountainous
countries; it is a bird of ordinary occurrence, though, in its states of youth
and adolescence, it was formerly very inaccurately known. Wilson published it as
the Ash-coloured or Black-cap Hawke, not having seen an European specimen to enable
him to ascertain its identity; but, with his usual acuteness and correct judgment, he
gives his opinion, that his bird is the Goshawk of the European writers. The specimen
received was that of a male in perfectly mature plumage.
Falco Borealis. Red-tailed Falcon.
This bird is a native of North America only ; it was received by Sir Ashton Lever
from Carolina, and has consequently been described by Latham, Pennant, and Gme-
lin; it is the American Buzzard of the first of these writers. Wilson, who calls it
the Red-tailed Hawk, has given a figure of it, and described its habits and character.
It is not very common in the United States, but is more frequent in winter than in
summer. The specimen now under view accords with the description of Wilson,
except that its breast is nearly white, and not ferruginous. It is twenty-three
inches long, exceeding the length of Wilson’s bird by three inches.; but as it is probably
a female, the difference may be so accounted for. This bird is remarkably distinguished
by the colour of its tail-feathers, which extend three inches beyond the
end of the wings, and on the upper side are almost entirely bright ferruginous, with a
very narrow brown bar nearly at the end.
Falco Uliginosus. Marsh Hawk.
This bird is well described and figured by Wilson, who conjectured it might be the
same as the Ringtail of Pennant and Latham ; the latter of which writers has made
the Marsh Hawk a variety of the Ringtail; but neither of them seem to have known
the Marsh Hawk, except from Edwards’s very incorrect figure, which led the former
to make short thick legs the characteristic of the bird. The legs of the Marsh Hawk
are remarkably long and slender, in which point the birds of the division of the genus
Falco, to which it belongs, all agree. It is now well known, that the Ringtail is
the female bird of the F. Cyaneus, or Hen-harrier of British Ornithologists, which,
when mature, is an uniform bluish-grey colour; if, therefore, the Marsh Hawk and
the Ringtail were the same, a male of corresponding plumage would have been
known to Wilson. On comparison of the specimen of the Marsh Hawk with that of
a Ringtail now before us, the differences are strikingly obvious. The ferruginous
colour of the under parts of the Marsh Hawks bring it nearer to some states of the
Ash-coloured Faison of Montagu ; but in this case, the different colour of the male
affords also an obstacle to their identity. The Marsh Hawk is probably peculiar to
America ; and it is not impossible that the F. Hudsonius, or Hudson’s Bay Ringtail,
which is also founded on a figure of Edwards, may hereafter prove to be the same bird
in a younger state.
Strix Funerea. Hawk Owl.
This bird is the only one of the genus received from the Expedition, but several
other species are usually found in the countries visited. The Hawk Owl is well
known, and has often been described: it inhabits all the Arctic countries, and very
rarely goes beyond them. Wilson, who figured it, had only seen two specimens. It
is one of the most beautiful of the genus, from the generality of which it differs in
flying, and taking its prey by day. The specimen received has much more black than
accords with the descriptions or the figures which have been published of it. Writers
do not agree as to the differences between the sexes, some represent the male, and
some the female as the darkest.
Cormts Gorax. Raven.
This is one of those birds which inhabit all parts of the globe; it seems to be
rather abundant in the northern parts of America; several were seen at Melville
Island. A single,fine specimen is in the collection.
Corvus Hudsonius. Hudson’s Bay Magpie.
A new and hitherto undescribed species. The writer of this notice was acquainted
with its existence previous to the departure of the Expedition, having been some