eg herent Lad nap Veer of See ee amnantnainet x p xt shot rd * wn si yinaretar etn : “i = : ; “ Be ets ne Lanes oh any ‘ phen - NEA YT ott tac Aatlalbadbaibelindie dt i bedan sleet = " ert perl corer, OU nren . hte etoribat ee . i Sone, mas lta Se ar . 4 yt soot 1 Fay HARVARD UNIVERSITY ae Avian, OF THE MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY 35, 343 FROM THE LOUIS CABOT FUND (CLASS OF 1858) ° ee Pee pe Oe if a gray hs 7 Bae feats iy JAN 10 1932 | Ghe CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST VOLUME XLVI 1932 OTTAWA, CANADA f i | a she uate “sana JANTOTSZ SRA. JANUARY, 1932_, VOL. XLVI, No. 1 pe A THE OTTAWA FIELD-NATURALISTS’ CLUB - Patrons: THEIR EXCELLENCIES THE GOVERNOR GENERAL AND COUNTESS OF meee oi President; C. M. STERNBERG, 17 Grosvenor Ave., Ota. : Ist Vice-President:. M. E. WILSON 2nd Vice-President: Heneanh GROH Secretary: MISS GRACE S. aes 318 Cooper St. Treasurer: WILMOT LLOYD, 582 Mariposa Ave., Rockcliffe Park. Additional auembere of Council: F. J. Aucock, R. M. ANDERSON, Miss M. E. Cowan, Messrs. H. G. eo rs NORMAN CRIDDLE, R. E. DELUuRY, Bey: FRASER, ANDREW HALKETT, W. E. Harris, JEN? *e E. JOHNSON, ANG: KINGSTON, E. M. KINDLE, W. A. LANCELEY, A. LAROcQUE, - Bousras peuaire HARRISON F. LEwIs, HoyEs LuioypD, W. 7. Macoun, M. O. MALTE, MARK — ELHINNEY, G. WAR MILLER, A. E. PoRsILD, G.S. POSTLETHWAITE, E. E. PRINCE, J. DEWEY ‘SOPER, P. A. 'TAVERNER, E. F. G. WHITE, Ww. J. WINTEMBERG, and Presidents of Affiliated Societies. Editor: DouGLAS LEECHMAN National Museum, Ottawa, Canada. Associate Editors: seen) AWEENINESSS Gc Gh iiiteMaa lana _. Anthropology Ciype L. PATCH............ .. Herpetology D ME ORV NTAUT EU iu Ge ne er 2 Botany R. M. ANDERSON.............. Mammalogy — F. R. LATCHFORD................ Conchology A. G. HUNTSMAN............ Marine Biology ARTHUR GIBSON............ ....Entomology P. A. TAVERNER............ ....Ornithology id ALCOCK. 0) 63.00% ARLE Rican Luk Geology Ey MUKINDLE! ooo) Ae aoe Paleontology te CONTENTS _ \a Bisa “PAGE Further Notes on the Birds, Orchids, Ferns and Butterflies of the Province of “gnebee 1929-1930. By Henry Mousleyie ic won ie whlauiast ee eae eee Wisp meses aNntmm TAL RAD EIS yor The True Story of a Pet Porcupine. By An Kay OO nh ‘Contributions to the Knowledge of Extreme North-Eastern Labrador. By Bernhard Hantzsch 7 _ An Annotated List of Vascular Plants Collected on the North a of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, | 1927-1930.; ‘By Harrison By. Lewis (23 3000 OU DN ee ie Oc, ae 1G Fifty-third Annual Report of the Council of the Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club. 5). 0 alae ee Statement of the Financial Standing of the Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club....... RRM a est. ater 100: Stabement-—lesenve Mund: .) iced Uninc | a Mao dy Tut Lee WALL LO Ga a AG 20 Notes and Observations:— neta Pao Bass Guarding Nest Kills Intruder. By Valk iaueins OD ctidcdee Me Og A Greater Redpoll at Toronto. By Clifford E. Hope.......................00. ‘eon 21 Albino Grackles. By R. Owen Merriman...................... rs eg ah ARE cee 2a Caspian Tern Breeding on Lake Ontario. By R. Owen Merriman. sigteiiiely Gate aes Ed es 22 Starlings Bathing in Winter. By Hoyes Lloyd ar Wifes aT Se yay Glare SN gu ga oe 22 Book Reviews:— UA The British Chebouiternus Beoduets ctf. By E. M. Kandley isi Pees os La PO ee Check-List of North American Birds. By P.A.T............ patie WREST) eben ME Ne ae i The Hunting of the Buffalo. By R.O.M Ba The official publications of THE OTTAwA FIELD-NATURALISTS’ CLUB have been issued | i since 1879. The first were The Transactions of the Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club, 1879-1886, ? #: two volumes; the next, The Ottawa Naturalist, 1886-1919, thirty-two volumes; and these have Ff been continued by The Canadian Field-Naturalist to date. The Canadian Field-Naturalist is i #2 issued monthly, except for the months of June, July and August. Its scope is the publication — : i of the zeeulte of original research in all departments of Natural History. i o El Price of this volume (9 numbers) $2.00; Single copies 25¢ each iE paseesceesazeuazesaueesaaceeaatesactazesaeeasateaaeenaceaaeeeasesaeeeaeeseegecegSGeEeGCEaEEEEEEEEEE ESE EERE The Membership Committee of The Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club is making a special effort to increase the subscription list of The Canadian Field-Naturalist. We are, therefore, asking every reader — who is truly interested in the wild life of our country to: help this magazine to its rightful place among pu the leading Natural History publications in America. Subscriptions ($2.00 a year) should be forwarded to WILMOT LLOYD, Ottawa Field-N aturalists’ Club, 582 Mariposa Ave., Rockeliffe Park, Ua ‘Canapa. The Canadian Field-Naturalist VOL. XLVI OTTAWA, CANADA, JANUARY, 1932 No.1 FURTHER NOTES ON THE BIRDS, ORCHIDS, FERNS AND BUTTERFLIES OF THE PROVINCE OF QUEBEC, 1929-1930 By HENRY MOUSLEY ‘HAT with illness, change of residence, and a very cold and indifferent spring, it looked for a long time as if the hope expressed at the close of my last paper in the May issue of The Canadian Field-Naturalist for 1929, “‘of others yet to come’’, i.e., memorable seasons, would certainly not be fulfilled—at least in 1929. However, as time went on things grad- ually improved, and a bad beginning led to a fairly good ending—as will be seen later. May, 1929.—My first outing did not take place until May 22, when, in company with Mr. Napier Smith, I journeyed to Ile Bizard, the most interesting find being a Robin’s nest abso- iutely on the ground in long grass at the foot of, and under, a very small thorn bush, with a run- way leading to it, certainly the most extraordin- ary situation in which I have ever seen a Robin’s nest, although I did find one at Hatley as recorded in the Auk for April, 1916, resting on the bare ground under a projecting rock on a sloping hill- side. Kulldeers apparently had brought off their broods, although young just out of the shell were found near St. Lambert on July 1, and were now scattered about giving vent to their shrill cries of kill-deer, kill-deer. Two days later, I was out with Mr. L. Mel. Terrill near St. Lambert, when we flushed several adult Woodcock, one of which was covering two young, possibly about a week old. In addition forty-eight other species were observed which included a Wilson’s Warbler, a few Long and Short-billed Marsh Wrens, as well as a nest and five fresh eggs of the Marsh Hawk. The day following, May 25th, saw me at St. Frangois de Sales, in an endeavour to locate another nest of the Water Thrush, but no success on this, or other occasions, rewarded my efforts. On May 26th, I was again out with Mr. Terrill, this time at Chambly, when no less than eighty- two species of birds were observed, including nineteen species of Warblers. Two nests of the Sharp-shinned Hawk were found each containing five fresh eggs, as well as one of the Woodcock in which the young were just hatching. Amongst the flowers, fresh blooms of Hepatica and Spring Beauty were found, a somewhat late date, as well as two new stations, one a large one, for the little Ram’s Head Lady’s Slipper which were only in bud at this date. June.—On the 8rd, I went to St. Frangois de Sales, in another attempt to locate the nest of the Water Thrush, but all to no purpose, as already indicated. A Bluebird’s nest containing six eggs which I had previously found had, in the mean- time, been robbed of its contents but in lieu of pictures of the parents feeding their young, which I had hoped for, I obtained some nice ones of a group of Showy Orchids and Yellow Lady’s Slippers which were growing nearby. June 4th will ever remain memorable, as on that day I again visited the large station for the little Ram’s Head Lady’s Slipper, discovered on May 26th near Chambly, when no less than forty-seven out of about seventy plants were in full bloom. They were growing under pine and spruce trees, prin- cipally the former, being associated for the most part with such plants as Wild Sarsaparilla, Prince’s Pine and Bracken. Never before had I seen such a large colony, and it is a pleasure to know that this rare and curious little orchid is farily well distributed round the district, my youngest daughter having found a new station for it near St. Hilaire, just about this same time. On June 7th I visited a little swamp near Verdun in company with Mr. Smith, who showed me three most interesting nests of the Red-winged Blackbird all built this year, being consecutive ones of the same pair of birds, and all having contained immaculate eggs. Amongst other things that this interesting but fore-doomed swamp (owing to drainage and building schemes) contained, were a nest and set of four eggs of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak upon which the male was sitting as well as a nest and set of eggs of the Virginia Rail near which also a Wilson’s Snipe was drumming but no amount of searching re- vealed its nest. Unfortunately, the locality is overrun with boys and few things have a chance of maturing. The day following I again visited the locality spending five hours at the nest of the Virginia Rail and learning something of the home life of these birds which I have described in a DZ, THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST separate paper. On the 9th I was at St. Francois de Sales paying a visit to the only known station in the Province for the Striped Coral Root which, fortunately, was in its prime although the Little Ram’s Head Lady’s Slipper which grows alongside was over, this being the only station for it north of the St. Lawrence River that I am acquainted with. The anthesis of this species is very short indeed usually lasting not more than a week. On the 16th I took a run over to St. Lambert hoping to find that the eggs of the Marsh Hawk had hatched, but the female was still sitting. Wait- ing another week, I again visited the spot on the 23rd making sure that this time there would be young in the nest, but no such thing, the female was still incubating, now over four weeks, so I concluded something must have gone wrong, which proved to be the case as-I found out later on July Ist. On the 28th I was shown a very Jarge cluster of my forma montropoides of the Broad-leaved EKpipactis (Amesia latifolia forma monotropoides), which had been gathered on the roadside near Cartierville. Later on and near this same spot a very iarge colony was tound consisting of over one hundred plants. July.—Dominion Day, the 1st, found Mr. Terrill and myself at the nest of the Killdeer, already referred to, which my friend had found the night before on a coal dump near St. Lam- bert, when it contained four heavily incubated eggs. Now, instead of these, four beautitully camouflaged young which, apparently, had only just emerged from the shell, met cur gaze. We took many photographs of them while the parents kept running round about us, all the time giving vent to their shrill notes kill-deer, kill-deer. Finally, we left them in peace, as we made our way to the home of the Marsh Hawk which was not far off. On arrival there we found the female still sitting, so decided to break one of the eggs and find out what was wrong. It proved to have a dead dried up chick inside, which was also the case with the others. Taking the normal incu- bation period of the Marsh Hawk to be twenty- eight days, the present bird had sat at least eleven days over her time as she was flushed off her eggs on May 24th. For the benefit of those believers in the human reasoning powers of birds, let me quote from Douglas Dewar’s Birds at the Nest, 1928, p. 32, which says: “If birds are aware that incubation causes eggs to yleld chicks, each should know approximately the length ot time it is necessary to sit and, possessing this knowledge, should, if it has any idea of time, use what rea- soning powers it has and refuse to incubate much longer than the normal period. Observation, however, shows that, when the eggs on which they are sitting fail to hatch, birds continue to incubate [VoL. XLVI long past the ordinary time.” From the 5th to the 8th I was the guest of some friends in the Laurentian Mountains near St. Hippolyte, where I wa’ fortunate in finding a plant of the Large Round-leaved Orchis (Habenaria orbiculata) with three, instead of the normal two, leaves, for which I propose the varietal name forma ftrifolia. Al- though apparently uncommon round Montreal I used to find quite a number at Hatley not only of this species, but of Habenaria macrophyila as well, but I never saw one of either species with any indication of a third leaf. The plant is now in my herbarium. My best find among the birds was a lovely little nest of the Canada Warbler, situated in a moss-covered pocket on the face of a great mass of sloping rock, which contained a set of four beautifully marked eggs, heavily zoned at the larger end and which hatched out fortunately on the day I left, so that I was able to get photographs of the nest, not only contain- ing the eggs but the young birds as well. My bird census for the present and two previous visits in July of 1927 and 1928 amounts to fifty- two species. On my return home I did not engage in any further field-work until the 20th, when, in company with Mr. Terrill, I spent a most enjoy- able day at Chambly, beginning with my finding a record plant of the rare little Lance-Jeaved Grape Fern (Botrychium angustisegmentum), no less than 27.5 cm. in height, thus exceeding the extreme given in Gray’s Manual by 2.5 em. It was while photographing this that we heard a peculiar noise, resembling that made by a Saw- whet Owl, which on investigation was found to proceed from a nestling Cuckoo. It was then about 7 p.m., the light not being too good, but we managed to obtain some very fair pictures of the nest and its contents, consisting of one egg and two young birds, one of which was in the stage when the feather shafts had just burst, its appearance being that of a young Cuckoo, whereas the other looked more like a young bristling porcupine, the feather shafts not yet having burst out. The change from this stage which has been called the “mailed” or “porcupine” stage to that of the other is very rapid indeed lasting sometimes not more than six or seven hours. Later on but at another nest, on Septem- ber Ist, I was fortunate enough to witness this event which has been recorded in a separate paper. It was after leaving the former nest and while taking a short cut to a favourite camping- ground for supper that I found several plants of the Ragged Fringed Orchis (Habenaria lacera), this being not only the first record for the locality but a record for height also, as one of the plants measured 73.5 em. thus exceeding the extreme given in Gray’s Manual by 13.5 cm. The plant, January, 1932] which is in my herbarium, shows signs of ‘going to: seed which was the case also with most of the Large Fringed Orchis (H. fimbriata) we found although a few were stillin full bloom. On arrival at the camping-ground and while gathering wood for a fire quite a number of the delicately tinted Pearly Eye butterflies (Enodia portlandia) were started up, which apparently had retired to rest for the night on the trunks of some nearby trees. Never before had I seen so many of these some- what local butterflies together, usually having found them in ones or twos. They are essentially a forest insect, being considered the handsomest of the American Satyrs, their true home being more in the southern States, rather than up here where they are somewhat uncommon. The last item for the day was the finding of a nest of the Maryland Yellow-throat containing one young Cowbird and one of the owner, this species being a very common victim of the Cowbird. The day following, the 21st, I was at St. Francois de Sales searching for plants of the White Adder’s Mouth (Malaxis brachypoda) with two, instead of the one characteristic normal leaf, but without success this abnormality being very uncommon (in my experience) in this species, although not so unusual in the Green Adder’s Mouth (WM. unifolia). One interesting plant of the Little Grape Fern (Botrychium simplex) was collected, which bore two fertile and two sterile fronds, apparently a case of dichotomous branching. August.—On the 11th I was out with Mr. Terrill near St. Lambert, photographing a nest and young of the Goldfinch, during which my friend almost trod on a plant of the Hooded Ladies’ Tresses (Spiranthes Romanzoffiana Cha- misso), the first example I had seen around Mon- treal, although I had studied it intensively at Hatley (Orchid Review, March, 1924, pp. 71-77), where it is particularly abundant. Quite a ro- mance attaches to the species for it is found both in the north and south of Ireland, these being the only localities for it in the Old World. Although America is certainly the centre of distribution for the species, it does not necessarily follow that it is the place of origin, there undoubtedly having been a land-bridge between the Old and New Worlds in prehistoric times. After the finding of this plant, another surprise was in store for me for I had the pleasure of seeing a Mourning Dove, a bird still rare in these parts, but which of late seems to be extending its range in the Province, there being several records of its having been seen or taken at places north of Montreal, as well as of one obtained at Hatley in the Eastern Town- ships, on August 5, 1929. On the 16th, 17th and 19th, I was on this same ground again, making a somewhat complete study of the later stages of _ days old at the most. THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 3 the home life of the Goldfinch above-mentioned, which will be found recorded in The Canadian Field-Naturalist for November, 1930. Four days later, the 25th, saw me again on this ground, in company with Mr. Terrill, who had found a nest of the Black-billed Cuckoo three days before containing two eggs, which had now hatched, so that the young were certainly not more than three Photographs of these were taken but it was not until September ist that I was able to visit them again when, as previously mentioned, I was fortunate enough to find both young Cuckoos at home and to obtain pictures of the remarkable and sudden change from the “mailed” or “porcupine” stage into the full plu- mage of a young Cuckoo which, as already in- timated, I have described more fully in a separate paper. Some young Cedar Waxwings photo- graphed on July 25th, had now left the nest, and were hawking (a flycatcher habit quite common with these birds in the fall) with their parents fro.n the tops of some trees in the vicinity of the nesting ground. One example (a female) of the second brood of the Bronze Copper butterfly was seen near a cluster of Golden-rod, which happened to be the host for that curious little parasitic plant the Common Dodder. Speaking of butter- flies reminds me that I have not seen a single example of the Monarch either this season or last although in some years after a good migration they are plentiful enough later on in the season as was the case in 1930. The day after this, or September 2nd, Mr. Terrill had the good fortune to discover a station for the rare little Walking Fern (Camptosaurus rhizophyllus) near Eccleshill, P.Q., almost on the borders of the State of Ver- mont, and later, on September 7th and 15th, two stations for the little Maidenhair Spleenwort, one near Levis, P.Q., containing three plants only, the other on Mt. Beloeil, containing 50-60 plants. He also discovered a station in October near Bedford, P.Q., for the Massachusetts Fern (Thelypteris simulata), this being the first record for the Province so far as I am aware, although it had been included by Fr. Marie-Victorin in his Les Felicinées du Quebec, 1923, pp. 45-46, when, at the time, no actual specimens had been ob- tained in the Province. In this connection might be mentioned also the finding by this same friend on September 28, 1928, of at least fifty plants of the Fragrant Shield Fern (Thelypteris fiagrans), which were growing in the clefts of some high rocks at Shawinigan Falls, P.Q. Of the distribu- tion of this, and the other two small species, as well as the Massachusetts Fern in the Province, we have still much to learn and it is thus a pleasure to be able to record new stations for all of them. After my experience with the young Cuckoos, I 4 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST imagined the season was about over for surprises, but there was still another awaiting me (but not in this part of the country) tnat of seeing the Crane-Fly Orchis growing in its native habitat. This was on October 25 (the Annual Field Trip of the American Ornithologists’ Union) in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey at Cape May, where grew also the Downy Rattlesnake Plantain (Epipactis pubescens), a species rarely found in Canada so far as I am aware. I had previously taken it, however, in New Hampshire and Massa- churetts, but the Crane-Fly Orchis (Tipularia discolor) I had never seen growing before, although familiar with its roots, having planted a few at Hatley in 1923, that were sent to me from Wash- ington but which unfortunately died out. This is one of the three American species of orchids that send up in the autumn a single leaf which usually persists through the winter. The other two are Calypso (Calypso bulbosa), and the Putty Root (Aplectrum hyemale), or Adam and Eve as it is called by the negroes of Georgia and the Southern States, owing to its curious root system, consisting of two large globose tubers: joined together horizontally, these giving the species its quaint second name. When separated, they are worn as amulets, and were used to tell fortunes with. Concluding this year’s ramblings might be mentioned the fact that the few plants I brought away with me of the Downy Rattle- snake Plantain and the Crane-Fly Orchis are still doing well at the time of writing October 10, 1930 although neither of them flowered in the summer. April, 1930.—If the spring and early summer of 1929 were cold and indifferent, that of the present year was not much better. Killdeer and Prairie Horned Larks commenced nesting about the 20th. One of the former species, which had a nest near Verdun, forsook her eggs during the severe snow- storm of the 24th, but returned to them the day following, her temporary desertion having no ill effects on the eggs, which hatched out in due course. On the 21st, a Woodcock’s nest with three broken eggs was found near St. Lambert. On the 30th, a field trip was arranged by the Province of Quebec Society for the Protection of Birds to this same pleae—as in former years— to hear and witness the love song and flight of the Woodcock. On the present occasion, the bird reversed the usual order of things, i.e., by increasing the number of ‘“‘peent” notes before each ascent, instead of decreasing them, which has always been my experience, as recorded in The Canadian Field-Naturalist for November, 1927, pp. 183-84. The first ascent was made at 7.15 p.m. standard time, being preceeded by 23 of the curious ‘‘peent’”? notes, the second ascent by 31, the third by 91, and the fourth by no less | (Vol. XaaVval than 141 of these notes, the bird failing, how- ever, to rise at the end of this last delivery, which occurred at 7.40 p.m. Possibly, the new moon on the 28th, not giving much light at the time, may have had something to do with it, as no further flights were attempted. Just previous ta the ascent of the Woodcock the song flight of a Wilson’s Snipe was watched for a considerable time, the bird being in the air for twenty minutes if I remember rightly. May.—On the 4th I went to Chambly to take some photographs of a Woodcock that was sitting on a set of four eggs, which Mr. Terrill had found some days previously. The first Spring Azure butterfly was seen on this date as well as some examples of the early Round-leaved Violet (Viola rotundifolia) which were just coming into bloom. Just before leaving, I flushed another Woodcock from the centre of a little footpath I was following, but having no time to spare I was unable to search for the nest. However, I returned to the spot on the 8th, and was not long in locating the nest on a mound at the foot of a small pine tree, its contents consisting of the usual four eggs, upon which—presumably—the female was sitting, the site being only eight yards from the spot where I had flushed—possibly—the male on the 4th. So tame was the bird, that I had no difficulty on this, and subsequent occa- sions, in photographing it in all sorts of attitudes as it varied its position in the nest. On the 10th I had the pleasure of showing it to a large number of the members of the Bird Society whom it al- lowed to approach at very close quarters without so much as “blinking” an eye. Alas! what so often happens to these unfortunate ground nesters was seen on the 17th when, on arrival, I found the nest empty, one broken egg being one foot six inches from the nest, another three feet, whilst the remaining two were nowhere to be found, the work of some predaceous animal no doubt. Thus ended my prospects of a super- picture of the old bird transporting her young, which we are all striving for, but which has never yet been obtained, so far as I know. Reverting to the 11th, sixty species of birds were observed, amongst which was a Towhee (seen by Mr. Terrill) a rare bird in these parts. On the 22nd, I was on Ile Bizard with Mr. Smith, when two nests of the Killdeer were found, besides several of the Song and Swamp Sparrow. Two Wilson’s Snipe were indulging in their song flight, but no amount of searching revealed the nest. The day follow- ing, I visited a small swamp near Snowdon, the best bird seen being a Sora, which is not nearly so common in these parts as the Virginia Rail. On the 28th, I visited some woods at Cote St. Luc, only to find that a nest and eggs of the January, 1932] Canadian Ruffed Grouse that I had photographed a few days previously, had been robbed of its contents, a fate that often befalls this ground nester, as well as the Woodcock. On the 29th, I was again on Ile Bizard with Mr. Smith, the two Kilideer’s nests now containing four eggs each. Although it rained slightly most of the time, some excellent photographs weer obtained of these as well as nests and eggs of the Spotted Sandpiper, Yellow Warbler, and Red-winged Blackbird, a nest of the latter being especially interesting being situated on the ground in the centre of a little tuft of grass all surrounded by water. 7 June.—On the 2nd and 8rd I paid my first visits for the season to St. Frangois de Sales, both these days being memorable ones, as I practically spent most of the time following, watching, and listening to the song of, a Mourning Warbler, a bird which previously I had never had a good opportunity of observing closely. The song was almost continuous, reminding me of the song of the Water Thrush only that it was not so wild and ringing besides beng less in volume. Un- fortunately from one cause and another I was unable to visit the spot again, but am hoping that next year may see it there once more and that I may have the lvck to find its nest. On the first of these visits, a station for the Narrow- leaved Spleenwort Fern was found, and amongst the butterflies seen were examples of the Black and Tiger Swallow-tails, as well as the Silver- spotted and Dusky Skippers. On the 8th I went to Chambly in company with Mr. Terrill, when forty-five species of birds were observed, amongst which were two Canadian Ruffed Grouse with their broods, out of which we managed to capture and photograph two chicks. The little Ram’s Head Lady’s Slipper was practically over, but amongst the butterflies we found a new station for the Arctic Skipper which was just emerging. On the 29th I motored to Hatley remaining there, more or less, until July 19th. During the visit sixty-three species of birds were observed. A Wilson’s Snipe apparently was breeding on “the marsh”, a3 it was heard drumming one morning at 7.30 a.m.; a Solitary Sandpiper was seen on the 16th, whilst large numbers of Purple Martins were observed at Sherbrooke and Coaticook. Another interesting item was the finding of a colony of Cliff Swallows on a farm that had never had any for at least twenty years to my knowledge the birds having become very scarce in the dis- trict of late years. There nests and eggs of the Alder Flycatcher (Empidonax trailli trailli) were found, and a partial study made of their home life, an illustrated account of which was presented at the meeting of the American Orni- THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 5 thologists’ Union at Salem, Mass., on October 22, 1930. Amongst the ferns, examples of the _rare little Botrychium minganense and B. onon- dagense were obtained, but best of all a station was at last found at Hatley for the Board-leaved Epipactis (Amesia latifolia), an orchid that had so far baffled all my efforts to discover it until 1928, when several plants were found near Cass- ville—as already recorded in The Canadian Field- Naturalist for May, 1929, p. 98—about ten miles or so from the present site. Certainly, there was only one plant of which a photograph was taken but it is hoped others will spring up and form a colony beforelong. Curiously enough, the date on which I discovered it was June 30th, this being the exact date in 1928 that I had found others at Cassville. August.—After my return to Montreal on July 19 (as already stated) I did not engage in any field work until August 10, when in company with Mr. Terrill, I found six nests of the Gold- finch and two of the Cedar Waxwing near St. Lambert and, incidentally, obtained some photo- graphs of the R-100 as she left the mooring mast at St. Hubert, on her way to Ottawa. September.—From the 7th to the 11th I made a further study of the home life of the American Goldfinch which has been recorded in the Decem- ber issue of The Canadian Field-Naturalist for 1930, pp. 204-07. Of other birds seen, the most interesting were two Short-billed Marsh Wrens, and a Wilson’s Warbler, while quite a number of the Monarch and Hunter’s butterflies were ob- served in perfect condition. October.—On the ist I was out near Oka, this being a red letter day, for on it I was shown a newly discovered station—the only one for the Province—for the Putty Root orchid (Aplectrum hyemale), or Adam and Eve as it is sometimes called, on account of its peculiar root system— which I have already described—not having any idea at the time, that I was so soon to see it actually growing in its native habitat. This was a large deciduous wood composed principally of oak trees, with very little undergrowth. On mounds, especially when near trees, several small colonies were found numbering from fifty to sixty plants in all, of which I obtained some very fair photographs. On the 19th I journeyed to Boston en route to attend the yearly meeting of the American Ornithologists’ Union which was being held at Salem from the 20th to 24th. Possibly this was one of the most successful meetings held for some years, at all events it gave me the opportunity of again seeing the Ipswich Sparrow, the field day on the 24th (at which about eighty members and guests were present notwithstand- ing its being a rainy day) being spent among the 6 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST sand dunes at Ipswich under the guidance of Dr. [VoL. XLVI seeing some fifty to sixty species of birds, besides Chas. W. Townsend, an old friend of mine, and witnessing one of the highest tides in many years. with whom I spent a further ten days at his home overlooking the marshes and sand dunes .November.—On the 4th I returned home to Montreal, this ending my activities for the year. THE TRUE STORY OF A PET PORCUPINE By ALFRED KAY Y EXPERIENCE with a pet porcupine | MI so changed my opinion of the intelli- Ben) gence and character of this species that =—— [think some account of it may be worth recording. Early in May, 1925, we got a very young por- cupine, I should think about a week old, and we decided to try to raise him as asa pet. At first we fed him with cow’s milk, a few drops at a time from a glass dropper. After a while he took the milk from a small teaspoon, and finally from a bottle with arubber nipple. Sitting up on his haunches, the bottle gripped between his front paws, he would soon empty it. Then he learned to feed on bread and milk out of a saucer, and ultimately vegetable matter, chiefly lettuce, of which he was very fond. He grew rapidly, and seemed to have no fear of anyone whose voice he knew. He became quite affectionate, would climb all over us, and liked to go to sleep on our laps or shoulders. The dog and cats soon got quite used to him. The dog would attack every wild porcupine he saw, but would let Dintie (for so we had named him) go into his kennel and sleep with him. A short time after we got him feeding out of the bottle, both our cats had kittens, and Dintie would climb into the box and sleep with the kittens. He soon learned to help himself and seemed to thrive on the cats’ milk. The mother cats did not object, but became very fond of him, and months afterwards when he had grown much bigger than they were, he would put both front paws round the cats’ necks and they would lick each other’s faces, showing every sign of affection. Dintie never forgave anyone who hurt or teased him, but would raise his quills and scold when- ever he heard the offender’s voice. He was hard on the lettuce patch, and my wife would chase him out of it with the broom, and if he heard her coming, he would start to scold, run for the house, climb up at the back of the porch door, sit down and go through all the cuss words he knew in the porcupine language. But if I came in and spoke to him, he would whimper like a spoilt child, climb down to my shoulder, lay all his quills (of which he had a good crop) down until you would not know he had any, and nuzzle me about the neck and face, all traces of anger gone. When winter came, he would go every fine day to a white birch tree that grew close to a well- beaten path, climb up and stay there most of the day, eating the tips and bark of the small limbs. About four-thirty in the afternoon he would start for home, come into the house, get a piece of bread, and then go over to the barn where he made a sleeping den under the gang-way. On cold, rough days he would remain in the barn and live on hay and oats, though always ready to climb to the shoulder of any one whom he liked, and come into the house to be petted or given something to eat. He considered cheese a treat, but was wild about chocolates. If he smelt them, he could not be kept away from them, and when they were all gone, if we gave him the empty box, he would snatch at it, smell it inside and out, then throw it downin quite a temper. One day in summer we were eating chocolates when Dintie made himself such a nuisance that we put him out at the kitchen door and shut him out. He ran just as fast as he could round the house and came in at the front door, which he must have known was open, and was up on the table and climbing over everyone hunting for choco- lates; so, of course, like the spoilt child he was, he had to be given some more. The first summer we had him, when he was quite small, he would climb up my leg and sit on my knee and go to sleep while I was taking my meals. I was surprised to see the real intelligence he exhibited, for I had always considered porcupines to be stupid creatures, but I know better now. He was capable of showing great affection, and was possessed of a wonderful memory. Many strangers came and took his picture. He was quite a centre of attraction. He would wander about the farm, and the second summer, when he was over a year old, he must have been mistaken for a wild porcupine and killed, for he disappeared entirely and we never saw him again, and I think he was too fond of his home to go away and stay away of his own free will. January, 1932] THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 1 ea “ CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF EXTREME NORTH-EASTERN LABRADOR By BERNHARD HANTZSCH TRANSLATED BY M. B. A. ANDERSON “‘Beitrage zur Kenntnis des nordéstlichten Labradors, von Bernhard Hantzsch, Mitteilungen des Vereins fiir Hrd- kunde zu Dresden, Dresden, Volume 8, 1909, pp. 158-229. Volume 9, 1909, pp. 245-320. (Translated from the original German text in the Library ot Congress, Washington, D.C., by M. B. A. Anderson, M.A., Ottawa, 1928.) Original pagination given in the text. (Continued from page 224, Vol. XLV) (P. 245] OMMUNICATIONS concerning’ the mammals of the district now follow. Eskimo hunters could not exist at all without the mammals. The Eskimos travel about and change their habitations ac- cording to the occurrence of the different species, in order to hunt with the greatest possible success. In these districts the ffesh of animals serves as the most important supply of food, incomparably more than that of birds and fish. The Eskimos use their fat as the most important materia! for lighting and heating, their skins for clothing, tents and other objects, their sinews for thread, even their bones and teeth for certain tools and wea- pons, quite overlooking what significance the dog has as the only tame animal. Even if at present because of closer association with the whites, many tools formerly fashioned patiently from parts of the bodies of animals are being acquired by trade, the mammals still furnish to the Killinek Eskimos the bulk of the articles accepted by the station in trade, such as seal skins, which are salted or dried for export, boots made from these, that are worn by the Newfoundland fisher- men especially, seal blubber, which they try out for oil, all kinds of skins, which are suited for fur work, occasionally even hides and teeth of walrus and other things besides. [246] Thevalue of the other products of the country traded at Killinek, such as stock-fish, salted trout, fish-oil and eider-down is a great deal less in comparison with these products. Compared with the other Moravian mission districts of Labrador, Killinek has the reputation of being quite a good hunting place, while the more southern stations show more favourable returns in fishing. Since careful investigations in respect to the mammals have never been carried on in the district, it remains a question, whether all the smaller species cited by me, especially where they are not considered as fur-bearing animals, go up northward in this district or find the regular limit of their distribu- tion area in the more favourable parts of Ungava Bay. In like manner, material for many of the whale species is lacking from this restricted area. I give very careful descriptions only in the case of species of animals, which are of unusual signi- ficance for the domestic use of the population. The table of prices, perhaps of interest, which are pad by the stations of the Moravian missions, applies only to skins in winter, and is subject occasionally to even greater changes than I indi- cate. In the systematic arrangement and nomen- clature, I am guided with a few unimportant exceptions by A List of Land and Sea Mammals of North America, Supplement to the Synopsis of the Mammals of North America by D. G. Elliott, Columbia Field Museum, Chicago, 1901. List of the mammals identified for this district which occur there in all probability. Balena glacialis Bonnat. Schwarzer Walfisch. Arvek. [Hubalena glacialis (Bonaterre) |.— NortH AMERICAN RIGHT WHALE.—At the present time this whale and the following right-whales have become exceptionally scarce. A dead indi- vidual is driven up on the beach only in excep- tional cases, though this apparently happened often in earlier times. The ribs of the animal are still to be seen as rafters of old Eskimo houses. No regular hunting of the whales on the part of the whites is pursued in these waters. The whales are said to swim into Hudson Strait in April and | May, and they pass by again on the return journey in the autumn. Balena mysticetus. L. Grénlandischer Walfisch Arvek—RIGHT WHALE. Bow-HEAD.—At the present time an adult has a value of 60,000 to 80,000 marks [$15,000 to $20,000]. Balzna australis Desmoul.! Siidlicher Walfisch, SOUTHERN WHALE.—Only in exceptional cases goes up into North Atlantic. Megaptera nodosa (Erxl.)?. Keporkak ? Rare. Agaphelus gibbosus (Erxl.) Knotenfisch# Balenoptera acuto-rostrata Lac. ([Lacépéde] Sommerwal.—PIKE WHALE. Tigagulik ? Rare. Balenoptera physalus (L.) Finnfisch——Com- MON FINBACK WHALE. Pauniuligarsuvak. Not frequent. HUMPBACK WHALE. 1 This species is now considered as synonymous with E. glacialis (Bonaterre). See Miller, N.A. Recent Mammals U.S. Nat. Mus. Bull. 128, 1924, p. 504—R. M. Anderson. 2 Megaptera nodosa (Bonaterre) T'abl. Encyclop. et Method Regnes Nature, Citologie, 1789, p. 5,—R.M.A. 3 Considered as synonymous with Balznoptera acutoros- trata Lacépéda. See Miller, N.A. Recent Mammals, 1924, p. 506.—R.M.A. . 4 This species is now placed in genus Sibbaldus Gray, 1864, as Sibbaldus musculus (Linnaeus). See Miller, 1924, p. 506.—R.M.A. 8 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST Balznoptera borealis Less.—POLLACK WHALE. Balenoptera musculus (L.) Blauwal.—SuL- PHUR-BOTTOM. Tunnolik ?4 Physeter macrocephalus LL. Pottfisch—SPERM WHALE. Tiggagollik?. Not frequent.® Hyperoodon rostratus (Miill). Dégling —Bot- TLENOSE WHALE® Mesoplodon bidens (Sow.) SOWERBY BEAKED WHALE. Monodon monoceros L. Narwal—NARWHAL, Aglangoak. Rare. During my presence south of Killinek a large, but broken tusk was found there. Delphinapterus leucas (Pall.) Weissfisch.— WHITE WHALE. Kellellugak—Frequent at many times. Observed by me also several times. Caught in nets by the inhabitants (in the fall of 1906 about 60), or shot. They eat the flesh, and relish the cooked skin particularly. The oil is prepared at the station. Phocena phocaena BOUR PORPOISE. Nisa. (L.). Braunfisch.—HAR- Nisarsuk.—Not very rare Orcinus gladiator (Bonnat) Schwertfisch.— ATLANTIC KILLER WHALE.—Pauniuligarsuk. Not very rare.’ Globiocephalus melas (Traill) Grind-Delphin. BLACKFISH; PILOT WHALE; CA’ING WHALE.’ Gramphus griseus (Cuv.)—GRAMPUS.? Lagenorhynchus acutus (Gray). Lagenorhynchus albirostris Gray.—WHITE-BEAK- ED DOLPHIN. Tursiops tursio (Fabr.) Tiummler.—BoTtTLe- NOSED DOLPHIN.!0. Prodelphinus euphrosine (Gray).—NORTH AT- LANTIC DOLPHIN. Rangifer tarandus arcticus (Rich.) Renntier.— Caripou. Tuktu.'l The caribou which ‘occur in these districts might belong to this tundra form, in spite of their desire to travel as a rule in small numbers. On rare occasions small herds or scattered individuals lose their way, and come up as far as the Killinek Islands, crossing frozen parts of the Ikkerasak during the winter or swimming across at other times. Farther to the south and farther in the interior of the country the caribou become more 5 Physeter macrocephalus is now considered a synonym antedated by Physeter catadon Linnaeus. See Miller, 1924, p. 507.—R.M.A. 6 Hyperoodon rostratus is now considered a synonym antedated by Hyperoodon ampullatus (Forster), 1770. See Miller, 1924, p. 516.—R.M.A. 7 Synonymous with and antedated by Orcinus orca (Lin- naeus). See Miller, 1924, p. 511.—R.M.A. 8 Species now stands as Globicephela malena (Traill). See Miller, 1924, p. 512.—R.M.A. pie haben as Grampus griseus (Cuvier). See Miller, 1924, p. 10 Now stands as synonym Tursiops truncatus (Montague), 1821. See Miller, 1924, p. 509.—R.M.A. 11 The Ungava form ot Barren Ground Caribou has been described as Rangifer arcticus cabott G. M. Allen, Proc. New England Zool. Club, Vol. 4, p. 104, with type locality ‘‘ Thirty miles north of Nachvak, Eastern Labrador.”—R.M.A. [VoL. XLVI plentiful. The Eskimos travel by sled in the later part of the spring to those districts, also on foot in late summer to hunt the valuable game. The ‘small herds are usually quite shy. As far as the Eskimos are able to do so, they bring to the coast skins and meat of the caribou that are killed. The broad back sinew is especially prized. It is dried, pulled apart like thread, moistened and smoothed with the fingers, and then used as exceedingly strong thread for sewing on leather and fur material. Such sinew has to be imported into Killinek from the more southern stations, where there are more caribou. The natives use the skins as covers for beds, only rarely for clothing. Flesh, tallow, liver, etc., also the stomach contents, are relished. [P. 248] To carry out the repeatedly agitated proposal of introducing reindeer into these districts, and to get rid of the dogs for this purpose, I consider a very hazardous interference with old habits and customs in the life of the population. Arctomys monax ignavus Bangs. Murmeltier.— LABRADOR WOODCHUCK.!2 Peromyscus maniculatus (Wagn.)® Avingarar- suk.—WHITE-FOOTED MousE.—This pretty mouse is rather frequent in places; I observed it re- peatedly and also collected it. Their holes in the ground are noticed more frequently than the creatures themselves. They seem to dig down very deep and thus escape the winter’s cold. They often come into the houses and nibble at meat and bacon. They keep a cat at Killinek which hunts the intruders diligently, but has to be carefully watched to protect it from the dogs. Mice and rats are said to reach the coast occa- sionally on ships, but apparently they soon perish. Evotomys rutilus (Pall.)!4 Evotomys ungava Bailey. Microtus pennsylvanicus labradorius Bailey. Labrador Kurzohrmaus. Nunivakak.—LITTLE LABRADOR MEADOW MousE.?° Microtus enixus (Bangs). Synaptomys innuitus medioxinus Bangs. 122 Now listed as Marmota monax ignava (Bangs) type locality Black Bay, Strait of Belle Isle. ‘‘Known only from vicinity of type locality; probably sorth to Hamilton Inlet.” Miller, 1924, p. 174.—R.M.A. : 13 Undoubtedly true Peromyscus maniculatus maniculatus (Wagner), which ranges from north of timber line to border of Canadian zone. This is probably the only form of the species which ranges north of the timber line.—R.M.A. 14 The generic name Hvotomys Coues (1874) has been shown to be antedated twenty-four years by Clethrionomys Tilesius (‘‘Glirium species in Bavaria nonnullae,’’ Isis, No. 2, 1850). The type form rutilus is restricted to the Old World, and C. ungava is only known from Fort Chimo, Ungava Bay. Hantzsch has no actual records of specimens, and as C. gap- peri proteus (Bangs) has been taken at various points on the Labrador coast, it is probably the prevalent form of Red- backed Mouse.—R.M.Ae pi 16 The only authentic records we have for labradorius up to the present time are from Fort Chimo, Ungava Bay, the type locality, and a few points on east shore of Hudson Bay. Microtus enixus, large Labrador vole, has been taken at various points on eastern Labrador coast.—R.M.A. . January, 1932] Lemmus trimucronatus helvolus (Rich.).—These later species apparently rare or as a rule only in the southern part of the district. Dicrostonyx hudsonius richardsoni Merriam.— RICHARDSON’S LEMMING. Avingak.!’ In the vicinity of Killinek this rodent is by no means rare, but in many years is said to be quite frequent, even if not occurring in bands. The creatures dig rather deep, broad tunnels and have undermined the ground in places to a wide extent. They are shy and are not easily caught in spite of a certain awkwardness. When wounded, they are said to bite viciously. You see them running about most frequently toward evening and in the morning, and hear their squeaking voice. The Zoological Museum in Dresden has secured from me a number of the summer skins which are rare in collections. Fiber zibethicus aquilonius Bangs. Bisamratte. LABRADOR MuskKRAT. Kivgaluk.!S—Rare in this district; the farther south, the more frequent. Paid fifteen cents for skin. : Zapus hudsonius ladas Bangs. LABRADOR JUMPING MOUSE. Lepus arcticus bangsii Rhoads. Polarhase.!9— Arctic HARE. Ukkalek.—Quite rare north of the Ikkerasak; towards thesouthin varying numbers according to the years; on the whole not particularly common. Paid at most for winter skin ten cents. Whether the Labrador hare from the south of Ungava Bay (Fort Chimo) described L. a. labradorius Miller, is really to be placed with the above form, and whether it occurs in this district, must be investigated more carefully. Canis occidentalis Rich Wo.LF. Amarak.?°—Is killed rarely, not even annually; seems to inhabit the high plateaux of the interior of Labrador Springmaus.— 16 Hantzsch is undoubtedly in error in attributing this form to Labrador. L. helvolus is known only from northern British Columbia, possibly extending into northwestern Al- berta and southern Yukon. Lemmus trimucronatus, the Back Lemming or Brown Lemming is known to occur com- monly on Southern Baffin Island and on west side of Hudson Bay. Considering the known tendency. of this species to periodical migrations, even out on the sea ice, it is not improb- able that specimens have come across to the Ungava Penin- sula, but I know of no records of such occurrences.—R.M.A. @ The Labrador Collared Lemming has generally been considered as a distinct species. Dicrostonyx hudsonius (Pallas). The species found on the west side of Hudson Bay is Dicros- ‘tenyx rubricatus richardsoni (Merriam). The former is of a generally grayish colour and the latter more brownish but not nearly so reddish as the Alaskan form, D. r. rubricatus (Richardson).—R.M.A. 18 The Labrador Muskrat is now known as Ondatra zibethica aquilonia (Bangs).—R.M.A. 19 The status of Lepus arcticus labradorius was in doubt for many years, but Allen and Copeland, Journ. Mammalogy, 1924, 11, have examined new material and consider it a valid subspecies, recording specimens from Pamialuk, Makkovik, Rama, and Hopedale. —R.M.A. 2 D. G. Elliott in 1900 referred Quebee wolves to Canis occidentalis, but as now understood occidentalis is confined to the northern interior forests west of the Mississippi River and Hudson Bay (Miller, Smiths. Coll., 1912), and the name Canis lycaon Schreber (1775) must stand for the wolves of Eastern Canada and the United States. Wolves intergrade so freely that the tendency of American naturalists is to con- sider all the large North American wolves as subspecies of the Mexican wolf, Canis mexicanus Linnaeus (1766). THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 9 which have an abundance of caribou. I secured the skull of a young wolf taken by Julius Lane, now in the Zoological Museum in Dresden, which [P. 249] shows scarcely any difference from the skull of an Eskimo dog. Crosses between male wolves and female dogs are said to occur in exceptional cases, although there is generally enmity between the creatures. As was told me, male wolves occasionally follow sleds for many hours without especial fear, before which there are female dogs in heat. Canis familiaris borealis Dism. Eskimohund. —Eskimo Doc. Kingmek.—This one domestic animal of this district deserves a detailed descrip- tion. From outward appearances the resemblance, of many Eskimo dogs to wolves is so great, that without further information you are inclined to the view that this race of dogs represents only a tame product of that beast of prey. The manifold variation of the original wild colour into black, white and brown, occurs in all the domestic ani- mals; spotted dogs are seen most frequently. The Hiskimo dog possesses much that is like a wolf in h’s characteristic inclnation for com- panionship with his own kind, combination of cowardliness and wild courage in his nature, desire for hunting and bloodthirstiness toward other creatures, and, above all things, a thoroughly wolf-like, long drawn-out howling or whining voice, of which he gives evidence in horrible concerts especially during bright nights; the ereatures do not utter a peculiar baying but at the most, short, yelping sounds. All dogs of an owner who is liked by them, so that they ap- parently get along well together, stay of their own free will in the vicinity of the house or tent, and know one another and know that they belong to- gether. A good dog team is composed of eight to twelve dogs. Even more dogs are occasionally added though the number often dwindles down to two or three; with such a weak team nothing much can be done. They occasionally build the dogs a shelter out of snow. The creatures also like to seek shelter in summer during rainy and stormy weather. But once in a while they are seen lying in thefront room of a house in evil-smelling heaps, over which you stumble easily in the dark, as in the southern mission stations, because the poorest Killinek people live in houses. They tie newly-acquired dogs, or such dogs as wander too far away, by fastening a fore-foot to their neck, or they hang a bg stick of wood on them, to hinder them from quick movement. A regular feeding of the dogs takes place when they use them for sled trips. During the rest of the time they give the dogs the leavings from the game and the house- keeping, but otherwise trouble themselves very 10 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST little concerning them. Therefore some of the dogs, or whole bands ot them, often take long journeys to hunt food on their own account. They find bodies of animals washed up on the seashore, mussels, etc., and snce they are not particular they soon d'spose of their finds. They eat everything eatable in hard times, and in this way take care of the hygienic cleaning up of the Eskimo dwelling places. They even eat human fecal matter greedily [P. 250], and lurk oiten in the background, when an unarmed person secretly leaves the tent. The zoologist, who is collecting skulls of animals, might make great finds near the Esk'mo camp, but scarcely ever does he find a thing that is not gnawed and da- maged by the dogs. The creatures even hunt up human graves and rob them, if the stone work is ‘not titted on firmly. In spite of the tact that they can stand hunger for many days, they are able to consume an astonishing amount of foodstuffs; it is not so easy to satisfy their gluttony. If you feed the same beasts several times, they soon come up and hang around you, whenever you show yourself. I had some favourite dogs, especially a fine male dog by the name of Tiger, that was a tine, good tellow; also a timid, suckling female, and lastly a lean, impudent young dog. I gave them the remains from my bird prepara- tion and thus won their confidence. When I opened my door on mild evenings to let fresh air into my room, big Tiger soon announced himself by a joyous, whining, fawning and wagging of his taul, lay down before the door, and put his beau- tifui big head with his confiding eyes on the threshold; thus he waited patiently, until some- thing fell down for him. The dogs were never permitted to enter the room; they might do great damage and are not clean enough for a room. They knew the pro- hibition quite well, and were afraid of the blows they would get, if they were caught inside. You ‘close the tent entrances carefully when you have to be away only on account of the dogs. Indeed it is not advisable toleave the camp for any length of time without a gurad. Whenever I stepped out of the house alone, a whole pack of dogs often surrounded me, jumping up on me with good- natured growling, and pushing me with their muzzles. Often they tried to lick my hand, a thing I sternly forbade. But I never observed that they wished to bite. Ifa dog does this in a bad humour, the owners almost always kill him. Many times they snap at your hand from mere friendliness and desir€ to play, as if they wished to make plain their desire to get something. This might turn out badly of course. If you wish to give them something to eat, they try to tear it out of your hands, and can hardly be controlled. [VoL. XLVI If you throw the bit at them, they plunge upon it, everyone pounces on it in a moment’s time, and as a conclusion of this feeding of these beasts of prey, the whole band tear loose upon each other, so that the onlooker becomes anxious. Their raging battles which now and then lead to severe wounds in spite of their shaggy coats, especially if a female is concerned, are just as frequent as disgusting and would make it im- possible to permit Eskimo dogs to run loose in this country. Toward human beings the dogs usually act in a cowardly way and quite like other dogs. If they become troublesome, as a rule you only need to bend [P. 251] down as if to pick up a stone, and they slink away at once with hanging head and tail. They are cunning enough to watch to see whether you are in earnest about throwing the stone or not. Wh_n the dogs belonging to the mission jumped about me in play, and I would keep them at a distance by picking up a stone, they would retreat a few steps, but crowded against me with sly looks on their faces and playful noises, as if they knew they would get along all right with me, the dog’s friend. Paksau acted differently; he caught hold of the first stone in reach and threw it among the dogs with all his strength, quiteindifferent where it would strike, so that the dogs soon retreated. Little children have to be watched on account of the dogs. They say the dogs would jump on a child if one fell to the ground. They are said to do this with grown-up people too, and different reports tell how people have been injured by dogs, indeed even eaten by them. The female dog gives birth to six, eight and even more young in a secluded place, and pro- tects them from the male dogs, which occasion- ally show toward their progeny the nature of the beast of prey. Often a strong male dog will voluntarily give her assistance. The splendid “Tiger” was the knightly guard of a growing litter and plunged at once on other dogs that came near the little creatures with bad intentions. Otherwise he was not quarrelsome for his one and a half years, but he knew how to procure respect here by his strong bite. When the pups are larger, the owners have to take care of them, and this is the special task of the Eskimo children. They drag the little whining creatures around and play with them in such a careless way, and so treat them that we would call it torture. If they do not become familiar with human beings in this way, the young dogs are said to be so wild and timid that they cannot be caught or even approached within gunshot, and taming them is out of the question. The Eskimos usu- ally take the dogs with them on very long jour- neys in the summer; in the winter they use their Tanuary, 1932] strength and endurance as animals to draw the sleds. They hitch the dogs before the sledges with simple walrus hide harness with traces two to five meters in length; guide them by shouts and a long whip with a short handle, and in this way accomplish the quickest and safest travel across the country, that is possible in those dis- tricts. In this neighbourhood they use the dogs only in exceptional circumstances for hunting and carrying packs, as is the custom elsewhere in different Eskimo bands. The price for strong sled dogs is regulated according to quality, age and appearance, the number of animals available and the demand, which varies considerably. The price averages four to five dollars; for good lead dogs, which pull steadily and willingly, double that amount. When the dogs become old, sick or when they bite, they are killed, usually by hanging. The flesh is not particularly relished, especially at the present time, and not at all if the animal was sick. Epidemics occur occasionally among the dogs, which often cause the loss of a whole team [P. 252]. Young animals often die of dis- temper. The skin is worth twenty to fifty cents, sometimes as much as a dollar. The skin of young dogs is most prized and serves as trimming for the edge of hood, sleeves, etc. Vulpes pennsylvanica (Bodd.) Fuchs.—Fox. Terrienniak—Not rare, even if here on the northern border of its range. The red phase is the most common, the skin having a value of four to five dollars; the Cross Fox (Eskimo, Akkonavtok) is more rare, valued at about six dollars, occasionally even more. Rarest of all is the Silver Fox (Eskimo, Kernek), the white tips of which now and then disappear completely, and the animal then looks entirely black. Its skin is worth fifty to one hundred dollars; in some black specimens as much as three hundred dollars. For such valuable skins the Eskimo receives the half of their value at once in his account book, the other part later according to the price which the skin brings in London. They catch at least one and sometimes several of the highly-valued silver and black foxes in this district every year. All three colour phases are said to occur as brothers and sisters in the same litter. Whether the range of the smaller red fox species, Vulpes deletric Bangs extends northward as far as this district is uncertain.”1 Vulpes lagopus ungava Merriam. Polarfuchs. Terrienniak.— LABRADOR ARCTIC Fox.—The most frequent species of the larger wild land mammals of this district; also observed by me several times. Their tracks are to be seen anywhere in the snow. The White Fox (Hisfuchs; Eskimo, THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 11 Kakkortassuk), which is white in winter, is the most common, the skin is worth about four dollars. The blue-gray phase, The Blue Fox (Blaufuchs; Eskimo, Amgasek) is much rarer and is only caught occasionally, skin worth about six dollars. The abundance of the white foxes varies rather noticeably. The animals are so numerous in many winters, that they can be seen every where and fifty to sixty may be caught by one person. - Since it is said that in such years there are also many ptarmigan and hares, the favourite food of the foxes, it is not improbable that these sharp-witted beasts of prey often go long distances, especially to the coast from the interior of Labrador, during the autumns in which there is little food and establish their winter quarters in such localities, where food is to be found. In other years the foxes are exceedingly rare, and the number of those caught drops to one-third of the usual number, and even less. The white fox always forms the most numerous and the most important material of the fur-trade in these districts, when the Eskimos themselves possess no traps. Traps are lent to them by the station authorities, mostly steel traps, more rarely fox-traps which are, of course, suited for other medium-sized animals. All the Company people are in duty bound to sell the skins of the animals caught at the station. The prices are set in London an- nually, according to the wholesale prices received during the preceding year, for all the mission stations on the, Labrador coast, hence change according to the demand and the fashion. The Eskimos often try to sell the skins secretly at a somewhat higher rate [P. 253] though there is little opportunity in Killinek for that. This method of dealing is the regular thing in the more southern stations. For example, I was myself offered in Nain at least twenty fox-skins. This surprised me so much the more, as I had been told by the mission trade inspector for Labrador that every Eskimo who would sell skins elsewhere would be shut out from trade absolutely—the greatest punishment that can be held over the natives by the mission for any sort of grave offense.” I should have liked to take some things home 21 How far the mammalogists are justified in separating the closely allied geographical races of the common Red Fox into distinct species is still a matter which is unsettled. At any rate, Vulpes pennsylvanicus (Bodd.), for the Eastern Red Fox, is now considered a synonym of Vulpes fulva (Desmarest), which is recognized as the form inhabiting the north-eastern United States, Quebec, Ontario, and Northern Manitoba west of Hudson Bay. Geographically the Red Fox. of the Labrador coast is presumably Vulpes rubricosa bangsi Merriam the Labrador Red Fox, stated by Outram Bangs (1910, p. 667) to be common throughout the whole of Labrador from the St. Lawrence to Hudson Strait. Probably fulva and rubricosa intergrade somewhere in the interior of northern Quebec, as it is well known that Vulpes fulva rubricosa (Nova Scotia), bangsi (Labrador), deletriz (Newfoundland), alascensis (Bri- tish Columbia, Yukon and Alaska), and kenaiensis (Alaska) all interbreed freely on the fur farms.—R.M.A. 12 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST in an honourable way, as souvenirs, such as a well-prepared fox for our Dresden Zoological Museum. I was told however, that this would be possible only through the Mission agent in London at the trade price, which could not be determined until the skins were sold during the coming winter. In marked contrast to the regulations quoted to me, which also made it impossible to secure some skins for scientific purposes, is the com- munication of Governor MacGregor: Report, 1906, p. 31: “The natives are at perfect liberty, at all the stations to sell to others than the mis- sion if they choose to do so. They do actually dispose of a certain quantity of things, especially of boots and fur to fishing schooners and traders; but the great bulk of their produce they dispose of to the Missions.” P. 26: “The natives may buy back anything they may have sold to the mission and at the same price they received for tbe The skins are secured by the natives in the following manner. From the end of October until the beginning of April when the coat of hair is “prime” the natives place out a rather large number of well-baited traps, which are looked over daily or weekly according to the extent of the trap-line and the weather. The best time is said to be the end of December and January. Summer skins have no value at all, autumn and late spring skins only a very small value. The [VoL. XLVI trapper has to put long distances behind him often in vain; then a fox will be caught but another beast of prey (wolverines are blamed in particular) or perhaps another fox has eaten the helpless fox, and destroyed the skin; at other times no fox or other fur-bearing animal, but a falcon or snowy owl has been caught, or the trap has been pulled away and lost. So trapping remains ever an uncertain calling, which demands much skill and hard work. A man’s industry is judged according ‘to the number of fox-skins secured during the winter. The captured animals are killed if necessary, then taken from the trap carefully, and the traps set again. They skin the animals at home by making an incision on the inside of the hind legs, also turning tail, ears and feet completely inside out. Then they scrape the skin carefully until it is clean, stretch it on a board for a few days until it is somewhat dried— quick drying in too great heat may injure the skin [P. 253] and cause the hairs to fall out in the later dressing. Finally they turn the skin right side out and hang it up by the nose for complete drying. It is easily understood, that this work is not too easy in the cramped, dark Eskimo houses, and also not conducive to the improve- ment of the air, already filled with odours. Luckily there are no moths nor other harmful pests in those districts which would injure the fur. (To be continued) AN ANNOTATED LIST OF VASCULAR PLANTS COLLECTED ON THE NORTH SHORE OF THE GULF OF ST. LAWRENCE, 1927-1930 By HARRISON F. LEWIS (Continued from page 228, Vol. XLV) MYRICACEA Myrica Gale L. Watshishu, June 8, 1927, damp, mossy hollow on granitic island. Kegaska River (mouth) June 10, 1927, top of sandy bank on mainland near shore. Wapitagun, June 17, 1927, damp bog hollow. At Natashquan this species in 1928 was observed in bloom at least as early as May 18. BETULACEA Betula papyrifera Marsh. Seven Islands, September 7, 1928, face of steep wooded bank of sand and clay. Betche- wun, August 25, 1928, old tree in dense woods, chiefly coniferous. Recorded by St. John as Betula alba L. Betula papyrifera Marsh., f. occidentalis (Hook.) Fernald. Net Island, July 4, 1927, precipitous south side of island, at about 100 feet elevation. Re- corded by St. John as B. alba L., f. occidentalis (Hook.) Fernald. Betula papyrifera Marsh., var. cordifolia (Regel) Fernald. Sholiaban, July 28, 1928, in wooded hollow. La Tabatiére, July 21, 1928, in woods that were chiefly coniferous. Recorded by St. John as B. alba L., var. cordifolia (Regel) Fernald. Betula glandulosa Michx. x. B. papyrifera Marsh. (B. microphylla Bunge). Eskimo Island, August 28, 1928, sunny slope. Bradore Bay, June 30, 1927, wooded thicket on pre-Cambrian formation at head of bay. Blanc Sablon, July 10, 1928, prostrate on sandy hill- side, west side of river. Recorded by St. John as B. microphylla Bunge. *Betula papyrifera Marsh. x. B. pumila L. (B. borealis Spach). January, 1932] Ste. Genevieve Island, August 23, 1928, steep bank just above beach. Betula Michauxti Spach. Kegaska River (mouth), June 23, 1928, open tundra. Harrington Harbour, July 5, 1928, damp, broad, mossy ledge. Betula pumila L. Ste. Genevieve Island, August 23, 1928, steep bank just above shore. The Bluff Harbour, June 14, 1927, shallow turf on granite island. Wapitagun Island, August 6, 1928, prostrate on tundra, partially erect where shel- tered. Harrington Harbour, June 20, 1927, boggy turf on granite, and July 5, 1928, damp, broad, mossy ledge. Aylmer Sound, August 18, 1927, thicket on Little Mecatina Island. Dukes Island, July 7, 1928, tundra. Rocky Bay, June 24, 1927. Bradore Bay, June 28, 1927, damp -earth among low fir and spruce on calcareous sandstone. Blanc’Sablon, July 10, 1928, sandy hillside, west side of river. *Betula pumila L., var. renifolia Fernald. Mutton Bay, July 27, 1929, hillside east of the harbour. The type locality. Described and recorded from Mutton Bay by M. L. Fer- nald (1926). Betula glandulosa Michx. Mascanin, August 20, 1928, wet muskeg beside smallstream. Rocky Bay, July 17, 1928, boggy rivulet-side. Bradore Bay, June 28, 1927, wet, boggy hilltop on calcareous sandstone. Blanc Sablon, July 10, 1928, sandy hillside, west side of river. Alnus crispa (Ait.) Pursh, var. mollis Fernald. Kegaska River (mouth), June 10, 1927, wooded top of sandy bank. Rocky Bay, June 24, 1927, rocky hillside. Blane Sablon, June 28, 1927, sandy bank of brook, on calcareous sandstone, west side of river. Alnus incana (L.) Moench, var. glauca Ait. Natashquan, May 24, 1928, damp depression and August 17, 1928, border of damp slough’ and August 18, 1928, border of wet hollow in sandy woods. Shedding pollen at Natashquan on May 15, 1928. URTICACEA Urtica gracilis Ait. Seven Islands, September 3, 1928, beside wooden side-walk of principal street. Urtica viridis Rydb. Fog Island, August 2, 1927, turfy slope. Blane Sablon, July 11, 1928, turf on gneiss plain. Recorded by St. John as U. Lyallii Wats. - SANTALACE 2 Comandra Richardsiana Fernald. THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 13 Betchewun, August 25, 1928, open grassland near coniferous woods. Geocaulon lividum (Richards.) Fernald. Natashquan, August 5, 1927, open, sandy woods. La Tabatiére, July 7, 1927, mossy border of woods. Bradore Bay, June 30, 1927, mossy slope on calcareous sandstone near head of bay. Recorded by St. John as Comandra livida Richardson. POLY GONACEA Rumex occidentalis Wats. Bonne Esperance, August 22, 1927, hillside near fishing establishment. Rumex Britannica L. ‘ Natashquan, August 7, 1927, border of fresh marsh. Rumex mexicanus Meisn. Kegaska, August 12, 1927, sandy dooryard. Harrington Harbour, July 25, 1928, top of sandy beach on mainland. Recorded by St. John as occurring “eastward as far as Romaine’’. Range extension, 59 miles E. RUMEX ACETOSELLA L. St. Mary Islands, July 24, 1927, gravelly foot-path on western island. Blane Sablon, August 26, 1927, sandy bank, mouth of Blane Sablon River, east side of river. Polygonum Fowleri Robinson. Kegaska, August 12, 1927, sandy beach. Wapitagun, July 30, 1927, crevices in exposed rock near shore of outer islands. POLYGONUM AVICULARE L. Natashquan, August 9, 1927, sandy roadway. Polygonum viviparum L. Boat Islands, July 26, 1927, turfy hillside. St. Mary Islands, July 28, 1927, crevices in rock near shore of eastern island. Bradore Bay, July 18, 1928, turfy plain. *POLYGONUM PERSICARIA L. Magpie, September 1, 1928, damp hollow beside road. Observed at Thunder River also. POLYGONUM CONVOLVULUS L. ; Betchewun, August 25, 1928, gravelly shore. Natashquan, September 8, 1927, sandy church- yard. CHENOPODIACEA CHENOPODIUM ALBUM L. Matamek River (mouth), September 5, 1928, dooryard. Harrington Harbour, September 1, 1927, rubbish heap. Atriplex patula L. Mascanin, August 20, 1928, gravel and de- cayed seaweed, just above shore of granitic island. ; Atriplex glabriuscula Edmonston. Aylmer Sound, August 18, 1927, top of sandy 14 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST beach on Little Mecatina Island. Blane Sab- lon, July 11, 1928, rotting seaweed at top of beach of cove, east side of river. Recorded by St. John as A. patula var. hastata (L.) Gray. Salicornia europaea L. The Bluff Harbour, August 1, 1927, salt marsh on big island. Also observed as common in salt marsh at Mascanin, and seen at St. Charles Island and mouth of Matamek River. St. John says, ‘“‘Known only from Seven Is- lands’. Range extension, 258 miles E. *Suaeda Richii Fernald. St. Charles Island, August 27, 1928, lime- stone shingle beach of sheltered cove. CARYOPHYLLACEA Spergularia canadensis (Pers.) Don. The Bluff Harbour, August 1, 1927, salt marsh on big island. Sagina nodosa (L.) Fenzl. Mingan, August 31, 1928, brackish sand flat. Natashquan, August 5, 1927, damp sand flat. Kegaska, August 15, 1928, crevice in granitic rock near shore of Kegaska Island. Wolf Bay, August 13, 1927, brackish sand flat beside shore. La Tabatiére, July 21, 1928, narrow cracks in granitic rock at shore. Arenaria lateriflora L., var. typica (Regel) St. John. Lake Island, July 18, 1927, turf just above shore line. Wapitagun, July 30, 1927, peaty hummock among low herbage. St. Mary Islands, July 22, 1927, sandy strip above rock beach, on middle island. Arenaria peploides L., var. diffusa Hornem. Dukes Island, July 7, 1928, gravelly beach. Anse des Dunes, July 12, 1928, sandy beach, in a position just below the beach grass (Ammo- phila), about 12 feet above the lowest land vegetation. Arenaria peploides L., var. robusta Fernald. - Kegaska, August 14, 1928, sand beach. Harrington Harbour, July 25, 1928, top of sand beach on mainland. Bradore Bay, June 29, 1927, sand beach at lower margin of grass (Elymus). *Arenaria peploides L., var. maxima Fernald. Anse des Dunes, July 12, 1928, the lowest land vegetation on a sandy beach. *Arenaria verna L., var. pubescens (Cham. & Schl.) Fernald. Greenly Island, July 12, 1928, sandstone crag. Arenaria grenlandica (Retz.) Spreng. Lake Island, July 29, 1927, shallow gravel and lichen mats on rock summit. Rocky Bay, July 17, 1928, granitic crests of hills, about 400 feet high. [VoL. XLVI Stellaria calycantha (Ledeb.) Bongard. @ La Tabatiére, July 7, 1927, grassy slope. Dukes Island, July 7, 1928, upper part of gra- velly beach. Rocky Bay, July 18, 1928, moss on low ground near Rocky Bay River. Re- corded by St. John as Stellaria borealis Bigel. Stellaria crassifolia Ehrh. Rock near Fog Island, August 9, 1928, damp depression. Stellaria humifusa Rottb. The Bluff Harbour, August ¥1,%1927, salt marsh on big island. Lake Island, August 7, 1928, crevice in granitic rock at shore of cove. Mainland west of Net Island, Old Fort Archi- pelago, July 5, 1927, saline shore of sand and granite. Stellaria longipes Goldie. Ste. Genevieve Island, August 23, 1928, top of limestone shingle beach. Natashquan, June — 27, 1928, sandy turf. St. Mary Islands, July 22, 1927, sandy beach above rock shore of middle island. Bradore Bay, June 28, 1927, damp turf on calcareous sandstone. STELLARIA MEDIA (L.) Cyrill. Natashquan, August 7, 1927, brackish marsh beside Little Natashquan River. St. Augustin Island, July 19, 1928, damp, rich earth near old chimney. *Cerastium arvense L. Betchewun, August 25, 1928, turfy slope ~ near shore of Gun Island. Given in St. John’s list as hypothetical. Cerastium Beeringianum Cham. & Schl. Wolf Bay, June 18, 1928, shallow turf on granitic island. St. Augustin, June 22, 1927, island in the group called St. Augustin Square. Greenly Island, June 29, 1927, turfy hillside on calcareous sandstone, and July 12, 1928, sand- stone crag. *Cerastium alpinum L., var. Hegetschw. Net Island, July 4, 1927, precipitous southern face of the island, at about 100 feet elevation. Silene acaulis L., var. exscapa (All.) DC. Boat Islands, June 28, 1929, on surface of granitic rock. Mutton Bay, July 9, 1927, weathered rocky crest, at about 100 feet eleva- tion. Salmon Bay, July 1, 1927, crevice on granitic headland. Recorded by St. John ‘from ile Téte 4 la Baleine east to the strait of Belle Isle’. Range extension, 34 miles W. PORTULACACEA Montia lamprosperma Cham. Wapitagun, July 30, 1927, crevices in exposed rock near shore of outer islands. Harrington Harbour, July 25, 1928, rocky point of mainland. Whale Head, July 10, 1927, among sedges in lanatum (Lam.) January, 1932] low, wet hollow at Jas. Mauger’s harbour. Rocky Bay, July 18, 1928, gravel shore near mouth of Rocky Bay River. NYMPHAACEAE Nymphozanthus variegatus (Engelm.) Fernald. Lake Island, July 29, 1927, in 6 inches of water in small pond. RANUNCULACE Ranunculus aquatilis L., var. capillaceus DC. Bradore Bay, August 27, 1927, in 1 foot of water in slow-flowing brook on calcareous sandstone. Ranunculus Cymbalaria Pursh. Pointe au Maurier, July 18, 1927, on a small island. Ranunculus hyperhoreus Rottb. Boat Islands, July 27, 1927, small pool in rock. Ranunculus reptans L. Natashquan, August 5, 1927, damp pond margin, and August 18, 1928, matted on dried- up pond bed. Kegaska, September 4, 1927, bank of slow-flowing brook. Ranunculus abortivus L. Blanc Sablon, July 11, 1928, turf near houses, east side of river. Ranunculus pennsylvanicus L. Thunder River, September 2, 1928, rich swale. La Tabatiére, July 21, 1928, turf beside path. Observed also at Seven Islands. RANUNCULUS ACRIS L., var. STEVENI (Andrz.) Lange. Magpie, September 1, 1928, sodded, pastured roadside. Natashquan, August 17, 1928, grassy roadside. St. Mary Islands, July 25, 1927, turf near boathouse on western island. *Thalictrum alpinum L. St. Charles Island, August 27, 1928, talus at foot of shore cliff. Given as hypothetical by St. John, following a report by D. N. Saint-Cyr of its occurrence on this island. Thalictrum confine Fernald. Seven Islands, September 12, 1928, widely distributed over raised boulder beach above gravel shore on Manowin Island. Betchewun, August 25, 1928, open slope of Gun Island (not wooded). Mascanin, June 20, 1929, fresh upper border of salt marsh. Kegaska, August 10, 1929, top of beach on Kegaska Island. Re- corded by St. John from region of Mingan Islands only. Range extension, 98 miles W. and 79 miles E. Thalictrum polygamum Muhl. Thunder River, September 2, 1928, rich river bank. Kegaska River (mouth), August 3, 1927, sandy bank. Etamamu River (island THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 15 near mouth of), July 20, 1927, damp hollow on granitic rocks near shore. Blanc Sablon, July 11, 1928, damp shore of river, west side of river. *Anemone parviflora Michx. St. Charles Island, August 27, 1928, limestone talus at foot of shore cliff. Given as hypotheti- cal by St. John. Caltha palustris L. Betchewun, June 3, 1928, marshy brook. Blane Sablon, July 11, 1928, wet brookside. Seen also at Seven Islands. Coptis grenlandica (Oeder) Fernald. Harrington Harbour, June 20, 1927, open, grassy marsh, about 2 feet above high tide. Bradore Bay, June 28, 1927, wet, gravelly hillside on caleareous sandstone. Recorded by St. John as Coptis trifolia (L.) Salish. Actza rubra Willd. Betchewun, August 25, 1928, border of woods on Wood Island. Kegaska, June 23, 1928, border of woods near houses. Mutton Bay, July 9, 1927, basaltic dyke ravine. Blane Sablon, July 11, 1928, wet slope of steep bank, east side of river. Actza rubra Willd., f. neglecta (Gillm.) Robinson. Kegaska, August 15, 1928, thicket back of mussel-shell beach on Kegaska Island. Re- corded by St. John only from region of Mingan Islands. Range extension, 79 miles E. CRUCIFERAi Draba incana L. Betchewun, June 5, 1927, limestone boulder. Whale Head, July 10, 1927, turfy dooryard near Jas. Mauger’s harbour. Bradore Bay, June 29, 1927, grassy crest of sand beach. Draba incana L., var. confusa (Ehrh.) Poir. Kegaska, August 14, 1928, dry, broken mussel-shell above beach on Green Island. Wolf Bay, July 31, 1927, turfy slope of island called “The Black Land”. Wapitagun, July 14, 1927, turfy crest of rock knob on Matchiatik Island. Pointe au Maurier, July 13, 1927, mussel-shell beach near tide mark. Draba arabisans Michx., var. orthocarpa Fernald & Knowlton. Kegaska, June 23, 1928, mussel-shell detritus near shore. Wolf Bay, June 18, 1928, shallow turf on rocky point oi island called ‘“The Black Land”. Net Island, July 4, 1927, precipitous southern face of island, at an elevation of about 250 feet. Bradore Bay, June 28, 1927, crest of sandy beach in area of calcareous sandstone. _ Anse des Dunes, July 12, 1928, grassy area above beach. Recorded by St. John as far east as “Archipel Ouapitagone: Romaine’ only. Range extension, 178 miles E. 16 *Draba hirta L. Wolf Bay, July 31, 1927, rocky crest on island called “The Black Land”. THLASPI ARVENSE L. Wolf Bay, August 13, 1927, dooryard at head of bay. Harrington Harbour, September 1, 1927, rubbish heap. St. Augustin Island, July 19, 1928, damp, rich earth near old chimney. Subularia aquatica L. Kegaska, September 4, 1927, in 2 feet of water in slow-flowing brook. CAPSELLA BURSA-PASTORIS (L.) Medic. Natashquan, August 5, 1927, sandy road. Bradore Bay, June 30, 1927, damp dooryard at head of bay. *NESLIA PANICULATA (L.) Desv. Harrington Harbour, September 1, rubbish heap. Cakile edentula (Bigel.) Hook. Natashquan, August 5, 1927, loose sand be- tween dunes and shore. Harrington Harbour, July 25, 1928, sandy sea beach on mainland. Anse des Dunes, August 26, 1927, top of sandy beach. Recorded by St. John as far east as “Riviere Netagamiou” only. Range extension, 124 miles HE. *BRASSICA JUNCEA (L.) Cosson. Harrington Harbour, September 1, 1927, rubbish heap. Cochlearia cyclocarpa S. F. Blake. Ste. Genevieve Island, August 23, 1928, top of limestone shingle beach. Watshishu, May 26, 1928, in flower in crevices and on edges of shallow turf, on granitic islands. Pointe au Maurier, July 13, 1927, on small island. Lourdes de Blanc Sablon, June 29,.1927, cracks in gneiss near shore. Cochlearia tridactylites Banks. Betchewun, June 6, 1927, grassy, open area on limestone on Gun Island. Rorippa palustris (L.) Bess., var. hispida (Desv.) Rydb. Fog Island, August 2, 1927, turfy slope, and August 9, 1928, along rivulet. Harrington Harbour, July 25, 1928, iron-soaked sand at top of beach of mainland. Recorded by St. John as Radicula palustris (L.) Moench, var. hispida (Desy.) Robinson. Barbarea orthoceras Ledeb. La Tabatiére, July 21, 1928, damp soil near shore. Blane Sablon, July 11, 1928, wet slope of steep bank, east side of river. *Cardamine pratensis L. St. Mary Islands, July 27, 1927, wet, mossy swale on “Puffin” Island, a small island west of Cliff Island. Given as hypothetical by St. John. Cardamine pennsylvanica Muhl. Wolf Bay, August 13, 1927, dooryard at head 1927, THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST [VoL. XLVI of bay. La Tabatiére, July 21, 1928, wet, shad- ed humus soil. Reported by St. John from Blane Sablon only. Range extension, 153 miles W. Arabis alpina L. Blane Sablon, June 28, 1927, cold, mossy, springy slope on calcareous sandstone, west side of river. Greenly Island, July 6, 1930, damp earth among boulders. Arabis Drummondi Gray. Blane Sablon, July 20, 1929, bank of small stream, west side of river. Collected by E. C. Abbe. SARRACENIACEA Sarracenia purpurea L. Natashquan, August 6, 1927, sphagnum bog. Generally common. DROSERACEA# Drosera rotundifolia L. Natashquan, August 9, 1927, damp hollow among sand dunes. Generally abundant. Drosera anglica Huds. Baie Johan Beetz, August 22, 1928, wet sphagnum near shore. Natashquan, August 6, 1927, boggy, open valley. Kegaska River, August 15, 1928, wet muskeg. Pointe au Maurier, July 18, 1927, wet sphagnum on rock near shore. CRASSULACE 4 Sedum villosum L. On an outer island about 3 miles west of Cape Mecatina, July 23, 1928, in moss at edge of vegetation. St. Augustin, July 19, 1928, shallow, wet moss and turf on granitic island in the group of islands called St. Augustin Square. These two stations are about 42 miles apart. Those reported by St. John, namely, “Archipel de Kécarpoui: tiles Affi'gées, and ile Kécarpoui”, lie between them. The species was observed also on an island lying about 5 miles west of St. Augustin Island, which is likewise between the extremes given above. Sedum roseum (L.) Scop. Ste. Genevieve Island, June 7, 1927, limestone rocks at top of beach. St. Augustin Island, June 23, 1927. Blane Sablor, June 28, 1927, very shallow turf on granitic rock near river. SAXIFRAGACKA Saxifraga cespitosa L. Whale Head, July 10, 1927, crevices in granite cliff on island at Jas. Mauger’s harbour. St. Augustin, July 19, 1928, damp rock on granitic island in the group of islands called St. Augustin Square. Saxifraga Aizoon Jacq. Mutton Bay, July 9, 1927, weathered rocky crest, at elevation of about 150 feet. f January, 1932] Saxifraga oppositifolia L. Fright Island, June 4, 1927, turf resting on limestone on high, open bank. St. Charles Island, August 27, 1928, limestone talus at foot of shore cliff. Ste. Genevileve Island, June 7, 1927, limestone rocks at top of beach. Ob- served only among Mingan Islands. Mitiella nuda L. Ste. Genevieve Island, August 23, 1928, shaded, mossy, coniferous woods. Parnassia parviflora DC. Kegaska, August 14, 1928, turf near shore of Green Island. Fog Island, August 2, 1927, and August 9, 1928, turfy slope. Observed also near outer shore of Kegaska Island, at Kegaska. Recorded by St. John only from region of Mingan Islands. Range extension, 113 miles E. Parnassia Kotzebuei Cham. & Schl. Blane Sablon, July 11, 1928, wet slope of steep bank, east side of river. Ribes hirtellum Michx. Natashquan, June 27, 1928, turfy roadside. Wolf Bay, July 31, 1927, foot of bank on island called “The Black Land”’’. Ribes hirtellum Michx., var. calcicola Fernald. Ste. Genevieve Island, August 23, 1928, top of limestone shingle beach Kegaska, August 14, 1928, fringing vegetation near shore of Green Island. Recorded by St. John from Mingan Islands only. Range extension, 80 miles E. Ribes lacustre Poir. Betchewun, August 26, 1928, border of woods. La Tabatiére, July 21, 1928, shady coniferous woods. Blanc Sablon, August 26, 1927, wooded hollow near falls of Blane Sablon River, west side of river. Observed also on Kegaska Island. Recorded definitely by St. John only from Mingan Islands. Range extension, 285 miles E. Ribes prostratum L’Hér. Betchewun, June 5, 1927, open limestone areas near shore. Kegaska River, June 10, 1927, wooded top of sandy bank. Harrington Harbour, June 20, 1927, brushy ravine. Bra- dore Bay, June 28, 1927, damp earth among _low fir and spruce plants on calcareous sand- stone. Ribes triste Pall. Betchewun, August 25, 1928, thicket just within border of woods on Wood Island. Ribes triste Pall., var. albinervium (Michx.) Fernald. Blane Sablon, July 11, 1928, foot of steep bank, east side of river. ROSACEA Spirza latifolia Borkh., var. septertrionalic Fer- nald. Mingan, August 30, 1928, sand flat beside THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 17 Mingan River. Natashquan, August 5, 1927, pond margin. Also observed at Kegaska, beside slow-flowing stream, which is 24 miles east of Natashquan, the easternmost point from which it is recorded by St. John. Aronia arbutifolia (L.) EIL, ‘Britt.) Schneid. Baie Johan Beetz, August 22, 1928, thin, scanty soil on granite hillside. Mascanin, August 20, 1928, about 6 inches high at edge of vegetation bordering bare granite exposure on hillside. Recorded by St. John as Pyrus arbutifolia (L.) L.f., var. atropurpurea (Britton) Robinson. var. atropurpurea Sorbus americana Marsh. Lake Island, July 29, 1927, wooded bank. La Tabatiére, July 21, 1928, in woods that were chiefly coniferous. Recorded by St. John as Pyrus americana (Marsh.) DC. Amelanchier Bartramiana (Tausch.) Roemer. Magpie, September 1, 1928, rocky bank near mouth of Magpie River, Mutton Bay, July 9, 1927, wooded hollow. Bradore Bay, June 30, 1927, wooded thicket on granitic rocks near head of bay. Blanc Sablon, July 11, 1928, hollow in tundra near lake. In 1928 first found in bloom at Coacoacho on June 19. Amelanchier sp. A small collection from Manowin Island, Seven Islands, September 12, 1928, border of thicket at top of raised boulder beach,is marked- ly different from Amelanchier Bartramiana, as shown by its larger, sub-orbicular leaves, with small, distant, irregular and poorly defined teeth, occurring on the apical half of the margin only, and by the fact that the bark of its twigs is smoother, more glaucous and more translu- cent, with less conspicuous \lenticels. Upon advice of Dr. K. M. Wiegand no attempt is made, pending receipt of additional material, to name this collection specifically. Fragaria virginiana Duchesne. Betchewun, June 5, 1927, grassy area near shore. Frageria virginiana Duchesne, var. terre-nove (Rydb.) Fernald & Wiegand. _ Natashquan, June 27, 1928, sandy turf. Anse des Dunes, June 28, 1927, sandy bank of brook. Potentilla norvegica Li. Kegaska, August 14, 1928, dry turf on Green Island. Recorded by St. John as Potentilla monspeliensis L., var. norvegica (L.) Rydb. Potentilla norvegica L., var. hirsuta (Mx.) Lehm. Matamek River (mouth of), September 5, 1928, sand beach. Yankee Harbour, July 28, 1927, turfy hollow. Pointe au Maurier, July 18 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALISY — 13, 1927, on small island. Recorded by St. John as Potentilla monspeliensis L. *Potentilla maculata Pourr. Greenly Island, June 29, 1927, turf near dwel- lings, and July 12, 1928, grassy turf and mossy slope. This plant is well distributed on Greenly Island, especially on the northern half of the island. Not observed elsewhere. Potentilla pectinata Rat. Havre St. Pierre, August 28, 1928, dry lime- stone ledge beside shore. Potentilla palustris (L.) Scop. Lake Island, July 29, 1927, damp ground near shore. La Tabatiére, July 21, 1928, damp, open ground near shore. Potentilla palustris (L.) Scop., var. parvifolia (Raf.) Fernald & Long. Wapitagun Island, August 6, 1928, in 4 inches of water in a pool near shore. Potentilla fruticosa L. Ste. Genevieve Island, August 23, 1928, damp hollow near shore. Blane Sablon, August 26, 1927, wooded hollow beside falls of Blane Sablon River, west side of river. Potentilla tridentata Sol. apud Ait. Lake Island, July 18, 1927, rocky top of cliff. Mutton Bay, July 9, 1927, rocky gravel crest. La Tabatiére, July 7, 1927, gravelly hillside. Potentilla Anserina L. St. Mary Islands, July 22, 1927, top of beach on middle island. Potentilla Anserina L., var. sericea Hayne. Ste. Genevieve Island, August 23, 1928, top of limestone shingle beach. Potentilla pacifica Howell. La Tabatiére, July 7, 1927, gravel at top of _ beach, and July 21, 1928, upper part of gravel beach. Bradore Bay, July 13, 1928, loose sand near shore. Geum macrophyllum Willd. Kegaska, August 10, 1929, turfy slope of Green Island. Blane Sablon, July 11, 1928, wet slope of steep bank, east side of river. Geum rivale L. Kegaska, August 14, 1928, and August 10, 1929, turfy slope of Green Island. La Taba- tiére, July 21, 1928, turf near shore. Blane Sablon, July 10, 1928, bushy hillside, west side of river. [VoL. XLVI Dryas integrifolia M. Vahl. Ste. Genevieve Island, June 5, 1928, lime- stone shingle near keach. *Dryas Drummondii Richards. Quarry Island, September 5, 1929, raised beach of iFnsaveetvorave gravel. Rubus ideus L., var. canadensis Richards. Wolf Bay, iii 31, 1927, foot of bank on the island called “The Black Land”’. Rubus Chamemorus L. ~ Wapitagun, June 17, 1927, shallow, damp turf. Harrington Harbour, June 20, 1927, damp, turfy slopes. Bradore Bay, June 30, 1927, bushy sphagnum bog near head of bay. Rubus arcticus L. Kegaska River, June 24, 1928, turfy slope of small island near mouth of river. Rubus acaulis Michx. St. Augustin, June 22, 1927, granitic outer island in the group called St. Augustin Square. Dukes Island, July 7, 1928, deep moss on upper part of sandy beach. Bradore Bay, June 28, 1927, damp turf on calcareous sandstone. Re- corded by St. John as R. arcticus L., var. gran- diflorus Ledeb. Rubus pubescens Raf. Lake Island, July 18, 1927, border of woods. Boat Islands, July 26, 1927, damp” on tundra. valley. Net Island, July 4, 1927, upper slopes of precipitous southern face of island, at an elevation of about 250 feet. Alchemilla vulgaris L., var Fernald & Wiegand. Blanc Sablon, July 10, 1928, bushy hillside, west side of river. Sanguisorba canadensis L., var. latifolia Hook. Kegaska River, August 3, 1927, sandy bank. *Rosa nitida Willd. Havre St. Pierre, September 11, 1929, border of field. Possibly introduced from the Magdalen Islands, whence the founders of Havre St. Pierre came. The old man who showed it to me, however, insisted that it was native where found, and said that he knew of another patch of it on Eskimo Island, near Havre St. Pierre. Prunus pennsylvanica L., Seven Islands, September 12, 1928, forming thicket on raised boulder beach at foot of hill on Manowin Island. Betchewun, August 26, 1928, open woods. (To be continued) . filicaulis (Buser) January, 1932] THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 19 FIFTY-THIRD ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COUNCIL OF THE OTTAWA FIELD-NATURALISTS’ CLUB Annual Meeting, Thursday, December 10th, 1931, at the National Museum of Canada 1. MEETINGS.—During the past year four meetings of the Council were held, at the resi- dences of Dr. R. E. DeLury, Mr. P. A. Taverner, Mr. Hoyes Lloyd, and Dr. Harrison F. Lewis, with an average attendance of 18 members. 2. EXCURSIONS.—The usual four excursions were held, as follows: On May 2nd, in the vicinity of Lemieux Island, along the south shore of the Ottawa River Subject, Geology. Leader, Dr. F. J. Alcock. On May 9th, at Rockcliffe Park, in the vicinity of McKay Lake. Subject, Amphibians and other Natural History. Leaders: Dr. R. M. Anderson, Mr. G. F. Miller, Mr. Herbert Groh and Mr. Robert Lockwood. On May 16th, at Fairy Lake, Quebec. Subject, Birds and other Natural History. Leaders: Mr. Hoyes Lloyd, Dr. R. E. DeLury, Mr. G. A. Miller, Dr. R. M. Anderson .Mr. Herbert Groh, Mr. C. FE. Johnson and Mr. A. G. Kingston. On May 30th, at Britannia-on-the-Bay. Sub- ject, Botany and other Natural History. Leaders: Mr. Herbert Groh, Mr. G. A. Miller, Dr. R.M. Anderson, Miss M. E. Cowan, Mr. Robert Lock- wood and Mr. A. G. Kingston. The average attendance was about 60. 3. PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE.—Mr. MHoyes Lloyd, Chairman, submits the following report “The Canadian Field-Naturalist has been issued on time and has contained a wealth of material of interest to naturalists in many branches of science. Our publishers and the editors are con- gratulated on the completion of this impotant volume. Those who are completing sets are ad- vised to speed up their activities, as many num- bers are becoming increasingly difficult to supply. Good runs are available for many periods of the Club’s existence, and we may have just the numbers needed.” 4. BirD CeNsus.—The annual Christmas Bird Census of the Ottawa area was taken on December 21st, 1930, by twenty observers, following nine established ro.tes Dr R. E. DeLury, Chairman of the Census Committee, gives the total number of individual birds as over 2,600, and the total of species as 31. 5. LEGACIES AND GIFTS.—The Council ac- knowledges with deep gratitude the bequest of Five Hundred Dollars made to the Club by the will of the late Mr. J. H. Emerton, of Boston, Mass., U.S.A., for many years a member of the Club. The Council also wishes to express its thankful appreciation of the generosity of Mrs. H. M. Ami in donating to the Club lantern slides, documents relating to the early history of the Club, back numbers of The Canadian Field- Naturalist, and a Natural History scrap-book covering the years 1899, 1900 and 1901, which had been the property of her late husband Dr. Ami, for many years a distinguished member and a Past President of the Club. These are all very valuable additions to the assets of the Club. 6. PATRON.—His Excellency, the Earl of Bess- borough, Governor-General, following the example of his predecessors, has been graciously pleased to accept the office of Patron of the Club. 7. BRITISH COLUMBIA BIRD AND MAMMAL Soctrty.—This recently-formed Society has se- lected The Canadian Field-Naturalist as its official organ. 8. RoYAL SociIETY OF CANADA.—Dr. E. M. Kindle attended the annual meeting of the Royal Society of Canada, which was held at Toronto in May, 1931, as the representative of the Club. -9. GOOD AND WELFARE.—In retiring from office your Council feel that, in view of the acute finan- cial depression which has been affecting all spheres of activity, the Club’s record of the past year has been a creditable one. There is, how- ever, much room for expansion in membership and activities, and the Council calls on all mem- bers to do their utmost in advancing the interest of the Club during the coming year. To the incoming executive and Council we wish every success on the Club’s entering on the fifty-fourth year of its existence HARRISON F. LEwISs, President. GORDON S. POSTLETHWAITE, Secretary. 20 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST [VoL. XLVI STATEMENT OF THE FINANCIAL STANDING OF THE OTTAWA FIELD- NATURALISTS’ CLUB At the Close of the Year 1930-1931 ASSETS Balance in Bank, November 28, 1931.. $110.65 Government Bonde? 62) sey eee 500.00 Bills'receivable x) ee See ae 19.42 $630.07 RECEIPTS Balance, November 28, 1930........ $426.86 Membership, Current.............. 1,023.20 Membership, Advance, etc......... 51.05 Advertisements... sia) alee ee 76.45 Backonumalerseees sac aie eae 37.00 Separates and Illustrations......... 170.00 Miscellaneous santa cha sc ects ee: 35.54 Hmertontbequest:e0.e mtn see. 500.00 $2,320.10 WILMOT LLOYD, Treasurer STATEMENT — RESERVE FUND ASSETS Government Bonds................ $1,200.00 Balance ninebanik- ey ie wh olan Mertens 132.72 $1,332.72 RECEIPTS BalancetinuBanks CONTENTS Fa eae PAGE A Short History of the Passenger, or Wild, Pigeon. By Dr. Henry Howitt............+...... 27 Physiological Changes and the Origin of Species. By W. E. Ricker........................-- 30 The Mammillary Mounds of the Bonnechere Valley. By M.E. Wilson.....................— 32 Mollusks from St. Joseph’s Island, Ontario, Canada. By Horace G. Richards............ a hk ete -Contributions to the Knowledge of Extreme North-Eastern Labrador. By Bernhard Hantzsch ee st An Annotated List of Vascular Plants Collected on the North Shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Bis 1927-1930: By Harrison Be Lewis. . do.cues 2 ay a) es ee 36 Christmas Bird Census Returns.) ee NUS ee Ge Al Notes and Observations;— __ 7 o f es Clasping-leaved Cress or Peppergrass (Lepidium perfoliatum L.) inCanada. By H.Groh 48 ~ Unusual Nesting Sites. By Lawrence B. Potter..................... RA NOREN Pee Yi + 493 King Hider Taken in Nova Scotia. By Victor E. Gould.................... oS i oo Iceland Gull on Lake Erie. By W. E. Saunders............ PASSA iRise at ea ee 3. PERRO Ai Iceland Gulls (Larus leucopterus) at Quebec City. By R. Meredith.................... 50 Book Reviews:— re Canadian Writer’s Market'Survey. By D.L................¢20..-.-- “00s ae 50 SEBLEEEREEEESEREEEGRRIUMEDEnREEEE NA THE OTTAWA FIELD-NATURALISTS’ CLUB RA Patrons: . a ee THEIR EXCELLENCIES THE GOVERNOR GENERAL AND COUNTESS OF BESSBOROUGH President: C. M. STERNBERG, 17 Grosvenor Ave., Ottawa. eae 1st Vice-President: M. E. WILSON | 2nd Vice-President: HERBERT GROH ~ Secretary: Miss GRACE S. LEwIs, 318 Cooper St. Treasurer: WILMOT LLOYD, 582 Mariposa Ave., PHA BAY -Rockeliffe Park. — nod ikon CRAWFORD, (NORMAN CRIDDLE, R. E. DeLury, F. J, Fraser, ANDREW HALKETT, W. E. HARRIS, — D. JENNESS, C. E. JOHNSON, A. G. Kincston, E. M. KinpLE, W. H. LANcELEY, A. LAROcCQUE, ~ DouGLAs LEECHMAN, Harrison F. Lewis, Hoyes Luoyp, W. T: Macoun, M. O. MATE, MARK G. McCELHINNEY, G. A. MILLER, A. E. PorsILp, G. S. POSTLETHWAITE, EH. E. PRINCE, J. DEWEY Soper, P. A. TAVERNER, E. F. G. WHITE, W. J. WINTEMBERG, and Presidents of Affiliated Societies. — Editor: Hayy ne ay _ Dovucias LEECHMAN f National Museum, Ottawa, Canada. Ah a ia Associate Editors: aa il DA VENNESS by ./ooice ge ee Anthropology OLYDE US PATCH 9).0545) ee ....Herpetology MOO NALT EY Foy tho ao nl eicet als ays) ROLURY ' R.M.ANDERSON.......... ....Mammalogy HR PATCHFORD, 2. avn ei Conchology A. G. HUNTSMAN.......... .. Marine Biology — ant GIBSON Quien ieee cia. Entomology BOA. VAVERNER, 3), o/.:05-\a Geleae Ornithology — J. ALCOCK........ es aaa te Ra aR Geology E. M. KINDLE OIRO ai 6 fe ol ae Palzontology Dictionary of Greek and Latin Combining Forms Used in Zoological Names. By D. L. 2 vg p OUR . The official publications of THE OTTAWA FIELD-NATURALISTS’ CLUB have been ad . since 1879. The first were The Transactions of the Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club, 1879-1886, : two volumes; the next, The Ottawa Naturalist, 1886-1919, thirty-two volumes; and these have been continued by The Canadian Field-Naturalist to date. The Canadian Field-Naturalist is = issued monthly, except for the months of June, July and August. Its scope is the publication : of the results of original research in all departments of Natural History. SPR FTASIB Price of this volume (9 numbers) $2.00; Single copies 25¢each Wii i ne j The Membership Committee of The Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club is making a special effort to increase the subscription list of The Canadian Field-Naturalist. We are, therefore, asking every reader — who is truly interested in the wild life of our country to help this magazine to its rightful place among — the leading Natural History publications in America. cay a? Subscriptions ($2.00 a year) should be forwarded to WILMOT LLOYD, — Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club, _ §82 Mariposa Ave., Rockcliffe Park, OTTAWA, CANADA. — The Canadian Field-Naturalist VOL. XLVI — OTTAWA, CANADA, FEBRUARY, 1932 No. 2 A SHORT HISTORY OF THE PASSENGER, OR WILD, PIGEON By Dr. HENRY HOWITT O THE first settlers of a considerable part of Eastern North America the now extinct wild, or passenger, pigeon was a 7 pest, a serious one, too; it ravaged their wheat and other seeds sown for crops in the spring, and also was a scourge at harvest and other times. Gradually to a lesser extent, the trouble continued to the end of the fifties of the nineteenth century. The area involved, roughly defined, extended east from the Mississippi River to the Atlantic Ocean, and from the thirtieth North latitude up to the fiftieth. To obtain a conception of the vast numbers of wild pigeons that existed in the region to which reference has been made, it is necessary to read the articles on the subject by J. J. Audubon and contemporary writers; a flock seen by Alexander . Wilson in the early days of the nineteenth cen- tury, was estimated by him to contain 2,230,272,- 000 pigeons. These Passenger Pigeons were so numerous and common that few taxidermists thought them worthy of attention. In this city there is a fine and well-preserved specimen of cock and hen, the best I have ever seen, no better possible. It is now in the possession of Mrs. F. Hall, of “‘Rivers- lea,’ Perth Street, Guelph. The birds are in a strong, dust-proof glass case, which will preserve them for ages; this specimen is worthy of a place in the National Museum at Ottawa, or in the Ontario Provincial Museum at Toronto. Allow me here to make a few remarks about Guelph and the near-by country in 1851. Guelph was a small village, of which Gordon was the main business street; the stump of the first tree, cut by Dr. Dunlop, still stood, protected by a picket fence; native-born children had neither heard the railway whistle nor had seen a railway train. In the adjacent country, their homes, barns and outbuildings were, with scarcely an exception, built of logs; the open fireplace was almost the only m2ans of heating and cooking, and in the severe cold spalls of winter, it required courage to pull off the breath-frozen blankets from one’s head, rise and light the fire with jacknife, flint and punk. In visiting friends I have seen this done more than once. These were the days of the slow but sure ox-teams, when the axe was the most useful implement, and when logging, thresh- ing and building ‘Bees’ were common—some- times hilarious, too. Are not the mental impressions of childhood the most vivid and lasting of all? Two incidents in my early days fixed my attention on the ways and habits of the wild pigeons. (1) In October, 1851, when I was two years and nine months old, my father had a field pre- pared for fall wheat. To protect the grain from the voracious Wild Pigeons till it was buried by harrowing, he took to the place six or seven boys of the neighbourhood; I pleaded to go along and was carried there. To every one of us was given a long, light cedar stick, on the end of which a piece of red cloth was attached to frighten the pigeons off; my plot was the smallest and farthest from the woods where the birds were. I could not hold the stick by the end and sway it as the older lads did; consequently many of the pigeons flew over the better protected plots and came to mine in swarms, like flies in summer to syrup. I had hold of the stick by the middle and the free hand spent the time trying to catch one. In sowing the wheat, my father walked past my lot off and on; in passing towards the finish of the work, he took notice of my efforts, and said, “Pooh, impossible!’ but before father had taken five steps, I caught one of the pigeons—a feat hitherto unrecorded of adult or child. This re- markable incident gave rise to much talk in the neighbourhood. (2) Again, within the limits of Guelph, one day in June, 1856, when wandering through the then primeval woods of Well’s Island opposite the old Red Mill—where now stands the large barn of the street cars—I found a wild pigeon’s nest and’ took from it a downy squab of a few days old. I carried it home, kept it in a padded box of fine moss and the like on a window sill of my bed- room, fed it, and in due time it could fly. Con- trary to the general belief, it became exceedingly tame and friendly. At meal hours on hot days it would fly into the house and pick food off our plates. In the morning, and on our returning from school, it would greet us in the pretty pigeon 23 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST way, alight on the shoulder of the first to come and put its bill to the lips—pigeon way of express- ing love. Until the cold days of October it never flew more than a stone’s throw from the house alone, but would light on my head or shoulder and go with me through the woods and on fishing trips on the farm. It always refused to go to the barnyard, where domestic pigeons were numerous, until one day a tame cock and hen alighted on the barn and the cock twirled, bowed and cooed to its mate; something in my pet answered the call and it flew from me to the pair, but the adored hen flew at it and struck it with its wings; never after- wards would it go with any of us to the barnyard. When a hawk came within view, it flew to one of us or to cover, for protection, and when a flock of its kind flew over, its wings and movements indicated recognition and pleasure. It never tried to join one, but watched every flock till out of sight. From the pet my brother James and I learnt something of the meaning of the calls or words of the Wild Pigeon; its calls were few, differently arranged as to import, and could be voiced by three letters, T. W. E. According to my memory, Tweet, Twee, Tweet meant, ‘Come here,” ‘‘Good”’ and “Safety”; and the call Twee, in low tone, “Danger; fly to cover.” For a person to voice the calls correctly required considerable practice. To accomplish it, the muscles of the face had to be so strongly contracted as to pull the corners of the mouth widely apart, and the tip of the tongue pressed against the front teeth of the upper jaw; by no other means could the calls be made. Our knowledge of the calls gave us better luck than other sportsmen of the district in hunting wild pigeons. Before the end of November, school and other matters took our attention from the bird and soon it was practically forgotten. It had to go to the woods by the river for food. Before the end of the year we had one or more cold dips of almost zero weather. In the Christmas holidays I went rabbit shoot- ing; less than a mile from home I saw a wild pigeon on a tree; without grasping the circum- stances, I fired, and our pet fell to the snow- co ered ground, dead; on picking it up, I felt that it was plump, proving that in winter it could find plenty of food. What do the facts mentioned imply? That for hundreds of years previously, and for many afterwards, by neglecting to tame, feed and domesticate wild pigeons, the oppor- tunity to preserve a useful bird was lost forever. But, as squabs of wild and domestic pigeons were numerous at that date, it would have been a better plan to collect a large number of both (VOL. XLVI kinds, imprison them in one place, and, when the plumage made the sex known, pair them; by feed- ing and taming each pair separately, a new, hardy and useful species would have been the result—a species that would thrive in our Canadian climate and be easily domestic:ted. To-day, the few native-born inhabitants of Ontario who were observant and who can recall events that occurred in the jurisdiction of Lord Elgin, in Upper Canada, know that there were four distinct kinds of wild flights each season; namely, the Spring and Autumn migrations, the local flights of the old birds and those of the young ones; all of them differed in several respects from each other. It is impossible to describe the ways and habits of the bird correctly unless this is noted. The Spring flight was always the first every year, and the Autumn, the last. THE SPRING MIGRATIONS OF WILD PIGEONS I shall endeavour to depict the four flights separately in the order in which they took place each year, and it is my hope to state some data, facts and circumstances relating to the habits and ways of the Passenger Pigeon that have not hitherto been recorded. For unknown ages before 1851 the wild pigeon was vastly more numerous than in my days. With the exception of two or three years from 1852 until the pigeons disappeared completely in our district, I spent hours, more than once most of the day, observing the April flights. And every year of my observations I paid particular attention to the altitude, direction, contour, and the strata formation of the Spring flocks; also from what quarter they came and disappeared. Invariably the flocks which passed over my observation place first became visible in the East, well above the distant forest horizon, like mist or haze that, on nearer view, quickly became a flock of pigeons which, in like manner, faded from sight in the West; altitude about a quarter of a mile, and direction, a straight line from East to West; and all the flocks to right or left of me did likewise. Every year all the spring migration flocks re- sembled one another in contour very closely; all had strata formation; the small ones had only two or three strata, the large ones, about thirty or more, according to their size. In every case the lowest stratum was longest in every direction; each stratum above it to the top was one or two birds shorter than the stratum below it; hence, in every direction there was a slope from top to bottom; in every flock the front slope was the shortest, the rear one, the longest of all, and those of the sides were considerably longer than the front one. The space between the several strata appeared less than a foot, and all the birds of all February, 1932} the strata seemed to have only enough space sideways to move their wings freely. The strata of the large flocks were always lim- ited in number to less than forty. The lowest stratum of all the flocks was nearly as level and even as the surface of a lake on a calm day; so were all those aboveit. According tomy memory, the wings of all the birds of each flock moved synchronously with the wings of the leader. The speed of theSpring flight was estimated by many to be a mile a minute, and in my opinion this was not an exaggeration—always faster than all the other kinds of flights. And of all kinds, the distance from side to side was greater than from front to back. The date of the Spring migrations was always in April and on a fair day following a moonlit night; duration of the flights, part of a night and one day only. Never did a flock change its course or alight within the range of my sight. But wild pigeons were in the woods of the neighbourhood which must have alighted before daylight In the early 1850’s small and large flocks were so numerous as to dot the sky in every direction, and frequently a flock would darken the sun. After 1854 the Spring flocks became less numerous and about 1869 practically ceased in the neigh- | bourhood of Guelph—were still numerous farther West, especially in Michigan. THE LOCAL FLIGHTS OF OLD PIGEONS On their first arrival each year they were more numerous in places where beech, elm and oak nuts were plentiful, also, wherever cranberries and other proper food could be obtained. The con- tour of these flocks was irregularly roundish and had no strata,—in other words, it was fly as you please. In the woods and on short flights in open places, the pigeons flew low, but when the distance was more than a mile, they flew higher than our guns could reach. Soon a suitable site for a rookery or breeding place was located; it was always situated close to a river or creek and where fir trees were numerous; then their crude nests were built on the lower branches of all the near-by trees, eggs laid, hatched, and the young ones fed until they could fly. Some old observers maintained that the cock and hen took turns on the nest till the young pigeons could fly, while others declared that the cock merely carried food to the nest. %The base of the crude Passenger Pigeon’s nest consisted of small pieces of sticks on which leaves and feathers were laid, then some moss, and lastly, a little down. The centre of the nest was not much lower than the rim. Hence the nest was never placed on the upper branches of trees, where wind swayed them most, nor near the outer end THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 29 of long branches; but near the trunk the nests were placed very close to each other. All the nests examined by the writer had only one egg. It was said that the first food given to the young squabs was masticated by their parent birds—some said, swallowed, digested, and regurgitated. During the hatching season each year, the flights of the old pigeons went from the rookeries to the feeding places and back again; these flights often divided into two or more flocks, which took dif- ferent directions to wherever food could be found. In 1855 the last rookery near Guelph, a small one, was in what was then called Hatch’s Swamp. In those days the swamp extended a mile or more North along the Pound Creek from where to-day the Guelph Collegiate-Vocational Institute stands. Never afterwards was there a rookery within many miles of Guelph, but some lone pairs of the pigeons built a few nests along the River Speed, widely separated; these were the only nests that I had an opportunity of examining for I was too young at that time to visit a rookery. Old inhabitants of that time frequently spoke of an immense rookery that about 1835 extended on both sides of the River Speed from Guelph to Rockwood; within its bounds trees were broken down by the weight of the pigeons, and at the proper time wagon loads of the young birds could be easily obtained. The number of wild pigeons that came yearly varied; the year 1854 was a great pigeon year, and father west, so was 1868. LOCAL FLIGHTS OF YOUNG PIGEONS For about a week after they could fly, they were too weak to rise high and keep the pace of the old ones. They seldom flew higher than twelve feet above the ground except to pass over obstructions in their way. These flights were in the course of least obstruction from the rookery to a place where food was plentiful and back; they were never straight and often followed the course of a creek. In formation these flocks were longish, small, numerous and followed one another closely. ‘The morning flight took place at dawn, and the evening about 4 p.m. In the year of the rookery in Hatch’s Swamp there were few obstructions between the rookery and the feeding place on the higher ground to the south beyond the river; one of the highest was the embankment of the then named Grand Trunk Railway. On several occasions, when on my way home from school, I saw and watched the evening flight. Guelph sportsmen on the embankment shot many of the pigeons, and more were killed with sticks. At the period of the great rookery between Guelph and Rockwood a very large flight of the 30 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST young birds went for days within fifty yards of the home of the late much respected and worthy | Jonathan Oakes, who lived less than a mile south of the Village of Guelph. Whenever he wanted a dainty pie of tender pigeon-breasts, all he had to do was to take his fish pole, get behind a low bush in the line of flight, and sway it among the pigeons. This flight,—like several others from the rookery —appeared to be many miles in length, and narrowish. AUTUMN MIGRATION The Autumn Migration took place either late in September or early in October, according to the season; in consequence of my youth, I had no opportunity to observe this flight until the wild pigeon almost disappeared from within the limit of my observation. The few flocks that I saw were small, and as to altitude, swiftness, and strata formation, resembled those of the Spring Migra- tion, but they went in a straight line from the West to the East. [VoL. XLVI ADDITIONAL REMARKS In the neighbourhood of Guelph no wild pigeons were slaughtered at any time for sale. The small flocks from 1850 to 1854 consisted of one hundred to almost a thousand birds; the large ones, of a thousand birds to a million or more— few flocks, of several millions. No epidemic affected the wild pigeons in the neighbourhood of Guelph. It was the universal belief of writers and citizens that it was impossible to tame a wild pigeon; but does not my experience contradict this theory? The last wild pigeon that I saw—a lone hen— was in July, 1881. It sat on a dead branch on top of a tree near the river, opposite where the Ontario Reformatory now stands. It is generally known that the last living pigeon died in the Cincinnati Zoo in 1914; it was a hen bird, twenty years old at the time of its death. Under normal conditions, the life of the Wild Pigeon was prob- ably several years longer. PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES AND THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES By W. E. RICKER N A RECENT book on “The Species Problem”, G. C. Robson! has shown that the differences commonly used to separate species are usually not of adaptive value, although characters which dis- tinguish genera and higher groups are often obviously related to the habits of the organisms in question. The obvious inference from his discussion is that since specific characters are not usually of adaptive significance, species have not arisen by natural selection. If the morphological characters used by sys- tematists to separate species are the only differ- ences between them, this must be a valid conclu- sion. But if, existing alongside the more evident morphological traits and perhaps genetically “linked” with them, there is a physiological distinctness, natural selection may yet be effec- tive in species differentiation. Evidence of the physiological distinctness of closely related species is supplied by differences in metabolic products, by food preferences, or by different reactions to stimuli. Although such evidence may be obtained from practically every great division of the organic world, certain groups are better adapted to its demonstration than others. Dependent plants are particularly in- structive, because they offer an indication of small grades of physiological distinctness, in the 1 Edinburgh and London, 1928. nature of the sub-stratum or host from which they derive their food. A few examples may be con- sidered: BACTERIA Physiological reactions in pure culture such as production of indol and hydrogen sulphide, dia- static. action, relation to oxygen, nitrate produc- tion, etc., are now regularly used to define species and even genera among the bacteria. In many cases significant physiological differences are found between strains which are identical under the microscope. BASIDIOMYCETES In certain genera, especially among parasitic rusts, occur species or varieties which are distin- guished only by the host or type of substrate upon which they live. The wheat rust is espe- cially interesting. Within the species Puccinia graminis are several races, each of which attacks a particular host: one for rye, one for oats, one for wheat and certain native grasses, etc. Recent intensive work has shown that there are also slight morphological differences, as in the average size of the spores. Finally, within each of these races there are “biologic forms.’ In the wheat race a large number of these have been found, distinguishable only by the severity of their attack on various strains of wheat. It is reason- able to suppose that these forms and races are the initial stage of species formation and that the February, 1982] only significant differences between them are of a physiological nature. PISCES In the lakes of north-eastern North America fishes of the salmonoid genus Leucichthys are usually abundant. The genus consists of a great many closely related species, which are distin- guished morphologically by differences in the number of gil] raxers, length of fins, body propor- tions, ete. Neither Koelz nor Pritchard, who have studied these fish, was able to suggest how such characters could be of value in determining the present ecological distribution of the species, still less account for their origin. Their work suggests rather that the initial differentiation was physio- logical, and resulted in races adapted to different depths of water; the present morphological dif- ferences have been bolstered by their subsequent physical or sexual isolation. AVES Empidonax virescens and EH. minimus are two small American flycatchers whose appearance is so similar that only an expert can identify a museum skin. In the field, however, even an amateur naturalist cannot confuse the two; they differ conspicuously in note, habitat, structure and situation of the nest, and in their action and habits. It is evident that in this case very little structural change has as yet followed the origina! physiological distinction. In general it appears that the real differences between closely related species are physiological and that where morphological differences do characterize them that these are usually of secondary nature. Such considerations have led the author to the belief that in species formation, physiological changes precede morphological changes. Consider a species in the ranks of which a new physiological race has recently appeared. Be- cause of the different physiological reactions of the new race, it occupies a different habitat, perhaps a warmer one, or darker, or moister. This ecological isolation will prevent the new form’s interbreeding with the original one. As a result of this isolation, morphological peculiarities may ultimately come to characterize the new race. These might be the result of environmental selec- tion of certain types; they might be caused by the direct action of some factor in the new en- vironment, or they might be only an incidental THe CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 831 result of the changed metabolism of the creature. This hypothesis suggests an explanation for another fact of taxonomy: the ease with which species are often distinguished by secondary sexual characters, particularly among insects, birds, and certain Crustacea. Because of the mobility of the adult stages of these animals, it would be hard to effect the sexual isolation of a new race. For example, in an insect species a physiological variation may arise which fits the larva to inhabit a new ecological niche, quite apart from the larve of the original stock, yet the imagos may still intermingle and interbreed. The hybrids will not be so perfectly adapted to either available habitat, and might also be less fertile than the pure races; hence it is to the advantage of both races if interbreeding can be prevented. In such a case, natural selection will eagerly seize upon any variation which will keep the two apart. This may indeed be the only method of ensuring the survival of the new form. Among insects such variations take the form of peculiar colour patterns, or modifications of the genital appendages. The male of every North American species of the odonate genus Soma- tochlora has its superior anal appendages moulded into a distinctive shape, which exactly fits a corresponding groove on the back of the head of the female; so that it can copulate only with those of its kind. Libellula has undifferentiated appendages but cross-breeding is avoided by each species having a distinctive colour pattern. The origin of the brilliant plumage of many of our birds might also be explained in this way. SUMMARY The fact, now well established, that. morpho- logical differences separating species or races are only rarely of adaptive significance, suggests that these visible distinctions are merely incidental to a more fundamental physiological differentiation. The necessity for the isolation of new physiological forms, if they are to survive, may provide an explanation of the development of secondary sexual characters in some groups of animals. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This paper is written at the suggestion of Professor J. R. Dymond of the University of Toronto. The author is also indebted to other members of the staff of the departments of Biology and Botany for advice, criticism, and illustrations. FIGURE 1. 32 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST [VoLt. XLVI The Trans-Canada Highway in the foreground. THE MAMMILLARY MOUNDS OF THE BONNECHERE VALLEY* By M. E. WILSON HE VALLEY of the Bonnechere river to the west of the town of Renfrew is a plain- like area of fertile farm-land three miles wide, the uniform surface of which forms a striking contrast to that of the rocky Lauren- tian highlands that overlook the valley from either side. (Figure 1.) This flat area continues westward for about 10 miles where it gives place to the rolling topography characteristic of the surface of the boulder clay deposited by the melting away of the last glacial ice-sheet. Here and there along the western margin of the flat peculiar gently sloping mounds protrude above its surface. (Figure 1.) These mounds are not un- like the mounds found farther south in the United States that are believed to have been built by the pre-historic aboriginal inhabitants of North America. The mounds of the Bonnechere valley, however, are not the handiwork of man, but of nature. a “he yi) FI W® *Published with the permission of the Director of the Geological Survey, Department of Mines, Ottawa, Canada. Wherever the clay underlying the Bonnechere flat is exposed in the banks of the river, or in wells or other excavations, it is seen to be uniformly stratified and similar in every respect to the strati- fied clay that underlies the greater part of the lower Ottawa and St. Lawrence valleys, and which it is believed, because of the presence of the re- mains of sea-fish (Mallotus villosus), barnacles, and other evidence of marine life, was deposited during a marine submergence that advanced into this region following the disappearance of the last (Labradorean) ice sheet. At this time the whole Ottawa valley as far north as Maniwaki and at least as far west as Chalk River was a gulf of the sea from which the higher rock areas pro- truded as islands. As the clay particles held in suspension by the sea of this pre-historic Gulf of St. Lawrence settled to the sea bottom they were deposited more thickly in the depression between the knolls and hills of the glacial boulder clay and rock debris that covered the bed-rock surface, so thatin time the flat clay surface that now occupies The Valley of the Bonnechere River from the ‘‘Pinacle” a rocky knob overlooking the valley on the north. February, 1932] THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 33 Se ee FIGURE 2, Mammillary mounds in the Bonnechere Flat. the Bonnechere valley at Renfrew was developed. tionary stage in the development of the flat, the The peculiar-looking mounds that protrude from mounds being knolls of glacial materials not the surface of the flat represent merely a transi- completely buried by the stratified clay. MOLLUSKS FROM ST. JOSEPH’S ISLAND, ONTARIO, CANADA By HORACE G. RICHARDS University of Pennsylvania URING August, 1930, I was able to Helisoma campanulatum (Say) make a small collection of mollusks Gyraulus deflectus (Say) ery from the Canadian shores of the North Valvata tricarinata Say ase Channel of Lake Huron at Gravelly Amnicola limosa (Say) Point, St. Joseph’s Island, Ontario. Although Amnicola lustrica Pilsb. the list is small and differs only slightly from Cincinnatia binneyana Han. published lists from other parts of Georgian Campeloma rufum (Hald.) (young) Bay and northern Michigan, it is thought ad- Campeloma decisum Say visable to record it at this time. The following Pleurocera subulare (Lea) species were found:—(?) Gonyodiscus cronkhitei var. anthonyi (Pilsb.) GASTROPODA Succinea retusa Lea Lymnea palustris (Mull) Lymnea obrussa Say PELECYPODA Physa vinosa Gould _Helisoma antrosum (Conrad) Pisidium noveboracense Prime (?) Spherium solidulum (Prime) 1 am indebted to Mr. E. G. Vanatta for help in the identi- Anodonta marginata Say (?) fication of the specimens. A _ collection has been deposited Tie baie in the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. Lampsilis stliqguoidea Barnes. 34 ‘ THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST ° [VoL. XLVI “CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF EXTREME NORTH-EASTERN LABRADOR By BERNHARD HANTZSCH TRANSLATED BY M. B. A. ANDERSON “Beitrage zur Kenntnis des nordéstlichsten Labradors,”’ von Bernhard Hantzsch, Mitteilungen des Vereins fir Erd- kunde zu Dresden. Dresden, Volume 8, 1909, pp. 158-229. Volume 9, 1909, pp. 245-320. (Translated from the original German text in the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C., by M. B. A. Anderson, M.A., Ottawa, 1928.) ~ Original pagination given in the text. (Continued from page 12) Ursus maritimus Erxl. var. wungavensis ? (Knottn.-Mey.). Hisbar. Nennuk. POLAR BEAR 22 i From two skulls collected by me and now in the Royal Zoological Museum in Dresden, Theodor Knotterus-Meyer suspects that there is an independent subspecies of the polar-bear in our district: (Uber den Hisbiren und seine geograph- ischen Formen: Sitzungsberichte der Gesell- schaft Naturforschender Freunde zu Berlin, 1908, p. 181). Every year some individuals are killed during the winter months, occasionally near the houses; seen more rarely in summer, most regu- larly on Button Islands, where at the beginning of August, 1906, three old animals were pursued by Paksau, who was to be my companion later, and another Eskimo. A skin is worth six to fifteen dollars 28 Ursus americanus sornborgeri Bangs. Labrador-Bar. Buack Bear. Aklak24 Rarely comes to the southern parts of this dis- trict. Skin is worth about three to five dollars. Gulo luscus (L.) Vielfrass. WOLVERINE. Kab- vik.—Rather rare, more in thesouth. Skin, three to five dollars. _ Mustela caurina brumalis Bangs. Marder, LABRADOR MARTEN. Kabviaitsik.—Seldom northward beyond the border of the forest. Schwarzer 2 Tharlarctos maritimus (Phipps). 23The Ungava Polar Bear, for which Knotterus-Meyer tentatively suggested the name Thalassarctos maritimus ungavensis on the basis of an adult female and a male cub collected by Bernhard Hantzsch, is considered of very doutbful tenability by many North American mammalogists, although admitted to the lists of Miller (1924) and Anthony (1928). In addition to the typical Polar Bear, T. maritimus (Phipps) with type locality Spitsbergen, Knotterus-Meyer (1908) recognized T. marinus Pallas (from mouth of Ob and Yenesei Rivers, Siberia), and described four additional new species: T. grenlandicus (East Greenland, wandering west to Julian- ehaab), T. spitzbergensis (North and West Spitsbergen, Seven Islands), T. jenaensis (Hast Spitsbergen, Jena Island), and T. labradorensis (Labrador coast, from 55° southward to New- foundland, and most southern points of Greenland). It hardly seems probable that such a widely-ranging holarctic species which spends much of its time on drifting ice-floes and is occasionally carried dawn as far as Iceland and New- foundland, should split into four races in the comparatively narrow limits around southern Greenland and the Labrador peninsula. Knotterus-Meyer’s diagnoses, while based upon elaborate skull measurements, no less than twenty-seven to each skull, appear to make little if any allowance for the wide range of individual variation which is so marked in a series of bears from any one region—R. M. Anderson. *4 This subspecies not now recognized.—R. M.A. ‘ ' Skin is worth ten to sixteen dollars. Putorius vison (Briss.) Mink. MINK. Kano- jorniut.—Not frequent in the southern part. Skin, six to twelve dollars Putorius cicognani (B.p.). Hermelin. HR- MINE. ‘Terriak.—Not rare. Observed by me twice. Winter skins worth up to twenty-five cents 27 Trichechus rosmarus L. Walross. ATLANTIC WaAtrRuS. Aivek.—At present has noticeably decreased in number in theze districts. It is said to be still secured most regularly in the vicinity of the Ikkerasak, as long as there is thick pack ice there. Four individuals observed by me once only. Flesh and stomach contents are relished, the blubber used as with seals, the thick skin cut into strips of leather. Among other things they make harpoon and kayak paddle tips from the tusks 23 There occur the following species of seals, Seehunden. Esximo, Puije: Cystophora cristata (Erxl.), Klappmititze. Net- sivak. HoopED SHAL.—Quite rare at present. Skin is worth two to six dollars, according to size. Halicherus grypus Fabr. GRAY SEAL. Grauer Seehund.—Apparently occurring only rarely. Phoca barbata Fabr. Bartrobbe. Ukjuk. BEARDED SEAL.—Frequent. Skin is worth one to four dollars29 jad Phoca_ vitulina concolor DeKay. Gemeiner Seehund. Kassigak. ATLANTIC HARBOUR SEAL.— © Not especially frequent; skin worth one-half to one dollar, that of younger animals worth the most. (2, Ze Phoca grenlandica Fabr. Grénlandischer See- hund. GREENLAND SEAL. Kairolik.—Frequent. Skin, fifty cents to three dollars.*? 28 The North Labrador Marten, which is listed by Miller (1924) and Anthony (1928) as Martes brumalis (Bangs) should undoubtedly be placed as a sub-species of the Eastern Ameri- can Marten and stand as Martes americana brumalis (Bangs). The marten, where not driven out by civilization or trapped out, range from southern Canada to the northern limit of trees without any appreciable dividing line, and are more or less variable in any district. The Martes caurina group is now understood to be restricted to the Rocky Mountians - and Pacific coast districts—R.M.A. 26 Putorius vison (Briss.) MINK. Mink. Kanojorniut- Not frequent in the southern part. Skin six to twelve dollars. 27 Bonaparte Weasel. Probably here the typical form Mustela cicognanni cicognanni Bonaparte-—R.M.A. 28 The walrus is now placed in genus Odobenus Brissen ae species stands as Odobenus rosmanus (Linnaeus).— 29 The Bearded Seal is now placed in the genus Hrignathus Gill (1866) and the species stands as Hrignathvs barbatus (Erxleben).—R.M.A. 80 The Greenland Seal, Harp Seal or Saddle-back now stands as Phoca granlandica Erxleben.—R.M.A. February, 1932] Phoca hispida Schreb. Ringelrobbe. RINGED SEAL. Netsek.—By far the most common species. Skin worth twenty to sixty cents. Killinek has the reputation of being the district which has the greatest abundance of seals among the Moravian stations in Labrador. Hunting begins as early as March or April. For this purpose they start out with dog-sleds for localities where the female seals are accustomed to give birth to their young, for example, Operngevik, which means spring hunting place. The young seals, yellowish white in colour, which do not go out into the water as yet, are lying in sheltered cavities on ice-cakes. The Eskimos beat or kick the helpless little creatures to death, and are often able to capture the anxious mother too, that stays watchfully nearby. They like to make coats for small children from the beautiful soft pelts of the young. Later in the year the seals are: pursued in the kayak, and shot at with guns whenever their heads rise above the surface of the water. If the seals are swimming in deeper water, then as a rule small shot is used to wound them only. Then the Eskimos follow the crea- tures which soon become weaker from loss of blood, as quickly as possible, until they are close enough to harpoon them. If the seal dies before- hand, it sinks and in most cases is lost. But in the Autumn the animals are often so fat, that they float on the surface. If the seals are lying on the ice-cakes or swimming in shallow coast waters, the hunters prefer to shoot at the head or the heart in order to cause immediate death, which occurs very easily with these animals. A large bright red, bloody surface marks the spot where the prize sank under the water. It is pulled up witha large hook or a noose, a thong is pulled through the nose or fin-like feet and it is tied to the kayak. Probably half of the seals shot or killed are lost, since the animals are hunted with guns and no longer merely with harpoons as in former years. As a more sensible way the autumn hunt must be mentioned, which is carried on with great zest at Killinek, as long as the sea is entirely free of ice. They shut off the neighbouring inlets with im- mense large-meshed nets, the swimming seals become entangled in the mesh-work, cannot escape, and being mammals, soon drown. About 800 were collected in 1906 in this way at Killinek, along with sixty white whales. (Missions Blatt der Briider Gemeine, 1907, p. 271.) During these weeks life at the station has no other interest than the hunt. Everyone, from Eskimo child to missionary is busy with it. In my time only a few people possessed any nets; the others rented such nets from the station, but had to turn in half the catch. The thought THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST OD occurs, that much damage is done to the valuable nets, especially by sharks or by ice which suddenly appears. Whenever the weather permits at all, they inspect the nets once or twice a day. This must be done quietly and carefully. [P. 256.] The captured seals are often permitted to bleed to’ death in the water, and are brought near the store-houses on the beach. That is the men’s work. In rather severe cold now begin the duties of the women, which are by no means easy. They lay the animals on their backs, cut the body from the chin to the tail with a semi-circular- shaped knife (Ullo), which has a handle, and cuts down deep through the layer of blubber, which is under the skin, until the dark flesh is visible. Then they skilfully and quickly peel off the blubber with the attached pelt, in a quarter to three-quarters of an hour, according to the size of the animal. As a rule the outer part of the webbed flippers are cut off and at last the flexible blubber-lined hide lies on one side, the slender body deprived of its fat, on the other. The best pieces of the flesh, the liver, etc., are kept for their own use, though for this purpose they prefer the animals which have been shot to those drown- ed. They keep the less desirable pieces as winter food for the dogs; the remainder, especially the entrails, they give the dogs at once. The greedy creatures pull and tear at the long intestines, and cover themselves with blood and other less plea- sant matter, so that they seem very uninviting in appearance and odour. But this time is the great time of the year for the dogs, in which they stuff themselves up to the neck and thus acquire strength for the work of the winter. Ina special blubber house near which as noted I had my strong smelling work room for eight days, the layer of blubber is separated from the skins. Much skill is needed for this task, not to cut into the soft hide with the knife, sharp asahair. Then the skins are salted down mostly in casks for later export in this condition. They dry other skins as far as the weather of the late season permits, spreading out the skins wide. The subsequent dressing, which is necessary if the skins are to be used for clothing material, consists mostly of freezing several times, thawing, kneading and squeezing, and finally careful washing in strong hot soda or soapy water, in order to remove the fat. Women who can prepare the thick hides neatly and make them comparatively soft, such as the skins of the bearded seal, which are used for boots particularly, are looked upon with favour by the men. Such blubber as is destined for export is cut up into strips by selected blubber-women, who do not look particularly attractive during this 36 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST work. Itis then ground up with simple machines, the resulting mass distilled in large vats, the oil placed in casks, the residium used as dog-food. In some family households the beautiful old’ custom is still in vogue, where the women cut off strips of blubber, put it in their mouths, work it with their teeth, and spit the liquid chewed from the blubber in the shallow blubber lamp where it serves as material for burning. Old women have their molar teeth worn down to the gum from this [VoL. XLVI work, and have only short broad incisor and cuspid teeth. [P. 257]. They occasionally use the dried and stretched out entrails for window panes, as they do caribou sinew for thread. Sorex merriami miscix, Bangs. Spitzmaus. SHREW. Uksunavik.—Probably only in the south of this district.*! (To be continued) 31 Sorex cinereus muscix Bangs.—R.M.A. AN ANNOTATED LIST OF VASCULAR PLANTS COLLECTED ON THE NORTH SHORE OF THE GULF OF ST. LAWRENCE, 1927-1930 By HARRISON F. LEWIS (Continued from page 18) LEGUMINOSA TRIFOLIUM PRATENSE L., var. EXPANSUM Hausskn. Betchewun, September 3, 1929, grassy clear- ing. Natashquan, September 10, 1927, turf near house. Recorded by St. John as Trifolium pratense L. TRIFOLIUM REPENS L. St. Mary Islands, July 25, 1927, turf near boathouse on the western island. TRIFOLIUM HYBRIDUM L. Natashquan, August 5, 1927, grassy roadside. *TRIFOLIUM AGRARIUM L. Matamek River, September 5, 1928, door- yard, and Natashquan, August 5, 1927, grassy roadside, Vicia CRACCA L. Natashquan, August 7, 1927, wooded road- side. The Bluff Harbour, August 1, 1927, at site of an old building on big island. *Astragalus Fernaldt (Rydb.) n. comb. Atelophragma Fernaldi Rydberg, Bull. Bot. Club, 55: 126, 1928. Ile au Bois, July 7, 1930, turf on sand just above outer beach. Comparison made with paratype, M. L. Fernald and K. M. Wiegand Coll., No. 3632, Blane Sablon, August 6, 1910, now No. 93148 in Nat. Herb. of Canada, which shows fruits but no corollas. Rydberg, in his original description of the species, says, “corolla purple”, but the material seen growing by me, which was all in anthesis, had much paler corollas, near the “French Gray” or ‘Lilac Gray” of Ridgway’s “Color Standards and Nomenclature”, 1912. *Oxytropis johannensis Fernald. Ile au Bois, July 7, 1930, turf on sand just above outer beach. Abundant, far out-number- ing Astragalus Fernaldi, in close association with which it was growing. Torr. Lathyrus maritimus (L.) Big., aleuticus Greene. St. Mary Islands, July 23, 1927, turf near shore of eastern island. Whale Head, July 10, 1927, turfy bank near Jas. Mauger’s harbour. Net Island, July 4, 1927, in moss and lichens on low, rocky point. Recorded by St. John as Lathyrus maritimus (L.) Big. Lathyrus palustris L. var. pilosus (Cham.) Ledeb. Wolf Bay, July 31, 1927, low, grassy flat near shore of the island called ‘“‘The Black Land’’. var. CALLITRICHACEA Callitriche palustris L. Kegaska, September 4, 1927, in 3 inches of water in slow-flowing brook. St. Mary Islands, July 23, 1927, small pool in rock on eastern island. Callitriche anceps Fernald. Bradore Bay, August 27, 1927, in 1 foot of water in slow-flowing brook on calcareous sandstone. EMPETRACEA Empetrum nigrum L. Fright Island, June 4, 1927, edge of spruce and fir woods on high bank. Natashquan, May 15, 1928, matted by the roadside on a rocky hill and shedding pollen on this date. One of the most abundant vascular plants of the region. Empetrum atropurpureum Fernald & Wiegand. Seven Islands, September 11, 1928, sandy roadside. Thunder River, September 2, 1928, granitic crest. Mascanin, August 20, 1928, granitic crests. Harrington Harbour, July 25, 1928, edge of vegetation on granite at shore of mainland. Sholiaban, July 28, 1928, edge of vegetation on granite near shore of mainland. Also observed at Hospital Island (Harrington Harbour), Baie Johan Beetz, and Magpie. February, 1932] Particularly abundant and luxuriant at Mas- canin, along crest of rocky ridge of mainland, on west side of bay. Recorded by St. John only from ‘‘Archipel de St. Augustin: ile des Gené- vriers, rocky crest”. All of the stations at which I found it are farther west than this. Range extension, 372 miles W. a Empetrum Hamsti Fernald & Wiegand. Bonne Esperance, August 22, 1927, rocky crest of island. Salmon Bay, August 23, 1927, bare, high, rocky part of Caribou Island. AQUIFOLIACEA Nemopanthus mucronata (L.) Trel. Mascanin, August 20, 1928, dry hillside. Mutton Bay, July 28, 1928, hillside thicket. ACERACEA Acer spicatum Lam. Betchewun, August 26, 1928, border of woods. BALSAMINACEZ# Impatiens biflora Walt. Kegaska River, August 15, 1928, small ravine on a small island near the mouth of the river. Romaine, September 2, 1927, foot of sandy bank. Wolf Bay, July 31, 1927, on the island called ‘‘The Black Land”. Harrington Har- bour, July 25, 1928, wet alder thickets on sand beside shore of mainland. Recorded by St. John from ‘“Mingan islands: Eskimo island” only. Range extension 189 miles E. RHAMNACEA Rhamnus alnifolia L’Heér. Betchewun, August 26, 1928, damp coniferous woods. GUTTIFERA Hypericum boreale (Britton) Bicknell. Mingan, August 30, 1928, sand flat beside Mingan River. CISTACEZ& Hudsonia tomentosa Nutt., var. intermedia Peck. Seven Islands, September 11, 1928, in sandy woods of Pinus Banksiana, half a mile from shore. { VIOLACEZ Viola nephrophylla Greene. Kegaska, June 28, 1928, shallow turf near shore on Green Island. Recorded by St. John from “region of Mingan islands” only. Range extension, 80 miles E. Viola pallens (Banks) Brainerd. Wolf Bay, June 18, 1928, sheltered turf on the island called ‘‘The Black Land”. Mutton Bay, July 9, 1927, very wet sphagnum beside brook in basaltic dyke ravine. La Tabatiére, July 7, 1927, grassy area at head of cove, and THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 37 July 21, 1928, wet ground beside thicket. Bradore Bay, June 25, 1927, and June 28, 1927, wet brookside on calcareous sandstone. *Viola pallens (Banks) Brainerd x incognita Brainerd. Harrington Harbour, June 20, 1927, brushy ravine. Viola incognita Brainerd. Betchewun, August 25, 1928, among tall grass and nettles on Gun Island. Watshishu, May 26, 1928, in bloom among low bushes on crest of knoll on granitic island. Natashquan, August 9, 1927, shady roadside in village. Viola renifolia Gray, var. Brainerdii (Greene) Fernald. Fright Island, June 4, 1927, damp, mossy, open placesnearshore. Eskimo Island, Mingan Islands, August 28, 1928, coniferous woods at foot of limestone cliff. Reported by St John from Blanc Sablon only. Range extension, 313 miles W. Viola labradorica Schrank. Betchewun, June 5, 1927, grassy area on limestone near shore. Bradore Bay, June 25, 1927, damp humus near brook-bed on calcar- eous sandstone. *VIOLA TRICOLOR L. Betchewun, September 3, 1929, dooryard of uninhabited house. Given by St. John as hypothetical. ELZAGNACEA Shepherdia canadensis (L.) Nutt. Fright Island, June 4, 1927, on sandy area just back of beach. ONAGRACEZS Epilobium angustifolium L. Natashquan, August 7, 1927, burned woody bank. Epilobium latifolium L. Mingan, August 30, 1928, sand bar in Mingan River. Epilobium palustre L. St. Mary Islands, July 23, 1927, crevices in rock near shore of eastern island. Epilobium palustre L., var. monticola Hausskn. Wolf Bay, July 31, 1927, wet sphagnum on the island called “The Black Land’’. Epilobium palustre ., var. longirameum Fernald & Wiegand. Ste. Genevieve Island, August 23, 1928, wet area just above beach. Sholiaban, July 23, 1928, dooryard. Not recorded by St. John west of ‘‘Archipel du Petit-Mécatina: iles Neta- gamiou”’. Range extension, 161 miles W. Epilobium glandulosum Lehm. Rock near Fog Island, August 9, 1928, crevice in rock. Wapitagun, July 30, 1927, f 38 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST crevices in exposed rock near shore of outer islands. *Hpilobium glandulosum Lehm., var. adenocaulon (Hausskn.) Fernald. Natashquan, August 7, 1927, base of burned bank beside fresh marsh. Romaine, August 11, 1928, foot of sandy bank at top of beach. *E'pilobium glandulosum Lehm., var. cardiophyllum Fernald. Harrington Harbour, July 25, 1928, alder thicket on sand and clay bluff beside shore of mainland. *Oenothera muricata L. Natashquan, August 5, 1927, sand dunes. Circea alpina L. Natashquan, August 5, 1927, moist, shady woods. St. Mary Islands, July 27,1927, damp, loose soil of brown humus on Cliff Island. La Tabatiére, July 21, 1928, wet, shaded humus soil HALORAGIDACE Hippuris vulgaris L. Cormorant Rocks, southeast of Cape Whittle, July 17, 1927, wet ground in hollow on small island. *Hippuris vulgaris L., f. fluviatilis Hoffm. Baie Johan Beetz, August 22, 1928, small, slow-flowing brook. Blanc Sablon, August 26, 1927, Blanc Sablon River. Hippuris vulgaris L., var. maritima Hartm. The Bluff Harbour, August 1, 1927, pool in brackish marsh on big island. ARALIACEA Aralia hispida Vent. Natashquan, August 5, 1927, woody road- side bank. Observed also at Seven Islands, Mingan, and Mascanin. Recorded by St John from Mingan only. Range extension, 104 miles W. and 98 miles E. Aralia nudicaulis L. La Tabatiére, July 7, 1927, wooded bank near shore. UMBELLIFERA *Cicuta maculata L. Betchewun, August 26, 1928, damp hollow near dwelling. Cicuta bulbifera L. ; Kegaska, September 4, 1927, bank of brook, and August 14, 1928, among grass and sedges in a marsh on Green Island. Recorded by St. John from “Mingan islands: ile du Havre’”’ only. Range extension, 122 miles E. Ligusticum scothicum L. The Bluff Harbour, August 1, 1927, rocky beach of biz island. Celopleurum lucidum (L.) Fernald. Wapitagun, July 15, 1927, turfy hilltop on [VoL. XLVI island. St. Mary Islands, July 24, 1927, turfy slope on western island. Heracleum lanatum Michx. St. Mary Islands, July 22, 1927, damp vale at head of cove on eastern island. : Conioselinum chinense (L.)-B.S.P. Betchewun, August 26, 1928, field. Natash- quan, August 7, 1927. *Angelica laurentiana Fernald. St. Mary Islands, July 22, 1927, beach just above rocky shore of middle island. St. Augus- tin Island, July 19, 1928, damp, rich soil. Frequent on outer islands and promontories. Fernald (1928) cites several collections from points on the north shore of ane Gulf of St. Lawrence. CORNACEA Cornus canadensis L. Whale Head, July 10, 1927, turfy bank at James Mauger’s harbour. *Cornus canadensis L., var. intermedia Farr. Bradore Bay, June 30, 1927, mossy woods on granitic rock near head of bay. Cornus suecica L. Bradore Bay, June 28, 1927, wet, gravelly hillside on caleareous sandstone. In 1928 first found in bloom at The Bluff Harbour on June aon Cornus stolonifera Michx. Betchewun, August 26, 1928, bush in clese ing. anaalen, August 15, 1928, thicket back of mussel-shell beach on ere Island. ERICACEZ Moneses uniflora (L.) Gray. Natashquan, August 9, 1927, shady, open woods, and June 27, 1928, border of pond in sandy woods. Wolf Bay, August 18, 1927, beside path in coniferous woods. Cove near Rapide Lessard, Little Rigolet, July 20, 1928, mossy forest floor in coniferous woods. Pyrola minor L. Thunder River, September 2, 1928, shaded, grassy bank of rivulet in mixed woods. Not recorded by St. John west of Mingan Islands. Range extension, 27 miles W. *Pyrola secunda L. Mingan, August 31, 1928, border of sandy woodland road. Natashquan, August 9, 1927, white spruce woods on sand dunes. Recorded by D. N. Saint-Cyr from Eskimo Island,. but placed in a hypothetical category by St. John, because of confusion of records accompanying Saint-Cyr’s specimens. Recorded from an indefinite locality (‘depuis Godbout jusqu’a Moisie’’) by Lemay (1923). Pyrola secunda L., var. obtusata Turez. Ste. Genevieve Island, August 23, 1928, February, 1932] shaded, mossy bank just above shore. Blanc ‘Sablon, August 26, 1927, wooded hollow beside falls of Blane Sablon River, west side of river. Not recorded by St. John east of Mingan Islands. Range extension, 285 miles E. *Pyrola chlorantha Sw. Mingan, August 30, 1928, just ane border of coniferous woods on south side of Ile du Havre. Recorded by D. N. Saint-Cyr from Ile Ste. Genevieve and Ile aux Calculeaux (Gun Island), but placed in a hypothetical cate- gory by St. John, because of confusion of records accompanying Saint-Cyr’s specimens. Pyrola asarifolia Michx., var. incarnata (Fisch.) Fernald. Betchewun, June 3, 1928, roadside in conifer- ous woods. Ste. Genevieve Island, August 23, 1928, top of limestone shingle beach. Monotropa uniflora L. Natashquan, August 11, 1927, in decayed sphagnum and lichens on shaded rim of a de- pression on a granitic c:est. Wolf Bay, August 13, 1927, beside path in coniferous woods. Aylmer Sound, August 18, 1927, be- neath low branches of dwarf conifers. Monotropa Hypopitys L. Wolf Bay, August 13, 1927, beside path in coniferous woods Not recorded by St. John east of ‘Ile Ste. Genevieve”. Range extension, 128 miles E. Ledum grenlandicum Oeder. Lake Island, July 18, 1927, border of woods on tundra. Mutton Bay, July 9, 1927, sloping hillside. Generally distributed. In 1928 first seen in flower at Kegaska River, on June 23. Rhododendron canadense (L.) B.S.P. Mainland west of Net Island, July 5, 1927, sheltered hollows on hillside. Generally dis- tributed, but rarer near the eastern end of the coast. In 1928 first found in bloom at Coacoa- cho on June 19. Loiseleuria procumbens (L.) Desv. Lake Island, June 13, 1928, exposed granitic crests. Mistanoque Island, June 24, 1927, bare, rocky, granitic crest. Bradore Bay, June 28, 1927, turfy hillside on calcareous sandstone. *Phyllodoce cxrulea (L.) Bab. Bradore Bay, June 30, 1927, quartz slope near head of bay, On July 22, 1929, this species was found to be common, particularly in gullies and ravines, between the head of Bradore Bay and Mount Cartier, which is situated about five miles northeastward from the head of the bay. Reported ashypothetical by St. John. Kalmia angustifolia L. The Bluff Harbour, August 1, 1927, turfy hillside. Wolf Bay, August 13, 1927, mossy THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 39 wood-road. La Tabatiére, July 21, 1928, open, coniferous woods. Kalmia polifolia Wang. Mutton Bay, July 9, 1927, wooded hollow. Bradore Bay, June 28, 1927, wet, boggy hilltop on calcareous sandstone, and June 30, 1927, bushy tundra at head of bay. Generally dis- tributed. In 1928 first found in bloom at,Coa- coacho on June 19. Andromeda glaucophylla Link. Mutton Bay, July 9, 1927, damp turf on granite. Dukes Island, July 7, 1928, turfy slope. Bradore Bay, June 28, 1927, wet, boggy hilltop on calcareous sandstone. Generally distributed. Chamexdaphne calyculata (L.) Moench. Natashquan, May 24, 1928, in bloom. Bragg’s Harbour, June 11, 1927, bog-covered island. Harrington Harbour, June 20, 1927, boggy turf on granite. Bradore Bay, June 28, 1927, damp earth among low fir and spruce on caleareous sandstone. Generally distributed. *Epigea repens L. Seven Islands, September 7, 1928, on dry, flat, sandy land, among Pinus Banksiana. Its presence here has been previously recorded by the writer. (Lewis, 1926). A record for this plant at an indefinite locality (“depuis Godbout jusqu’a Moisie’) was published by Lemay (1923), and doubtless deserves to stand, in spite of adverse comment of St. John (1925). Arctostaphylos Uva-ursi (L.) Spreng., var. coactilis Fernald & MacBride. Seven Islands, September 7, 1928, upper border of sandy beach. Mingan, August 31, 1928, sandy roadside. St. Genevieve Island, August 23, 1928, top of solid limestone shore. Arctostaphylos Uva-ursi (L.) Spreng., var. adeno- tricha Fernald & MacBride. Betchewun, June 5, 1927, open limestone area near shore. Arctostaphylos alpina (L.) Spreng. St. Charles Island, August 2, 1930, talus below limestone cliff. The Bluff Harbour, June 14, 1927, shallow turf on granite island. Harrington Harbour, August 1, 1928, rocky hillside. Chiogenes hispidula (L.) T. & G. Kegaska, August 14, 1928, stump in clearing in coniferous woods. Bradore Bay, June 30, 1927, mossy woads. Generally distributed. Vaccinium pennsylvanicum Lam. Mascanin, August 20, 1928, cleft in exposed granite. Pointe au Maurier, July 138, 1927, wooded hollow in tundra. Bradore Bay, June 30, 1927, mossy woods. Vaccinium pennsylvanicum Lam., loides (Michx.) Fernald. var. myrtil- 40 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST Magpie, September 1, 1928, thicket in open, sandy woods. Reported by St. John from “Natashkwan” only. Range extension, 119 miles W. Vaccinium pennsylvanicum Lam., var. angusti- folium (Ait.) Gray. Mutton Bay, July 9, 1927, crack in granite cliff. Mainland west of Net Island, July 5, 1927, upper border of wooded valley. Bradore Bay, June 28, 1927, damp earth among low fir and spruce on calcareous sandstone. Vaccinium uliginosum L., var. alpinum Bigel. Mistanoque Harbour, June 24, 1927, bare, rocky hill-crest. Blane Sablon, July 11, 1928, tundra on gneiss plain, east side of river. Recorded by St. John as Vaccinium uliginosum L. Vaccinium uliginosum L., var. pubescens Lange. Bradore Bay, June 28, 1927, turfy hillside on calcareous sandstone. Vaccinium Vitis-idea L., var. minus Lodd. Lake Island, July 18, 1927, level turf. La Tabatiére, July 7, 1927, rocky crest. Vaccinium Oxycoccos L. Lake Island, July 18, 1927, sphagnum bog. Pointe au Maurier, July 13, 1927, wet sphagnum on rock near shore. DIAPENSIACEZ# Diapensia lapponica L. Bragg’s Harbour, June 11, 1927, bog-covered island. Bradore Bay, June 28, 1927, wet, boggy hilltop on calcareous sandstone. PLUMBAGINACEAG *Armeria labradorica Wallr., var. submutica Blake, f. glabriscapa Blake. Greenly Island, July 6, 1930, turfy bank. PRIMULACEZ# Primula laurentiana Fernald. Seven Islands, September 12, 1928, small limestone island (Caye a Chaux), close north- east of Manowin Island. Betchewun, June 6, 1927, grassy open areaon Gun Island. Kegaska, June 23 1928, mussel-shell detritus near shore of Green Island. Fog Island, August 9, 1928, turfy slope. Wapitagun, July 14, 1927, grassy area near shore of Matchiatik Island. St. Augustin, July 19, 1928, shallow turf on gran- itic island in the group of islands called St. Augustin Square. Recorded by St. John as [VoL. XLVI Primula farinosa L., and varieties macropoda Fernald and incana (M. E. Jones) Fernald. The Wapitagun collection has been cited by M. L. Fernald (1928). *Primula laurentiana Fernald, f. Fernald. St. Mary Islands, July 27, 1927, wet, mossy swale on Puffin Island, close to Cliff Island. Cited by M. L. Fernald (1928). Primula egaliksensis Wormskj. St. Charles Island, August 2, 1930, talus below limestone cliff. St. Mary Islands, July 22, 1927, gravelly patch at top of rock shore on middle island, and July 23, 1927, small patches of vegetation close to shore on middle island. St. Augustin, July 19, 1928, common in thin, mossy turf near shore of islands in the group of islands called St. Augustin Square. Recorded by St. John (as P. egalliccensis Wormskj. ex Lehman) from ‘‘Charnay: pointe au Maurier, mossy bank on island off” only. Range exten- sion 158 miles W. and 81 miles E. These col- lections from St. Mary Islands are cited by M. L. Fernald (1928), who at the same time cites collections by Frére Marie-Victorin and Frére Rolland from several points in the region of the Mingan Islands, including St. Charles Island. Androsace septentrionalis L., var. robusta St. John. Ste. Genevieve Island, June 17, 1929, crevices in limestone boulder on upper margin of beach. Collected by E. C. Abbe. Lysimachia terrestris (L.) B.S.P. Kegaska, August 14, 1928, sedgy bank of sheltered cove. Wolf Bay, August 7, 1928, in 4 inches of water in pond near houses. Harring- ton Harbour, September 1, 1927, in 1 inch of water near margin of shallow pond. Not recorded by St. John east of “riviere Etama- miou’”’. Range extension, 28 miles E. Trientalis borealis Raf. Bradore Bay, June 380, 1927, in mossy woods near head of bay. Generally distributed. Glaux maritima L., var. obtusifolia Fernald. Lake Island, July 29, 1927, upper part of sheltered, marshy,-salt water shore. Aylmer Sound, August 18, 1927, bare mud in brackish marsh, west side of Little Mecatina Island. Not recorded by St. John east of “Charnay: pointe au Maurier’. Range extension, 26 miles E. chlorophylla (To be continued) February, 1932] CHRISTMAS BIRD CoMox, VANCOUVER ISLAND, B.C.—(Cour- tenay to Point Holmes). Ist and 2nd January, 1932. Very dull, wind light easterly. 'Tempera- ture around 45°. Distance 10 miles, mainly along river and shore line. Guthrie and Pearse together, Laing alone. Owing to stormy weather and bad light impossicle to complet2 area in one day. Weather for some time previous very stormy with wind and rain. The Hepburn’s Rosy Finches (together) were studied at range of a few feet. Lesser Loon, 20*; Pacific Loon, 20*; Red- throated Loon, 1; Holboell’s Grebe, 6; Horned Grebe, 60; Western Grebe, 100*; Pelagic Cor- morant, 10; Northwestern Coast Heron, 9; Common Canada Goose, 9; Common Mallard, 250*; Baldpate, 95; Greater Scaup Duck (chiefly) and Lesser Scaup Duck, 1000; American Golden- eye, 700* ; Barrow’s Golden-eye, 5; Buffle-head, 100*; Western Harlequin Duck, 24; White- winged Scoter, 2500*; Surf Scoter, 1500*; Ameri- can Scoter, 100*; Hooded Merganser, 3; Ameri- can Merganser, 5; Red-breasted Merganser, 22; Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1; Cooper’s Hawk, 1; Northern Bald Eagle, 1; Oregon Ruffed Grouse, 1; California Quail, 1; Ring-necked Pheasant, 4; American Coot, 23; Killdeer, 40; Red-backed Sandpiper, 150*; Sanderling, 1; Glaucous-winged Gull, 500*; Herring Gull, 1; Short-billed Gull, 400*;California Murre, 25; Belted Kingfisher, 4; Northwestern Flicker, 20; Harris’ Woodpecker, 2; Gairdner’s Woodpecker, 1; Steller’s Jay, 2; Northern Raven, 2; Northwestern Crow, 250; Chestnut-backed Chickadee, 60*; Red-breasted Nuthatch, 1; Creeper (subsp.), 1; Western Winter Wren, 22; Seattle Wren, 19; Western Robin, 60; Pacific Varied Thrush, 3; Eastern Golden-crowned Kinglet, 35*; Western Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 1; Cedar Waxwing, 1; Northwestern Shrike, 1; English Sparrow, 2*; Western Meadowlark, 6; Western Evening Grosbeak, 7; California Purple Finch, 100*; Hepburn’s Rosy Finch, 2; Northern Pine Siskin, 120*; Oregon Towhee, 29; Oregon Junco, 300*; Sooty Fox Sparrow, 4; Rusty Song Sparrow, 18. Total: 65 species, 8761 individuals. —D. GUTHRIE, THEED PEARSE, H. M. LaING. QUALICUM BEACH, VANCOUVER ISLAND, B.C.— December 25, 1931. Latter half of afternoon, along shore-line from southern point of Qualicum Beach to and including Little Qualicum River tide-flats. Weather bleak, with strong N.E. wind and a drizzling rain, but no snow. Visibility * Estimated. Number probably greatér. THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 41 CENSUS RETURNS Higpoor. ht-power binoculars used. A _ poor, though representative, census. Loon (sp.), 5; Horned Grebe, 16; Brandt’s Cormorant, 1; Northwestern Coast Heron, 1; Black Brant, 4; Common Mallard, 2; Baldpate, 3; Green-winged Teal, 6; Greater Scaup Duck, 40; American Golden-eye, 62; Buffle-head, 60; White-winged Scoter, 35; Surf Scoter, 67; American Scoter, 39; Red-breasted Merganser, 3; Black Turnstone, 5; Glaucous-winged Gull, 222; Herring Gull (juveniles), 4; Short-billed Gull, 191; Northwestern Flicker, 2; Steller’s Jay, 1; Northwestern Crow, 56; Chestnut-backed Chickadee, 18; Western Winter Wren, 2; Seattle Wren, 1; Pacific Varied Thrush, 2; Western Golden-crowned Kinglet, 6; Eastern Ruby- crowned Kinglet, 1; Northwestern Red-wing, 2; Brewer’s Blackbird, 30; Northern Pine Siskin, 20; Oregon Towhee, 2; Oregon Junco, 11; Sooty Fox Sparrow, 4; Rusty Song Sparrow, 8. Total: 35 species, 932 individuals ARTHUR PEAKE. SUMMERLAND, OKANAGAN LAKE, BRITISH COL- UMBIA, December 20, 1931, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cloudy. No wind. Average tempearture 36°. 9 inches of snow in hills, none on lake-front nor benches. Penticton marsh on foot. By car from Penticton to Trout Creek Point, along lake-shore, 7 miles. Thence on foot 4 miles of lake front, adjoining fruit benches back to pine-clad hills, being the municipality of Summerland and Ex- perimental Station. Observers in three groups. Loon (sp.), 1; Horned Grebe, 9; Common Mallard, 8; Redhead, 150; Canvas-back, 2; Greater Scaup Duck, 6; American Golden-eye, 5; Buffle-head, 14; Red-breasted Merganser, 2; Pigeon Hawk, 1; California Quail, 423; Ring- necked Pheasant, 86; American Coot, 1500; Killdeer, 3; Wilson’s Snipe, 3; Herring Gull, 8; Short-eared Owl, 1; Eastern Belted Kingfisher, 5; Northwestern Flicker, 48; Hairy Woodpecker, 1; Batchelder’s Woodpecker, 4; Black-headed Jay, 2; American Magpie, 45; Raven, 2; Long-tailed Chickadee, 73; Mountain Chickadee, 24; Slender- billed Nuthatch, 4; Pygmy Nuthatch, 4; Dipper, 2; Western Winter Wren, 1; Tule Wren, 6; Townsend’s Solitaire, 1; Western Golden-crowned Kinglet, 3; Bohemian Waxwing, 235; North- western Shrike, 5; English Sparrow, 50; Red- winged Blackbird, 203; Brewer’s Blackbird, 50; Western Evening Grosbeak, 19; Common Red- poll, 92; Pale Goldfinch, 270; Shufeldt’s Junco, 500; Western Tree Sparrow, 2; Rusty Song Sparrow, 90. Total: 44 species, 3863 individuals. —Eric M. Tarr, HERBERT M. SIMPSON, T. 42 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST YOUNG, JR., AUBREY Breaas,‘S. A. LIDDELL. CAMROSE, ALBERTA.—(To Battle River and return). December 26, 10.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. Clear. 5 inches of snow, wind east, temperature at start zero, 2° above at return. Eighteen miles by car and six on foot. Observers generally in two parties. Gray Ruffed Grouse, 5; Prairie Sharp-tailed Grouse, 1; European Partridge, 25; Arctic Horn- ed Owl, 1; Montana Horned Owl, 1; Short-eared Owl, 12; gNorthern Pileated Woodpecker, | 1; Hairy Woodpecker, 2; Downy Woodpecker, 1; Northern Blue Jay, 5; American Magpie, 15; Long-tailed Chickadee, 20; Brown Creeper, 6; Eastern Golden-crowned Kinglet, 1; Evening Grosbeak, 1; Pine Grosbeak, 50; Hoary Red- poll, 5; Common Redpoll, 100. Total: 17 species (one represented by two subspecies), about 252 individuals. On December 24th, Messrs. Mc- Gregor and Twomey saw 1 American Rough- legged Hawk, about 25 Eastern Golden-crowned Kinglets and 2 Tree Sparrows. This is the first winter record of Kinglet and Tree Sparrows.— FRANK L. FARLEY, ARTHUR TWOMEY, HUGH McGREGOR, FRANK ARMSTRONG, VERNON CRAIG, CAL KNox and LOUIE FRANCOEUR. HAst BAY, LAKE DAUPHIN, MANn.—December 25. Very mild, temperature above freezing point; 6 inches of fresh snow. Ruffed Grouse, 4; Prairie Sharp-tailed Grouse, 27; Northern Pileated Woodpecker, 1; Eastern Hairy Woodpecker, 3; Northern Blue Jay, 3; Black-capped Chickadee, 12; White-breasted Nuthatch, 1; Eastern Evening Grosbeak, 5; Canadian Pine Grosbeak, 29. Total: 9 species, 85 individuals. A Western Meadowlark and a White-throated Sparrow with a broken leg are wintering here. A European Partidge was seen on the 10th.—EDWARD ROBINSON. WINNIPEG AND SURROUNDING MUNICIPALITIES, Man.—December 27, 1931. 18 observers in 10 parties in different directions. Cloudy to bright; light variable wind; 3 inches of snow underfoot; temperature, 30° to 34°. Ruffed Grouse, 4; Prairie Sharp-tailed Grouse, 34; Ring-necked Pheasant, 1; Snowy Owl, 2; Eastern Hairy Woodpecker, 3; Northern Downy Woodpecker, 5; Red-headed Woodpecker, 1; Northern Blue Jay, 41; Black-capped Chickadee, 122; White-breasted Nuthatch, 40; Bohemian Waxwing, 28; Eastern Evening Grosbeak, 13; Canadian Pine Grosbeak, 37; Common Redpoll, 10; Eastern Snow Bunting, 2. Total: 15 species, 343 individuals. Natural History Society of Manitoba; R. M. [VoL. XLVI BLAKELY, C. L. BROLEY, B. W. CARTWRIGHT, J. CARTWRIGHT, J. CLARK, J. C. COLLINSON, R. Fryer, R. L. HouipaAy, J. KENNEDY, A. G. LAWRENCE, N. LOWE, A. MAckig, T. McCartuy, A. W. Murpocu, H. C. PEARCE, R. RANKIN, F. J. Rocrers, M. R. WATT. Comment: The seven Winnipeg censuses clearly show the decline and gradual increase in numbers of the Prairie Sharp-tailed Grouse. In 1925, 21 were recorded; 1926, 8; 1927 and 1928, 0; 1929, 6; 1930, 9; 1931, 34. White-breasted Nuthatches show an almost continuous increase since 1925, when 9 were noted, rising to 40 in 1931. Black- capped Chickadees fluctuated in the Seven years as follows: in 1925, 42; 1926, 48; 1927, 16; 1928, 20; 1929, 33; 1980, 86; and 1931, 122. Northern Blue Jays also show a steep decline and increase, varying from 45 in 1925 to 18 in 1928, and 41 in 1931. On the other hand, Northern Downy and Eastern Hairy Woodpeckers were present in the usual small numbers. After an absence of five years from the bird census, Bohemian Waxwings were seen by four. parties but Eastern Snow Buntings, usually common winter visitors, were observed by only one party. No Canada Jays were found, although they were recorded in each of the last three cen- suses. The Northern Shrike, American Hawk Owl and Eastern Goshawk were also absentees. The only summer resident located was a Red- headed Woodpecker which is wintering (for the first time observed in Manitoba) in a telephone polein Winnipeg. On January 3a White-throated Sparrow, and on the 5th, a Slate-coloured Junco, were reported wintering on the river bank.—A. G. LAWRENCE. HAMILTON, ONTARIO.—December 26, 1931. 9am. to5 pm. Clear; light northwest wind; temperature 22° at 9 a.m., 28° at noon, 27° at 5 p.m. Ground bare, Bay open. Combined list of 14 observers, working in 7 parties, covering Burlington Bay, Dundas Marsh, and the escarp- ment west to Ancaster. Horned Grebe, 2; Common Mallard, 3; Black Duck, 63; Green-winged Teal, 2; Redhead, 2; Canvas-back, 1; Greater Scaup Duck, 460; American Golden-eye, 266; Old-squaw, 3; White- winged Scoter, 1; Hooded Merganser, 2; Ameri- - can Merganser, 2; Northern Red-shouldered Hawk, 1; Eastern Sparrow Hawk, 1; Canada Ruffed Grouse, 1; Ring-necked Pheasant, 4; American Coot, 2; Herring Gull, 1900+; Ring- billed Gull, 250+; Bonaparte’s Gull, 100; Eastern Hairy Woodpecker, 6; Northern Downy Wood- pecker, 17; Northern Blue Jay, 14; Black-capped Chickadee, 75; White-breasted Nuthatch, 21; Brown Creeper,'4; Eastern Robin, 1; Eastern February, 1932] Golden-crowned Kinglet, 1; Bohemian Wax- wing, 1 (brown under tail-coverts and other points noted); Cedar Waxwing, 100; Starling, 138; English Sparrow, 550+; Bronzed Grackle, 1; Eastern Purple Finch, 3; Northern Pine Siskin, 3; Eastern Goldfinch, 20; Slate-coloured Junco, 157; Eastern Tree Sparrow, 170; Eastern Song Sparrow, 10; 1200+ Ducks in centre of Bay, too far away to be identified. Total: 39 species, 5,558+ individuals. During the past week the following additional species have been seen: Gadwall, 3; Baldpate, 4; American Pin- tail, 6; Red-breasted Merganser, 7; American Rough-legged Hawk, 1; Eastern Screech Owl, 1; Eastern Crow, 1; Eastern Winter Wren, 1; Eastern Cardinal, 1; Eastern Fox Sparrow, 1 (Dr. McM.). Other species seen since census day are as follows: December 29, Eastern Mourning Dove, 52; December 31, Great Blue Heron, 1; White- throated Sparrow, 1; January 3, American Scoter, 2; Killdeer, 1; Glaucous Gull, 1; Great Black- backed Gull, 6; Eastern Belted Kingfisher, 1; Prair:e Horned Lark, 1; Eastern Red-wing, 2; January 4, Ring-necked Duck, 13; Lesser Scaup Duck (number?—ED.); Marsh Hawk, 1; Iceland Gull, 1. A Sharp-shinned Hawk was seen by Dr. MeMillan. The number of ducks on Burlington Bay, January 3rd and 4th, 1932, was as follows: Common Mallard, 25; Red-legged and Common Black Duck, 500; Gadwall, 3; Baldpate, 9; American Pintail, 3; Redhead, 9; Ring-necked Duck, 13; Canvas-back, 6; Greater Scaup Duck, 500; Lesser Scaup Duck, at least a few; Ameri- ean Golden-eye, 100; American Scoter, 2; Hooded Merganser, 3; American Merganser, 20; Red-breasted Merganser, 15. H. CARL NuNN, C. McQuestion, R. HaAIst, RoGER Nunn, C. A. HEAVEN, Dr. G. O. McMIL- LAN, Mrs. McMiuuan, J. H. WILLIAMS, M. JOHNSTON, Mrs. F. E. MACLOGHLIN, Mrs. J. G. FARMER, Miss FE. McEwIn, Miss G. BAUgR, G. W. NortH (Hamilton Bird Protection Society, Inc.). _ Lonpon, ONTARIO.—Mecllwraith Ornithological Club.—The Mellwraith Ornithological Club went out for the Census trip on Saturday, December 26th. The weather for some days preceeding Christmas had been very mild and rainy, but on the night of the 24th it turned very much colder and all Christmas day a bitter north-west wind blew filling us with misgivings both as to birds and weather for our outing on the 26th. We were delighted, however, to find:in the morning that although the air was cold and snappy, there was practically no wind, while a clear sky and hard, THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 43 bare ground made both observation good and walking a pleasure. We were well organized and all districts surrounding the city were pretty well covered so that the list of birds seen is about as complete as is possible from a one day’s census. Three cars loaded with an even dozen eager and energetic observers left the city (London) at 8 a.m. to drop parties at intervals along the road to Delaware, some fourteen miles west, the idea being thoroughly to cover the valley of the Thames River between Wonnacott’s farm and the city. At Byron bridge, Messrs. Harry, Will and Frank Girling were dropped. They walked through Springbank Park and along the street railway tracks to the coves, listing twenty species and doing a splendid piece of work. They had many > of the birds along this stretch already located and not only succeeded in finding them (one being the Chewink or Red-eyed Towhee), but also got a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (quite a rarity in winter), and a Pied-billed Grebe, the latter being the first winter record for the species for the county. The next stop was Kilworth where six got off: Messrs. W. E. Saunders, Verne Franks and Douglas Clark starting east towards Byron, while Messrs. Dale, Bob McLeod and Jack Watson walked west to Komoka bridge. The second party got an Hastern Mourning Dove, while together they accounted for most of the American Mergansers, American Golden-eyes and Herring Gulls, which were quite numerous along the river. The three remaining members of the party: Messrs. Eli Davis, J. C. Higgins and T. D. Patterson, then proceeded to Wonnacott’s farm, one of the most delighftul spots, from the view- point of a naturalist, in the London district. They made the second largest list for the day, nineteen, including a pair of Bald Eagles, one Northern Red-shouldered Hawk and one Eastern Red-tailed Hawk, four Eastern Winter Wrens and a flock of eight Northern Pine Siskins. While these parties were covering the country south of the river, Mr. J. F. Calvert along with Owen and Will Cousins and Ted Hutchison, scouted around north of the river between Hyde Park and Byron. On Christmas day Mr. Calvert had seen a Catbird near the bridge, but although they tried hard to locate it for the census, they were unable to do so. Mr. and Mrs. E. H. McKone took care of the territory surrounding their home, always a good place for birds, and succeeded in finding fourteen species, including a flock of Cedar Waxwings and also the only Sharp-shinned Hawk for the day. Mr. Roger Hedley looked after the district where he resides (Ilderton) and found two species not recorded by anyone else, a Marsh Hawk and a single Canadian Pine Grosbeak. Marsh Hawks, by the way, have been fairly common this winter. 44 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST Five were seen on December 12th, while one’s and two’s have been noted frequently. Judging by the number of hawks and owls on our list, mice must be abundant, a fact whichis borne out by the numbers of these small mammals, field mice, white-footed mice and shrews, caught by one of our members who had a line of traps in a near-by wood. In the afternoon there was a re-arrangement of some of the parties. The three Girling boys stuck together, however, and on a trip to Watson Street dump and the ‘‘Ponds’”’ added two more species to the day’s total, i.e., the Northern Shrike and a Ring-necked Duck. The latter was a bird that had been under observation for some time and constitutes our first winter rceord. It was fairly tame and when flushed did not fly far, giving the impression that it may be a left-over from the gunning season. Jack Watson decided to go rabbit hunting instead of birding in the afternoon, but just the same his party scared up in one field a flock of eight Short-eared Owls, one of the most interesting finds of the day. Messrs. C. G. Watson and J. R. McLeod worked close in to the city in the vicinity-of the coves and river banks rounding up a number of Song Sparrows and otherwise adding to the grand total. Two other parties in cars scoured around through the country to the north of the city, with American Rough-legged Hawks particularly in mind. Be- tween them they found five, also another Eastern Red-tailed Hawk and two Long-eared Owls. At sundown half a dozen of the most enthusias- tic met at Wonnacott’s farm to have supper round the camp fire, and to see if something could not, perhaps, be still added to the list. First of all an Eastern Screech Owl gave its quavering call, which, although not a new species, added one more to the total, and then about 9 p.m., when we had almost given up hope, old Bubo began to hoot, making No. 43 on the list and bringing to an end,if not a perfect day, at least one that had been very enjoyable and highly satisfactory to every one who had taken part in its activities. Date: December 26, 1931. Temperature: 8 a.m., 15°; 2 p.m., 45°; 10 p.m., 22°. Combined list of thirteen parties, seven working in the morning and six in the afternoon.’ Sky clear, ground bare and frozen hard. Wind light, N.W. Total observers, twenty-four. Pied-billed Grebe, 1; Ring-necked Duck, 1; American Golden-eye, 3; American Merganser, 119; Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1; Eastern Red-tailed Hawk, 2; Northern Red-shouldered Hawk, 1; American Rough-legged Hawk, 5; Northern Bald Eagle, 2; Marsh Hawk, 1; Canada Ruffed Grouse, 2; Ring-necked Pheasant, 10; Herring Gull, 22; Eastern Mourning Dove, 1; Eastern Screech Owl, {VoL. XLVI 5; Great Horned Owl, 1; Long-eared Owl, 2; Short-eared Owl, 8; Hastern Belted Kingfisher, 14; Northern Flicker, 3; Yellow-bellied Sapsuck- er, 1; Eastern Hairy Woodpecker, 6; Northern Downy Woodpecker, 33; Northern Blue Jay, 50; Hastern Crow, 725; Black-capped Chickadee, 157; White-breasted Nuthatch, 23; Brown Creeper, 14; Eastern Winter Wren, 4; Eastern Golden-crowned Kinglet, 54; Cedar Waxwing, 16; Northern Shrike, 1; Starling, 369; English Spar- row (numbers not counted); Eastern Cardinal, 27; Eastern Purple Finch, 20; Canadian Pine Grosbeak, 1; Northern Pine Siskin, 8; Eastern Goldfinch, 33; Red-eyed Towhee ,1; Slate-colour- ed Junco, 207; Eastern Tree Sparrow, 91; Song Sparrow, 15. Total: 43 species, 2060 individuals, plus English Sparrows. Eastern Robin seen daily up to the 25th, but could not be located on census day. Bronzed Grackle seen on December 15th; Eastern. Bob- white, covey of 18 on December 27th; and Com- mon Mallard and Black Ducks both on December 28th.—E. M. S. DALE, Chairman Census Com- mittee, McIlwraith Ornithological Club. OTTAWA, ONTARIO, December 26, 1931.— Twenty-one observers in ten parties took part in the Christmas Bird Census at Ottawa on Decem- ber26. The day was fine and clear, with a brisk northwest wind, and temperature of 4° at 7.30 a.m. and 10° at 6 p.m. It was estimated that in the open 95% of the ground was bare of snow, while in the woods only 5% was bare, the remain- der being covered with slightly crusted snow, one to six inches deep. Despite the excellent conditions for observation and the large number of observers afield, the num- ber of native birds seen was only 739 individuals of 19 species. This includes 3 Common Mallards in Rockcliffe Crown Game Preserve, which were living in a wild state when included in the census, although they had been raised and released locally. The total is small as compared with the numbers seen on the census days in 1929 and 19380, but compares well with earlier years. The great scarcity of cones on the coniferous trees in 1931, which is correlated with an almost complete absence of the birds that habitually feed on the seeds of these trees, and the unusual extent of bare ground in this year, which leads to the scattering of the few ground-feeding birds in the district, are probably responsible to a large extent for the comparatively small number of native birds re- corded in this census. It is of interest to note that the number of — Starlings included in*the 1931 census (8381) is the greatest number of these birds in any Christmas Bird Census at Ottawa up to the present time, February, 1932] THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 45 CHRISTMAS BIRD CENSUS AT OTTAWA—DEcEMBER 26, 1931. SPECIES ROUTES, as 1 2 3 4 5 6 Kh 8 9 10 | To- in text TALS Commons Mallardy.3.2. 52... a3 ase SSA MARS ees ee Lak Reale aah So gale: Sao era mage (es Nba 3 PATEK CAA OMe ZCVC ks siz. 6a aut a esos lPteies = || Gc sessile besa |iesGusrcee Me Ste, odes ee 40 38 5 45 American Merganser............|..... 1 a) [eee ee oa ee il Ox Resale ecmnips echoes 5 12 Basternpeioeonerlaw ke... = <2 soi ull\eet ace: 1 mi ee a Shad beta See if Canada Ruffed Grouse.......... PAN eto a oN ate aa SPL All ae 1 1 3 3 14 Mankivennerlleated \WOOEDECKer. slats lnc |s meets les see 80 ew [ es Seca vfare «ou fiareten te Wenn Lege if it Bia shenheeletiy> W000 PCCKER ..:\s.-—. ee ects ac dee Leck eee oo pe oad s o4 wclfeoe oolecn ds A eee 1 Northern Downy Woodpecker... . il 2 Teint 3 Fa ie Shoal 7A eal 11 ASEETITACTO Wet ae ce Ge ain ais © Aida Saleen alin ote sue I ps sal ae 3 5 Black-capped Chickadee.........| 15 nL 8) Us ates 14 16 7A al |S cee 7 71 6 167 White-breasted Nuthatch........]..... Eyal ceived skagaemea ns | saeray a AGP Fey. 1 ey hae eras 10 Red-breasted Nuthatch......... Maal ercenese echo sho [yee die TecNeltaaenre GLEN Mean ides Cate Be ee 5 ISTPTN AS “CHEGCTOSTE 4 feeder Ane a Sela lbs sl et eee i Le | AE Se A] Da oe aa 1 1 ASC CSMBERO IT er ns tk ee res SPAN Re go Oe aol gins nk] kegataats| hee Peal ears (a Rae if OMeMMIAM NV ARWAN Oi. ois casio athal\s Sel scallelis oolke meta alu aees BSE Winpshee Ges well ee anes | ieee 58 SUPEIEINTTe O S as S a (a DANA ee Ae As ope ano0 4| 42 i 831 mets) SMarrow:.. 66). ee. 6 ot ee 53 16 | 200 | 75] 200); 90 Oe DO) reales 90 997 Has euMeNteddOwlank... oo Jo octets epee’ sols oe so [lee ook 1 AH A ela Aes eR ae oo On SUe 1 Canadian Pine Grosbeak........]..... ase FES alae Ue bes |Le pope ail | aN 2 a ag crea Sa a) (Pane aa a Cesare Pe 1 IDpeisieresrray (Golo ral ae ike se ae bes IS en Ne eee ented [OT ane [cea OA eee 94 Eastern Snow Bunting..........]... Sot |e ea | Se eae ot etey KENYA Gee RNB Wece ec DilaeN shee 308 Totals of individuals... ; 2.5)... 73 | 48 | 401 | 89 | 401 | 533 | 367 | 102 | 473 | 118 | 2567 POLAISIOR SPECIES 52 0. sakes Dkce «03 5 9 3 2 8 9 4 5 12 8 21 the next largest number in a local Christmas Bird Census being 608 in 1930. Thenumber of Canada Ruffed Grouse in the present census (14) has been exceeded only in 1926, when the Ottawa census included 16 of this species. The number of _American Golden-eyes in the present census (45) has been exceeded in like manner only in 1927, when 50 of these birds were recorded on census day. The number of Black-capped Chickadees _ in the 1931 census (167) has been exceeded locally only twice, namely, by a record of 194 of this species in 1927 and by a record of 174 of them in 1929. The Hastern Meadowlark appears this _ year in the Ottawa Christmas Bird Census for the first time. In addition to the species seen on census day, a Sharp-shinned Hawk was seen by Dr. R. E. De- Lury in the Government Arboretum on Decem- ber 25. The parties participating and the routes followed in NESW order were: (1) J. D. Soper, W. H. B. Hoare and W. H. J. Hoare, 9 am. to 4 p.m., north bank of Ottawa River, Gatineau Point to Buckingham, Quebec, 13 miles by auto, 9 on foot; (2) Hoyes Lloyd, H. A. Lloyd and D. Kemp Edwards, 8.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m., south bank of Ottawa River, eastward from Rideau Gate to Ottawa airport, including Village of Rockcliffe Park and property of Federal District Commis- —HARRISON F. LEWIS. sion, 13 miles on foot; (8) R. M. Anderson and G. S. Postlethwaite, 9.30 am. to 11.30 am., _ Ottawa East, including refuse dump, and north bank of Rideau River to Billing’s Bridge, 4 miles on foot; (4) R. Sternberg and Wm. Dore,9 a.m. to 3 p.m., south along Metcalfe Road and vicinity, east of route (5), 10 miles by auto, 10 on foot; (5) C. M. Sternberg and C. E. Johnson, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Bronson Avenue, south to White’s Bridge, along C.P.R. track 5 miles to Metcalfe Road and return on it, 10 miles on foot; (6) R. E. DeLury, 8.15 a.m. to 11.15 a.m., Experimental Farm, Rideau Canal and river to Hog’s Back and return, 6 miles on foot; (7) W. H. Lanceley and W. Bray, 10 a.m. to 3.30 p.m., to Hog’s Back and Black Rapids and return, 10 miles by auto, 5 on foot; (8) B. A. Fauvel, 10.30 am. to 4 p.m., south bank of Ottawa River, from Ottawa west to Britannia, 10 miles on foot; (9) R. Lockwood, Harlow Wright and S. Hennessey, 9.25 a.m. to 5.10 p.m., north bank of Ottawa River, Brecken- ridge to Deschenes, Quebec, 15 miles on foot; (10) Harrison F. Lewis and K. A. McElroy, 8.45 a.m. to 4.30 p.m., Ottawa to Wrightville, Qve., to Fairy Lake, to Gatineau River at Farmer’s Rapids, across river and 3 miles N.E., returning to Ottawa via Ironside and Wrightville, 6 miles by street-car, 15 on foot. The results of the census are shown in the 46 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST accompanying table. It should be noted that the 38 American Golden-eyes seen on the Ottawa River by party No. (9), from the Quebec side, are presumed to form part of the 40 birds of this species seen at the same place by party No. (8), from the Ontario side, and consequently the 38 Golden-eyes seen by party No. (9) are omitted from the general totals. OMEMEE, ONTARIO, December 27, 1931.—Wind southeast, light. Cloudy. About 1 inch of snow. Temperature about 10°-30°. Time: 7.40 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. | Canada Ruffed Grouse, 11; Eastern Screech Owl, 1; Great Horned Owl, 3; Northern Pileated Woodpecker, 1 (here since September); Eastern Hairy Woodpecker, 5; Northern Downy Wood- pecker, 4; Northern Blue Jay, 5; Black-capped Chickadee, 10; Hastern Golden-crowned Kinglet, 5; English Sparrow, many; Eastern Evening Grosbeak, 6; Eastern Goldfinch, 10; Eastern Tree Sparrow, 3; Hastern Snow Bunting, about 160. Total: 14 species, about 224 individuals, plus English Sparrows. Other species observed re- eently: 23th, Canada Jay; 25th, Eastern Crow and Starling; 21st, White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper and Canadian Pine Grosbeak; 18th, Great Blue Heron; 16th, Long-eared Owl and Common Redpoll; 14th, Northern Pine Siskin; 13th, Black Duck and American Golden-eye; 29th, Eastern Robin; 30th, Eastern Winter Wren.—E. W. CALVERT. PAKENHAM, ONTARIO, December 26th, 1931.— Clear sky, strong northwesterly winds, 1 inch of snow. Temperature, 2° above zero in the morning and 12° above in the afternoon. 9 a.m. to 3.45 p.m. Twenty-five miles on foot. Observers - separate. Canada Ruffed Grouse, 20; Eastern Hairy Woodpecker, 2; Northern Blue Jay, 1; Black- capped Chickadee, 42; White-breasted Nuthatch 10; Brown Creeper, 1; Starling, 18; Common Redpoll, 12; Eastern Snow Bunting, 53+. Total: 9 species, 159 individuals——VERNA M. Ross, EDNA G. Ross, ALLAN F. Ross, WILMER Ross. THE BRODIE CLUB, TORONTO, ONTARIO, De- cember 27th, 1931.—An unusually mild season and the absence of snow seems to be reflected in the following list of birds recorded by the Brodie Club of Toronto in their 7th Christmas bird census held on December 27th, 1931. Indications of the weather’s influence may be noted both in the high percentage of species normally wintering farther south and in the large number of indivi- duals of species usually found here sparingly, such as Hastern Crow and Song Sparrow. On the [VoL. XLVI other hand, the Eastern Evening Grosbeak and White-winged Crossbill appear for the first time, showing how dangerous it is to draw hasty con- clusions in matters of this kind. On Census day there was no snow on the ground but it had been fairly cold since December 25th and small bodies of water were frozen quite firmly. Toronto Observatory readings gave maximum and minimum temperatures as 31 and 18 degrees above zero. The wind was from the north and north- east, varying from 4 to 8 miles and the sky was cloudy. It might be worth mentioning that on Christmas Eve at Toronto there was a short electrical storm. Thirty observers contributed to ithe list and eight parties were in the field between 7.30.a.m. and 3 p.m., working.as follows: 1. G. Bell, EH. J. . Deacon, R. J. Rutter; 2. L. L. Snyder, T. F. Mcllwraith, KE. B.S. Logier; 3. C. KH: Hope, H. Stovell, Mrs. O. S. Mitchell; 4: J. L. Baillie, T. M. Shortt, R. V. Lindsay, L. J. Milne; 5. P. Harring- ton, F. A. E. Starr, A. E. Allin; 6. 8. L. Thomp- son, H. Richardson, M. Speirs, D. Sumner, J. McBean, 8. Downey, J. Greenwood; 7. J. Town- son; 8. F. Emery, H. H. Brown, H. Macklin, C. Richards, A. F. Coventry, D. McLulich. The routes were the same as last year, but two were added. Number 7 covers the eastern lake shore to Searboro Bluffs and it is intended for future occasions that this shall extend as far east as Highland Creek. Number eight extends north to Kettleby in King Township and includes inter- vening territory. It should also be mentioned that number four route includes Sunnyside Beach and number five extends along the lake shore from the centre of the city to Port Credit and northward from there to Erindale, while Toronto Island is included in number six. It is proposed to standardize these routes for all future Christmas censuses as they are given in The Canadian Field- Naturalist of February, 1931, and in this issue. The following species appear on the Christmas census list for the first time: Horned Lark, Ameri- can Pipit, Eastern Red-wing, Eastern Evening Grosbeak, White-winged Crossbill. Other birds seen during December, 1931, at Toronto, but not on census day, include: Canvas- back, Scaup, Bufflehead, Eastern Screech Owl, Eastern Belted Kingfisher, Eastern Hermit Thrush, Eastern Bluebird, Common Redpoll, Eastern Vesper Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow and Eastern Snow Bunting —THE BRODIE CLUB, R. J. RUTTER, Secretary. VINELAND, ONTARIO, December 24th, 1931.— The territory covered in this census was nearly the same as that traversed in previous years and comprised lake shore, marsh, fields and wood lots. February, 1932] THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 47 CHRISTMAS CENSUS OF THE BRODIE CLUB, TORONTO—DEcEMBER 27, 1931 SPECIES: PARTIES: 1 2 3 4 5 6 tl 8 To- TALS Flonneds Grebe... os. de es sc. BS Ore ce Seite ye ose ea RS EI bc eR | Ls ty C= || cea Mal ge ik American GOolden-eye!s : 0 asses eialatioc cscs see alge en « 18 29 See a ee eS ects 55 Cy RSSISEESE 7 & AJ hs Re | OSA a la (A 34 126 100 PAS ON th ee 285 Pemericanevlencansenr c. be) LA eee eS eS oye ok 4 4 10 Bie [pee ae 23 Eastern Red-tailed Hawk..........)...... ALE Aca scarce SITS hell WR wee Eg era ILA ind Selle ea he i American Rough-legged Hawk.....|...... Pagel eee eee en Rau eennaN (Tm Ce: Ate OMT cee al Ue TAs areal aged a 2 Eastern Sparrow Haw Be Bike al REN aie (eat Se CE | cy Fe | 4 Ife Ge we | Mae a Canada Ruffed Crouse. i PU (iN ad Meee eh ee ge da Ah eal RN Nm [mde aM Ie al ba 13 13 Ring-necked Pheasant): 0.0006. fie eee 1 Dp lh eee DTS hee ie ae iL 5 Great Black-backed (Gulla). os ease Sale ee ee ee a ee 1 BR Air SA Cte Aen d 2 ZVSTer nee GUT Raa as een etna tet | EAE Wa) ne a eee (03) 150 (RH is NER ieee 275 SEReerr exe REMC TH ae yaad tiie cer se tnt alee A [awe oka ye ous ONY 150 Gehl iecies Saline eae 156 Great morned. Owl. <7. I Pa aeons Pc aL Ded | WA ea I ROR 2; 2 anther Hicker) se ele sik Dae Prt A ale geal Le IY 2 eS Cee a 1 Basrecnelioimy WwW oodpeckeries shiv |e es |i ae Neely. MER hk Ra cole ee ole yt 7 7 Northern Downy Woodpecker...... 2 2 5 NG ar ee NARs eee et Ry Ae 26 LEDS TEL Tee Ee SS aa ei ae IS i dt care |e eg (a Siavilie pn eckies eee oe 8 Werther Blue Jay... 02... cose. ke 5 2 LER ae Nrcemch a ees a Pk a ty 3 14 eastern Crow... 24... 2 2.4 feo. See 1 7 1 4 2 peli betes age oy pt ett? 16 Black-capped Chickadee........... 10 9 12 40 5 3 2 55 136 White-breasted Nuthatch.......... 2 3 5 BG St | ie eee: sei wl [te ng LF cy uth row CheCper.-=. acces. sey ss bso Dred | AB eae 1 Ere er CONS DR eRe Oee ter ee aes Tee ce tf Eastern Winter Wren............. Lg Us SI el a ee |i aE alee Mt 1 RSC CRIN IETIET te are ee sats (IE Soe | tein ey i Bea Lo YB) ee eens dr if! Eastern Golden-crowned Kinglet. .. Bee yard meaner cn | Sone ans; Deel eal oka ee LE mean il 10 AImericanubipit., 2 45 fis tesa oe « AAS ls Sac ecie. ctl sap cee | ae a as IP epieaesee Tr | scare aha LAA ma Ly de el 7 1 INU SELVES TSI 2 Le eo (eR 1 Us picts ee Nae sec Vis barca erin ge ys 2 SUES ITFLIPTE TE is hl AIP ls a a eh tt 35 66 85 210 LOOw Ae se 5 508 Bnchishesparrow.... 0. Co ee sey: ABUN|DANT —— Hire rcp GOW IAT T Prey cote yi alpen BA aie lt MS INS ad OED Se ih oly as Maa a tie Be oe 2 Freie as TER Chew Oy. for icin MM Re ok Me ea eal geo: ote Rs INS po la a Sohal tee ease aoe: 8 LESTE LEICESTER ew RR ER en A TE Wc Hid (ne Eiht ar eee, eave 5 BAShemmeGadiNal, Yous. gas ey lo ae ee ya ok 1 el Lene PEAT a Toul MUNG eY ee Daten Te bor oa te 1 PacceeMEB Verne Grosbeak te. 6 Jie eee i | ee he en) et oe ff 7 Sacer Eme Grosped ney ye wee he Wee nek be ee oes a. oe ci Age atalino tee 2 2 Riire NCO RC LOSS DIN We mierda ele: colar Cee a eH aol kek Yo ao cole alee nk 2 2 INORGACrNREANe, OISKINM Wau! ae: Gein ole sade 2 30 Den ne Se IC Rael tet el |e ol Hasterny Golatimenc i. ta s2 ese a. cellcesa leas Se £0), att | Cee nae] RRA ere (OM a Dal NT He a 8 Slate-coloured Junco.............. 6 40 16 22 NAEP lisaie se 5 20 HA Eastern Tree Sparrow............./...... 12 10 145 25 AX tal eur ind: 1 LOG SONGS PATLOWe i ce tose bhicelleamak 1 6 HOS see seats Bieri mee serene tee te 19 About six miles were covered by automobile and two and a half miles on foot. The trip was started at 9.20 a.m., and finished before 1 p.m. The day was very foggy and dull, turning to rain just as we were ready to go home. The ground was muddy and many plants were green in the fields. The temperature was from 42° to 46°. Large Grebe (sp.), 1; Duck (sp.), 1; Ring- necked Pheasant, 26 (including one partial al- bino); Herring (?) Gull, 1; Northern Blue Jay, 4 Eastern Crow, 7; White-breasted Nuthatch, 4; Eastern Winter Wren, 1; Eastern Mockingbird, 1; English Sparrow, numerous; Redpolls or Eastern Goldfinches, about 12; Slate-colored Junco, 53; Eastern Tree Sparrow, 50; Eastern Song Sparrow, 4. Total: 14 species, about 165 individuals, plus English Sparrows. A few notes on the Mockingbird may be of interest. This wanderer from the south appeared in the shrubbery of the Horticultural Experimen- tal Station at Vineland about the middle of No- vember. It was at first thought to be a Shrike. However, on December 5th, its real identity was discovered and it has been a source of great interest to our local bird students. On December 18th it was observed for a time by some of us in the company of Mr. R. W. Sheppard of Niagara Falls, Ont., who said it was of a more sooty gray than those he had seen in the southern States. The bird was quite tame and would allow us to approcah within eight feet. 48 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST The stone-grey iris of the eye, the faint tan mark- ings on the sides of the breast and the white wing bars could be easily distinguished. It has b2en seen since on several occasions, and in fact is nearly always to be found inits haunts in the ornamental shrubbery. Its main food supply seems to be the berries of the Boston Ivy which hang on the walls of the Administration Building in numerous clusters. While one stands within a few feet of it, the bird will fly to the wall, twist off a berry and return to its perch on a shrub to eat it.—G. H. Dickson, W. E. HuruBurt, W. J. K. . HARKNESS and FRANK STRANG. MONTREAL, QUEBEC, December 27, 1931.— Localities visited: Mount Royal (769 feet), Ville LaSalle Woods (lowlands), Verdun and St. Lam- bert (woods, fields and river front), Victoria Bridge (7,000 feet length over St. Lawrence River) (some open water). 9 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Weather clear and cold. 5 inches of snow on ground; walking good. Temperature 13° to 18° (1 p.m.); wind north-west all day, velocity 11 to 14 miles. Combined list of three parties, comprising six observers. About 28 miles covered by foot, territory between localities by automobile. Scaup Duck (sp. ?), 5; American Golden-eye, 22; American Merganser, 44; Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1; Canada Ruffed Grouse, 6; Herring Gull, 6; Eastern Screech Owl, 1; Northern Flicker, 1 (apparently wintering in vicinity of McGill University grounds); Northern Hairy Woodpecker, 1; Northern Downy Woodpecker, 11; Eastern Crow, 5; Black-capped Chickadee, 79; White-breasted Nuthatch, 12; Brown Creeper, 5; Bohemian Waxwing, 70; Starling, 700; English Sparrow, estimated 400 (commonly associated with Starlings); Eastern Redwing, 1 (wintering [VoL. XLVI with Starlings at St, Lambert); Canadian Pine Grosbeak, 7 (2 adult males); Eastern Snow Bunting, 65. Total: 20 species, 1442 individuals (including 1100 estimated as number of Starlings and English Sparrows). Other species recently noted: December 20, 1931, American Hawk Owl, 1; Eastern Robin, 1; Eastern Golden-crowned Kinglet, 3. and Siskins entirely absent.) —L. McI. TERRILL, V. C. WYNNE-EDWARDS, R. A. OuTHET, H. A. C. JACKSON, THOS. MCLAREN, NAPIER SMITH, Mem- bers of the Province of Quebec Society for the Protec- tion of Birds (Inc.). MONTEBELLO, QUEBEC, December 27, 1931.— Weather fine and clear, with a strong to moderate north breeze in morning, which fell somewhat during the afternoon. Temperature, 9.a.m., 11°; 1 pm., 20°; 5 pm., 10°. There was a light covering of snow with a crust, which made walking in the woods very noisy. Some of the fields were almost bare of snow. 12 miles by automobile, 12 on foot. No birds seen while travelling by auto- mobile. Accompanied by Mr. H. D. Heaney in the morning, alone in the afternoon. A large variety of habitats, ranging from open fields and wooded hills to swamps and sheltererd valleys, was visited. The absence of Starlings from the list is believed to be due, not to oversight, but to their actual absence from this vicinity in winter. Canada Ruffed Grouse, 6; Northern Pileated Woodpecker, 2; Eastern Hairy Woodpecker, 1; Northern Downy Woodpecker, 1; Canada Jay, 1; Northern Blue Jay, 2; Black-capped Chickadee, 5; White-breasted Nuthatch, 2; English Sparrow, 57; Canadian Pine Grosbeak, 6; Common Red- poll, 12. Total: 11 species, 95 individuals.— N. J. ATKINSON. NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS CLASPING-LEAVED CRESS OR PEPPERGRASS (Lepidium perfoliatum L.) IN CANADA.—An inter- esting addition to the adventitious flora of Canada, secured in the 1931 weed surveys of the Division of Botany, Dominion Experimental Farms, is the plant named above. It was first picked up, dry and lying loose on a shore, at Osoyoos, B.C. It was suspected of being a Lepidium, although quite unlike any others of my acquaintance; but as no growing plants were found in theneighbour- hood, there was no means of knowing whether it was a wild or cultivated species. Three days later, on June 6, 1931, it was again met with at Cranbrook, B.C., growing in some numbers around an old fair ground, and along a stream’ nearby. It is evidently well established as a weed at this place, in hard, uncultivated ground. Both these localities are in the dry belts of British Columbia; Osoyoos, at the south end of the Okanagan Valley, close to the International boundary, and Cranbrook, about 75 miles east, in the Kootenay Valley. Investigation later established the identity of the plant, and revealed only one North America reference to it. It appears in Rydberg’s Flora of the Rocky Mountains and Adjacent Plains with the annotation, ‘‘Waste Places: Utah; nat. from Eu.” Hegi’s work on the European flora, was also found to attribute it to North America, perhaps following Rydberg’s information. In- digenous to Lower Austria, it has spread to almost all parts of Europe and adjacent Asia. (Redpolls | 5 February, 1932] Lepidium perfoliatum L. at once betrays its affinities by the dissected basal leaves, the shape and size of the pods, and the stiff upright habit of growth. The pale-yellow flowers, and the broad clasping upper leaves, are the most striking marks of distinction from our other species. These leaves are not, asthe specific name would indicate, © truly perfoliate, but surround the stem with clasping rounded lobes. The blades together with these auricles, form broad, ovate, pointed leaves, in sharp contrast with those on the lower part of the plant. So distinctive is the plant in appear- ance, it is inconceivable that it would be long in the country or at all widespread without attract- ing notice. It is probably likely to occur outside our dry belts—H. Grou. UnusuaL NESTING SiTES.—The interesting article in the September, 1930, issue of The Canadian Field-Naturalist on Unusual Nesting Sites, prompts me to add the following instances that have come to my notice. On two occasions I have found Flickers nesting in cutbanks of this, the Frenchman River. This habit, if not of recent origin here, is certainly un- usual, and less necessary that would be the case further down this river where trees of any kind are almost non-existent. For several years in this valley there stood two old box-cars and two flat-cars on a railway “‘spur”’ leading into a disused ballast-pit. The box-cars were a favoured resort of several kinds of birds including Flickers which drilled holes in the sides, thereby making nest sites for themselves, and Mountain Bluebirds; a colony of Cliff Swal- lows took possession of the interior of one car, and a Say’s Phoebe attached her nest to a bit of twisted wire hanging from the roof. A pair or two of Rock Wrens nested in the gravel-pit cliff and the flat-cars were a regular playground for the young birds. Fortunately neither House Wrens nor Sparrows ever visited the spot to disturb the harmony. When subsequently the track was torn up and the cars removed I was deprived of an interesting centre for bird-life study. In the Condor (29: 249, 1927) I recorded finding the nest of a Magpie in a railway bridge. This is the only record to my knowledge of a Magpie choosing a site other than in a tree or bush. Crows generally build their own nests, but on one occasion I found where a pair had “remodelled” the top of a disused Magpie habitation. Both the Ferruginous Rough-leg and the Swainson Hawks are, I believe, their own architects also, but I have known a Rough-leg to occupy the nest of a Swainson built in the previous season. While motoring over the open prairie in 1917, I saw a Swainson Hawk’s nest on the top of a “hay THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 49 loader” standing close by the well-used road, and I am told the same species will nest on the cross-arms of telegraph posts alongside the rail- way track. I have found the nest of a House Wren in the side of an old Magpie nest, and that of a House Sparrow on a small ledge under the floor of a hay-rack standing idle in my yard. Another unusual place for a sparrow to nest was in a Russian poplar. When [I last saw the nest and eggs they were lying wrecked on the ground, the result of a gale of wind . Some 14 years ago while taking a Sunday after- noon stroll with a friend along the nearby railway track we walked right over a sitting Mallard, which the dog following us discovered and flushed. The eggs were within a foot of the ties, and con- cealed by weeds which during the war period © flourished almost unchecked.—LAWRENCE B. POTTER. KING EMER TAKEN IN Nova _ ScoTiA.—A juvenile King Eider was taken by the writer on November 15, 1929, in the Cornwallis River, near Wolfville. The bird was alone when taken, and no other Eiders were seen in the vicinity. Major Allan Brooks of Comox, B.C., identified the specimen. x The only other record of the King Eider for Nova Scotia of which I have any knowledge, was taken at St. Paul’s Island, Victoria County, Cape Breton, and is now in the Provincial Museum at Halifax.—VicTor E. GOULD. ; ICELAND GULL ON LAKE ERIE.—On March 4, 1931, I had the pleasure of looking over the gulls and ducks at Sunnyside, at the west end of Toronto. There we found, along with many Herring and Ring-billed Gulls, at least six Black- backs, which I have never met west of Toronto, and a single adult Glaucous Gull, of which species I had seen only one in previous years. With this memory fresh in my head, three of us visited Port Stanley on March 22, and studied the Gulls carefully. There were about 50 on the breakwater which lay about a quarter or a third of a mile offshore, and as we studied them, more kept coming until there were three times as many. Soon after we began, one gull was selected because of his small size and whitish appearance, and while we watched, he changed position and flew a short distance, and twice he was on the rocks just be- side a Herring Gull, which made a comparison of size very easy. He was distinctly smaller than the Herring Gull, had no black tips, and was very light coloured on the back, the colour apparently coming down only partway from the shoulders, just as described in Forbush’s Birds of Massachu- setts for the second year plumage of the Iceland 50 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST Gull. Moreover, the bill was conspicuously black at the outer end, perhaps for half-way. Nearby we found another light coloured bird which also lacked the black tips, but was larger, and must have been a Glaucous Gull. These birds were carefully studied through a 33-power telescope, and the visibility was good. What with a Franklin Gull last fall, a Kittiwake and a Jaeger about five years ago, Lake Erie is quite putting itself on the map for rare water birds; of course, the automobile and the telescope help a lot—W. E. SAUNDERS. ICELAND GULLS (Larus leucopterus) AT QUEBEC City.—Iceland Gulls have been present in small numbers, frequently, if not continuously, about the St. Lawrence River at Quebec City during the past two winters. Most of my observations of them were made from the window of my office near the water-front, though I have also watched them at very close range from the quay. Exa- mination of my record of observations of this species reveals that in 1930 I observed Iceland Gulls on fifteen days in January, eleven days in February, and four days in March. The first of these observations was made on January 2nd, and the last observation in the spring was on March 28th. The largest number of Iceland Gulls seen in one day was 5, which number was seen on only two dates, January 28th and 29th. It was an ordinary thing to see 2 or 3 of the birds in one day, and solitary individuals were also noted frequently. [VoL. XLVI In 1931 I observed Iceland Gulls on twenty- one days in January and on seventeen days in February. The first of these observations was made on January 2nd and the last on February 28th. (January 2nd, being the first business day of the year, was the first day, in each of the years in question, when I visited my office, thus making an observation of this kind possible.) The largest number of Iceland Gulls seen in one day in 1931 was 14, which number was seen only on February Ist. On January 8rd and again on January 15th, 8 were seen, but more commonly from 3 to 5 birds were seen in a day. Temperature and weather seem to make no difference in the occurrence of these birds in this vicinity. I have frequently observed them soar- ing calmly around in the fog rising from the river when it was about twenty degrees below zero, and during the worst easterly storms imagin- able I have often seen them serenely riding out the gale with no apparent bother. If there is calm weather, no matter how cold it is, they swim around, dipping their beaks in the water and drinking, exactly as if it were a warm day in summer. j There are no wintering Mergansers or other Ducks here, so these Gulls cannot live by robbing - such fishers, as I am informed they do elsewhere. I think that their food here consists largely of sewage, as well as of refuse drawn from the ferry boats or dumped into the river with the snow from the streets —R. MEREDITH. BOOK REVIEWS CANADIAN WRITER’S MARKET SURVEY. Compiled and issued by The Writers Club, Toronto. Ottawa: Graphic Publishers Litd., 1931. 318 pp. $2.00. Those of our readers who make an occasional dollar by their pens will be interested in the appearance of this volume which is undoubtedly the most complete survey of Canadian markets for the free-lance writer in existence. Lists of other markets in the States, England and the British Empire are also given as well as lists of book publishers, verse markets, syndicates and also hints on the preparation of manuscript, copyright, the radio and moving pictures. Un- fortunately, the volume has many faults; most obvious among them, the uneven character of the information given. Thus we are told that Canadian Magazine pays about a cent a word on acceptance, the Western Home Monthly pays on publication but the rate is not given, and in the case of the Dalhousie Review nothing more than the address is given, not even the editor’s name. More careful editing could surely have eliminated a number of such faults, but even as it is the book is well-worth adding to the free-lance writer’s library.—D.L. DICTIONARY OF GREEK AND LATIN COMBINING ForMS USED IN ZOOLOGICAL NAMES. By Edmund C. Jaeger. Charles C. Thomas, Springfield, Ill. 1931. $1.50. Here are listed some 2000 of the numerous Greek and Latin forms which are used in the naming of zoological species. It is obvious that the list must be incomplete but a careful check- up of a number of generic and specific terms taken at random showed surprisingly few omissions and none of importance. Such a list as this should do much to put both amateurs and students at their ease and to rob these often formidable names of their terrors.—D.L. NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF MANITOBA 1929-30 _ President Emeritus: J. J. GOLDEN; Honorary President: NoR- MAN CRIDDLE; Past President: H. M. SPEECHLY, M.D., V. _W. Jackson M.Sc., Me J. GOLDEN, C. W. LowE M.Sc., J. B. _ Watts, M.A., A. A. McCousreEy, A. M. DAVIDSON, ’M. Ds; ; ~ Vice-Presidents: a. Shines Brooks, A. G. LAWRENCE, H. C. Pearce, C. L. Brotey, B. W. CARTWRIGHT, W. H. RAND, ’ President: R. A. WARDLE, M.Sc.; General Secretary: Mrs. _ .L. R. Srmpson; Treasurer: N. Lowe; Executive Secretary: _ §. H. BENNETT; Librarian: R. M. THOMAS. Meetings are held each Monday evening, except on holidays from October to April, in the physics theatre of the University, Winnipeg. Field excursions are held each Saturday after- “noon during May, June and September, and on public holidays during July and August. THE HAMILTON BIRD PROTECTION SOCIETY (Incorporated) Hon. President: W. E. SAUNDERS, London, Ont.; President: Rev. CALVIN McQuESTON; Vice-President: R. OWENMEREI- MAN, M.A., Kingston, Ont.; First Vice-President: Dr. H. G _ ARNOTT; Second Vice-President: Mrs. F. Recording Secretary: J. ROLAND BROWN; Secretary-Treasurer: Miss NINA DUNCAN; Assistant Secretary-Treasurer: Miss E McEwIN; Junior Committee: Miss M. E. GRAHAM; Pro- Eee. Committee: Rrv. C. A. HEAVEN; Extension Committee: UNN. McILWRAITH ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB, -LONDON, ONT. | President: Mr. EDISON MATTHEWS, 25 Wyatt Street, Tendon: On ; Vice-President: Mr. E. D. BRAND, 148 William Street, Tionk jon, Ont.; Recording Secretary: MR. VERNON FRANKS, 195 _ Duchess A~ , London, Ont.; Corresponding Secretary and _ Treasurer: MR. W. G. GIRLING, 530 English St., London, ‘Ont. Migration Secretary: Mr. E. M. S. DALE, 297 Hyman Street, London, Ont.; Members qualified to answer questions: WwW. E. SAUNDERS, 240 Central Avenue, London, Ont.; C._G. Watson, 201 Ridout Street South, London, Ont.; __ J. ¥. CALVERT, 461 Tecumseh A venue, London, Ont.; E. M. s. DALE, 297 Hyman Street, London, Ont. _ Meetings held the second Monday of the month, except gure the summer. q “VANCOUVER NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY Honorary President. L. S&S. KLINcK, LL.D., Ripe Univer- Avenue, Vancouver, B.C.; First Assistant Secretary: Miss Betty HERD; 2nd Assistant Sey: Mr. VERNON WIE- DRICE: Honorary Treasurer: A. H. BAIN, 2142 Collingwood Street, Vancouver, B.C.; Librarian: Mrs. McCRIMMON; Members of Executive: ins E. J. SMITH, ee J. D. TURNBULL, Mr. B. J. Woop, Mr. P. L. Tart, Mr. R. J. CUMMING; Au- ditorgs: H. G. SELWoop, W. B. Woops. me» All meetings at 8 am Auditorium, Normal School, ‘10th ___ Avenue and eee treet, unless otherwise announced. Big \ ) ‘aed _ PROVINCE OF QUEBEC SOCIETY FOR THE , \ PROTECTION OF BIRDS INC. . : ( OFFICERS. & COMMITTEE: ‘Past Presidents: Mr. L. Mcl. THRRILL, MR. NAPIER SMITH; _ President: Mr. W.S. Hart; Vice-Presidents: Mrs. C. F. DALE, Mr. H. A. C. JACKSON; Vice-President and Treasurer: MR. HENRY MOUSLEy; Secretary: Miss M. SEATH; To Miss fae ee Committee: Mr. J. W. BUCKLE, Dr. I. GEMMELL, rs. C. L. meee, Miss K. D. AC OUEONN Miss M. S. NicoLson, Mr. W. A. OswALp, Mr. R. A. OUTHET, MR. NAPIER SMITH, Mr. L. Mcl. SPACKMAN, Mr. L. Mcl. TERRILL, Mr. V.C. WYNNE-EDWARDS. Address all correspondence to the Society at P. O. Box 1185, ‘Montreal, P.Q., Canada. E. MacLocHin; | sity of B.C.; President: JOHN DAVIDSON, hoe: B.S.E., - University of B. C.; Vice-President: Pror. M. Y. aia Honorary Secretary: C. F. CoNNoR, “ae 3529 ..W. 2nd HENDERSON, Mrs. H. HISBERT, Miss EDITH ~ ) ( Affiliated Societies SOCIETE PROVANCHER D’HISTOIRE NATURELLE DU CANADA Bureau de direction pour 1931 Patron Honoraire: Son Excellence LE VICONTE WILLINGDON G.C.S.1., G.C.M.G., G.C.I.E., G.B.E., Gouverneur-Général de la Puissance du Canada; Vice-Patron Honoraire: Honorable M. H. G. Carrou, Lieutenant-Gouverneur de la Province de Québec; Bureau de Direction pour 1929: Président: G. STUART AHERN; ler Vice-Président: ADRIEN FALARDEAU, C.R.; 2éme Vice-Président: R. MEREDITH, N.P.; Secrétaire-trésorier: LOuIS B. Lavon; Chef de la section scientifique: Dr. D. A. DERY; Chef de la section de Propagande éducationnelle: W. STUART Arxinson; Chef de la section de protection: EDGAR ROCHETTE, C.R., M.P.P.; Chef de la section d'information scientifique et pratique: J.-G. Coots; Directeurs: Dr. J.-E. BERNIER Major Jos. Matte, Jos.-S. BLAIS. Secrétaire-trésorier: Louis-B. LAVOIE 38, rue Sherbrooke, Québec. THE TORONTO FIELD-NATURALISTS’ CLUB OFFICERS FOR 1931-32. Honorary President: PROFESSOR A. P. COLEMAN; President: Couin S.. FARMER; Hon. Vice-Presidenis: HON. CHAS. McCREA, Dr. N. A. POWELL, Mr. J. H. FLEMING; Vice-President: A. M. PATTERSON; Secretary Treasurer: C. G. BRENNAND; Publicity- “Secretary: Dr. L. B. JackEs; Executive Committee: PROF. EB. M. WALKER, MR. STUART THOMPSON, Prog. J. R. DYMOND Dr. NoRMA FORD, MAGISTRATE J. E. JoNES, ProF. T. F. McILLWRAITH, Mr. FRED IDE, Mr. F. C. HURST, MR. RUPERT “Davips, Dr. P. E. CLARKSON; Commitie on Conservation: J. R. DyMonp; Junior Members’ Representative: TAYLOR StaTTEN; Leaders: Birds—MeEssrs. S. L. THOMPSON, L L SNYDER, J. L. BAILLIE, R. V. Linpsay, J. M. SPEIRS; Mammals Pror. CovENtRY, Mgssrs. E. C. Cross, D. A. MACcLULICH; © Reptiles and Amphibians—MEssRs. E. B. S. Locirmr, WM. LeRay; Fish—Pror. J. R. DyMOND, PROF. W. J. K. HARK- NESS; Insects—PRoF. E. M. WALKER, Dr. NoRMA FORD Mr. F. P. IDE; Botany—ProF. R. B. THOMSON, Pror. H. B. Sirton, Dr. G. WRIGHT, MR. W. R. WATSON; Mr. OWENS Dr. T. TAYLOR; Geology—ProFr. A. MCLEAN. LH v —— We would ask the Officers, and more particularly the Secretaries, of all the Affiliated Societies to assist us in our task of building up the circulation of this magazine. By securing every member as a subscriber we can truly make this magazine into one of the leading Natural History publications of America. oe “THE HOOD | Card Filing Systems § INSECT BOX for Naturalists 6 Special Features of the HOOD BOX: | 1. 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S SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSNX Kindly mention The Canadian Field-Naturalist to adeertisers ae an s4s o —_ — —_ PA My Vik | (a i MiNi | \ Awe: Vee J SIS WSNSe - @ no eS ISSUED MARCH 18k, 1932. Flees at ee Ottawa Post Office as second-class matter { Mey f f aft) Mek MARCH, 1932 ’ White Strawberries. By ‘Susan K. Squinesi: 2. eee hee Digenie peo Ar sie 90 --Contributions to the Knowledge of Extreme North-Eastern Labrador. By Rernhard Haneaens 2 ie t> 1st Vice-President: M. E. WILSON 2nd Vice-President: Heri ERT GRO - Secretary: Miss GRACE S. LEWIS, 318 Cooper St. = Treasurer: in Or LuLoyp, Pe. \’ f ji} y } {i BE - D2JENNESS: 60.0 coo ae eee CLypE L. PATCH...............Her MS OGNEAUTB Cok. eaten vee tae, - Botany R. M. ANDERSON.............-Ma BSR. GDATCHFORD. 6. isis. ie oe Conchology A. G. HUNTSMAN............Marin ARTHUR GIBSON..............0. Entomology . P. A. TAVERNER..... toa. < ee Os F. J. ALCOCK..... ECs Mae c cn coer, _... Geology Ei. M.IKINDGB.. eg. cS c sc eee CONTENTS. Annual Convention of Winter Geese. By R. W. Tufts......... fae ae) Ee es pps we : Sub-Arctie Mushrooms. By H.S.:Spenee 0.2) 5. ee eee The Mayflies of Lake Winnipeg. By Metris:Neaves 2s ase tee. ea beeen © loth eee ee THE OTTAWA FIELD- NATURALISTS? Patrons: : THEIR BEC E ECs THE GOVERNOR GENERAL AND COUNTESS oF BESSBORO i. 4 r President: C. M. STERNBERG, 17 Grosvenor Ave., Ottawa. Additional, eee ch \of | Goss al: Bd. AucocK, R. M. ANDERSON, Miss M. E. Cowan, Messe CRAWFORD, NORMAN © TODLE, ‘R. E. DELURY, 1A FRASER, ANDREW HALKETT, pai D. JENNESS, C. Hi. JOHNSON, A. G. KINGSTON, E. M. KINDLE, Wi: Hs LANCELEY, . al? DOUGLAS LEECHMAN, HARRISON F. LEWwIs, Hoves LLoypD, W. 7. MAcooun, M. O. MALT G. MCELHINNEY, G. ake MILLER, A. E. PORSILD, G:S. POSTLETHWAITE, E. E. PRINCE, J SopmER, P. A. TAVERNER, EH. F. G. WuITE, W. J. WINTEMBERG, and Presidents of Affiliated Editor: =~ > ee oe _ Doucias LEECHMAN National Museum, Ottawa, Canada. Associate Editors: Ce ee An Annotated List of Vascular Plants Collected on the North Shore of the Gulf ofS St. ee : 1927-1930. By Harrison F. Lewis oh Notes and Observations:— we The Moekingbird (Mimus nielagle lene in Central Alberta. {By Co: Such 8 a RE rae On the Occurrence of the Clay-coloured Sparrow (Spizella pallida) at Toronto. By Ales F. Mcilwraith so Bi eee eae ec ae le a Ee ate cela os eee frsokt Solitary Sandpiper’s Night Manceuvers. By Stuart L. Thompson......... te ee one Mourning Doves.’ By'S: Humphrey. 1.2.0 0 3 2 ee eee saat! Evening Grosbeak Seen Feeding its Young in Muskoka. By Anna E. “Macloghiin. et The National Museum of Canada. Be oe a Me ego of LiL ee ae ae ee ae Pe Reviews:— ray : Nature: Narratives.) BycD lie vies ater rs oe ee Ree aE ee soe rin sia si sin aera Mhe Riddle of Migration. 2°By (A RL Sienna iy eae iy Pee pee Official Canadian Record of Bird-banding Returns. ... ae are Oe Ve se ieee me) pele re ve lehis alles st (el) « 6») ssle sie (awe) ele) ea (0%\e! «| a) wiulcelinla Releiinit een Hi The official publications of THE OTTAWA FIELD-NATURALISTS’ CLUB have been issu #2 since 1879. The first were The Transactions of the Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club, 1879-18 fa two volumes; the next, The Ottawa Naturalist, 1886-1919, thirty-two volumes; and these have # been continued by The Canadian Field-Naturalist to date. The Canadian Field-Naturalist He Et issued monthly, except for the months of June, July and August. Its scope is the Beat # of the results of original research in all departments of Natural History. Price of this volume (9 numbers) $2.00; Single copies 25¢ each eo The Membership Committee of The Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club i is making a specia ) increase the subscription list of The Canadian Field-Naturalist. We are, therefore, asking every r who is truly interested in the wild life of our country to help this magazine to its rightful place al the leading Natural History publications in America. Subscriptions ($2.00 a year) should be forwarded to if WILMOT LLOYD, ol ae Ottawa Field-N: dturalists" Club, aes 582 Mariposa Ave., wee _Rockeliffe Park, Oe Ca ~ The Canadian Field-Naturalist VOL. XLVI OTTAWA, CANADA, MARCH, 1932 No. 3 ANNUAL CONVENTION OF WINTER GEESE By R. W. TUFTS OT EVERY town in Nova Scotia is so fortunate as to be within the boundaries of the line of flight of the wild geese when they pass over the Province in the Autumn on their way south. The limits of their route are not definite and no doubt vary some- what depending upon prevailing winds and other weather conditions but the usual belt is approxi- mately that area between Windsor and Annapolis. Every year since I can remember, the wild geese have flown over Wolfville in the autumn always heading southwest in long wavering lines or in perfect “V’ formation. Their weird and musical honking could be heard when they were yet far off and they were always a cause for won- derment to all who saw them passing with slow wing-beat yet moving onward with amazing swift- ness till all too soon they would be lost to view. _ Many a group of youthful hockeyists on the Grand Pré meadows during the first freeze-up in Decem- ber momentarily lost interest in the coveted puck to gaze skyward as the wavy lines passed majes- tically overhead. That the appreciation of the beauty and mystery of these strange annual occurrences is not confined to any individual or to any particular race is forcibly brought to mind by the following poem which has been translated from the Chinese: “How oft against the sunset sky or moon I watched that moving zigzag ofspread wings In unforgotten Autumns gone too soon, In unforgotten Springs! “Creatures of desolation, far they fly Above all lands bound by the curling foam; In misty fens, wild moors and trackless sky These wild things have their home. “They know the tundra of Siberian coasts. And tropic marshes by the Indian seas; They know the clouds andnightandstarryhosts From Crux to Pleiades. “Dark flying rune against the western glow— It tells the sweep and loneliness of things, Symbol of Autumns vanished long ago. Symbol of coming Springs!”’ It was not till within the last decade that I discovered that the haven for which these flocks 2 were heading was actually within the confines of our own Province though at that time only a relatively small percentage of the people of Nova Scotia were aware of this. In the secluded harbours of Port Joli and Port le Herbert in Shel- burne and Queens Counties thousands of wild geese spend the winter. Here where the shoal water prevents shipping activities, the birds find shelter and food to their liking in the eel grass which thickly covers the beds of the harbours and which even at high tide in some sections is near enough to the surface to be accessible. But when the temperature falls to zero and below, the ice which begins to form along the shore when the tide is in, rapidly extends outward and when the tide drops, leaves a deposit of shale ice, thus encroaching sometimes to a serious degree on the feeding grounds. At such times the birds are much concentrated and the competition for food is very keen. These severe cold snaps are usually of short duration however and when they moder- ate the ice is soon lifted and the food exposed. These two harbours are separated by a long headland which makes out to sea and rather than fly round it the birds take a direct overland route, a distance of some six or seven miles. About fifteen years ago these harbours were declared a Provincial Bird’ Sanctuary and are still set aside as such. We are frequently asked, and most pertinently, how it is that the gunners are allowed to shoot the geese when it is a Sanc- tuary. The explanation is this: The feeding grounds are a sanctuary but the law provides that shooting from the shore may take place during the open season. When the roll is called in the spring and it is time to go north again, there are many gaps caused by the absence of those birds which ventured too close in the open season to the woods which surround the harbours and which provide ambush for the watchful gunners. The main shooting however is done as the birds fly from one harbour to the other over what is known as the Goose Hills on which are located a number of hunters’ cabins. Sometimes days go by with no “‘flight’”’ over the Hills and time drags 52 ; THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST heavily for those in camp who do not enjoy a friendly game of bridge or poker but when the honk- ing of a passing flock is heard, there is a great hustle and scramble for foot gear, guns and am- munition and the favoured stands are quickly occupied in the hope that those which have passed ‘over are but the vanguard of many others which may be seized with a similar urge to try new pastures and their hopes are generally realized, for when one flock flies across, others usually follow, There seems to be no satisfactory or generally accepted explanation for these highly irregular flights though a number of theories are advanced by the Port Moutoners and Port Jolliers—not all of whom reside at Port Joli. Sometimes the geese fly so high that few if any are brought down, but at other times, particularly when it is very stormy or very windy, they fly lower, and the result can be imagined, for often there are fifty or more gunners in hiding behind granite boulders -and dead trees, many of the latter having fallen since this area was burned over a few years ago. Many of these favoured stands are close together and great are the controversies and heated are the arguments as to who brought down each particular bird. ‘‘Ai killed thawt goo-ze’’ says the brawny Port Moutoner, ‘‘Ai watched thawt goo-ze leave the ’arbour.”” These disputes how- ever are settled more or less amicably by resorting to the time-worn custom of tossing a coin or later at the card table. ’ Local opinions as to the numbers of geese which comprise this winter colony vary greatly, estimates ranging from 50,000 to “millions” but to exag- gerate at such times is a well-known human frailty and a more conservative estimate and one which was arrived at after carefully studying the flock with high-powered binoculars places the numbers at approximately 50,000. When the entire congregation of geese is in Port Joli Harbour, and this is often the case, the chorus of their confused and clamorous voices on still nights can be heard for a great distance. Years ago the resonant chorus from this earliest of aviation fields so disturbed the pioneer fathers that they were wont to resort to the throwing of flares to frighten the geese from the shores near their cabins. There are on exhibition at the Post Office at Port Joli a number of Indian stone arrow-heads which have been found in the estuaries of some of the small brooks which run into the harbour. It is believed that before the invasion of the white man these were used by the Indians as they sat in ambush for the geese which even in that far-off day, as now, ventured into these danger zones for fresh water and gravel. Now they [VoL. XLVI come chiefly under cover of darkness, for the deadly Winchesters and Remingtons of to-day offer scant quarter as compared with the hand- chipped flint of the Micmac brave. As one sits on the bank watching thegrey and white army consuming its rations of eel grass, a sinister shadow from the far heights falls across the snow. This is made by the Northern Bald Eagle, rare indeed over most of Nova Scotia but never absent from the Port Joli region while the geese remain. Every winter a dozen or more of these great vulture-like creatures with a wing spread of seven or eight feet haunt the woods which encircle these harbours to prey on the wounded geese. They too are nature’s remorse- less time keepers who bestow a swift and pitiless end to any aged or decrepit member of the colony. The old biblical statement ‘For wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered to- gether”’ applies here. But the eagles are not the worst enemies of the geese. It is the gunner that they fear most, and were it not for the Migratory Bird Officers who are stationed there throughout the season the birds would probably be driven out completely in a few years. Many shots are fired at birds passing high overhead out of reasonable range. The birds are often hit and it is pitifully easy to trace the course of a flock that has recently been fired at, by blood drops on the snow from birds which are bleeding as they go, and which, in many cases, are so weakened thereby that they fall easy victims hours or maybe days later to the eagles of which I have spoken. About the middle of March there is-a stir in the flock,—their very call seems to change. Some knowledge that is older than human knowledge, some need that is as deep as nature is awakening once more within them. Some morning when the pussy willows are showing their first touch of silver, and drizzling rain has succeeded the frosty nip of winter winds, a small flock, perhaps a hundred or less, detaches itself from the main army. They rise in ragged formation from the water and circle many times over the harbour calling most excitedly as though they were trying to induce others to join them. Those below are also making a great clamour as if trying to persuade those in the air that the time has not yet arrived for departing. Finally the flock swings off, usually in a northeasterly direction and almost invariably afew we:k-minded stragglers turn back to rejoin the main flock. Hour after hour this pageant of leave-taking continues, until at the end of about two weeks practically all have departed on the long flight north. We do not need to borrow from the Chinese we March, 1932] poets our most beautiful picture of this spring migration, for Charles G. D. Roberts, the Dean of Canadian Literature, has given us a perfect portrait in an exquisite sonnet which so admir- ably sets forth the charm and mystery of this departure. THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 53 ‘High through the drenched and hollow night their wings Beat northward hard on Winter’s trail. The sound Of their confused and solemn voices borne Athwart the dark to their long Arctic morn, Come with a sanction and an awe profound, A boding of unknown, foreshadowed things.”’ SUB-ARCTIC MUSHROOMS By H. S. SPENCE} The locality is the southeast corner of Great Bear Lake, N.W.T., longitude 118°, latitude 66°, being only a few miles south of the arctic circle. The observations were made from the 10th to the 25th of August, 1931. The ground there consists of bare, low, rocky points and islands. Depressions are filled with small boulders and/or moss and lichen. There is practically no soil, unless a very little sand here and there can be called soil, and all the sparse phanerogamic vegetation grows in moss. I was surprised to find such an abundance of fungi in what seemed such unlikely situations. Even small, shallow, moss-filled depressions on islands and promontories supporting no tree or shrubby growth often had mushrooms in them. Usually the fungi were more abundant around the higher and dryer margins of the basins than on the lower and moister portions. As there is practically no drainage into such places the moss must act like a sponge and retain the mois- ture from rain almost indefinitely. At any rate the dryer the ground the better the mushrooms seemed to grow, and as I have said they grow, not in soil, but right out of the thick moss which is often 20 to 30 inches deep. 1 Learning from Mr. W. S. Odell of my in- terest in our fleshy fungi, Mr. HughS. Spence, connected with the Dominion Department of Mines, on the occasion of sending me some unidentified material, accompanied it with an interesting account of observations he made last summer upon the prevalence and uses of the Agarics and some other fleshy species which he found growing in the northern tundra. Good botanists and expert collec- tors have been attached to several expeditions to Arctic America but they have been specially interested in the green plant life. The fact that Mr. Spence was interested more particularly in the edible fungi makes his observations a worth while contribution to the knowledge of our arctic flora. I think they deserve permanent record and with his permission to publish them I am offering them to The Canadian Field-Naturalist whose readers I am sure will be pleased to see them. London, Ont——JOHN DEARNESS. At the date named most of the varieties were just passing their prime and there were probably more old specimens than young ones to be seen. The summer had been fairly dry and cool. The ground in this region remains permanently frozen at a depth of about 36 inches but I suppose the moss thaws out quite completely. I did not notice that the fungi showed any preference for wooded areas more than for bare moss varied in some places with a few small shrubs. The only tree growth is a sparse one of small arctic spruce with here and there an odd white poplar or birch. The shrubs are mostly alder and willow. The fact that mushrooms grow in abundance and luxuriance where it is daylight until 11 p.m. in August, and where it is practically never quite dark during the growth season offers a problem for those who as I remem- ber used to claim that mushrooms grow only in the dark. I found the following species extremely abun- dant: Lactarius deliciosus, Lactarius torminosus or near it, Russula emetica and Cortinarius ar- millatus. Less abundant but still common were: Lactarius hysginus, Cortinarius cinnamomeus, Cortinarius violaceus, Boletus, a species of a uniform gray colour having a very thick cap, Hydnum repandum up to 6 inches across and a species of Calvatia. Incidentally I succeeded in interesting the men at the camp in mushrooms for the table. Pre- vious to my visit they had never even noticed their existence and were quite surprised when I started bringing them in. I induced the cook to prepare a quantity for one midday meal of which some of the men rather diffidently partook the others telling them they would be dead by four o’clock. However as no casualties occurred the hesitaters took courage and having once tasted there were henceforth no refusals of mushrooms at the table. The cook knew something’ about cooking them too, for he added a little onion, wishing at the same time that he had some celery to put with it. I was agreeably surprised to find that the onion really improves the flavour of the dish. BA THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST It was decided by the men that Lactarius hysginus was the best of the lot with L. deliciosus a good second. Several writers allege that the ‘last named species does not merit its name, but we found it very good. We used it, however, only in the button and semi-expanded stages. By the time it reaches the funnel shape it be- comes tough and loses its flavour. [VoL. XLVI Note.—Mr. Frits Johansen found. Calvatia cretacea Berk. on stony tundra at Bernard Harbor in 1915. This is the only one of the larger species of puff-ball reported from the Canadian Arctic; it may be the one that Mr. Spence collected and doubtless like the other large puff-balls is whole- some food. Few people here venture to cook Lactarius hysginus Fr. on account of its fiery taste when raw.—J. D. THE MAYFLIES OF LAKE WINNIPEG By FERRIS NEAVE University of Manitoba HE FOLLOWING list of species will doubtless seem very short when one takes into account the enormous size of Lake Winnipeg and considers, moreover, that it lies on the boundary between very different types of country. Undoubtedly the list is in- complete, but natural factors contribute to its brevity. In the first place no attempt is made to include the numerous forms which inhabit the streams, rivers and lagoons of the area, but only those species whose nymphs live in the main body of the lake. Since most mayfly nymphs are confined to quite shallow water, it is obvious that in a body like Lake Winnipeg such species can only exist along the shore line. Owing to the size of the lake and the prevalence of unsettled weather most of the shores are exposed to a great deal of wave action, which further restricts the fauna to forms which can withstand these conditions. Again, a general lack of aquatic vegetation accounts for the absence or scarcity of many other species. With regard to the nymphs, it is well known that the three subfamilies E’phe- merine, Heptageniine and Betine may be des- eribed roughly as burrowers, stone-clingers and swimmers respectively. In the present list it will be noted that the species are about equally distributed between these three groups. Ac- tually, however, the species of Betine are much scarcer and more local than the members of the other two subfamilies, due to their relative inability to withstand the above-mentioned con- ditions. They are found only in comparatively sheltered situations. On the other hand, nearly all the other species are abundant and widely distributed over Lake Winnipeg, being well adapted to the prevailing types of habitat. With the exception of the two species of Centroptilum, whose distributional status is uncertain, the list consists of species with a wide geographical range. In most cases this range, as known at the present time, lies mainly to the east and south of the area under discussion. A very similar list could Cs) probably be made for a great many of the larger lakes of North America. EPHEMERINAD Ephemera simulans Walk.—Very common as far as the extreme north end of the lake. The nymphs affect particularly shallow, sandy bays. They have been found in the stomachs of sturgeon from Lake Winnipeg. The flying season lasts from June to August. Hexagenia limbata occulta Walk—This species and the next are the so-called “‘fish flies”, which appear in tremendous numbers in July. The nymphs burrow in the mud and are more thor- oughly adapted to a lacustrine life than any other species in Lake Winnipeg, living often at distances of several miles from the shore and occurring at depths down to 50 or 60 feet. They form an important food supply for whitefish, sturgeon, goldeye, perch and other commercial fishes. Hexagenia rigida McDunnough—Abundant but considerably less numerous than the previous species. Ephoron album Say—Plentiful in late summer in many localities. BXTINE Blasturus cupidus Say—Ponemah and mouth of Manigotagan River. Nymphal skins of this or the next species at Warren’s Landing and George Island. The nymphs have the habit of migrating considerable distances up small streams in early spring. Blasturus nebulosus Walk.—Wells Harbour, 14-15 July, 1230 (F.N.) Cenis forcipata McD.—Common in various localities in both northern and southern portions of the lake, June to end of August. : Betis spp.—Single specimens of adults and nymphs have been taken but not in sufficient numbers to determine the species with confidence. Centroptilum infrequens McDunnough—Win- nipeg Beach (A. T. Hunter) Holotype. (Can. Ent., 56:98). It is doubtful if this is really a lake shore form, as considerable collecting in such March, 1932] habitats has failed to rediscover it. Centroptilum quaesitum McDunnough (?)— Inhabilts protected, shallow bays with a growth of aquatile vegetation. At present known only from the northern portion of the lake (Warren’s Landing and Gull Bay, near Long Point). HEPTAGENIIN/ Siphloplecton basalis Walk.—Taken only on the Manigotagan River, near its mouth, but probably occurs also on the lake itself. Heptagenia hebe McDunnough—Husavick, 29 Aug. 1923 (J. B. Wallis); Gimli, 23-24 Aug. 1930 (F.N.). Heptagenia pulla Clemens—A very characteris- THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 55 tic form, occurring in all parts of the lake. The nymphs are common along stony beaches. Adults June to August. Ecdyonurus tripunctatus Banks—Plentiful, June to beginning of August. Nymphs on stony shores. Ecdyonurus interpunctatus Say—Abundant all over the lake. Shows great variation in colour, some specimens being perhaps dark enough to be considered as canadensis Walk. Nymphs often found in company with those of Heptagenia pulla. ‘Ecdyonurus terminatus Walsh—Not common but widely distributed. George Island; Grind- stone Point; Gimli. June to August. WHITE STRAWBERRIES By SUSAN K. SQUIRES ‘YN A BOOK which I read recently the | author made the characters pick white strawberries on an island in a lake some- where in northern Alberta or British Columbia. I wondered if these strawberry plants are indigenous to Canada or if the author were just drawing on his imagination. I have been quite interested in their history for a number of years—hbecause I have grown them. | We moved to our present home in May, 1898, and that autumn the daughter of our predecessor asked me if I had seen any white strawberries that summer. I told her that I did not even know that strawberries ever were white. She took me out into the orchard and showed me the spot where they had formerly grown and said that they had grown there when her father had bought the place twelve years before. As the spot was cov- vered with heavy timothy hay I did not think _ that there was much chance for strawberries. However, I kept watching for them for several years and at last concluded that, if they ever had been on the place, they had died out; and not for twenty years did I find them. About ten years ago someone said one after- noon that wild strawberries were very plentiful in a back field, and I proposed that we go and pick some as they are so delicious. We passed through a small hardwood grove and as I stepped down from an old stone fence behind it I saw a patch of strawberry leaves, not the vivid green they should be, but with a peculiar yellowish tinge to them. I stooped and brushed back the leaves and saw quite a number of creamy-white berries. I picked and ate the largest and it was sweet. Like a flash my memory bridged the years and I said, ‘‘White strawberries.’ They were growing not four feet from the fence and directly under the far out-reaching branches of a big yellow birch and were somewhat stunted from lack of sunshine. I called to my sons who were with me and showed them what I had found and one of them exclaimed, “‘Why, I saw leaves just like those on the other side of the grove.” We re- traced out steps and found the spot not far out from the trees and perhaps ten or twelve feet in diameter with sturdy plants scattered all through the grass and most of the plants bore fruit. Although it was the middle of July, I trans- planted thirty plants to a vacant row in the garden and not one of them died. When I moved them to a permanent position in October, some of them had as many as thirteen suckers with new plants on the tips. In two or three years I had quite a bed, but by that time the robins learned that strawberries did not have to be red to be edible. The fruit was seldom much larger than a marble and it lacked the sharp acid of the red berries. Although the white berries had rather a pleasing flavour, they were sometimes insipid. In picking them a convenient peculiarity was the fact that they stemmed themselves, the calyx always staying on the stem. The fact that one was quite likely to pick immature fruit was not so convenient. One structural difference between the white plants and any other strawberry plants I have ever seen was in the fruit stems. They grew like the blossom stems of the house primula. The fruit stem grew out from the plant and pro- duced one set of berries, then a bud in the centre developed into another stem and cluster of berries, to be again extended into a third cluster of fruit. This was the rule rather than the ex- ception on sturdy plants and much prolonged the bearing season. If this peculiarity could be 56 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST transferred to commercial plants it might per- haps be of some economic value. The plants had a large number of fruit stems and bore well, but to my mind the berries were not as pleasing to either the eye or palate as red ones. When cooked they were about the colour of apple-sauce and did not look appetizing without the addition of red berries. After we once began hunting for the plants we found them growing in as many as ten widely separated places in an area of perhaps ten acres. Only two of the spots were in what had been the old fenced-in orchard or garden. Most of the patches were close to fences where trees were growing and where the birds could have dropped the seeds. Only two spots were in the open meadow and these could easily have been started by plants carried on plough or harrow. We found fruit on nearly all of the plants for two seasons and then they seemed to retire into obscurity again. Since we are now familiar with the foliage we can find it by hunting, but no fruit. Why the plants grew the way they did those two summers could only be from climatic conditions for other conditions were exactly the same the following years. Where the plants came from originally is, of course, one of the facts that has been lost in the years. I know they have been growing here for forty-five years. If they are not native they were probably brought here from England. Back [VoL. XLVI beyond sixty years ago the place was owned for a decade or two by a succession of officers of the old British regiments which were stationed in Fredericton during those years. Or perhaps they date still further back to when the owner was an old Loyalist judge whose forbears were English. For twenty-five years he had an English gardener and fine gardens until he unfortunately fought a duel, killed his man, and had to flee the country. I have heard of the white strawberry plants growing in another garden in the city, pushed out under the fence and neglected but still exist- ing. This garden was also on a place owned by the early English official class, at one time, I believe, by one of the earlier governors. A lady caller told me not long ago about these berries growing in her cousin’s garden at St. Andrews-by-the-Sea. His grandfather had brought the original plants from England. They are probably growing in other places in the Maritime Provinces. In an article in a recent magazine, a Wolfville, Nova Scotia, lady tells of having a few plants given her from an old Dutch garden in East Chester, Nova Scotia, where they had been growing undisturbed for fifty years. It seems remarkable that the plants should survive so many years without any care. I sup- pose it is no more strange, however, that white plants should live than that wild red plants should, one seems about as hardy as the other. ~ CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF EXTREME NORTH-EASTERN LABRADOR By BERNHARD HANTZSCH TRANSLATED BY M. B. A. ANDERSON ‘‘Beitrage zur Kenntnis des nordéstlichsten Labradors,” von Bernhard Hantzsch, Mitteilungen des Vereins fir Erd- kunde zu Dresden. Dresden, Volume 8, 1909, pp. 158-229. Volume 9, 1909, pp. 245-320. (Translated from the original German text in the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C., by M. B. A. Anderson, M.A., Ottawa, 1928.) Original pagination given in the text. (Continued from page 36) My most important experiences concerning the native population may now follow. These, as all the other Eskimos, areslowly approaching destruc- tion, at least as far as their pure racial repre- sentatives are concerned. If even the Labrador missionaries write, that their work for the na- tives is “like the last service of love for a dying person,”’ then the size of the population is steadily decreasing. The race may represent an old branch of the human species, which is now out- living its time and is pining away. The 80 to 100 Eskimos, who are regarded as residents of Killinek, form no independent line. They call themselves as do all other Eskimos merely “people” [Menschen] (Sing., innuk; Dual, innuk; Plur., innuit), by which term they distinguish themselves from the white people (Kablunak, -naek, -nat). The name cited by Franz Boas for the inhabitants of Cape Chidley Kedlingmiut (according to the Labrador custom written perhaps as Killingmiut =those who live farthest toward the sea, that is, farthest north, right in Killinek—this latter word again superlative (-nek) from Killek=far to the end out towards the sea) and the term Koguangmiut are perhaps understood, but not used as true terms for a line. Koguangmiut (better perhaps Koksoangmiut = who live on the Koksoak, the “great river” in the south of Ungava Bay) for the people of Ungava March, 1932] Bay (compare A. P. Low, Cruise of the Neptune, 1906; p. 1384), according to other accounts (The Newfoundland and Labrador Pilot, London, 1897) perhaps for the inhabitants between Cape Chidley and the Koksoak the name Kungavamiut (accord- ing to Labrador custom better Ungavamiut = inhabitants of Ungava Bay; ungava =a territory where someone lives* again, separated by land lying between). Formerly the different families were more attached to definite dwelling places than now, werenamed after these places, and claim- ed hunting and fishing rights there for themselves. These families have for a long time mingled and through association with the whites are losing still more their special local peculiarities. Among the adults of the families at the station in 1906 there were more female than male individuals, though in the Winter previous to this three robust married men had died of illness; the number of children could be noted as favourable. That of the old people on the other hand less favourable. Be- sides a few women there was only one old man. The majority of the inhabitants were heathen but a small number in the south of Ungava Bay had been baptized by a white man not a resident of this place, and without sufficient religious in- struction. In their outward appearance the Killinek Eskimos show the type peculiar to their race quite unadulterated. Whenever a few people, especially a girl of rather large size, are to be distinguished by relatively light colour of skin and European cast of features, the conclu- sion is, that in such cases mixture of blood with the whites caused the change. The majority of the people from the south of Ungava Bay were characterized by a taller and more slender form than the old settled Killinekers, perhaps only by chance. I judged their height to be 175 centi- meters. One woman in particular had in addition such a strong Indian cast of features that I was convinced that here there must be older or later relationship with this race, which is not outnum- bered by the Eskimos in the south of Ungava Bay. The Killinekers, who at first glance may be claimed as pure racial types—my companion Paksau was such an one—are distinguished by short, compact stature (men about 155-165 centimeters, women about 145-155 centimeters) broad shoulders, slightly marked waists even in the case of the women, and rather small pelvic hipbones in the case of the latter whereby the back appears more evenly longish. Further they possess strong muscular arms and occasionally rather short, but not crooked, legs. With ad- vancing age, especially with the women, real obesity occasionally occurs from lack of exercise. The feet and hands are small and well-proportion- THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 57 ed. The face is broad, often round and full, at other times more square on account of the strongly developed, projecting cheek-bones and lower jaw, the forehead normal and mostly slightly arched [P. 259] the cheeks are full and thick. Between the cheeks the broad-nostrilled nose, which is very flat at the root, rises only a little way. Indeed in small children the nose is often im- bedded between the cheeks and rises up above these only with the tip. A flattened nasal structure, characteristic for Eskimo children, might have its raason at least in part of the stay of the offspring for months, even for years in the mother’s hood. Usually I found the children sleeping there with legs drawn up, so that they leaned the fore side of the face on the back of the mother, as this corresponds to the natural posi- tion of the new-born child, bending forward. I could see no example in this district of inten- tional deformation of the skull, as Francis C. Hall reports of the Eskimo races, living farther north (Life with the Esquimaux, London, 1865, pe 520) by means of lateral pressure and covering with atight-fittingleathercap. The most good-natured- looking eyes have an iris of black-brown colour, rather thick lids, which draw close together, and often a somewhat oblique shape, which seems truly Mongolian. The mouth is broad and not rarely thick-lipped. The people frequently let their mouths stay open, especially in attentive observation of any kind of event. The teeth are usually regular, strong and firm, but at the present time do not appear to have the durability of pre- vious generations on account of the different food, especially the use of sugar, bread and perhaps tobacco. At least dental troubles and along with them tooth-ache, decayed teeth and in older People great loss of teeth are nothing rare, even if according to my observation less frequent than in the more southern Eskimo who have been civilized alonger time. The colour of the enamel is yellowish. Farther in the south they chew resin, and so whiten the teeth. Not rarely they use the teeth for holding something firmly or for other sorts of work. The ears are well-shaped and comparatively small. They are usually covered by the coarse, shining black hair, which hangs down quite smooth and very thick. Women and girls braid two or more braids, which they tie together at the ends often, or [P. 260] perhaps tie up to the back of the head, and adorn with ribbons in the Moravian colours, if they possess any. Men and boys cut the hair at the nape of the neck usually, a custom which deserves pre- ference in opposition to the short-cut frequently used at the Christian stations of Labrador, not only on account of the appearance, but also for 58 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST practical reasons. The hair falling smooth and orderly even without daily combing forms the natural protection against the sun’s rays, wind and cold, as well as the best cushion under the head when asleep. The occurrence of head-lice may be considered the only reason for a short cut, but these only appear on people who are not at all clean, and with such people are not to be removed anyway. The eyebrows as a rule are not well developed; in many people, especially children, they are almost lacking. The hirsuteness of the rest of the body is on the whole slight. Only in the case of older men a very thick beard develops at times, but it rarely covers the outline of the face. The shining black colour of the hair is not lost until old age. Persons with white hair are said to occur rarely, and then to be at least 80 to 100 years old. I have seen nothing of bald-headed Hskimos even at the Christian stations, where the population has degenerated. Now and then the hair was thin, especially with old women. ‘The men often appeared considerably younger than they really were, because of slight growth of beard. The age of the maidens and women could be estimated more easily. When both sexes have passed maturity, they age compra- tively early. But I did not get the impression that this happened with the women noticeably sooner than with the men. Some of the older women in Killinek showed slight tattoo marks on their faces, that is, six to eight lines on the chin running from below the chin upward to the mouth, as well as some streaks on forehead and temples. The blue-black colour of this simple decoration is said to be brought about by drawing under the skin a thread black- ened with lamp-black. [P. 261] In older times this decoration was applied following marriage but at the present time is no longer used. The colour of the skin of these Eskimos isin generala dull bronze to yellow brown, mostly so uniform and dark, that a normal reddening on the cheek is no longer to be distinguished, perhaps though a sudden blush of deep emotion. As for the rest the intensity of the colour is said to change with’ the seasons of the year; the bright sunlight of the spring colours face and hands especially dark, at times to a dark brown. This tone bleaches to a gray yellow brown up to winter and loses through lack of cleanliness still more freshness and vivacity. The physical strength of both sexes is consider- able, even if it may not be so great as that of educated white workmen. Our Eskimos might compare favourably with such people in respect to toughness and endurance, even outdo the white workmen in case of continuous under-feed- [VoL. XLVI ing. On rather long marches, in which generally a rather quick pace was kept, I was continually surprised how my companions, even the strong Paksau, tired so much that at every opportunity they sat down, while I myself felt no great desire for rest. Just how far laziness and weak will were concerned I was not always able to judge. An Eskimo is seldom graceful, skillful and dex- terous. Th2 short, stunted form does not permit much to be expected in this respect; the serpen- tine agility of the Indian is entirely lacking. Therefore the Eskimo hunter prefers to sit with endless patience on the watch, rather than venture a quick stalking. To be sure his thick clothing hinders him in the full use of his limbs and this is still further lessened by the numbing cold. Even women and girls as a rule possess little grace of movement. Of the senses the sight is developed the most. This fact apparently has as a reason only the normal use and. frequent exercise of the eyes. Old people, as with us, often become far- sighted, and then can no longer aim well with a gun. At the more southern mission stations some people [P. 262] wear glasses. The hearing is, likewise, well developed; the other senses less. These Eskimos are in no way spared from ill- nesses so much as is expected from a primitive people. Their whole manner of living, which, of course, is influenced by the inhospitable character of the land must be designated in a hygienic respect. Life in the raw air, in draughty tents, in the damp earth or snow-house, sitting and lying on cold, damp ground, getting wet in down- pours, etc., favours contracting colds. Catarrhal colds are frequent; the handkerchief plays a certain role already with the better-mannered Eskimos. Coughing seems to occur somewhat more rarely, though whooping-cough demands its toll at times. According to information from the — missionaries tuberculosis is said to occur not in- frequently, and then usually leads to death . quickly. It is spread through the restricted life together in poorly ventilated, dirty rooms, the use of the same dishes, much tobacco smoking, partly with the same pipes used by several, and as a consequence the objectionable habit of fre- quent spitting. It is known that tuberculosis also attacks most Eskimos who stay for some years in temperate climates, for example in Europe. Stomach illnesses occur frequently, which are induced by irregular manner of eating but are usually of rather light nature. The medicines dispensed mostly by the missionaries consist therefore of the old dependable home remedies for the digestion. Unsuitable food in combination with lack of cleanliness produces perhaps that cachectic disorder, which expresses March, 1932] itself in skin disorders, especially ulcers and a rash. How far scrofula is to be assumed as a cause of the latter ailments, cannot be so easily decided. The wide-spread and infectious kallak occurs especially in the Winter. It is worthy of note that this disease does not occur in nearby Baffin Island at all, as Captain James S. Mutch in Peterhead (Scotland) assured me, who had a wide-spread knowledge of that district. It is likewise emphasized [P. 263] by Peary, Senn and others of the Etah Eskimos in northwest Green- land, that they are free from conspicuous skin diseases. In the Labrador population often a large part of the community suffers weeks, even months from this virulent, itching malady, which begins in the face and spreads over almost the whole body in severe casse, so that the sufferer ean sit or lie only with pain. The disease does not seem to be so bad asin the south. A remedy, which will heal quickly, is not known, according to the statements made to me by the mission physician in Okak, Dr. Hutton. In general they are helped by certain salves, which, therefore, must be on hand in considerable amounts as a further home remedy of the mission stations. The Eskimos are usually like children: they neglect the regular application and washing, scratch off the scabs and prolong the healing process. If the salve fails to heal, then they try to influence the kallak favourably by eating seal blubber, occasionally also by rubbing with this. Abundant eating of berries in the autumn is said to repress the outbreak. Perhaps favourable healing results are attained through the use of the native herb tea in place of the inferior Chinese tea. Fortunately the kallak heals up in such a way, that it leaves behind no scars Tape-worms and other parasitic forms occur not rarely among our Eskimos. The missionary, S. J. Townley, who was experienced in a medical way, had heard different Eskimo proverbs and sayings, which ridicule the appearance of intestinal worms. Here it can be stated that the cosmopolitan head louse (Pediculus capitis Deg.), mentioned earlier, is apparently the only parasite which afflicts the Eskimos externally, and also is not to be permanently removed easily from their heads and houses. That the mothers hunt up the lice on the heads of the children and then according to the good old Eskimo proverb, “‘Whatever bites must be bitten in its turn,” stick them in their mouths, I have repeatedly seen myself in Killinek. Whether Phthirius pubis L. [P. 264] occurs, I - could not find out, but consider it improbable on account of the slight growth of body hair. When- ever the people speak of different lice, it may THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 59 perhaps refer only to the different sexes and ages of Pediculus capitis. I could collect this species only in countless specimens.3! The Eskimos suffer naturally from all possible inner diseases besides breathing and digestive disturbances, which seem similar to our European diseases. Such varied conditions as the tropics produce, the north does not know at all. Only let there be mentioned for this district the not rare occurrence of heart trouble; which is made worse by strenuous physical exertion, over-indul- gence in strong tobacco, and in many cases perhaps in too frequent sexual intercourse. A further illness, according to Dr. Hutton not yet explained, is a kind of influenza, which at times attacks strong individuals. Within a few days the one affected becomes noticeably weaker, the activity of the heart declines, and temporarily stops; occasionally the lungs seem to be affected, there is a slight fever, as a rule, and in most cases death occurs without any clearly recognizable cause. Here it may be stated distinctly, that the physical body of the Eskimo, whenever he be- comes very ill, is shown to be much less capable of resistance than that of the white person thor- oughly immunized through many illnesses. Un- fortunately in the Okak hospital no kind of post mortem examinations have been made of the dead, who died under the circumstances described, which might have resulted in the discovery of the cause of this peculiar illness. Dangerous infectious diseases occur occasionally to a very large extent, and are known frequently to be brought in from the outside. Several times measles, typhoid, and apparently also diphtheria have taken a heavy toll of human life. Some particularly terrible epidemics are described in the publications of the Moravian brotherhood from the older mission stations. [P. 265] Neither has this good-humoured and light-minded population escaped syphilis, even some of the Killinek people living away from communication with the oustide are said to be infected. The consequences of such ailments may be more apparent with these formerly uninfected children of nature than in the case of civilized people. Outer wounds seem to heal quickly and for the most part well. They are left to nature herself or atthe best are bound with the skin of animals, fresh or moistened, in the absence of any Euro- pean material; the wounds are covered with juicy herbs, especially Sedum, or an attempt is made to influence their healing favourably by sorcery. In sudden accidents they are usually 31 Kindly identified by Dr. B. Wandolleck at the Zoolo- gical Museum in Dresden. 60 THE CANADIAN FIBLD-N ATURALIST confused and helpless, since they do not know even the simplest principles of first aid. For example, in 1906, three men fell into the water. No Eskimo can swim, because it is hard to prac- tice this form of exercise in the cold water. One of the people rescued himself on a stone and was brought to land half frozen, another vanished in the water, a third was pulled out of the water still warm. But since no one, not even the Europeans present, knew anything about artifi- cial respiration, they let the man die. They put splints on broken bones without any special training. A female skeleton collected by me showed a broken arm, healed up very favourably. They rub frost bites with snow. Amputation of a limb because it has been frozen, seems to be necessary only in exceptional cases. You find rheumatism frequently with the older men. 'They try to avoid the extremely painful snowblindness by the use of snow goggles, which formerly con- sisted of wooden or leather eye-covers, in the middle of which there was a narrow slit, and which were fastened on the head with a thin thong. At the present time they use European snow-glasses, introduced by trade. Cripples are found not very rarely as a consequence of slight skill in the treatment of the sick and those who have met with accidents. Under the direction of the missionaries these now usually learn a trade suitable for them or make themselves useful in other ways. In 1906 there was a boy in Killinek, who [P. 266] was unable to stand upright and had to bend over constantly, so that he supported himself with his hands on his knees. It is not easy to pass judgment in a few words on the mental peculiarities of the inhabitants. At first the women and children were shy with me. Whenever I came upon them over the hills and surprised some of them fishing, even with an Eskimo companion, they would leave their work at once and go to their tents. If we went over to the tents, they would vanish inside and close the entrance while they chattered softly and laughed. I left them undisturbed, and gradually they became less shy. I was glad to see that the Killinek women and children visited the mission steamer only in quite exceptional cases, while at the Christian stations farther to the south the whole community came on board, regarded the ship as their favourite recreation place, and even in the evening young girls stayed for hours in the crew’s quarters. I learned to know most of the people of Killinek as being just as wise as they were peaceable and good natured. They were capable of thinking keenly, not only of districts situated near them, but also on entirely new subjects; they displayed a natural, just [VoL. XLVI judgement and usually also a desire to be instruct- ed further. : I consider these Eskimos as not at all inferior to the white race and on this account companion- ship with them on journeys is very pleasant. They have much practical knowledge and instinc- tive capabilities, which a European seldom possesses in like degree, and for this reason I prefer Eskimos as companions on Arctic journeys. I could also observe in many cases their good humour and readiness to help, their generosity, and hospitality. With foresight and kindness you can arrange everything with them, while they become stubborn quickly with threats and force, even spiteful and revengeful. They have a keen understanding of the difference between true good-will and calculating friendliness and rejoin with trust or mistrust. In their care-free attitude, bordering on light-mindedness, they are like children; they think too little of the future, enjoy [P. 267] the happiness of the moment in full measure, bear misfortune with patience, even equanimity and quickly forget times of need. They do not wish to learn how to save and be economical. They are, therefore, many times to blame, whenever great want comes to them, but they do not learn wisdom from the experience at all. They have a well-developed sense of tact, that is expressed in a pleasant way, particularly with the women. In most cases their behaviour is full of consideration, polite and well-mannered, so that you wonder why these characteristics must be cultivated in our children here at home with so much trouble and less success. Any sort of bold, importunate manner, which could be criticized never struck my attention with the Killinek women. I have really wondered about it in the case of these heathen; and lost confi- dence a little in the influence of culture and reli- gion. Iam not speaking of customs of a different kind, which naturally exist, but of the innermost being of these people, which commanded my respect and love. These Eskimos are in the majority, of a sanguine, often of a really optim- istic, temperament. Merriment, which turns not rarely into unbridled pleasure, is peculiar to them. Therefore they are so often heard laughing, jest- ing and chatting together. They like compan- ionship and after dark assemble almost regularly in the roomiest tent. They then sit together until far into the night, as if every day were a festival. They like to travel together in groups of several families when on journeys, as far as the hardships of the hunt and of fishing permit. They display a great desire to imitate white people. They are idle, full of desire to please and capricious and in general cling little to the old customs. There- March, 1932] fore it happens, that the population has, in the last few decades, changed quite extraordinarily in outer respects. It is a sad experience for the ethnologist when he sees a people carelessly throw aside countless valuable acquisitions of their forefathers, and in addition to this sees them adopt as quickly as possible a Christian com- munion white-washed by European civilization, held up to them by representatives of culture and the mission, who seek their honour in it, without always enquiring with [P. 268] sufficient know- ledge and pious reflection whether for these people the new is really better than the old! Because of lack of space I must refrain from giving examples of the strong desire for imitation, which, it is true, may be a sign of intelligence on the part of the population, but which appeared to me far more frequently in a more unpleasant, indeed more objectionable, form than in a praise- worthy way. Why do they wish to remodel all peoples according to a pattern, when experience teaches that our way leads neither to fulfillment nor to happiness! Killinek on the one hand, the Christian stations farther south in Labrador on the other hand, give many clear proofs of it, a fact which everyone must see, who does not shut his eyes on purpose, nor is seized by prejudiced opinions. That, with the advance of culture, other deplorable characteristics also arise among the people, such as covetousness, envy, hypo- crisy, sensuality, and evident immorality, cannot be denied. These people are travelling the same path, which the Bible has strikingly characterized concerning the first men. In their outward appearance the Killinek Es- kimos make on the whole a favourable impression. They showed themselves in their clothing almost superior to the inhabitants of Rama and even to the stations situated more to the south. The reason for this may be found not only in the good teachings and admonitions of the missionaries, but also in the abundance of animal life in the district, and profitable pursuits. There is the possibility also of spending time and money to procure good clothing. At the present time their clothing is, as a rule, made in summer from European materials; in the winter the outer clothing at least more from seal skin or occasion- ally from caribou skin. The European style of dress has wrought a great change in the native costumes. Both sexes now frequently wear shirts of flannel or other goods, the men now a pair of under drawers, as well as a pair of outer trousers, fashioned in European style and often purchased ready made. The women wear either a pair of drawers from thick grayish white woolen material, or under these the old fashioned short fur breeches, THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 61 which [P. 269] keep the body warm, and are said frequently to be sewed corresponding to the way the fur is distributed on the body of the animal: on the underside the soft white fur of the belly of the caribou, on the upper side the back parts of the animal. In the winter they wear fur outer breeches of different cut. At the present time most of the women put on dresses made of thin, gay-coloured materials; the few, who reject such clothing, usually wear fur breeches in the summer also. These dresses of the women adopted from the whites are doubtless a great hindrance to them in work and conduce to untidiness since they ccn- ceal torn and dirty underclothing. ‘‘But it does not look proper for women to run about in trousers as the men do,” a worthy mission lady said to me, ~ who perhaps also advocated the wearing of corsets by the Eskimo young women, as the fine house-, kitchen- and nurse-maids of the more southern stations like to do. With the men the upper part of the body is covered with a rather short jacket, generally made of white material, and often thickly padded, which they slip over the head, because it is closed in front and has no buttons of any kind. The upper back part runs out into a pointed hood, which is usually bordered about the opening encircling the face with a soft dog fur, but is only pulled up over the head in bad weather. The children, even the girls, wear a similar jacket; quite small children are placed in the hood naked or wrapped up in a cloth, the larger children wear a little jacket like a fur shirt. With the women on the edge of the front of the over-garment there is a rounded apron, which originally had for its purpose a symbolical covering of the parts of the body below it—as is evident in certain bands of Eskimos farther north. On the back, however, there hangs down a long- tail-shaped piece nearly to the ground: this rep- resents an imitation of the tail of an animal. The head opening is very wide; it forms the opening for the large cowl-shaped hood meant for the reception of the child. This women’s over-garment, in summer at least, is generally made of thick white woolen material and is trimmed on the edges, as are the jackets of the men, with red or other coloured beads. More and more rarely do they take the trouble to fashion the far more artistic over-garments from skins of the common seal or from the ringed seal. Then the beautifully marked well-cleaned pieces are used and, if necessary, the thinly scraped pieces, which they cut free-hand with the woman’s knife, shaped like half a circle, and the pieces sewn with caribou sinew. Steel sewing needles at present are being introduced in great quantities by the trade, and have almost replaced the old needles 62 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST made from walrus teeth and bones. Much sense of form and skill is required to make fur garments of this kind, in beautiful, symmetrical patterns, that fit well. But the Labrador Eskimos are far behind the bands living farther north in this respect, and the skilled Greenland women. Under the softening influence of civilization the taste for their ancestral, suitable and beautiful style of dress is unfortunately disappearing. In the winter they protect themselves from the cold by thicker and more abundant under clothing. At the present time painted woolen jackets are popular. That woolen clothing of this kind suffers from considerable disadvantages as com- pared to complete fur clothing has been explained by different people who know the cold regions. The women frequently use cloths as head covering; the men, caps partly of native manufacture, partly of foreign make. Culture has not exerted any great influence on foot gear; the native style indeed has commonly been accepted by the white people. From strong, bearded seal leather they sew a boot-leg, closed in front, to which a turned- up sole is sewn. The sewing demands special skill. It is done with caribou sinew and then the leather is quite softened by soaking. Women’s boots do not reach up to the knee; since they are open at the top, they are occasionally used as pockets. The boots of the men reach up to the knee and are pulled together with a string drawn through at the upper edge. In good con- dition such boots are quite water-tight and com- fortable to wear. Holes are repaired with pieces set on the boots. They cover their feet with woolen socks or wind rags about them . . . they like to place grass, straw or moss in the soles of the boot. Since there are no sewed-in pockets in the primitive clothing, they tie on special fur pockets. [P. 271]. All pieces of clothing made of leather or skin have the disadvantage of becoming quite soft when wet, but they become hard as a board after drying, and cannot be put onin thisstate. There- fore it is the special evening work of the women to rub or scrape the half-dry shoes, jackets, etc., with a blunt stone, bone, piece of wood or the like, and to knead the pieces of clothing with their hands, until they are flexible again. This work often occupies several hours, demands skill and practice, which the men usually lack, and makes it desirable to take the women along on journeys. For longer expeditions the women are just as much needed, to repair the different pieces of clothing, especially shoes, which are worn through by daily use inside of afew weeks. To undertake very long journeys with men only is for this reason unprofitable. The Eskimos know this and [VoL. XLVI act accordingly. Let no one think that taking women along is primarily for sensual reasons. The division of work between the sexes from early youth demands their two-sided activity for the preservation of life. The clothing is frequent-: ly washed by most people, especially in summer. The women wash the underclothing on Saturday at least, and hence the community living at the station often appears quite neat and fine at church on Sunday. That they wash the body, at least face, neck and arms, frequently, must likewise ke mentioned. In respect to cleanliness the example set by the mission families has certainly exerted a favourable influence. There are always some people, who do not like to come into contact with water; others at times are forced by circum- stances to neglect washing. It would be incor- rect, however, to represent the Killinek people as really more uncleanly than the poor European population. Even the educated white man because of the inclemency of the climate is often kept from washing for days, if he does not live in a well-heated house. With adequate neatness the Eskimos have no marked specific odour for a normal nose. If [P. 272] it is claimed, that such an odour is noticeable after the enjoyment of large quantities of seal meat, then this observation may refer to external odours coming from bodies and clothing. Just as there is no taste for ar- tistically decorated clothing, so their interest in jewelry or objects of adornment is slight. Prob- ably this is due to the lack of any kind of bright metal, which was not taken up until contact with the white people. After the introduction of tin spoons—as a discovery in old graves caused me to assume—they seem to have hammered and also to have moulded little perforated bells and hemispheres from these spoons which they used for various borders. Later, when the Hudson’s Bay Company carried on trade with the Eskimos, similar machine-made objects were introduced, and were also brought in up to later times. The women sewed hundreds of these little bells and hemispherical objects on a firm leather band and used.this heavy, but valuable, glittering, tinkling piece of trimming as the lower border on the front apron of their over-garment. I found one such in possession of a somewhat elderly woman in good circumstances and secured it for the Ethnographical Museum in Dresden. Occasion- ally they make silver finger rings for themselves, by hammering small pieces of money into the desired shape. Of further articles of adornment they possess at the most only trifles, which visitors occasionally bring with them as gifts. In dwelling conditions the Killinek Eskimos have, as a rule, preserved their primitive arrange- March, 1932] ments. They live mostly in tents in the summer, which usually are now no longer cone-shaped, as formerly seems to have been often the case, but have two rectangular long sides and two triangular short sides. The frame work consists of wooden poles, which are pushed firmly in the ground, cross in the upper part, and are joined by a cross-pole and are made fast with ropes or thongs. Origin- ally they made the tent cover from seal skins, of which perhaps thirty of the smaller ones are required, and which they must renew [P. 273] every two or three years. The ridge of the tent is open the whole length or only near the pole crossings so that the smoke can escape, but can be pulled together and made wind and rain proof. The hair side of the skins, which are sewed in such a way that the water runs off them easily, shows from the outside. At the present time though, they prefer to sell the skins, the preparation of which is troublesome, and purchase a cheaper sailcloth tent, which is far less protection. In 1906 there were only two skin tents in Killinek, in which it was far more comfortable in bad weather than in the cloth tents. To be sure the latter are lighter to carry when travelling. The tents are stretched and held in place by means of cords or thongs sewed on the sides which are tied to pieces of wood driven into the ground. They weight down the lower edge with large stones, which remain behind later as “‘tent-rings.”” The entrance, which is like a slit in the tent, is on the narrow side and can be completely closed. As a camp, a sheltered valley is chosen, or a sunny slope near the sea, if possible not too far from a clear pond or brook. With the aid of the whole family the tent is soon put up. Then they erect a raised platform of perhaps 114 or 2 meters width in the half of the tent opposite the entrance. They cover this with moss, lichens and grass, and spread caribou skins over it. Thus there is formed a place to sit in the day and a sleeping place for the night. If there is driftwood in the vicinity, they build the fire place already described in the front part of the tent, occasionally in front of it. Besides this they set on a large flat stone the oil lamp, which is cut from soapstone, or fashioned from other material, and hang a cooking pot over it, usually from the tent poles. 32 In this work I must refrain from giving a more exact description of Eskimo tools, which in general correspond to those of other districts. Without illustrations a description is difficult to understand. A rather large number of the objects collected by me are now in the Anthropological Ethnographical a in Dresden (now the Tier-und Vélkerkunde Mu- seum). THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 63 The old rectangular stone pots have gone out of use at the present time; [P. 274] only imported iron or tin dishes are in use now. As a rule the tent contains also a box, a small tub or a sort of trunk, in which the smaller belongings of the family are kept; the larger tools, pieces of clothing, provisions, etc., lie about in mothy disorder in all the corners. But it can be quite pleasant in the confined space, when it is filled by happy, contented people, and when too much wood smoke, which hurts the eyes, does not prevail. Usually each of the “better” families owns its own tent, in which eight to ten people find room with com- fort; yet there are also starving ones who, unin- vited, crowd in at their relatives’, with kith and kin. . Many families erect a house in a place where they stay most of the time, and which they inhabit at least in spring and autumn. It is” constructed with thick walls from stones and pieces of grassy turf, propped up with wooden posts and at the present time perhaps covered even with boards inside. Usually such sod houses are small, low, damp, set down in the ground half way, but have at the best a short entrance as a front building. The smoke escapes through a hatchway or a stove-pipe put up for the purpose. The one window on the low arched roof is made of stretched sealskin [gut]. They use this material also at the mission stations at least for the winter, in place of glass, because it does not dim, and remains unchanged even in the intense cold. A thick sheet of ice soon forms on the glass, which almost prevents the entrance of the light. Under the instruction of the mission- aries the houses are now being built in much more roomy style and are more comfortable inside. Wooden buildings are even being erected, such as are common in the southern stations which have an abundance of wood. This does not seem to me practicable for the Killinek neighbourhood, which has so little wood. What is the use of a fine house, if you are cold in it! A small iron stove such as the Eskimos use occasionally, helps only if you have coal or wood, but that has become scarce even in the mission buildings. Let the old Eskimo houses be made somewhat roomier, brighter and healthier; let boards be used to sheathe them, and better ventilation be [P. 275] introduced, but desist from buildings which can- not be heated by oillamps. The simple Icelandic or Greenland form of building can serve best as a model for this district. (To be continued) 64 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST [VoL. XLVI AN ANNOTATED LIST OF VASCULAR PLANTS COLLECTED ON THE NORTH SHORE OF THE GULF OF ST. LAWRENCE, 1927-193 By HARRISON F. LEWIS . (Continued from page 40) Lomatagonium rotatum (L.) Fries, f. americanum (Griseb.) Fernald. GENTIANACEAG Mascanin, August 20, 1928, small, shallow Gentiana nesophila Holm. patch of gravel near the shore of an outer Betchewun, August 26, 1928, flat limestone granitic island. Natashquan, September 8, of mainland near shore. Kegaska, August 15, 1927, turfy roadside, and September 10, 1927, -1928, banks of broken mussel-shell just above brackish marsh at shore. Kegaska, September beach of Kegaska Island. Observed on St. 4, 1927, turf margin of outer points along shore, Charles Island. Recorded by St. John from and August 14, 1928, turf near shore of Green “Mingan island: tle 4 la Chasse” only. Range Island. Bonne Esperance, August 22, 1927, extension, 82 miles E. Has been recorded from grassy turf beneath fish flakes. Greenly Island, the mainland at Betchewun by Frére Marie- August 26, 1927, grassy turf. Victorin (1929, p. 60). Apparently this is the Halenia deflexa (Sm.) Griseb. ' only place where this plant hasso far been found Wolf Bay, July 31, 1927, damp, rich soil on growing on the mainland of North America. the island called “The Black Land”. Lake Island, July 29, 1927, in turf at top of sea-cliff. Menyanthes trifoliata L., var. minor Michx. Natashquan, June 28, 1928, in 3 inches of waterin pondin marsh beside the Little Natash- quan River. Mutton Bay, July 9, 1927, shal- low pond near shore. In 1928 first seen in bloom at The Bluff Harbour on June 20. Recorded by St. John as Menyanthes trifoliata Gentiana Amarella L. Ste. Genevieve Island, August 23, 1928, , limestone shingle above beach. Kegaska, Aug- ust 14, 1928, common in turf near shore on Green Island. Observed also at Seven Islands (Manowin Island), mouth of Matamek River, Thunder River, and Kegaska Island. *Gentiana linearis Froel. L. Natashquan, August 7, 1927, and August 17, BORAGINACEAs 1928, border of brackish marsh beside the Little Mertensia maritima (L.) S. F. Gray. Natashquan River. St. Mary Islands, July 27, 1927, damp valley Invasion of a shallow pond by Menyanthes trifoliata, var. minor, on St. Mary Islands, March, 1932] on Cliff Island. Anse des Dunes, July 13, 1928, upper border of gravel beach. LABIATZ& Scutellaria epilobiifolia Ham. pe Kegaska, August 14, 1928, abundant in turf ~on Greén Island. Romaine, August 10, 1928, * foot of sandy bank, top of sand beach. Ob- Wserved at Natashquan.and Mascanin. Re- corded by St. John as Scutellaria galericulata L. GALEOPSIS TETRAHIT L., var. BIFIDA (Boenn.) Lej. & Cout. Kegaska, August 12, 1927, dooryard. Sholi- aban, July 23, 1928, dooryard. *Stachys palustris L. Natashquan, September 8, 1927, damp road- side. Possibly introduced. Lycopus uniflorus Michx. Natashquan, August 5, 1927, damp hollow in dunes. Kegaska, August 14, 1928, damp turfon Green Island. *Mentha arvensis L., var. canadensis (L.) Briquet. Betchewun, August 25, 1928, grassy clearing. Possibly introduced. *Mentha arvensis L., var. glabrata (Benth.) Fer- nald. Mingan, August 30, 1928, sand flat beside Mingan River. SCROPHULARIACE# Limosella aquatica L. St. Mary Islands, July 23, 1927, small pool in rock. *Limosella subulata Ives. Aylmer Sound, August 18, 1927, wet, sandy beach on west side of Little Mecatina Island. Veronica scutellata L. Natashquan, August 9, 1927, damp border of slough in sand dunes. Veronica humifusa Dickson. Blanc Sablon, July 11, 1928, wet ground near cold streams, east side of river. Melampyrum lineare Lam. Betchewun, August 25, 1928, open grassland near coniferous woods. Natashquan, August 5, 1927, open, sandy woods. Lake Island, Aug- ust 6, 1928, north-facing turfy slope. Euphrasia purpurea Reeks, var. Farlowit (Robin- son) Fernald & Wiegand. t Kegaska, August 14, 1928, dry, broken mussel- shell near shore of Green Island. Fog Island Sanctuary (island in), August 1, 1927, crevices in rock. Euphrasia purpurea Reeks, var. Randii (Robinson) Fernald & Wiegand. Natashquan, August 17, 1928, upper border of brackish marsh beside Little Natashquan THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 65 River. The Bluff Harbour, August 1, 1927, higher part of marsh on big island. Euphrasia disjuncta Fernald & Wiegand. Kegaska, August 14, 1928, dry, broken mussel-shell above beach on Green Island. Euphrasia arctica Lange. Thunder River, September 2, 1928, border of field. Betchewun, August 26, 1928, foot-path. Natashquan, August 5, 1927, door-yard sod. Recorded by St. John from “Archipel du Petit- Mécatina: ftles Netagamiou” only. Range extension, 237 miles W. Rhinanthus oblongifolius Fernald. Natashquan, August 5, 1927, sandy dooryard, and August 6, 1927, bare, rocky hillside near road. Fog Island, August 9, 1928, turfy slope. Lake Island, July 29, 1927, shallow soil on rock beside shore. Harrington Harbour, July 25, 1928, sand and clay bluff beside shore of main- land. La Tabatiére, July 21, 1928, dry turf beside shore. Anse des Dunes, August 26, 1927, grassy hollow in dunes. . LENTIBULARIACEA Utricularia vulgaris L., var. americana Gray. Natashquan, August 5, 1927, in 6 inches of water in shallow pond. Recorded by St. John from “the calcareous region of Mingan islands, and strait of Belle Isle” only. Utricularia intermedia Hayne. Natashquan, August 7, 1927, pool in brackish marsh near mouth of Little Natashquan River. Recorded by St. John from “‘Pointe-aux-Esqui- maux (Havre St. Pierre); and Mingan islands; fle 4 la Chasse” only. Range extension, 57 miles E. Utricularia cornuta Michx. Havre St. Pierre, August 28, 1928, wet bog. Pinguicula vulgaris L. Lake Island, July 18, 1927, very shallow soil on solid granitic rock at crest of hill. St. Mary Islands, July 22, 1927, boggy hill-crest on eastern island. Lourdes de Blane Sablon, July 12, 1928, damp slope of hill, on calcareous sandstone. PLANTAGINACEA PLANTAGO MAJOR L. Natashquan, August 7, 1927, dooryard. Plantago juncoides Lam., var. glauca (Hornem.) Fernald. Natashquan, August 7, 1927, brackish marsh near mouth of Little Natashquan River. Wa- pitagun, July 14, 1927, cleft in rock on Mat- chiatik Island. Included by St. John under P. decipiens Barneoud. 66 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST Plantago juncoides Lam., var. decipiens (Barneoud) Fernald. Ste. Genevieve Island, August 23, 1928, lime- stone shingle at top of beach. The Bluff Har- bour, August 1, 1927, in salt marsh on bigisland. Included by St. John under P. decipiens Bar- neoud. RUBIACEA Galium trifidum L., var. halophilum Fernald & Wiegand. Pointe au Maurier, July 13, 1927, small island. Aylmer Sound, August 18, 1927, brook- side in swamp of larch and alder on Little Mecatina Island. Little Rigolet, August 29, 1927, on seaweed on shore of cove on Mauger Island. Galium Claytoni Michx. Natashquan, August 9, 1927,damp border of slough in sand dunes. Kegaska, August 14, 1928, sheltered brookside at high tide mark. Recorded by St. John from “Natashkwan”’ only. Range extension, 24 miles E. *Galium Claytoni Michx., var. subbiflorum Wie- gand. Natashquan, August 7, 1927, border of fresh marsh beside Little Natashquan River. Galium labradoricum Wiegand. Kegaska, August 14, 1928, among grass and sedges in a marsh on Green Island. The Bluff Harbour, August 1, 1927, grassy and sedgy edge of brackish marsh. Etamamu River (island off mouth of), July 20, 1927, damp ground just above the beach. Blanc Sablon, August 26, 1927, sphagnum bog, west side of river. *Galium asprellum Michx. Thunder River, September 2, 1928, three feet high among alders on river bank. Galium triflorum Michx. Wolf Bay, August 138, 1927, wet, mossy wood- road. Harrington Harbour, July 25, 1928, damp thicket on sand on mainland. Observed on mainland at Betchewun. Not recorded by St. John west of ‘‘Boishébert: baie des Moutons’’. Range extension, 197 miles W. CAPRIFOLIACEAE © Lonicera villosa (Michx.) R. & S. Bradore Bay, June 28, 1927, turfy bank be- side brook on calcareous sandstone. Recorded {[VoL. XLVI by St. John as Lonicera cerulea L., var. villosa (Michx.) T. & G. Lonicera villosa (Michx.) R. & S., var. calvescens (Fernald & Wiegand) Fernald. Seven Islands, September 12, 1928, top of gravel beach on Manowin Island. Aylmer Sound, August 18, 1927, dry, sandy plain on west side of Little Mecatina Island. La Taba- tiére, July 7, 1927, foot of grassy hillside. Re- ported by St. John as Lonicera cerulea L., var. calvescens Fernald & Wiegand, but from Seven Islands only. Range extension, 344 miles E. Linnea borealis L., var. americana (Forbes) Rehder. Lake Island, July 18, 1927, turfy bank near shore. Little Rigolet, July 20, 1928, border of coniferous woods beside cove near Rapide Les- sard. Viburnum pauciflorum. Raf. Kegaska River, June 23, 1928, stunted bushes on open, sandy land above beach near mouth of river. Watagheistic Island, July 30, 1928, wet, wooded ravine. La Tabatiére, July 7, 1927, wooded hillside. ; Viburnum cassinoides L. Thunder River, September 2, 1928, near base of granitic slope. Mascanin, August 20, 1928, dry, bushy hillside in shelter of low cliff. *Sambucus racemosa L. Mascanin, June 20, 1929, in birch grove near head of bay, about a quarter of a mile from tide water. Discovered and shown to me by E. C. Abbe. Recorded as “‘Sambucus pubens” from an indefinite locality (‘‘depuis Godbout jusqu’a Moisie’’) by Lemay (1923). CAMPANULACEZ# Campanula rotundifolia L. La Tabatiére, July 21, 1928, fine gravel near shore. Lourdes de Blane Sablon, August 26, 1927, shallow, wooded hollow. Observed also on Manowin Island, on mainland near Seven Islands, and near mouth of Matamek River. Abundant in region of Mingan Islands. Not recorded by St. John east of ‘“Bois-hébert: Tabatiére”. Range extension, 86 miles E. *Lobelia Kalmii L. Quarry Island, September 5, 1929; marshy border of small pond. (To be concluded) March, 1932] THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 67 NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS - THE MockINGBIRD (Mimus polyglottos) IN CENTRAL ALBERTA.—The following appeared in the Pioneer, a local weekly published at Disdbury, Alberta, on June 21st, 1928: “In the garden of Mr. McNaughton, west of town, a pair of mockingbirds have built a nest, and may be seen any time during the day unconcerned- ly pursuing their domestic avocations. “Mr. McNaughton states that their nest is in a pine tree a short distance from the house and, as the birds appear quite tame, they can be approached to within a few feet without causing any commotion. F “The robin, he says, is copied exactly and the notes of other birds, too, may be distinguished from time to time. d “So far as one can learn, this is the first time the mockingbird has been seen so far north, and Didsbury, consequently, may consider itself to be especially favoured. “Mr. McNaughton has gone to the trouble of obtaining accurate information, and has no doubt that he has in his garden the genuine article. I have known Mr. McNaughton for a number of years and have obtained the following further particulars from him. The nest contained four eggs and the young were successfully hatched and were beginning to feather, when they died from exposure during a spell of cold rainy weather. The birds built again in a neighbouring pine tree and this time succeeded in rearing a brood of three. The old birds were seen feeding the young after they left the nest, and the whole family stayed around the garden until the early part of Sep- tember. Mr. McNaughton’s son, Roy, took a number of pictures of the birds and I think they will be suffi- cient to establish their identity. Didsbury is situated about 50 miles south of Red Deer, just where the prairies of southern Alberta merge into the park lands of the central portion of the Province. It is approximately in lat. 51° 40’ North and long. 114° 10 West.—C. H. SNELL. Accompanying the above communication were three photographs of the bird in question. They are plainly recog- nizable as Mockingbirds. The slim outline, unmarked face- long tail with white outer feathers, general dull colouration and white wing spots are well shown and quite diagnostic. Unfortunately, these details, obvious enough in the originals, would probably not show as convincingly in half-tone repro- duction.—ORNITHOLOGICAL EDITOR. ON THE OCCURRENCE OF THE CLAY-COLOURED SPARROW (Spizella pallida) AT TORONTO.—On May 28th, 1931, while passing through Lawrence Park, a residential suburb in North Toronto, I heard a song that was unfamiliar to me. The bird was plainly visible on a telephone wire, but satisfactory observation was impossible since the sun was rising immediately behind it, while a series of private gardens prevented an approach from the rear. On describing the note and general appearance of the bird to members of the staff of the Royal Ontario Museum of Zoology, they suggested that it was probably a Clay- coloured Sparrow. Returning later in the day with Mr. James Baillie, Jr.,and Mr. Shortt of the Museum, the bird was heard, but not seen. Next morning, however, May 29th, it was clearly seen by these two observers as well as by several others, including myself. On the 30th a number of members of the Brodie Club watched it at close range, but that was its last appearance. Although it was impossible to collect the speci- men within the city limits, I feel that therecord may be regarded as indisputable in view of the number of observers and the excellent opportunities for observation. This appears to be the first record of the bir at Toronto. In the Toronto Evening Telegram for June 20th, Mr. Baillie has recorded previous observations for Ontarig. Though typically a bird of the plains, Mr. Baillie writes that the Clay-coloured Sparrow has been found in the Rainy River district, near Port Arthur, and at Sault Ste. Marie. In 1894 Mr. W. E. Saunders found the bird at Strathroy; it appeared there again in 1922, and at London in 1923 and 1924. In 1930 a single specimen was collected at Lake Simcoe. It is apparent that the Clay-coloured Sparrow is a rare wanderer to southern Ontario, _a few specimens having become separated from others of their kind by the forests around Lake Superior and Lake Huron.—T. F. McILWRaitu. SOLITARY SANDPIPER’S NIGHT MANOEUVERS.— It is well known that the shore birds as a family respond readily to imitations of their calls. Unfortunately this failing has led to great reduc- tions in the numbers of such as are considered game by the pot-hunter. This summer I experienced one of those thrills in decoying a sandpiper which proved as keen to me at the time, as the thrill which comes to a gunner who sees the plover flock come into range of his whistle. I was crossing a still glassy lake in Algonquin Park alone one clear starry night. As I drifted along I heard. from the darkness, some distance off, the shrill call of the Solitary Sandpiper. As I answered it from time to time, I noticed the note came from different directions. Evidently the bird was flying about. Only the night before I had heard this same species flying and whistling in the darkness. To-night the bird who responded 68 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST was apparently seeking its kind. After repeated calls I heard the fluttering of wings poising in the still air near my canoe. Then the bird was gone again, and calling from afar. Again and again I answered as the notes came from now here and now there, but always drawing nearer. And again I heard the fluttering of wings close to my head. Judge my surprise and delight to see, dimly in the gloom, a tiny whitish form settle on the gunwale of my canoe and rest a moment while I remained motionless and _ breathless. Away it went calling here and there, far and near, while I answered its shrill whistle. Once more I heard the soft rustle of wings and once more the little voyager of the darkness perched on the side of the canoe, remaining long enough for me to see the slim little form, a paddle’s length away. Thenfor the last time it was gone into the night. Of course it was all a very natural occurrence. The bird was flying about at night probably feeling the restless urge of the coming migration season. It heard the call of its species and following the sound, Igcated the source in the midst of a smooth lake and true to its usual diurnal habit, it settled on what appeared to be a floating log, no other perch being available. No doubt the bird was puzzled and after a couple of attempts to find the other bird, it flew off never to return. Be it all as it may, toa bird student it provided one of those delightful little thrills which come now and then as one learns Nature’s little secrets of the night.—STUART L. THOMPSON. MourninG Doves.—About the 20th of August, 1931, I observed a pair of “mourning doves’, in the Manito Forest Reserve in township 42 range 24, West of Third Meridian, Sask. (latitude 5114? N.). This is the first time that I have heard of mourning doves being seen in this distrct. —S. HuMPuHRY. EVENING GROSBEAK SEEN FEEDING ITS YOUNG IN MuskoKA.—I should like to report that Evening Grosbeaks of both sexes in numbers of five to twenty, have been seen constantly this spring and summer (1931) at Camp Billie Bear, Bella Lake, Muskoka. While I was there in the latter part of May and June, a few could always be seen picking on the ground in front of the ice-house, or in the wild cherry trees surrounding the camp. Occasionally a few would fly northwards over the lake. After my return a friend who was still in camp wrote to me as follows: “For some time I have been going to write to you about the Evening Grosbeak, for one night, [VoL. XLVI coming over from the dining-room, I saw in the cherry tree behind my cabin a male Evening Grosbeak feeding a baby bird. It wasn’t as strik- ingly marked as the male bird, but it had the spotted, untidy and awkward look of a young bird, it seemed wobbly and as though most uncertain about the use of its wings, just as though it had not been long off the nest. I saw them both distinctly, so it seems to be proved that the Evening Grosbeak nests here. . . . I do not know the exact date when I saw the young bird, but it was within a day or two of the first of July. I have not seen any of them since the seventeenth, when in the early evening we all three of us saw five of the Grosbeaks on Brother’s tree pole. It was a wonderful sight. At least one of the birds was a full-grown male, two were very evidently young birds. I could not be quite sure of the others but I think one was a full-grown female and the other a young bird. . . . One of the men here says that he, too, saw the Grosbeak feeding a young one.” : As this camp site is just a clearing on a small lake, seven miles to the south-east of Algonquin Park, the woods on both sides are so dense that unless one knew where to look for the nest, it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. We hope, however, sometimein the future we may come upon one.—ANNA EK. MACLOGHLIN. THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF CANADA.—The Canadian public are manifesting an encouraging interest in subjects pertaining to natural h'story and other scientific matters according to the 1929 report of the National Museum of Canada recently issued by the Department of Mines, Ottawa: and with a view to satisfying this interest the Museum staff are aiming their best efforts. In the musuem halls attractive material in the possession of the institution is displayed with legible labels giving information of a popular and scientific nature. Guides and instructors are provided for groups of tourists, students, and teachers if requested. Two courses of lectures are given each winter in the lecture hall of the museum. The lectures are given to children on Saturday mornings and to adults on Wednesday evenings. During the winter of 1929-30 the average morning attendance was 600 and the evening attendance 222. Educational work of popular and semi-scientific character outside of Ottawa is not neglected and efforts are being made to extendit. Lantern slides illustrating a variety of topics are lent to bona fid2 lecturers and teachers. Use is also made of the moving picture for carrying on educational work throughout the country and a library of films is gradually being acquired. Permission is given to members of the museum staff to acceed to the requests of various organi- zations for the delivery of lectures on subjects on which such members are specially qualified to March, 1932] speak. As these members are engaged during the summer months in field work broadly distributed throughout Canada their lectures reach a wide- spread public. Assistance is given to local museums, particu- larly in suggestions as how to display to the best advantage the material in their collections. Sets of economic minerals, rock-forming minerals and rocks are prepared for sale to educational institu- tions. Smaller sets are prepared for prospectors and students. The National Museum also offers opportunities to commercial artists for suggestions in design. THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 69 A great many whose interest has been aroused have received assistance by visiting the museum and discussing the subject with members of the staff. Those who have followed musical developments in Canada during recent years are impressed with the popularity attained by the folk song. Much credit for this popularity is due to C.M. Barbeau of the staff who has made a special study of Indian and French-Canadian songs. These have been brought to the attention of the public by lectures -and in connection with handicraft festivals and exhibits. BOOK REVIEWS 4 NATURE NARRATIVES. Clark. Baltimore: 1931. 100 pp. This sequel to Nature Narratives, which was reviewed in The Canadian Field-Naturalist 45: 93, Aoril, 1931, is just as full of interesting material as was the first volume. It is the kind of book that - should be found in every school library, and should do much to induce the amateur naturalist to turn his attention to the study of the habits of living animals rather than to the compiling of “local lists of species” important though these are. Birds, butterflies, bacteria, bees, beetles, all are there and many surprising and amazingly interesting facts about their lives and habits are related.—D.L. E VoL. 2. By Austin H. Williams & Wilkins Co. THE RIDDLE OF MIGRATION. By William Rowan. Baltimore. The Williams & Wilkins Com- pany. 1931. Price $2.00. In this compact little volume of 150 pages, Dr. Rowan presents in relatively simple terms his views as a general biologist on the subject of bird migration, including a brief summary of the experiments that he has conducted in Alberta with Crows and Juncos and the results obtained thereby. After pointing out the complex and difficult nature of the problems raised by the known facts of bird migration, Dr. Rowan begins his account of the subject with “a brief survey of bird struc- ture and function”. The numerous adaptations of the bird to its environment and mode of life and the very limited intelligence that can at best result from the functioning of its nervous system which, as compared with that of a mammal, is lacking in intricacy of development, are both emphasized. The gonads and their part in governing the activities and development of the individual are considered at some length. Having reviewed these fundamental facts, the author next discusses the environment, past and present, of birds, and the observed phenomena of migration. He points out that an investiga- tion of bird migration should concern itself with “two quite distinct things (a) Factors of the past that have induced and built up the migra- tory custom; (6b) Factors of the present that annually set the migratory machinery in motion’’. In an interesting chapter on the evolution of migrations there is presented the theory that evolution arose through long periods of pre- glacial time by the operation of natural selection, working through seasonal climatic factors, on bird forms that originally tended to wander indiscriminately, as some still do to a large extent, but that were forced into regular rhythmic movements by the above-mentioned factors be- cause the area that, at the proper season, . pro- vided their environmental requirements for reproduction failed, at some other season, to provide even the environmental requirements. for survival of the existing individuals of the species. Those that failed to keep time with the succession of the seasons generally perished without adequate reproduction. It is pointed out that the fact that institution of regular migrations by this process involved the loss of incredible numbers of birds or took hundreds or even thousands of years to bring about is im- material. “Millions of birds and millions of. years have been available.” While the great northern glaciations doubtless affected migration, they did not establish it; it must have antedated them. The aid of the Lamarckian hypothesis of the inheritance of acquired characters is invoked to explain the development of migration in many species to its present status, where, for want of some better concept, we call it inherited instinct, but the author carefully and properly reminds 70 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST us that this explanation is at present a mere assumption, lacking adequate support. Lamarck’s hypothesis is unproven. Dr. Rowan then comes to the heart of his'story —the account of his own experimental manipula- tions of Juncos and Crows in Alberta and the results obtained thereby. His work with Juncos was described at greater length in his earlier paper, ‘Experiments in Bird Migration”, which was reviewed in The Canadian Field-Naturalist, 44:70, March, 1930, and his subsequent experi- ments with Crows resembled those made with the Juncos. By artificially controlling, through the length of the daily period of light supplied or by other means, the length of the daily period of activity, so that it increased or decreased at the will of the experimenter, Dr. Rowan was able to bring about histological changes in the gonads of his birds, accompanied, apparently, in spite of adverse conditions of weather and temperature, by changes in the intensity of the instinctive (VoL. XLVI desire to migrate. internal stimulus that is the immediate cause of migratory movement is a hormone produced by the interstitial tissue of the reproductive glands; that this tissue is most abundant and active when the gonads are increasing or decreasing in size, and that increase or decrease in their size is brought about by increasing or decreasing daily periods of physical activity, which, in the tem- perate zones, are normally conditioned by the daily increase or decrease in the length of the daylight period. Dr. Rowan has provided a most readable account of the interesting question of bird migra- tion and of the valuable advances in knowledge . that he, by experimental methods, has succeeded in making in connection with it, and he leaves it still, in large measure, a riddle to be studied and elucidated, probably little by little, by ornitholo- gists and other biologists who are and will be attracted by its ‘‘deep and lasting appeal’’.—H.F.L. OFFICIAL CANADIAN RECORD OF BIRD-BANDING RETURNS Published by authority of the National Parks of Canada Branch, Department of the Interior, Canada RETURNS UPON BIRDS BANDED IN 1926 DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, No. 201,431, juv., banded by Harrison F. Lewis, on Cormorant Rocks, Cape Whittle Sanctuary, Sag- uenay County, Quebec, on August 10, 1926, was caught in a fish net at Quonochontaug Pond, Rhode Island,—reported on April 28, 1930. The bird was dead when recovered from the net and had been found fully two years before it was reported. HERRING GULL, No. 457,198, banded by Clarke C. Miller, at Little Cass Island, Detour Passage, Chippewa County, Michigan, on July 19, 1926, was caught at Pefferlaw, Ontario, on January 8, 1930. FRANKLIN’S GULL, No. 446,862, yg., banded by Prof. Wm. Rowan, at Beaverhills Lake, Alberta, on June 25, 1926, was found dead at Guckeen, Minnesota, during the fall of 1929. CHIMNEY SWIFT, No. A69,761, ad., banded by A. Burton Gresham, at North Kildonan, Manitoba, on August 11, 1926, was found in an injured condition, at Winnipeg, Manitoba, on May 17, 1930. The bird died a few hours after it was found. RETURNS UPON BIRDS BANDED IN 1927 COMMON MALLARD, No. 597,162, banded by F. H. Rose, at Moiese, Montana, on Novem- ber 25, 1927, was caught at Golden, British Columbia, during the fall of 1929. BLACK DUCK, No. 557,614, banded by W.B. Large, at Rochester, New York, on Dec- ember 4, 1927, was caught in a muskrat trap and released in Chisholm Township, Nipissing District, Ontario, on April 25, 1930. CALIFORNIA GULL, No. 544,245, yeg., banded by Frank L. Farley, at Gull Island in Bittern Lake, twelve miles west of Camrose, Alberta, on June 22, 1927, was found dead at Kathyrn, Alberta, on June 6, 1930. BRONZED GRACKLE, No. 279,905, im., banded by George Lang, at Indian Head, Sas- katchewan, on June 26, 1927, was killed at Sintaluta, Saskatchewan, during the month of April, 1930. R RETURNS UPON BIRDS BANDED IN 1928 DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, No. 303,837, banded by Bert Lloyd, at the north end of Last Mountain Lake, Saskatchewan, on July 21, 1928, was shot in Rice County, Minnesota, on April 26, 1930. COMMON MALLARD, No. A615,050, banded by F. H. Rose, at Moiese, Montana, on October 5, 1928, was shot at Buffalo Lake, 17 miles north west of Stettler, Alberta, on October 7, 1929. COMMON MALLARD, No. A615,431, banded by F. H. Rose, at Moiese, Montana, on October 9, 1928, was shot at Waskatenau, Alberta, on September 27, 1929. COMMON MALLARD, No. A615,646 banded by F. H. Rose, at Moiese, Montana, on October 11, 1928, was shot at a place 15 miles north of Edmonton, Alberta, on September 23, 1929. COMMON MALLARD, No. A615,696, ad., f., banded by F. H. Rose, at Moiese, Montana, on October 12, 1928, was shot at Sylvan Lake, Al- berta, on October 29, 1929. COMMON MALLARD, No. A615,787, im., m., banded by F. H. Rose, at Moiese, Montana, on October 13, 1928, was shot at Alcomdale, Alberta, on November 2, 1929. COMMON MALLARD, No. A615,849, im., m., banded by F. H. Rose, at Moiese, Montana, on October 13, 1928, was recovered at Clyde, Alberta, on April 11, 1930. He therefore believes that the ‘4 en March, 1932] COMMON MALLARD, No. A615,897, im., m., banded by F. H. Rose, at Moiese, Montana, on October 13, 1928, was shot at Tompkins, Saskatchewan, on October 30,1929; COMMON MALLARD, No. A616,066, ad., m., banded by F. H. Rose, at Moiese, Montana, on ” October 17, 1928, was shot at Warner, Wis berta, on October 28, "1929. COMMON MALLARD, No. A616,155, banded by F. H. Rose, at Moiese, Montana, on October 13, 1928, was shot at Pincher Creek, Alberta, on October 3, 1929. COMMON MALLARD, No. A616,690, banded by_F. H. Rose, at Moiese, Montana, on October 23, 1928, was found dead at Calgary, Alberta, on June 4, 1930. COMMON MALLARD, No. A616,837, banded by F. H. Rose, at Moiese, Montana, on October 24, 1928, was shot at Burnt Lakes, Alberta, on or about September 16, 1929. COMMON MALLARD, No. A616,878,. ad., m., banded by F. H. Rose, at Moiese, Montana, on October 24, 1928, was shot at Lac Ste. Anne, Alberta, on December 29, 1929. COMMON MALLARD, No. A618,823, ad., f., banded by F. H. Rose, at Moiese, Montana, on October 24, 1928, was shot at Atikameg, Alberta, on July 25, 1929. COMMON MALLARD, No. A616,955, banded by F. H. Rose, at Moiese, Montana, on October O5, 1928, was killed at Hay Lake, about 150 miles A west of Fort Vermilion, Alberta, on May 10 COMMON MALLARD, No. A616,964, banded by F. H. Rose, at Moiese, Montana, on October 25, 1928, was shot at Bear Lake, about 20 miles north west of Grande Prairie, Alberta, on Sep- tember 24, 1929. COMMON MALLARD, No. A616,980, banded, by F. H. Rose, at Moiese, Montana, on October 25, 1928, was ‘shot at Wrentham, ’ Alberta, on October 3, 1929. COMMON MALLARD, No. A617,046, banded by F. H. Rose, at Moiese, Montana, on October 26, 1928, was shot at Pincher Creek, Alberta, on September ZO Lo29: COMMON "MALLARD, No. A617,139, banded by F. H. Rose, at Moiese, Montana, on October o7, 1928, was shot at Pincher Creek, Alberta, on September 20, 1929. COMMON ‘MALLARD, No. A617,361, banded by F. H. Rose, at Moiese, Montana, on October, 30, 1928, was captured at Grouard, Lesser Slave Lake, Alberta, on April 20, 1929. COMMON MALLARD, No. A617,452, ad., f., banded by F. H. Rose, at Moiese, Montana, on November 1, 1928, was shot at Red Deer, Alberta, on September PAS APA COMMON MALLARD, No. A617,533, banded by F. H. Rose, at Moiese, Montana, on November 1928, was ‘shot at Rowley, Alberta, on Sep- tember 17, 1929. COMMON MALLARD, No. A616,770, ad., m., banded by F. H. Rose, at Moiese, ‘Montana. on ’ November 2, 1928, was shot at Markerville, Alberta, on November 10, 1929. COMMON MALLARD, No. A617, 988, banded by F. H. Rose, at Moiese, Montana, on November: 4, 1928, was shot at the Samson Indian Reserva- aay Hobbema Agency, Alberta, on October 10, THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 71 COMMON MALLARD, No. A618,133, banded by F. H. Rose, at Moiese, Montana, on November 5, 1928, was shot at a place 20 miles south of Red Deer, Alberta ,—treported on September 23, 1929. COMMON MALLARD, No. A618,156, banded by F. H. Rose, at Moiese, Montana, on November 5, 1928, was shot at Hussar, Alberta, on Septem- ber 28, "1929. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,703, f., banded by R. M. Stewart, ‘at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 9, 1928, was shot at Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, on December 8, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,704, m., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 9, 1928, was shot at Sumas Prairie, British Columbia, on December 12, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,708, f., banded by R. M. Stewart, ‘at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 9, 1928, was shot at Dewdney, Bri- tish Columbia, on January 28, 1929. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,711, m., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 9, 1928, was shot at the Chehalis Indian Reserve, Harrison River, British Colum- bia, on December 20, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,714, f., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia. on November 9, 1928, was shot at Sumas Prairie, British Columbia, on November 10, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,719, m., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack British Columbia, on November 9, 1928, was shot at Sumas Prairie, British Columbia, on or about November 10, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,734, f., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 9, 1928, was killed at Sauvies Island, Oregon, on December 8, 1929. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,741, m., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 9, 1928, was found wounded at Belling- ham, Washington, on December 26, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,753, m., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 9, 1928, was shot in the same locality in which it was banded, on December 10, 1928. COMMON MALLARD; No. A618,488, banded by F. H. Rose, at Moiese, Montana, on November 9. 1928, was shot at New Norway, Alberta, on September PAY MER) COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,754, f., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 10, 1928, was found dead in the same locality in whichit was banded, on December 1Biy ISA COMMON MALLARD, No. A617,821, banded by F. H. Rose, at Moiese, Montana, on November 13, 1928, was ‘shot at Pincher Creek, Alberta, on September 20, 1929. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,757, f., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on 72 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST November 15, 1928, was shot at Nicoamen, Bri- tish Columbia, on December 18, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,763, m., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 15, 1928, was shot at Sumas Prairie, British Columbia, on December 18, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,766, f., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 15, 1928, was shot at Matsqui, British Columbia, on November 21, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,771, m., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 15, 1928, was killed at a place 25 miles from where it was banded, on November 16, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,775, m., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 15, 1928, was shot at Sumas Prairie, British Columbia, on November 16, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,779, f., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 15, 1928, was shot on the Pitt River, 10 miles east of New Westminster, British Colum- bia, on November 20, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,784, f., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 15, 1928, was shot at Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 16, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,792, m., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 15, 1928, was killed on the Umatilla River, near Umatilla, Oregon, on November 27, 1929. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,794, m., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 15, 1928, was shot at Sumas Prairie, British Columbia, on November 15, 1928, COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,799, m., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 15, 1928, was killed at Lulu Island, British Columbia, on January 23, 1929. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,800, m., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 15, 1928, was found dead in the same locality in which it was banded, on December 12, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,807, m., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 15, 1928, was shot on the Harrison River, British Columbia, on November 25, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,808, f., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 15, 1928, was shot at Barney Lake, 6 miles north of Mount Vernon, Washington, on December 17, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,817, m., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 15, 1928, was shot at Sumas Prairie British Columbia, on November 15, 1928. [VoL. XLVI COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,819, f., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 15, 1928, was shot at Sumas Prairie, British Columbia, on December 3, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,821, m., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 15, 1928, was shot at Sumas Prairie, British Columbia, on December 27, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,827, m., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 15, 1928, was shot at Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 16, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,832, m., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 15, 1928, was found dead in the same ay in which it was banded, on January 6, COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,838, m., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 15, 1928, was shot at Hatzic Prairie, British Columbia, on November 18, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,852, f., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 15, 1928, was shot at Sumas Prairie, British Columbia, on December 9, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,853, m., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 15, 1928, was killed at Sumas Lake, in the Fraser River Valley, 50 miles east of Vancou- ver, British Columbia, on November 17, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,855, m., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 15, 1928, was shot at Sumas Prairie, British Columbia, on November 25, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A618,975, ad.. f. banded by F. H. Rose, at Moiese, Montana, on November 15, 1928, was shot at Lesser Slave Lake, Alberta, on September 7, 1929. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,859, m., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 17, 1928, was killed on the Nooksack River, Whatcom County, Washington, on De- cember 5, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,864, f., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 17, 1928, was shot at Kamloops, British Columbia, on September 18, 1929. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,869, m., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 17, 1928, was recovered at a place 5 miles above Mission, Fraser River, British Colum- bia, on December 11, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,872, f., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 17, 1928, was killed at a place 8 miles from where it was banded, on November 20, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,873, m., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek March, 1932] Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 17, 1928, was shot at Sumas Prairie, British Columbia, during the week of November 19, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602, BTA, m., banded by R. M. Stewart, ‘at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on ‘November 17, 1928, was found dead in the same locality in which it was banded on December 13, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,881. m., banded by R. M. Stewart, ‘at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 17, 1928, was shot at Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, on November 23, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. "A602, 884, f., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 17, 1928, was shot at Sumas Prairie, British Columbia, on November 17, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. ‘A602, 890, f., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 17, 1928, was shot on the Harrison River, British Columbia, on December 6, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602, 8915 ts banded by R. M. Stewart, ‘at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 17, 1928, was shot at Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, on December 17, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,892, f., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 17, 1928, was shot at Glen Valley, British Columbia, on November 27, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,893, f., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 17, 1928, was killed at Duncan, Van- ae Island, British Columbia, on January 27, COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,895, f., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 17, 1928, was shot at Sumas Prairie, British Columbia, on December 1, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,898, m., banded by R. M. Stewart, ‘at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 17, 1928, was shot at Harrison Lake, British Columbia, on November 28, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. ‘A602, 899, f. banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 17, "1928, was shot at Harrison Bay, British Columbia, on November 25, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. ‘A602, 900, f., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 17, 1928, was shot at a place 15 miles os Vancouver, British Columbia, on December COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,901, f., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 17, 1928, was shot on the Harrison River, British Columbia, on December 14, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602, 904, fas banded by R. M. Stewart, ‘at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 17, 1928, was shot at Sumas Prairie, British Columbia, on December 1, 1928. THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 73 COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,905, f.’ banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 17, 1928, was killed near Drayton Bay, Blaine, Washington, on November 18, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602 909, fice banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 18, 1928, was recovered at Sardis, British Columbia, on January 20, 1929. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,911 f., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 18, "1928, was shot at Sumas Prairie, British Columbia, on November 25, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602, OA ai banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 18, 1928, was shot on the Harrison River, British Columbia, on November 30, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A619,307, banded by F. H. Rose, at Moiese, Montana, on November - 18, 1928, was shot at a place 23 miles south of Grassy Lake, Alberta, on September 16, 1929. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602, Sai line banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 20, 1928, was shot at Sumas Prairie, British Columbia, on December 6, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,924, m., banded by R. M. Stewart, ’at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 20, 1928, was shot on the Harrison River, British Columbia, on December 10, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,931, £.; banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 20, 1928, was shot at Chilliwack, Bri- tish Columbia, on December 2, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602, 933, £.; banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Greek ~ Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 20, 1928, was shot at Hatzic Prairie, British Columbia, on December 9, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602 He oes da hye banded by R. M. Stewart, ’at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 20, 1928, was killed at a place 5 miles from where it was banded, on November 20, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,941, m., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 20, 1928, was killed at a place 5 miles from where it was banded, on November 20, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,945, m., banded by R. M. Stewart, ‘at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 20, 1928, was shot at Dewdney, British Columbia, on "December 5, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,961, f., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 20, 1928, was shot at Sumas Prairie, British Columbia, on December 1, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,963, m., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 20, 1928, was shot at Nicoamen Island, British ‘Columbia, on December 8, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,965, f., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek 74 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 20, 1928, was shot on the Harrison River, British Columbia, on December 10, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602, 970, m., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 20, 1928, was shot at Dewdney, British Columbia, on December 2 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,979, m., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia on November 20, 1928, was shot at Nicoamen Slough, British Columbia, on December 16, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602, 990, fe banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 20, 1928, was shot at Lynden, Washing- ton, on December 17, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,992, m., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 20, 1928, was shot at Dewdney, ‘Bri- tish Columbia, on January 28, 1929. COMMON MALLARD, No. A602,994, m., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 20, 1928, was shot at Sumas Prairie, British Columbia, on December 14, 1928 COMMON MALLARD, No. A603,000, m., banded by R. M. Stewart, at McGillivray Creek Game Reserve, Chilliwack, British Columbia, on November 20, 1928, was shot at Sumas, British Columbia, on November 22, 1928. COMMON MALLARD, No. A619,693, ad.,m., banded by F. H. Rose, at Moiese, Montana, on November 20, 1928, was shot at Cassils, Alberta, during the month of October, 1929. COMMON MALLARD, No. A619,744, banded by F. H. Rose, at Moiese, Montana, on Novem- ber 22, 1928, was shot on Rat Creek, Wabiskaw River, '60 miles from Fort Vermilion, Peace River, Alberta, on May 10, 1929. COMMON MALLARD, No. A619,821, banded by F. H. Rose, at Moiese, Montana, on November 28, 1928, was shot at a place 8 miles east of Stavely, Alberta, on October 29, 1929. BLACK DUCK, No. A603,615, banded by W. Bruce Large, at Rochester, New York, on November 21, 1928, was shot at West Lake, near Wellington, Prince Edward County, Ontario, on October 10, 1929. BLACK DUCK, No. A603,637, banded by _W. Bruce Large, at Rochester, New York, on November 27, 1928, was shot at St. Michel des Saints, Bowler aaa Quebec, during the month of May, 1929 BLACK DUCK, No. A603,645, banded by W. Bruce Large, at Rochester, New York, on November 27, 1928, was killed at St. Peter Lake, Quebec, on September 17, 1929. AMERICAN PINTAIL, No. 600,757, banded by F. W. Robl, at Ellinwood, Kansas, on March 5, 1928, was killed at Ravenscrag, Saskatchewan, on April 27, 1930, when it flew against some telegraph wires. RING-NECKED DUCK, No. 567,762, banded by C. O. Handley, at Beachton, Georgia, on Tae 30, 1928, was caught in a trap, at Upper Lake Abitibi, Ontario, on May 17, 1930. CALIFORNIA GULL, No. 555,092, juv., banded by Frank L. Farley, at Gull Island, north end of Bittern Lake, 15 miles north west of Cam- [VoL. XLVI rose, Alberta, on June 23, 1928, was found dead at Valier, Montana, during the spring of 1930. CALIFORNIA GULL, No. 555,254, juv., banded by Frank L. Farley, at Gull Island, north end of Bittern Lake, 15 miles north west of Camrose, Alberta, on "June 23, 1928, was killed by poison put out for gophers, in the same lo- cality in which it was banded, on June 9, 1930. CALIFORNIA GULL, No. 699, 627, juv., banded by Frank L. F arley, at Gull Island, north end of Bittern Lake, 15 miles north west of Cam- rose, Alberta, on June 28, 1928, was caught on ‘a fish hook, in the Napa River, Napa County, California, on March 12, 1930. CALIFORNIA GULL, No. 699,829, juv., banded by Frank L. Farley, at Gull Island, north end of Bittern Lake, 15 miles north west of Cam- rose, Alberta, on June 28, 1928, was found after a storm in an exhausted condition, at Scapa, Alberta, on June 2, 1930. CHIMNEY SWIFT, No. C27,313, banded by I. H. Johnston, at Charleston, West Virginia, on September 13, 1928, was recovered at Haliburton, Ontario, on May 24, 1930. FLICKER, No. 287,798, juv., banded by George Lang, at Indian ‘Head, Saskatchewan, on June 23, 1928, was caught at Cupar, Saskatchewan, on May 11, 1980. STARLING, No. 628,834, banded by F. C. Lincoln, at Washington, D.C., on February 21, nea was shot at Elgin, Ontario, on June 14, STARLING, No. 625,594, banded by E. S. Thomas, at Columbus, Ohio, on March 3, 1928, was killed at West Brome, Quebee, on May 14, EASTERN PURPLE FINCH, No. 685,972, ad., m., banded by Robert Allison, at Athol, Massachusetts, on October 17, 1928, was killed at Renforth, New Brunswick, on May Le 19295 when it flew against a window pane. EASTERN FOX SPARROW, No. 426,634, banded by Horace D. McCann, ‘at Paoli, Penn- sylvania, on November 21, 1928, was found at Deer Lake, Newfoundland, on May 30, 1930. LINCOLN’S SPARROW, No. B27,515, ad., banded by T. T. & E. B. McCabe, at Indian- point Lake, Barkerville, British Columbia, on May 25, 1928, was shot at a place one mile from the banding station, on June 2, 19380. ERRATA—September, 1931 Page 150, line 61, for “October 12” read Oc- tober 31. Page 150, line 64, for “‘jw’ read juv. Page 150, line 65, for “Country” read County. Page 151, line 132, for ‘“Chilliwrack” read Chilliwack. Page 152, line 3, for “Chilliwrack” read Chilli- wack. Page 152, line 69, for “MceGillirvay” McGillivray. Page 153, line 3, for ‘‘November 23” read November 38. Page 153, line 4, for “Onatrio”’ read Ontario. Page 153, line 34, for ‘‘Baldpatt’”’ read Bald- pate. Page 153, line 91, for ““Haudley”’ read Handley. Page 153, line 130, for “615,535” read 615,435. Page 154, line 67, for “Camorse” read Camrose. Page 154, line 83, for “is” read it. read ee "NATURAL HISTORY. SOCIETY OF -~MANITOBA 1929-30 Sica Emeritus:—J. J. GOLDEN; Sie sean President: Nor- ‘AN CRIDDLE; Pasi President: Hq. SPEECHLY, M.D., V. . JACKSON M. Sc., J. J. GOLDEN, or ‘W. Lowe M. Sc., J. B. ALLIS, M.A., A. ‘A. McCousrey, A. M. Davrpson, M. iD ice-Presidenis: G. SHIRLY Brooks, A. G. LAWRENCE, H. CG. EARCE, C. L. BRoLEY, B. W. CARTWRIGHT, W. H. RAND, resident: R. A. WARDLE, M. Sc.; General Secretary: Mrs. oe SS RESONG Treasurer: N. owes Executive Secretary: 3. H. BENNETT; Librarian: R. M. THomas. 7 we from October to April, in the physics theatre of the University, Winnipeg. Field excursions are held each Saturday after- “noon during May, June and Senne. and on poe holidays we “ag July and August. ee THE HAMILTON BIRD PROTECTION : SOCIETY (Incorporated) Hon. President: _ Rev. CALVIN McQugEsTon; Vice-President: R. OWBNMERRI- MAN, M.A., Kingston, Ont.; First Vice-President: Dr. H. G ARNOTT: Second Vice-President: Mrs. F. “E. MacLoGHLINn; Recording Secretary: J. ROLAND BRown; Secretary-Treasurer: _ Miss Nina Duncan; Assistant Secretary-Treasurer: Miss E ; _ McEw; Junior Committee: Miss M. BE. GRAHAM; Pro- a Lae Sener Rev. C. A. HEAVEN; Extension Committee: _ McILWRAITH ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB, cs LONDON, ONT. : © President: Mr. EDISON MATTHEWS, 25 oat Street, London,. v4 Ont.; Vice-President: Mr. E: D. BRAND, 148 William Street, a London, -Ont.; Recording Secretary: MR. VERNON FRANKS, 195 - Duchess Av-., London, Ont.; Corresponding Secretary and Treasurer: Mr. W. G. GIRLING, 530 English St., London, | Ont. Migration Secretary: Mr. E. M. S. DALE, 297 Hyman - Street, London, Ont.; Members qualified to answer questions: Pt WW ‘E. SAUNDERS, 240 Central Avenue, London, Ont.; _~ C._G. Watson, 201 Ridout Street South, London, Ont.; _ J. ¥. CALVERT, 461 Tecumseh A venue, London, Ont.; E. M. S.- DALE, 297 Hyman Street, London, Ont. Meetings held the second Monday of the month, except peste the simmer. : st ' VANCOUVER NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY “3 Honorary President. L. S. KiiInckK, LL.D., President Univer- _ sity of B.C.; President: JOHN DAVIDSON, F.L.S., F.B.S.E., ae _ University of B.C.; Vice-President: Pror. M. Y. "WILLIAMS, ; Honorary Secretary: C. F, Connor, M.A., 3529 W. 2nd - Avenue, Vancouver,’ B.C.; First Assistant Secretary: Miss —s«Berry HERD; 2nd Assistant Secretary: MR. VERNON WIE- __—s«prick; Honorary Treasurer: A. H. BAtn, 2142 Collingwood Street, Vancouver, B.C.; Librarian: Mrs. McCrImMMon; _ Members of Executive: Miss E, J. Smita, Mr. J. D. TURNBULL, _ Mr. B. J. Woop, Mr. P. L. Tarr, Mr. R. J. CUMMING; Au- ditors: H. G. SELWOOD, W. B. Woops. a All meetings at 8 p.m., Auditorium, Normal School, 10th Avenue and Cambie Street, SAIS otherwise announced. : das 3 is - PROVINCE OF lee SOCIETY F OR THE _. « PROTECTION OF BIRDS INC. i Fs OFFICERS & COMMITTEE: Bae - Past Presidents: Mr. Ll. Mcl. TERRILL, Mr. NAPIER SMITH; 3 _ President: Mr. W.S. Hart; Vice-Presidents: Mrs. C. F. DALE, _ Mr. H. A. C. JACKSON; Vice-President and Treasurer: MR. e - _. Henry -Movus.ey; Secretary: Miss M. SEatTH; Curator: Miss Ae Eminy LUKE; Commitice: Mr. J. W. BUCKLE, Dr. I. GEMMELL, - Mrs. C. L. EIEN DEH SON: Mrs. H. HIBeErt, Miss EDITH AFA _ Morrow, Miss K. D. MALCOURONNE, Miss M.S. NICOLSON, Mr. W. A. OswaLp, Pie R. A. OUTHET, Mr. NAPIER SMITH, Mr. L. MclI. SpackMan, Mr. L. MclI. TERRILL, Mr. V. C. _ WYNNE-EDWARDS. ‘ Montreal, P.Q., Canada. S - Affiliated Societies _ i Meetings are held each Monday evening, except on holidays — W. E. SAUNDERS, London, ee 3; President: Address all correspondence to the Sate ap: O. Box 1185, 5 ~SOCIETE PROVANCHER D’HISTOIRE | : NATURELLE DU CANADA Bureau de direction pour 1931 Patron Honoraire: Son Excellence LE VICONTE WILLINGDON G.C.S.I., G.C.M.G., G.C.I.E., G.B.E., Gouverneur-Général _de la Puissance du Canada; Vice-Pairon Honoraire: Honorable M. H. G. CARROL, Lieutenant-Gouverneur de la Province de Québec; Bureau de Direction pour 1929: Président: G. STUART AHERN; Ler Vice-Président: ADRIEN FALARDEAU, C.R.; Zéme Vice-Président: R. MEREDITH, N.P.; Secrétaire-irésorier: Louis B. LAvorm; Chef de la section scientifique: Dr. D. A. DERY; Chef de la section de Propagande éducationnelle: W. STUART ATKINSON; Chef de la section de protection: EDGAR ROCHETTE, C.R., M.P.P.; Chef de la section d’information scientifique et pratique: J.-G. Coote; Directeurs: Dr. J.-E. BERNIER Major Jos. Matts, Jos.-S. BLais. Secrétaire-trésorier: LouIs-B. LAVOIn _ 88, rue Sherbrooke, Québec. THE TORONTO FIELD-NATURALISTS’ CLUB OFFICERS FOR 1981-82. Honorary President: PROFESSOR A. P. COLEMAN; President: CoLin S. FARMER; Hon. Vice-Presidents: Hon. CHAS. MCCREA, Dr. N. A. Powstu, Mr. J. H. FLEMING; Vice-President: A. M. PATTERSON: Secretary. Treasurer: C. G. BRENNAND; Publicity- Secretary: DR. L. B. JACKES; Executive: Committee: PROF. E. M. WALKER, Mr. STUART THOMPSON, Prog. J. R. DYMOND Dr. NoRMA ForP, MAGIsTRATE J. E. JoNES,. Pror. T. F. McILuWRAITH, MR. FRED IDE, Mr. F. C. HURST, Mr. RUPERT Davips, Dr. P. HE. CLARKSON; Committe on Conservation: J. R. Dymonp; Junior Members’ Representative: TAYLOR StTaTTEN; Leaders: Birds—Messrs. S. L. THOMPSON, L. L. SNYDER, J. L. BAILLIE, R. V. Linpsay, J. M. Spemrs; Mammals ProF. CovENTRY, MEssRs. E. C. Cross, D. A. MACLULICH; Reptiles and Amphibions—Messrs. E. B. 8. LoGier, WM. LERAyY; Fisk—ProF. J. R. DyMonpD, PrRor. W. J. K. HARK- NEss; Insects—PRoF. E. M. WALKER, Dr. NoRMA FORD | Mr. F. P. IpE; Botany—Pror. R. B. THOMSON, PRoF. H. B. Sirron, Dr. G. WRIGHT, Mr. W. R. WATSON, Mr. OWENS Dr. T. TAYLOR; Geology—Pror. A. MCLEAN. a ST —aeaoaoaoaoaoaeEeEOEEeEE———EEEE—EEEEE————————E——————————— We would ask the Officers, and more particularly the Secretaries, of all the Affiliated Societies to assist us in our task of building up the circulation of this magazine. By securing every member as a subscriber we can truly make this magazine into one of the leading Natural History publications of America. Eee ———————LLLm_—_—_—_——L_E$E2D"4*~EAEAE~E*~97E74LWhE~")Wh"RE"LH"™}"}"4}D9A]9]L9™»L™]™A999DDDaB=" i : a) a 7 ‘THE. HOOD. INSECT BOX ' . Special Features of the HOOD BOX: i Card Filing Systems § | for Naturalists — As makers of the Library Bureau line of Card Filing Devices in-Canada, we are in a position to supply all Naturalists with cards and- trays where they can read- _ily index all their observa- tions and notes Lowe-Martin Ltd. OTTAWA, CANADA Printers ef The Canadian Field-Naturaiist 1. Pest-proof ge 2. Wooden Frame eo a 3. High shoulder, wig protecting specimens — 4. Excellent pinning bottom _ 5. High quality box at low cost A PRICE $1.25 EACH SPECIAL RATES IN QUANTITY __ Publishers of the Autobiography of John Macoun,M A Crabtree Limited Artists and Designers THIS SPACE oe BLUEPRINTERS | FOR SALE ENGRAVERS ~ a ‘COMMERCIAL —s A i PHOTOGRAPHERS f >: PHOTO: LITHOGRAPHERS {228 Albert Street Ottawa, Ont. Kindly mention The Canadian Field-N aturalist to advertisers. jo _ APRIL, 1932 r a (L— a SSS 3 SS 3 — | a i es " { OY | eI fw ISSUED APRIL ist, 1932. _ Entered at the Ottawa Post Office * as. peep chaes matter _ ey) § ‘ ‘ ees 2 Ne President: C.M. STERNBERG, 17 Grosvenor Ave., Ci Sig eage ee 1st Vice-President: M:E. WILSON 2nd Vice-President; HERBERT GR Secretary: MISS eal Ss. aes 318 Cooper St. Treasurer: WILMOT LioyD, 582. tele Av ee Rockcliffe Pa el ata Nong ees cB. EB. DrLury, F. J FRASER, ANDREW HALKETT, W. EB. D. JENNESS, C. E. JOHNSON, ASG. KINGSTON, E. M. KINDLE, W. iH. LANCELEY, A. TaRaee DOUGLAS LEECHMAN, HARRISON F. LEwIs, HoyEs LuLoyp, W. T. Macoun, M. 0. MALTE, MARI G. McELHINNEY, G. WAG MILLER, A. E. PoRSILD, G.S. POSTLETHWAITE, E. E. PRINCE, J. DEWE SOFER, P. A, TAVERNER, E. F. G. WHITE, W.J. ‘WINTEMBERG, and Presidents of Affiliated Soci Editor: — DOUGLAS LEECHMAN - National Museum, Ottawa, Canada. jes Associate Editors: : rangers D. JENNESS....... ae Mie Seat ee. :.. Anthropology CLYDE Le PATCH, 52333 ee § M. O. MALTe..... Se Adina Rae Botany R.M. ANDERSON......... SZMam Bie GATCHRORD 520 6a oe scl ee Conchology ~ A. G. HUNTSMAN..... ....... Marine B ARTHUR GIBSON. .......05.0-0%- Entomology. PY ASTAVERNER.. 45 4 1 eee aes Ornit F. J. ALCOCK...... Se eine, CNR Re Geology By M.KINDLE wo 6 oc: eG .Palzont ‘CONTENTS Notes on the Mearns Flying Squirrel. By A. F. Coventry...................2.005 - ens ie Taleum at Madoc, Hastings County, Ontario. By M.E. Wilson........................... New Species of Mollusea from the St. Mary River Formation of Alberta. , By Loris S. Russell Notes on Bohemian Waxwings (Bombycilla garrula pallidiceps). By Harrison F. Lewis......... « Contributions to the Knowledge of Extreme North-Eastern Labrador. By Bernhard Tania | An Annotated List of Vascular Plants Collected on the North Shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, 192721930. >: By barrisonaby: Mews «cs hens oe ws yc ona eae eae pit ees Pee Notes and Observations: — a Me ae Swallows at Play. By Mark G. McElhinney.................... Sova ow eee ee Note on Lake Athabasca Wheat. By E. M. Kindle....................4.. Rete ea: Death of John Leo DeVany. ae Det eames bye Re We ottsy sees. ie PAGS oth aes COTTE CHIOT 5. aie Wea Fatah 2a a aa ain eae OZ A at See ta sec Be eS ti eee Book Reviews: ee Ree ‘Flore-Manuel de la Province de Québec. By MO. Malter cos aes oe ee Parasaurolophus tubicen N.Sp. Aus der Kreide in New Mexico. By L. S. Russell... : An Introduction to the Literature of Vertebrate Zoology. By dE eee < Ottawa’ Field-Naturalists’ Club Excursions, 1982......2.2....4. 0.0 ¥25...2.. 4.5.0 . : The official publications of THE OTTAWA FIELD-NATURALISTS’ CLUB have been iss ' #: since 1879. The first were The Transactions of the Ottawa Field-Naturalisis’ Club, 1879-1886. = two volumes; the next, The Ottawa Naturalist, 1886-1919, thirty-two volumes; and these h #: been continued by The Canadian Field-Naturalist to date. The Canadian Field-Naturali fe issued monthly, except for the months of June, July and August. Its scope is the pupae # of the results of original research i in all veo of Natural History. Price of this volume 9 numbers) cael Single copies 25¢ each The Membership Committee of The Ottawa ‘isldNaturaliets! Club is making a ued effor increase the subscription list of The Canadian Field-Naturalist. We are, therefore, asking every rea who is truly interested in the wild life of our country to help this magazine to its ae place am the leading Natural History publications in America. : Subscriptions ($2.00 a year) should be forwarded to s oes oo WILMOT LLOYD, i Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club, fi 582 Mariposa Ave., 4 Rockeliffe Park, OTTAWA, CANADA A The Canadian Field-Naturalist VOL. XLVI OTTAWA, CANADA, APRIL, 1932 No. 4 NOTES ON THE MEARNS FLYING SQUIRREL By A. F..COVENTRY Department of Biology, University of Toronto VERY favourable opportunity of watch- ing Flying Squirrels came to me this summer, and since some of the observa- published and others differ from current accounts, it seems worth while to give a short description of my experiences. The observations were made in the Temagami Provincial Forest on an island about four and a half acres in extent, densely covered with bush except for a small clearing immediately round the cottage; birch predominated in the centre, conifers round the edge; the underbrush is largely moose maple and in some parts ground hemlock. The Flying Squirrel of Temagami is Glaucomys sabrinus macrotis (Mearns); the average measure- ments of thirteen adult and subadult specimens are: total length, 264 mm.; tail vertebrae, 117.5 mm.; hind foot, 35.8 mm.; ear from notch, 21.1 mm. This places the limit of G. s. macrotis in Ontario further north than is shown on Howell’s map. (North American Fauna No. 44. A. H. Howell. Revision of the American Flying Squir- rels. 1918). In each of the last six summers there have been a few Flying Squirrels on the island, and during the past season there have been at least thirteen well-grown young and adults; by general report they were unusually numerous in the Temagami region this year. The sub-adults could generally be distinguished from the adults by their less pronouncedly cinna- mon colour and by their “unformed” behaviour. _While a few of these animals had been seen at intervals during the earlier part of the summer, it was not till August 27 that they became con- spicuous. From then till the middle of Sep- tember they were observed almost nightly, and food was regularly placed for them on a low stump some six feet from one of the cottage doors. The Flying Squirrels became active about half way between sundown and full dark, or a little earlier, and remained out till at least one o’clock in the morning, probably later; the younger animals seemed generally to come out rather before the old. -Observations were easy to make, 4% tions appear to amplify reports already since for at least half an hour there was enough daylight, and after that they seemed quite un- disturbed by the beam of a focussing electric torch. The first arrivals almost always came by the same route, from a clump of fifty-foot birches behind the cottage by a glide of about sixty feet measured horizontally, to a small cedar tree about eight feet from the side door; they always landed about four feet from the ground on the branchless trunk. From this trunk it was about three feet to the food. Later arrivals often came by the same route, but just as often by the roof of the cottage, and very frequently along the ground. My observations do not agree with the statement that Flying Squirrels are found “appar- ently never running for any distance on the surface of the ground’. I have, over several years, noted these animals spending a consider- able portion of their active time on the ground foraging among the debris of the forest floor; I have, too, seen them carry food placed out for them along the ground till they were lost to sight in the underbrush, a distance of perhaps thirty or forty yards. The food placed on the low stump was either the end crust of a loaf or a piece of bacon rind with some fat on it; either had to be wired down securely to prevent the first comer carrying off the whole supply. I have watched the Flying Squir- rels feeding on the stump at a range of two feet both by waning daylight and by the light of an electric torch. ; In general the older animals took precedence of the younger; an adult finding a young one al- ready on the food stump chased it off by threaten- ing to bite it; the dispossessed junior went only a short distance away, usually about three feet on the ground or a foot or two up the landing tree, and then watched for an opportunity to get back to the food; sometimes after a carefully furtive approach, it managed to snatch a few bites before being driven away again. On occa- sions, generally after the first hunger had been satisfied, two or three ate amicably from the 76 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST Fic, 1. A characteristic attitude [VoLt. XLVI April, 1932] THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 17 Fic. 2. Adult at feeding stump same crust; the younger animals were more likely to do this than the older, and only rarely did young and old eat in close company. ~ After feeding for a short while at the stump, all the visitors, young and old alike, turned their attention to detaching large pieces of the food, and often showed some ingenuity in getting them clear of the wire; when they had succeeded they immediately carried them away into the bush, presumably to a cache, since recognisable indivi- duals were back after a lapse of time too short to allow the consumption of the spoil. When carrying a very large piece of food they hopped, kangaroo-fashion, otherwise they went on all fours. Now and then fights took place over food, but they showed nothing like the violence of the battles of Red Squirrels under similar circumstances and they were always over in a few seconds. These fights were almost the only occasions on which the Flying Squirrels became vocal; while fighting they made curious, not very excited- sounding, clucking noises. While one or more animals were interested in the food on the stump, others were almost always wandering about on the ground nearby or in the neighbouring trees, especially birches, on the trunks of which they seemed to find particularly attractive feeding, though I could not discover what the attraction was. These prowlers within Fic. 3. Sub-adult feeding on ground a range of fifty or sixty feet could easily be picked up by the beam of an electric torch reflected from their eyes, though on the ground the numerous toads were a source of temporary error. Sometimes the Red Squirrels were active after the Flying Squirrels had appeared, and at the feeding stump (to which the Red Squirrels also were accustomed to come regularly) the Flying Squirrels always gave way to the Red without any show of resistance, and retired to a much greater distance than when they yielded place to one of their own kind. This occurred even late in the evening, about. ten o’clock, on the one occasion on which I saw a Red Squirrel active at so late an hour. I have little to add to the published accounts of their “flight”. I have on a number of occa- sions in twilight and by the light of a Coleman lantern after dark seen a clearly undulating glide, both from tree to tree and from tree to ground. A glide may take a continuously curved course; one that I saw started from a fifty-foot tree in a westerly direction and swung through a smooth semi-circle till the animal landed on the ground seventy or eighty feet away facing due east. The flattest glide seems to be about one in three. Short jumps of three or four feet on to the ground are practically a matter of pancaking down with the patagium outspread, the four feet making 18 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST contact simultaneously. The landing is much gentler than that of the Red Squirrel; I have had both species alight on me from comparable dis- tances, and the difference of impact is very marked. The extensive patagium seems to be no im- pediment to any sciurine movement, either on the ground or in trees; fragments of food are held by the fore feet for eating precisely in the Red Squirrel’s manner. It is worth calling attention to the indifference of the Flying Squirrel to strong light, an indiffer- ence hardly to be expected in an animal so marked- edly nocturnal. Individuals will, as has been noted by others, freely enter well-lit rooms through open doors or windows in search of food, neither the rather white light of a Coleman lantern nor the much yellower light of a coal-oil lamp seems to cause them the slightest inconvenience. It appears, it is true, as if they did not perceive food, such as a piece of biscuit, from a distance greater than about two feet, but I have no evi- dence that they do so at a greater ranger under more normal conditions. Even more striking is the absence of reaction to sudden illumination by the beam of an electric torch; only on a very few occasions have I seen feeding animals under such circumstances make any movement that (VoL. XLVI could be interpreted as a reaction; for the most part they do not miss a single bite. I have, too, seen an animal alight accurately on a small twig in the full glare of the beam, the precision of its movements apparently not at all impaired by the abnormal environment. It is certainly curious that conditions that would give diurnal man, well-used to high intensities of illumination, considerable, if temporary, discomfort, should be without visible effect on a nocturnal animal possessing eyes enlarged for use in very feeble light. The cuts which accompany these notes are from photographs chosen out of a series taken during the course of the observations. A quar- ter-plate camera with a Zeiss Tessar 21 cm. lens was arranged on a tripod in the doorway near the landing tree and feeding stump, and focussed with the aid of a beam from the electric torch. The stop was generally £/8, the plate Ilford Soft- gradation Panchromatic. The illumination was by photoflash bulb in a small reflector supported on the end of a batten so that it could be pushed out towards the subject. The only difficulty was the occasional desire of an animal to climb about the camera. FIGURES 4 AND 5. Groups of Sub-adults feeding together April, 1932] THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 79 Open cut at Henderson Tale Mine. FIGURE 1, TALCUM AT MADOC, HASTINGS COUNTY, ONTARIO* By M. E. WILSON HERE are not many materials that are a iy more generally used, or with which everyone is more familiar, than talcum yet probably few of those who use it know that talcum, or tale as it is known to * Published by permission of the Director; Geological Survey of Canada. mineralogists, is a mineral, or that the largest known single deposit of tale suitable for talcum powder in America occurs near the village of Madoc, in Hastings county, Ontario, and that all or nearly all taleum prepared in Canada is obtained from this deposit. There are several occurrences of tale in the 80 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST Madoc district but the principal mass, that on the Henderson and Connolly properties, has roughly the form of a huge east-west-trending spoon lying with its upper or concave side to the north. It is 1100 feet long in a straight line and 1300 feet long measured along its crenelations. It ranges from 5 to 65 feet wide and has been followed to a depth of 3800 to 400 feet. The rock in which the tale occurs is dolomite but adjoining the deposit and crossing it in places is a zone (or dyke) of madocite, a rock consisting chiefly of brown tourmaline. About 1000 feet to the south of the deposit there is an extensive mass of granite which has thrust its way into the dolo- mite. It is probable, since tale is a magnesian silicate and dolomite contains magnesia, that at the time the granite mass was intruded, silica from the granite ascended along a fracture now occupied by the madocite and by a chemical [VoL. XLVI reaction with the magnesia of the dolomite formed tale. The tale is a soft white glistening flaky . material that can be scratched with the finger nail. For use as talcum powder it is ground to a fine flour-like powder that will pass through a 200-mesh screen, that is, to a size that will permit over 177,000 of the ground particles of the tale to occupy an area of one square inch without overlapping. There are two mills for grinding the tale at Madoc, one that of the George H. Gillespie Company, which owns the Henderson mine (Figure I), at the Canadian National Railway station in Madoc village, and the other that of the Canada Tale Company Limited ‘on the Connolly property. The total value of the tale, so far produced from this deposit, is about three and one quarter million dollars. The tale mines lie on the southeast outskirts of Madoc village and only half a mile south of the new Ottawa-Sarnia highway. NEW SPECIES OF MOLLUSCA FROM THE ST. MARY RIVER FORMATION OF ALBERTA! By_LORIS S. RUSSELL HE St. Mary River formation is devel- oped in southwestern Alberta and ad- jacent Montana. It consists of alter- nating sandstones and shales, mostly of fresh-water deposition, and is Late Cretaceous in age. The remains of non-marine mollusks are widely distributed in the formation, and make up a characteristic fauna, the discussion of which is reserved for a forthcoming paper. The present contribution describes several new species in the collection of the Geological Survey of Canada. It is hoped that it will be possible, in a future systematic revision, to treat the taxonomy of these species more fully. CLass PELECYPODA FAMILY SPH4SRIIDA) Spherium melearni, sp. nov. Fig. 1 Type.—Geological Survey of Canada, No. 6791; impression of the interior of right ? valve, from St. Mary River beds on north side of Old- man (“Northfork”) River, in section 11 or 12, township 10, range 2, west of 5th meridian; F. H. McLearn, 1914. Description—Shell of medium size for the _ Published with the permission of the Director, Geolog- ical Survey of Canada, Department of Mines, Ottawa. genus, broadly ovoid in outline, approximately equilateral, rather convex. Beak situated at midlength, rather prominent. Dorsal margin nearly straight, subangular at each extremity; anterior and posterior margins truncated, a little obliquely; ventral margin broadly convex, most prominent behind midlength, and rounding up- ward at either extremity. Lateral teeth two in number in front and behind, delicate, compressed; cardinal teeth unknown. Surface apparently with fine lines of growth. Length of holotype, ~ 8.6 mm.; height, 7.7 mm. Remarks.—This species apparently is a true Spherium. The prominent beak, abbreviated length, and rather tumid form of shell will serve to distinguish S. mclearni from other equilateral species with which it might be confused. Spherium livingstonensis, sp. nov. Fig. 2 Type.—G.S.C. No. 6792; a right valve from St. Mary River beds on Oldman River, in section 11 or 12, township 10, range 2, west of 5th meri- dian, near Livingstone post office, Alberta; F. H. McLearn, 1914. Description.—Shell moderately large, thin, very convex, elongate and inequilateral. Beak mod- erately prominent, situated at about one-quarter of shell-length from anterior extremity. Anterior April, 1932] dorsal margin sloping; anterior margin subtrun- eate or broadly rounded; ventral margin nearly straight in front, broadly rounded behind, most prominent well behind midlength; posterior margin well rounded; posterior dorsal margin straight. Dentition unknown. Surface marked with irregular, concentric growth lines. Length of holotype, 16.3 mm.; height, 9.2 mm.; thick- ness of complete shell, about 9.4 mm. Remarks.—This species is well characterized by its elongate and inequilateral shape of shell, as well as by the strong convexity, which is not the result of crushing. Probably the species is not a true Spherium, but may be referred to that genus tentatively. Pisidium squamula, sp. nov. Fig. 3 Type.—G.S.C. No. 6793; internal impression of left ? valve, from St. Mary River beds on north side of Oldman River, in section 11 or 12, town- ship 10, range 2, west of 5th meridian; F. H. McLearn, 1914. Description —Shell small, suborbicular, inequi- lateral, very compressed. Beak not prominent, placed behind midlength. Dorsal margin short, sloping from beak; ventral margin most prominent in advance of midlength. Lateral teeth present, the posterior one a little more prominent; cardinal teeth obscure. Length of holotype, 4.3 mm.; height, 3.8 mm. Remarks.—The extreme flatness of shell seen in this species is not characteristic of Pisidiwm, but the small size and peculiar outline are more suggestive of that genus than of any other of the Spheriide. CLass GASTROPODA FamMity MELANIIDA Gontobasis sanctamariensis, sp. nov. Fig. 4 Goniobasis nebrascensis, Whiteaves, Geol. Surv. Canada, Contrib. CanyPal-jcvol.ck} ps: 2loopk)/3, figs. 4, 4a, 1885. Type—The holotype is G.S.C. No. 6789, from the south bank of Oldman River, in the southeast quarter, section 3, township 10, range 24, west of 4th meridian. The paratype, figured by Whit- eaves, is G.S.C. No. 5545, from St. Mary River in township 1, range 25, west of 4th meridian. Description—Shell of medium size, moderately elongate. Volu- FiG.2 FIG.3 FIG. THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 81 tions five to six, well rounded rather prominent; suture impressed. Aperture ovoid, rounded in front, angulate behind. Surface marked by nu- merous fine, sinuous lines of growth, crossed by a great many extremely fine revolving strie. Length of holotype, as preserved, 19.9 mm.; width, 10.0 mm. Remarks.—This species is widespread in the St. Mary River formation of southwestern Alberta. It is sometimes associated with G. whiteavesi,? which I now regard as distinct from G. tenui- carinata. It is sometimes difficult to decide whether the protruding whorls of specimens are rounded enough for G. sanctamariensis, or truly angulate, as in G. whileavesi. Near the locality of the above-described Spheriide there are present imperfect shells, probably of G. sanctamariensis. With these occur numerous opercula of the Campeloma type. This throws some doubt on the generic indentification here adopted; indeed, I have thought for some time that many of our Cretaceous and Tertiary species referred to Goniobasis may be slender viviparids. However, in the absence of definite evidence in support of this view, it is not advanced at this time. / 2 Russell, Roy. Soc. Canada, Trans., ser. 3, vol. 23, sec. 4, p. 88, pl. 1, figs. 7, 8, 1929. FIG.2 FIG.A L-S Russel] 1.—Spherium melearni, sp. nov., holotype. A, lateral view, x 2; B, outline, x 1. Fig. 2.—Spherium livingstonensis, sp. nov., lateral view of holotype, x 1 Fic. 3.—Pisidium squamula, sp. nov., holotype. A,lateral view, x 2; B, outline, x 1. Fic. 4.—Goniobasis sanctamariensis, sp. nov., dorsal view of holotype, x 1. 82 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST [VoL. XLVI NOTES ON BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS (Bombycilla garrula pallidiceps) By HARRISON F. LEWIS At Ottawa, 4 individuals were seen in the Arboretum on December 21, 1930, by Dr. R. E. DeLury and party, while assisting in the taking of the Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club’s annual Christmas Bird Census. A flock of about 40 birds of this species was seen at the same place on January 1, 1931, by the writer. Dr. R. E. DeLury observed a flock (possibly two flocks) of about the same size in this vicinity on January 16 and also 3 individuals near the Dominion Observatory on February 11, 1931. Dr. DeLury also reports that, about the end of January, 1931, Mr. C. R. Westland saw a flock of about 200 Bohemian Waxwings on the grounds of the Central Experimental Farm. At Montreal Mr. V. C. Wynne-Edwards saw 2 Bohemian Waxwings in Mount Royal Cemetery, where they were feeding on berries of a thorn bush (Cratzgus sp.), on November 23, 1930. At the same place on November 29 he observed a flock of about 30 individuals. He reports that Mr. Winn, of the Redpath Museum, saw a flock of some 30 Bohemian Waxwings on the campus of McGill University, on December 4, 19380. At Quebec flocks of Bohemian Waxwings of moderate size were seen from time to time during the winter of 1930-19381 by various competent observers, including Messrs. R. Meredith, G. Stuart Ahern, and L. A. Richard. They were noted there at least as early as January 11, while the latest observation at Quebec of which I have record was made on February 22, 1931. At Trois Pistoles, Temiscouata County, Quebec, I saw a flock of about 45 Bohemian Waxwings on January 9, 1931. They were feeding on fruit produced by mountain ash trees that had been grown for ornamental purposes at many points in the village. There had apparently been a good crop of this fruit at this place in the previous autumn, but most of it had since been plucked by birds. I was told that much of it had been eaten by Canadian Pine Grosbeaks (Pinicola enucleator leucura) in the early part of the winter, but I saw none of this species during my visit on January 9. On that date the remaining fruit was being rapidly consumed by the Waxwings and about twenty Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris vulgaris) that were scattered through the village. Very little of the fruit remained on the trees and birds of both species were chiefly occupied in eating berries that, during earlier feasts, had fallen on the snow. They often ate together, but were not seen to interfere directly with each other. It was evident, however, that the available supply of mountain ash fruit in Trois Pistoles village would not last more than a few days at the rate of consumption that Waxwings and Star- lings together were causing when I observed them. Reports received from various observers in southern Ontario and Quebec, as a result of in- quiries sent out, indicate that the southward movement of Bohemian Waxwings in eastern Canada in the winter of 1930-1931 did not proceed south of the valleys of the Ottawa and St. Law- rence Rivers in any appreciable volume. It may be appropriate to include here an account of the feeding habits of Bohemian Wax- wings as I observed them near Quebec City in the late winter and early spring of 1920 and recorded in my notes at that time. On February 22 of that year I found a flock of about 120 Bohemian Waxwings feeding very actively in a straggling row of large thorn bushes (Cratzegus sp.) that followed the line of separation of two open fields two or three miles west of Quebee. Three or four tall spruce trees were scattered along the row of thorn bushes. On the latter hung much frozen fruit, which was the _ food that the Waxwings were taking. I succeeded in reaching a position at the foot of one of the spruces without disturbing the birds much, and thereafter they would feed unconcernedly within two rods of me. At any given moment, part of the flock was in the spruce trees, part was in the bushes, and part was beneath the bushes, on the surface of snow three or four feet deep. There was ceaseless activity and birds were continually flying back and forth between trees, bushes and | snow, uttering all the while their characteristic notes, one of which resembles the common note of the Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum), but is shriller and more metallic, while other notes, which are heard continuously from a large flock, form a twitter that reminds me of the twitter of a large flock of Juncos, contentedly feeding. Some of the Bohemian Waxwings, perched in the bushes, plucked the fruits hanging there, and tried to swallow them, but eventually dropped most of such plucked fruits to the surface of the snow. Other individuals, situated on the snow, seized these fallen fruits, mouthed them over, and tried again to devour them. Im all cases the April, 1932] fruits eaten by the birds were swallowed whole, but they were so large and so hard that they > were swallowed only with great difficulty. It seemed as if a bird made five or six unsuccessful attempts to swallow a fruit for every successful attempt. After failing in one or two essays to swallow a particular fruit a bird would drop it and try another, then perhaps discard that and try a third one, and soon. It was this habit that resulted in the dropping of many fruits by the birds in the bushes. Sometimes birds, with fruit in their mouths, flew up into the spruces to eat it. Eventually they all flew away in two compact flocks. — On March 13, 1920, after a terrific ice storm that encased every exposed surface with clear ice one-half inch or more in thickness, bowed down the bushes, and rent great trees asunder, I saw a flock of 40 Bohemian Waxwings hunting for food among the bushes on the face of Cape Diamond, in the city of Quebec, just below the walls of the citadel. They perched sometimes on the bushes, sometimes on the snow, and moved restlessly along, apparently obtaining nothing edible. On April 5, 1920, a flock of 45 Bohemian Wax- wings was seen near Quebec, feeding on the fruit of Cratzgus bushes in a way similar to that noted THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 83 on February 22. On this later occasion, however, several of the flock were seen to fly down into a shallow little stream and to drink from it, quickly and rather nervously, lifting the head between successive mouthfuls. They were not shy and were readily observed at close range for some time. On April 9, 1920, a flock of 50 Bohemian Wax- wings was found in the bare tops of the trees in a piece of deciduous woodland near Quebec They moved about by short individual flights from branch to branch or from tree to tree and were scattered over a considerable area. They examin- ed the twigs and small branches and appeared to be picking some minute edible objects from them. As at other times, their notes formed a contin- uous stream of sound, each bird repeating some note at short intervals. On April 11, 1920, 3 or 4 Bohemian Waxwings were seen catching flying insects about 1.00 p.m. They had taken up. conspicuous perches on bare tree tops and were darting out after their prey from time to time and then returning to their perches, in the manner commonly exhibited by members of the Tyrannide. My last observation of Bohemian Waxwings near Quebec in the spring of 1920 was made on April 12, when a flock of 35 was seen. 84 : THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST [VoL. XLVI “CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF EXTREME NORTH-EASTERN LABRADOR By BERNHARD HANTZSCH TRANSLATED BY M. B. A. ANDERSON “‘Beitrige zur Kenntnis des nordéstlichsten Labradors,” von Bernhard Hantzsch, Mitteilungen des Vereins far Hrd- kunde zu Dresden. Dresden, Volume 8, 1909, pp. 158-229. Volume 9, 1909, pp. 245-320. (Translated from the original German text in the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C., by M. B. A. Anderson, M.A., Ottawa, 1928.) Original pagination given in the text. During the severe months of winter all the families live in snowhouses; those who do not own a house settle down as parasites with others—as the missionary, Mr. Waldmann, told me of twenty-eight persons living together, for example, in a building, which consisted of one room and an entrance room. These remarkable buildings, well known to all Eskimo districts, are erected from quadrangular snow blocks of perhaps forty centimeters length and fifteen centimeters thickness, which are cut from well-frozen places with long, broad snow knives and are placed in layers in a helical-shaped wall. Usually they are supplied with a tunnel-shaped entrance-way, occasionally with adjoining rooms for dogs and tools, and when the house is to be used for any length of time, with a chimney and a gut window. Such beehive houses, which if small in size can be built by two skilled persons inside half an hour, are used by the white people on sled journeys. They afford excellent protection against the in- clement weather, are easily heated and whenever they have become untidy and dirty, are replaced by others. Now and then they are lined with skins in order to protect the interior from the dripping of water. On the whole the snow houses, like the simple sod-houses, are built quite as the tents are built. It must be a charming sight, when the hemispherical building on a dark winter’s night reflects the rays of the dimly shining lights. Life in tent and snow house grants the popu- lation the possiblitiy of changing place of abode easily, and of seeking the most favourable dis- tricts according to the seasons. Only in late summer, when the mission ship is expected, the people are obliged to stay near the station, when- ever it is at all possible, in order to aid with the discharging and loading. Other ships, such as the Canadian Customs and Police steamer Arctic, come to this harbour only occasionaliy for a short time, without being in need of the help of the natives. [P. 276]. Often they have to wait many weeks for the mission ship, but there is always something to do in the meantime. Besides working for the station, for which the men are paid about forty cents a day, the women about twenty cents a day, they spend their time repairing sleds, boats and nets, collecting driftwood for the winter, or in fishing and hunting trips. In family groups or by twos and threes they start off in wooden boats to catch the codfish, which visits the inlets at Killinek in the autumn often in great numbers. Or they journey in the narrow skin boat, suitable for one man only, the kayak, to hunt seals and birds when they almost always use the gun. Young people almost always have cld, poor muzzle- loaders; the skilled hunters acquire as soon as possible good magazine-rifies. In trips overland they always carry the gun without a strap, the stock over the shoulder, and hold the front part — of the barrel with the hand, quite a convenient but a dangerous way to carry it. The marks- manship of these Eskimos, according to my ob- servations, is not better than that of the average shot here at home; indeed I observed men who possessed very little accuracy in shooting. They usually approach the game much nearer than we consider necessary and delay often quite a long time with the shot. My companion Paksau had the reputation generally of being one of their best shots. From an unsteady boat I almost always had the lead over him; in our shooting experiences on the land however he proved to be an expert in no way at all. They scarcely use the so-called bird darts at all new; skill in the use of the har- poon with the line and float fastened to it seems to be declining likewise. I repeatedly met kayak hunters without these weapons on their hunting trips. The Labrador Eskimo in this respect is not at all equal to the Greenlander, a circumstance to be regretted, since, because of the almost exclusive use of guns, the game is becoming more shy and in consequence a large percentage is only wounded by shooting and is lost. Just as little can the Labrador Eskimo compare with the Greenlander in kayak journeys. Whenever the weather is not quite calm, he does not dare go out on the sea in his skin boat with the double paddle, which is somewhat clumsy [P. 277] and prefers to ride a wooden boat together with others. The missionary in Hebron, Mr. Bohlman, who before his Labrador residence worked in Greenland for many years, made the remark that the Labrador Eskimos stop their kayak journeys when the f April, 1932] Greenlanders feel right in their element. Every- one who knows this conveyance, which is quick, almost noiseless, making little demand on the strength of the paddler and therefore most suitable for hunting, will regret this deterioration. The old fashioned women’s boats, which are built, as are the kayaks, from wooden ribs and covered with thick seal skin, but are open and very deep inside, are disappearing rapidly. I only saw one still in Killinek, that belonged to the people who had come from the south of Ungava Bay. The wooden boats are obtained quite cheaply at the southern Labrador stations from Newfoundland fishermen; from there they are transported into this neighbourhood. When at last the mission ship does come, then all adult persons become workers. There is much carrying and hauling, rowing and loading under the direction of the missionaries, as long as light and weather permit. After three or four days or even after eight or ten days, all is ready.. The ship departs, and now everyone may go where he wishes; caribou hunting towards the south, or hunting for ptarmigan or other birds nearby. They refrain from very long journeys as a rule, for soon the profitable autumn seal-hunting with nets will come, in which almost all take part and which I have already described. At last it be- comes winter, inlets and lakes freeze, the snow covers valleys and slopes protected from the wind. The low wooden sleds, several meters long, are put in order, the dogs are hitched in front of them and the hunt begins. Beforehand, they fetch the driftwood which has been piled up, or they jour- ney occasionally to George River, Aulatsivik and other neighbouring settlements. Once in each winter a mail comes by dog sled from Fort Chimo in the south of Ungava Bay across George River to Killinek, and from here must be forwarded to Rama; after the official removal of this station in 1908, even as far as Hebron. The letters reach southern Labrador from station to station, and from here go out [P. 278] to Newfoundland and Europe. Later the post turns back by way of Killinek to George River. Some families in the winter travel to good fox-hunting places. At Christmas though, whenever possible at all, they all return to the station, in order to celebrate the festival with the other inhabitants of the vicinity both in a spiritual and a secular manner. That is the high point in the community life of these little people, so far removed from the world, for which even the heathen of Aulatsavik like to journey up to Killinek. During the winter time the mission- aries collect the communicants about them every day, the children in the morning, the adults in the afternoon or evening, in order to teach them THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 85 reading and writing along with Christian instruc- tion, the singing of Christian songs, and so on. When the sun rises higher again and the first signs of spring appear, then the old desire for wandering awakes anew in these little people. They simply throw away everything they can spare at all, which they have collected during the winter and often bought dearly, or leave it behind anywhere to fetch it later when needed, and vanish toward the hereditary spring hunting places. Here the life of the people may unfold in its most genuine way, not held down by foreign and spiritual bonds, by work in the mission and trade service, far from the civilization of the white people, in the midst of spring, awaking about them with its enchantment. The men then like to go hunting, across the land when two or three families travel together, on their feet often the broad Canadian snowshoes, or they go out with the dog sleds, in order to arrive more quickly and be able to transport the game better. They set traps for foxes and other fur-bearing animals, hunt for seals on the ice, walrus and bears, or, whenever open water forms later, journey in the kayak or wooden boat to hunt and catch trout. After they have returned home the women skin and eviscerate the seals. The hunter himself assumes the task of skinning and preparing the smaller fur-bearing animals, especially the foxes. At other times the men put their hunting gear in order, repair boats, kayaks and [P. 279] sleds, make nets, dog harness or even household imple- ments and such things. There is always some- thing for the industrious Eskimo to do, whenever inclement weather does not keep him for days in his room, when he works vigorously at sleeping, idling, eating, smoking and other less strenuous occupations. In general, as with us, the view is held that industry is praiseworthy, laziness is blameworthy. The timeis not long for the women either, and industry and cleverness are held with them as worthy characteristics. They look after the children, keep house and tent in order, clean and tan the larger skins, sew or repair pieces of clothing, care for the oil lamps and other house- hold utensils and prepare the simple meals, which to be sure are eaten at no definite hour of the day, but in most plentiful amounts in the evening. As food, the animal products stand first, and are often eaten quite raw—from which it is said the name Eskimo from the Indian term Eski- mantsik=raw flesh eaters—especially when it is a case of good fresh wild game. They even put raw pieces of meat into the hands of little children. I saw, a woman skinning seals, cut out the eyeballs, and hand these over to her children to suck, among whom was a child hardly a year 86 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST old. They like especially to eat the liver and kidneysraw. They prize as delicacies the contents of the walrus and caribou stomach, the blood of many animals is relished fresh or cooked; also the entrails of many birds, especially the ptarmi- gan, they eat raw and prefer them when they are still warm. Yet at the present time many up- ward-striving spirits feel uneasy in doing these things before the eyes of white people. This should not have been taught them. Now they throw away many quite good pieces, which the white people, accustomed as they are to different fare, may not like, because in their foolishness and ignorance they observe, that that which is not good enough for the “Kabluna”, the “Innuit” likewise does not need to eat. When they have enough seal oil for the lamp or driftwood for the fireplace, they quite frequently cook the meat. They lay flat pieces in the kettles or pots and roast them, usually not longer than a quarter or half an hour. [P. 280] The meat therefore remains quite raw inside. Then they put the pieces in large wooden dishes, made by them- selves, or throw them into any corner of the tent. They remain sometimes for many days, become bad-smelling and get a highly repulsive appear- ance. But apparently they like to eat them in that state. Cleanliness is little prized in the preparation of food. Occasionally they dry pieces of meat in the air, for protection, hanging them up on high pole contrivances or concealing them under stones from the dogs and beasts of prey. In the winter they freeze the meat. At the present time, through trade, countless foreign food stuffs, especially vegetable products, are being introduced and are eaten especially when they stay near thestation. Asthe most important of these products the hard bread, biscuit, Eskimo Kakkojak may be mentioned, which attains great importance on account of its cheapness and lasting qualities in less favourable hunting times. Flour, rice, legumes, etc., can likewise be bought in the mission trade; but their use is seldom understood. Molasses or syrup is a favourite dainty for bread; sugar, likewise, an important article of trade. As a rule all Eskimos are great friends of sweet things but such things are not brought in or only in quite small quantities. At the southern stations the foreign fishermen make use of these well known preferences of the population for advantageous trade transactions. It is really to be deplored that other quite artificial products, such as con- densed milk, butter and other preserves, find good buyers among the Killinek people. Water or a poor variety of Chinese tea is used as a drink, but coffee, as in many other Eskimo lands, not at all. Often the infusion tasted so disagreeable, that I [VoL. XLVI for my part preferred to drink hot water; sugar and occasionally condensed milk are added to the tea. Fortunately alcoholic drinks are unknown, thanks to the precautions of the government, which imposes severe punishment for the sale: Up to the present time [P. 281] our natives have not atternpted to manufacture intoxicating drinks for themselves from syrup, hard bread and other materials, as this custom has become a vice several times at the southern stations. The striving for European kinds of food is continually making itself felt; perhaps a means to make the European trade profitable, but'at the same time a means to ruin the people. In place of spirits the less harm- ful pleasure of tobacco is suffered, which is im- ported in a heavy variety, pressed into rectangular slabs. On the part of the traveller these tobacco slabs are the favourite gift to repay small services from the Eskimos; the price is five cents a piece. A small piece is cut off with the knife, this is collected in the hand, rubbed into bits and stuffed into a simple little pipe. Both sexes pay homage to the pleasure of smoking, men and old women mostly quite devotedly. They suffer hunger rather than give up their tobacco. In the even- ing the pipe is the last thing; at morning, the first. If you start on a trip, along with provisions — the tobacco is considered the most important article you take with you. If you have used it up, it seems time to return to the station at least for a while to fetch a new supply. The frequent expectoration must be mentioned as the worst consequence of so much smoking. The people continue this habit, of course, in their confined winter dwellings, and, quite aside from uncleanli- ness, suffer a dangerous increase in the spread of illnesses. Several missionaries of the Labrador coast who think seriously about these matters. especially on these grounds wish the entire fro- hibition of the smoking of tobacco. Children and unmarried maidens I never saw smoking, and only rarely half-grown boys. If you are in the family circle, the wife usually fills the pipe, lights it, smokes it until it is well lighted, and then hands it over to her husband for his further use. [P. 282] The longer the Eskimos are away from the station, the more simple and natural their way of living appears to be. But at times a serious lack of food occurs, that is induced less by their superstitious neglect or restriction of hunting, as is often the case with Eskimos living % Chapter 130 of the Consolidated Statutes, section 51, reads:—No intoxicating liquors shall be sold, given, or deli- vered to any Esquimaux Indian, under a penalty of two hundred dollars. And section 52:—Any Stipendiary Magis- trate anywhere, or any Justice of the Peace upon the coast of Labrador, shall have cognizance of any offence under this chapter (Report of an official visit, 1906, p. 25). April, 1932] in isolated places, than by their thoughtless way of living and fatalistic extravagance. Unfortun- ately these peculiarities in the character of the Eskimos are strengthened by the activity of the trading stations, the representatives of which are in no way seriously concerned in inducing the population to change their harmful thoughtless- ness. If the natives were thrifty and careful, collected their tools, gave away nothing, if they were not obliged to work doubly hard at hunting and fishing, the stations would do less business both in purchase and sale, and the directors of the stations would certainly acquire a reputation for incompetence with the management of the trading company. It is more than doubtful, that they grant belief and support to their arguments. Enough, if the Eskimos are removed far from the station, where they formerly were accustomed to receiving supplies even on credit, and get the most necessary food supplies, then severe famine now and then overtakes them, especially when the ammunition becomes scarce or gives out en- tirely, or they break their guns or bad weather sets in for a long time. I have heard terrible descriptions of these things in Killinek, and do not speak merely from the literature about it. If the weather permits them to go out at all, the men roam about in vain: the land game and birds have hidden themselves, no seal shows itself on the coast, and in the storm a kayak journey is not to be considered. They endure patiently one day without any food at all, the men come home exhausted the second evening, perhaps without game again. Of what use is it for the families if they bring only a couple of small birds, to which the women may perhaps add some tiny trout, which they have caught with much trouble in the brook! Even the Eskimo nature weakens after several days without food. The mothers are not able to quiet their infants, and one or two of the children die. [P. 283] The adults put up with anything they find, even marine plants and car- rion. Thus they starve, until the weather im- proves, and a lucky catch relieves their plight. Soon they have quite forgotten their need and enjoy life again. Indeed it also occurs that starvation rises to its greatest heights and men, tenacious of life, who fight against death with all their strength, reach a state of madness. The cold and the peculiar way of living in those regions seem in themselves to exert astrong influence on the mental proceeses, as many examples in members of Arctic expeditions testify, but have been known also of Eskimos. (Com- pare Knud Rasmussen, Neue Menschen, Bern, 1907, p. 114.) These diseased conditions are certainly intensified by hunger. Then the man, THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 87 no longer in control of his senses, falls upon the dead and weakened ones, in order to quiet his hunger with their flesh—he is accustomed, you ‘see, to the raw flesh of animals anyway. So I explain to myself the occurrence of cannibalism reported now and then even from these districts, from my observations among Eskimos and accord- ing to my understanding of their character. And even if the people concerned were not mentally abnormal, temporarily or permanently, you could rot suppress a sort of surprise, how this hardy people in continual contest for existence has accustomed itself, not to lose the striving for self-preservation in their most difficult condi- tions of life, and to struggle along to the utmost. Certainly in the majority of cases there is a mental difference between the cannibalism of the Arctic and that of the tropics. Now and then in spite of this whole Eskimo settlements perish from hunger, which occurs even at the present time. Even if hard times occasionally come to the people, their life brings them many days of happiness, especially in the circle of the family and the members of the band. Deep sorrow and care, such as pursue us civilized beings, remain far removed from them. From birth to death their existence moves along in a great unpreten- tiousness and freedom, and their optimistic temperament causes them to bear all unpleasant happenings with confiding equanimity. [P. 284] Let us cast a glance at their family and commun- ity life, in so far as I succeeded in obtaining a knowledge of it. At the present time there is no special ceremony following the birth of the child. They are at the present day in a sort of transition stage: the old customs are being cast aside, because they continually hear that the heathen customs and views of life are false and blame- worthy; the new is not yet understood and accepted. There is no special privacy at the time of the birth of achild asarule. The people know one another too intimately, and physical oc- currences aie nothing unknown even to the children. As a consequence, even the smaller girls are often shy and reserved towards persons of the other sex, very seldom importunate and I observed clearly enough how the children ob- served in me less the human being than the man. If it is possible without difficulty, uncalled for persons are sent into a neighbouring tent; strict isolation of the woman in labour is not considered necessary. If an older woman is in the vicinity she comes to assist at the birth, loosening of the navel cord, etc. There is no mid-wife, however, even if some experienced old women are considered more dependable assistants than others. .The 88 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST birth is said as a rule to take place quickly and easily. Yet difficult cases occur, in which a brutal massage is employed, combined with movements of the limbs, which have as a con- sequence often, severe illnesses and dislocations. Twice limping women were pointed out to me at stations farther south, who are said to have come by their infirmity in this manner. Miscarriages seem to be induced not too infrequently by forcible actions, premature births occur likewise as a consequence of physical exertions, which the pregnant women often undergo. Whether there occurs at this time the killing of newborn children, at least the weak or deformed children, I could not find out for certain. This old Eskimo custom may be exercised occasionally in hard times and on journeys. If the mother dies they take no pains to keep life in the newborn infant. [P. 285]. The influence of the missionaries is making itself felt at the present time in the care of infants, especially in respect to baths. Some women are said, as was told me on good authority, to pro- test against the introduction of these innova- tions preferring to lick the child from head to foot after a successful birth, during the first days to carry it continually at the breast, later to place it in the hood, and consider every use of water as harmful. There was a small, somewhat animal- looking Eskimo woman in Killinek, who quite represented the old times in her fur breeches and her dirt, otherwise an industrious, good-natured and clever person who, according to the report of the missionaries, had refused for months to wash her last offspring after it had been licked off. Her two or three older children were healthy and alive and the use of water might bring on a cold and death of the youngest, an argument, which is not to be rejected without further proof. Secretly one day a woman appointed in the mission service undertook to bathe the infant, whereupon the surprised mother is said to have been terrified. The naming of the child follows not long after its birth. As far as I could learn, the child receives the name of the person among the rela- tives who died last; apparently it was believed that the soul of the dead would not find peace until then or perhaps even pass into the child and to a certain extent continue to live in him. There is said to be no very great difference be- tween masculine and feminine names. If a near relative or an especially virtuous and well-beloved person in the community dies, then his name is often given to one or several children. Moreover to youths as well as adults occasionally also an appellation, chosen independently, is given, which denotes some outstanding peculiarity. They use the older and newer names interchangeably, so (VoL. XLVI that often many children do not know what their names are, and it is difficult for the missionaries to find out this at the registering of new members, or to learn their right names. At Christian baptism the heathen persons taken into the Moravian church [P. 286] receive a new name, usually a biblical one; the Christians at the older mission stations have Christian names and sur- names, of which the last is little used. The Women recover quickly after a normal child- birth; it was said, they often take up their household duties on the same day. Washing the mother seems to be the rule. She almost always carries the newborn child in its first months herself; at night she lays it close beside her. As soon as it begins to cry loudly, the breast is offered to it, very often with the smaller children, at times every half hour, gradually less frequently with the larger ones, but then all the more abundantly. I did not observe any sort of scolding or severity at the frequent crying of the child; it was quieted in the natural way. If it was in the hood, the mother bent somewhat side- ways, the child slipped out, often with its head down low, was picked up and held in the arms. The hood of course has to be cleaned now and then. Whenever the missionaries conduct services on Sunday, the children begin very soon to mingle their voices in the song of the congregation. For this reason after a short time all the younger women are holding their infants at their breasts. The nursing period is a long one. If another child does not take the place for itself, it lasts at least 11% years, occasionally still longer. When five- or six-year-old children come to their mother’s breast this happens only from good-natured indulgence on their part. There certainly is no longer any necessity for it. It is noteworthy that younger women are said to have milk almost all the time, even years after a birth. For this reason they occasionally quiet strange chiidren. I saw myself, how an elderly grandmother took her grandchild to her breast, but this perhaps served only to quiet it. This ability to nourish children even for years, is not only of the greatest importance in general for a strong development of the children, but in this district especially important, because here meat follows at once as the food after the mother’s milk, to chew which well-developed teeth are necessary. Different mothers showed me [P. 287] with pride the strong and sound teeth of their infants; although I do not believe that teething takes places noticeably sooner than with us. The fat little rascals learn to run about at the age of a year or so, but space forbids me to communicate my observations about children of this age. The mortality of April, 1932] infants is relatively slight in normal times; fre- quently three, four, even more children grow up. As Governor W. MacGregor mentions, he became acquainted with a woman in Killinek in 1905 who had had nine children in two marriages. (Report, 1906, p. 15.) Conditions are more un- favourable farther south, as I heard particularly of Hopedale. At this place, probably because of their way of life being changed, only a part of the women are capable of nursing their infants for any length of time. This is doubly bad, because there are no domestic animals which give milk. They often use condensed milk, mix it, at one time with much water, the next time with little; make the drink hot one time, cool at another time, and so it is no wonder that many children die, even the whole population is degenerating. The mothers show self-sacrificing care for their children. But their love makes a somewhat animal-like impression on me. If the child dies, then her sorrow is no great and lasting one. They comfort themselves apparently with the thought that the child was not strong enough to satisfy the great demands which this unhospitable coun- try makes on its inhabitants. They cannot make use of weaklings up there, who are a burden to themseives and to others; hard nature de- mands hard people. Many times in the morning you see children running about in front of the tent undressed or only scantily clad. The father doesn’t trouble himself actively about his off- THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 89 spring, until they begin to grow up. He takes him along with him hunting and fishing, makes use of him in all kinds of tasks, but teaches him more through example than through precept. The girls stay with their mother and watch her at all feminine forms of work, naturally also at the care of. some younger brothers and sisters, until they can lend a hand themselves [P. 288] and at last, according to their cleverness, earlier or later do like the mother in everything. You observe any special tenderness of the parents for their children just as rarely as great harshness. The children though, with all the freedom which they have, are almost always obedient, ready to help, and respectiul. Exceptions, which occurred even in my time, are generally punished. With one another the children also appear friendly, even if as a rule quieter and less active than our children. The girls are quite gentle, polite and quiet, so that you enjoy being among them. The activities and games of the children consist on the whole in helping the adults or independent pre- parations and attempts at their future occupa- tions asmenand women. As far as their strength permits, they make themselves very useful, even indispensable. For this reason childless pairs like to'adopt a strange child. I do not believe it is the case with the Killinek people, that girls are prized considerably less than boys, as is said to be the case with certain Eskimo bands. (To be continued) AN ANNOTATED LIST OF VASCULAR PLANTS COLLECTED ON THE NORTH SHORE OF THE GULF OF ST. LAWRENCE, 1927-1930 By HARRISON F. LEWIS (Concluded from page 66) COMPOSITZ Solidago hispida Muhl., var. tonsa Fernald. Ste. Genevieve Island, August 23, 1928, top of limestone shingle beach. Recorded by St. John as Solidago hispida Muhl. Solidago macrophylla Pursh. Yankee Harbour, July 28, 1927, shallow ravine. Little Rigolet, August 29, 1927, damp woodland border on Mauger Island. *Solidago uniligulata (DC.) Porter. Natashquan, August 7, 1927, fresh marsh - beside Little Natashquan River. Solidago humilis Pursh. Betchewun, August 26, 1928, border of woods. *Solidago rugosa Mill. Seven Islands, September 12, 1928, border of thicket on raised boulder beach on Manowin Island. Magpie, September 1, 1928, border of hay-field. Solidago rugosa Mill., var. villosa (Pursh) Fernald. Kegaska River, August 15, 1928, rank vege- tation above sand beach at mouth of brook near mouth of river. Harrington Harbour, July 25, 1928, damp ground on rocky point of shore of mainland. Reported by St. John from ‘‘Riviére au Tonnerre” only. Range extension, 242 miles E. Solidago graminifolia (L.) Salisb. Mingan, August 30, 1928, sand-flat beside Mingan River. *Aster radula Ait. Mascanin, August 20, 1928, wet muskeg. Recorded by S. R. Butler from Bonne Esper- ance or vicinity, but relegated by St. John to hypothetical status, as being ‘‘probably of the var. strictus’’. 90 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST Aster radula Ait., var. strictus (Pursh) Gray. Thunder River, September 2, 1928, slight hollow in tundra. Aylmer Sound, August 18, 1927, dry, sandy plain on west side of Little Mecatina Island. *Aster Lindleyanus T.& G. Betchewun, August 25, 1928, open hillside. Aster foliaceus Lindl. Mingan, August 30, 1928, sandy border of Mingan River. Betchewun, August 25, 1928, limestone shingle at top of beach on Gun Island. Natashquan, August 5, 1927, damp pond margin and September 10, 1927, gravel near shore. Kegaska, August 14, 1928, fringing vegetation near shore of Green Island. Ro- maine, August 11, 1928, foot of sandy bank at top of beach. Fog Island, August 2, 1927, turfy slope. St. Augustin, August 20, 1927, east end of Little Rigolet Island. *Aster foliaceus Lindl., var. frondeus Gray. Lake Island, August 14, 1927, shallow turf at top of sea-cliff. *Aster foliaceus Lindl., var. arcuans Fernald. Natashquan, August 9, 1927, border of cul- tivated field. *Aster puniceus L. | Eskimo Island (Mingan Islands); August 28, 1928, four feet high on sunny bank. MHarring- ton Harbour, July 25, 1928, wet thicket on sand beside shore of mainland. Aster puniceus L., var. oligocephalus Fernald. Kegaska River, August 15, 1928, foot of sand bank at top of sand beach near mouth of river. Bradore Bay, August 27, 1927, damp, grassy slope. Recorded by St. John from ‘Ile Gros- Mécatina” only. Range extension, 123 miles W. and 83 miles E. Aster nemoralis Ait. Natashquan, August 7, 1927, low, rocky point. *Erigeron lonchophyllum Hook., var. laurentianum Vict. Ste. Genevieve Island, August 23, 1928, cre- vices in flat limestone near shore. Recorded and described from the Mingan region, including Ste. Genevieve Island, by Frére Marie-Victorin (1926). Anaphalis margaritacea (L.) Benth. & Hook. Betchewun, August 25, 1928, open hillside. Recorded by St. John as Anaphalis margarita- cea (L.) Benth. & Hook., var. subalpina Gray. *Anaphalis margaritacea (L.) Benth. & Hook., f. anochlora Fernald. Seven Islands, September 12, 1928, steep declivity of raised boulder beach on Manowin Island. Mingan, August 30, 1928, sand bank beside the Little Manitou River. (VoL. XLVI GNAPHALIUM ULIGINOSUM L. Natashquan, September 8, 1927, Pics: pee near pond, and August 18, 1928, hollow, in sand dunes. *AMBROSIA ARTEMISIIFOLIA Tee Matamek River, September 5, 1928, deer yard near mouth be river. *AMBROSIA PSILOSTACHYA DC. 4 Harrington Harbour, September 1, 1927, rubbish heap. See Groh (1929). ACHILLEA MILLEFOLIUM L. La Tabatiére, July 21, 1928, rocks in eps yard. Panoriad by St. isn from Mingan only. Range extension, 242 miles H. Achillea Millefolium Tas var. nigrescens E. Mey, ’ Island in Fog ical Bird Sanctuary, August 1, 1927, crevices in rock. Lake Island, July 18, 1927, rocky top of cliff. Whale Head, July 10, 1927, turfy dooryard near Jas. Mauger’s harbour. Bradore Bay, July 13, 1928, grassy, sandy upper beach. The collection from an island in Fog Island Bird Sanctuary has pink rays. *Achillea Millefolium L., var. Piper. Fog Island, August 9, 1928, shallow, neh turf. *MATRICARIA INODORA L. Matamek River, September 5, 1928, door- yard near mouth of river. *CHRYSANTHEMUM LEUCANTHEMUM re var. PIN- NATIFIDUM Lecoqg & Lamotte. Natashquan, August 5, 1927, track in sand dunes. Observed also at Seven Islands, Bet- _ chewun, and La Tabatiére. TANACETUM VULGARE L. Wolf Bay, September 2, 1927, shallow soil near houses. Not recorded bySt.John east of ‘“‘Betchouane”. Range extension, 133 miles E. Artemisia canadensis Michx. Mingan, August 30, 1928, sand flat beside Mingan River. *ARTEMISIA BIENNIS Willd. Matamek River, September 5, 1928, door- yard near mouth of river. Natashquan, August 19, 1928, dried-up pond bed in village. Petasites palmata (Ait.) Gray. Betchewun, June 5, 1927, shallow soil on limestone in open near shore. SENECIO VULGARIS L. | Kegaska, August 12, 1927, soil on rocks by shore, enriched with fish refuse. Senecio palustris (L.) Hook. Cormorant Rocks, July 17, 1927, wet ground on island. Wapitagun, July 14, 1927, cleft in rock on Matchiatik Island. Mecatina Bird Sanctuary, July 23, 1928, damp hollow. near shore on an outer island. lanulosa (Nutt.) April, 1932] THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 91 Formation of calcareous soil from shells of commen mussel, Mytilus edulis, on Green Island, near egaska. View along top of beach, showing finely broken shell in foreground, a recent accumulation of shells, many of which are still unbroken, in the middle distance, and small areas of exposure of the granitic . eountry rock at the right. t Senecio pauciflorus Pursh. Ile au Bois, July 7, 1930, damp, mossy de- pression on hillside. Senecio aureus L. Betchewun, August 25, 1928, dry hillside. Senecio pauperculus Michx. Betchewun, September 3, 1929, rocky lime- stone shore. Blanc Sablon, July 20, 1929, wet place on hillside west of falls of Blane Sablon River (this collection made by E. C. Abbe). Senecio Pseudo-Arnica Less. Yankee Harbour, July 28, 1927, top of beach. Lourdes de Blane Sablon, August 26, 1927, gneiss point by shore. Cirsium muticum Michx. Ste. Genevieve Island, August 23, 1928, beside a rivulet, just above the beach. Blanc Sablon, July 11, 1928, wet slope of steep bank, east side of river. CIRSIUM ARVENSE (L.) Scop. Betchewun, August 26, 1928, shallow turf near shore. *Cirsium minganense Vict. Quin Island, September 5, 1929, grassy, sandy area between beachand woods. Describ- ed from Quin Island by Frére Marie-Victorin (1925a). Senecio Pseudo-Arnica is invading the raw heaps of shell. LEONTODON AUTUMNALIS L. St. Mary Islands, July 25, 1927, turf near boathouse on western island. Not recarded by St.John east of ‘‘Natashkwan”. Range ex- tension, 98 miles E. TARAXACUM OFFICINALE Weber. Ste. Genevieve Island, August 23, 1928, top of limestone shingle beach. Natashquan, June 27, 1928, sandy turf. Kegaska, August 14, 1928, turf near shore of Green Island. Taraxacum lapponicum Kihlm. Bradore Bay, June 28, 1927, wet brookside on calcareous sandstone, and June 30, 1927, sandy river-bank on gneiss near head of bay. Recorded by St. John as T. ceratophorum (Ledeb.) DC. *SONCHUS ARVENSIS L. Betchewun, August 25, 1928, rocky limestone shore. Baie Johan Beetz, August 22, 1928, border of old fox enclosure near shore on granitic rock. Lactuca spicata (Lam.) Hitche. Mascanin, August 20, 1928, grassy shore of small cove. Kegaska River, August 15, 1928, rank vegetation above sand beach west of mouth of river. Harrington Harbour, July 25, 1928, foot of sand and clay bluff beside shore of mainland. Observed also at Seven Islands 92 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST (Manowin Island), Betchewun, Ste. Genevieve Island, and Watshishu. Recorded by St. John from “Legardeur: Coacoachou” only. Range extension, 269 miles W. and 42 miles E. Prenanthes racemosa Michx. Natashquan, August 9, 1927, hard, rocky roadside near wharf. Prenanthes nana (Bigel.) Torr. Kegaska River, August 3, 1927, sandy bank near mouth ofriver. Kegaska, August 12, 1927, turfy hilltop and sandy dooryard. BlancSab- lon, July 11, 1928, turfy,sandy bank, east side of river. Hieracium canadense Michx. Natashquan, August 5, 1927, track in sand dunes, and August 9, 1927, sand dunes. Har- rington Harbour, July 25, 1928, foot of sand and clay bluff beside shore of mainland. Not re- corded by St. John east of “Lagorgendiére: Romaine’. Range extension, 59 miles E. ERRATA *Agropyron trachycaulum (Link) Malte, var. Richardsoni (Schrad.) Malte in sched. (Vol. XLV, [VoL. XLVI p. 201, col. 1, 11.15-16) should read *Agropyron trachycaulum (Link) Malte, var. wunilaterale (Vasey) Malte in sched. Microstylis monophyllos (L.) Lindl. (Vol. XLV, p. 227, col. 1., 1. 4) should read Malaxis brachypoda (Gray) Fernald. In Vol. XLV, p. 228, col. 2, after 1.29, add, under Populus tremuloides, var. rhomboidea: Recorded from Mingan by Frére Marie-Victorin (1930). In Vol. XLVI, p. 38, col. 2, ll. 14-16, under Angelica laurentiana, for ‘Fernald (1928) cites several collections from points on thenorth shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence’ read: Fernald (1926) cites a collection by St. John from La Tabatiére, In Vol. XLVI, p. 40, col. 1, Il. 34-35, for “*Ar- meria labradorica Wallr., var. submutica Blake, f. glabriscapa Blake’, read: *Armeria labradorica Wallr., var. submutica (Blake) n. comb., f. glabriscapa (Blake) n. comb. Statice labradorica (Wallr.) Hubbard & Blake, var. submutica Blake, f. glabriscapa Blake, Rho- dora, 19: 7, 1917. APPENDIX A LOCATION OF PLACES MENTIONED Township, Archipelago Place or Seigniory Manowin Island...... Seven Islands........ letellien Tpii.iwth ees” Matamek River .....| Blanche Tp............. (mouth) Thunder River....... Mingan Seigniory....... Magpie onuienye. ie 6 rf Ile du Havre (Mingan) | Mingan Islands......... MOEN, | od oa on bose ee Quarry Island........ Mingan Islands......... Brightlsland. 2: s.. 3: nv Se. Cetra AV Ble ce 6é Quintisland] ee Havre St. Pierre...... Eskimo Island........ St. Charles Island... .. i TELA OM ees aa ae Gun Island (Betche- or er Tet OAR ACA AED wun) Wood Island (Betche- os SOOT Nh aa ae ty wun) Betchewun........... Mingan Seigniory........ Ste. Genevieve Island Baie Johan Beetz..... Seven Islands........... MinganiScionionye cs one ene ere ace eae Mingan Islands......... Mingan Islands......... Mingan Seigniory........ Other Names Lat. N. | Long. W. HeiVianowine- ea eee 50° 6’ 66° 24’ Sept=Hes voc.) emi 50° 12’ 66° 23’ Trout River, Riviéreala | 50°17’ 65° 58’ Truite Riviére au Tonnerre..... 50° 16’ 64° 47’ Hii, SU ange (NOUR. ale eR aed SNAG I AT CR HEL 50° 19’ 64° 30’ Harbour Island.......... 50° 17’ 64° 1’ 50° 18’ 64° 1’ lle'ada Proies.. 2.022... 50° 13’ 638° 48’ Ile du Fantome......... 50° 13’ 68° 41’ Ter Quins yay soe ke 50° 14’ 638° 41’ St. Peter’s Harbour, Es- kimo Point, La Pointe aux E'squimaux..... L eilen 5O Pos 68° 37’ Ile au Marteau.......... 50° 18’ 638° 37’ Ile St. Charles, Charles Tislaridiaies. ace tees 50° 12’ 63° 17’ Bald Island, Perroquets St. Charles, Ile aux Calculeaux: 24.in.2 wen 50° 12’ 68° 13’ Ile au Bois, Indian Island} 50° 12’ Goalies Betchouane............. 50° 15’ 63° 11’ Tle Ste. Geneviéve....... 50° 15’ 638° 4’ Johan Beetz Bay, Piashte Bay, Piastre Bay, Pi- ashtibale: cis.) 0aeeeee 50° 18’ 62° 49’ April, 1932] Township, Archipelago Place or Seigniory Weatshishu. 22.0.2... Mingan Seignory........ Mascanins 1... .). 04.45! ss Uo ean GIO 2 Natashquan.......... Natashquan Tp......... Kegaska River (mouth)| Kégashka Tp........... Kegaska (including | Washikuti Arch. and Mus- Kegaska Island) quarro Tp. Green Island (Kegaska)| Washikuti Arch.......... Bragg’s Harbour...... a x Washiidtl. 62° 4: oy... Se ss Romames: 4. 2.25... The Bluff Harbour.... Ie Sai Re eA | ee Coucoaehio®.... 2.620. . Reuvret sk pay. ste 4 oe ek: Wolf Bay..o)0052. 20. Lienardips . WR ste. Wapitagun. i... Wapitagun Island..... Matchiatik Island (Wa- " % pitagun) Etamamu River (is- land near mouth of) Pointe au Maurier....| Charnay Tp............ Watagheistic Island...| St. Mary Arch.......... Yankee Harbour...... SAE cciace, SRabnoaus Set. Boat Islands......... nBdiy a REE EAE YS: St. Mary Islands...... SM ocd Ca AN ey OS ee ae Little Mecatina Arch. (mainland in St. Vin- cent Tp.) Little Mecatina Arch.... 6é 66 ce Harrington Harbour... Aylmer Sound........ Little Mecatina Island Bev Great Mecatina Arch.... Whale Head (Jas. Mauger’s harbour) STAI AI elie eel ss he) 0 Mecatina Bird Sanc- tuary. ~ WIL OM AV sc sc:5 2 Gra.< 43 Boishébert Tp.......... ata aAGlehe ae ae Great Mecatina Island OG Dero On ro Great Mecatina Arch.... Kécarpoui Arch......... Cookuipasatitss 2 sereese.: Mauger Island........ Rapide Lessard....... Little Rigolet Island... Kécarpoui Arch......... St. Augustin Island... a 6é Tle Verte Inner end of Seal Reach Washicoutai, Washshee- THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST Other Names Watshishow, Little Wat- shishu River (mouth). . Mushkoniatawee Bay.... Natashkwan, American Elarbout. see Kégashka River Kégashka, Kégashka Bay COOUAICES ars ee La Romaine, Village Ro- maine, Gethsemani.... Long Island Harbour..... Tle 4 la Brume Coacorchouysi.4 4.0 eeeee Baie des Loups.......... WapitacunvArch: iki). 2. canis. $ od Ee od sta eR Quapitaconesee eee Ile Quapitagone......... PCC Cm CC Stary Arche, a. spies [5 cana « slo ey’t ten ahhe, Sealnetaeoint een eee. Ile Watagheistic, Edward’s Island....... Middle Islands, Ile Gali- Iles Perroquets.......... Tles Ste. Marie.......... Tles Harrington.......... Détroit Aylmer.......... Tle Petit Mécatina....... Téte 4 la Baleine........ Baie des Moutons....... Spar Pomt.24 soe Tle Gros Mécatina, Grosse Mer Miran cert nee ee Jacques MeKinnon’s Ra- DIC shee wel eee Tle du Petit Rigolet...... Tle du Vieux Poste....... Lat. N. 50° 16’ 50° 16’ 50° 12’ 50° 11’ 50° 12’ 50° 11’ 50° 11’ 50° 12’ 50° 13’ 50° 12’ 50° 10’ 50° 16’ 50° 13’ 50° 10’ 50° 15’ 50° 20’ 50° 17’ 50° 44’ 50° 43’ 50° 46’ 50° 50’ 51° 3’ 93 Long. W. 62° 37’ 62° 27' 61° 50’ 61° 20’ GL 16s 61° 14’ Glaant 60° 52’ 60° 41’ 60° 33’ 60° 31’ 60° 18’ 60° 13’ 60° 3’ 60° 3’ 60° 1’ 60° 0’ 59° 59! 59° 57’ 59° 49’ 59° 48’ 59° 48’ 59° 43’ 59° 38’ 59° 28’ 59° 21’ 59° 17’ 59° 13’ 59° 15’ BOR ie BO Tiel” 58° 58’ 58° 52’ 58° 48’ 58° 47’ 58° 40’ 58° 297 Township, Archipelago or Seigniory THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST a a Kécarpoui Arch......... St. Augustin Arch....... 66 66 (7 ee St. Augustin Square... Dukes Island......... Mistanoque Island.... Mobstenebayereeiee sere Marsal [pcr waa pain: Rocky bayesoeee seo Pontchartrain Tp........ Mainland west of Net ff se Island. Netislande a anntr Old Fort Island....... a 0 Ht edbioeh Super Bonne Esperance ... . Caribou Island Salmon Bay Basin Island.......... 6é 66 6é Bonne Esperance Tp..... Blane Sablon Arch....... eee esc ee oe Bradore Bay......... Anse des Dunes....... Lourdes de Blanc Sab- he Ss lon. Greenly Island........ Mount Cartier.......: CoC ee eee eee eee eo ee oe Blane Sablon Arch....... Brest pea yates Blane Sablon......... ree MerauvEolsee eine eee Olde FortyArel sys ee See eee an EI ie ee a a ea [VoL. XLVI Other Names Lat. N. | Long. W Carré St. Augustin....... 51° 8’ ES? PAL! Mevdus Duce ae ene 51° 12’ 58° 23’ Part of “‘Shecatica” or “Shekatikava-ee epee 51° 16’ 58° 12’ Baie des Homards....... I Br” yey ey Baie des Rochers........ 51° 18’ 58° 1’ eae DAM (MET LAU ROE NY None key pe ote Dion 57° 63’ 5122384 57° 62’ Tle du Vieux Fort, Vieux Hopi larce eee eer bilereen 57° 46’ Se eee Me Re ee Dos ae a Re on 524s 57° 40’ Tle de la Demoiselle..... 51° 24’ 597 faa Baie au Saumon......... 51° 24’ 57° 36’ Island of Ledges, Ile du TBASSINie \ tee ime cen h ee de 51280 57° 15° Bras d@2Or. ack beers 51° 28’ 57° 14’ Sandy Bay; ..4/0 +nereee 51° 26’ Sic 12r Longue Pointe, Long Point} 51° 25’ 57° 11’ He Vertes nics eeiae ee BL? Bey 57° 10’ Highest of ‘“‘Bradore AN 3s oh ee 51° 34’ 57° )9! Anse, Sablon seer 51° 25’ 57°. 8! Wood Island............ 61° 23’ BY heres APPENDIX B BIBLIOGRAPHY St. John (1922) gives an excellent bibliography up to the time of his publication. I shall not repeat it here, but shall give only references to later publications and to publications that Ihave referred to in this paper. BowMAN, PAUL W. 1932—Notes on the Flora of the Matamek River District, ‘North Shore’, Quebec, Canada. Rhodora, Vol. 34, No. 399, pp. 48- 55, March, 1932. FERNALD, M. L. 1926—Two Summers of Botanizing in New- foundland. Rhodora, Vol. 28, No. 328, pp. 49-63; No. 829, pp. 74-87; No. 330, pp. 89- 111; No. 331, pp. 115-129; No. 332, pp. 145- 155; No. 338, pp. 161-178; No. 334, pp. 181- 204; No. 835, pp. 210-225; No. 336, pp. 234-241, 1928—Primula § Farinose in America. Rho- dora, Vol. 30, No. 352, pp. 59-77; No. 358, pp. 85-104. 1930—New Willow from the Céte Nord, Que- bec. Rhodora, Vol. 82, No. 378, pp. 112-113. GROH, HERBERT 1929—Western Ragweed Farther East. The Canadian Field-Naturalist, Vol. XLIII, No. 6, September, 1929, p. 187. HILGARD, E. W. 1911—Soils, their Formation, Properties, Com- Position, and Relations to Climate and Plant Growth in the Humid and Arid Regions. New York, 1911. - HIND, HENRY YOULE 1863—Explorations in the interior of the Labrador Peninsula, the country of the Montagnais and Nasquapee Indians. Lon- don, 1863. HYDROGRAPHIC DEPARTMENT, ADMIRALTY. 1916—The St. Lawrence Pilot, Vol. I, Eighth Edition. LEMAY, M. L’ABBE P. 1923—Flore du Labrador, Le Naturaliste Canadien, Vol. XLIX, No. 8, Février, 1923, pp. 183-186. April, 1932] LEWIS, HARRISON F. 1926—Occurrence of Epigza repens L., in the Labrador Peninsula. The Canadian Field- Naturalist, Vol. XL, No. 3, March, 1926, p. 66. MARIE-VICTORIN, FRERE 1928—Les Filicinées du Québec. Contrib. Lab. Bot. Univ. Montréal, No. 2, Montreal, 1923. 1925—Les Lycopodinées du Québec. Contrib. Lab. Bot. Univ. Montréal, No. 3, Montreal, 1925. 1925a—Sur quelques Composées nouvelles, rares, ou critiques du Québec oriental. Contrib. Lab. Bot. Univ. Montréal, No. 5, Montreal, 1925. 1926—Notes sur quelques cas de tératologie végstale. Contrib. Lab. Bot. Univ. Mon- tréal, No. 6, Montreal, 1926. 1926a—Nouvelles études sur les Composées du Québee. Contrib. Lab. Bot. Univ. Montréal, No. 8, Montreal, 1926. 1927—Les Equisétinées du Québec. Contrib. Lab. Bot. Univ. Montréal, No. 9, Montreal, 1927. 1927a—Les Gymnospermes du Québec. Con- trib. Lab. Bot. Univ. Montréal, No. 10, Montreal, 1927. 1927b—Sur un Botrychium nouveau de la flore américaine et ses rapports avec le B. Lunaria et le B. simplex. Contrib. Lab. Bot. Univ. Montréal, No. 11, Montreal, 1927. 1928—Deux épibiotes remarquables de la Min- ganie. Contrib. Lab. Bot. Univ. Montréal, No. 12, Montreal, 1928. 1929—Le dynamisme dans la flore du Gucied Essai sur les forces d’évolution et d’élimina- THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 95 tion en ceuvre dans certaines populations végétales. Contrib. Lab. Bot. Univ. Mon- tréal, No. 13, Montreal, 1929. 1929a—Les Liliiflores du Québec. Contrib. Lab. Bot. Univ. Montréal, No. 14, Montreal, 1929. 1929b—Additions aux Cypéracées de l’Améri- que du Nord. Contrib. Lab. Bot. Univ. Montréal, No. 15, Montreal, 1929. 1930—Les variations laurentiennes du Populus tremuloides et du P. grandidentata. Contrib. Lab. Bot. Univ. Montréal, No. 16, Montreal, 1930. 1930a—Le genre Rorippa dans le Québec. Con- trib. Lab. Bot. Univ. Montréal, No. 17, Montreal, 1930. 1931—Les Spadiciflores du Québec. Contrib. Lab. Bot. Univ. Montréal: No. 19, Montreal, 1931. RICHARDSON, JAMES 1869—Summary Report of Progress in Geologi- cal Investigations. Geol. Survey of Canada, 1866-1869, Ottawa, 1869, p. 370. RYDBERG, PER AXEL 1928—Notes on Fabacex-X. Bull. Tore Bot. Club, Vol. 55, pp. 119-1382. St. JOHN, HAROLD 1922—A Botanical Exploration of the North Shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Including an Annotated List of the Species of Vascular Plants. Mem. 126, No. 4, Biol. Series, Victoria Memorial Museum, Dept. of Mines, Canada, Ottawa, 1922. 1925—Notes sur la Flore du Labrador, Le Natur- aliste Canadien, Vol. LI, No. 9, Mars, 1925, pp. 195-201. NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS SWALLOWS AT PLAY.—Just before dark on Sun- day, June 14, 1931, at Dow’s Lake, Ottawa, with the weather very sultry and a storm impending, with swallows flying low, I noticed what looked like a free fight in the air among some dozen or more of these birds, but on closer attention saw that they were playing with a white feather about four inches long. They passed it around, dropped it and caught it again before it reached the water. After some minutes they let it fall to the water, where it remained for a while when one swallow swooped, caught it up and the game started over again and lasted until the squall struck the lake. Some years ago a flock of ducks (domestic crossed with mallard) used to visit my boathouse at Black Rapids. They were very friendly and would come when called. They were very playful and would chase a bit of stick on a string and quack their appreciation of one’s attention.— MARK G. MCELHINNEY. Note ON LAKE ATHABASCA WHEAT.—In a geographical paper on Canada North of Fifty-six Degrees published in The Canadian Field-Natur- alist! in 1928, it was stated without citing the source of the information, that wheat from north of 56° had won a prize for excellence at the Phila- delphia Centennial Exhibition in 1876. Having made no record of the source of this important information the writer wishes to quote here a 1 Can. Field-Nat. 42: 53, March, 1928. a 96 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIS1 reference to this early demonstration of Canada’s ability to produce wheat far to the north, which has lately come to his notice, published eight years after the Philadelphia Exhibition. The Rey. Emile Petitot who travelled widely in Northern Canada, and knew its natural history and geography as no other missionary has known them, wrote of the Athabasca district: “Tt should be noted that the climate of the lake (Athabasca) is tar from being an obstacle to the ripening of cereals and vegetables, for at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition in 1876 the Catholic Mission near Fort Chipewyan obtained a silver medal and honourable mention for cereals of the first quality and remarkable size.””2 The earliest reference to the fossil tree trunks found in the tar sands along the Athabasca river were published in this article. He states that: ‘Remarkable vegetable fossils are often tound in the sandstone of this part of the Athabasca, imbedded in the rock, but capable of detachment with the hammer. I have noticed whole trunks of Cupressoxylon (probably a Sequoia), charca- teristic of the Tertiaries, and have sent specimens to Montreal and Paris.”—E. M. KINDLE. 2‘*On the Athabasca District of the Canadian North- West Territory’, The Canadian Record of Natural History and Geology 1: 27-52, 1884. . self. [VoL. XLVI On November 21st, 1931, there passed away at his home in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, John Leo DeVany, a highly respected citizen. Mr. DeVany was born at Dalhousie, Annapolis County, N.S., in 1867, and during his earlier life taught school at Bear River, N.S. Later he was proprietor and editor of the Annarolis Spectator, which position he filled with much credit to him- During the late war he served his country in France and on his return to Canada, received an appointment as Migratory Bird Warden under the Department of the Interior, which position he creditably filled until his death. Being a sports- man and lover of the outdoors, he was naturally interested in the bird life of the Province and from time to time submitted articles to The Canadian Field-Naturalist for publication. His wife and one daughter survive him.—R. W. TUFTS. CORRECTION.—The record of the two species of Kinglet in the Christmas Bird Census report from Comox, Vancouver Island, B.C., in The Canadian Field-Naturalist for February, 1932, page 41, column 1, lines 37-388, should: read: ‘Western Golden-crowned Kinglet, 35*; Sitka Kinglet, 1”; and the record of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet on the same page, column 2, lines 16-17, should read: “Sitka Kinglet, 1”. —EDIToR. BOOK REVIEWS FLORE-MANUEL DE LA PROVINCE DE QUEBEC. Father Louis-Marie. Agricultural Institute of Oka, Que. 320 pages, with more than 2100 drawings by Marcel Makhes, 1931. This Manual of the Flora of the Province of Quebec is primarily intended for schools, convents, commercial, classical and agricultural colleges, and for the universities of the Province of Quebec. That is to say, it is written both for beginners and for more advanced students of botany. Intro- ducing the science of botany to the former class, the author devotes the first part of the Manual to General Botany, with seven short chapters on cells and tissues; roots and their functions; stems and their structure and functions; leaves and their forms, disposition on'the stem, and functions; flowers and inflorescences, their structure and functions; the different types of fruit; seeds and their germination. The second part of the Manual opens with a most useful chapter con- taining directions for collecting and preserving plants and for making a herbarium. The reviewer feels that the author is particular- ly to be commended for including the above mentioned chapters in his Manual, for no doubt this initiation into the mysteries of botany will materially help the beginner to approach the study of the flora of Quebec with more confidence than if a Flora of the traditional type were put into his hands. As the Manual is primarily intended for pupils of educational institutions, many species found only in districts difficult of access, or species of difficult genera, are either omitted or mentioned en passant, and special attention paid to the flora of the, educationally speaking, more compact parts of Quebec. The descriptions of the species are brief but, as the author points out, the student will find many characteristics, which are omitted in the text, emphasized in the numerous, well- made drawings. It would, in the reviewer’s opinion, have been advisable, however, if the illustrations had been printed on a better type of paper. A feature of the Manual that no doubt also will find favour with the students is that notes on medicinal and other properties of many of the native plants are given, and that many cultivated plants, related to wild ones, are mentioned. Father Louis-Marie is to be sincerely congra- tulated on his achievement in presenting to the youth of the Province of Quebec, as well as to more April, 1932] advanced students in general, his ‘““Flore-Manuel”’ a contribution to education and science which, most assuredly, will do much to stimulate an interest in botany, not only in his native Pro- vince, but outside as well. The reviewer hopes to see the Manual translated into English.—M. O. MALTE. PARASAUROLOPHUS TUBICEN N.SP. AUS DER KREIDE IN NEw Mexico (P. tubicen n.sp. from the Cretaceous of New Mexico). By C. Wiman. Nova Acta Regie Societatis Scientarum Upsaliensis, Ser. IV, Vol. 7, No. 5, 11 pp. 3 pls., Uppsala, Sweden, 1931. Professor Wiman, of the Royal University, Uppsala, has made several important contributions recently to our knowledge of Cretaceous dino- saurs, especially those of China and New Mexico. The present paper is of special interest to students of Canadian dinosaurs, for the genus Parasauro- lophus has been known hitherto only by a nearly complete skeleton from the Belly River formation of Alberta, preserved in the Royal Ontario Mu- seum at Toronto. Parasaurolophus walkeri, the Canadian species, is a duck-billed dinosaur, belonging, in spite of its name, to the helmet crested group, the Lambeosaurine. It is par- ticularly distinguished by a long, curved, back- wardly directed crest, a bizarre extension of the premaxillary and nasal bones. Wiman’s new species was collected by Mr. Charles H. Sternberg from the Ojo Alamo forma- tion of San Jaun county, New Mexico. This subdivision of the Upper Cretaceous, on the evidence of invertebrate fossils, is of about the same age as the dinosaur-bearing Edmonton formation of Alberta, 7.e., younger than the Belly River beds. In view of this marked extension of the geological and geographic range of the genus it is unfortunate that the new species is represented only by fragments of the skull and the posterior portion of the characteristic crest. The natural association of the material apparently is not in question. The species tubicen is differentiated from P.- walkeri by a somewhat greater size, a differently shaped termination to the crest, and a dissimilar jugal (cheek) bone. Wiman concurs with Gil- more and Abel in the view of relationships ex- pressed above, i.¢., that the genus is lambeo- saurine. The detailed description of the skull fragments, which make up a large part of the left side, as well as the occipital region, need not be reviewed here. It may be noticed, however, that the crest has the two lateral grooves seen in P. walkeri, but is more tapering at the posterior termination. THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 97 Like most of his European colleagues, Professor Wiman is not content to close his paper with the mere description of the remains, but devotes several concluding pages to the biological signi- ficance of the extraordinary crest of Parasauro- lophus. He apparently views with favour Baron Nopesa’s conclusions that such outgrowths are secondary sexual characters. This hypothesis is not yet acceptable to most North American students, because of the fantastic conclusions that are associated with it. Abel’s views, that the crest served both as a weapon and as a means of enlarging the olfactory areas of the nasal pas- sages, are regarded with doubt by Wiman, espe- cially the second hypothesis. By comparison with vocal structures in swans and cranes, and by analogy with certain musical instruments of Sweden, our author finally concludes that the crests of the lambeosaurs were resonating organs. “It seems quite likely to me,” he says, “that the male Parasaurolophus summoned his harem to- gether by means of his amplified voice.” Wiman recognizes certain evolutionary trends in the development of these reptilian ‘‘trumpets’’. He sees the earlier stages in Kritosaurus, with elevated nose bones, and Cheneosaurus, with an incipient crest. From here development was divergent, and three lines resulted, one culmin- ating in Corythosaurus and Hypacrosaurus, another in Lambeosaurus, and the third in Parasaurolo- phus. To the North American critic Wiman’s bio- logical conclusions seem jeopardized by their foundation on a doubtful hypothesis, that of Nopcsa, and the geneologies appear to neglect too much the skeleton as a whole, as well as the stratigraphic relationships. Nevertheless, we are indebted to the author not only for the anatomical data that he supplies, but also for his very interest- ing contribution to the palzeobiology of these curious reptiles. Vertebrate paleontologists on this side of the Atlantic make all too few attempts to revitalize the objects of their studies.—L. S. RUSSELL. AN INTRODUCTION TO THE LITERATURE OF VER- ’ TEBRATE ZOOLOGY. Based chiefly on the Titles in the Blacker Library of Zoology, The Emma Shearer Wood Library of Ornithology, The Bibliotheca Osleriana and Other Libraries of McGill University, Montreal. Compiled and edited by Casey A. Wood, M.D., LL.D. Oxford University Press. London, 1981. $15.00. The Frontispiece, a reproduction of a painting of the Dodo, probably from life, is a hint of the literary and artistic treasures to be found in the 98 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST great zoological library of which this is a catalogue. The first part is an introduction to the literature of vertebrate zoology by Dr. Casey A. Wood, then follows a catalogue of the library. There is also a preface and various indexes. The intro- duction is wide in scope and an invaluable guide to the literature of zoology. Some of the chapter headings are:—“The Beginnings of Zoological Records’, ‘“Medieval Writers on Zoology”, ‘The Literature of Comparative Zoology”. Here and there through the chapters the collector gets the better of the commentor, but it is not until the last chapter, ‘“Unique and Rare Printed Books, Manuscripts and Drawings in the Zoological Libraries of McGill University” that the biblio- phile and author are one, in describing the as- tonishing collection of rare books, manuscripts and drawings brought together by the author and placed at the service of the student. The anno- tated catalogue forms the second and greater [VoL. XLVI part of the volume; included are items from the — Osler Library of the History of Medicine, the Gest Library of Chinese Literature, and the General Library of McGill University. The principal items are from two sources, the Emma Shearer Wood Library of Ornithology and the Blacker Library of Zoology; both contributed and endowed by Canadians through the vision, enthusiasm and direction. of the compiler, himself Canadian born. During and after the Great War it was possible to secure books and manuscripts that would not otherwise have been available for a Canadian library. Fortunately for Canada, Dr. Wood understood the importance of the time, and the future need in Canada for a library of zoological literature of outstanding importance. This has been accomplished and Dr. Casey A. Wood will always be remembered as the origina- tor and builder of the library whose contents are catalogued in the present volume.—J.H.F. EXCURSIONS OF The Ottawa Pield-Naturalists’ Club, 1932 Do not collect any specimens except for scientific purposes. It is the aim of the Club to foster the study of all branches of natural history on these excursions. On every occasion, groups will be formed to study botany, birds, insect life, geology, minerals, pond life, general zoology, etc. At the commencement of the excursion, particular items of interest peculiar to the locality will be explained, so that members and visitors will have an opportunity of devoting special attention to particular subjects when desirous of doing so alternatively to general natural history. Leaders will be provided for as many groups as occasion demands. MAY 7—McKay Lake and vicinity. Take Rockcliffe O.H.R. car, and meet at terminus at 3 p.m. LEADERS—Dr. E. M. Kindle, Mr. Hoyes Lloyd and others. MAY 14—Britannia-on-the-Bay: Meet at the O.E.R. terminus at Britannia at 3 p.m. LEADERS—Mr. Herbert Groh, Miss M. E. Cowan and others. MAY 21—Fairy Lake vicinity. Take Hull Electric Railway car at Chateau Laurier for Wrightville at 2.30 p.m. LEADERS—Dr. Ralph De Lury, Mr. C. E. Johnson and others. MAY 28—Val Tetreau. Take Hull Electric Railway car at Chateau Laurier at 2.30 p.m. for Val Tetreau, and meet at Monument, bottom of Main Street. LEADERS—Dr. F. J. Alcock, Mr. G. A. Miller and others. JUNE 4—National Museum of Canada. Meet at entrance at 3 p.m. By invitation of the Director, Dr. W. H. Collins. JUNE 11—Dominion Experimental Farm. By invitation of the Director, Dr. E. 8. Archi- bald. Meet by the Observatory, Carling Ave. entrance, at 3 p.m. OTHER EXCURSIONS WILL BE ANNOUNCED LATER F. J. FRASER, Convener Phone—Office, Q. 2742, Local 8 NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF ce MANITOBA ae 1929-30 te “President Emeritus: J. J. GOLDEN; Honorary President: NoR- ‘MAN CRIDDLE; » — ee H. es SPEECHLY, uae V: W. JACKSON M. NG J. GOLDEN, C. W. LowE M.Sc., J. B. _ WALLIs, M.A., A. re ‘McCousrey, A. M. Davison, Se ¥! Vice-Presidents: G. SHIRLY Brooks, A. G. LAWRENCE, H. C. _ PEaRcE, C. L. BRoLEY, B. W. CARTWRIGHT, W. H. RAND, _ President: R. A. WARDLE, M. Sc.; General Secretary: Mrs. LL. R. Smveson; Treasurer: N. Lowe; Executive Secretary: fo) SoH. BENNETT; Librarian: R. M. THOMAS. Meetings are held each Monday evening, except on holidays rom October to April, in the physics theatre of the University, Winnipeg. Field excursions are held each Saturday after- oon during May, June and Repteurmex, and on aoe holidays during July and August. _ THE HAMILTON BIRD PROTECTION SOCIETY Eee (Incorporated) Hon, President: W. E. SAUNDERS, London, Ont.; President: _ Rev. CALviIn McQugEsTon; Vice-President: R. OwENMERrRI- MAN, M.A., Kingston, Ont.; First Hache aul Dr. H. G ARNOTT; Second Vice-President: Mrs. ‘Recording Secretary: J. ROLAND BROWN; Fae Miss Nina Duncan; Assistant Secretary-Treasurer: Miss E McEWwIn; Junior Commitice: Miss M. E. GRAHAM; Pro- - game Committee: Rev. C. A. HEAVEN; Extension Committee: H.C. NUNN, . \ _McILWRAITH ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB, LONDON, ONT. * President: Mr. EDISON MATTHEWS, 25 Wyatt Street, London, _ Ont.; Vice-President: Mr. E. D. BRAND, 148 William Street, - Duchess Av ., London, Ont.; Corresponding Secretary and Treasurer: Mr. W. G. GIRLING, 530 English St., London, ~ Ont. Migration Secretary: Mr. E. M. S. DALE, 297 Hyman Street, London, Ont.; Members qualified to answer questions: WwW. E. SAUNDERS, 240 Central Avenue, London, Ont.; _ C. G. Watson, 201 Ridout Street South, London, Ont.; _ J. F. CALVERT, 461 Tecumseh Avenue, London, Ont.; E.M. s. _ DALE, 297 Hyman Street, London, Ont. _ = Meetings held the second Monday of the month, except I during the summer. _ VANCOUVER Sonat HISTORY SOCIETY a: Epaorary President. L.S. Kiinckx, LL.D., Preadent: Univer- _ sity of B.C.; President: JoHN DAVIDSON, Tee F.B.S.E., ~ University of B. C.; Vice-President: Pror. M. Y. WILLIAMS, _ Honorary Secretary: C. F. Connor, M.A., 3529 W. 2nd _ Avenue, Vancouver, B.C.; First Assistant Secretary: Muss Betty Herp; 2nd Assistant Pee Mr. VERNON WIE- -DRICK; Honorary Treasurer: A.. H. BAIN, 2142 Collingwood ‘Street, Vancouver, B.C.; Librarian: Mrs. McCrimmon; 2B Members of Executive: Miss E. J. SMITH, Sia D. TURNBULL, Mr. B. J. Woop, Mr. P. L. Tart, Mr. R. J - CUMMING; Au- _ditors: H. G. SELWoop, W. B. Woops. — All meetings at 8 p.m., Auditorium, Normal School, 10th vad _ Avenue and Cambie Street, unless otherwise announced. PROTECTION OF BIRDS INC. _ OFFICERS'& COMMITTEE: * Fresident, Mr. ‘W. s. “HART; Vice-Presidents: Mrs. C.F. Tae “e C. JACKSON; Vice-President and Treasurer: MR. Henry Rosen: ‘Secretary: Miss M. SEATH; Curator: Miss Eminy LuKE; Commitiee: Mr. J. W. BUCKLE, DR. I. GEMMELL, Mrs. C. L. ete Mrs.. H. ‘HIBBERT, Miss EDITH ~Morrow, Miss K. D. MALCOURONNE, Miss M. S. NICOLSON, Mr. W. A. OSWALD, Mr. R. A. OUTHET, MR. NAPIER SMITH, Mr. L. Mcl. SPACKMAN, Mr. L. Mcl. TERRILL, Mr. Vic. - WYNNE-EDWARDS. ‘Address all correspondence to the Seetery at P.O. Box 1185, ‘Montreal, P.Q., Canada. E. MAcLoGHLIn; : London, Ont.; Recording Secretary: MR. VERNON FRANKS, 195 PROVINCE | OF QUEBEC SOCIETY FOR THE . Affiliated Societies SOCIETE PROVANCHER D’HISTOIRE NATURELLE DU CANADA Bureau de direction pour 1931 Patron Honoraire: Son Excellence LE VICONTE WILLINGDON G.C.S.I., G.C.M.G., G.C.1.E., G.B.E., Gouverneur-Général de la Puissance du Canada; Vice-Patron Honoraire: Honorable M. H. G. Carron, Lieutenant-Gouverneur de la Province de . Québec; Bureau de Direction pour 1929: Président: G. STUART ' .AHERN; ler Vice-Président: ADRIEN FALARDEAU, C.R.; 2éme Vice-Président: R. MEREDITH, N.P.; Secrétaire-trésorier: Louts B. LAVoIE; Chef de la section scientifique: Dr. D. A. DERy; Chef de la section de Propagande éducationnelle: W. STUART ATKINSON; Chef de la section de protection: EDGAR ROCHETTE, C.R., M.P.P.; Chef de la section d’information scientifique et pratique: J.-G. CooTE; Directeurs: Dr. J.-E. BERNIER Mayor Jos. Matte, Jos.-S. BLaIs. Secrétaire-trésorier: Louts-B. LAVoIn 38, rue Sherbrooke, Québec. THE TORONTO FIELD-NATURALISTS’ . CLUB OFFICERS FOR 1931-32. Honorary President: PROFESSOR A. P. COLEMAN; President: CoLIn S. FARMER; Hon. Vice-Presidenis: Hon. CHAS. MCCREA, Dr. N. A. PowELL, Mr. J. H. FLEMING; Vice-President: A. M. PATTERSON; Secretary Treasurer: C. G. BRENNAND; Publicity- Secretary: Dr. L. B. JACKES; Executive Commitiee: PROF. E. M. WALKER, Mr. STUART THOMPSON, PROF. J. R. DYMOND Dr. NorMA ForD, MAGISTRATE J. E. JONES, PRoF. T. F. MoILUWRAITH, Mr. FRED IDE, Mr. F. C. Hurst, Mr. RUPERT . Davips, Dr. P. BE. CLARKSON; Commitie on Conservation: J. R. Dymonp; Junior Members’ Representative: TAYLOR STaTTEN; Leaders: Birds—Messrs. S. L. THompson, L. L. SNYDER, J. L. BAILLIE, R. V. Linpsay, J. M. SPems; Mammals ProF./COVENTRY, Msssrs. E. C. Cross, D. A. MacLuticu; Reptiles and Amphibians—Messrs. E. B. S. LoGier, WM. LERAyY; Fisk—Pror. J. R. Dymonp, Pror. W. J. K. HARK- NESS; Insecis—PROF. E. M. WALKER, Dr. NORMA ForD Mr. F. P. IpE; Botany—PrRoF. R. B. THOMSON, Pror. H. B. Sirton, Dr. G. WRIGHT, MR. W. R. WATSON, MR. OWENS Dr. T. TAYLOR; ee A. McLean. ps DN eee ———EOE—eEeEEEEEEEEEEEE——EEE————EeEEEeEeEeE————E——eeEeEeEeEeEeEeEEEE We would ask the Officers; and more particularly the Secretaries, of all the Affiliated Societies to assist us in our task of building up the circulation of this magazine. By securing every member as a subscriber we can truly make this magazine’into one of the leading Natural History publications of America. Card Filing Systems for Naturalists As makers of the Library Bureau line of Card Filing Devices in Canada, we are | in a position to supply all Naturalists with cards and trays where they can read- ily index all their observa- tions and ore Lowe -Martin Ltd. OTTAWA, CANADA Printers ef The Canadian Field-Natur alist Publishers of the Autobiography of John Macoun, M.A THIS SPACE FOR SALE Kindly mention The Canadian Field-Naturalist to advertisers THE ped _INSECT BOX 1. Pest-proof eed 2. Wooden Frame —s_> be ae 3 High shoulder, = : protecting specimens — ee 4. Excellent pinning bottom 5. High quality box at low cost 2 PRICE $1.25 EACH SPECIAL RATES IN QUANTITY + ee + Sie + “hetiets and Designers BLUEPRINTERS _ ENGRAVERS e COMMERCIAL _ ce PHOTOGRAPHERS ee :PHOTO LHe chee oe Wiris FF Vw iV 3S; AS VOL. XLVI, No. 5 MAY, .1932 bP LMI SLOPES ISSUED MAY 2nd, 1932. Entered at the Ottawa Post Office as second-class matter THE OTTAWA FIELD-NATURALISTS’ awe ‘Patrons: fs THEIR EXCELLENCIES THE GOVERNOR GENERAL AND COUNTESS oy BESSBOROUGE gaa ae M. STERNBERG, 17 een eee Otiaee: 1st Vice-President: Mj, Tine and Vice-President: HERBERT GR n4 Secretary: Miss Gnade S. LEWIS, ate ee Be = Treasurer; WILMOT LuoyD, 582 Mariposa Ave., ene yd UE ee Shh ey. Rockcliffe ‘Par Additional M ae ay Councils F J. Atcock, R. M. ANDERSON, Miss M. EB. CowAn, Nees. HL CRAWFORD, NORMAN CRIDDLE, R. E. DELury, Hess FRASER, ANDREW HALKETT, ie -E. Har D. JENNESS, C. E. JOHNSON, A. G. KINGSTON, E. M. KINDLE, W. H. LANCELEY, A LARocqu DOUGLAS LEECHMAN, HARRISON F. LEwIs, HOvES LLoypD, W. pT Macouwn, M. 0. MALts, MARK G. McCELHINNEY, G. oN MILLER, A. E. PORSILD, G.S. POSTLETHWAITE, E. E. PRINCE, J. ‘DEV ‘ SOPER, P.A. TAVERNER, E. F. & WHITE, W.. J. WINTEMBERG, and Presidents of Affiliated eee Editor: > < _ Doucias LEECHMAN National Museum, Ottawa, Canada. Associate Editors: jy EA eerie JENNESS....... See epee . Anthropology CLYDE L. PATCH..... S..ecee... Herpeto D. MeO. NAMIE oo he a ae Botany ~ R. M. ANDERSON. ...........08 Mamm Bae WATCHEORD set es es see Conchology A. G. HUNTSMAN......... .... Marine Bi ARTHUR GIBSON............-02. Entomology | P. A. TAVERNER....... 4: ¢226 se Onmae Ber J 2 AT COCK 3 ote ers Sin Rr Caag iae Geology — E. M.KINDLE Bees ones a cae -Palwont CONTENTS » Two New Theropod Dio from the Belly River Formation of Alberta. By C.M. Be Some 1930 Notes from London,-Ontario. By E.M.8. Dale............,..... PAR 8 ! The Saving of Vanishing Data. By Ralph T. King............ PEAY eels Daa ee es i - Change of Name of a Fossil Brachiopod. By C. H. Burgess...................-.--0-ee eee < * Contributions to the Knowledge of Extreme North-Eastern Labrador. By Bernhard Hantasch f Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club Excursions, 1932..................-.+-.. plates ie ea Announcement. eo eles et he) a tes a ee CP ieee Members of the Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club and Subscribers to The Canadian Field-Natur— 2 alist; May? T9320 Ni es Sree cic Eg ate On ope ass S85 45 occ ° Bee EC The oficial publications of THE OTTAWA reGED ON ATURALIOTS® ‘Cus have been issued # since 1879. The first were The Transactions of the Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club, 1879-1886, two volumes; the next, The Ottawa Naturalist, 1886-1919, thirty-two volumes; ‘and these have | been continued by The Canadian Field-Naturalist to date. The Canadian Field-Naturalist is : issued monthly, except for the months of June, J uly and August. Its scope is the publication of the results of original research in all depaprccuts of Natural ELSON: net SEEPS ai a Price of this volume (9 n um bers) $2.00; Single pets 25¢ each The Membership Committee of The Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club is making a Be efor increase the subscription list of The Canadian Field-Naturalist. We are, therefore, asking every read who is truly interested in the wild life of our country to help this magazine to its rightful place among the leading Natural History publications in America. Subscriptions ($2.00 a year) should be forwarded to WILMOT LLOYD, | er: Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club, ie 582 Mariposa Ave. a Rockeliffe Park, eS CANABAS The Canadian Field- Naturalist VOL. XLVI OTTAWA, CANADA, MAY, 1932 No. 5 TWO NEW THEROPOD DINOSAURS FROM THE BELLY RIVER FORMA- TION QF ALBERTA* By C. M. STERNBERG, BSERVANT collectors and students of iO) vertebrate paleontology, who have stu- en died the Belly River and Edmonton met faunas fully realize that, in spite of the many fine dinosaurian specimens which have been collected from these beds in recent years, many forms are still imperfectly known. Per- haps the light-limbed theropods are among the least known of these dinosaurs. Three genera of light-limbed theropods have been described from the Belly River formation of Alberta but only one, Struthiomimus, is represented by a consid- erable part of the skeleton. The scarcity of fossilized remains of these forms may be due partly to the frailness of the bones and in part to a possible upland habitat. As these beds are essentially delta and flood-plain deposits complete skeletons of the animals, which lived back from the streams or far away from the deltas, would seldom be buried intact. In view of the scarcity of such remains it was with great ‘satisfaction that, during the field season of 1928, the writer discovered, in the Belly River forma- ' tion of Alberta, two distinct, undescribed, forms of light-limbed theropods. CLASSIFICATION AND DISCUSSION Vertebrate paleontologists do not fully agree on the classification of the Theropoda. Gilmore! and Nopcsa? refer the deinodonts to the Megalo- sauride whereas Matthew and Brown? and Huene! regard them as more nearly related to the Ornithomimid#. Gilmore and Matthew and Brown refer Ornithomimus and Celurus to distinct families, the Ornithomimide and Cceluride while Nopcsa refers both to the family Compsognathi- dz. For the purpose of this paper the deino- _donts, ornithomimids and ccelurids are regarded as representing distinct families all of which are somewhat closely related. * Published by permission of the Director of the Geological Survey of Canada. 1 Gilmore, C. W., Bull. 110, U.S. Nat. Mus. 1920. p..116. 2 Nopesa, Baron F., The Genera of Reptiles, Palzeobiologica, Band 1, 1927, p. 113. 3 Matthew, W. D., and Brown, B., Bull. AAM.N.H. New York, Vol. 46, Art. VI. 1922. 4 Huene, F. von, Revista des. Museo de Ia Plata, Toma 29, 1926, pp. 90-107. Geological Survey, Canada Gilmore regards Ornitholestes as a synonym of Celurus (loc. cit., p. 127) and Matthew and Brown state that there can be no doubt that they are closely related and “that the characters of the ccelurid group can therefore be defined from Ornitholestes’. For the ‘present however the generic name Ornitholestes will be retained. One of the specimens about to be described (Cat. No. 8538) is referred to the Ornithomimide and the other (Cat. No. 8539) to the Cceluride. Some of the outstanding differences between the Ornithomimide and the Cceluride, as shown in the feet, are as follows. In the Ornithomimide the metacarpals are of subequal length and their distal ends are rounded. Metatarsals II and IV are long, slender and ‘subequal in length whereas III is longer and much broader at the distal end but the shaft is greatly reduced proxi- mally and almost, or quite, pinched out between the enlarged proximal ends of II and: IV. In the Cceluride the metacarpals are of unequal length, slender, have deeply grooved, ginglymoid distal facets and metatarsal III is not reduced proximally. In the Deinodontide the median metatarsal is reduced proximally as in the Orni- thomimide whereas the metacarpals, though proportionately very different, resemble the Cceluride in being of unequal length and having deeply grooved distal facets. It is most likely, as suggested by Matthew and Brown, that these’ three families were derived from a common ancestor. 3 Osborn states that the known Ornithomimide are confined to the Upper Cretaceous® but von Huene (loc. cit. p. 98) is inclined to the opinion that they had a much longer range. The Ornithomimide are represented in the Belly River rocks by Struthiomimus altus (Lambe) and S. samueli Parks. A very fine skeleton of S. altus, in which most of the important parts of the skeleton are shown, was described by Osborn in 1916 (loc. cit.). The only representa- tives of the Cceluride to be thus far reported 5 Osborn H. F., Bull. A.M.N.H. New York Vol. 35, 1916, p. 738. 100 from the Belly River formation%were described by Gilmore under the name Chirostenotes pergra- cilis 6, A third adequate type of small theropodus dinosaur, from the Belly River formation, was described by Matthew and Brown’ as Dromzxo- saurus albertensis and placed in a distinct sub- family, the Dromzosaurine which was provi- sionally referred to the Deinodontide. This species was based on a considerable portion of the skull with teeth and some foot bones. Unfor- tunately none of the skull or teeth is preserved with the specimens here described and the foot bones, preserved with the type of Dromzosaurus, have been temporarily misplaced so they are not available for comparison but, as will be shown later, neither of the specimens, here described, can be referred to that genus. There are disar- ticulated phalanges, in the Geological Survey collections, which are quite unlike those of either of the new species under consideration but which may pertain to Dromzosaurus. In 1865 Leidy described a light-limbed thero- pod’ from the greensands of New Jersey as Celosaurus antiquus. The types are (1) a com- plete tibia and (2) portions of tibia and metatarsal and ‘phalanges. Matthew and Brown state that “It would appear that this genus is closely allied to Struthiomimus Osborn, and Ornithomimus Marsh, and perhaps identical with one or both”. (loc. cit. p. 874). The external face of the distal end of the tibia of specimen No. 8538 has a moderately broad flat surface whereas Leidy’s illustration shows the external edge of the distal end of the tibia of C. antiquus as making an acute angle. The phalanges of Leidy’s second specimen are proportionately shorter than those of No. 8538. As the second specimen about to be described is a coelurid there is little chance of its being congeneric with C. antiquus. In 1924 Osborn described three new genera of small theropods from beds of Lower Cretaceous age in Mongolia’. It is very fortunate that in each of these types a fine skull, jaws and foot bones are preserved. Aside from the great geo- graphical difference and the difference in age between the Mongolian beds from which Osborn’s types were collected and the Belly River beds in Alberta, it seems clear that the Alberta specimens are quite distinct from those from Mongolia. The two phalanges figured by Osborn as part of the type of Velociraptor mongoliensis appear to be very much like homologous bones of Chiro- 6 Bull. No. 38, Geol. Surv. of Can. 1924. pp. 1-12, pl. 1. 7 Bull. A.M.N.H., Vol. 46, 1922, pp. 383-5. 8 Leidy J., Smith. Contr. to Knowl. Vol. 14, p. 100, Pls. 3, Fig. 3 and 17, Figs. 6-11; 1865. Noni Osborn, H. F., Amer. Mus. Novitates No. 144. Nov. THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST [VoL. XLVI stenotes pergracilis. The association, in Veloci- - raptor, of very narrow, slender, penultimate phalanx and very narrow, strongly decurved ungual with the long slender dentary shows that Gilmore was probably correct in referring the long slender Belly River dentaries to Chirostenotes. Velociraptor appears to be more nearly like Chirostenotes than either of the genera here described and might well be regarded as ancestral to Chirostenotes. Osborn’s second type Saurornithoides mon- goliensis is quite different from either of the specimens here described.as shown by comparison of the hind feet, the phalanges of which are much shorter than in No. 8538 and of very different proportions from those of No. 8539. The third Mongolian specimen described by Osborn, as Oviraptor philoceratops, appears also to be quite distinct from the Belly River forms. The very peculiar modification of the skull at once removes it from the Coeluride and the manus is so different from that of Struthiomimus that there is little probability of specimen No. 8538, which is an ornithomimid form, being congenerie with Ovi- raptor. Though Osborn refers Oviraptor to the Ornithomimide he points out that the extremely elongate second digit is analogous to that of Ornitholestes and of Chirostenotes rather than to that of the more symmetrical digits of Struthi- omimus. Macrophalangia canadensis, gen. et sp. nov. Plate I, Fig. 1. Type: No. 8538, Geological Survey of Canada, consists of the distal extremity of the right tibia with part of the astragalus, two incompletely preserved distal tarsals, and a complete right hind foot except part of the proximal halves of metatarsals III and IV. Locality and horizon. South end of deep cut on C.N.R. grade about 2 miles south-west of the mouth of Berry Creek (Steveville), Red Deer River, Alberta: about 100 feet below top of Belly River formation, Upper Cretaceous. Characters. External edge of distal end of tibia moderately broad and flat; pes long and slender; Mt. III reduced in proximal portion but visible from front view; Mt. I developed distally; Mt. V represented by small proximal splint; phalanges long and slender; digits II, III and IV about equal, in length, to corresponding meta- tarsals; unguals long, pointed, narrow superiorly and decurved. The external edge of the distal end of the tibia of No. 8538 is of moderate breadth and flat or slightly concave. This flat surface is 15 mm. broad and at right angles to the longer axis of the May, 1932] distal end of the bone except at the posterior angle of the extremity where it rises to the somewhat enlarged ex- ternal condyle. The breadth of this face is more than half the greatest fore and aft diameter of the distal end of the bone. Except for the great difference in size the astragalus seems to more nearly resemble that element in Gorgosaurus than in Struthiomimus. Much of the ascending process is missing so its height can not be given. The extreme proximal ends of all the metatarsals are preserved, except the anterior face of IV. All the elements of the foot were naturally articulated and beautifully preserved. Digit No. IV was partly folded under No. III and some of the phalanges had suffered slight crushing but these have been restored. This digit was moved slightly but the rest of the bones are preserved as found. Plate I, Figure 1, in which the restoration of the proximal ends of Mts. III and IV is shown in lighter colour, gives a very good idea of the foot except for metatarsal V which is completely hidden from view by the restoration of metatarsal IV. The proximal end of metatarsal IIT is preserved and shows as a small, laterally compressed, tip very similar to the homologous portion of this bone in Séruthiomimus altus except that it was visible from the front view. The tip is preserved for 20 mm. but the rest of the upper three- fifths of this bone was destroyed by erosion. The preserved portions, however, show’ conclusively that the median metatarsal was reduced in its proximal portion, trigonal, and the inferior sides were appressed to the lateral metatarsals. The meta- tarsals are long and slender and the phalanges are very long. While this genus is clearly distinct from Struthi- omimus and Ornithomimus, as shown by the presence of digit I, the greatly elongated pha- langes and the decurved unguals, it would appear to be referable to the family Ornithomimide. Of course there is the possibility of its falling within the subfamily Dromzosuarine but this is not considered probable because, if the foot bones, preserved with the type of Dromzosaurus, pertain to the pes they appear to be totally different THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 101 PLATE No. I FIGURE 2. FIGURE 1. FicuRE 1.—Macrophalangia canadensis, Type No. 8588, Geological Survey, Canada. FIGURE 2.—Stenonychosaurus inequalis, Typ Geological Survey, Canada. A natural size. e No. 8589, Slightly less shes yy natural size. from those of Macrophalangia canadensis. On the other hand if they pertain to the manus, as believed by Matthew: and Brown, they would appear to be very different from what one would expect in an animal with such long slender digits, in the hind foot, as are seen in M. canadensis. No figure of these foot bones was published but their description by Matthew and Brown and their further discussion by Gilmore (loc. cit. pp. 3-4) seems to show clearly that they pertain to an animal which was structurally very unlike that here described. The most outstanding feature of the pes of Macrophalangia canadensis (Plate I, Figure 1) is the long slender phalanges, to which the 102 generic name alludes. The phalangeal formula is the same as that of Struthiomimus except for the presence of digit I but in M. canadensis the pha- langes are all much longer, more slender, and the unguals are more compressed laterally, and curved. Digits II and IV are subequal in length and all three are of approximately the same length as their respective metatarsals. In Struthiomimus the metatarsals are about twice as long as the corresponding digit. Digit IV, of M. canadensis is slightly longer than II while the reverse is true in Struthiomimus altus. The foot is not a highly developed cursorial type as seen in Struthiomimus nor would it appear to have the same grasping power as in the other species about to be de- cribed (No. 8539). Metatarsals II, III and IV differ from those of Struthiomimus in that they are less elon- gated and number III is not so broadly ex- panded in its distal portion or so much reduced in the proximal half and is visible throughout from the anterior view. As in the deinodonts and ceelurids, only the distal portion of metatarsal I was developed. As shown by its position in the rock, it was attached to the lower half of meta- tarsal II. Metatarsal V is preserved proximally as a small round splint about 60 mm. in length. It is not visible from the anterior view. All of the phalanges are long and slender and the distal facets are moderately grooved, the superior surfaces of the distal ends are laterally compressed and the unguals are narrower above than below. The unguals are moderately high, long, sharply pointed and slightly curved. They are narrower inferiorly than those of Struthiomimus but broader than those of specimen No. 8539. All of the unguals have well defined lateral grooves. These grooves are quite narrow and deep in the distal portion but as they proceed backward they become shallower and broader and finally ter- minate before reaching the infero-proximal angle. The tips of the unguals were so frail and so badly cracked that it was not possible to save them. The measurements given for these bones are, there- fore, the estimated lengths. MEASUREMENTS OF PES Width of three metatarsals proximally.. 56 mm. Width of three metatarsals distally.... 70 mm. Width wotamietacansaly WSs sen eran 35 mm Ierovent ay Oat, IMU, TUL AS Ss Bote lobe & oie oto. 205 mm. Mea) ns Vises eam ET Me Your ee oat, Mn A CORR Oe 230 mm. pap OL atta Eth, 4 NYE Ua dE Re NL Ee 212 mm. tie MATUICULATCGNCITG Ls) huey een. 100 mm. ee yy (ET ie “Ia Wl De Wk Peel 190 mm. Saran tg rg PMA Uhr oh 220 mm. ni bee oy sii anl DANN Patsati a le 200 mm. ih phalanx Onaionte len ite ne 58 mm Tur CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST [VoL. XLVI Length of phalanx 1 of digit II......... 738 mm Ser nat mB aA atk Ul GM Bk 3) 63 mm eehen “ 3 (ungual) of digit II abouts pee 60 mm SS ee tel of digit pil ee '... 75mm Peenae SE EE SE Te ees eee eo nee vet ak TY Bye Bele aT eae 58 mm Pe kicg “4 (ungual) of digit III abouts 60 mm rae Rot digit [Viera 59 mm Greatest height of ungual of digit II and TIT 2 goa, Soe Pe 23 mm Greatest breadth of ungual of digit II and WE) Geom s=y CEL Pn er er nalic ne . 16 mm. Stenonychosaurus inequalis gen. et sp. nov. Plate I, Fig. 2; Plates II and III Type: No. 8539, Geological Survey of Canada, consists of distal end of tibia with astragalus; complete left hind foot ; left metacarpal I; distal end of (?) Me. II; distal ends of three phalanges of the manus and six more or less complete caudal vertebrae. . Locality and Horizon: N.W. 14 Sec. 21, T. 21, R. 12, W. of 4th principal meridian, about 214% miles south-west of the mouth of Berry Creek (Steveville), Red Deer River, Alberta. About 160 feet below the top of Belly River formation, Upper Cretaceous. It is quite evident that the greater part of the skeleton was buried intact as shown by the presence of fragments of different parts, but all but the left hind foot and the distal end of the tibia, with astragalus, had weathered out before discovery. The foot lay prone and was com- pletely exposed and badly weathered on the upper surface but, except for the unguals of digits II and III, the elements were all naturally articulated. Plaster of Paris was mixed with water and poured over the foot. This kept all the bones in position and, when set, took the place of the rock. The specimen was then pre- pared from the other side and thus nothing was disturbed or lost and most of the important de- tails were preserved. Most of the phalanges of digit IV were split longitudinally and there is a possibility that in mending these the proximal two may have been slightly broadened. Plate I, Fig. 2, shows the specimen very well, as it was found and is preserved, and Plate III is a drawing, in perspective, made by Mr. A. Miles. It is drawn at about three-quarter side view and gives a very good idea of the peculiarly specialized digit II. Stenonychosaurus “inequalis falls within the family Cceluridze as shown by the slender propor- tions; the short, stout, divergent Mc. I with deeply grooved, ginglymoid, distal facet; the May, 1932] - long slender manus and the non-reduction, proxi- mally, of Mt. III. Characters. Slender proportions; bones of feet hollow but not extremely thin walled; Mc. I very short, strongly divergent distally, with deeply grooved ginglymoid distal facet; phalanges of ‘manus elongate; Mt. III not reduced proximally; Mts. I and V present; Digit I short, Digit II much shorter than III or IV and peculiarly spe- cialized; distal ends of penultimate phalanges deeply grooved; ungual of Digit II very large; unguals high proximally, laterally compressed and strongly decurved; distal caudal centra not hollow, but long and slender, inferior surface longitudinally grooved; articular faces of caudals amphiplatyan. Stenonychosaurus appears to most nearly re- semble Ornitholestes though there is no doubt as to its generic distinction as shown by the much greater size; thicker bone wall; unequal length of the digits of pes; compressed ungual phalanges of the pes and amphiplatyan caudal centra. FRONT FOOT Metacarpal I (Pl. II, fig. 1) resembles that of Ornitholestes hermani as figured by Osborn!?. It was closely appressed to Me. II throughout most of its length but the distal facet was- strongly divergent The main shaft of the bone is roughly triangular in cross section with the apex directed outward. The distal end is enlarged and has a deeply grooved’ ginglymoid facet. This metacarpal dif- fers from Me. I of Chirostenotes pergracilis in being much short- er and stouter, having a more _ greatly enlarged and more divergent distal. end and a thicker bone wall. The distal ends of three phalanges and one (?) meta- carpal are preserved and indi- cate a long slender manus. One of these is larger than the others and moredeeply grooved. It probably represents the distal extremity of Mc. II. It is possible that digit III was reduced as in Ornitholestes and Chirostenotes and that no parts of it are preserved with the specimen but there are no very slender phalanges present. 10 Osborn, H. F. Skeletal Adapta- tions of Ornitholestes, Struthiomimus, Tyranosaurus. Bull. A. M. N. H., Vol. 35, 1916, Fig. 3.B. THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST FIGURE 1.—Metacarpal I. FIGURE 2.—Phalanx of manus. FIGURE 3.—Distal end of phalanx of manus. FIGURE 4.—Distal caudal centrum. FIGURE 5.—Distal caudal centrum. Inferior view. FIGURE 6.—End view of distal caudal centrum. 103 The most complete of these phalangial fragments (Pl. II, Fig. 2) resembles phalanx 2 of digit II of Chirsotenotes pergracilis but is slightly larger and has a much thicker bone wall. It probably was fully as long as in Chirsotenotes. The distal facet is not so deeply grooved as in the metacarpal but the articulating surface extends well down and back as in Chirostenotes ,and suggests considerable grasping power. Fig. 3 of Pl. II shows the distal end of another phalanx which may represent No. 1 of digit II. Asin No. 2 of this digit, it is not as deeply grooved as the metacarpal. The arti- culating surface extends farther back on the superior face but not so far inferiorly. It is slight- ly broader than No. 2 but considerably narrower than what is regarded as Me. II. It is possible that, when more is known of this genus and of Chirostenotes, they may prove to be congeneric but this is not considered probable because the great difference in Me. I, and the thickness of the bone wall of the phalanges of the manus, would suggest a very different manus in the two genera and probably when more homo- logous parts are discovered they will show many other differences. HIND Foot The distal end of the tibia is of somewhat lighter PLATE No. II Stenonychosaurus inequalis, Type No. 8539, Geological Survey, Natural size. Superior view. Side view. Canada. Side view. 104 construction than in Sitruthiomi- mus and the bone wall is slightly thinner. The as- tragalus has a well de- veloped ascending process which extends up the anterior face of the tibia as far as the bone is preserved. The as- tragalus is quite large, as in Struthio- mimus but is so thoroughly united with the distal end of the tibia that no more details can be given. ior view. Natural size. Five metatarsals are preserved but, as in most Upper Jurassic and Cretaceous Theropoda, No.1 is represented by only the distal portion of the bone and No. V by a proximal splint. The most outstanding characters of the pes are the inequality in length of the three functional digits, the pecu- liar specialization of the second digit and the lateral compression of the ungual phalanges to which the generic name alludes. Comparison of the hind feet, would suggest that Stenonychosaurus inequalis was about twice as large as Ornitholestes hermani. Osborn! gives a length of 117 mm. for metatarsal III of Orni- 11 Osborn, H. F. Bull. A,M.N.H., Vol. 35, p. 737, 1916. THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST B—Ungual of digit II, super- [VoL. XLVI tholestes whereas that element in S. inequalis has a length of 250 mm. The relative length of digit III when compared with metatarsal III is con- siderably shorter than shown by Osborn for Ornitholestes. It is also proportionately shorter than in Macrophalangia canadensis but is longer than in Struthiomimus. In outlining the charac- ters of the Coeluride, Matthew and Brown state the unguals of the pes are not compressed but in Stenonychosaurus they are strongly compressed for unguals of the hind feet. These unguals are very unlike those usually seen in the hind feet of theropodus dinosaurs. Had they been found dissociated they would doubtless have been regarded as pertaining to the manus as was done by Lambe, who figured and described similar bones as pertaining to the manus of Ornithomimus altus!2, These are all laterally compressed and strongly decurved. All three functional unguals have lost the tip in this specimen but these have been restored in the drawing. The lateral com- pression is a- bout the same throughout the depth of the unguals thus differing from M acrophalan- gia, Struthiomi- mus and Gorgo- saurus in all of which the un- guals are much broader at the PLATE III base. The later- A—Stenonychosaurus inequalis. 1 grooves are Restoration drawing from very shallow about 34 side view. — d and run from 1% natural size. the inferoproxi- mal angle to the tip. The distal facets of the penultimate phalanges are deeply grooved but in the other phalanges of digits III and IV the distal facets are gently concave laterally. The foot was not of a strongly developed cursorial type but must have had considerable grasping power. Metatarsal I is quite small. There is no sign of a facet.on Mt. II for its attachment but it is probable that it is not much displaced in the specimen and that in life it occupied a position on the postero-external side of Mt. II as in the 12 Osborn and Lambe. Cont. to Can. Pal., Vol. 3, Pt. II, 1902. Pl. 14, Fig. 10-11. Lambe, L. M. The Grasping Power of the Manus of ‘Ornithomimus altus. The Ottawa Natuai si, Vol. 18, oN. 2, 1904. May, 1932] Deinodontidez. When compared with Macropha- langia the first phalanx of digit I is very short and stout. The ungual is of moderate size slightly curved and laterally compressed. Metatarsal II is much shorter than Mt. III or IV. It is only 210 mm. long whereas III is 250’mm. and IV 240 mm. in length. Phalanx 1 of digit II is of moderate length, the distal end has a deeply grooved facet and is slightly rotated outward. As a result of the great development, well up on the anterior face, of the distal articu- lating facet the anterior face of this phalanx is concave. In the walking position this bone must have been almost perpendicular for when arti- culated it extended only a short distance below the distal end of metatarsal III. Phalanx 2, when naturally articulated, was almost at right angles to No. 1 and carried all the weight of digit - II, phalanx 1 of this digit scarcely touching the ground. The lower part of the proximal articu- lating surface of phalanx 2 is continued backward as a long lip, making the lower surface of this bone much longer than the upper. This bone is slightly compressed superiorly and the distal end is deeply grooved. Phalanx 3 is much larger than the other unguals, is strongly curved and laterally compressed. Digit II of the pes of this species has been very well illustrated and described by Lambe in The Ottawa Naturalist for May, 1904. Lambe regard- ed his specimen as pertaining to the manus of Ornithomimus (Struthiomimus) altus and described its grasping power. Metatarsal III is the longest bone of the foot. It is not reduced in its proximal portion but is of about the same dimensions as Mts. II and IV except the distal end which is somewhat larger than in the others. The distal end is not as broad as in the Ornithomimide or Deinodontide. Phalanges 1 to 3 of digit III gradually decrease in length and thickness but not to the same extent as in Siruthiomimus. Phalanges 1 and 2 are low and moderately broad and their distal articula- tions resemble those of Struthiomimus. Phalanx 3 is somewhat narrower and the distal facet is deeply grooved. Phalanx 4 resembles the ungual of digit II but is much smaller. The phalanges of digit IV are proportionately longer than in Struthiomimus and shorter than in Macrophalangia. They are moderately broad and low. The ungual is smaller than that of digit III and slightly less curved. MEASUREMENTS OF PES eerie Obe WEG Mie 8 hone fe scone te 85 mm. “ Se Aaah eae DC en eos ee A ar SRR 210 mm. “ ASA oo) Ut Laie eR MeN 2 SP Sy: 250 mm THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 105 MenothioteMity DVC ws. co) ee hes ok 240 mm. ee "digitalis (articulated)s... 45. 125 mm. pe cope a cece): MMe. aes te 190 mm 15 SEX ce VA ema ie 150 mm we ** ungual of digit.... II (tip restored) apOUGaceee 55 mm Height of #8 II proximally... 30mm ae a a III ty 27 mm Greatest thickness of ungual of digit..... Dey So tae eee 12 mm ee - as es eee a poe ee 12 mm CAUDAL VERTEBRAE PIS hie 55.6 Six partly complete distal caudal vertebrae are preserved with the specimen. The centra are long, slender and subrectangular in cross section. None of these vertebrae is hollow and the dense outer portion of the bone is quite thick. When viewed from the side (Pl. II, Fig. 4) the caudal centrum is quite flat-sided and concave below. On the inferior surface a well developed, longi- tudinal trench extends the whole length of the centrum (PI. II, fig. 5). As they proceed forward and the bodies of the centra broaden this trench _ widens but is of about the same depth and the thickness of the side walls does not vary much. This trench or groove is of uniform depth and continues the whole length of the centrum shal- lowing only when the articulating face is reached. The articular ends are square or very slightly high- er than broad. The anterior face is flat and the posterior face is flat or very slightly convex. The neural canal is circular and very small. In none of the vertebrae are the zygapophyses complete but they seem to have been strongly developed, especially the prezygapophyses, and the posterior caudals were probably interlocked by these pro- longations. The main movement in the posterior portion of the tail was probably an up and down movement as the interlocking of the zygapophyses would prevent freedom of action from side to side. The structure of both the front and hind feet of Stenonychosaurus seems to suggest that it should be regarded as a direct descendant of Ornitholestes though the difference in the caudal vertebrae might be against this suggestion. The caudal vertebrae of Ornitholestes are given as amphiccelus while those of Stenonychosaurus, in the distal region at least, are amphiplatyan. More complete specimens of this Belly River form should assist greatly in determining its relationships. 106 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALISI [VoL. XLVI SOME 1930 NOTES FROM LONDON, ONTARIO By E. M. S. DALE URING the year 1930 many interesting records were made by The Mcllwraith Ornithological Club, London, Ont., some of which are of sufficient general interest perhaps, to warrant their publication in The Canadian Field-Naturalist. Some of these oc- curred outside the County of Middlesex, which is the initial field of our endeavour, but all were located in Western Ontario, of which London might, perhaps, be termed the ornithological centre. Several were written up for The Natural- ist before it became apparent that we were to have an epidemic of rare birds in our vicinity in 1930, so that these particular occurrences will be barely mentioned here, reference being made to the previously published account where fuller particulars may be obtained. 'D | Gx gee The first item of importance was finding a pair of Eastern Lark Sparrows (Chondestes grammacus grammacus) nesting half a mile south of Walsing- ham on May 24th. This has already been men- tioned in the columns of The Naturalist (45: 21, 1931), and it will therefore be unnecessary to give details again. While Mr. Calvert was discovering the Lark Sparrow, another party consisting of Mr. Eli Davis and the writer, visited Ipperwash Beach, Lake Huron, over the Victoria Day holiday, and found, in addition to other interesting waders, a flock of 80 Hudsonian Curlews (Phxopus hud- sonicus). Perhaps a rarer find made on this trip was a Cormorant, presumably double-crested, (Phalacrocorax auritus) on the fish nets off shore, just opposite our camp. In 1929 five had been observed there on May 25th and it would appear that this might very well be a regular point of call for migrating Cormorants on the way to their northern breeding grounds. After reading Dr. Harrison F. Lewis’ life history of these birds we may well speculate as to which colony the Ipper- wash birds belong to. Another bird found at Ipperwash was the Prairie Warbler (Dendroica discolor). It was, of course, known to be quite common in that district and therefore caused no particular comment. It was much more interesting, however, to find two singing males not far from Turkey Point on June Ist, as they had not previously been reported from that district, and also to hear one singing near Mt. Brydges on July 13th. The Prairie Warbler is one of the rarer Ontario warblers although in certain districts bordering Lake Huron and Georgian Bay it is locally common during the breeding season. On June 14th and 15th Messrs. W. E. Saunders and T. D. Patterson of London, and Messrs. R. V. Lindsay and F. H. Emery of Toronto, went to Kent County to look for Henslow’s Sparrow (Passerherbulus henslowi), and the Acadian Fly- catcher (Empidonax virescens), the former having been previously found at Jeannette’s Creek and the latter in Rondeau Park. Only one Henslow’s Sparrow was discovered, the field where they lived having been ploughed up and time did not permit a very extended search to learn where they were now located. An Acadian Flycatcher was heard at Rondeau as was to be expected, but the high light of the expedition was the dis- covery of a Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea). These two species, the Acadian and Prothonotary, have been written up for The Naturalist by Mr. W. E. Saunders, 45: 14, 1931 On June 26th Mr. A. A. Wood heard a Dick- cissel (Spiza americana) singing near the Labora- tory at Strathroy. He collected it the following morning, this being the first record for the county of Middlesex since 1895 when there was some- what of a visitation of them in Ontario. The writer spent a couple of weeks in July at the Y.M.C.A. camp at Silver Beach, three or four miles east of Port Bruce and while there found a couple of colonies of Henslow’s Sparrows living in ~ nearby fields, the colonies being about half a mile apart. The larger one must have contained a dozen or more pairs. The birds allowed us to approach within 15 or 20 feet as they sat on weed tops singing their odd and insignificant little song. Henslow’s Sparrows are generally found in wet fields where the grass is long and rank, but although we were told that these fields were usually somewhat wet, the continued drought had caused them to become decidedly dry. The growth consisted of various grasses, asters, golden- rod, mullein, ete. When news of this find was brought back to the city (London), an expedition was organized that others who were interested might see the birds also. We went on July 27th and on this occasion found as well a pair of Dickcissels close by Mr. Russell Glidden’s house, the male singing continually from the tops of the apple trees in the — orchard. Wehad felt sorry to think we had missed seeing in life the one taken by Mr. A. A. Wood at Strathroy, but Dame Fortune was kind and quick to make amends. This district was visited May, 1932] in the succeeding week by Messrs. Lindsay and Emery of Toronto who saw both species, several specimens of Henslow’s Sparrows being taken, while in August Mr. Emery again went down and. succeeded in finding two nests. It is always interesting to add a bird to one’s life list but when this addition is also a new bird for the county, the pleasure is greatly increased. On August 2nd Mr. and Mrs. Eli Davis called for the writer and his wife to go to the country for a picnic supper and escape the city heat. When crossing Komoka bridge we stopped to scan the river and seeing a flock of birds half a mile up-stream that looked like waders, we drove back to hunt them up. All thought of the waders was lost, however, when Mrs. Dale espied a white heron standing in the river. It flew up-stream, turned and flew down-stream, alighting in a tree on the north side. We, that is the male members of the party, waded across but although the bird was too wary to allow as close an approach as we could have desired, we were able to make out quite easily the fact that it had yellowish green legs, the field mark of the juvenile Little Blue Heron (Florida cerulea cerulea). It was seen - again the next day, practically all of the field men of the bird club journeying out to make its ac- quaintance. On August 9th three were seen together on the river below Byron, but the following week when we patrolled the stream from Byron to Delaware to find out how many there actually were (various reports having reach- ed our ears from farmers along the way), we did not succeed in finding any at all, much to our disappointment. During July and August of this same year (1930) White Herons (either Florida czrulea cerulea or Herodia egretta) were also reported from Brussels, Niagara, Port Bruce, Essex, Port Rowan, Galt and West Lorne. Indications are that the Port Bruce bird was an immature Little Blue, while the West Lorne bird was an Egret. The latter was reported to us by Mr. V. Earl Lemon, a correspondent at that place, and members of the London bird club went down to see it on September 2nd and 3rd. In addition to this we had a visit from one at London, a large white bird on a pond a mile south of thecity proving to be-an Egret when we went out on the morning of September 27th to investigate. It was rather a cool morning and the bird was standing by the edge of the water all huddled up. We approached too closely, however, and it at once assumed a much more life-like attitude, finally winging its way across to the other side of the pond. This is the first definite record for this species for Middle- sex county since August 19th, 1882, when an THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 107 immature specimen was shot by Mr. W. E Saunders near Middlemiss. When we added the Little Blue Heron to the county list on August 2nd we did not think that in less than two weeks it would be followed by another new species. On August 15th Mr. C. G. Watson and the writer visited a small but very attractive pool on the 2nd Concession of Westminster, just west of the Wellington Road to see what might be there in the way of waders. Considerable mud had been exposed by the dry weather and there was a small but nicely assorted flock of birds present includ- ing one that we were unable to name. We finally decided it was a Stilt Sandpiper (Micropalama himantopus) but being entirely unfamiliar with that species we noted it very carefully so that we could reach a final decision when we returned home and referred to plates and descriptions. These left no doubt that our surmise had been correct and as the bird was accommodating enough to remain over until the next day others of the bird club were enabled to see it also. It is fortunate indeed that so many other species were present—Lesser Yellowlegs, Killdeer, Solitary Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, ete.—with which to compare it for size and colour, as, had it been alone, it would have no doubt been passed by for a Lesser Yellowlegs, a species which it closely resembles. Later on another was found at a pool a mile south of Denfield, the date being September Ist. On our way to the Bird Club corn roast on September 20th we thought we would drive round by way of the Denfield pool to see what might be there. As we neared it we saw a small sandpiper swimming about that we at once knew was a Phalarope. The next question was to determine which species. It paid no attention to the motor car so we remained in it and made ¢areful notes of the various markings, which on comparison with books and specimens left no doubt that it was a Northern Phalarope (Lobipes lobatus). This was the second record of this bird for the county, the previous one being prior to 1882, when two birds were taken by Mr. Adam Coulter in a pool in the spruce swamp three miles west of London. After completing the identification we journeyed out to the picnic which we nearly ruined when we announced our find. Many left at once for Denfield and were successful in finding the bird. Others went out the next morning, but it was then too late as the Phalarope had moved on during the night. Around London the Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nzxvius nevius) is both rare and irregular. It is sometimes noted in May or 103 June and also occasionally in the late summer or early fall. On August 11th, 1930, an adult was found along the river below Byron, and on sub- sequent visits to the locality two adults and two, if not three, young were seen, strong but not conclusive evidence that they had nested there. If so, itis not greatly to our credit that they remained undiscovered until August 11th, al- though the district, while visited frequently during the winter and early spring, is one that is seldom touched after the first of May when other places are usually more attractive. The other records which follow are perhaps of more local than general interest but we take the liberty of appending a brief note on each here- with. Bald Eagle (Halixetus leucocephalus leucace- phalus). Single birds and pairs, some adults and others immature, were seen during March and April, the largest number benig three, all adult, near Komoka Bridge, March 16th. Whistling Swan (Olor columbianus). For sev- eral years past Swans have been reported on a number of occasions both spring and fall. The spring flight in 1930 occurred April 2nd to 6th. One flock of 150 was observed, also several smaller THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST [VoL. XLVI ones, while a single bird stayed for two days on a pond a mile south of the ctiy. A Duck Hawk (Falco peregrinus anatum) was seen on April 5th near Komoka, the first record for Middlesex county in many years. The Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens virens) is a somewhat iregular visitor, being recorded about once in every two or three years. We got one in 1930 on May 16th in the “Goldenwing”’ woods, the place where visiting Chats are almost invariably found. It remained for several days and was heard and seen by many of the members of the club. Another rare bird for the immediate vicinity of London was the Sanderling (Calidris leucophea) found at the Denfield pool on September Ist. It was, indeed, the first record for the county for the species, although it is common enough in adjacent counties which border Lake Huron or Lake Erie. Being fond of long stretches of open beach it does not find conditions to its liking in Middlesex county which is strictly inland. It will no doubt be some time before we shall again, in one year, add three new birds to the county records and in addition see such an inter- esting list of rare species in our neighbourhood. THE SAVING OF VANISHING DATA* By RALPH T. KING HIS TITLE is admittedly stolen from an article written twenty-eight years ago by Alfred C. Haddon, F.R.S., and pub- lished in Popular Science Monthly, Jan- uary, 1903. Mr. Haddon begins his article with the following statements: “As the business man finds it necessary to go over his stock periodically and to balance his books, so, also, the scientific man, especially the biologist, should perform an analogous operation, lest perchance he finds out too late that he has been entering on a compara- ‘tively non-profitable work, or has been neglecting valuable opportunities. say that any scientific work will be ultimately unprofitable, it is right to point out that parti- cular objects for investigation may be of more immediate importance than others. We can, perhaps, gain a clear view of the question by looking at it from the standpoint of our successors. What will be the opinion of the naturalist of a hundred, or of a thousand years hence of the work now being done? What is the scientific *Published as Paper No. 238 of the Miscellaneous Series of the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station. researches can be pursued at any time. While it is impossible to work he would wish us to have undertaken? ~ This question is not a difficult one to answer.” “He would not consider it very necessary for us to elucidate the structure, development or physiology of every common animal; these The investigation of the life in the oceans—whether on the surface, in shallow water, or in abysmal depths—can be done by him as well as by us. The naturalist of the future will certainly and most justly complain if we busy ourselves entirely with problems that can wait, which he can solve - as well as we, and at the same time neglect that work which we alone can do. Our first and immediate duty is to save for science those data that are vanishing; this should be the watchword of the present day.” If this was true at the beginning of the century, how much more true is it now with the century almost a third gone? This present article is prompted by a know- ledge, gained from experience, of the necessity for securing certain data relative to wild life con- ditions while those data are still obtainable. It is an accepted truth that there can be no real May, 1932] understanding and consequently no logical treat- ment of an abnormal condition until the normal is known and understood. Inasmuch as any deviation from the normal constitutes an ab- normal condition we are justified in assuming that much of our wild life to-day is existing under abnormal conditions. Certainly our manage- ment measures and administrative practices eould be better formulated and applied if we knew more of the normal conditions of existence for the species thus affected. How are we to obtain this knowledge of normal conditions? In the case of some species it is still possible to investigate them under normal natural conditions. Investigations of such spe- cies should be undertaken at once and carried as far as possible before continued industrial and agricultural development modifies or destroys these, as yet, undisturbed environments. There is, however, a considerable number of species that exist now only as they have become more or less adapted to meet the conditions of a changed environment. This group can never be investigated in their original (i.e. normal) habitat. Our only recourse in this case is to procure from every possible source all the data bearing on these species at this earlier time, to compile and eval- uate these data and then draw such conclusions as are warranted relative to their behaviour under normal conditions. The necessity for gathering together and pre- serving these data bearing on past conditions can perhaps be best illustrated by reference to current studies of game cycles. These cycles, or periodic fluctuations in numbers, are conspicuous and important phenomena exhibited by a number of species and occur over a large part of the world. Such fluctuations are commonly referred to as cyclic behaviour. There isn’t complete agree- ment yet as to just what constitutes cyclic be- haviour; some investigators insist that only regular and rhythmic fluctuations are entitled to inclusion under the term, whereas others would include any type of fluctuation no matter how irregular. This, however, is purely a question of definition, and has little bearing on the matter under discussion. Ruffed grouse and snowshoe rabbits exhibit these fluctuations as well or better than any other game species, while cottontail and jack rabbits, pinnated, sharp-tailed and spruce grouse are known to show the same type of behaviour to a marked degree. Both Seton and Hewitt have pointed out the large number of fur and game species either primarily or secondarily affected by these fluctuations in Canada. Elton is now carrying on investigations of these same pheno- THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST’ 109 men in the far north, and Middleton has recently called attention to indications of beginning cyclic behaviour in the introduced American gray squirrel in England. This same behaviour has long been known to characterise lemming and mouse populations in various parts of the world. It is obvious that any investigations of these various species must take into account this marked characteristic of the species’ population behaviour. In fact, it seems that any study of these species might well be built up around what appears to be a most important and fundamental rule of their existence. If this is true the first problem confronting us is one of method. How can we most quickly obtain the greatest amount of knowledge relative to these fluctuations? The question as to what we will do with the information when we have finally compiled it can be postponed for the moment. It is difficult, if not impossible, to plan the use of material before the nature of that material is known. If we are to begin our study of cycles in 1930 and carry it forward, making observations and collecting data only as the future behaviour of the species under investigation permits, we will not be in a position to draw sound conclusions for at least another generation. Cycles in the various species and in different parts of the country vary in length from six to ten or more years. Accepting even the lowest of these figures and carrying out future investigations on that basis it would require a period of thirty years to compile data on five peaks and five depressions. Even though sufficient data could be obtained in this short period it would remove the solution of our problem to 1960. It would seem that any method promising ear- lier solution, or even temporary aid while awaiting — future developments, is well worth trying out. We believe a method involving a collection, compilation and evaluation of data bearing on the past occurrence and behaviour of these species would constitute a most valuable contri- bution to the work in conservation and manage- ment. Mr. P. A. Taverner writing in+ The Canadian Field-Naturalist has said: “Of late, considerable interest has been taken in the periodic fluctuation in numbers of rodents and grouse and I have received several requests for information’on the subject. It is being realized that these cyclic variations are more than local and have a deep bearing upon important economic questions. The data upon past variations are scattered and fragmentary and difficult to gather together for correlation. Much of them are unpublished and exist only in old note-books or 110 in fading memories, unattainable to research students. It would be well if all who can add to the history of such events would publish them. . .” Any study of a given species will require years to collect and record a mass of data regarding that species that will equal in amount and scope the number of observations already made but unrecorded. This is true because, first, few if any species now occur in as large numbers or over as great an area as they did formerly. Con- sequently opportunities for making observations are more limited than formerly. Second, certain species are cyclic, that is, individuals of such species are present in large numbers for one or more years and then for an even longer period they occur in only limited numbers. Work on such species is held up to a considerable extent during these low periods for lack of material to work on. Third, the number of observations made in any one year or short period of years can not possibly equal the number of observations made by all the interested parties for years past. Fourth, various species were formerly present in localities and under conditions where they no longer exist. There are undoubtedly data bear- ing on their occurrence and behaviour in such places and under such conditions which can not now be duplicated. Fifth, there are men, trained woodsmen, with a keen interest in these matters, who claim no scientific training and no knowledge of technical methods whose ability to observe and interpret field conditions are the despair of the technically trained naturalist. If we fail to make use of the vast fund of information stored in the memories of these men through a life-time asso- ciation with the actual conditions we are over- looking one of the very best sources of knowledge and delaying our work accordingly. Incidentally most of this information is not recorded and unless we get it into the literature soon it will be gone forever. In this connection Elton in his book “Animal Ecology” has very aptly said: ‘It should always be remembered that the professional ecologist has to rely, and always will have to rely, for a great many of his data, upon the observations of men like fishermen, game keepers, local naturalists, and in fact, all manner of people who are not professional scientists at all. The life, habits, and distribution of animals are often such difficult things to ascertain and so variable from time to time, that it will always be absolutely essential to use the unique knowledge of men who have been studying animals in one place for a good many years. It is a comparatively simple matter to make a preliminary biological survey and accumulate lists of the animals in different com- THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST [VoL. XLVI munities. This preliminary work requires, of course, great energy and perseverance, and a skilled acquainatnee with the ways of animals; but it is when one penetrates into the more inti- mate problems of animal life, and attempts to construct the food-cycles that the immensity of the task begins to appear and the difficulty of obtaining the right class of data is discovered. It is therefore worth emphazising the vital im- portance of keeping in touch with all practical men who spend much of their lives among wild animals. The writer has learned a far greater number of interesting and invaluable ecological facts about the social organization of animals from gamekeepers and private naturalists, and from the writings of men like W. H. Hudson, than from trained Zoologists. There is something to be said for the view of an anonymous wrtier in Nature, who wrote: “The notion that the truth can be sought in books is still widely prevalent and the present dearth of illiterate men consti- tutes a serious menace to the advancement of knowledge.” The two most frequent criticisms directed to- ward data obtained in this way are, first, it is not scientific, presumably only because the original observers were not professional scientists, and second, it is inaccurate because much of it has existed for years only in the memories of the observers. We do not believe this first criticism is a valid one. Published scientific material is, in final analysis, the results of observation and experience of the various interested individuals. Failure to publish doesn’t necessarily signify lack of scientific value. Most of the men possessing the kind of information we are here considering have had no opportunity or encouragement to publish or even record their observations. Many of them, in fact, have little knowledge of publica- tions and could not prepare an article if they would. This is not an unmitigated evil. The very circumstances that have operated to keep them unaware of the experiences and opinions of others have also insured the preservation of their _ data uninfluenced by hastily constructed hypo- theses and questionable theories based on too little investigation. The writer is prone to believe that most of this criticism comes from those biologists who have had least experience in the field. The laboratory worker has grown accustomed to carrying on his own experiments under controlled conditions and repeating them any number of times. The field worker has quite frequently to make use of experiments inaugurated by some force other than man’s, he seldom has the advantage of con- trols, and he can look for a repetition of his experi- May, 1932] ments only a few times if at all during his lifetime. The same conditions have, however, existed at various times and are frequently repeated in different places. Aren’t we justifiably near the truth in accepting the observations of a thousand observers made at different times in different places in lieu of the laboratory workers’ thousand observations on the one oft-repeated experiment? Every field investigator makes use of informa- tion supplied by local residents as to present conditions. Isn’t information from the same source as to past conditions of equal value? The only valid criticism to be brought against it is that its truth is dependent on the informer’s memory. Men interested in and dependent upon wild life for their livelihood are just as much impressed by the changing status of wild life as are other individuals in other lines of industry when changes affect those industries. In fact, these men concerned with wild life have been, in most cases, so long dependent on their own resources that they have developed memories admirably adapted for storing and recalling the information so necessary in their daily activities. The sources of this information are guides, game wardens, trappers, fishermen, local natural- ists, market hunters of the old days, old settlers, in fact, any ‘‘old timer” who has had any con- nection or interest in wild life. Those individuals of this type who possess the largest fund of worthwhile knowledge are truly “old timers’ with but few years left them at most. In this group are the old market hunters whose know- ledge of the habits and distribution of game enabled them to support themselves and their families. They and their contemporaries knew wild life under very nearly, if not actually, normal conditions. There is little time in which to record their impressions. Few of them will do it of their own accord. Only by a real and conscious effort can we secure and preserve these vanishing data. Individual students of wild life have for a long time been observing facts but in altogether too many instances publishing and discussing opin- ions. It is true that each man is entitled to his CHANGE OF NAME OF A FOSSIL BRACHIOPOD— In a paper entitled “The Kiln Shale Fauna’ (Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Vol. LXXII, No. 5, p. 197, Nov., 1931) I gave the name athabascense to a new species of Leio- rhynchus. THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 111 own opinion, but it is equally true that an opinion formed on the basis of a thousand observations is of more value than one formed on the basis of a single observation. This historical study should attempt to get together all the facts that may prove of value in providing a sound basis for drawing conclusions. Conclusions drawn by different individuals differ in value. Facts, how- ever, are of only two types—complete and in- complete. Even incomplete facts are better than none at all. It doesn’t matter to us at this stage who will draw the conclusions from the collected facts. Every science develops its Darwin, its one great generalizer. Such a man will appear, if he is not already present, among wild life investigators when the time isripe. Our duty is to record these data now before they are gone forever. Our arguments may be summed up as follows: First, there is need for data on past conditions; second, such data are rapidly becoming unavailable and third, only men actually acquainted with field conditions over a considerable period of years in one locality are qualified to give such data. In conclusion I would like to mention one additional point in language paraphrased from Haddon’s article quoted earlier in this paper. In most branches of scientific enquiry, later investigations, owing to more minute study, improved methods, or a new point of view, are apt to eclipse the earlier investigations. This is not the case with research in this field. The earlier the observations the more apt they are to be of greater importance than later ones. Students continually refer to the older books, and they will always do so. From this point of view it is evident that properly qualified investigators should set to work without delay. Every year’s delay means that the work will be so much the less perfect. All who are concerned in field work of this type can have the satisfaction of feeling that students of the future will have to consult their publications, and they have the tremendous responsibility that what they write will have to be accepted as correct as there will be no means in the future of checking it. Dr. E. M. Kindle kindly called to my attention to the fact that he had already used this name for a new species of Leiorhynchus (“Three new Devonic fossils from Alberta’, Pan-American Geologist, Vol.42, No. 3, pp. 217-218, Oct. 1924). I propose to change the name of my species, calling it Leiorhynchus jasperense —C. H. BURGESS. 112 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST [VoL. XLVI “CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF EXTREME NORTH-EASTERN LABRADOR By BERNHARD HANTZSCH TRANSLATED BY M. B. A. ANDERSON ““Beitrige zur Kenntnis des nordéstlichsten Labradors,’’ von Bernhard Hantzsch, Mitteilungen des Vereins fir Erd- kunde zu Dresden. Dresden, Volume 8, 1909, pp. 158-229; Volume 9, 1909, pp. 245-320. (Translated from the original German text in the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C., by M. B. A. Anderson, M.A., Ottawa, 1928.) Original pagination given in the text (Continued from Page 89) The independence of the growing youth thrives with increasing ability. Their age is not reck- oned. In most cases there is an insufficient numerical system. The ambition of the young man is now directed towards owning the neces- sary fishing and hunting gear, a kayak, etc. If his father is still alive and an industrious hunter, this is not too difficult for the son; otherwise he does not get on in the world so easily. If he can at last look after his own support, if he has not too many duties toward his mother and brothers and sisters and is developed physically and men- tally enough, then no special difficulties are put in his way to establish a new household. For a long time he has known all about the few growing girls in the vicinity. At times even the parents and relatives have allotted both parties to each other when children. The capacity of the girls for marriage does not depend upon a certain age, but their physical development and their domestic ability. They flirt with each other in a rather uncouth way [P. 289] and then at last without much ceremony the union is consummated. Until a few years ago the young man had to give the father of the girl rather valuable articles, in order to become a fully authorized married man, that is, a large number of skins, hunting gear, dogs, or other things. This custom, which has now been stopped had as a consequence the fact that fathers who were avaricious or in great poverty occasionally sold their daughters when they were too young. Mrs. Lane in Killinek told me of a case, where a man had acquired a child, about six years old, and she had died as a result of the treatment she had received. Among these people of nature there thus occur unnatural crimes, without a punishing hand to avehge innocence. In this respect, however, the Eskimos are already known. (Compare O. Peschel, Vdélkerkunde, Leipzig, 1885, p. 420.) Asa rule the girls marry at the age of 15-20 years, the men from 17-25 years, but they have often made the more intimate acquaintance of the other sex beforehand. The sensuality of the people is great, and of all the transgressions which the missionaries at the mission stations have to reprove, those against the sixth commandment are by far the most frequent. I shall not enter into any discussion for and against. From an anthropological stand- point the circumstances may of course be defend- ed. In general unguarded young people seem to unite, as soon as desire and capacity become strong enough. Usually there are no conse- quences immediately, and even if there are, they are married sooner or later. Illegitimate children are no disgrace among the heathen, but do not seem to occur frequently, because the girls as a rule soon find a husband. Mothers of 13-14 years, who have not yet attained their own growth, are said to occur once in a while. With their strongly moral viewpoint which, however, is not free of prejudice, the missionaries preach zealously against the immorality of youth. But in the confined life they lead together, the slight feeling of modesty toward each other, with their suscep- tible nature and the lack of idealistic, mental occupations, it is difficult to educate the people to chastity beyond a certain degree. The early motherhood of a girl not yet fully developed is said to cause no disgrace and it is claimed even makes childbirth easier. No edu- cated white man, however, possesses exact know- ledge concerning the love life of the population, the missionaries least of all. He would have to enter completcly into the life of the people, and should not feel above them, in order to study these most intimate relations. In the presence of strangers the people are reserved and decorous toward one another. Only by chance do you obtain infor- mation concerning their relations with one _ another. The contract of marriage ensues as a rule from exterior motives. The division of work between the sexes makes life together a necessity, but it incites each party to a vigorous development of the knowledge and skill required of him. Only a married person has the reputation of being of full value; for a clever, industrious girl soon finds a husband, a valiant hunter and fisherman soon finds a wife. Unmarried older persons are in- competent people, and are looked down upon as such. Spiritual affection between married people does not exist as arule. Here is to be seen the May, 1932] superficiality of the Eskimo character. Unselfish love, unchanging loyalty, are not known. When now and then scenes of jealous rivalry occur among the men, the reason is in sensual passion, especially when there is a shortage of women. The Eskimo is quite reasonable and practical, even animal-like, even if he displays a slight degree of feeling in all other relations of life. This makes it so difficult for the missionaries to exert any lasting influence on soul and will. The female sex does not have a low standing at all, as is the case with so many tropical peoples. Wise old women know how to gain for themselves real independence and high regard in family and community, but young married men are said to be brutal and frequently violent, and to strike their wives oftener than their children. If she has parents or brothers, then she does not permit this to happen too frequently, but some day leaves secretly in order to seek refuge with her relatives. [P. 291]. In such a case she takes perhaps an infant and usually any daughters also, while she leaves the boys with the father. The pair are often soon reconciled. But if a quarrel breaks forth again they separate anew. My somewhat stubborn companion, Paksau, had an independent wife of the same disposition, who was living with her relatives at Auklatsivik at the time of my stay in Killinek. The incompat- ible pair had already separated several times, and had been reconciled again. But this time Paksau showed no inclination of yielding; for when we were at New Plauen and I asked him to sail over to Auklatsivik with me, he refused with grim laughter. He was living in Killinek with his half-sister, who was very kind to him. Since the woman was baptized in Rama as a Christian, the missionary, Mr. Waldmann, would not permit their living together, and threatened to banish Paksau from the station, if he did not fetch back his rightful wife and send away his sister. The people told me that they were all related to one another, and did not always know who was their true father. Exchange of wives and other cus- toms seem to have been the order of the day until recently. For example the housewife is said to have been regularly given to the strange guest and the missionary, Mr. Perrett, told me a story of how one of the wisest of the Killinek men, who could even read a little, told him that he no longer had any desire to give his wife always to the overnight guests. Marriage is as a rule monogamous. With the looseness of the marriage tie this mode of action may be the best, because the individual number of the sexes in general is about the same. Moreover it is difficult for the man to provide more than one wife along with THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 1138 their children with food and clothing, especially as too much work is not popular. It is said there have been industrious hunters, who owned two or even more wives, especially at a time when the first wife aged more quickly than the husband. But after the introduction of the activity of the missions in the district the days of allowed poly-: gamy are numbered. In 1906 only the oldest man in the community had two wives, who [P. 292] because he had become half blind and feeble, had to do more for his support, than he did for theirs. The restraint of Christian moral com- mands may be broken more in secret at present, especially by widowed persons, and persons whose other married half is incapable of sexual inter- course because of illness or other circumstances; the worst consequence of such conduct occur through abortions, purposely caused in order to keep the missionaries in ignorance of these affairs. It can hardly be doubted that the population is approaching its decline more quickly because of the artificially limited intercourse of the sexes. The members of the rather limited relationship usually stay together, and live fairly near each other, even in the same tent or house. They then often use larger possessions not needed for personal use in common, but the oldest man has a sort of deciding voice and chief claim. If, for example, a strange traveller has received services from a group of Eskimos or bought articles from them, then the payment is usually made to the head of the family, who according to his opinion of their worth then pays the other individual men. They also share with one another when hunting and trapping. This proceeding is prac- tical for each person, because the results of the hunt are not always to be depended on even if all cleverness is employed. It incites the activity of efficient people to care zealously for the com- mon good and thereby win prestige among their associates. but indeed at times it promotes lazi- ness and wastefulness on the part of some people, who know, of course, that in the end they will be provided with clothing, food and a dwelling. An awkward and lazy person is of course looked down upon and often is treated badly, but he is not easily allowed to perish entirely. The single family preserves a certain independence in spite of the closely united way of living of the relation- ship. Every married woman cares for her own oil lamp if possible, and prepares the food for her own family. For instance it made quite an impression on me, when I was sitting in the evening with three or four families in the large tent and the wife of the eldest man [P. 293] was the first to light a wood fire perhaps in order to bake a flour cake in the pan. When she had 114 finished with this in ten or fifteen minutes and placed it in a corner of the tent, the second wife began the same work, etc. Worthy married men will also perform such work in place of their wives in case these are busy with their infants or other- wise engaged. In spite of the division of work ‘the men are somewhat experienced in woman’s work, since they have to look after themselves alone on hunting trips, often for a long time. Besides, they still know how to start a fire by the quick turning of a pointed stick of soft wood in the cavity of a piece of hard wood and starting plant-cotton or fine dry moss to burning. Usually though, they use the matches distributed by trade quite generally, of which many are used, especially for the lighting of tobacco pipes. After the joys and work of the day they go to their rest at an indefinite hour in the evening and also not always at the same time. They usually take off all their clothing, and hang it up, if it is damp, or if not damp, use it for a pillow, especially in cramped quarters. As already remarked, the high platform covered with caribou skins, in the back part of the room serves as a bed. The mother takes the infants to her breast; larger children and the father find a narrow place at her side. They cover them- selves with caribou skins, which are in many cases sewed together. So they all sleep peacefully near one another, their heads turned toward the entrance, often so crowded that they can hardly turn round. But this disturbs them little in their peaceful sleep. Larger boys often have a special sleeping place at the side of the living room, perhaps in order that they may not so easily disturb the peace and order of the house. Strange guests are very often accommodated in this way. Taking off all their clothing and covering themselves merely with skins has the consequence that the sleepers may be cold in severe cold weather. Therefore if possible the oil lamp is allowed [P. 294] to burn during the night, and it is the duty of the housewife to wake up occasionally, to reach out towards the lamp which is placed not far from her head, to clean - the moss wick with a small piece of wood or bone lying near and to trim it right and thus contribute light and warmth in the sleeping room. They like the darkness still less than the cold, for which reason only in times of want do they deny themselves the comfort of primitive lighting and heating. If a bear or other creature is lured | thither by the glow of the light, and wishes to pay the inhabitants a visit, then the dogs outside raise a great racket and prevent unwelcome sur- prises. It is plain to be seen, that the air in the inside of the sleeping room, especially ‘in winter, THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST [VoL. XLVI assumes a character that is not inviting to our noses. As long as the people still live in the tent, sufficient ventilation is provided by the wind blowing in from outside. When the tent entrance has been closed loosely, I have seen people lying in sleep half-uncovered, while the wind blew across them and covered them with fine snow dust. This manner of sleeping used mostly by the Killinek people at the present time, looked at from the natural standpoint, has many advan- tages. It makes possible the perspiration of the body, hardens the body through contact with the air, grants the greatest utilization of the cramped sleeping room and in addition affords the advan- tage of mutual warmth in lying close to one another. It has indeed often been proved by Arctic travellers, that sufficient warmth for the body is developed only by lying close beside one another in an unclothed state during severe cold weather without. One may be convinced that the century old customs of the Eskimo population represent the result of experiences suitable for those cold regions. To be sure the Christian missionaries perceive in this manner of spending the night a great temptation to actions, which considered from our rules of conduct are immoral, and therefore try to accustom their members to greater modesty and reserve. As a result I observed in the case of some of the especially “moral”? Eskimos that they [P. 295] did not un- dress at all, but lay down to sleep in all their clothing, a thing which is in no way advisable from a hygienic viewpoint. I thought then of my stay in Iceland, considered as Christian and quite educated, when I had lived repeatedly in peasant houses away from the main road, in which in the evening the family with the servants undressed in the common room, and as many as six persons lay down in the same bed. In both districts, so different as to population, the same reasons may have led to quite similar arrange- ments. If the missionaries were at the same time physicians or naturalists, they would perhaps be of a different opinion about the morality or immorality of the natives. The feeling of em- barrassment towards one another must be dulled, when at times the severe cold of winter makes even the most private functions impossible out- side of the common living room. If illness breaks out in the family the cure is usually left to nature, if there are no white people near at hand whose advice can be asked for. The sick man rests and is hungry, if conditions are such that he has to stay away from his work. It is often very hard for the little children when the mother is not able to put them to bed and care for them at home, but often is compelled to carry May, 1932] them about in her hood evenif very ill. The only child in the community which had been baptized in a Christian manner, a girl of about two years, died in my arms, after its mother had brought it in the severe cold half dead into the mission house. The legs and lower part of the body were cold al- ready, the eyes dim; the last rattling breath showed the condition the child was in clearly encugh. Adult persons, who are lying down in the house, are cared for as well as possible, without anyone troubling himself in particular about them; they act from duty and custom, but far removed from any sentiment. However abundantly they use the more or less suitable remedies from the mission- aries they do not yet understand how to make use of the native products as medicines except in a slight measure. In long and severe illnesses they often try to help by sorcery, a custom which is in- deed on the decline on account of the teachings of the missionaries. I could not learn much con- cerning the methods used since the people were too shy to give any information about it. Persons of both sexes practice such magic, especially old women. Such exciting scenes as are carried on by the sorcerers (Angakok, plural Angakut) of other heathen Eskimo bands for the last six or eight years have apparently not occurred in these districts. Incantation against sickness consists, at present, merely of an endless chanting of monotonous songs and occasionally of theatrical performances on the part of the Angakok. With these some magic objects, such as skulls of animals, bones, amulets, play a part and occasionally direct influences on the body of the sick man, such as massages and movements of the limbs are prac- ticed. Imagination, superstition, and the my- steriousness of the affair, perhaps even direct hypnotic suggestion may now and then influence the course of the sickness favourably. The persons who have a reputation for sorcery are known in part to the whites. The mother of my companion, Paksau, had a reputation as a success- ful healer, but she was reticent and afraid, and I could learn nothing from her. I had only once the opportunity of being present at an incanta- tion which was conducted quietly and carried on as Christianity. One evening I visited the three tents of five married brothers from Ablorilik, intelligent men and instructed in Christianity. While I sat by the fire with six or eight persons, I was called suddenly into the neighbouring tent, where the youngest of the brothers rested on the bed as pale as a corpse. As I then ascertained, he was suffering apparently from cramps of the heart, this time so bad that they feared his death. I did not know anything to do for such a bad case and with lack of any medical knowledge and THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST _ This lasted for about an hour. 115 remedies except to regulate the circwlation of the blood by simple massage and applications. Still more did I hope that my actions with the sick man would quiet him and would influence him favourably thereby. While I knelt on the caribou’ skins near the young man, whose wife had already gone to rest, [P. 297] and lay there most of the time rather indifferent, so that I had to motion to her to move somewhat to the side, the other adults assembled whispering in the tent. The oldest of the brothers, who could read a little and had received a New Testament from the mission- ary, Mr. Waldman, sat down near me and began to read aloud a passage, which had been under- lined for such purposes. He repeated the verse countless times, while the others present frequent- ly spoke the last words after him in a chorus. If I had not seen the book, I should have believed I was present at a heathen incantation, and I am of the opinion that it was not much else. When at last the sufferer breathed quietly again, his heart action became regular, and he spoke quietly and peace- . fully, I arose to go home, whereupon the sitting was broken up generally and they prepared to go to sleep. Resigned calm toward such trials of life seldom deserts these people. I did not see a look of real concern or sympathy, even when the only child of a young mother died; her face was as sad and troubled as I had ever seen an Eskimo countenance before, but not a tear came to her eyes. Scarcely had the child given its last sigh, when she brought water and soap, washed its whole body, as if she were handling something living, and then the affair was apparently finished for her. After a few days her round face was beaming as before. But when sometime later we sat opposite one another in a boat, and our glances met, she suddenly became serious; we were both thinking of the young thing, that had had to die So soon. As quickly as possible a dead person is taken outside. After the body becomes cold they do not like to come in contact with it. There seem to be no special ceremonies at the present time in, the case of deaths. The tent, in which the death occurred is usually taken down, in order to put it up again elsewhere; a snowhouse is deserted entirely. In a wood or sod house on the other hand it is usually considered enough to give it a thorough airing. [P. 298] At the present time the missionaries care for burial in a Christian manner near the mission station. A place which has enough deep earth for the purpose is located -a few minutes walk above the mission building. In 1906 there were just three graves in this little cemetery. In the winter the dead are occasion- 116 ally concealed temporarily in the snow or put in a snow-house for protection from animals. The old heathen custom, which is still followed on journeys, is in short the following. They place the dead, fully clothed or sewed in skins, on a level place near the sea, but so high, that the high tide cannot reach it. Now they erect about it a stone wall, which is covered over at the top with large stone slabs. The mound which arises does not touch the body lying at full length. Often at the foot of the grave, occasionally at the side of it, they erect an additional grave, which is meant for the reception of the smaller possessions of the deceased. The larger posses- sions are placed nearby, but at the present time the Eskimos keep most of these themselves. Often the old stone graves are disturbed by THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST [VoL. XLVI people, animals, or the influence of the weather, so that it is difficult to find a well preserved skeleton or interesting material.*4 (To be continued) 34 For lack of space I omit more detailed accounts here, since in the transactions and reports of the Royal Zoological and Anthropoligical-Ethnographical Museum at Dresden, Volume XII, 1908, pp. 55-58, I have given more detailed notes concerning the heathen burial customs and the report on anthropological collections in north-eastern Labrador on the basis of perhaps forty graves examined by me, and of the material which is now in the above-mentioned Museum. Two illustrations produced from my photographs of well- preserved stone graves are published with the article. (Cf. “Wskimo Stone Graves in North-Hastern Labrador and the Collection of Anthropological Material from Them.” Trans- lated by M. B. A. Anderson from ‘‘Uber Hskimo-Steingraber in nordéstlichen Labrador und das Sammeln anthropologis- chen Materials aus solchen,’’ Abhandlun gen und Berichte des Kgl. Zoologischen und Anthropologisch-Ethnographischen Museums zu Dresden, Dresden, Volume XII, 1908, pp. 55- 58. The Canadian Field-Naturalist, 44:11, 1930.]. EXCURSIONS OF The Ottawa PField-Naturalists’ Club, 1932 Do not collect any specimens except for scientific purposes. It is the aim of the Club to foster the study of all branches of natural history on these excursions. geology, minerals, pond life, general zoology, etc. On every occasion, groups will be formed to study botany, birds, insect life, At the commencement of the excursion, particular items of interest peculiar to the locality will be explained, so that members and visitors will have an opportunity of devoting special attention to particular subjects when desirous of doing so alternatively to general natural history. Leaders will be provided for as many groups as occasion demands. MAY 7—McKay Lake and vicinity. Take Rockcliffe O.E.R. car, and meet at terminus at 3 p.m. LEADERS—Dr. E. M. Kindle, Mr. Hoyes Lloyd and others. MAY 14—Britannia-on-the-Bay. Meet at the O.H.R. terminus at Britannia at 3 p.m. LEADERS—Mr. Herbert Groh, Miss M. E. Cowan and others. MAY 21—Fairy Lake vicinity. Take Hull Electric Railway car at Chateau Laurier for Wrightville at 2.30 p.m. LEADERS—Dr. Ralph De Lury, Mr. C. E. Johnson and others. MAY 28—Val Tetreau. Take Hull Electric Railway car at Chateau Laurier at 2.30 p.m. for Val Tetreau, and meet at Monument, bottom of Main Street. LEADERS—Dr. F. J. Aleock, Mr. G. A. Miller and others. JUNE 4—National Museum of Canada. Meet at entrance at 3 p.m. By invitation of the Director, Dr. W. H. Collins. JUNE 11—Dominion Experimental Farm. By invitation of the Director, Dr. E. 8. Archi- bald. Meet by the Observatory, Carling Ave. entrance, at 3 p.m. JUNE 18—Rockcliffe Annex. Meet at Post Office, Ottawa, at 3 p.m. Take Hastview bus to terminus on Montreal Road. LEADERS—Mr. B. A. Fauvel, Mr. Hoyes Lloyd and others. JUNE 25—Heron Road and Rideau River. Meet on Billings Bridge at 3 p.m. LEADERS—Mr. B. A. Fauvel, Dr. R. T. D. Wickenden and others. SEPTEMBER—Four meetings will be held in the Kingsmere area. Details will be an- nounced in the September number of The Canadian Field-Naturalist. z F.J. FRASER, Convener Op 31 Phone—Office, Q. 2742, Local 8 May, 1932] THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 117 ANNOUNCEMENT It has always been the aim of the Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club to keep in close touch with its members by striving to answer their questions on Natural History subjects. In order to centralize and co-ordinate this service the Club is inaugurating an INFORMATION SERVICE which will undertake to answer questions on all branches of Natural History, and to identify specimens. The service is open to all subscribers to The Canadian Field-Naturalist. Questions will be answered by competent authorities in each branch. Answers will be given by corres- pondence and questions of general interest will be discussed at length in The Canadian Field- Naturalist. MEMBERS OF THE OTTAWA FIELD-NATURALISTS’ Address questions or write for further details to INFORMATION SERVICE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST NATIONAL MUSEUM, OTTAWA. CANADA CLUB AND SUB- SCRIBERS TO THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST, MAY, 1932. A ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCE, 1900 Race Street, Philadelphia, Pa., U.S.A. ADAMs, JOHN, Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa, Ont. AGRICULTURE, DEPARTMENT OF, Province of Alberta, Game Commissioner, Edmonton, Alta. , AGRICULTURE, DEPARTMENT OF, Division of Botany, Library, Experimental Farm, _ Ottawa, Ont. AGRICULTURE, DEPARTMENT OF, Entomological Branch Library, Ottawa, Ont. AGRICULTURE, DEPARTMENT OF, Library, Confederation Block, Ottawa, Ont. AGRICULTURE, DEPARTMENT OF, The Entomologist, Quebec City, P.Q. AGRICULTURE, DEPARTMENT OF, Library, Washington, D.C., U.S.A. AHERN, G. S., 20 St. Antoine Street, Quebec, P.Q. ALCOCK, F. J., Geological Survey, Ottawa, Ont. ALLEN, Dr. A. A., McGaw Hall, ” Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Vor U.S.A AMERICAN JOURNAL OF Science, New Haven, Conn., U.S.A. AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL His- TORY, 77th Street and cone Fark W., New York, N.Y., U.S.A. "464 Wilbrod Street, Ottawa, Ont. ANDERSON, R. M., 58 Driveway, Ottawa, Ont. Aneus, W. F., - 3807 Craig Street West, Montreal, P.Q. ASHBURY COLLEGE LIBRARY, Rockcliffe Park, Ottawa, Ont. ATKINSON, N. J., P.O. Box 7, Montebello, P.Q. ATLANTIC BIOLOGICAL STATION, St. Andrews, N.B AUCHMACHIE, A. C., 835 Euclid Ave., Toronto, Ont. AUK, THE, c/o DR. WITMER STONE, Academy of Natural Science, Philadelphia, Pa., U.S.A. Austin. O. L., North Eastham, Cape Cod, Mass., U.S.A. B BAILEY, VERNON, 1834 Kalorama Road, Washington, D.C., U.S.A. BAKER, D., 129 Cartier Street, Ottawa, oe BAKER, eG Natural istory Building, Urbana, Il., U.S.A. BALpwiy, L. TEL, 4 Old Forest Hill Road, Toronto, Ont. BALDWIN, S. P., 11025 East. Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. A. Baum, BH., Redwood P.O., Muskoka, Ont. BAsTIN, C. H., 4484 West 9th Ave. bp Vancouver, B.C. BELL, GARNET S., c/o Ontario Club, 16 Wellington Street West, Toronto, Ont. BELL, H., P.O. Box 1077, Pembroke, Ont. BENT, A. C., 140 High Street, Taunton, Mass., U.S.A. _ BERGEN’s MUSEuM, Bergen, Norway. BERNARD, H., Editor, ‘‘Le Courier’’, St. Hyacinthe, 1a BERNIGAUD, J. P., P.O. Box 229, Station B., Montreal, P. Q. His EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR GEN- ERAL, Rideau Hall, Ottawa, Ont. HER EXCELLENCY, THE COUNTESS OF BESSBOROUGH, Rideau Hall, Ottawa, Ont. BIOLoGy, LIBRARY OF, Mont Saint-Louis, 224 Sherbrooke Street East, Montreal, P.Q. BIRD, RALPH D., University of Oklahoma, Norman, Okla., U.S.A. BisHop, Louis B., 450 Bradfrod Street, Pasadena, Cal., U.S.A. BLACK, Miss A., Barbara House, 257 Jarvis Street, Toronto, Ont. BLACK, Hon. GEORGE, Speaker, House of Commons, Ottawa, Ont. BLIZZARD, W. H., 70 Duggan Avenue, Toronto, Ont. Boston Society oF NATURAL HISTORY, 234 Berkeley Street, Boston, Mass., U.S.A. Boy Scouts’ ASSOCIATION, | Canadian General Council, Wellington Street, Ottawa, Ont. Boy Scouts’ ASSOCIATION, 709 Northern Ontario Building, Toronto'2, Ont. BRADSHAW, FE. Director of Provincial Museum, Normal School, Regina, Sask. BRANDT, Mrs. H. W., 11900 Carlton Road, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A. BRIGDEN, F. gt, 15 Oswald Crescent, Toronto, Ont. BRIMLEY, J. F., Wellington, Ont. BRITISH COLUMBIA PROVINCIAL Mu- SEUM, The Library, Victoria, B.C. BRITISH MUSEUM, General Library, Cromwell Road, London, S.W. 7 BROLEY, C. L., Bank of Montreal, Corydon Avenue Branch, Winnipeg, Man. , England, 118 BROOKLYN INSTITUTE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES, 30 Lafayette Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y., U.S.A. Brooks, MAsor ALLAN, Okanagan Landing, B.C. Brooman, R. C., P.O. Box 98, Oakville, Ont. Brown, Miss F., 104 Cameron Street, Ottawa, Ont. Brown, H. H., 42 Pacific “Avenue, Toronto 9, Ont. BRowNn, J. ROLAND, 26 Spring Street, Hamilton, Ont. Brown, Mrs. R. D., 888 Main Street, Ottawa, Ont. Brown, W. J., 250 Oliver Avenue, Westmount, P.Q. BRUGGERMAN, P. as Onion Lake, Sask. BUCHANAN, A., Y.M.C.A., ; 275 Broadview Avenue, Toronto, Ont. BUCKLE, J. W., 262 Craig Street West, Montreal, P. BUFFALO Musrum OF SCIENCE, Research Library, Buffalo, N.Y., U.S.A. BULLER, PROF. AS H. R., Department of Botany, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Man. BuRROwWS, ED., Jordan River, Sask. Burwasu, E. M., Department ‘of Mines, Toronto 5, Ont. Cc CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, c/o The Librarian, ' San Francisco, Cal., U.S.A. CALIFORNIA BUREAU OF EDUCATION AND RESEARCH LIBRARY, Division of Fish and Game, 510 Russ Building, San Francisco, Cal., U.S.A. CALIFORNIA, UNIVERSITY OF, Library, Berkeley, Cal., U.S.A. CALVERT, J. F., Collegiate Institute, London, Ont. CAMERLE, A. C., qy tone Game Birds in America, ne.’ 580 Fifth “Avenue, New York, N.Y., U.S.A. CAMERON, J. H., 355 Dufferin Avenue, London, Ont. CAMPAGNA, PRor. E., Department de Botanique, Ecole d’Agriculture, Ste. Anne de la Pocatiere, P.Q. CAMPBELL, GLEN, 220 Rose Park Drive, Toronto, Ont. CARDINAL, V., 1448 Cote des Neiges Road, Montreal, P CARNEGIE eee, Ottawa, Ont. CARTER, J. B., Department of Labour, Ottawa, Ont. CARTWRIGHT, B. W., 392 Woodlawn Street, Deer Lodge, Winnipeg, Man. CASSELS, Mrs. W. A., Red Deer, Alta. CATHERON, R. S., 178 Marlborough Street, Boston, Mass., U.S.A. THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST CHICAGO UNIVERSITY TAR AY, Chicago, are U.S.A CLARKE, C. H. Deane. of Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. CLARKE, THOMAS H., Peter Redpath Museum, Montreal, P.Q. CLEMENS, W. Tes Director, Pacific Biological Station, Nanaimo, B.C. CLUNE, Miss Lucy, Galena, Ill., U.S.A. CoLzE, Miss M., P.O. Box 45, Red Deer, Alta. COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY LIBRARY, New York, N.Y., U.S.A. COLWELL, Mrs. E. B., 15 Redpath Crescent, Montreal, P CONDOR, THE, c/o J. Grinnell, University of California, Berkeley, Cal., U.S.A. CONIBEAR, F., Fort Smith, N.W.T. CONNELL, REV. ROBT., 1828 Oak Bay Avenue, Victoria, B.C CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY, Ithaca, N.Y., U.S.A. CovENTRY, A. F., Department of Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto 5, Ont COVERDALE, W. H., Lemoine Farm, Portsmouth, Ont. Cowan, I. M., 2507 Jones Ave., North Vancouver, B.C. Cowan, Miss M. E., 97 Stanley Ave., Ottawa, Ont. Cox, Pror. P., 329 St. John Street, Fredericton, N.B. CRANBROOK INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE, Bloomfield Hills, Mich., U.S.A. CRAWFORD, H. C., Entomological Branch, Department of Agriculture, Ottawa, Ont. CRERAR LIBRARY, ° Chicago, Ill., U.S.A. CRICKMAY, COLIN H., 234 Natural History Building, Urbana, IIll., U.S.A. CRIDDLE, NORMAN, Treesbank, Man. CRIDDLE, STUART, Treesbank, Man. CROWSON, ARTHUR, 154 Goulbourne Street, Ottawa, Ont. CuMMING, R. A., 610 East 64th Ave., Vancouver, B.C. D DALE, EF. M.S., 297 Hyman Street, London, Ont. Darcus, S. J., Penticton, B.C. DAVIDSON, PROF. JOHN, Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C DAvis, ELI, R.R. No. 7, London, Ont. DAWKES, W. J., 436 12th Street West, Owen Sound, Ont. DEAM, CHAS., Bluffton, Ind., U.S.A. Dear, MAsor L. S., P.O. Box 89, Port Arthur, Ont. De Lury, Dr. RALPH E., Dominion Observatory, Ottawa, Ont. [VoL. XLVI DENMARK ZOOLOGICAL MUSEUM, Copenhagen, Denmark. DES RIVIERES, H., Grande Allée, Quebec, P.Q. / DETROIT TIMEs, c/o Outdoor Editor, Detroit, Mich., U.S.A. Dickey, D. Re California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Cal., A. DINGMAN, RUSSELL G. 217 Bay Street, Toronto, Ont. DOBBIE, MRs. W. J., Glenwyld, Weston, Ont. Dosig, Dr. W. H., 2 Hunter Street, Chester, England. DOMINION PRESS CLIPPING AGENCY, 74-76 Church Street, Toronto, Ont. DOOLITTLE, E. A., P.O. Box 44, Painsville, Ohio, U.S.A. DOoxXEE, WM., Dominion Observatory, Ottawa, Ont. DyYMOND, J. R., Royal Ontario Museum of Zoology, Toronto, Ont. E EASTHAM, J. W., Court House, Vancouver, B.C. EDMONTON PUBLIC LIBRARY, Edmonton, Alta. Epson, J. M., 90 Marietta Drive, Bellingham, Wash., U.S.A. EDWARDs, D. KEMP, 494 Lansdowne Road, Rockcliffe Park, Ottawa, Ont. EDWARDs, W. E., P.O. Box 496, Gananoque, Ont. EHRET, C. D., 6911 Clearview Street, Mount Airy, Philadelphia, Pa., U.S.A. EIFric, Pror. C. W. G., 1029 Monroe Avenue, River Forest, Il., U.S.A. ELLIs, RALPH, 2420 Ridge Road, Berkeley, Cal., U.S.A. ELTON, C.58., Department of Zoology, University Museum, 6 Museum Road, Oxiord, England. Emery, F. H., 620 Euclid Avenue, Toronto, Ont. ENGLIsH, H. A., 303 Athabaska Street West, Moose Jaw, Sask. F FARGO, W. G., 506 Union Street, Jackson, Mich., U.S.A. FARLEY, F. L., Camrose, Alta. FAUQUIER, G. F., Rockcliffe Park, Ottawa, Ont. FAUVEL, B. A., 263 McLeod Street, Ottawa, Ont. FIELD, Miss C., 1461 Mountain Street, Montreal, P.Q. FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL History, Library. Chicsen) Ill., U.S.A. Fisk, H. H.S., 86 Maple ‘Avenue, St. Lambert, P.Q. FLEMING, J. H., 267 Rusholme Road, Toronto, Ont. May, 1932] FOERSTER, R. E., Biological Board of Canada, Veddar Crossing, B.C FOURNIER, REV. O., Department of Botany, St. Hyacinth College, St. Hyacinth, P.Q. FRASER, PROF. C. MCLEAN, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C FRASER, F. J., Geological Survey, Ottawa, Ont. FRITH, ROWLEY, 65 Butternut Terrace, Ottawa, Ont. Furniss, O. C., 2203 First Avenue West, Prince Albert, Sask. G GARDINER, A. W., 13801 Shaker Boulevard, Apt. 1A, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A. GARDNER, G. C., Manager, Bank of Toronto, Sparks Street, Ottawa, Ont. GAULDIE, DONALD, 55 High Park Boulevard, Toronto, Ont. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY LIBRARY, Ottawa, Ont. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY LIBRARY, Department of Interior, Washington, D.C., U.S.A. GERFAUT, LE, c/o Ch. Dupond, Square Prince Charles 21, Lachen, Bruxelles, Belgium. GIBSON, ARTHUR, Entomological Branch, Department of Agriculture, Ottawa, Ont. GIRLING, WM., 530 English Street, London, Ont. GISSING, A., Cochrane, Alta. GLEERUPSKA, A. B., University Bokhandeln, Lund, Sweden. GODFREY, EARL, Wolfville, N.S. Gorpbon, H. K., 6 Preston Place, Toronto, Ont. GOTEBORGS STADSBIBLIOTHEK, Goteborg, Sweden. GOULD, HARRY, High River, Alta. GOULD, V. E., Wolfville, N.S. GREEN, H. W., R.C.M.P., Dauphin, Man. GREEN, MorRIs, 39 South Wyoming Avenue, Ardmore, Pa., U.S.A. GREENWOOD, W. B., 23 Commercial Street, North Bay, Ont. GRINNELL, J., University of California, Berkeley, Cal., U.S.A. GRisT, Miss MAry L., 251 Laurier Ave. East, Ottawa, Ont. Grou, H., Botanical Division, Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa, Ont. Gross, Dr. A. O., Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Me., U.S.A. GUELPH PUBLIC LIBRARY, Guelph, Ont. H HaGar, Miss C. M., 376 Mountain Street, Montreal, P.Q. THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST HALKETT, ANDREW, 216 Lyon St., Ottawa, Ont. HAMILTON, Dr. A. B., @ Highland Park, Ill., U.S.A. HAMILTON BIRD PROTECTION SOCIETY, Miss Duncan, 114 Sanford Avenue East, Hamilton, Ont. HANHAM, A. W., R.M.D. No. 1, Duncan, B.C. Hare, C. T., 5 Summerhill Terrace, Montreal, P.Q. HARKNEssS, W. J. K., Department of Biology, Toronto University, Toronto, Ont. HAROLD. J. B., ce/@ Sanderson, Harold Co., Paris, Ont. HARPER, FRANCIS, 206 Dickinson Avenue, Swarthmore, Pa., U.S.A. HARRINGTON, PAUL, L.D.S., D.D.S., 813 Bathurst Street, Toronto, Ont. HarRRIs, R. D., 248 Linwood Street, St. James, Man.. Harris, W. E., 440 McLeod Street, 7 Ottawa, Ont. Hart, J. L., Pacific Biological Station, Nanaimo, B.C Hart, N. C., Western University, St. George Street, London, Ont. Hart, W.S., Province of Quebee Society for Protection of Birds, P.O. Box 1185, ‘ Montreal, P.Q. HAUENSTEIN, A. G., 725 West Ferry Street, Buffalo, N.Y., U.S.A. HARVARD UNIVERSITY, Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plains, Mass., U.S.A. HARVARD UNIVERSITY, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, Mass., U.S.A. HARVARD UNIVERSITY, Gray Herbarium, Cambridge, Mass., U.S.A. HAyEs, Dr. A. O., Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J., U.S.A. HENDERSON, A. D., Belvedere, Alta. HILL, Dr. H. W., University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C. Ho.Lpom, Rev. M. W., The Rectory, Chilliwack, B.C. Hope, C., 501 Arlington Avenue, Toronto, Ont. Howilrtt, H., 52 Lyon Avenue, Guelph, Ont. Howitt, Dr. HENRY, 128 London Road, Guelph, Ont. HUBER, WHARTON, 225 St. Mark’s Square, Philadelphia, Pa., U.S.A. Hupson, H. F., Entomological Laboratory, Strathroy, Ont. HUMPHREY, S., Unity, Sask. HUNTER, F., P.O. Box 97, Flushing, L.I., U.S.A. HuNTSMAN, A. G., University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. HUuRLBURT, DR. W. E., Vineland, Ont. I Isis, THE, Dr. C. B. Ticehurst, Saxon House, Appledore, Kent, England. Ing, F. P., Department of Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY LIBRARY, Urbana, Ill., U.S.A. INDIANA UNIVERSITY LIBRARY, Bloomington, Ind., U.S.A. INGERSOLL, E., 88 Morningside Avenue, New York, N.Y., U.S.A. J JACKSON, A. Y., Studio Building, Severn Street, Toronto, Ont. JACKSON, H. A. C., c 35 Campbell Avenue, Montreal West, P.Q. JARVIS, GERALD, Bank of Nova Scotia, Arnprior, Ont. JENNESS, D., National Museum, Ottawa, Ont. JENNINGS, OTTO E., Carnegie Museum, Pittsburgh, Pa., U.S.A. JOHANSEN, F., Zoological Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark. JOHNSON, C. E., Geological Survey, Ottawa, Ont. JOHNSON, R. A., State Normal School, Oneonta, N.Y., U.S.A. JOHNSON, Mrs, G. E., 70 Flora Street, St. Thomas, Ont. JONES, N. G., 513 Quebec Street, London, Ont. K KANSAS UNIVERSITY, Periodical Department, Lawrence, Kan., U.S.A. KEALEY, Miss LuLu, 14 Blackburn Avenue, Ottawa, Ont. KELLEY, N. P.,~ 625 Oriole Parkway, Toronto, Ont. KENNARD, F. H., Dudley Road, ' Newton Centre, Mass., U.S.A. KENT, W. R., Marwayne, Alta. KINDLE, FE. M., Geological Survey, Ottawa, Ont. Kine, W. C., 508 Maclaren Street, Ottawa, Ont. KINGSTON, A. G., 120 Gilmour Street, Ottawa, Ont. KirTo, V., 317 Queen Street, Ottawa, Ont. Kuueu, A. B., Queen’s University, Kingston, Ont. Krupp, Miss M., Amyot, Ont. KURATA, T. B., 359 Ellis Park Road, Toronto, Ont. L Laine, H. M., Comox, B.C. LAMBERT, Mrs. A. J. F., 2321 Halifax Street, Regina, Sask. 119 120 LAMBERT, H. F., 7 Rideau Gate, Ottawa, Ont. LANCELEY, W. H., 23 Elmdale Avenue, Ottawa, Ont. LANGELIER, GUS., Cap Rouge, P.Q. LA Roc@uE, A., National Museum, Ottawa, Ont. LATCHFORD, Hon. F. R., Osgoode Hall, Toronto, Ont. LATHE, G. H., 180 Cartier Street, Ottawa, Ont. LAVAL UNIVERSITE, Bibliotheque, Quebec, P.Q. LAWRENCE, A. G., City Health Department, Winnipeg, Man LEECHMAN, D., National Museum, Ottawa, Ont. Less, W. A. D., P.O. Box 138, Wetaskiwin, Alta. LEFEBVEE, O., Quebec Streams Commission, New Court House, Montreal, P.Q. Ler, A. H., Fisheries aaperimental Station, Halifax, N LEONARD, Mrs. i W., Springbank, St. Catherines, Ont. LEOPOLD, ALDO, 421 Chemistry Building, Madison, Wis., U.S.A. Lett, Mrs. R. C. W., 1562 40th Avenue West, Vancouver, B.C LEWIS, GRACE L., Dominion Bur“au of Statistics, Ottawa, Ont., LEwIs, HARRISON, F., 34 Grosvenor Street, Ottawa, Ont. LEWIs, Mrs. HARRISON F., 34 Grosvenor Street, Ottawa, Ont. Linpsay, R. V., 61 Brookfield Street, Toronto, Ont. LLoyp, B., Davidson, Sask. LLoyD, PrRor. F. E., McGill University, Montreal, P.Q. LuLoyD, HOoyYEs, 582 Mariposa Avenue, Rockeliffe Park, Ottawa, Ont. Luioyp LIBRARY, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.A. LLoyD, WILMOT, 582 Mariposa Avenue, Rockeliffe Park, Ottawa, Ont. LOGIER, SHELLY, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Ont. Los ANGELES MUSEUM, Exposition Park, Los Angeles, Cal., U.S.A. Lowe, CuHaAs. W., Botanical Department, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Man. Lunn, W. H., Hillier, Ont. Lyon, W. I., 124 Washington Street, Waukegan, IIl., U.S.A. M MACAULAY, T. B., 109 Westmount Bovlevarc: Westmount, P. MAcDONALD, s. S:, Bathurst Mines, N.B. THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST Mack, H. G., c/o Gibson Manufacturing Co., Guelph, Ont. MAcLouGH#tuin, Mrs. A. E., 43 Inglewood Drive, Hamilton, Ont. MAcLULIcH, D. A., 144 Mavety Street, Toronto 9, Ont. MAcCNAMARA, CHAS., Arnprior, Ont. MAcouwN, W. T., Experimental Farm, Ottawa, Ont. MactTirr, A. D., 1040 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, P.Q. MAGEE, M. J., 603 South Street, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., U.S.A. MALttTE, Dr. M. O., National Museum, Ottawa, Ont. MANITOBA NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, c/o Winnipeg Public Library, William Avenue, Winnipeg, Man. MANITOBA UNIVERSITY LIBRARY, Kennedy Street, a Winnipeg, Man. MARCOTTE, ABBE LEON, St. Charles Seminary, Sherbrooke, P.Q. MARTIN, N., 274 St. Clarens Avenue, Toronto, Ont. MASSACHUSETTS, COMMONWEALTH OF, State Library, State House, Boston, Mass., U.S.A. McAvirty, A. G., Canadian Ind. Oil Company, St. John, N.B. McCaBgE, T. T., Barkerville P. O., B.C. McCaucGuHey, Dr. S. cel Medical Arts Building, Ottawa, Ont. McDona.Lp, D., Deputy Minister of Game and Fisheries, Parliament Buildings, Toronto, Ont. McELHINNEY, Dr. M. G., 252 Lisgar Street, Ottawa, Ont. McFADDEN, R. W. E., 11 Hart Street, Brantford, Ont. McGauHey, Miss PEARL, 193 O’Connor Street, Ottawa, Ont. McGILL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY, 65 McTavish Street, Montreal, P.Q. McILWRAITH ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB, e/o Wm. Girling, 530 English Street London, Ont. McILWwRAITH, T. F., 50 St. Leonard’s Avenue, Toronto 12, Ont. McKECcHNIE, S. W. C., 765 Granville Street, Vancouver, B.C McKINNON, Mrs. J.S 24 Jeanne d’Are ‘Street, Hull, P.Q. McLAINE, L.S., Entomological Branch, Department of Agriculture, Ottawa, Ont. McLAUGHLIN, H.H., Lewvan, Sask. McMaster UNIVERSITY LIBRARY, Westdale, Hamilton, Ont. MEREDITH, R., 46 Dalhosuie Street, Quebec, P.Q. MeERRIAM, Dr. C. HART, 1919 16th Street, Washington, D. C., U.S.A. MERRIMAN, R. O., 101 Clergy Street West, Kingston, Ont. [VoL. XLVI METZGER, C. T., 6312 South Ashland Avenue, Chicago, IIl., MICHIGAN STATE Caen Library, East Lansing, Mich., U.S.A. MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY LIBRARY, Ann Arbor, Mich., U.S.A. MILEs, A., P.O. Box 9, Woodroffe, Ont. MILLEN, Miss C., 190 Coltrin Road, Rockcliffe Park, Ottawa, Ont. MILLER, G. A., Normal School, Ottawa, Ont. MILWAUKEE PUBLIC MUSEUM, Library, Milwaukee, Wis., U.S.A. MINARD, Miss R., 154 Pretoria Avenue, Ottawa, Ont. MINER, JACK, Kingsville, Ont. MINNESOTA UNIVERSITY LIBRARY, University Farm, St. Paul, Minn., U.S.A. MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN, St. Louis, Mo., U.S. A. MITCHELL, H. H., Provincial Museum, Normal School, Regina, Sask. MITCHELL, Mrs. O. S., 24 Wychwood Park, Toronto, Ont. MONTIZAMBERT, Miss TUDOR, 123 Cooper Street, Ottawa, Ont. MoNTREAL MECHANICS’ INSTITUTE, Atwater and Tupper Streets, Westmount, P.Q MONTREAL UNIVERSITY, Botanical Laboratory, St. Denis Street, Montreal, P.Q Moore, W. H., Mouth Keswick, R.M.D. No. 1, York County, N.B. Moran, P. J., Department of Mines, Ottawa, Ont. Morris, Dr. RoBeRT T., Stamford, Conn., U.S.A. Mous ey, H., 4073 Tupper Stret, Westmount, Montreal, 1P{8)- Munro, J. A., Okanagan Landing, B.C. Moritz, A., University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich., U.S.A. Murpuy, Miss L., 9 Summerhill Avenue, Montreal, P.Q. N NATIONAL PARKS OF CANADA, | Department of the Interior, Ottawa, Ont. NATURE, c/o "Macmillan & Co. Limited, St. Martin Street, London, W.C. 2, England. NEEDLER, A. W. F., Department of Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto 5, Ont. NEWCOMBE, W. A., 138 Dallas Road, Victoria, B.C. New LISKEARD PUBLIC LIBRARY, New Liskeard, Ont. NEWTON, H. E., P.O. Box 935, Victoria, B.C. New YorkK BOTANICAL GARDEN, Bronx Park, New York, N.Y., U.S.A. NEw YorK STATE COLLEGE OF FORES- TRY. Syracuse, N.Y., U.S.A. May, 1932] New YorK STATE LIBRARY, Albany, N.Y., U.S.A. NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY, 185th Street, Bronx, New mes N.Y., U.S.A. NIcHOLS, C. K 31 Ethelbert Place, Ridgewood, N.J., U.S.A. NICHOLS, D. A., National Museum, Ottawa, Ont. NICOL, COLIN, 115 Broughton Ave., Montreal West, P.Q. NORMAL SCHOOL, Brandon, Man. NORMAL SCHOOL, Camrose, Alta. NORMAL SCHOOL, c/o Principal, Strathcona Avenue; Hamilton, Ont. NORMAL SCHOOL, c/o The Librarian, London, Ont. NORMAL SCHOOL, Elgin Street, Ottawa, Ont. NORMAL SCHOOL, Vancouver, B.C. NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY, 18 University Hall, Hea of Geology and Geo- Ta) Reataten, TL, U.S.A. NORTON, Mrs. HARRY A., Edgewater Farm, Ayers Cliff, P.Q. oO OBERHOLSER, H. C., 2805 18th Street N.W., Washington, D.C., U. s. A. O’Connor, J., L., Dominion Gieowaion: Ottawa, Ont. O’DoNoGHUE, CHAS. H., Department of Zoology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland. OHIo STATE UNIVERSITY, Library Galevas, Ohio, U.S.A. ONTARIO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE, Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A. ONTARIO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE, Library, Guelph, Ont. ONTARIO LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY, Library, 5 Toronto, Ont. ONTARIO PROVINCIAL MUSEUM, St. James Square, Toronto, Ont. ORDE, Hon. Mr. JUSTICE, Osgoode Hall, Toronto, Ont. OREGON UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Eugene, Ore., U.S.A. OsHAWA COLLEGIATE INSTITUTE, Library, Oshawa, Ont. OSLER, H. S., c/o John Murray, 5 Club House, Port Perry, Ont. OsLo ZooLoGIcAL MUSEUM, Library, Oslo, Norway. OUTHET, RICKSON A., 1096 Beaver Hall Hill, Montreal, P.Q. P PARLIAMENTARY LIBRARY, Ottawa, Ont. PATON, H., P.O. Box 2646, Montreal, P.Q. PATRICK, JOHN A. M., Yorkton, Sask. PAYNE, F. F., Toronto Golf Club, Long Branch, Ont. THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST PEAKE, L. A. M., P.O. Box 638, Nanaimo, B. 6h PEARSE, THEED, P.O. Box 158, Courtney, B.C. PEARSON, Dr. T. GILBERT, 1974 Broadway, New York, N.Y., U.S.A. PENNSYLVANIA "BIOLOGICAL ABSTRACTS, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa., U.S.A PENSYLVANIA GAME BOTcEION: South Office Building, Harrisburg, Pa., U.S.A. PENNSYLVANIA UNIVERSITY, LIBRARY, 34th Street & Woodland Avenue, Philadelphia, Pa., U.S.A. PHELPS, FRANK M., ; 312 Fifth Street, Elyria, Ohio, U.S.A. PHILLIPP, P. B., 220 Broadway, New York, N.Y., U.S.A. PHILLIPS, JOHN C., Wenham, Mass., U.S.A. PICKWELL, G. B., San Jose State Teach College, San Jose, Cal., U.S.A PORSILD, A. E., 569 Mariposa Avenue, Rockcliffe Park,, Ottawa, Ont. PORSILD, Dr. M. P., Director, Den Danske Arktiske Station, Disko, Greenland. PORSILD, R. T., Aklavik, N.W.T. PosTLETHWAITE, G.S8., 25 Rupert Street, Ottawa, Ont. POTTER, JULIAN K., 437 Park Avenue, Collingwood, N.J., U.S.A. PortEeR, LAWRENCE B., Gower Ranch, East End, Sask. PREUSSISCHE STATS-BIBLIOTHEK, Unter den Linden 38, Berlin, N.W. 7, Germany. PREBLE, HE. A., Biological Survey, Washington, D.C., U.S.A. PRIESTLY, Mrs. I. M., 305 Clare Avenue, Winnipeg, Man. PRINCE, PROF: E. E., 321 McLeod Street, Ottawa, Ont. PRINCETON UNIVERSITY LIBRARY, Princeton, N.J., U.S.A. PRITCHARD, A. L., Pacific Biological Station, Nanaimo, B.C. Q QUEBEC PROVINCE OF, SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF BIRDS, P.O. Box 1185, Montreal, P.Q. QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY, Douglas Library, Kingston, Ont. R RABBITS, GOWER, P.O. Box 5358, St. Johns, Newfoundland. RACEY, KENNETH, 3262 First Avenue, West Vancouver, B.C. RAND, AUSTIN L., Wolfville, N.S. RAwson, Dr. D.S., Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Sask. RAYNES, G. W., 209 Miller ‘Ave. BF Portsmouth, N.H., U.S.A. REFORD, DR. LEwIs, 3501 Drummond Street, Montreal, P.Q. 121 RICHARDSON, H., 182 Rusholme Road, Toronto, Ont. RICKER, WM. E., Pacific Salmon Research Station, Veddar Crossing, B.C. ROBERTSON, C. N., 805 Lewis Building, 465 St. John Street, Montreal, P.Q. ROBERTSON, C. His 1626 Hollyrood Road N.E., Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A. RONAYNE, JOHN, Pemberton Meadows, B.C. Ross, Miss E. G., 7 Gwynne Ave. By Toronto, Ont. Ross, F. D., P.O. Box 370, Quebec, P.Q. ROWAN, WM., Department of Zoology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alta. ROYAL CANADIAN INSTITUTE, 198 College Street, Toronto, Ont. RUTTER, R. J., Apt. 20, The Maples, 10 Bain Avenue, Toronto 6, Ont. Ss SANDIFORD, P., Ontario College of Education, University of Toronto, Toronto 5, Ont. SANSON, N. B., Banff, Alta. SARNIA COLLEGIATE INSTITUTE, Sarnia, Ont. SAUNDERS, P. B., c/o A. P. Saunders, Clinton, N.Y., U.S. aN SAUNDERS, W. E., 240 Central Avenue, F London, Ont. SAVAGE, Jas., Athletic Club, Buffalo, N.Y., U.S.A. SCHANTZ, ORPHEUS M., 3219 Maple Avenue, Berwyn, Ill., U.S.A. Scott, W. L., 383 Stewart Street, Ottawa, Ont. SETON, ERNEST T., Seton Village, Sante Fé, New Mexico, U.S.A. SHAW, W. T., 1002 Cambridge Avenue, Fresno, Cal., A. SHEPPARD, R. W., 1805 Moreland Ave., Niagara Falls, Ont. SHERMAN, Miss A. R., National, via McGregor, Iowa, U.S.A. SHERWOOD, E.. S., 140 Wellington Street, Ottawa, Ont. SHIRAS 38RD, GEO., 4530 Klingle Street, Washington, D.C., U.S.A. SHOREY, MAJor F. G., 460 St. Francois-Xavier Street, Montreal, P.Q. SHvutt, Dr. F. T., Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa, Ont. SIrton, Dr. H. B., 10 Rathnally Ave. hp Toronto, Ont. SKEY, W. R., 560 Huron Street, Toronto, Ont. SKINNER, M. P., 5840 John Avenue, Long Beach, Cal., U.S.A. SMALL, Dr. H. B., 150 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa, Ont. SMILEy, A. K., JR., Mohonk Lake, N.Y., U.S.A. 122 SMITH, A. G., Wainwright, Alta. SMITH, FRANK, 79 Fayette Street, Hillsdale, Mich., U.S.A. SMITH, NAPIER, 5S Westminet a 4 syenue North, Montreal West, P SmitH, RONALD, Wolfville, N. Ss. SNELL, C. H., Red Deer, Alta. SNYDER, L. L., Royal Ontario Museum of Zoology, Toronto, Ont. SNYDER, W. E., Beaver Dam, Wis., U.SA. SOCIETE PROVENCHER D’HISTOIRE NA- TURELLE DU CANADA, 38 Sherbrooke Street, Quebec, P.Q. Soper, J. D., Fort Smith, N.W.T. SowTeErR, T. W. E., Aylmer East, P. Q: SPEECHLY, DR. Ee M., 609 Medical Arts Building, Winnipeg, Man. SPEIRS, J. M., 17 Wolfrey Avenue, Toronto 6, Ont. SPENCER, G. J., Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C SPROT, G. D., Cobble Hill, Vancouver Island, B.C. SQuIREs, Mrs. NATHAN C., Fredericton, N.B. Starr, Dr. F. A. E., Woodville, Ont. STEFANSSON, V., 86 Bedford Street, New York, N.Y., U.S.A. STEPHENS, Dr. T. C., Morningside College, Sioux City, Iowa, U.S.A. STERNBERG, CHAS. M., Geological Survey, Ottawa, Ont. STEWART, Dr. A. D., Manitoba Sanatorium, Ninette, Man. STEWART, SERGT. R. M., Atlan, B.C. STEWART, JOHN, 28 South Street, Halifax, N.S. SWEDISH ROYAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCE, Stockholm, Sweden. SwWItTzer, A. L. ’R.. 229 Huron Street, Toronto, Ont. T TAIT, ERIC, Summerland, B.C. TAVERNER, P., National Museum, Ottawa, Ont. TERRILL, LEWIS M., 24 Prince Arthur Avenue, St. Lambert, P.Q. THACKER, J. L., Little Mountain, Hope, B.C. THOMPSON, STUART, 286 Wychwood Avenue, Toronto, Ont. THOMSON, PROF. R. B., Botanical Laboratories, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. THORNE, H. M., c/o B. L. Thorne, 3027 6th Street West, Calgary, Alta. THROSBY, H. T., Cornwall, Ont. THURSTON, J. E., 338— N. Ave. 52, Highland Park, Los Angeles, Cal., U.S.A. THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST TORONTO FIELD NATURALISTS’ CLUB, Colin S. Farmer, 151 Roehampton Avenue, Toronto, Ont. TORONTO UNIVERSITY, Department of Geology, Toronto, Ont. TORONTO UNIVERSITY LIBRARY, Toronto, Ont. — TOWNSEND, DR. CHAS. W., Ipswich, Mass., U.S.A. TOWNSON, JOHN, 2104 Queen Street East, Toronto, Ont. Tuck, JOHN R., Normal School, : Edmonton South, Alta. Turts, R. W., Wolfville, N.S. TURNBULL, J. F., R.R. No. 3, Orillia, Ont. TURNER, DR. G. H Fort Saskatchewan, Alta. TYRRELL, J. B., 930 Canadian Bank of Commerce Building, 25 King Street West, Toronto 2, Ont. U UPPSALA UNIVERSITY LIBRARY, Chief Librarian, Uppsala, Sweden. USsHER, R. D., Nancy Lake Farm, King, Ont. Vv VAN CLEAVE, H. J., Department of Zoology, University of Illinois, * Urbana, Ill., U.S.A. VANCOUVER NatuRAL History So- CIETY, W. F. Connor, 3529 Second Street West, Vancouver, B.C. VANCOUVER PUBLIC LIBRARY, Main and Hastings Ave., Vancouver, B.C. VICTORIA PUBLIC LIBRARY, Victoria, B.C. WwW WAILES, G. H., 4337 Willow Street, Vancouver, B.C WALKER, BRYANT, 1306 Dime Bank Building, Detroit, Mich., U.S.A. WALKER, DUNCAN, Principal, Normal School, Peterborough, Ont. WALKER, Dr. E. M., 67 Alcina Avenue, Toronto, Ont. WALTON, G., Fort Churchill, Man. WARREN, E. R., 1511 Wood Avenue, Colorado Springs, Col., U.S.A. Warwick F. W., 36 Blenheim Street, Galt, Ont. WASHINGTON STATE COLLEGE LIBRARY, Pullman, Wash., U.S.A. WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, Puget Sound Biological Station, Seattle, Wash., U.S.A. WEEMS, F. C., 23 Wall Street, New York, N. Ye, U.S.A. WESTMOUNT PUBLIC "LIBRARY, Westmount, P.Q. WHITE, Mrs. E. F. G., 185 Wurtemburg Street, Ottawa, Ont. WHITE, ED. F. G., 185 Wurtemburg Street, Ottawa, Ont. [VoL. XLVI WHITEHEAD, A. B., 302 Grande Allée, Quebec, P.Q. WHITEHURST, Miss P., Westboro, Ont. WIickHAM, Pror. H. F., 911 East Iowa Avenue, Iowa City, Iowa, U.S.A. WICKSTEED, MIss W., 412 Sparks Street, Ottawa, Ont. WILLEY, PROF. ARTHUR, McGill University, Montreal, P.Q. WILLIAMS, Dr. M. Ye; University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C. WILSON, Miss ALIcE E., Geological Survey, Ottawa, Ont. WILSON, Miss E., Acacia Avenue, Rockcliffe Park, Ottawa, Ont. WILSon, H.5&., P.O. Box 17, Indian Head, Sask. WILSON, M. R., 407 Huron Street, Toronto, Ont. WILSON, Dr. M. E., ! Department of Mines, Ottawa, Ont. WINNIPEG PUBLIC LIBRARY, Main Branch, William Avenue, _ Winnipeg, Man. WINSON, J. W., Huntingdon, B.C. WINTEMBURG, W. J., 16 Grosvenor Avenue, Ottawa, Ont. Woop, A. A., Entomological Laboratory, Strathroy, Ont. Woop, D.C. A., 295 Wigmore Drive, Pasadena, Cal., U.S.A. / Woop, Cou. WM., 59 Grande Allée, Quebec, P.Q. WRIGHT, Dr. A. H., Zoological Laboratory, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., U.S.A. WRIGHT, G. M., 213 Hilgard Hall, University of California, Bere Cal., U.S.A. WRIGHT, H. 0 . Royal Militray College, Kingston, Ont. WRIGHT, J. FRANK, Geological Survey, Ottawa, Ont. WRIGHT, Miss S. E., Department of Health, Ottawa, Ont. WRIGHT, G. H., Seed Branch, Department of Agriculture, Ottawa, Ont. Wy tig, Mrs. T. C., 244 Charlotte Street, Vimy Apartments, Ottawa, Ont. WYNNE-EDWARDS, V. C., McGill University, Montreal, P.Q. s Y YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY, New Haven, Conn., U.S.A. YOuNG, C. H., National Museum, Ottawa, Ont. YOUNG, WALLACE, 36 Ridout Street, Toronto, Ont. Zz ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY, LONDON, Regents Park, London, N. W. 8, England. L -, q ; % es _ W. Jackson M.Sc., J. J. GoLDEN, C. W. LowE M.Sc., J. B. - Watts, M.A., A. A. McCousrey, A. M. DAVIDSON, M.D., _ §. H. BENNETT; el. _ Winnipeg. ' moon during May, June and September, and on public holidays aA NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF ae - MANITOBA . eee 1929-30 - President Emeritus: J. J. GopEn; Honorary President: NoR- MAN CRIDDLE; Past President: H. M. SPEECHLY, M.D., V. _ Vice-Presidents: G. SHIRLY Brooks, A. G. LAWRENCE, H. C. PEARCE, C. L. BRoLEY, B. W. CARTWRIGHT, W. H. RAND, President: R. A. WARDLE, M.Sc.; General Secretary: MRs. _L. R. Suwpson; Treasurer: N. Lowe; Executive Secretary: Librarian: R. M. THOMAS. _ _ Meetings are held each Monday evening, except on holidays - from October to April, in the physics theatre of the University, Field excursions are held each Saturday after- during July and August. , THE HAMILTON BIRD PROTECTION SOCIETY (Incorporated) is a Hon. President: W. E. SAUNDERS, London, Ont.; President: McILWRAITH ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB, LONDON, ONT. | President: MR. EDISON MATTHEWS, 25 Wyatt Street, London, Ont.; Vice-President: Mr. E. D. BRAND, 148 William Street, London, Ont.; Recording Secretary: MR. VERNON FRANKS, 195 Duchess Av:., London, Ont.; Corresponding Secretary and Treasurer: Mr. W. G. GIRLING, 530 English St., London, Ont. Migration Secretary: Mr. E. M. S. Dae, 297 Hyman _ Street, London, Ont.; Members qualified to answer questions: -W. E. SAUNDERS, 240 Central Avenue, London, Ont.; C. G. WATSON, 201 Ridout Street South, London, Ont.; J. ¥. CALVERT, 461 Tecumseh Avenue, London, Ont.; E. M.S. DALE, 297 Hyman Street, London, Ont. | Meetings held the second Monday of the month, except during the summer. VANCOUVER NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY _ Honorary President. L.S. Kunck, LL.D., President Univer- sity of B.C.; President: JOHN DAVIDSON, F.L.S.,. F.B.S.E., University of B.C.; Vice-President: Pror. M. Y. WILLIAMS, Honorary Secretary: C. F. Connor, M.A., 3529 W. 2nd ‘Avenue, Vancouver, B.C.; First Assistant Secretary: Miss Betty Herp; 2nd Assistant Secretary: MR. VERNON WIE- DRICK: Honorary Treasurer: A. H. BAtn, 2142 Collingwood Street, Vancouver, B.C.; Librarian: Mrs. McCRIMMON; Members of Executive: Miss E. J. Smita, Mr. J. D. TURNBULL, Mr. B. J. Woop, Mr. P. L. Tart, Mr. R. J. CUMMING; Au- ‘ditors: H. G, SELwoop, W. B. Woops. ' All meetings at 8 p.m., Auditorium, Normal School], 10th Avenue and Cambie Street, unless otherwise announced. ‘PROVINCE OF QUEBEC SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF BIRDS INC. OFFICERS & COMMITTEE: Past Presidents: Mr. L. McI. TERRILL, MR. NAPIER SMITH; President: Mr. W.S. Hart; Vice-Presidents: Mrs. C. F. DALE, Mr. H. A. C. JAcKSON; Vice-President and Treasurer: MR. Henry Mousiey; Secretary: Miss M. Spats; Curator: Miss Foes ad PULL oa Mr. J. W. BUCKLE, Dr. I. GEMMELL, Morrow, Miss K. D. MALCOURONNE, Miss M. S. NICOLSON, Mr. W. A. OSWALD, Mr. R.-A. OuUTHET, MR. NAPIER SMITH, Mr. L. MclI. SpackMAN, Mr. L. MclI. TERRILL, MR. V. C. WYNNE-EDWARDS. Address all correspondence to the Soeiety at P.O. Box 1185, Montreal, P.Q., Canada. : > ‘DERY; einen ENDERSON, Mrs. H. Hisspert, Miss EDITH ~ i Affiliated ‘Societies SOCIETE PROVANCHER D’HISTOIRE NATURELLE DU CANADA Patron Honoraire: Son Excellence, t= TRES Hono CoMTE DE BESSBOROUGH, P.C., G.C.M.G., Goinecar Général du Canada; Vice-Patron Honoraire: HONORABLE M. H. G. CARROLL, Lieutenant-Gouvyerneur de la Province de Québee; Bureau de Direction pour 1932: Président: ADRIEN FALARDEAU, C.R.; ler vice-président: W. STUART ATKINSON: 2éme vice-président: MAJOR Jos. MATTE; Secrétaire-trésorier: LouIs-B. LAvorm; Chef de la section scientifique: Dr. D.-A. Chef de la section de Propagande éducationnelle: EDGAR ROCHETTE, C.R., M.P.P.; Chef de la section de protec= — tion: R. MEREDITH, N.P.; Chef de la section ad’ information Scientifique et pratique: G. STUART AHERN; Directeurs: Dr. J.-E. BERNIER, Jos.-S. BLAIs, ANGUS GRAHAM. Secrétaire-irésorier: Louts-B. LAVOIn 38, rue Sherbrooke, Québec. ~ FIELD-NATURALISTS’ CLUB OFFICERS FOR 1931-82. Honorary President: PROFESSOR A. P. COLEMAN: President: CoLIn S. FARMER; Hon. Vice-Presidenis: Hon. CHAS. MCCREA, Dr. N. A. POWELL, MR. J. H. FLEMING; Vice-President: A. M. PATTERSON; Secretary Treasurer: C. G. BRENNAND; Publicity- Secretary: Dr: L.:B. JACKES; Executive Committee: PRoF. E. M. WALKER, Mr. STUART THOMPSON, PRor. J. R. DYMOND, Dr. NORMA ForRD, MAGISTRATE J. E. Jones, Pror. T. F. MCcILLWRAITH, MR. FRED IDE, Mr. F. C. Hurst, Mr. RUPERT Davips, Dr. P. E. CLARKSON; Committe on Conservation: J. R. DYMOND; Junior Members’ Representative: TAYLOR STATTEN; Leaders: Birds—MeEssrs. S. L. THOMPSON, Ii. L. SNYDER, J. L. BAILtm, R. V. Linpsay, J. M. Speirs; Mammals ProF. COVENTRY, Mrssrs. E. C. Cross, D. A. MACLULICH; Reptiles and Amphibians—MeEssrs. BE. B. S. Locier, WM. LERAy; Fisk—Pror. J. R. DyMoND, PRor. W. J. K. HARK- . NEss; Insects—PRoF. E. M. WALKER, Dr. NoRMA Forb, Mr. F. P. IDB; Botany—Pror. R. B. THOMSON, PRoF. H. B. Sirton, Dr. G. WRIGHT, Mr. W. R. WATSON, MR. OWENS Dr. T. TAYLOR; Geology—PROF: A. MCLEAN. i THE TORONTO BRITISH COLUMBIA BIRD AND MAMMAL SOCIETY Honorary President: MAsjorR ALLAN BROOKS; President: Dr. M. Y. WILLIAMS; First Vice-President: HAMILTON M. Laine; Second Vice-President: Dr. C. J. BASTIN; Secretary- Treasurer: KENNETH RACEY, 3262 West Ist Ave., Vancouver, We would ask the Officers, and more particularly the Secretaries, of all the Affiliated Societies to assist us in our task of building up the circulation of this magazine. 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OTTAWA, CANADA Printers ef The Canadian Field-Naturalist — Publishers of the Autobiography of John Meacoun,M A ° — ener SS eee eee Crabtree Limite Ar tists and Designers THIS SPACE ie . | BLUEPRINTERS _ FOR SALE “ENGRAVERS | : COMMERCIAL | PHOTOGRAPHERS | > PHOTO: LITHOGRAPHERS Kindly mention The Canadtan Field-N aturalist to advertisers — a DE 2 IDE Reh des J eh _ VOL. XLVI, No. 6 | 4 SEPTEMBER. 1932 “ eee ) Dy i BEERS \ \ TA 1 oy: OTTAWA HELD NarcRALISTS CLUB ISSUED SEPTEMBER Ist, 1932. : Entered at the Ottawa Post Office as second-class matter Ne, Way THE OTTAWA FIELD-NATURALISTS’ CLUB atrons: Beene aa THEIR EXCELLENCIES THE GOVERNOR GENERAL AND COUNTESS OF BESSBOROUGH > President: C. M. STERNBERG, 17 Grosvenor Ave., Ottawa. ae Ist Vice-President: M. E.. WILSON ; 2nd Vice-President: HERBERT GROH Secretary: MIss GRACE 8. LEWwIs, 318 Cooper St. Treasurer: WILMOT LLOYD, 582 Mariposa Ave., a TB oe ad Rockcliffe Park. is! 1) aay A fj 2 ipee D Additional Members of Edtinell- FJ. Aucock, R. M. ANDERSON, Miss M. E. CowAn, Mussrs. H. G.- CRAWFORD, NORMAN Crinpun, R. E. DeLury, F. J. FRASER, ANDREW HALKETT, W. EH. HARRIS, D. JENNESS, C. E. JoHNSoN, A. G. Kineston, E. M. KinpLE, W. H. LANCELEY, A. LAROCQUE, DouGLAS LEECHMAN, Harrison F. Lewis, HovEs Luoyp, W. T. Macoun, M. O. MATE, MARK G. McELHINNEY, G. A. Miuuer, A. E. Porsitp, G. S. POSTLETHWAITE, E. E. PRINCE, J. DEWEY Soper, P. A. TAVERNER, EH. F. G. WHITE, W. J, WINTEMBERG, and Presidents of Affiliated Societies Editor: _ Doucias LEECHMAN National Museum, Ottawa, Canada. Associate Editors: TD TIEENINISISS). 1 (an are ara a a .... Anthropology CLYDE, To\PATGR Uae ra MONAT Bye eae GUNS A ie OU Botany RSM. LANDERSON/2)0\ 0) ae eR GATCHRORD! )4ysceeionisie sche: Conchology A. G. HUNTSMAN............ ARTHUR GIBSON............00:- Entomology PA. DAVERNER |). 2/3 o0n aes DB PAT COCK ne ola ue Prema Ore Meh Geology : A MESISEND LB 3 2s) sion CONTENTS re: PAGE The Birds. of Ottawa—Addenda,, By Hoyes Lleyd.. )y i055. 2 8 ee ee 125 A New Fossil Crocodile from Saskatchewan. By C. M.Sternberg........ sO" Ate 1 kN &. Contributions to the Knowledge of Extreme North-Eastern Labrador. By Bernhard Hantzsch Notes and Observations:— aise (Ae a Hybrid Grouse. By B. W. Cartwright................. ath Batis API ys id 3 .. 145799 A Correction Concerning Record of Neotoma c. drummondii from Kitchener, B.C. mother, “No, we have hung a dog and that is the meat from it.” The blind boy tasted the meat again, and could not believe her. He was deeply troubled as never before in his life, stopped _ eating, pulled his hood over his face and groped his way outside. A late June day, gleaming like gold, lay across the quiet landscape, still covered — with much ice and snow, but the sun blinded him nolonger. Hewasquiteblind. Slowly he walked up the hill-side, the path which he had trod so many times with seeing eyes and laughing coun- tenance, turned into a valley protected from the wind, sat down on a large stone, and began to weep bitterly. Then he suddenly heard a har- monious voice near him, that said to him: “I am the torngak of your father, and will help you. Go to the pond at the end of the valley. There you will learn in what way!’ A light breeze touched the forehead of the blind man and dried his tears. Filled with hope he arose and went farther along the path, groping his way, until he felt the water of the pond at hisfeet. He listened and all at once heard another strange voice, which came from the large bird tullik (loon), which was swimming on the water. [P. 311] ‘“‘Kneel down,” said the bird, “and wash your eyes!’ The blind man did this at once, and soon noted how the power of sight returned to him. He bathed his eyes until he could see well again, even better than before. He could see every little stone at the bottom of the lake. But the tullik, in other respects a very shy bird, had swum close up to him in the meantime, walked up on the shore, and said: “Now carry me to your step-mother, but don’t tell her that you can see again!’ The young man seized the bird by the wings obediently and walked down the valley. Near the tent he saw the woman, as she was spreading out the bear skin to dry it. Then, he who had been blind, played a part, carefully felt his way forward, until he stood near his step- mother, set the bird on the ground near him, and felt of the skin. “Isn’t that my bear?” he asked. “No, that is the skin of the dog which we killed” the bad woman answered. In the same moment the bird tullik began to grow in a terrible way, beat with its wings and croaking angrily ran at the liar. Seized with the terror of death she plunged away down the slope to the seashore. But when she reached the water the terrible bird had nearly overtaken her. She recognized her end had come, uttered a wild shriek, and threw herself into the sea. Here she was changed into a seal. But the bird sprang after her, both disappeared under the waves and have never October, 1932] been seen again. The young man, rescued in so fortunate a manner, went to his tent, called in his sister, who had deceived him only from fear of her mother, but was otherwise kind and friendly, and lived happily with her from that time on. THE THREE SISTERS Three young sisters wished to marry, but their father said, “Wait awhile!” Then the eldest said to the others: ‘‘Let us go away from here secretly and seek husbands for ourselves!’ Soon all three started off, left the shore of the sea, and wandered into the interior of the country. Sud- denly they came into a strange valley. Many stones were scattered about and stood up high, looking like men. On the slopes, however, there were countless caves, which were sell suited for dwellings. Then the eldest of the girls stopped and said: “Go on farther, sisters! I will live in this valley and marry a stone man.” They bade her good-bye, and then the girl carried moss and grass into one of the caves, made a bed, dragged in one of the strange-looking stone men and lay down beside him. Scarcely had her limbs touched the queer form, when she, too, began to turn to stone. She tried in vain to spring up. It was too late. She, too, turned into just such a stone as the many that lay outside. Meanwhile the two other sisters went on farther. Then the second one caught sight of the upper wing bone of a snowy owl, picked it up from the ground and said “I will marry this!’ The third sister wandered on alone, until she came to the sea. Here she found a piece of whale’s bone, which she chose for a husband. When the second sister [P. 312] touched the bone of the owl, it changed suddenly into a large snowy owl. The bird seized the girl, and carried it away to its rocky nest up in the mountains. At night he stayed near her, by day he flew away. In the evening he brought a great many little birds for food. So she lived on the cliff, and soon bitterly repented having left her relatives. She wept and begged the owl man to take her down again, but he shrieked so loud, she was frightened and was silent. At last she found a way to help herself. She collected all the sinews of the animals which he carried home for food, and braided a rope from them, which she concealed behind the large rock nest, until it became long enough to reach down. Day after day she worked, until her fingers bled, and at last the flesh dropped from the bones entirely. But, finally, when the owl had brought a young caribou, the rope was long enough, and the girl tied it fast to a rocky crag. At the same moment she heard human voices and caught sight of her relatives, who had gone out to hunt for the three sisters. They had found THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 157 nothing of the eldest, and at last they had come to this place. The girl quickly climbed down the rocks. They were happily reunited and pitched their tent in the valley. But as the sun sinks, something soars noiselessly nearby in the air. It is the snowy owl that has returned, and is looking for his wife. Then one of the relatives shoots an arrow at the bird, and strikes it in the middle of the body. He falls to the ground as a mere upper arm bone, and the maiden is released. The next day they journey farther to hunt for the third sister. When this one had married the whale’s bone, a real man had come from it. They built a tent and lived together on the seashore. The husband was afraid she might run away some day and tied her fast to himself whenever he was at home. One morning the girl sees the skin boat of her relatives through the tent door while her husband is still asleep. When she pulls at the thongs excitedly with which he has tied her to himself, he awakes and asks what is approaching on the water. She says: “Only a wave,’ whereupon he goes to sleep again. Then carefully she loosens the sinews and ties him to the poles of the tent care- fully, runs away and arrives at the beach, just when her relatives are alighting from the boat. She is recognized with great joy, is taken into the boat quickly, and they push away from the land hastily. Meanwhile the man awakes, knows that he was betrayed, but has much trouble in loosening the strings. At last he is free and runs to the sea, changes into a whale here and hastens. after the boat. He soon overtakes it, swims around it angrily and thrashes the water so violently, that the people in the boat expect every moment to see the weak craft upset. Then the girl, who keeps herself hidden on the bottom of the boat, throws her outer garments into the sea. The whale man believes she herself has fallen in and swims about sadly hunting for her, so that the water quickly becomes smooth again. But when he does not find her, he thinks she was drowned, turns back, climbs out on the land and becomes a whale’s bone again. The two girls, however, from that time on obeyed their parents. [P. 313] In most of the sagas such transformations play a large réle. I heard fantastic stories related of whales, walrus, seals, bears, dogs, foxes and many birds. A number of accounts agree quite closely with such tales from the abundant collection which Franz Boas has published according to the communications of James S. Mutch, (Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, Vol. XV, 1907: Eskimo of Baffin Land and Hudson Bay), and recur again also in Christian Labrador and in Greenland. The origin of the white people, 158 according to another account, also of the Indians, is told in the same way, as everywhere else with the Eskimos, that a girl against her wishes bore children to a dog, who outwardly resembled the father, but mentally resembled the mother. After these young dogs had torn to pieces the wicked human father of the girl, the daughter would no longer live wih them. She made a boat ready, placed the white dogs in it, and commanded the wind to carry them away. “Go away and become white people!”’ she cried to the departing ones. “So the kablunat descend from the white dogs, who now and then come to the Innuit in wooden ships from the other side of the sea”. In the telling of this saga, it was of in- terest to me that the woman had fashioned the ship from birch bark. To my question, whether this was the custom in the well-wooded south of Ungava Bay, from which my informant came, she answered she had never heard of it, but it had been so in the story. Since the use of birch bark boats is said to continue among the Eskimos in the interior of Alaska, it may be assumed that the wide-spread saga has had its origin either there or has arisen at a time, when the Eskimos generally made use of such craft, and had not yet constructed skin boats. Not much different from legendary tales are the confused religious ideas of our heathen people. Any sort of dogma of faith does not exist; a sum total of superstitious views forms the whole of the slight religion. At least it is impossible to learn from the people anything uniform. The conception of real gods [P. 314] apparently does not exist. Religious worship is essentially ancestor worship. Also in the count- less traditions of this race the natives agree, with slight variations, with other Eskimo bands. Thus they know the saga of the earth falling from heaven; of the genesis of human beings as little children; of the daughter, who had to marry the fulmar, was then thrown by her father into the sea in flight and, when climbing into a boat, had her fingers and hands cut off by the hard-hearted man, from which seals, walrus and whales have originated. Faith in continued life after death is wide-spread even if the opinions about this differ and, after the introduction of the Christian con- ception of religion, vary still more. The Eskimos have scarcely ever had true priests. The Angakut were the carriers and the prophets of the super- stitious traditions, in whom great faith was often placed. The eldest of the five brothers from the southeast of Ungava Bay, of whom I already have spoken repeatedly, called by his Christian name Zacharias, reported to me many things of his dead father, who had been a famous Angakok. THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST [VoL. XLVI This man, it is alleged, had often communicated with torngat or spirits, among whom originally were represented perhaps only the souls of the departed ones. According to the belief of these people, the torngat appear from time to time, prophesy in many cases death and misfortune, but often act in a friendly manner toward human beings, foretell the future for them, advise and protect them. The torngat are said to have announced beforehand to the father of Zacharias that the time will soon. come when the people would turn away from them. It is true that no supernatural inspiration lay in this information from the old man. At that time the tireless Peck, Eskimo missionary to the Eskimos, who later went to Blacklead Island in Cumberland Sound, was carrying on his mission work in the north-western parts of Labrador. From there knowledge of the gospel spread among the Eski- mos even as far eastward as Ungava Bay. The inhabitants of the region of George River, among whom were these brothers, were so impressed by it, who knows on what grounds, that they decided to forsake the old heathen belief. They asked the representative of the Hudson Bay Company for Christian baptism [P. 315] which this man ad- ministered without being authorized. The old angakok, just mentioned, did not keep the members of his family away, immediately ordering them to pray to Jesus. He himself did not do this. Following the preceding announcement the old man was drowned some time afterwards, when a whirlwind turned his kayak over. His son, Nicodemus, who was with him could not rescue him. This angakok was able to carry out strange sorceries, in which his family still believed firmly in spite of its Christian veneer, as I was told. For example, it is alleged he ate his own fingers and his arms up to the elbow and spit the bones out in a little pile. By repeating magic formule the arm grew slowly, in the beginning tender and small as in the case of a child. This, it was assert- ed, had been seen many times. Many male and female angakut are said to foretell the future, or to be able to describe incidents of the past. Thus a deceased aunt of Julius Lane, in Killinek, who lived in Aulatsivik, was said to be able to tell three to four days afterwards exactly what people who came to her had done, although being weak and old she remained in her tent the whole time. Likewise J. Lane claimed to have met a woman in Fullerton (North-West Hudson Bay), who days later gave him exact information concerning his doings. Often the angakut, it is true, use their powers for deeds of vengeance. Therefore it is necessary to be on guard against them. If, for example, the tale runs, a sorceress menstruates, October, 1932] through magic formula she is able to suppress the blood. This then changes to a bird, which looks like a sea-gull, but is coloured blood-red. It can be sent forth as an instrument of death, and in the winter of 1904-1905 is said to have appeared in Killinek. It is alleged some people had seen the bird flying, and they even secretly pointed out the house from which it had come. Soon afterwards a relative of my companion, Paksau, died, a healthy man in the prime of life, who with two brothers dwelt in a fine little sod house. A short time afterwards one of the surviving brothers visited the Lane family, sprang suddenly from his chair and said: ‘‘My dead brother has given me a blow on the head; I am to come too!’ From that day on he became ill and died just a month later, after he [P. 316] maintained, as did other persons, he had seen the soul of the first brother repeatedly hurrying about in the air without peace. One day the deceased man had said to the missionary, Mr. Peck: “My brother has taken my soul from me.” To his question: “Where is it, then?” he answéred: “‘With Jesus.” After the death of the second brother the third became ill too. Medicines would not take effect. Then an old woman tried to help by singing magic sounds for hours, but he had to die also. The use of amulets as a means of protection against harmful influence of spirits does not seem to be employed any longer by the Killinek Eskimos at the present time; on the other hand the mission- ary, Mr. Perrett, saw a fish and a dog whip sewed on the inside of pieces of clothing in the case of two inhabitants of Aulatsivik. Naturally the old belief is not lost so quickly, if they guard against giving strangers information concerning it. It is just as difficult to hear the heathen songs of the population, but upon repeated requests they gave me some exhibitions of them. Their tunes are reminiscent throughout of the mono- tonous songs of other primitive people. The melody consists of a few tones among which a main tone is predominant. Characteristic of the execution is a strong tremolo of the voice. An especially musical person sings the real content alone, whereupon the others present join in the chorus, often only with the syllables, aja, adjaja, aaja. Usually laughter and chatter follow the end of the song, out of which you can imagine a jesting, derisive, and at times perhaps a not quite moral substance. The real magic charms and songs on the other hand are said to be produced in great seriousness, in a deep voice and only half aloud. The Killinek people do not possess a piece of wood on a resonant object.- Still less do the people like to show their heathen dance, THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 159 which is entirely forbidden by the missionaries. Notwithstanding this, they amused themselves in my time with this dancing whole nights through. When I wished to see the dance for the first time, two half-grown girls were fetched in and I [P. 317] was surprised to see with what enthusiasm and evident skill these girls conducted the for- bidden play according to their own interpreta- tion. The manner of the Eskimo dance throws a light on the original purpose of the dance in general and I understand very well how the austere Moravians forbid such performances with all earnestness; no one is baptized who does not promise to refrain from it. Such a primitive dance is to be compared with the mating of the birds and other creatures. The sexes seek, in this case reciprocally, to make themselves notice- able and desirable through provoking motions in a sensual manner; it is nothing more than a voluptuous play of the sexes, which in winter, as they say, when the Eskimos dance in their warm snow houses many times almost without clothes, | is also followed by the reality. Two persons, usually of different sex, seldom more than two pairs, place themselves opposite each other and in the beginning scarcely raise their feet from the place where they stand. They move the body, however, in lively jerks and shaking motions, especially the abdomen. This reminds you a little of the Arabian abdomen dancers. During the whole performance the dancers utter a quick cough incessantly, that sounds nasal and must be very strained. Older women are usually hoarser. According to the statement of one of them this is the result of many dances. As the play becomes gradually more fiery, the pairs hop about with wild motions of the body and, jumping, change places many times. The arms are usually bent at the elbows. The ones sitting about reiterate their monotonous songs, clap their hands and encourage the dancers by merry speech. Great exhaustion follows the wild excitement at last. Several times I surprised girls and younger women as they conducted a sort of round-dance, but they could not be induced to continue this in my presence. I could not learn whether this con- cerned an old custom or a newly acquired child’s play. On October 6th the Harmony, which meanwhile had visited the other Moravian Mission stations of the Labrador coast and had gone to St. Johns, Newfoundland, turned back to Killinek unhin- dered in spite of the late time of year. On Octo- ber 11th I said good-bye to my quiet mountains and valleys, which were now gradually taking on the look of winter; and took my departure also from the friendly people who had supported me 160 in my work and in all else had tried to make my stay in their neighbourhood as pleasant as possible. About three-o’clock in the afternoon the anchors were lifted, and in the dark fog we steamed toward Gray Strait. The sea was ice-free every- where, only here and there scattered icebergs were to be seen. The whole north coast of the land slopes abruptly, but in many places islands are to be found stretched out in front of the coast, and rather small inlets, several of which are said to be suitable for harbours, as Captain Blandford, mentioned earlier, ascertained. The currents in Gray Strait were overcome by us with some exertion. We rejoiced in the sight of Button Islands, which lay before us in rare evening clearness with their dusky mountains. Since this group, on account of the dangerous surround- ing sea, was perhaps never visited by a white man, their position is only approximately fixed eartographically. Their highest elevations may attain a height of 200-250 meters. Also strong currents are said to prevail at times between the different islands, which make a crossing almost impossible, as long as the sea is not entirely free of ice. But the islands are said to have an abun- dance of animal life and wood, for which reason they were visited regularly by the Eskimos. At present the natives still go occasionally, especially at the end of July and beginning of August when the weather is most favourable and there is the least wind, to those places, and even then only in the company of an exprienced local guide. Toward evening we sighted Cape Chidley, not quite determined geographically, which rises up high and steep. Somewhat south of this there is a tolerable harbour for larger ships, and here are situated primitive Eskimo dwelling sites. At low tide you can go on foot from Chidley Island to the land situated toward the south, and from there by the nearest way to Port Burwell in favourable weather and without very much baggage. This may be indeed a very strenuous trip, but is easier to carry out in winter with sleds. [P. 319] The coasts between Cape Chid- ley and the eastern entrance of MacLelan Strait are said to slope sheer into the sea everywhere and to be dangerous to navigate in an east wind. Some harbours are to be found, which afford sheltered anchorage for ships. We ourselves navi- gated on that evening not along the coast, but a little way out into the Atlantic in order to escape some reefs. In the last light of evening I recog- nized the island New Plauen. Then the night sank down and for my soul to a certain extent also the curtain for the interesting dramas which I had witnessed and in which I even played a THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST [VoL. XLVI part, up there in the extreme north-east of Lab- rador. On the next afternoon we anchored in the harbour at Rama, that station which has such a splendid location, but which is looked upon some- what unkindly in respect to sources of industry. Because of the latter reason this was given up in 1908. A few days later we went farther down the Labrador coast. On October 15th at noon we stopped at Hebron, after Robert Peary had left this harbour six hours before. His expedition ship, Roosevelt, had been overtaken on its return voyage from the north at Resolution Island in a fearful storm and had been badly damaged. Be- sides there was a lack of coal and provisions, of which they could get little in Hebron. We would have been in a position to help with this, but we were not expected back so soon, and therefore the Roosevelt had moved slowly southward along the Labrador coast with steady use of the pumps. We stopped at all stations of the Moravians three to nine days, from Hebron down at Okak, Nain, Hopedale and Maggovik. I therefore had oppor- tunity to learn to know land and people at least hastily, and from the missionaries also received many kinds of important information about the Eskimos of those regions, all of which was valu- able for comparison with the Killinek conditions. My own observations caused me to regard those northerners as far more sympathetic people than the ones of the other stations further advanced in civilization. Perhaps my eyes and ears were pre- judiced by previous judgment, but from the mouths of the missionaries I had to hear much criticism concerning the Christian Eskimos [P. 320} and the missionary, Mr. Perrett, who left Killinek with me after a year’s residence and moved over to Nain, thought as I did, not without sadness concerning those people of nature up there. I will not describe the more southern portion of Labrador, on account of the theme of my work. It is very much more accessible and therefore far better known and described. On November 16th I arrived in St. Johns, the capital of Newfoundland, to leave the Harmony with many expressions of gratitude to the crew, particularly Captain J. E. Jackson, who had been so kind to me always. I made connections at once with the steamer Siberian of the Allan Line to Glasgow, where I landed on November 26th in good health. On November 28th I was home again in Dresden and at the end of my journey. NOTE TO MAP The appended sketch map gives improvements in the drawings of the coast line from the north- east tip of Labrador. It does not claim to be October, 1932] THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 161 Shizze nach den harten der eng No rdost- Sn (7z€ 3 lischen Admirahitar{¥e 1906), Jer Map of the coasts of Hudson Strath und Ungava Bay m : by &. Be ard A. P Low (1900) cer Cee- vo7 : : - | fogreal Map of the northeastern parts { T of the Dominion of Canada by 4 FP Lowes, wf a b Ta J 0 T : > [ } a.a., sowre nach Eshimozechrungen and “ge - nen Untersuchu 7gen (1906) geserchncf vor Bernhard Hantzsch. 1908. AHantischér Ozean Unga va Ba/ ee Kiikthkectasoak Sag > = cu Plauen Omanak ? Kikhertaliho® 4 at ; x O phdiatit | : 2 0 ON kkertet bal a a cS Nikkertasu ak) VS go Mkerau oO TasssitO a Amomaja Foo 162 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST cartographically correct, however, especially as in most localities it depends upon material reported by others. From the representation of numerous inlets on the east coast of Ungava Bay as reported by the Eskimos of those regions, it may be seen that this coast does not run in a direct line, but is deeply indented. MacLelan Strait, which has been drawn on no map heretofore, as far as I know, as well as the large island New Plauen which is different at high and low tide, may be approximately correct. The majority of the mountains represented are the most important of those known by Furopeans with names, but [VoL. XLVI perhaps not by any means the only important ‘elevations in these mountainous lands. Attention is called to the fact that the section dealing with mineralogy, which appears in Vol. 45: 222, Dec., 1931, is translated from a report by Dr. Johannes Uhlig, who investigated the mineral specimens collected by Hantzsch, and reported on them under the title ‘‘Untersuchung einiger ge- steine aus dem nordostlichsten Labrador’’. In bringing this translation to a conclusion, thanks are due to the following for their assistance and co-operation, which have done so much to facilitate the work:—F. J. ALCock, R. M. ANDER- SON, D. JENNESS, D, LEECHMAN & M. O, MALTE —M.B.A.A. THE BIRDS OF OTTAWA—ADDENDA TO FEBRUARY 28, 1930. By HOYES LLOYD (Concluded from Page 127) 45. Sturnus vulgaris (Linnaeus). STARLING. —It seems only a short time since the Starling reached Ottawa, and now it isa very common bird, usually migratory I think, for it is not generally distributed in winter, but occurs at that season in flocks in only a few localities, particularly near the city refuse dumps. In summer it nests generally throughout the district, and although the earlier located nests were in high inaccessible places, the pressure of population has apparently driven the nesting birds to lower levels, particularly the nest cavities of the Flickers which are so common in telephone posts and elsewhere along the country roads near Ottawa. Miss A. Swain, of Westboro, told me of Starlings dispossessing Flickers of their nest cavity, in the spring of 1929, and showed me an egg that the evicted Flicker had laid on the ground near by. Some nesting dates for Ottawa are as follows:— 1. H. Groh reported Starlings nesting in a huge elm near the end of the Wrightville car line, Hull, Quebec, in 1923. 2. 1925: G. R. White reported a pair nesting at Britannia, Ontario, prior to the next date. 3. May 17, 1925: I saw Starlings going to and from the dead top of a hightree. The birds were extraordinarily cautious, flying toward the nesting tree, but scarcely ever alighting while I sat quietly on the ground a hundred feet away. This was a few miles north of Hull, Quebec, near a spur of the Laurentians. 4. June, 1925: I have a brief note in my records that Starlings were nesting on K. Fellowes’ property, west of Hull, Quebec. 5. May 26, 1926: Wilmot Lloyd and I saw an occupied nest in a hole about 25 feet from the ground in an elm at Britannia. The old birds were carrying food. 6. June 1, 1926: Found a Flicker and a Star- ling occupying adjoining Flicker houses on the property of the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club. 7, May 28, 1927: Near Fairy Lake, Hul!, saw a Starling carrying food to an elm with dead limbs at top. Very wary. 8. June 26, 1927: H. A. Lloyd collected a juvenile (full-grown) from a low nest, which I found in the sand dunes, Merivale Road, a few miles from the city. First definite breeding record. 9. April 27, 1928: C. E. Johnson—Pair building, Ottawa South in eaves of house. 10. May 17, 1928: C. E. Johnson, C. L. Patch, J. S. Lord—Nest and two eggs collected near farm, MerBleue. I was chauffeur to this party, and these were the first Starling eggs I had ever seen. 11. June 8, 1928: C. E. Johnson—Nest in tall elm, Ottawa South. 12. June 10, 1928: C. E. Johnson—Nest with young in hollow basswood, Rideau River. 13. June 20,. 1928: W. Fletcher Kelly—I have a nest and four eggs collected by Mr. Kelly from a Flicker box at his place, Britannia, Ontario. 14. June, 1928: G. A. Miller—This year we had a pair nesting under the shingles of our house, 180 Belmont Avenue. They are not very desirable overhead tenants, although they destroyed an abundance of cutworms in feed- ing their family. GENERAL NOTES: 1. August 30, 1924: Small straggling groups going to roost with the Blackbirds at Britannia. October, 1932] 2. 86 Starlings were recorded at the time of the 1924 Christmas Bird Census°—C. E. Jonh- son, 85; R. E. De Lury 1. Also Dr. W. E. Hurlburt reported them in his radio bird lecture. 8. I have noted in my diary that 1924-25 was the first winter in which they were here in any number. 4, August 18, 1929: Flocks flying over woods nightly at Rockcliffe Park, in marshalled ranks that must have totalled thousands. 46. Quiscalus quiscula exneus (Ridgway). BRONZED GRACKLE.—On May 28 and June 10, 1925, C. E. Johnson saw a piebald example with white head and mottled body plumage at Lans- downe Park, Ottawa. Fledglings and eggs were noted on the excursion made by J. 8. Lord, C. L. Patch, C. E. Johnson and me to the Mer Bleu, May 17, 1928. ¢ 47. Hesperiphona vespertina vespertina (W. Cooper). EVENING GROSBEAK.—E. G. White noted four on February 24, 1925. Mr. Whitealso reports two in the garden on April 19, 1928. Other dates for early 1928 furnished by him are: February 8, 12 near Museum; February 10, 5; February 12, 6; February 13, 12; the latter in the garden. On March 20, 1925, a flock of 42 were feeding on Mountain Ash berries on the residential grounds of Harrison !. Lewis. This group included some adult males. The birds came about 8.00 a.m. and fed freely upon the berries, taking most of those remaining upon the tree. Apparently they ate only the seeds, with the pulp immediately about them, for quantities of the outer skins, with some pulp adhering, fell upon the surface of the snow. Later occurrences were noted from March 22 to March 26. R. E. De Lury has many records of their occurrence at the Experimental Farm. 48. Pinicola enucleator leucura (Muller). PINE GROSBEAK.—E. G. White reported eight seen in his garden on February 15, 1928. Harri- son F. Lewis reports eight as being seen on April 1, 1928. The winter of 1929-30 found a number of them here and many records have come to hand, dating from the Christmas Census, 1929. They have been observed, in January, 1930, in the tree-tops from my home desk. R. E. De Lury has many records of their occurrence at the Ex- perimental Farm. 49. Carpodecus purpureus purpureus (Gme- lin). PURPLE FINCH.—There was a big flock at our feeding station during late February and March, 1929, and a number were banded. They were at other feeding stations in the city too, notably that of R. E. De Lury, where many were banded. 5 C.F.-N., 39:17, Jan., 1925. THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 163 50. Loxia __leucoptera (Gmelin). WHITE- WINGED CROSSBILL.—E. G. White tells me there were three in his garden on February 7, 1928. A flock was identified by Harrison F. Lewis, Robert Lockwood and Harlow Wright, near Aylmer, Quebec, on the Christmas Census, December 26, 1927. 51. Acanthis hornemanni exilipes (Coues). HoARY REDPOLL.—See comment under Acanthis linaria subspp. 52. Acanthis linaria linaria (Linnaeus). RED- POLL. 53. Acanthis linaria holboelli (Brehm). HOL- BOELL’S REDPOLL. 54. Acanthis linaria rostrata (Coues). GREAT- ER REDPOLL.—In the latter part of the winter of 1926, and during March and April many Redpolls came to R. E. De Lury’s garden, 330 Fairmont Avenue, Ottawa. Between March 11th and the end of April he captured and banded about 700 of them, and kept very full data of measurements, etc., which it is hoped he will publish. He tells me that most of these birds were Acanthis linaria linaria but a consider- able number would pass for Acanthis linaria holboelli, with many grading between. Nearly 200 were A. J. rostrata. About one per cent. of the number were A. hornemanni exilipes, and an equal number appeared to be intermediate between A. l. linaria and A. hornemanni exilipes. The measurements indicated every variation between A. I. linaria and A. I. rostrata. For example there were small Greater Redpolls which could be recognized as such by the short thorax and a characteristic call-note which was bell-like and could be described as contralto. As spring progressed small flocks came northward and at times the proportions of Greater Redpolls increased. A number of similar Greater Redpolls would be banded and then another group would turn up with slightly different characteristics. Dr. De Lury found as great differences between small and large Greater Redpolls as between A. l. linaria and A. I. holboelli and thinks there is little justification for holboelli except perhaps as a limiting case of A. I. linaria. There have been no returns from these bands in another season. No doubt heavy snowfalls in March, 1926, helped to bring the birds to the abundant supply of millet at Dr. De Lury’s station. 55. Spinus pinus (Wilson). PINE SISKIN.— There was a flock at home during March, 1929, and a number were banded. Numbers also visited R. E. De Lury’s place during the winter of 1928-29 and remained until spring. 56. Zonotrichia leucophrys (J. R. Foster). SPARROW.— leucophrys WHITE-CROWNED 164 The main spring flight seems to go through about the twentieth of May. Usually some are seen on the excursion of the Club which is held about this date to Fairy Lake, Hull, Quebec. On the trip to Mer Bleue, May 17, 1929, C.E. Johnson noted nine. R. E. De Lury bands some nearly every spring at his station. For three years in succes- sion the last bird left on May 27th. 57. Spizella pusilla pusilla (Wilson). FIELD SPARROW.—As this is an uncommon bird in the district it is of interest to record that E. G. White found one at Carp on May 16, 1925. 58. Melospiza melodia melodia (Wilson). SonG SPARROW.—To previous accounts of the species in the Ottawa list must now be added the fact that it is an occasional winter resident; two were seen at Deschenes, Quebec, on December 28, 1924, by Harrison F. Lewis and Robert Lockwood who were engaged in taking the Christmas Bird Census. On the afternoon of January 6, 1925, C. E. Johnson and I found one at the Ottawa South refuse dump. The bird was on the south- ern slope of a fill where Bronson Avenue is being projected across the cat-tail marsh of Dow’s Swamp. It seemed chipper and happy, and it was in fine plumage. The dump provided ample food, and even good shelter in the form of dis- earded Christmas trees. The bird’s associates were House Sparrows and rats, and Crows and Starlings were also wintering at the same place. Two were found by one party, C. E. Johnson, C. M. Sternberg and R. Sternberg, at Dow’s Swamp on the Christmas Bird Census, December 26, 1927. One was observed by R. Sternberg and Joseph Skillen on December 22, 1929, Christmas Bird Census. 59. Melospiza lincolni lincolnt (Audubon). LINCOLN’S SPARROW.—E. G. White reports seeing two in the park near his residence on April 20, 1927. R. E. De Lury has banded several at his station. 60. Melospiza georgiana (Latham). SwAMP SPARROW.—Robert Lockwood has furnished me with the first definite breeding record of which I am aware. He found a nest containg four eggs of the species, and one of the Cowbird, in a hummock of marsh grass near Fairy Lake, Hull, Quebec, on June 3, 1929. The bird was observed closely for two hours, during which period it was on the nest several times. 61. Pipilo erythrophthalmus erythrophthalmus (Linnaeus). TOWHEE.—C. E. Johnson saw one on four occasions ending with May 16, 1926, at Peat’s Island, in the Rideau River, Ottawa South. In the spring of 1929 a Towhee paid usa visit at Rockcliffe Park, and sang cheerily THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST [VoL. XLVI from the tree-tops near the house. Robert Lock- wood’s records show that it was observed on April 29, 30, May 5, 8 and 9, and not again. R. E. De Lury reports several records for his garden and one for the Experimental Farm. 62. Passerina cyanea (Linnaeus). INDIGO BuntTING.—C. E. Johnson found a singing male three miles south of Ottawa on the C.P.R., July 27, 1924. One was singing where I now live at Rockcliffe Park, on June 3, 1927, although they are not often seen in that vicinity. R. E. De Lury found one in his garden several years ago. There are a few scattered stations near Ottawa where the species can be found almost with cer- tainty. 63. Cardinalis cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus). CARDINAL.—There is no doubt whatever that an example was seen in the Kingston’s garden on Argyle Avenue, Ottawa, near the National Mu- seum, on November 28 and 29, 1923. The bird was identified by Miss Lois Kingston,§ A. G. Kingston, D. Blakely and C. E. Johnson. Like ‘ previous occurrences of the species this one was in the city, indicating the likelihood of its being an escaped cage bird and the status of the species as an Ottawa bird is still in doubt. Of course, it has become established at Toronto and may do so here. There is a possibility that this bird survived the winter as it, or another, was seen by J. Phillip Bill as well as by F. W. Waugh near where Bank Street crosses the Rideau Canal, and the occurrence was reported to me verbally. On April 18, 1924, I went there on a telephoned report that Mr. Bill had just seen it, but I failed to find the bird. 64. Petrochelidon lunifrons lunifrons (Say). CLIFF SwALLow.—A few days before June 12, 1929, C. E. Johnson reported that a colony of this species was nest-building beneath the over- hanging eaves of a residence at 203 Cameron Street, Ottawa. This residence faces the Tennis Courts, and the nests are being built mostly on the west wall which faces Dow’s Swamp. At that time there was also an almost completed nest on the back wall. At a later date Mr. Johnson discovered another nest which was partially hidden by a chimney. These city- dwelling Cliff Swallows could have come from a number of colonies, mostly small, in the surround- ing country. There is a colony known to Mr. Johnson four miles from here on the Metcalfe Road. I have a note of a closer nesting site than this, one occupied nest on a barn near Hurdman’s Bridge, seen by E. G. White and me on June 3, 1922. On July 4, 1922, two occupied nests were 6 C.F.-N., 38: 18, Jan., 1924. October, 1932] noted by Philip Foran and me at the Foran farm, five miles west of Hull, Quebec. On July 28, 1923, I saw an occupied nest at Kingsmere, Quebec, and Robert Lockwood reports a colony at Bri- tannia in the summer of 1927. It is hoped that this species is recovering here from the decrease that it has suffered for many years from no known cause. 65. Hirundo erythrogastra Boddaert. BARN SWALLOW.—Late dates are furnished by Harrison F. Lewis who saw two at Dow’s Lake on Septem- ber 28, 1927, and three on September 29, 1927. 66. Iridoprocne bicolor (Vieillot). TREE SWAL- Low.—P. A. Taverner and I think it quite pos- ible that the migration of this species in the spring of 1928 met with disaster. They came early, and after their arrival the district was visited by two severe cold spells with snow. 67. Bombycilla cedrorum (Vieillot). CEDAR WAXWING.—Harrison F. Lewis reports that a flock of twelve was feeding on Mountain Ash berries on his residential grounds, February 9, 1925. j 68. Vireosylva gilva gilva (Vieillot). _WARBLING ViIREO.—The credit for definitely finding the first nesting of the species at Ottawa belongs to C. E. Johnson who located a nest with young at Wend- over Street and the Rideau River, Ottawa South. The young were left unmolested and the nest collected July 21, 1924, for a museum exhibit. It was in an ash tree overhanging the water. 69. Dendroica fusca (Muller). BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER.—Additional breeding dates are fur- nished by E. G. White, who reports that he saw adults feeding young at Taylor’s cottage, South March Township, on July 16, 1924, and again on July 4, 1925. 70. Anthus rubescens (Tunstall). Pipit.—C. E. Johnson reports 200 and more at Britannia, Oc- tober 8, 1923. 71. Toxostoma rufum (Linnaeus). BROWN THRASHER.—Another breeding record is furnished by E. G. White who found a nest in Beechwood cemetery in the spring of 1928. 72. Cistothorus stellaris (Naumann). SHORT- BILLED MARSH WREN.—On the evening of June 16, 1929, I took A. G. Lawrence of Winnipeg for a short walk in Rockcliffe Park so that he could hear the song of the Meadowlark. In a dampish hay meadow not more than a quarter of a mile from home we found a Short-billed Marsh Wren in full song, which song was spotted instantly. The bird was identified by us with glasses (x8) at about twelve feet distance, and again by E. G. White and me on the evening of June 20, 1929. There are two previous records of the species at Ottawa. THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 165 73. Sitta carolinensis carolinensis Latham. WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH.—Another nesting date is furnished by C. E. Johnson who located a nest in a high elm at the end of Wendover Street, Ottawa South, on June 10, 1928. 74. Penthestes hudsonicus hudsonicus (J. R. Foster). HUDSONIAN CHICKADEE.—While Harri- son F. Lewis and Harlow Wright were engaged in taking a Christmas Bird Census they observed one individual near Aylmer, Quebec, on Decem- ber 26, 1927. On October 24, 1925, I secured two specimens a few miles from Ottawa near the Rideau River. 75. Regulus satrapa satrapa Lichtenstein. GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET.—Previous lists do not record the occurrences of this species in winter, although it is noted in Christmas Censuses taken at Arnprior. On December 25, 1924, I saw one in the evergreens at Fairy Lake, near Hull, Quebec, when I was on an excursion with Robert Lockwood and H. A. Lloyd. It was at the foot of a tree and gave me a splendid view at close range with field glasses. The crown patch was plainly visible. On December 26, 1927, two parties on the Christmas Bird Census reported them as follows: C. E. Johnson, C. M. Sternberg and R. Sternberg (2); F. H. Ostrom, (7). The first nest for the district was found at Alcove, Quebec, on July 31, 1929, by D. H. Baker.” 76. Hylocichla mustelina (Gmelin). Woop THRUSH.—It was a singing Wood Thrush, in June, 1927, that sold me the site of my present home at Rockcliffe Park, and even at that I was none too sure of the singer, for this song, like others, is forgotten by my poor ear during the long intervals when none is heard. In the spring of 1928 we were living there, and more time was available to get acquainted with this avian real estate agent. It was finally hunted down and identified on May 25, 1928, in fact on that date two singing males were found. On the 26th I saw one while I was having breakfast and Mrs. Lloyd kept track of them during my absence that day and reported that she thought they were nesting. On June 6th my diary records them singing, morning and evening, and at other times on cloudy days. On June 11th one near the house was much agitated when it found a family of seven Screech Owls in its territory. On the same evening a neighbour’s boy, William Bell, attended a lecture of mine, and when I showed a picture of the Wood Thrush he told Mrs. Lloyd that he knew where there was a Wood Thrush’s 7 C.F.-N., 43: 207, Dec., 1929. 166 nest. He proved he was correct the: next day when he showed her a nest which contained four eggs, and which was placed in an ironwood sap- ling five feet from the ground. The male sang near-by while I photographed the female on the nest. On the 24th the young thrushes were well feathered and filled the nest. On the 27th Master Bell and Robert Lockwood reported that they had flown, and that the old ones were laying again. On July 1st the nest contained one egg with a big hole in it and the old birds were no- where near it. It was certainly delightful to find this rare Ottawa bird nesting within 150 feet of my house. R. E. De Lury tells me he found singing Wood Thrushes in this vicinity some three years prior to my location of them. Robert Lockwood found another nest with four eggs on June 9, 1929, at Rockcliffe Park. It was in a maple sapling about ten feet from the ground. There are about three singing males in the colony near my house. 77. Hylocichla alicie alicie (Baird). GRAY- CHEEKED THRUSH.—So few specimens are record- ed from Ottawa, that it is of interest to note that one killed itself by flying against my study window, and was found beneath it on September 22, 1928. 78. Planesticus migratorius migratorius (Lin- naeus). ROBIN.—Winter occurrences are report- ed fairly regularly as in the Christmas Bird Cen- suses. F. H. H. Williamson saw one on the morning of December 14, 1925. In one of the radio lectures on bird topics given by members of the Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club, chiefly in the winter of 1924-25, C. B. Hutchings gave a report respecting a Robin being in Mrs. R. D. THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST [VoL. XLVI Brown’s place every morning for a couple of weeks after January 14, 1925, including one morning when the temperature was thirty degrees below zero F. It came for Mountain Ash berries, and, according to R. E. De Lury, was still there on February 10, 1925. They occur at the Experi- mental Farm nearly every winter according to R. E. De Lury. He says they swallow whole frozen crab-apples half-an-inch in diameter. In the spring of 1929 a piebald specimen was seen for several days near the Rideau Bridges, Sussex Street. 79. Sialia sialis sialis (Linnaeus). BLUEBIRD. —R. EH. De Lury banded one at Hathersall’s feeding station, Carleton Avenue, just west of Ottawa on December 21, 1924.8 EXTRALIMITAL 80. Alle alle (Linnaeus). DOVEKIE.—A Dove- kie was shot at Mississippi Lake, Carleton Place, Ontario, the last week in October, 1924. Identi- fication was made by Mr. E. G. White, January 2, 1925, and checked by Mr. P. A. Taverner. I am told that the bird was shot by a Mr. Patterson. Since Carleton Place is a mile or two outside the defined boundaries of the Ottawa area, this occurrence in not included in the Ottawa list. 81. Branta bernicla glaucogasira (Brehm). BRANT.—A young bird was shot by Leo McDiar- mid at Mississippi Lake, near Carleton Place, Ontario, on November 8, 1926. The specimen was seen in the flesh and identified by Mr. E. G. White. It was mounted and is preserved, and is apparently the first Ottawa district specimen to be saved. The locality is just outside of the defined Ottawa district. 8 C.F.-N., 39: 24, Jan., 1925. FOOD OF THE AMERICAN MERGANSER, (MERGUS MERGANSER AMERI- CANUS) IN BRITISH COLUMBIA A PRELIMINARY PAPER By J. A. MUNRO, Chief Federal Migratory Bird Officer for the the Western Provinces, National Parks of Canada, Department of Interior, and W. A. CLEMENS, Director, Pacific Biological Station, Nanaimo, B.C. “JOR some years there has been consider- | able public discussion regarding the food habits of those ducks commonly known as mergansers or sawbills. Many persons believe that the feeding habits of the mergansers are very destructive to fishing interests and from time to time have requested the removal of the protection afforded these birds by law or the ini- tiation of such measures as would bring about a large reduction in their numbers. Ornithological or fishery literature, apart from general statements concerning the fish-eating habits of these ducks, contains little precise information on the subject. Therefore, it seemed most desirable that a thor- ough investigation be made. Accordingly, the Migratory Bird Service of the National Parks of Canada, Department of the Interior, and the Pa- cific Biological Station of the Biological Board of Canada have undertaken a study of the two com- mon species known as the American Merganser October, 1932] and the Red-breasted Merganser, based on the analyses of stomach contents and opservations in the field. Up to the present time there have been examined one hundred and fifty-seven stomachs of the American Merganser, which ma- terial has been obtained very largly through the courtesy of the Dominion Department of Fisherise to the officers of which sincere thanks areextended. Acknowledg- ment is also made to the Bureau of Biological Survey, United States Department of Agriculture, Wash- ington, D.C., for the use of certain data pertaining to Okanagan lake. It has been thought advisable to present this preliminary report of a summary character at the pre- sent time and to postpone presen- tation of a detailed report upon this species and upon the Red- breasted Merganser until much more data have been assembled. It should be pointed out that the two species must be considered se- parately because of differences in habitats, in breeding ranges, in feeding grounds and in food ma- terials taken. The American Mer- ganser is resident on the lakes and rivers of the coast region and is the species commonly found on the rivers above tidal] influence. It breeds in the interior also but winters there only in small num- bers. The Red-breasted Mergan- ser, on the other hand, occurs as THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 167 SPECIES OF FISHES TAKEN BY AMERICAN MERGANSER COAST REGION OF BRITISH COLUMBIA 61 SPECIMENS SCULPINS JANUARY ve MAY JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER STICKLEBACK 16% INTERIOR OF BRITISH COLUMBIA 48 SPECIMENS JANUARY FEBRUARY JUNE SCULPINS 23.6% AUGUST 59 LAKE SHINER SEPTEMBER 137% SQUAW FISH 11.8% SUCKER BASED ON NUMBER OF TIMES OF OCCURRENCE is relatively small migrant on the interior lakes and rivers, but winters abundantly on the coast. There it is chiefly a bird of the sea, not commonly as- cending the rivers above tidal influence. The data concerning the food of the Red-breasted Merganser are not reported upon at the present time since only thirty-six stomachs have been available. In the following tabulations the specimens have been grouped according to the four localities. It will be noted that most of the months of the year are represented but that there is a lack with respect to the spring months. It is hoped that this deficiency will be met during the next two years. In addition to the tables, diagrams are presented to illustrate the frequency of occurrence of the various species of fishes taken by mergan- sers in certain lakes and rivers. FOOD ITEMS, TABULATED Fifty-six specimens from the Interior of British Columbia collected in January, February, May, July, August, September, October and November. : FooD ITEMS Number of times found Sucker, Catostomus catostomus............ 2 Sucker, Catostomus macrocheilus.......... 1 Lake Shiner, Leuciscus balteatus.......... 9 Chub, Mylocheilus lateralis............... 11 Sculpey Coiusospc ene ee 11 Sculpin; ‘Cottus piilonipses. 2. 70... 564. 1 Sculpin, unidentified cotioids............. 3 Squawfish, Ptychocheilus oregonensis....... 6 Eastern Speckled Trout, Salvelinus fontin- Nes Diet cto aig HAR RR IRCA eres 3 1 168 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST [VoL. XLVI Foop ITEMS Number of iin fone of (oe SREGIES OF BIStES Kok LO hynch 5 okanee neorhnynchus ne TAKEN BY AMERICAN MERGANSER _ MORRISON LAKE, _ CAMPBELL RIVER 20 SPECIMENS | 12 SPECIMENS rka kennerleyi........ Salmon eggs (Sockeye?).... Crawfish, Callianassa sp... Stone fly, Perla sp. (larva). Crane fly, Tipulidae (adult) Dragon fly, Odonata (adult) Fly, Diptera (adult)....... Beetle, Cerambycidae...... Beetle, Carabidae......... Moth, Lepidoptera........ Insect remains not identi- a SQUAWFISH Fresh water sponge, Porifera 180% PAULINE Ninteen specimens from main- 58% land coast region collected in January, February, May, July, August, September, October and November. OKANAGAN LAKE HENDERSON LAKE Sculpin, Leptocottus armatus 5 [oSGECIENS RMSE || 2 SPSCUTEINS AUGUST Seulpin, Cottus asper...... 1 Sculpin, Cottidae.......... 4 Stickleback, Gasterosteus cataphractus aot Ht Eulachon, Thaleichthys paci- ECUS Spee ee cork) Silman 2 i 3 il 1 1 GC > bt et Fr CO Ft Ft DO CO CO DD STICKLEBACK 67% Pipe fish, Syngnathus gri- seolineatus. ASS NLD haces eto Perch, Cymatogaster ag- gregatus Sole ieriees eer mmele Insects not identified...... . Crustaceans, Isopoda..... Crustaceans, Amphipoda. . COWICHAN RIVER MAINLAND COAST Salmon CES MTT ae Bie 3 | 8 SPECIMENS RC EER 15 SPECIMENS pees aes Seventy-one specimens from Vancouver island collected in Jan- uary, August, October, November SCULPINS and December. 50% 11% Spring salmon, Oncorhyn- : chus tschawytscha...... 1 Steelhead, Salmo gairdnert. 1 AGrOULS ALILORS Deena ier 1 Stickleback, Gasterosteus a- culeatus....... pha si 9 6 2 SCULPINS STICKLEBACK | DECOMPOSED SALMON Seulpin, Cottus asper. i ea Seulpin, Oligocottus macu- DRAWN IN ENGINEERING SERVICE, NATIONAL PARKS OF CANADA. LOSUSE erence apne Sculpin, Leptocottus armatus.............. FooD ITEMS Number of Sculpin, Cottidae, not identified........... 1 times found Bigracnnme, Cyne OWS, 2665565 ac00cnsce Water Strider, Hemiptera............... OckaC OGM S COCSLOC ESS) Stee iene nee Insect fragments not identified........... 1 Perch, Cymatogaster aggregatus........... Snail, Molluseaisc (25.1. . ic donee 1 Sand Launce, Ammodytes personatus...... Fresh water sponge, Porifera............. 1 Decomposedesalimone sen eee ie Salmiomiecesyac 224 sie hs ae ee) SERS CrabsrD ecapodar acc: Mime ie ciscaets Nine specimens from Tlell river, Queen Charlotte Islands, collected in April, May and PRIN PRR NRR Crustacecanmlsopodaa ner erern orn: August. hone kere, AAG CUCKOLD, o GAReIM ola o did. o ellsiula oelaas Trout; Salmo sp) hye ee ee 3 Caterpillars Wepidopteray eee eee SculpinsCoitusiguiosusss |. eee 2 IMhy, IDiiowere) (AVE) goo np apocdcovececeds SculpinsCottvdach. | sae eee 3 Beetle Coleopterdine +c. ccs oe een eee Sculpin,; eg@gss sc. 40) 4. Pais kee eee 1 October, 1932! THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 169 INFORMATION SERVICE Answers to questions submitted will be given by specialists in cases where the reply is of general interest. Questions of less general in- terest will be answered by mail. Would you kindly advise me where the male hummingbird goes to after the mating season? Would you also advise me if the robins of Al- berta make a temporary migration after the fledglings are able to fly? The robin population of Alberta appears to be increasing very rapidly. It is no exaggeration to say that there are thousands around this town every spring and summer for the last few years. In the early part of August they disappear and from then on until fall very few are to be seen. The writer does considerable driving through the country and an examination of the woods and thickets reveals the presence of very few robins during the time indicated above. Any information you can give me on these matters will be greatly appreciated —A.M., La- combe, Alta. It is an interesting question where the adult male hummingbirds disappear to in the summer. As soon as serious nesting begins with the female, the male seems to vanish and is never seen in the vicinity of the nest. Thereafter the great majority of the hummers observed are females and young birds. This summer I saw a single adult male in my garden shortly after the middle of August which is the latest I can recall ever having seen one. In British Columbia the com- mon impression is that the males follow the flower season up the mountains to the alpine meadows. Whether this is the result of inference only or of direct observation I do not know, but it cannot be true to the east where there are no mountains; yet the same absence of males can be noted. Per- haps these males return south again as early in the season as their services can be dispensed with. Of course August is a very quiet time for most birds. As soon as their reproductive duties are over most of them undergo a complete moult, a process that is a considerable tax on their sys- tems. During it they are usually very retiring and quiet and largely disappear from observation. After they acquire a new plumage they become more active again rebuilding their systems for the exertions of migration. At this time many species join together in large flocks before leaving in a body. Under various local food conditions much of this sequence of retirement, reappearance, flocking and leaving is obscured in the case of the Robin.. They are very fond of small fruit and, as soon as such is ripe or the insect or worm requirements of their young are past, subsist upon it almost exclusively. Here in the east Robins consume great quantities of mountain ash, honey-suckle, climbing bitter-sweet berries, wild grapes, apples, etc, They may en- tirely dssert their familiar habitats and concentrate where such food is available. If the Robins seem to desert your locality in August I should surmise that the above is the reason; they are seeking soft fruit and are likely to be found in some con- centration in such sheltered coulees or other lo- calities where such food can be found. The re- appearance of the species again in the fall may be due to the passage of northern birds in migration, the exhaustion of the food supply supply elsewhere, or both. In any event it would be an interesting problem for you to work out.—P.A.T. Will you kindly tell me if any of the eagles line their nests with down (from the mother’s breast) and also whether they pull the nests apart later on, in order that the young will learn to fly. I heard these statements made recently and won- dered if this is the case—A. E. McL., Hamilton, Ont. I do not think there is any ground for either of these more or less popular beliefs. The usual nest of the Bald Eagle is a large mass of sticks, many of them of considerable size, in tops of tall trees or occasionally on ledges of cliffs. With the Golden Eagle the two locations are re- versed and the cliff nest is the more usual. The tops of the nests are usually scarcely, if at all, cupped but merely flat platforms with the interestices filled in with rubbish, grass, and dirt adhering to the roots but contain no more feathers or down than is accidentally worn or dropped from the parents or partially plucked prey they bring. The young, asthey approach flight stage wander over the nest platform and finally work their way to adjoining branches, and, when strong enough, require little or no urging to make their first flight. The whole idea that young birds have to be taught to fly is, I think, wrong. A young bird taking off from the nest for the first time flies perfectly and instinctively, only lacking strength and endurance. Sometimes birds are frightened from the nest or are forced from other causes to leave the nest pre- maturely and before their muscles are strong enough to support them. It is such flutterings 170 and the anxiety of the parents to lead them to safety that has suggested that the parents “teach” them to fly. I have seen many birds take their first flight from the nest and, when properly grown, they do so with surprising sureness, and little lack of cordination but tire easily. Normally there is no necessity to force them from the nest, the natural restlessness of growing strength being sufficient urge for them to try their wings. Nests that have been trampled over for some time by heavy, nearly grown, youngsters are na- turally often in need of repair and may be more BORN 1882 'D| fessor of Biology in Queen’s University, CY Kingston, Ontario, died on June 1, 1932, Sed of injuries received earlier in the day when his automobile was struck by a railway train on a level crossing near Kingston. By his death, naturalists and the science of biology suffer a heavy loss. Alfred Brooker Klugh was born in London, England, in 1882, and received his primary edu- eation in a private school in England. He came to Canada with his parents in 1896 and continued his studies with private tutors. He then spent five years at the Ontario Agricultural College, Guelph, and during part of that time was an in- structor in nature study and especially ornitholo- gy. He entered Queen’s University in 1906, gra- duating in 1910 with the degree of M.A. and with the medal in Botany. In the next session he was appointed lecturer in Biology in Queen’s Universi- ty, and remained on the staff there until his death. He obtained leave of absence to study physiology at Harvard and zoology at Cornell, and received the degree of Ph.D. from the latter in 1926. He is survived by his wife and both his parents. Dr. Klugh combined in a rare and remarkable degree the traditions of the old school of natural- ists, who took all Nature as their field, with the ability for intensive study of the modern, highly specialized scientist. His studies covered every group, from microscopic forms to mammals, and every problem of classification, ecology, distribu- tion, life history, and behaviour. This broad knowledge, available instantly through his accur- ate memory, was invaluable to him and to his students and formed the foundation for his inten- sive research on special problems. The results of his studies have appeared in the papers which he contributed to scientific journals, and at the same THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST ALFRED BROOKER KLUGH R. A. BROOKER KLUGH, Associate Pro- [VoL. XLVI or less broken down, which may have given rise to the belief that the old birds tear them apart. Nests are occupied year after year and are repair- ed and added to at the beginning of each nesting season, often assuming immense size through an- nual accretions. Intimate and detailed accounts of the home life of the Bald Eagle have been given by Prof. Fran- cer H. Herrick, Auk, 41, 1924, and 49, 1932, from observations made from blinds on steel towers purposely erected for the purpose beside tree nests. —P. A. TAVERNER. DIED 1932 time he increased the general interest in nature study by articles in more popular magazines. His publications include many series of articles on wild life and nature study, on the distribution. migration, and behaviour of birds, on the distribu- tion and behaviour of animals, on the producti- vity of lakes and other topics of ecology, on nature photography including colour photography, and on ecological photometry and the measurement of ultraviolet light and the effect of ultraviolet light on plants and animals. Ecological photometry was latterly his greatest interest. He designed a photometer to measure the intensity of visible and ultraviolet light on land and under water. He found that ultraviolet light has a lethal effect on many small animals in the sea, and he correlated the sensitiveness of these animals to ultraviolet light with their distribution and movements in the sea. He studied the rate of photosynthesis of marine plants in light of dif- ferent colours, and he correlated this with their colour and the intensity of the light which reaches them at various depths. The scientific and econ- omic importance of his researches were generally recognized, and he received practical and financial assistance from Queen’s University, The National Research Council of Canada, and The Biological Board of Canada, the latter body building for his use a special laboratory at the Atlantic Biological Station at St..Andrews, N.B. Dr. Klugh was not only a student; he was also a teacher. His wide knowledge was always avail- able to his fellow workers and enabled him to di- rect and assist his students in many fields of bio- logical investigations. But he imparted much more than information and advice to his students; he gave them also an eager enthusiasm in their search for knowledge. It is by his students that his loss will be most keenly felt—R.O.M. DRICK: . Affiliated Societies NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF MANITOBA 1929-30 President Emeritus: J. J. GOLDEN; Honorary President: Nor MAN CRIDDLE; Past President: H. M. SPEECHLY, M.D., V° W. JACKSON M.Sc., J. J. GoLpEN, C. W. Lowe M.Sc., J. B* Wats, M.A., A. A. McCousrey, A. M. DAvipson, M.D.’ Vice-Presidents: G. SHIRLY Brooks, A. G. LAWRENCE, H. C:- Pearce, C. L. BRotEy, B. W. CARTWRIGHT, W. H. RAND» President: R. A. WARDLE, M.Sc.; General Secretary: Mrs. L. R. Smwpson; Treasurer: N. Lows; Executive Secretary: S. H. BENNETT; Librarian: R. M. THOMAS. — Meetings are held each Monday evening, except on holidays from October to April, in the physics theatre of the University, Winnipeg. Field excursions are held each Saturday after- noon during May, June and September, and on public holidays during July and August. THE HAMILTON BIRD PROTECTION SOCIETY (Incorporated) _ Hon. President: W. E. SAUNDERS, London, Ont.; President® REV. CALVIN McQugEsToON; Vice-President: R. OWENMERRI- MAN, M.A., Kingston, Ont.; First Vice-President: Dr. H. G* ARNOTT; Second Vice-President: Mrs. F. E. MAcLOGHLIN; Recording Secretary: J. ROLAND BRowN; Secretary-Treasur er: Miss NINA DUNCAN; Assistant Secretary-Treasurer: Miss E. McEwIn; Junior Committee: Miss M. E. GRAHAM; Pro- gramme Committee: Rv. C. A. HRAVEN; Extension Committee: H. C. Nunn. McILWRAITH ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB, LONDON, ONT. President: MR. EDISON MATTHEWS, 25 Wyatt Street, London, Ont.; VicesPresident: Mr. E. D. BRAND, 148 William Street, London, Ont.; Recording Secretary: MR. VERNON FRANKS, 195 Duchess Ave., London, Ont.; Corresponding Secretary and Treasurer: Mr. W. G. GIRLING, 530 English St., London, Ont. Migration Secretary: Mr. E. M. S. DALE, 297 Hyman Street, London, Ont.; Members qualified to answer questions: SAUNDHRS, 240 Central Avenue, London, Ont.; - EK. C. G. WATSON, 201 Ridout Street South, London, Ont.: J. F. CALVERT, 461 Tecumseh Avenue, London, Ont.; E.M.S. DALE, 297 Hyman Street, London, Ont. : Meetings held the second Monday of the month, except during the summer. VANCOUVER NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY Honorary President. L.S. Kuincx, LL.D., President Univer- sity of B.C.; President: JoHN Davipson, F.L.S., F.B.S.E., University of B.C.; Vice-President: PRor. M. Y. WILLIAMs, Honorary Secretary: C. F. Connor, M.A., 3529 W. 2nd Avenue, Vancouver, B.C.; First Assistant Secretary: Betty HERD; 2nd Assisiant Secretaru: MR. VERNON WIE- Honorary Treasurer: A. H. Bain, 2142 Collingwood Street, Vancouver, B.C.; Librarian: Mrs. McCrriamMon; Members of Executive: Miss BE. J. Smita, Mr. J. D. TURNBULL, - Mr. B. J. Woop, Mr. P. L. Tatt, Mr. R. J. Cummine; Au- ditors: H. G. SELWoop, W. B. Woops. d All. meetings at 8 p.m., Auditorium, Normal School, 10th Avenue and Cambie Street, unless otherwise announced. PROVINCE OF QUEBEC SOCIETY FOR THE -PROTECTION OF BIRDS INC. OFFICERS & COMMITTEE: Past Presidents: Mr. L. Mcl. TerrRinL, Mr. NAPIER SMITH; President: Mr. W. S. HART; Vice-Presidents: Mr. H. A. C. JACKSON, Mrs. C. L. HENDERSON; Vice-President and Treasurer; Mr. Henry Mousey; Secretary: Miss M. Sears; Curator: Miss EmMity G. LukE; Commiticee: Mrs.C.F. DALE, Mrs. H. HIBBERT, Miss K. D. MALCOURONNE, Miss EDITH Morrow, Miss M.S. NIcoLson, Mr. W. A. OSWALD, Mr. R. A. OUTHET, Mr. R. B. Ross, Jr., Mr. NAPIER Smita, Mr. L. Mcli. SPACKMAN, Mr. L. MclI. TERRILL, Mr. G. J. C. TiGAR, Mr. V. C.WYNNE-EDWARDS. Address all correspondence to the Society at P.O. Box 11865, ' Montreal, P.Q., Canada. Miss — ‘ . SOCIETE PROVANCHER D’HISTOIRE NATURELLE DU CANADA Patron Honoraire: Son Excellence, Le TRES HONORABLE CoMTE DE BussBpoRouGcH, P.C., G.C.M.G., Gouverneur- Général du Canada; Vice-Patron Honoraire: HONORABLE M. H. G. Carroiu, Lieutenant-Gouverneur de la Province de Québec; Bureau de Direction pour 1932: Président: ADRIEN FALARDEAU, C.R.; ier vice-président: W. STUART ATKINSON; 2éme vice-président: MAsorR Jos. MATTE; Secrétaire-irésorier: Louis-B. LAvomm; Chef de la section scientifique: Dr. D.-A. Dery; Chef de la section de Propagande éducationnelle: EDGAR RocHETTEH, C.R., M.P.P.; Chef de la section de protec- tion: KR. MEREDITH, N.P.; Chef de la section d'information Scientifique et pratique: G. STUART AHERN; Directeurs: DR. J.-E. BERNIER, Jos.-S. BLAIS, ANGUS GRAHAM. , Secrétaire-trésorier: LouIs-B. LAVorE 38, rue Sherbrooke, Québec. THE TORONTO F IELD-NATURALISTS’ CLUB OFFICERS FOR 1931-32. Honorary President: PROFESSOR A. P. COLEMAN; President: CoLin S. FARMER; Hon. Vice-Presidents: HoN. CHAS. MCCREA, Dr. N. A. POWELL, Mr. J. H. FLEMING: Vice-President: A. M. PATTERSON; Secretary-Treasurer: C. G. BRENNAND; Publicity- Secretary: Dr. L. B. JACKES; Executive Committee: PRoF. E. M. WALKER, Mr. STUART THOMPSON, PROF. J. R. DYMOND, Dr. NoRMA FORD, MAGISTRATE J. E. JONES, Pror. T. F. MCILLWRAITH, MR. FRED Ipz, Mr. F. C. Hurst, Mr. RUPERT Pror. E. M. WALKER, DR. NorMA Forp, Mr. F. P. IDE; Botany—PrRoF. R. B. THOMSON, ProFr. H. B. Sirton, Dr. G. WricHt, Mr. W. R. WATSON, MR. OWEN, Dr. T. McCTayLor; Geology—PRoF. A. MCLEAN. t BRITISH COLUMBIA BIRD AND MAMMAL SOCIETY. President: Dr. M. Y. WIuiAMs; First Vice-President; HAMILTON M. Laine; Second Vice-President: Dr. C. J. BASTIN: Secretary-Treasurer: KENNETH RACEY, 3262 West Ist Ave. Vancouver, B.C. t We would ask the Officers, and more particularly the Secretaries, of all the. Affiliated Societies to assist us in our task of building up the circulation of this magazine. By securing every member as a subscriber we can truly make this magazine into one of the leading Natural History publications of America. PERSONAL > STATIONERY | We are now in a position to meet all your requirements in stationery of every de- scription—from a filing system toa business or calling card. We handle everything used in an office. The Capital Stamp & Stationery Co. ¥ 80 O'CONNOR STREET OTTAWA Phone QUEEN 6704 a Publishers of Tee Canadian F teld- Naturalist. | i a a RE SS ESS eam }O acrneemmmecam? bd emcee ne) remanent Crabtree Limited Artists and Designers THE HOOD INSECT BOX _ - Pest-proof 2. Wooden Frame 3. High shoulder, baa | Ae protecting specimens ~~ fi BLUEPRINTERS ENGRAVERS 4. Excellent pinning bottom COMMERCIAL 5. 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'JENNESS, C. E. JOHNSON, A. G. KINGSTON, E. M. KINDLE, W File ts LANCELEY, A. LAROocQuE, : DOUGLAS LEECHMAN, FIARRISON F. LEwIs, HovEs LuioyD, W. TT, Macoun, M. 0. MALTE, MARK G. MCELHINNEY, G. "A, MILER, A. E. PORSILD, G. S. POSTLETHWAITE, E. E. PRINCE, J. DEWEY Soper, P. A. TAVERNER, E. F. G. WHITE, W. J. WINTEMBERG, and Presidents of Affiliated Societies Edttor: DouGLAS LEECHMAN National Museum, Ottawa, Canada. Associate Editors: 1. D. JENNESS......... AP SHR AUN Anthropology SV CLYDE) PATCH). ua kcumin onal ss Herpetology i M.O.MALTE........... WV ON Nala Botany R. M. ANDERSON....... AEA Me Mammalogy F. R. LATCHFORD................ Conchology A. G. HUNTSMAN.......... ..Marine Biology — ‘ARTHUR GIBSON...............: . Entomology PAL TAVERNER 00.) e ....Ornithology OD PAECOCK Ec ia eG BA MT SNe Geology Bi MKINDES eee phy Palecni ae CONTENTS 5 ae ‘PAGE Further Notes on the Birds, Orchids, Ferns and Butterflies of the Province of Quebec, 1931. By. Henry Moausleye (iy ou dont eee sa hn Le Es Manele lb) & liao (el S/R Eh pA ee (Ate Methods of Insect Controlin the Tropics. By George N. Wolcott.......................... 174 “Samson’s Shoulder Stone’, An Erratic near Perth, Lanark County, Ontario. By M. E. Wilson 177 The Ce aah Vole (Clethrionomys gappert loringi Bailey) in Southern Manitoba. fe Stuart re. BIG eye ee tO NS Ce A Sd ane Seale rr VB ee Notes on Some Rare Birds in the Montreal District. By V. C. Wynne-Edwards............. 181 | How Deer Respond to Kindness if Taken when Young. By Alfred Kay..................... 1838/0 A Middle Devonian Fauna from Nordegg, Alberta. By P.S. Warren....................... 184 a. Notes on the Distribution of Salmo salar and Salvelinus alpinus in Northeastern Canada. By HALE ig 6005 010 PRR aD RRC Dn ee Oa NOMA ALS Ge RTO Gare NERV OMOMAI U CLAD Ie Se) 185 The Significance of the. Physiography of the Cypress Hills. By C. H. Crickmay............. 185 Notes on the Habits of the Porcupine. By Alfred Kay........................... eth Meme toi tro! A Few Records of Mammals from Manitoba. By Sturt Criddle...... Sa? Oe a SB A a INO ICES HOTHIME OTTO Nal ii ABO COG ir Se UR EASA GME EI SY Se i ac » eid ee Le 189 Notes and Observations:— \ Nee Microsorex hoyi hoyi at Toronto, Ontario. By Clifford E. Hope. . SUE Mas OARS a ToO ai Black-crowned Night Heron in Okanagan Valley, B.C, By Eric M. Wait...) Dhaene DO ane White Pelican on Vancouver Island. By Hamilton M. Mang. si 20) ieee eae (Et LO ORS Gas Spring Records of Pectoral Sandpipers at London, Ontario. By W. E. Saunders........ 190 Hawk Migration in Essex County, Ontario. By Manly Be Minera gg ae PUA INL Bird Notes from the Vicinity of Castor, Alberta. By T. E. Randall.................. 191 Nesting of Sandhill Crane. ; By Hamilton M. Laing Book Reviews The official publications of THE OTTAWA FIELD-NATURALISTS’ CLUB have been issued @ since 1879. The first were The Transactions of the Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club, 1879-1886, # two volumes; the next, The Ottawa Naturalist, 1886-1919, thirty-two volumes: and these have si} been continued by The Canadian Field-Naturalist to date. The Canadian Field-Naturalist is # fi issued monthly, except for the months of June, July and August. Its scope is the publication : of the results of original research in all departments of Natural History. B \ Price of this volume (9 et ea Single Srlghes 25¢ each i The Membership Committee of The Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club is oenes a special effort to increase the subscription list of The Canadian Field-Naturalist. We are, therefore, asking every reader _ who is truly interested in the wild life of our country to help this magazine to its rightful place among the leading Natural History publications in America. Subseriptions ($2.00 a year) should be forwarded to WILMOT LLOYD, Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club, 582 Mariposa Ave., i Rockcliffe Park, OTTAWA, CANADA. The Saltese Field-Naturalist VOL. XLVI OTTAWA, CANADA, NOVEMBER, 1932 No. 8 FURTHER NOTES ON THE BIRDS, ORCHIDS, FERNS AND BUTTERFLIES OF THE PROVINCE OF QUEBEC, 1931 By HENRY MOUSLEY ONTINUING my notes from where I left off on October 6, 1930,1 the season of 1931 did not open too auspiciously, the early spring being wet and cold, besides which, a bad fire lasting for four days burnt out most of our happy hunting grounds at Chambly. On April 19 a nest of the Prairie Horned Lark (Otocoris alpestris praticola) at Montreal West, containing three young—almost ready to leave—and one of the Killdeer (Oxyechus vociferus) with two eggs were visited, and inci- dentally, the first Cabbage White Butterfly (Pieris rape) was seen, this being a real emer- gence from the chrysaljis, and not an example of the many hibernating species, some of which can _ often be seen on warm days in late winter or early spring, and which the newspapers usually herald in with large head lines. May 2, at St. Rose, was the opening field day of the Province of Quebec Society for the Protection of Birds, when a party of us found four nests of the Bronzed Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula zeneus), two Killdeer and one Prairie Horned Lark, the two former all containing eggs, the latter young birds which were so beautifully camouflaged that it was a long time before they could be located. The day following found a party of us at Chambly where we were fortunate in finding one Wood- _ cock’s (Philohela minor) nest containing four fresh eggs, the whole of the woodcock ground _ with the exception of one small corner having been _ burnt over by the disastrous fire already men- _ tioned. The Round-leaved Violet (Viola rotundi- _ folia) was in prime condition, whilst the first _ Azure Butterfly (Lycznopsis pseudargiolus) was also seen. Two days later, on May 5, another _ Woodcock’s nest was found near St. Lambert _ but instead of fresh eggs the nest contained only empty egg shells, the young having vacated it quite recently, apparently. A Killdeer’s nest not far off contained three eggs. t May 8 found Mr. Wynne-Edwards and myself 1 Can. Ficld-Nat., 46:1, Jan. 1932. again at Chambly, photographing the Woodcock on its nest. Thirty-one species of birds were observed, the most interesting being a pair of Red Crossbills (Loxa curvirostra pusilla). The day following a party of us journeyed to the St. Andrews Bird Sanctuary, where forty-two species of birds were observed, the most interesting—for these parts—being a Mourning Dove (Zenaidura macroura carolinensis). This preservation of some 2,000 acres—situated about thirty-six miles northeast of Montreal at the junction of the Ottawa and North Rivers and in close proximity to Argenteuil Bay—famous for its bird life— really belongs to certain landowners of the village of St. Andrews, Quebec, who, in conjunction with our Bird Society here were fortunate in obtaining an Order-in-Council from the Federal Govern- ment at Ottawa constituting the property a Bird Sanctuary, which some day it is hoped may be enlarged and that its example will spread to other localities suitable for such purposes. May 10 was somewhat of a red letter day, as in company with my friend Mr. Napier Smith, I found a nest of Wilson’s Snipe (Capella delicata) near Lachine containing four young birds just hatching out. Three Killdeer’s nests were also visited, all con- taining eggs. It was on May 13 that I paid another visit to Chambly only to find the remains of a tragedy, one of the Woodcock’s eggs being entirely missing, whilst the other three were damaged, one with a hole jabbed in it, the other two with their sides partly crushed in as though they had been trodden upon. What tales of woe we could unfold regarding these poor birds! The little Ram’s Head Lady’s Slipper (Cypripedium arietinum) was just coming into bud. Nine species of warblers were seen, the best for these parts being the Pine Warbler (Dendroica pinus). On May 15 a Killdeer’s nest with four eggs was found on a coal dump near St. Lambert, in almost the same spot as in 1929. A few plants of Rho- dora (Rhododendron canadense) were in prime condition. May 16—On this date the nest of Killdeers found on April 19 near Montreal West now con- 172 tained three chicks, the fourth hatching out the day following, the last egg having been laid on April 21—incubation thus lasting 26 days. May 19—Nest of Killdeer near Lachine now contained four young birds, just hatched out, incubation in this case having lasted 26 days also. Some nice photographs were obtained of the old bird brood- ing the young. Bros. Marie-Victorin and Roland to Chambly to see a beautiful stand of the rare little Ram’s Head Lady’s Slipper which was in the pink of condition. A new station for the Witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginianus) was discovered, this being the nearest southern one of Montreal, the nearest northern one being at Oka, Four very interesting abnormal plants of the Wild Sarsaparilla (Aralia medicaulis) were also found—close to the Ram’s Head Lady’s Slipper colony—in which the carpels were trans- formed into simple leaves, thus giving the inflor- escence a very unusual bunchy appearance. May 28—Took several photographs of a Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularia) incubating her three eggs. I quite as often find this number of eggs comprising a full set as I do the usual four. May 29 was anything but a red letter day, as on visiting the only known station—a very small one—in the Province for the handsome Striped Coral Root (Corallorrhiza striata), near St. Francois de Sales, not a single bloom or sign of a plant could be found, although some plants of the Ram’s Head Lady’s Slipper—which grow near it—were still in bloom. When I last visited the colony in June, 1929, several plants were then in flower. Let us hope that there are now taking a rest—a thing not unknown to orchidists —and not that the station has been wiped out, which I can hardly imagine seeing that it is known to so few of us. May 30—On this date thesecond field excursion of members of the Province of Quebec Society for the Protection of Birds was undertaken to St. Andrews Bird Sanctuary, where 57 species of birds were seen, possibly the most interesting find being that of a Yellow Warbler’s (Dendroica zxstiva) nest containing a Cowbird’s (Molothrus ater) egg, in which no attempt had yet been made to build over the offending egg, as is usual with this species of warbler. Of course there may not have been time to do this, as pos- sibly the Cowbird’s egg had only been deposited in the nest that very day. June 3 will ever remain memorable, as I saw for the first time the Putty-root (Aplectrum hyemale) in flower—in its only known station in the Province near Oka— but only one example, although, as previously recorded, I had photographed over thirty plants in leaf on October 1, 1930. This is another instance of the vagaries of the orchids for it does THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST May 27—On this date I took ~ [VoL. XLVI not necessarily follow that one, or any of them, will produce blooms the following year or even for some few years to come. In a little bog—not so far from where the Putty-root grows in a large deciduous wood, Arethusa (Arethusa bulbosa) was found in prime condition. June 6’saw me again at Oka, when I visited one of the very few stations known in the Province for the rare and curious little walking fern (Camptosorus rhizophyllus). It was growing on a rocky bluff in a large deci- duous wood, there being three fair-sized mats of it near one of which a fully developed Luna Moth (Actias luna) was clinging to the face of the rocks, it being photographed along with the ferns. June 11—On this date I visited Snowdon, a suburb of Montreal, where I found a Northern Yellow-throat’s (Geothlypis trichas brachidactyla) nest containing a Cowbird’s egg, and two of the owner’s. Large numbers of Red Admiral (Pyra- meis atalanta) butterflies were observed, there being quite an exceptional abundance of them this year. June 12 found me visiting another suburb of Montreal, Ville Emard, where under the arches of one of the aqueduct bridges I found five nests of the Cliff Swallow (Petrochelidon albi- frons), a species I had never before seen in such close proximity to the city. Two nests of the Spotted Sandpiper were also found, each con- taining a set of three eggs, one set of which I was just in time to see hatch out when I visited the spot again on the 18th. On this last named day I also found a nest of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Hedymeles ludovicianus), six feet up in a thorn bush, the “singing tree’’ of the male being just 25 feet away. There were no eggs in the nest at the time; but later, on June 22, it contained two which I luckily photographed as later it was robbed of its contents, the usual fate of most nests in this densely populated area. The day iollow- ing the finding of the Grosbeaks’ nest, or June 19, I again visited Snowdon, just in time to see the egg of the Cowbird—found in the nest of the Yellow-throat on the 11th—hatch out, as well as one of the owner’s. From this date onwards to the 28th, I made a study of these warblers playing host to the Cowbird interloper. From July 10- 27 I was away from home, spending the time on a large estate some ten miles outside Philadelphia and not far from Norristown, where I observed over forty species of birds, including Bob Whites (Colinus virginianus), and best of all two family parties of Bartramian Sandpipers (Bartramia longicauda). I had also an opporttnity of wit- nessing the terrible damage done to trees and crops, not only here but in New Jersey also— some 20,000 square miles being affected—by two Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica and Serica November, 1932] castanea). At the Philadelphia Electric Com- pany’s Delaware Station no less than 410,000 of the former species were trapped in one week. These feed by day, whilst the latter species carry on their depredations at night, hiding under the ground during the day time, In this connection it is interesting to note that birds play an im- portant part in helping to keep down these pests. Over thirty species, from stomach examinations, are known to prey on Popillia japonica, the most important—in the order given—being the Purple Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula quiscula), Meadow- lark (Sturnella magna), Starling (Sturnus vulgaris), Cardinal (Richmondena cardinalis), and Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis). It would seem thus as if the flocks of Starlings—which now abound almost everywhere—may after all turn out to be a blessing in disguise, at least in these parts. August 16—Qn this date I was out with Mr. Wymne-Edwards at La Prairie, when we saw several interesting shore birds, viz., Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus), Least Sandpiper (Pisobia minutilla), Semipalmated Sandpiper (Hrewnetes pusillus), Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria), Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularia), Sanderling (Crocethia alba), Lesser Yellow-legs (Totanus flavipes), Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semi- palmatus), Killdeer (Oxyechus vociferus), Wilson’s Snipe (Capella delicata), Black Duck (Anas ru- bripes tristis), and a flock of fifty Blue-winged Teal (Querquedula discors), not forgetting also one Northern Phalarope (Lobipes lobatus). Large numbers of Savannah Sparrows (Passerculus sandwichensis savanna) were also met with. August 23—On this day I was out with my friend Mr. Terrill near St. Lambert when we saw many nests of the Eastern Goldfinch (Spinus tristis), Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum), and one of the Black-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus erythropthalmus) containing two young. August 25-26—Visited the above sites again on both days to find the young Cuckoos now out of the nest, whilst a Goldfinch’s nest containing two eggs on the 23rd now had four which were not added to subsequently. These hatched out on September 5, incubation thus lasting fourteen days. From this date (September 5) onwards to THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 173 the 18th—when the young left the nest—I had an opportunity of making a complete home life study of this species, my two previous studies covering the later stages only. Hunter’s butterflies (Va- nessa virginiensis)—freshly emerged—were seen on some of the ahove dates. September 29 saw me out with my friend Mr. Wynne-Edward to verify a record he had made the day previous of a Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla) seen with a large flock of White-throated Sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis) in Mount Royal Cemetery. It was most fortunate that after a long search following up the White-throats we at last had an excellent view of the Field Sparrow, the first I had so far seen in the Province. Its bright rufous colour, the absence of spots on its breast, and above all its pinkish or flesh-coloured bill and legs, as well as the rusty cap divided by a grayish central streak, were unmistakable marks, separating it from a young Chipping Sparrow (Spixella passer- ina) with which it might be confused. September 14-October 7—During these days I paid several visits in company with friends to St. Lambert, on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, to witness the arrival and settling down of vast flocks of Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) in their roost there of an evening. They used to arrive from all directions in both large and small parties until the evening of October 2, when only about two thousand turned up and these, with the exception of a few hundred, had entirely deserted the roost by October 7, forming another, I think, not far off, before finally departing south for the winter. On one occasion a party of us estimated there must have been between 30,000 and 40,000 birds occupying this roost and yet in 1923 St. Lambert saw its first Starling: With this almost unbelievable state of affairs I will close my notes for the year 1931, just adding that late in the Fall a large flock of the much despised English Sparrow (Passer domesticus)— which consistently frequented the campus of McGill University—was found to be feeding on the buds or seeds of that pernicious weed the Knotgrass (Polygonum vulgare), a fact perhaps not generally known or suspected. 174 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST [VoL. XLVI METHODS OF INSECT CONTROL IN THE TROPICS By GEORGE N. WOLCOTT Entomologist, Insular Experiment Station, Rio Piedras, Porto Rico O DIRECT application to Canadian conditions is to be expected from the following account of the methods of insect control practised in the tropics, but it is to be hoped that an explanation of the reason for the adoption of those which are unique or peculiar will at least be of interest, while of course there is always the possibility that some hint or suggestion, when expanded or adapted to local conditions, may prove to be of immediate practical value. The most common practice which one finds in the tropics is that of making no effort to control insect pests. Before condemning too severely the producers of tropical crops for what one imagines they could so easily remedy in numerous eases, one should examine most carefully the economic basis on which they are operating. Where land is cheap and fertile, primitive methods of production, involving little care aside from that incidental to harvesting the crop may often be fully as profitable as the most advanced methods of improved, intensive agriculture. Such apparent lack of care is moreover much more suitable to the temper and stage of development of the country. One should always remember that even when the proprietor of a large hacienda is possessed of an abundance of native intelli- gence, and often of an education in a modern agricultural college, he nevertheless must entrust the actual execution of his orders to a foreman with no experience outside of his local environ- ment, and to ignorant peons, who can accomplish wonders from generations of experience of wield- ing a primitive hoe or machete, but are unbe- lievably stupid when confronted with a spray- pump or dust-gun. Traditional, primitive methods may not be the best, but they certainly are the easiest, and if they have been reasonably profit- able in the past, everybody expects that they will continue to be so far into the future. Seasonal differences of temperature or rainfall so profoundly affect the abundance of insects that growers by long experience have learned not even to attempt the production of certain crops at one season of the year, for it would be entirely destroyed by insect pests. Six months later, however, it can be grown successfully, for its most important insect pest, or some disease transmitted by an insect vector, is not then abundant. Many crops of the tropics grow only in the cool of the mountain heights, or of winter. The cotton caterpillar, Alabama argillacea, seems especially sensitive to cold, and entirely disappears from cotton fields after a few cool nights. The various species of Empoasca which occur in great abundance on beans during the summer, and besides directly injuring them, also are the vectors of a mosaic or “yellows” disease, are so scarce during the winter, or in the mountains, that beans can be grown at lower temperatures without fear of injury by these leafhoppers. The variations in rainfall in the tropics are much more marked than those of the temperate zone, and affect insects even more vitally. The red spider of cotton becomes abundant during hot, dry weather, but a few opportune rains cause it almost to disappear. The cacao thrips is a pest only in open, unshaded groves, but where the trees grow close together and humidity remains high, it.is unknown as a pest. The moth stalk borer of sugar-cane, Diatrea saccharalis, causes enormous damage to cane grown in sections made productive by irrigation, and reaches its maximum abundance where no rainfall occurs, but is scarcest where almost continuous fog, or daily tropical downpours keep the standing stalks continually moist. Of course the cane grower is powerless to affect rainfall, but on large planta- tions it is often possible to use cane from rainy or foggy sections for seed, which is practically borer- free, while that from dry sections is all ground at the mill. Another practice most common in the tropics is that of hand collection of injurious insects, rather than their destruction by the use of insec- ticides. The main reason for this condition is the low price of labour. Native administrators are continually telling you how expensive labour is, as compared with previous years, and even foreigners, who have a higher wage-scale for comparison, will explain how truly expensive is the apparently cheap labour of the tropics. They assert that the tropical labourer is lacking in intelligence, and in muscular strength, so that despite the low wage paid for his services, he is in reality more expensive to employ than the more highly-paid labourers of other countries. But the hand collection of insects makes no considerable demand upon either the intelligence or the strength of the worker, and in the tropics is often much the cheapest way of eliminating them. Hand collection is most useful when the problem: is to get rid of a comparatively small number of large insects, often hard to kill, or even entirely immune to any known insecticide. Large black [VoL. XLVI rhinoceros beetles, tough of hide, strong and powerful of body, and abundantly armed with horns by means of which they rasp their way into young cocoanut palm trees, leave as an indication of their presence a gaping hole in the ground close beside the young tree whose under- ground stem they have attacked. Patrolling a young grove in search of such holes, digging out the beetles and destroying them is certainly much the simplest way of eliminating them, when the destruction of the decaying trunks of old trees, within which the larve feed, is not possible. The hoes used in Cuban tobacco plantations have handles not more than a foot and a half long, needlessly painfully back-breaking to the wielder, according to our standards. The growers explain, however, that this brings the eyes of the labourer down close to the ground, where he will the more readily see and destroy any cutworm hiding in the surface soil around the tobacco plant. Despite the fact that most tobacco pests can easily be destroyed by the use of poison insecticides, many growers continue to depend upon hand collection for their control, for this is always safer and simpler, and even cheaper, un- less the caterpillars become very numerous. In other cases, hand collection is used because no known insecticide is effective. Both egg- masses and caterpillars of the moth stalk borer of sugar-cane are collected in Demerara, not occasionally, but as a routine plantation practice. The egg-masses are left exposed in screen cages on posts in the field, from which any caterpillars hatching can not escape, but any parasites emerging can easily fly away to attack fresh clus- ters. The white grubs of Porto Rico are native species, practically unparasitized and attacked by few vertebrates, and so large and so resistant to such substances a carbon bisulphide and para- dichlorobenzine, that an amount sufficient to kill them is not only expensive, but is also toxic to the crop. Foreign parasite introduction has been a failure, for no introduced parasite yet secured has been sufficiently aggressive to kill them, and hand collection continues to be a standard practise in sections where they are most abundant. Cane growers are now planting varieties of cane with a more vigorous root system, but this is the only change in a generation in methods of white grub control on even the most progressive plantations. Cotton stainers, Dysdereus spp., are easily collected, and by starting collections early in the season while they are still scarce, can be prevented from ever becoming a pest. The corm borer of bananas, Cosmopolites sordidus, can be attracted to traps, consisting of slices of the injured corms THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 175 that have been dug out, and by persistent daily collections its numbers can be reduced to neg- ligible proportions, and maintained at this non- injurious status as long as the collections are continued. Cheap labour not only makes hand collection possible but also influences methods of applica- tion of insecticides. The ‘“changa’” or mole- cricket of Porto Rico, which has a wide range in tropical and sub-tropical America, but is sufficient- ly abundant to be commonly injurious only in Porto Rico, is there controlled by placing a ring of poisoned flour around each tobacco plant when it is transplanted to the field. In gardens, flower beds are surrounded by rows of bottles perpen- dicularly stuck into the ground, or by concrete barriers, but more often all plants are grown in five-gallon cans. By far the most interesting hand methods of control against any insect are those in common use against leaf-cutter ant, Atta sexdens, on the headwaters of the Amazon. The ant will not pass a barrier of fresh banana leaves, and citrus and avocado growers tie a fresh band of leaves round their trees every two or three days. Just think what this involves, for if neglected a day too long, the peon will wake in the morning to find a tree completely denuded of leaves, all having been carried away by the ants under cover of darkness. It is possible to destroy colonies of these ants by forcing calcium cyanide dust into their burrows, but where labour is cheap and poison and pumps are expensive, the peon growers continue to let the ants live, a continual threat to their groves. Some insect pests are most destructive in the temperate zones, but are so scarce in the tropics as rarely to cause injury. In the case of the chinch bug, for instance, this appears to be due in part at least to the abundance of lizards. In regions where the entomologist rarely collects Blissus leucopterus, the stomachs of ground- inhabiting lizards will be found to contain a surprisingly large number of them, and only in regions where lizards are scarce does the chinch bug become sufficiently numerous to attract attention. White grubs are so destructive in Porto Rico largely because they have so few natural enemies, and in others of the West Indies where the little burrowing owls occur, comparable species of Lachnosterna are rarely to be found. The insect parasites of Lachnosterna are also much more numerous in other islands of the West Indies, this possibly being a result of the too intensive cultivation of Porto Rico and the consequent disappearance of some native plant which furnished food for the adult Tiphia wasps. It is only rarely that the casual observer can. 176 readily see the results of parasite attack. In a papaya grove, however, one finds dozens of beau- tiful, glistening white, silken, hollow cylinders— the cocoon masses formed by hundreds of Apan- teles grubs that have so completely destroyed a papaya sphinx caterpillar that its empty skin soon falls away, leaving only the glistening cy- linder of cocoons. At various times, the use of fungous diseases for the control of insect pests has been advocated with enthusiasm, but there seems to be no instance of its proving practical in temperate climates. Indeed it is in the tropics that conditions seem to have been most favourable to its success on a commercial scale, and it was in Trinidad that methods of artificially producing spores on a large scale were developed. For many years the sugar-cane in Trinidad had increasingly suffered from a blight, of which the cause was finally (but somewhat tentatively) determined to be a bright orange and black sucking insect, a froghopper. The Green Muscardine, a fungus which attacks many kinds of soil-inhabiting insects, thrives under the humid soil conditions of Trinidad cane fields, and rapidly destroys large numbers of froghoppers. Estate managers erected large cabinets in which the fungus could be grown artificially on thin sheets of boiled rice, and for a few years the wide dissemination of Green Muscardine spores in the cane fields was almost universally practised. As a result of all this activity, however, little difference in the amount of cane blight was to be observed, and it is now generally conceded that soil conditions are largely responsible for the blight, although its intensity is markedly increased by an abun- dance of froghoppers. Similar cabinets, pattern- ed after those perfected in Trinidad, have been used for growing this fungus to attack white grubs, both in Illinois and in Porto Rico, but the results have never been sufficiently encouraging to warrant their more extensive adoption. The really practical use of fungous diseases for insect control has, however, found wide applica- tion in citrus groves, more especially in the years before convenient concentrated oil emulsion sprays had been developed for destroying scale insects. In young groves, banana plants are set out at the same time as the young citrus trees, and bamboos or some quick-growing leguminous trees form more permanent windbreaks as the trees become somewhat larger. Maintaining a high humidity in the grove furnishes the optimum conditions for fungous growth, and while the trees are not entirely free from scale insects, yet the scales are so largely killed by the fungi that for practical purposes they do little injury. THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST [November, 1932 When the citrus trees became of large size, they themselves formed a sufficient windbreak, and the bamboos or other trees could them be removed. The maturing of the groves in Cuba and Porto Rico often coincided, however, with the introduc- tion of a new disease—citrus scab, for the control of which less humid conditions were essential. Spraying with Bordeaux naturally killed the entomogenous fungi as well as those causing the scab, so the growers once committed to spraying against disease, had to follow with a spray against scale insects. The development in Florida of an effective oil spray against the citrus scales in the humid groves of that State, and the extension of its use in Cuba and Porto Rico, only to be much more widely used in the temperate zone, is possibly unique, but many insecticides find novel appli- cation in the tropics. Calcium cyanide, for instance, finds a wide use against leaf-cutter ants, of which previously there had been no effective method of destruction. The so-called West Indian cane “‘fly’’, or leafhopper, (which is really a Fulgorid or Delphacid), in past years has caused tragic losses, especially when attacking very young cane shoots, and against it there was no protection. To be sure, it is very scarce in some of the West Indies, presumably being under control by parasites there. The importance of this, in making possible foreign parasite intro- ductions into the islands where it is a scourge, was not realized, however, and the ease with which it can be controlled by dusting with cal- cium cyanide makes any such measures super- fluous now. Airplane dusting, although originated in Ohio, is being used most extensively at the present time in the control of cotton insects, not only in the southern United States, but also along the west coast of South America. Peru has more kinds of serious insect pests attacking cotton than any other country. To be sure, its boll weevil is smaller than Anthonomus grandis, and attacks only squares, but a native leaf caterpillar is abundant in regions too cold for the common tropical species to inhabit. Against all three of these insects airplane dusting of calcium arsenate is a common and most profitable commercial practice. The cotton stainer of Peru, although susceptible to control by hand collection when present in small numbers, is much larger and stronger of flight than any West Indian species. ‘Enormous numbers develop each year on native food plants in the foothills of the Andes and when this supply of food is exhausted, migrate in swarms looking like a black cloud in the sky, to the cotton fields of the coast. The planters November, 1932] could not hope to cope with such invasions by any means at their disposal up to a few years ago. The availability of airplanes for dusting large areas in a short period of time, however, and a new insecticide developed in Germany, the fumes of which kill the stainers immediately, rob such mass migrations of these big bugs of their former peril. Calcium cyanide, applied by hand dusters, is also effective in killing the stainers, but its application by airplane has not been at- tempted. The patented German preparation, locally called “‘polvos violetas”, is of a delicate lavender colour, and although so toxic to the stainers, is imperceptible to the human observer watching in the field below when the airplane sails by overhead. Host resistance to plant disease is much more common than a comparable varietal immunity to insect attack. Yet in the tropics one is con- tinually hearing of certain varieties of sweet potatoes, for instance, which are rarely or not at all infested by the weevil, Cylas formicarius. When planted a second time, however, or in care- fully checked experiments, the supposed im- THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST LTT, munity is found to be slight or non-existent. On the contrary, some kinds of bananas are practi- cally immune to the corm borer, and rapidly displace the heavily infested kinds when this pest first appears in a region. The most inter- esting case of host immunity is that of the native cotton of Haiti to the pink bollworm. The kind of cotton which is most extensively grown in central and southern Haiti is so well adapted to local conditions of climate that no matter when it is planted, bolls appear only at the beginning of winter, and all have matured within two months. It is true that this gives a very short season in which the caterpillars of the pink bollworm can develop, and a very long period during which no bolls of native cotton are avail- able on which they can feed, yet enough wild or volunteer plants of other varieties are present to supply at least a few bolls at all seasons of the year. Thus any immunity to the pink boll- worm shown by native cotton is real, the surest proof of this being that cotton production has shown no decrease since the advent of the pink bollworm in Haiti over seven years ago, despite the absence of any attempt to avoid its injuries. ““SAMSON’S SHOULDER STONE” AN ERRATIC NEAR PERTH, LANARK COUNTY, ONTARIO By M. E. WILSON Published with the permission of the Director, Geological Survey, Department of Mines, Canada BOUT seven miles northeast of the town of Perth, Lanark County, Ontario, on the south side of the county road that follows the first concession line of Drummond township the boulder known locally as “Samson’s Shoulder Stone” shown in Figure 1 stands up conspicuously in an otherwise flat pasture. The interesting feature about this boulder is that it consists of variegated and banded gneiss belonging to the Pre-Cambrian of the Canadian Shield and rests on flat bedded (Palzo- zoic) limestone, a rock of entirely different character and much younger age. The nearest outcrops of Pre-Cambrian gneiss from which this boulder could have been derived lie in the Lauren- tian highlands of Quebec about 50 miles to the north, but it is possible that its source is far beyond this point. How was this large boulder transported all this distance? Geologists believe that this erratic, as such boulders are called, was carried into its present position by the great ice sheet. As the ice mass moved southward boulders of the underlying rocks of the Shield became embedded in the ice and were deposited, as in this case, whenever they happened to be when the ice sheet, due to the moderating climate, ceased to move and finally melted away. “Samson’s Shoulder Stone” is an example of a phenomenon that can be observed almost anywhere in Canada. For example, a rock known as jasper conglomerate, an ancient gravel now consolidated, occurs extensively in the region extending northeasterly from the north shore of Lake Huron to Lake Timiskaming. A habitant, living near Ville Marie, on the east side of Lake Timiskaming, once described this conglomerate to the writer as “candy rock’’, a name suggested to him, no doubt, by the similarity of the pebbles of quartz and varicoloured jasper contained in the conglomerate to the mixed red and white eandy sold in the stores of Ville Marie. From the north shore of Lake Huron southward the bedrock everywhere is nearly flat-lying limestone shale or dolomite, yet at the town of Kingsville in Essex County, Ontario, boulders of jasper conglomerate obtained from glacial deposits nearby are exceedingly common in the foundations of buildings. In this case the boulders have been transported at least 300 miles. By means of the erratics of unusual rock that occur in restricted 178 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST [VoL. XLVI FIGURE 1—‘‘Samson’s Shoulder Stone’ areas, such as the jasper conglomerate, it is possibe to determine the direction of movement of the ice sheet with considerable detail. “‘Samson’s Shoulder Stone” lies scarcely more than 100 feet south of the county road from Perth to Franktown, at the point where it turns northeasterly with a diagonal course across the second concession of Drummond township. This highway by way of Franktown and Rich- mond is the original stage road from Perth to Ottawa, and because it is by far the shortest route, will probably, in time, become a provincial high- way. The “Shoulder Stone” therefore, although now in an easily accessible locality, may even- ually become even more accessible. THE RED-BACKED VOLE (Clethrionomys gapperi loringi Bailey) | IN SOUTHERN MANITOBA By STUART CRIDDLE, Treesbank, Manitoba Red-backed and other Voles by eminent mammalogists that I have hesitated to add my observations to those already published, but while the general habits of any one species should be, and generally are, similar, minor differences nearly always occur when the animals live under different climatic conditions. Therefore, since the habits of the Red-backed Vole have not previously been studied in Mani- toba it is hoped that the following notes will prove of some interest. While the Red-backed Vole has been recognised by my brothers and me for about forty years, a study of its innumerable activities did not com- mence until 1905, while even to 1915 observations were only carried on in a sporadic manner. O MUCH has been written about the : After the latter date the study was held in abey- ance until my return from the war. In 1923 I began making observations on caged voles with the object of comparing their food and other habits with those living under natural conditions and on July 1, 1928, I commenced keeping a daily record of all the small mammals caught by my brothers Norman and Evelyn, my sister Maida and me. The animals were examined for age and sex and the measurements and weights of many adults taken, while during the breeding season all females were dissected and the ovaries inspected. By the end of 1931, 4306 animals had passed through my hands among which there were 462 Red-backed Voles comprising 212 males and 250 females. | TS Ea ite Although most of the work in connection with November, 1932] this study has been carried on within a few miles of my home at Aweme, occasional excursions were made into distant parts of the province. These excursions, however, were more with the object of ascertaining the range of the animal and of discovering whether more than one race oc- curred within our boundaries, than with the idea of making a study of their habits, although the last consideration was always kept in view. The Red-backed Vole has, perhaps, the most descriptive common name of any of our small mammals and as a rule it can be told at once by its rich reddish-brown back which though lighter in winter is still conspicuous enough to identify the animal by. The red on the back blends into grey low on the sides and this colour to ash white on the under parts. Measurements.—All the following measurements are in millimetres and the weights in grams: Average of 45 adult males: Total length, 128.8; tail vertebre, 34.3; hind foot, 17.8; ear, 12.9; weight, 13.62. Largest male: length, 145; tail, 41.2; foot, 18.1; ear, 11.4; weight, 19.10. Average of 40 adult females: Length, 127.6; tail, 31.6; foot, 16.6; ear, 12.8; weight, 16.97. An unusually large female, not included above, was caught on September 5, 1928; she measured: Length, 156.2; tail, 44.6; foot, 18.8; ear, 14.3; weight, 27.29. This female was nearly as large asa race of Red-backed Voles found in the Sandi- lands Forest Reserve, the largest of three females from there being: Total length, 155.5; tail, 46.4; foot, 18.5; ear, 16.5; weight, 33.55. The larger of the two males from the same locality was: Length, 157; tail, 48.5; foot, 20.5; ear, 16.5; weight, 33.88. Besides being much larger, this race is decidedly darker than the one taken at Aweme. Distribution—In Manitoba the Red-backed Vole is to be found in most of the wooded and semi-wooded parts. I have taken it in the follow- ing places: Aweme, Treesbank, Douglas, Kenton, ’ Ninette, Melita, Sandilands and South Junction. Specimens have been sent to me by Mr. P. E. Cole, Hilbre; Capt. K. P. Darnell, South Junc- tion; and Mr. H. U. Green, Riding Mountain. All those examined by me, except the five from Sandilands, appear to be typical loringt. Breeding and Young—The number of litters brought forth in the course of a year is not defin- itely known but there are at least four. One of my captive females gave birth to six young on May 2, five onthe 26thand4onJuly2. Although none of my caged young have bred in the first year it seems probable that they might have done so under natural conditions. My records of young found in the nest and THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 179 from the examination of the uterus, show that, when the weather conditions are favourable, the breeding season begins early in April and continues through the intervening months until the middle of September. While it is possible that as many as eight are born at one time to one female, my records do not show an excess of six, while the _average litter is about four. At birth the young are deep pink, or reddish. They are without hair, blind and toothless and weigh about 1.25 grams. By the ninth day hair begins to show through the skin along the back. Three days later they are covered by short hair and their eyes begin to open. They are then able to crawl, although with some difficulty. From now on development is more rapid and when about three weeks of age the young are able to leave the nest and take care of themselves. Nesis.—It would appear from the odd places in which the nests of these voles are found, and from the material used in their construction, that these rodents have little preference for either site or material. When possible, the discarded holes and nests of other animals are utilized, but when these are not available advantage is taken of any other available cover such as fallen trees or rotten logs. Heaps of straw or, indeed, any pile of rubbish is used to make a home in, while in winter the nest is often constructed beneath the snow on the bare ground without any other covering than that afforded by the snow. Both the winter and sum- mer nests are, as a rule, quite scanty affairs and they usually consist of a few dry leaves or blades of grass drawn together without being cut up or finely shredded. Occasionally, however, a nest is found which has been made with greater care and which is both neat and warm. Such nests, it would appear, are made for the reception of young, although, strangely enough, they are always found in exposed positions without the substan- tial covering of logs, ete. The reason for the scanty winter nests seems to be that the voles live in little colonies at that time and that they keep warm by close contact. The nests are nearly always surrounded by numerous runways and occasional tunnels into which the animals dart at the least alarm. Food.—As the plants upon which the Red-back- ed Vole depends for food are very largely affected by climatic conditions, we should expect, and actually find, that this rodent’s food habits change to a marked degree with theseasons. This change is naturally most contrasting during the extremes of summer and winter, in other words during the growing or dormant periods of vegetation. Asa rule the winter months, from the voles’ point of view, are likewise divided into two parts depend- 180 ing on whether the ground is covered, or not, with snow. During the growing seasons this rodent lives, to a large extent, on the petioles of broad leaved plants, the leaves themselves being usually discarded. The diet during the snowless period of the winter is mostly made up of those plants which remain green, such as biennials and peren- nials, while during the snow period the bark of many species of shrubs and trees is eaten. Apart from the general food habits outlined above these animals also eat the seeds of many wild plants as well as oats, barley, wheat, rye and flax. During spring time the tender shoots of many grasses are consumed, of which blue grass (Poa) and brome grass (Bromus enermis) prove to be the most palatable. Fruits are likewise relished; this applies particularly to strawberries and in the fall many vegetables suffer from the voles’ attack; these include carrots, parsnips, potatoes and turnips. Finally there appears to be a decided taste for flesh and, like various other voles, these rodents have a marked cannibalistic tendency and they readily devour their own kind or their allies when these are found freshly killed, Our records show that during the months of snow the Red-backed Vole feeds extensively, or often exclusively, on the bark of many kinds of small trees and shrubs and that it has little pre- ference for any one species, although there are a few that it seldom or never touches. At Aweme we have frequently found it feeding on the bark of the following trees or shrubs: Crab apple, Manitoba maple, green ash, aspen poplar, bur oak, choke-cherry, silverberry, and hazel, while many others were attacked to a lesser extent. There is no evidence to show that the Red- backed Vole stores food for winter or, when living under natural conditions, at any other time of the year and we have come to the conclusion that the small piles of leaves occasionally found at the entrances of its dwellings are merely the remnants of plants in which the stalks had been eaten and the rest discarded. For a number of years, some of these voles have lived, off and on, under our bird bath which is only a few feet from the front door of the house. Thus we have been able to watch them very closely while they played about on the stones, climbed up for a drink or gathered to eat their food. We noted that the food was always taken to the entrance of a hole to be eaten and dropped when one of the many false alarms sent them scampering out of sight. They were never seen to fill their cheeks with food or in any other way to take it into their burrows. While, however, we have no evidence of their storing food when living under natural conditions, our caged animals have resorted to THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST [Vou. XLVI this practise when surplus grain was available. This appears to be due to the confined space in which they were kept, where there was little room in which to work off their abundant energy. Economic Importance.—Early observations com- bined with the accumulation of evidencefrom more careful studies later on, made it evident either that the habits of the Red-backed Vole and those of Microtus pennsylvanicus had been confused, or that they differed very markedly in Manitoba from those in eastern parts of the continent. In other words it was found that while the Red- backed Vole was an inveterate eater of the green bark of trees, Microtus p. drummondi only in- dulged in the habit on rare occasions or under abnormal conditions. This finding naturally places a greater importance on the economic standing of the red-back than if it had serious competitors in the bark-eating habit. The real outstanding economic importance of the Red-backed Vole relates to its habit of feeding upon the bark of shrubs and trees during the months of snow. While, however, this bark- eating habit had long been known to us it did not begin to attract general attention until the intro- duction of shelter belts around the farm buildings and their enclosed gardens and orchards. Such shelter belts are frequently surrounded with thick grass and weeds with an occasional heap of brush or rubbish. Here the voles live and rear their ‘young in comparative safety and then, when the snow comes, they leave their summer haunts and make tunnels far into the open spaces. They soon discover where the best food is to be found and near this a temporary nest is built while a laby- rinth of tunnels is made leading from it among the surrounding herbage. As the food supply be- comes exhausted the voles shift their quarters and build a new nest and so continue their insi- duous operations until the thawing of the snow once more drives them back to their summer haunts. Perhaps, during all this time the animals’ presence has not even been suspected but as the snow melts the havoc done is no longer in doubt. There lie the remnants of many herbaceous plants such as Sweet William, pinks, and many more while among the surrounding trees and shrubs many show those white rings characteristic of the red-backs’ activities. While the damage done to trees under natural conditions is seldom as great as that done to shelter belts and orchards it is, nevertheless, at times considerable. During the winter of 1922-23 for example, over fifty per cent of the young Mani- toba maple trees in patches along the Assiniboine River were killed, many of which were an inch or more in diameter. In the Sandilands Forest November. 1932] Reserve in 1929 I discovered that at least 95 per cent of the green ash along the banks of the Whitemouth River had been girdled during the previous winter. Some of these trees were nearly three inches through. On the ridges, under the jack pines, large patches of blueberry shrubs were eaten to the ground and in June these voles were largely feeding on the new shoots of that plant. Later during the month of July the district was again visited and then these animals were found to be feeding upon the ripening fruit as well as on the new growth. Thus it will be seen that the blueberry provided them with food throughout the entire year. During the winter of 1927-28 a colony of these rodents was kept under close observation; they were living among a clump of 327 choke-cherry trees and had their nest in a gopher hole. It was observed that they were feeding upon the bark of the cherries early in November and that they continued doing so until the melting of the snow in late March. During this time they girdled 187 of the trees and damaged 34 others. Although the damage done to grass-lands seems always referable to Drummond’s Vole, we have found some exception in the case of damage to alfalfa and sweet clover in which injufy the red- back certainly plays a part, and to this damage should be added a small loss to grain when the stooks are left unduly long in the field and the latter are close to bushes. These losses, however, are comparatively light and the real economic importance of the Red-backed Vole is more definitely associated with silviculture and horti- culture than with agriculture. Control.—All mice have their years of abundance and rarity; these fluctuations are brought about in many ways, a number of which are still poorly understood. That predators once played an important role in keeping such animals within bounds is unquestionable, although there were times when even these failed to check their increase which usually ended through the agency of some virulent disease. That weasels, foxes, coyotes and birds of prey are our valuable allies in reducing rodent pests is obvious but the persecution to which these have been subjected has reduced them to such a remnant of their former numbers THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 181 that we are now obliged to turn to other means of keeping the rodent population within bounds. Of these means, a brief outline of those found most profitable is presented below. Many kinds of trap are now on the market for catching mice, most of which are satisfactory when baited with suitable material. For summer use any of the following baits will be found satis- factory: New bread with new, salted butter; barley, oats or oatmeal; sunflower or melon seeds. In winter flesh, cheese, suet, raisins and carrots are all good. The flesh and sugar-con- taining baits, however, are less useful in summer time because they attract ants. Grain treated with one of the commercial gopher poisons, or with strychnine, gives good results but a stronger dosage of poison is necessary because the voles discard the bran and only eat the flour. Such poisoned grain should be placed in shallow containers to prevent its coming in contact with the ground and it should be care- fully shielded to prevent birds getting at it. Precautions and Protection.—Perhaps one of the most useful means of guarding against injury by the Red-backed Vole is to destroy its usual hiding places. This implies cleaning up all rubbish and burning the grass in which the animals hide. We have to remember, however, that they often travel a considerable distance, even after there is snow upon the ground, but as the travelling is generally done beneath the snow the voles can be greatly checked in their tunnel-making by tread- ing the snow down firmly around the plants to be protected. This practice should be repeated several times in order to create a firm barrier. Individual plants or trees may be protected in the established way by placing metal collars round them, or by wrapping them with stiff paper. I have found a well-trampled path to be a very useful means of detecting the presence of mice and voles, due to the fact that these animals are unable to tunnel through the packed snow and they consequently pass over it, leaving their exit and entrance holes on either side. A few traps placed at such crossings usually aecount for a majority of the rodents using them. NOTES ON SOME RARE BIRDS IN THE MONTREAL DISTRICT By V. C. WYNNE-EDWARDS NORTHERN PHALAROPE (Lobipes lobatus).— We are accustomed to think the Northern Phal- arope a rare or casual visitor to the Montreal district; it seems, therefore, worth recording that I saw one at Laprairie on August 16th, 1931; two on the 22nd; and two (or more) on September 1st. Mr. Henry Mousley was with me on the first occasion, when we saw in all thirteen species 182 of Shore Birds. ~ RING-BILLED = GULL (Larus delawarensis).— . This gull has apparently escaped notice in the Montreal district.* Wintle (Birds of Montreal 1896) déscribes it as a “‘transient visitant, scarce,” but owing to its resemblance to the Herring Gull (L. a. argentatus) “probably commoner than we know at present.” The same confusion exists in England between the Herring Gull and the Common Gull (L. canus), of which delawarensis is the counterpart in eastern Canada. I first identified an immature bird at Laprairie on September 14th, 1931, after scrutinizing every large gull I had seen for twelve months; another was seen at St. Lambert on the 18th; over a dozen, both adults and immature, at Ste. Anne-de- Bellevue on the 25th; and one immature bird at Laprairie on October 2nd. Mr. Terrill was with me when we saw the latter. The immature birds are easily distinguished: they are lighter- coloured and more speckled above than the Herring Gulls, the contrast between the dark primaries and the rest of the wing is more pro- nounced. The best field-character, however, is the broad sub-terminal dark brown band across the tail (exactly as in the Common Gull), which is utterly different from the evenly graded colour of the immature Herring Gull’s tail, resembling rather the smaller gulls, eg., the Kittiwake, Black-headed and Bonaparte’s. The adults are difficult to separate, being nearer the Herring Gullin size even than the Common Gull. When they can be made out, the ringed bill and yellow legs are, of course, diagnostic. TOWHEE (Pipilo e. erythrophthalmus).—On April 12th, 1931, I saw a male Towhee on Mount Royal. Although this bird is so distinctive in appearance I wrote down a detailed description of it on the spot, in accordance with my invariable cistom on seeing a new or unusual species. The back was not dead black, but obscurely streaked with dull black on very dark sepia brown, so the bird was probably in its first year. In addition to the call-note, which may be written: ““whee, to - whee,” the bird sang several times: “‘te - hur - wheee-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-€,”” sometimes doubling the initial ‘te’. I observed it for about twenty minutes, quietly feeding with a flock of Juncos, and again about an hour later I saw it for a few moments. FIELD SAPRROW (Spizella p. pusilla).—On September 22nd, 1930, I saw a single Field Sparrow at Senneville, near Ste. Anne-de-Bellevue. I was immediately attracted by the red beak *Mr. L. Macl. Terrill erorides me that he has one or two records from here. THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST ‘[Vou. XLVI among other distinctive characters; I made a careful description, which shows that the bird was in winter plumage, the rufous crown being divided by a median greyish stripe. On the 26th I saw a second at Montreal North. At that time I had been only a fortnight in Canada, and was consequently diffident about recording sight-observations of so unusual a bird. Since then I have kept careful watch, rewarded on September 27th this year (1931) by another single individual with a flock of White-throated Sparrows near the summit of Mount Royal. At that time I had been unable to find any concrete case of this species being taken in the Province of Quebec, and being perfectly sure that I had made no mistake, I wished to obtain confirmation. On September 29th, I therefore invited Mr. Henry Mousley, who was naturally most sceptical, to come with me and make another search on Mount Royal. By great good fortune we were successful, and obtained a clear unobstructed view of a single bird under perfect conditions, about half-a-mile from the place where I had made my observation two days before. Mr. Mousley recognized the bird at once, and wishes to share the responsibility for the sight-record with me. The beak, which looks a light chestnut-red in the field, is, of course, an excellent character for fieldtidentification; additional confirmation is given by the flesh-coloured legs. Both the Chipping and Field Sparrows, the only local species which in the least resemble it, have black- ish legs. The closeness of the dates on which these birds were seen in 1980 and 1931 suggests that the Field Sparrow is a passage migrant here and not a summer resident. Mr. P. A. Taverner informs me that it has been taken at Ottawa and at Kazabazua, Que., about fifty miles further north. We shall try to obtain a specimen during the next few years. SHORT-BILLED MARSH Wan (Cistothorus _ stel- laris)—I had an excellent close-up view of a Short-billed Marsh Wren in a piece of rough swampy pasture near L’Abord-a-Plouffe, Isle Jesus, on September 21st, 1930, within ten miles of the city. One breeding station for this species on the south side of the river has been known to Mr. L. Macl. Terrill for many years, but it is decidedly rare here. I saw a pair and heard the male singing his harsh monotonous un-wrenlike song at the south end of Little Lake Magog near Katevale, Stan- “stead County, on June 25th, 1931, and several subsequent days, but failed to locate their nest. This is not far from the place where Mr. gages hey made the first record for the province. November, 1932] OTHER SPECIES: BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS (Bombycilla g. garrulus) were seen on Mount Royal on November 23rd (two) and 29th (thirty), 1930. Particulars of these observations were sent to Dr. Harrison F. Lewis. I saw two Snowy Owls (Nyctea nyctea) at Cote-de-Liesse on January 2nd, and about eight Lapland Buntings (Calcarius l. lapponicus) at THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 183 Cote-St.-Michel on January 30th, 1931, in com- pany with Snow Buntings and Horned Larks (O. a. alpestris). These places are all on the Island of Montreal. I might add that these observations were made with the help of a pair of Zeiss “‘Delactis” 8X 40 mm. glasses, which are probably unsurpassed for ornithological work. HOW DEER RESPOND TO KINDNESS IF TAKEN WHEN YOUNG* By ALFRED KAY T IS remarkable how wild creatures respond tokindness. The following inci- dent, which illustrates this, happened in 1867. In August of that year my friends the Darlings of Aspdin, township of Sisted, Muskoka, Ontario, whom I was visiting at the time, caught a fawn in Skeleton Lake. While picnicking on the shore of this lake they heard a collie dog giving tongue after something, and in a short time they saw some small object bobbing about a good way out in the lake, so they got into their canoes and went out to see what it ’ was, and found that it was a small fawn. It seemed to be quite bewildered, so far out from shore. It was, no doubt, what the dog had been running and the natural instinct made it take to the water to get rid of the dog, only to be faced with the danger of drowning from the waves breaking over its head. So they picked the little thing up out of the lake and took it to shore. They carried it in their arms four miles home. They offered it some milk in a saucer which it licked up greedily. By the next day, when it found no one harmed it, and that it got all the good new milk it could drink, it got quite tame and soon got to look upon everyone there, even their collie dog, as friends. Kitty, as they named her, was beautifully spotted, and with her soft, brown, expressive eyes she was as beautiful a creature as anyone could wish to see. Her senses of hearing, smell and sight were very keen. It was interesting to watch the bright-eyed creature, and to see the trust she placed in, and the love she had for, all the people she knew, and the different animals on the farm. She grew rapidly and would run about the fields, but at any sign of danger would make for the house or stable, or run to someone she knew. She seemed to look to human beings mostly for protection. She liked to be petted and fondled. She was very fond of tobacco, and if she smelled tobacco *Northern White-tailed Deer, Odocoileus virginianus bor- ealis Miller. on a man’s hands she would lick them as long as they would let her. She was shut in the horse stable at night, for fear strange dogs would get after her. As soon as she was let out in the morning she would make for the house, and paw at the door; ii no one was there to open it, she would go to the girls’ bedroom window, which was on the ground floor, and tap at the window pane with her nose,and the girls would soon let her in, and give her a drink of milk and a piece of bread. She always looked for a lot of petting in the morning. One day in October the ;boys let two hounds loose for exercise, and though they knew Kitty well and would not have done any harm to her they got her running and she took to the bush with the hounds in full ery, running just for sport, but Kitty became frightened and ran for her life. After a long run she made back for home and tried to get into the stable, but the door was shut, and away she went again. We tried to stop the dogs, but could not. Soon we heard the hounds baying in one place, so the boys ran there and found Kitty standing up to her back in the middle of a creek with the hounds standing on the bank baying at her. One of the boys waded in and led her out while the other drove off the hounds, who looked quite ashamed of themselves; and they all walked home together good friends, and none the worse for their frolic. The horses seemed to get very fond of her for when winter set in Kitty would stand up between the horses and eat with them out of their manger, and not once did they try to bite or kick her. But a sad day was coming. A neighbour who lived a few miles to the north came to stay over night on his way to Bracebridge. His horse was put in the stable, without any fear of harm to Kitty. In the morning poor Kitty was found with her back broken, and had to be put out of her pain as quickly as possible. While she was with my friends, Kitty was a great source of pleasure, and instruction in animal life. 184 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST [VOL. XLVI A MIDDLE DEVONIAN FAUNA FROM NORDEGG, ALBERTA By P. S. WARREN Department of Geology, University of Alberta HE Paleozoic outlier in the foothills at Nordegg, Alberta, 90 miles west of the Ry) town of Red Deer, is composed of =~ Devonian and Carboniferous rocks. The geology of the region has been described by Allen and Rutherford!. Kindle? has described some Upper Devonian fossils from this region and Warren? has listed a Kinderhook fauna from the lower part of the Carboniferous succession. Through the courtesy of the Research Council of Alberta the writer spent two days on this section during the summer of 1931 and was able to establish the presence of Middle Devonian beds in the succession. The fauna obtained at that time forms the subject of this paper. The Paleozoic outlier at Nordegg assumes the form of anticline slightly overturned toward the east. The crest of the anticline is composed of Carboniferous (Rundle) limestone, the overlying incompetent Mesozoic rocks having been eroded off. Devonian beds (Minnewanka limestone) occur in the centre of the anticline with their base not exposed. It was in the lowermost Devonian beds exposed along the railway in Shuna gap and at least 2000 feet below the top of the formation that the fauna under review was obtained. The fauna comprises three species only: Productella hallana Walcott Atrypa reticularis var. a Kindle Martinia nevadensis Walcott. The interest in this fauna is centred largely around the Airypa. This variety was first men- tioned by Whiteaves! in collections from the Middle Devonian of Manitoba from a horizon since recognized as the Elm Point limestone of Tyrell’ by Kindle® who gave the form varietal distinction and demonstrated its significance as a zone fossi] occurring below the Stringocephalus zone in the Manitoba section. Its occurrence at Great Slave Lake is very similar. It is very abundant in the Pine Point limestone lying im- mediately below the Presqu’ile dolomite which contains Stringocephalus’. The occurence of this peculiar form of Atrypa in these two widely sepa- rated areas and bearing in both cases the same relationship to the Stringocephalus zone seems PN 1 Research Council of Alberta, Report No. 9, 1924. 2 Pan-American Geologist, 42:218, 1924. 3 Am. Jour. Sci., 5th ser., 10:448, 1925. 4 Geol. Surv., Can., Cont. to Can. Pal., Vol. 1, Pt. 4, p. 289, pl. 37, fig. 8, 1892. 5 Geol. Surv., Can., Ann. Rept. for 1889-90-91. Pt. H. 1893. . 6 Geol. Sury., Can., Sum. Rept. for 1912, pp. 251-253, 1914. 7 Cameron, A. E., Geol. Surv., Can., Sum, Rept. for 1921, Pt. B. 1922. to lend great value to the variety as a zone fossil. The writer wishes to press its claims in this respect and to suggest that the limestone beds containing this fossil in Shunda gap at Nordegg should be correlated with the Pine Point lime- stone of Great Slave Lake and the Elm Point limestone of Manitoba. The two species found in association with A. reticularis var. a at Nordegg seem to be of little assistance in substantiating the correlation suggest- ed. Productella hallana was the name proposed by Walcott® for specimens from the Eureka district which he considered identical with P. dissimilis Hall from Iowa? which name had been preoccu- pied. According to Walcott the species occurs at two horizons in the Eureka Devoninn. The Fen- tons!” do not agree with Walcott’s assignment, preferring to keep the Iowa species separate from the Eureka form and propose the name P. walcotti for the original P. dissimilis of Hall. The writer has examined specimens of a Productella from the Pine Point limestone of Great Slave Lake which- appear to be examples of Productella hallana in its restricted sense. The identification is not posi- tive for reason of the lack of comparative mater- ial. It is fairly certain however that the Great Slave Lake species is the same one that occurs with A. reticularis var. a. at Nordegg. It thus lends further evidence for the correlation of the Atrypa horizon at Nordegg with the Pine Point limestone at Great Slave Lake. We must consi- der, however, that the stratigraphic range of P. hallana is not known. The last of the three species in our collection is a little more perplexing in regard to its stratigra- phic significance. Martinia nevadensis was des- cribed by Walcott! as a variety of Spirifer (Mar- tinia) glabra Martin from the upper part of the Devonian from two localities in the Eureka dis- trict. If Walcott means that the species occurs in the Upper Devonian then its presence in the Atrypa horizon at Nordegg would be quite contra- dictory to the other evidence. Unfortunately Walcott’s stratigraphic references do not seem convincing. This species would look much more at home in a western Middle Devonian than in our Upper Devonian fauna. Meek!? lists four species of Martinia from Great Slave Lake from 8 U.S. Geol. Surv., Mon. 8. 1884. 9 Geol. of Iowa, Vol. 1, pt. 2, p. 497, pl, 3, fig. 7, 1858. 10 University of Michigan Publications, Vol. 1, pp. 119-121, 1924. 1 Loe.cit., p. 139. 12 Chicago eatery, of Sciences,£Vol. 1, Art. 3, 1868. November, 1932] a horizon now known to be the Pine Point lime- stone. Walcott’s species is quite similar to Meek’s M. franklini, the resemblance being almost suffi- cient to argue for a Middle Devonian age for Waleott’s species. The position of the species in our section, over 2000 feet below the top of the Devonian is further evidence that we are dealing THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 185 with a Middle Devonian form. In spite of the seeming contradictory evidence provided by the presence of M. nevadensis in our fauna the writer believes that the A. reticularis var. a zone at Nordegg should be correlated with the Pine Point limestone of Great Slave Lake and the Elm Point limestone of Manitoba. ' NOTES ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF SALMO SALAR AND SALVELINUS ALPINUS IN NORTHEASTERN CANADA By J. R. DYMOND The following information except where other- wise stated was supplied me by Captain John Hearn, C.G.S. Mikula, Quebec, who has had long experience on the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and has sailed a number of times to the Hudson Bay area. From my discussions with Captain Hearn I am convinced that he properly distinguishes the fishes mentioned. Salmo salar—ATLANTIc Satmon. Captain Hearn reports that salmon occur in the following rivers of Ungava bay:—Koksoak, Chimo, St. George’s and Leaf. Considerable numbers are caught and salted in some years at the Hudson’s Bay posts on these rivers. According to Captain Hearn’s information salmon are not found west of Cape Hope’s Advance. Salvelinus alpinus—Arctic Cuar—This fish is very generally called sea trout on the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and along the Labra- dor coast, to distinguish it from the speckled trout. The latter, of course, runs into salt water, and when taken there is also called sea trout in many sections of eastern Canada. At Matamek on the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence where fontinalis and alpinus both occur, the former is recognized as the speckled trout and the latter as sea trout. In Hudson Bay and along the north coast of Canada westward, Arctic Char is commonly called salmon. The Arctic Char occurs in the Gulf of St. Law- rence at least as far west as Trinity River, ac- cording to the late Mr. C. N. Candee who has taken specimens in that region. From here they range along the north shore of the gulf to the Labrador coast and northward. Captain Hearn has seen the species taken as far north as Reso- lution Island. He has also seen it in McClure Strait and at Port Burwell. Small sea trout have also been taken at Big Island and in Wakeham Bay. These trout are said to be found only in the vicinity of rivers which flow from lakes. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PHYSIOGRAPHY OF THE CYPRESS HILLS By C. H. CRICKMAY YN recent years four * interesting works have touched upon the physiography of the Cypress Hills. Strangely, none of these have noted that the shapes of these hills are quite at variance with the form which our accepted theory of denudation tells us we must expect. This brief article is written to call attention to these circumstances. The Cypress Hills lie partly in southeastern Alberta, partly in southwestern Saskatchewan. They are eighty miles long in an east-west direc- W. C. ALDEN: Eascerap hic development of tle northern Great Plains. Geol. Soc. America Bull. 35, 1924. -. LAWSON: The Cypress Plain. Univ. of Calif. Publ., Geol. 15, 1925. M. Y. WILLIAMS: The Physiography of the southwestern Plains of Canada. Trans. Roy. Soc. Canada (8) 23, 1929. M. Y. WILLIAMS and W. S. DYER: Geology of Southern Alberta and Southwestern Saskatchewan. Mem. 163, Geol. Sury. Canada, 1930. tion, and about twenty in width. They stand 4800 feet above sea-level, or 1600 feet above the plains, at the west end; and 3500 feet, or 700 above the plains, at the east end. They are flat topped, with much-dissected sides of very vari- able steepness. Viewed from a distance the plateau character is lost, and they resemble a rounded swell in the plains, though I think few plainsmen would join Williams in calling them a “gentle” swell. The flat top of the hills is underlain every- where by the Cypress Hills conglomerate, 500 feet thick. For this reason, Alden concluded that the plateau was a surface of deposition. And, since the conglomerate is of Oligocene age, he concluded that the surface was of that age also. Williams and Dyer, with more thorough and 186 minute observation, showed that the plateau sur- face was an erosional one. My own observation suggests the following evidence of erosional origin. The conglomerate is not everywhere of the same ‘thickness, and hence seems to have had its original thickness cut away in places. The actual flat upland is not perfectly flat, but is trenched by the narrow, shallow valleys of an extinct drainage system, the original limits of which un- doubtedly lay far beyond the present limits of the hills. These valleys may now be traced to the broken edges of the plateau. Here it becomes at once evident that they are mere vestiges of a system of regional proportions, just as the up- land on which they lie is a vestige of a former region-wide plain. The shallow upland valleys, their winding walls, their floors, and their empty river channels are exquisitely preserved. It must be concluded that these features have not long been exposed to destructive agents. It is quite gratuitous to say that the conglomerate is of very hard materials, and is porous and hence permits leakage of the waters which might erode it. No rock is more than relatively resistant, and moreover, this con- glomerate is readily wasted in those places where it is suitably exposed to agents of wasting. Further, erosion has plainly had chief place in former times in shaping the upland surface. It is, therefore, not possible to argue that the con- glomerate capping is extraordinarily resistant. The conclusion follows that since its features reached their present stage of development the plateau has not long been exposed to erosion. It is not old. It may antedate the Pleistocene, but is probably not much older. Now consider the present relation of the pla- teau to the plains which surround it. The plains lie, on the average, 1000 feet lower. No one doubts that the Great Plains are of erosional origin. Plainly they have been cut down to their present surface, and bevelled to approximate flatness. They have been modified by Pleistocene ice- sheets and by shifting, glacial streams. Finally they have been trenched to depths of 100 to 500 feet by recent rivers. The flat surface of the Cypress Hills represents the completion of one _eycle of erosion. The cutting down and bevelling THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST (Vou. XLVI of the plains represents a second cycle. The recent dissection of the: plains marks the begin- ning of a third. Here, then, is the anomaly. How has the Cyp- ress Hills upland survived the vast erosion that has occurred on all sides? Our accepted theory of denudation is that erosion is accomplished by two main sorts of action: rivers cutting down their channels, and weathering and rainwash re- ducing the interfluves. Downcutting is supposed to slow up as erosion advances, so that at the end, all parts become reduced to an even, low level without relief. The final approach to this stage is supposed to be so slow, and hence to require so long for its consummation, that no feature of a previous cycle could possibly sur- vive it. Yet there stand the Cypress Hills, an eloquent denial of all this denudational theory. It would seem that the theory requires modifi- cation in some respects. In the first place,. it seems likely, from this Cypress Hills example, that erosion may reach completion in one limited area in a comparatively short time, and that it may run to completion in one part of an area before it even starts in another. This can only mean that the erosion of interfluve areas is not accomplished by any such universal process as wasting which, if effective at all, must be effective in every place exposed to weathering and rain- fall. The erosion of interfluves seems to be ac- complished by an agent of limited scope, yet of unquestionable power and unfailing efficiency. What is this agent? A good lesson may be learned by observing the present distribution of active erosion on the plains—it is confined to the immediate vicinity of drainage lines. It is suggested that the solution of the erosion problem lies in a better appreciation of this fact of erosion being confined to drainage lines, and in a clearer discernment of the parts played by the three kinds of stream erosion— downcutting, headward cutting, and lateral cut- ting. No comparative study has ever been made of these factors. Indeed, it is only in recent years that lateral erosion has come to be appreciated as a dominant process. In any case, I hope to supply bit by bit, as the evidence of a sufficient number of examples can be analyzed and pub- lished, the answer to the questions I have raised. November, 1932] THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 187 NOTES ON THE HABITS OF THE PORCUPINE* By ALFRED KAY IN THE winter, porcupines feed on the tips of the limbs and bark of trees that grow near the dens in which they sleep - and have their young. These dens are usually in clefts in rocky hills, but sometimes in hollow logs. On stormy days they stay in their dens, but on ordinary fine days they go to the tree that they have picked on for their chief supply of food, keeping to much the same track each time until they soon have a well-beaten path made. The trees they like best are the maple, birch, hemlock and cedar. After they have fed on a tree ail winter, it is generally so badly girdled that it dies or is greatly stunted. Where there is a colony of porcupines the amount of timber they destroy is very considerable. During the spring and summer months they feed on a large variety of succulent plants.. At that time they seem to prefer to travel and feed in the cool of the night, and among their favourite haunts are the marshy, shallow bays of lakes and rivers, where they scramble about in the warm water feeding on the water lilies, tender grasses, and other aquatic plants. From my own observations I don’t think that they are confined to any particular time for breeding. My son, J. R. Kay, found a female in a hollow pine log in the middle of February with a young one about a month or six weeks old. I have found young early in May and also early in June. I once killed a female as it was crossing my field early in June with five young ones following her. I have also killed young ones quite late in the summer and early fall, some were fairly small while others were nearly full-grown. The adult males will fight vigorously at times, and give the fiercest yells, equal to those of any wild eat. I once killed a pair of males that were fighting. I was alttracted to them by their yell- ing, and they had torn one another so badly that I don’t think either of them would have lived. One had its bowels hanging out, and the other one was slashed to the bone on the neck and *Eastern Porcupine, Hrethizon dorsatum ‘dorsatum (Lin- naeus). shoulder and was bleeding freely. From speci- mens of female porcupines that I have dissected, and from young that I have seen following their mother, I think they have from one to five in a litter. Porcupines seem to be greatly infested with internal parasites, such as tape worms, hook worms and the common round worms; sometimes all three kinds are found in the one animal, and in great numbers. This is, no doubt, one of nature’s ways of keeping their numbers in check. Foxes will kill them and so will the great horned owl. I have had specimens sent me just stuck full of quills inside and out. If porcupines are taken when young they are easily tamed, and are very affectionate and sagacious. They are built for climbing. The hind feet are turned sideways; their limbs are strong and muscular; their feet are flat with strong, long claws; their hind feet are well fitted to grip the rounded surface of the trees while their front feet are reaching up to grasp anything to draw themselves up, and they can support the whole weight of their bodies by pressing their broad, heavily-muscled tail, with its dense growth of short, strong quills, against the trunk of the tree. In climbing they can travel quicker than they can on the ground. Their front teeth are very much like those of the beaver, made for cutting wood, barking trees, and so on. They are very destructive to summer cottages and out-buildings, chewing the doors, windows and floors to pieces; often completely destroying them. They are very fond of salt, and will chew any wood on which they can get any taste of salt. The one that I raised, on account of having free access to all the salt that he needed, never chewed the wood about our house. He chewed a hole in the barn door, but that was to get in co that he eould help himself to clover, hay and oats in the winter time. He made a sleeping den under the gangway at the barn door. When properly prepared and cooked the flesh of the porcupine is very nice, having a smell while cooking that would make anyone hungry. 188 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST [VoL. XLVI A FEW RECORDS OF MAMMALS FROM MANITOBA By STUART CRIDDLE, Treesbank, Manitoba NE OF the pleasures in the life of a field naturalist is the knowledge that a year oh seldom passes without providing some- thing new, or supplying a record of outstanding interest. Here at Aweme 1931 com- menced well and it finally proved to be consider- ably above the average in furnishing local records of unusual interest. On the sixth of January I secured the smallest adult mammal I have ever captured, this was a male Microsorex h. hoyi (Baird) which was caught by hand while running on the snow in a poplar bush. It was placed in a leather mitt with the hope of getting it home alive but it died almost immediately. Itsmeasurementsare: Total length, 78.8 mm; tail vertebrae, 27.4 mm.; hind foot, 9.9 mm.; ear 3.0 mm.; weight, 1.79 grams. Truly a midget among small mammals. A few weeks later I obtained a second record. Captain K. P. Darnell of South Junction, Mani- toba, had very kindly undertaken to do some trapping for me and in a box wheich he sent containing a few mice, were 21 small shrews, six of which proved to be Microsorex. These were all mature although possibly the result of a single litter. Unfortunately the warm weather caused their hair to slip rather badly, consequently I was unable to make all of them into museum speci- mens. Their measurements, with two others from Captain Darnell, are as follows: Total length Tail vertebre Hind foot Ear Weight Q 87.7 mm. 31.2 mm. 10.1 mm. 2.5mm 2.75 gr co 91.4 mm. 39.2 mm. 11.0mm. 2.8 mm 2.49 gr. co 91.5 mm. 31.7 mm. 10.4 mm. fa 2.62 gr. 9 88.2 mm. 29.0mm. 11.1 mm. 2.7 mm. 2.62 gr. 2? 84.7 mm. 29.7mm. 11.4mm. 3.2 mm° 2.62 gr. 2? 82.4 mm. 29.2mm. 9.9mm. 2.9mm 2.04 gr ? 83.4 mm. 29.83mm. 9.8mm. 2.7 mm 2.82 gr. ? 83.4 mm. 298mm. 11.2 mm. a 1.94 gr. I cannot definitely say whether these are true Microsorex h. hoyi or not. They are decidedly darker than the specimens named for me from Aweme. On April 23 Mr. R. M. White gave me a Silver- haired Bat, Lasionycteris noctivagans (Le Conte), which he found in an old building. The weather was quite cold at the time and the bat was in a semi-dormant state when first picked up. It had probably arrived during a warm spell some six or eight days before. This constituted our earliest record ol a bat being found at Aweme. Early in May a fine Woodchuck Marmota monax canadensis (Erxl.) was seen in our woods, the first for many years. Then on the twelfth of August, Mr. Oliver Rolfe gave me a beautiful ‘black one to be recorded for the province. black specimen which he had caught on his grain fields east of Treesbank. Marmots have always been rare in our part of the world, why this should — be is unknown because there is abundance of food and much suitable country available. Mr. Rolfe’s specimen, a male, is, I think, the first It was somewhat below normal size and measures as follows: Total length, 591 mm.; tail vertebrae, 166 mm.; hind foot, 85.5 mm.; ear, 21.6 mm.; weight, 4 pounds, 9 ounces. My last, and most interesting record, was brought about in the following manner: Towards the end of July my brother Norman received a communication from Mr. J. R. McPherson of Souris in which complaint was made of a number of small bats infesting his house. The informa- tion was handed to me and I immediately wrote to Mr. McPherson asking him to send me some specimens for identification. On August 7 two arrived one of which was still living, the other had been: killed and its skull was rather badly crushed. I noticed at once that these animals had longer ears than any we had taken at Aweme. The ears when bent forward extended well beyond the muzzle, this and their colour corresponded so well with old descriptions of the Say bat that I mistook them for Myotis s. subulatus (Say). However, Dr. R. M. Anderson, Chief of the Division of Biology, National Museum of Canada, Ottawa, doubted the correctness of this determination and when they were submitted to him for inspec- tion he found them to be Myotis keenii septen- trionalis (Trouessart), or, as he aptly calls them, Trouessart Brown Bat. No previous record of this bat’s having been taken in the province can be found, thus it would seem that we have added one more mammal to those known to occur in Manitoba. The measurements and weights of these two bats are given below: Wing Weight span 40.5 mm. 11.9mm.15.8mm.256.4 mm. 7.09 gr. 46.5 mm. 11.3 mm.15.3 mm.259.5 mm. 6.56 gr. Total length Tail vertebre Foot Ear 89.7 mm. 99.5 mm. The explanation for there being no previous records of these bats occurring in Manitoba may be that they only get as far west when weather conditions are similar to those which we had during the early summer, namely extremely dry with an unusual number of hot and very strong winds from the south and west. ; November, 1932] ° THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 189 - NOTICES OF MOTION Mr. President: I wish to give notice that, at the next Annual Meeting of this Club, I propose to move that the Constitution of this Club be amended by the insertion therein of the following clauses: Life Members of the Club shall be those per- sons or institutions from each of which the Club shall accept the sum of seventy-five dollars in one payment for a life membership. Life Mem- bers shall be entitled to all the rights and privi- leges of membership in the Club, including receipt of the publications of the Club, for the rest of their natural lives, if persons, or of their con- tinuous existence, if institutions, without any further payment being required of them. The Club shall establish and maintain a per- manent fund to be known as the Publication Fund as soon as any money for such a fund shall be received. All dues for life memberships, all bequests not directed by the donor to be used otherwise, all gifts specifically intended for this fund, and fifty per cent of the annual interest received from the investment of this fund shall be paid into and included in this fund as soon as possible after their receipt. The remaining fifty per cent of the annual interest received from the investment of this fund shall be available for use in publishing, or assisting to publish, The Canadian Field-Naturalist or other publications of the Club, as Council may from time to time direct. Aeseparate audited financial report on this fund shall be presented by the Treasurer at each annual meeting of the Club.—HoyEs LLovyp. Mr. PRESIDENT: I wish to give notice that at the next Annual Meeting of this Club, I propose to move that the Constitution of the Club be amended by the de- letion of Article III. (Membership) and the sub- stitution of the following: Articte [1] —MempersHip. (a) Active: Anyone interested in Natural His- tory may upon application be elected by Council as an active member of the Club. Payment of the annual fee shall be a necessary condition of the continuance of membership. (b) Corresponding: Any eminent naturalist not resident in the Ottawa District, who is desirous of promoting the objects of the Club, may be elect- _ ed by the Council as a Corresponding Member. (c) Life Members: Upon payment of the sum of fifty dollars in one payment, any active mem- ber or institution may become a Life Member. (d) Sustaining Life Members: shall be those persons or institutions from each of which the Club shall accept the sum of one hundred dollars ($100.00) in one payment for such membership. (e) Benefactors: shall be those persons or in- stitutions from each of which the Club shall ac- cept the sum of five hundred dollars or more. (f) Honorary Members: Any prominent person resident of the Ottawa District, who shall to a marked degree assist towards the successful work- ing of the Club, may be elected by the Council as an Honorary. Member. There shall not be at any one time more than five such Honorary Members. (g) Patrons: the Council shall also have power to elect a Patron or Patrons after his (or their) consent has been obtained. The Patrons shall be considered Honorary Members. (h) No Membership fee shall be expected from Corresponding or Honorary Members. (i) Privileges of Members: Benefactors, Sus- taining Life Members and Life Members shall be entitled to receive the publications of the Club for the rest of their natural lives if persons, or of their continuous evistence if institutions, without any further payment being required of them. PUBLICATION FUND. The Club shall establish and maintain a per- manent fund to be known as the Publication Fund, as soon as any money for such a fund be received. All dues for Benefactorships, Sustaining Life Memberships, Life Memberships, all bequests not directed by the donor to be used otherwise and all gifts specifically intended for this fund shall be paid into and included in this fund as soon as possible after their receipt. The annual interest received from the invest- ment of this fund shall be available for use in publishing or assisting to publish “The Canadian Field-Naturalist” or other publications of the Club, as Council may from time to time direct. A separate audited financial report on this fund shall be presented by the Treasurer at each annual meeting of the Club—A. La Rocqus. 190 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST [VoL. XLVI NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS Microsorex hoyi hoyt AT TORONTO, ONTARIO.— Three additional specimens of this species have been taken by me at Mount Dennis, close to Toronto, all under the same stump in a wet area. The first, a male, was trapped on April 17, the second, a female, on April 19 and the third, also a female, on April 21, all 1931. One of these, a female, is now in the mammal collection in the gallery of the RoyalOntario Museum of Zoology and the other two are in my collection. The measurements, in millimeters, as taken from the animals in the flesh, are as follows:— Length, 87 mm.; tail, 30 mm.; hind foot, 9.75 mm.; female: length, 97 mm.; tail, 33 mm.; hind foot, 10 mm.; female,: length, 87 mm.; tail, 29 mm.; hind foot, 8.5 mm. My first specimen, a male, was secured by me at Cedarvale, near Mount Dennis in Toronto, on April 20, 1929, record of which has already ap- peared in these columns. It measured: length, 87 mm.; tail, 31 mm.; hind foot, 10.6 mm.; and is in my coliection. These are the only records of the Pigmy Shrew in the Toronto region.—CLIFFORD E. HOPE. BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON IN OKANAGAN VALLEY, B.C.—On September 18, 1927, I collected a specimen of the Black-crowned Night Heron, Nycticorax nycticorax hoactli, in immature plu- mage. It was submitted to Major Allan Brooks for inspection. The only other record for this province is a sight record by Allan Brooks a number of years ago in this valley. The bird was noted two days previous to the date when I took it. I was out hunting ducks when it rose from the marsh in front of me and slowly flapped against a strong wind, thus giving me an excellent chance to note its characteristic markings. When taken it was in some large trees at the mouth of the creek. On October 2nd of the same season I was surprised to note another of these birds at the mouth of the same creek I secured the first bird at. It rose from the sandy shore and flapped slowly out over the lake. These are the only records I have of this Heron here.—Eric M. TAIT. WHITE PELICAN ON VANCOUVER ISLAND.— The appearance of the White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) in 1930 on Vancouver Island would seem worthy of record. On June 17th, Deputy Game Warden J. C. Smith, of Comox, brought me a specimen of this bird. The latter *The Canadian Field-Naturalist, 43: 168, Oct., 1929. had been shot by some unknown person at Deep Bay, about fifteen miles south of Comox. Acting on information that such a bird had been killed, Wardens B. Harvey and J. C. Smith investigated and, after a search, secured it. The head had been cut off, and the remains buried but luckily the bird was still fairly fresh when the Wardens dug it up, and after laundering the skin in a tub of suds and sewing on the head, I was able to make quite a good specimen. The bird was said to be one of a small flock of five, and though exceedingly poor was in breeding condition sexually. The weight was sixteen pounds. The wing-spread covered eighty-nine inches and the wing molt was interesting in that the first primary in each wing was old and faded. Unfortunately the horn on the bill had been broken badly in the rough usage. The soft parts were strikingly rich in colour: the toes and tarsus, orange; bill, dull orange; pouch and bare area about eye, chrome yellow; iris, straw yellow. The breeding ground of the White Pelican in British Columbia lies in the northern interior and he avoids the coast. On October 6th, 1928, I observed a flock of pelicans in southward migra- tion at Ashnola Creek, Southern Similkameen, and on May 26th, 1929, a flock of thirty winging up the Okanagan Valley at Osoyoos Lake, both flocks evidently going to or from their summer home in the Chilcotin or Cariboo country.— HAMILTON M. LAING. é SPRING RECORDS OF PECTORAL SANDPIPERS AT LONDON, ONTARIO.—This bird, though very regular and common in the autumn flight, has been so rare in spring in the past, that any occur- rence whatever in that season has been note- worthy, but the spring of 1931 has certainly been a conspicuous exception. Beginning on April 10 when 30 were seen by Mrs. E. H. McKone, flying over ‘‘The Pond” they were seen almost daily by all the working members of the Mellwraith Or- nithological Club, and when they were missed for a day, the reason did not lie with the Sand- pipers, but with the observers. On April 13th, 5 were seen about 2 miles farther south, and on the 19th, 85 were at the same place. Continuing through the month, 25 were seen on the 20th, 35 on the 25th, 40 on the 26th, 50 on the 320th, culminating in 125 on May 3rd. The last were seen on May 10th, when 30 were found at the same place as the 125 on the 8rd. Reports came in from West Lorne, where Mr. Earl Lemon saw very many through the same period, estimating 200 as the largest number seen in one day, and November, 1932] T. D. Patterson estimated 200 seen in a drive to Mitchell, about 45 miles northeast. A letter to Mr. J. H. Fleminz elicited the information that none had been seen near Toronto up to that date and on calling the Museum, he was informed that they had only a small scattering of spring records, and no specimens; but Mr. Fleming kindly added ‘“‘You may be right”. When Mr. Stuart Thompson was at London, we took him out on May 10th, and he saw the very last flock of 30. The habits of these birds appeared to us to be somewhat unusual. While they were very often found in wet places, and always near puddles, there were usually some of them, and sometimes all, on the nearby higher ground, busily picking up insects. When a car approached close enough the whole company would cease activity and eye the intruders with mild suspicion, but soon, that gentle feeling was allayed and feeding would proceed vigorously, and then, by a slow approach the observer could come within 15 yards of the nearest birds. On the ground they were always quiet but the usual “‘prri’’ was given freely when they took flight. Farmers noted these unusual birds at the pools in their fields and near the barnyards. and reported them. Almost, if not quite, every favourable pool that we visited contained Pectorals at some time or other during this flight, and of course, they ceased altogether to be worthy of special note. In the autumn, as already stated, these birds are confidently looked for, but their appearance on the first occasion this fall was nearly as great a surprise as their numbers in the spring; for they were seen on an evening examination of the golf links where there had been reported a bird which was suspected to be a Golden Plover. Local records of this plover being so excessively rare, an immediate visit was paid to the club grounds, and the dominating bird was found to be the Killdeer, of which perhaps 40 were seen. But, as we walked across the greens, our atten- tion was taken by a loose flock of waders feeding on the dry, close-cropped grass, far from any water, and these, on investigation, werefound to be Pectorals, to the number of 18. After watching them for some time, they were flushed, and they flew out of sight. Evidently there is now a need for all good golfers to carry a field glass—W. E. SAUNDERS. HAWK MIGRATION IN ESSEX COUNTY, ON- TARIO.—Across the thirty-mile-wide peninsula of Essex County each September and October occurs a migration of hawks in incredible numbers. I have observed this flight each fall but never in the THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 191 thirty-four years of my life have I seen such numbers as I witnessed on the morning of Sep- tember 19th, 1931. The number of hawks present could scarcely be made believable to one who had not seen them. Some witnesses thought there were as many as fifty thousand present. Circling flocks could be seen with the naked eye for two miles in any direction and with glasses more were visible at a greater distance. By counting the number in a single flock I estimated that between ten and twenty thousand hawks were passing within sight. High in the air, Broad-wing, Red-shouldered and Red-tailed Hawks circled, sailed four or five miles and circled again. To my surprise, lower down an occasional Osprey or Fish Hawk passed not circling like the others but flying much faster and not mixing with them. Near to the ground were many Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s Hawks with occasional Sparrow and Pigeon Hawks. I have seen as many hawks in a whole day but never before such numbers in less than an hour as on this occasion. It was between eight and nine o’clock in the morning and I conclude that the birds probably congregated for the previous night in some near-by woods and were starting out together on their day’s travel. They were pro- gressing at varying speeds and by night would very likely be spread out for fifty or a hundred miles. All with whom I have talked agree that they had never seen such a migration before but a similar one differing only in the degree of con- centration occurs here each fall. All bird lovers especially those: who believe that hawks are nearing extinction should make a special trip to Point Pelee and the Lake Erie shore towards Kingsville during the last fifteen days of Septem- ber any year and witness for themselves this great annual flight of hawks that I have seen every year of my life—MANLY MINER. BIRD NOTES FROM THE VICINITY OF CASTOR, ALBERTA.—BLACKED BILLED CUCKOO. (Coccyzus erythropthalmus).—I first saw this bird on June 12, 1922—three birds together. A nest contain- ing one egg was found on July 5th, the nest being three feet from the ground in a Saskatoon-berry bush and built of twigs and the fluffy seed pods of the Willow. Another nest was found on July 17th, containing three eggs, seven feet high in a Willow. I found the species fairly common, there being at least six pairs in an area of two square miles. As most ofthe Poplar bluffs in the neighbourhood were situated in this area, that is no doubt the reason why the Cuckoo appeared to be common , 192 As a matter of fact, I only met with the bird at one other place in the Castor district although I saw a pair of birds in 1927 a few miles northeast of Forestburg, about sixty miles north of Castor. In 1923, 1924 and 1925 I found from two to five nests each year. All were placed from three to seven feet from the ground in Willow or Saska- toon-berry bushes. The Cuckoo does not reach Alberta before the second week of June and nesting does not com- mence before the beginning of July. LARK BUNTING (Calamospiza melanocorys).— I first met with this bird in the Castor district in the Spring of 1920 when I collected a male. Several more were seen at intervals up to June, 1923. On June 18th of that year I discovered a breeding colony of twelve pairs on the open prairie and a second colony of eight pairs about three miles from the first. Although unable to find eggs I later on found several nests containing young birds. The birds did not return to the place the following year and it is the only breeding record I have for Alberta. LAZULI BUNTING (Passerina amoena).—I col- lected a male of this species thirteen miles south- west of Castor, Alberta, on May 26th, 1924. It was feeding on seeds of Lamb’s Quarters. The bird was given to Prof. Rowan and I believe he still has it in his collection. PINE WARBLER (Dendroica vigorsi)—On June 5th, 1924, Prof. Rowan collected a male of this species on my farm, thirteen miles southwest of Castor. The bird was singing at the time it was shot. In 1928, at Boyle, Alberta, about 100 miles north of Edmonton, I heard and saw several Warblers whcih I could not identify. Their song seemed familiar but they were very shy and even with glasses it was difficult to obtain a clear view of the birds. They appeared partial to isolated small clearings of large Spruce trees. After watching them on several occasions I decided they were Pine Warblers. Early in July Mr. H. Ober- holtzer of Washington, was staying with me and I drew his attention to the singing of one of these birds. Without any hesitation he said “Pine Warblers” and further observation confirmed this.—T. E. RANDALL. NESTING OF SANDHILL CRANE.—Though it has been generally taken for granted that the Sandhill Crane nested on Vancouver Island swamps in earlier days, yet there seems no concrete evidence from the past and not even the earliest settlers I have questioned had anything definite to offer till three or four years ago John Pritchard, of Comox, B.C., told of his father finding young cranes at Quinsam Lake in early days, which THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST [Vou. XLVI might mean thirty-five years ago. In 1929 my informant advised further that while he was em- ployed in the logging camp he had seen two cranes behaving in a suspicious manner and the fact that they remained here at all in summer indicated a breeding ground. He promised to watch closely and report in 1930 and on June 6th brought word that the crane’s nest had been found by James Thompson the watchman whose camp was on the logging railway six or seven miles above Camp Three. Owing to very rainy weather I was unable to see the nest till June 15th when Thompson led me to his find in a swamp half a mile from the right of way. Most of the timber had been cleared from the surrounding region though the machinery was still in noisy operation within half a mile. Thompson explained that he had stumbled upon the sitting bird quite by accident while crossing the marsh and she had held so close to her eggs as to brush his legs with her wings in her sudden take-off. Both nest and bird were very completely hidden in a quite dense stand of waist-high shrubbery (Sweet Gale) and the eggs could be seen only at a distance of a few feet. The swamp was half dry. On our approach the sitting bird, presumed to be the female, flushed at about twenty feet and in response to her calling, the mate came trum- peting from a neighbouring swamp half a mile distant, upon which both birds dropped down out of sight and kept calling anxiously. There were two eggs on the matting of sticks from the material at hand, though Thompson said he was quite certain a pair in the vicinity the previous year raised three young. I photographed the eggs—finding it necessary to remove some of the shrubbery screen—and left. As I hoped to secure a photograph of the crane on the nest, I returned on June 24th. After flushing the bird again, I spent a few minutes clearing a lane through the shrubbery, then set up the tripod at a distance of about twenty feet and hurried away. I hoped the tripod would pave the way for the blind to be put up later. But heavy rain came on and when I returned about six hours later, in mid-afternoon, there was no sign of the birds and the eggs were wet and cold. The bird’s natural timidity, the tripod, the weather in combination proved too much. She refused to return and so next day I took the eggs, whitch now are in the National Museum, Ottawa. As this nesting ground is but three or four miles from the Quinsam Lake where young cranes were found by Pritchard, it is more than possible that these swamps have been a breeding ground through the years.—HAMILTON M. LAING. November, 1932] THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 193 BOOK REVIEWS A NEw Book ON FISHES.—An important event to those interested in any way in the study of fishes is the publication of ‘“‘A History of Fishes,” by J. R. Norman. (Ernest Benn Ltd., London, 1931, 28s.). Mr. Norman is in charge of the fish collection of the British Museum (Natural History). The results of the latest advances in almost every phase of ichthyological and fisheries research are included in the discussion of the various aspects of fish life, such as form, locomo- tion, respiration, fins, scales, venom, electricity, light, sound, nervous system, colouration, condi- tions of life, distribution, migration, breeding, courtship, parental care, development, classifica- tion, taxonomy, etc. The relation of fishes to man is discussed under such headings as fisheries, fishing methods, fishery research and even fish mythology. The matter is presented in language intellible to the average educated layman. The book is an important contribution to ichthyology and no doubt will prove indispensable to those engaged in any branch of that science. Common Pssts. How to Control some of the Pests that Affect Man’s Health, Happiness and Welfare. _By Rennie W. Doane. Charles C. Thomas, Publisher, Springfield and Balti- more, 1931. The book before us is one of a series of “Nature Books” edited by Dr. Hartley H. T. Jackson. It includes within its 384 pages descrip- tions of a multitude of creatures beginning with scorpions and ending with mammals and birds. The work is divided into two sections, the first entitled: Pests of Man and Domestic Animals; the second: Insect Control and Some Important Pests of the Orchard, Garden, Field and House- hold. Under section One we find the following chapter headings: 1. Some near Relations of In- sects; II. Blood-sucking Flies; III. Mosquitoes and their Control; 1V. Mosquitoes and Disease; V. Flesh-flies, Screw Worm Flies and Bot Flies; VI. House Flies and Disease; VII. Bedbugs, Lice and Fleas; VIII. Parasitic Worms. Section Two contains: IX. Control of Insect Pests; X. Insect Pests of the Orchard; XI. Citrus Pests; XII. Insect Pests of Berries; XIII. Insect Pests of Grapes; XIV. Insect Pests of Field Crops; XVI. Insect Pests of Shade and Forest Trees and Lumber; XVII. Flower Garden Pests; XVIII. Greenhouse Pests; XIX. Insects Infesting Mills, Store rooms and Houses; XX. Mammals as Pests; XXI. Birds as Pests. The book is evidently intended as an elemen- tary text book for the average individual who is not versed in the habits and control of the com- moner pests with which he might be expected to come in contact. In this object it will serve a use- ful purpose and we feel, on the whole, that the author is to be commended on the _ results achieved. It was to be expected, in a work of this scope, that there would be some regrettable omissions and that there might be disagreement as to the wisdom of the selections made. The first point which will strike a Canadian reader is that the author was either unfamiliar with the insect con- ditions north of the international boundary or that he intended the book for use only in the United States. One of the most serious defects of the book is that it appears to have been compiled from sources which, in many instances, are out of date. We note for example that no mention is made of the part played by black flies in the transmission of a blood parasite of poultry, nor of nicotine sulphate for destroying biting lice. The recent great progress made in the use of pyreth- rum powder for the control of fleas and many other insects is overlooked. Arsenate of lime, now one of the most widely used insect poisons, is scarcely recognized, and derris, now recommended for the destruction of warble flies, is not even mentioned. The recommendations for grasshopper control include the use of the long discarded “hopper dozer”; the description of the egg habi- tats is also misleading. Cutworms and army- worms are discussed together as if all had simi- lar habits, which, of course, they have not, while the pale western cutworm, one of the principal scourges of grain crops in the Great Plains re- gion, is not even mentioned, nor indeed is the wheat-stem sawfly or the bertha armyworm. The chapters on mammals and birds are less open to criticism and they add not a little to the interest of the book. We have yet, however, to discover any evidence to support the oft repeated claim that weasels “suck blood” while the “lust to all,” so frequently credited to these and other predators, is in reality based on a desire to ob- tain food for future use which in a great majority of cases is actually stored away in much the same 194 manner as a squirrel stores nuts. The book is well printed and the illustrations, on the whole, are good—N.C. ArTUNE WirH Sprine In Acapie by Claire Harris MacIntosh, Introduction by F. Schyler Mathews. Illustrated by Marjorie Hugson Tozer. G. P. Putnam’s Sons, New York; London, 1932. Quarto, pp. 106, 8 full page coloured plates and many small black and white crayon drawings. Price, $3.00. A book of child’s verse reduced to child’s men- tality. It treats of some common Nova Scotian birds in humanistic manner but so does Mother Goose, and if it achieves a tithe of the success of that classic its future is assured. Most of the lines run with a merry jingle and their presentation of specific character is sympathetic to childhood ideals if not to those of science. Included are five bird songs (words and music), or rather songs about birds in which the natural songs are woven into the themes. At the back of the volume are several lists of the land birds of Nova Scotia grouped in various convenient ways. The volume is nicely got up with dainty cardboard case and bound in pale blue pictured boards. It makes an attractive gift book and may turn the thoughts of many youngsters birdways—P.A.T. A bulletin entitled “Water Fowl in Relation to the Spawning of Herring in British Columbia,” the authors of which are J. A. Munro, Chief Federal Migratory Bird Officer for the Western Provinces; and W. A. Clemens, Director of the Pacific Biological Station, has been published under the auspices of the Biological Board of Canada. The report comprises 12 sections. There is a short (1) Introduction, the jomt production of the two authors, and the gist of the article pur- ports to be an answer to its opening words which are these:—‘There is an increasing tendency on the part of both commercial fishermen and anglers to attribute in some degree the depletion ' of the stocks of many food and game fishes to the activities of certain bird species.” The introduction is followed by a (2) Topo- graphical sketch of the region of which the article treats, viz.:—Departure Bay and adjacent waters, and an outline of the (3) Life history of the Pacific herring (Clupea pallasw) by W. A. Clemens. Subsequent to these, four sections are devoted to the question of to what extent aquatic birds prey upon the herring or its ova, by J. A. Munro. THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST [VoL. XLVI These are entitled, (4) Species of gulls concerned, (5) The capture of herring gulls, (6) The con- sumption of herring ova by gulls, and (9) Obser- vations of other water fowl. Here the reviewer would say that this work presents itself to him as being very thoroughly done. Section nine re- veals exceedingly close observation, portraying much of the general habits of these aquatic birds, and this beyond the question of to what extent they devour the ova of herring, while the account is very systematic and easy to read. Furthermore, stomach contents of numbers of species, viz.:—of a murrelet, a guillemot, a murre, and various cor- morants and ducks, have been analyzed and are now published. . The remaining sections are by the two authors jointly, and are entitled: (7) Stomach contents of gulls collected at Departure Bay, B.C., which com- prises a series of tables presenting, apparently, an exhaustive analysis of the contents: (8) Contents of gull pellets: (10) Destruction of herring ova by ducks, which contains a criticism of an article in Trans. Roy. Can. Inst. on Clupea pallasii by Dr. C. McLean Fraser: (11) Summary and conclu- sions: and (12) Acknowledgments. The bulletin is illustrated with seven figures, viz.:—(1) Departure Bay area, which is a map of that bay and its vicinity: (2) Eggs of herring on seaweed: (3) Gulls on beach at Departure Bay: (4) Glaucous-winged Gulls near Nanoose Bay: (5) Regurgitated pellets of the Glaucous-winged Gull—natural size: (6) Regurgitated pellets of the same—one-third natural size: and (7) Surf Scoters in flight, Nanoose Bay. The authors are to be commended on the pro- duction of this report. It reveals a thorough study and is admirably done. They present the data as they ascertained them to be through observation and their research work, yet they are careful in drawing conclusions and cautiously state:—“In such studies collaboration between ichthylogists -and ornithologists is necessary in order that iden- tifications may be authoritative and observations correctly interpreted.” Still in a careful perusal of the report it may be discerned that in the judg- ment of the authors, man is the chief cause of the depletion of species; and in this judgment the reviewer concurs. Until the white man entered upon the scene there were far more birds of cer- tain kinds, and also far more fishes of certain kinds, than there are to-day, so that unquestion- ably the depletion is attributable to man; for nature being no respecter of species, ever seeks, under natural competition, to maintain the bal- ance among living creatures—ANDREW HALKETT. Ns —— : Affiliated Societies NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF MANITOBA 1929-30 ; President Emeritus: J. J. GOLDEN; Honorary President: Nor, MAN CRIDDLE; Past President: H. M. SPEECHLY, M.D., V, W. Jackson M.Sc., J. J. GoLpEN, C. W. Lowe M.Sc., J. B WALLIs, M.A., A. A. McCousrey, A. M. DAviIpsoN, M.D.’ Vice-Presidents: G. SHIRLY Brooks, A. G. LAWRENCE, H. C* Pparce, C. L. BRoLEY, B. W. CARTWRIGHT, W. H. RAND’ President: R. A. WARDLE, M.Sc.; General Secretary: MRs* L. R. StmMpson; Treasurer: N. Lowe; Executive Secretary: S. H. BENNETT; Librarian: R. M. THOMAS. Meetings are held each Monday evening, except on holidays from October to April, in the physics theatre of the University, Winnipeg. Field excursions are held each Saturday after- noon during May, June and September, and on public holidays during July and August. ' ‘ ‘ ‘ THE HAMILTON BIRD PROTECTION SOCIETY (Incorporated) ~ Hon. President: W. E. SAUNDERS, London, Ont.; President* Rv. CALVIN McQugsTon; Vice-President: R. OWBNMERRI- MAN, M.A., Kingston, Ont.; First Vice-President: DR. H. G* ARNOTT; Second Vice-President: Mrs. F. E. MACLOGHLIN; Recording Secretary: J. RotAND BRowN; Secretary-Treasur er: Miss NINA DUNCAN; Assistant Secretary-Treasurer: Miss E. McEWIN; Junior Commitiee: Miss M. E. GRAHAM; Pro- gramme Committee: Rmv. C. A. HEAVEN; Extension Committee: BH. C. NUNN. ; ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB; LONDON, ONT. President: Mr. EDISON MATTHEWS, 25 Wyatt Street, Londcn’ Ont.; ViceePresident: Mr. E. D. BRAND, 148 William Street’ London, Ont.; Recording Secretary: MR. VERNON FRANKS, 195 Duchess Av ., London, Ont.; Corresponding Secretary and Treasurer: Mr. W. G. GIRLING, 530 English St., London; Ont. Migration Secretary: Mr. BE. M. S. DALE, 297 Hyman Street, London, Ont.; Members qualified to answer questions: W. E. SAuNDERS, 240 Central Avenue, London, Ont.; C. G. WATSON, 201 Ridout Street South, London, Ont.; J. F. CALVERT, 461 Tecumseh Avenue, London, Ont.; E. M.S. DALE, 297 Hyman Street, London, Ont. Meetings held the second Monday of the month, except during the summer. McILWRAITH - VANCOUVER NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY Mr. L. S. Kuinck, LL.D., President Univer- JOHN Davipson, F.L.S., F.B.S.E., Honorary President. sity of B.C.; President: ' University of B.C.; Vice-President: Pror. M. Y. WILLIAMS, Honorary Secretary: C. F. Connor, M.A., 3222 W. 36th Street, Vancouver, B:C.; First Assistant Secretary: Muss Betty HerD; 2nd Assistant. Secretaru: MR. VERNON WIE- DRICK: Honorary Treasurer: A. H. BAIN, 2142 Collingwood Street, Vancouver, B.C.; Librarian: Mrs. McCrimmon; Members of Executive: Miss BE. J. Smita, Mr. J..D. TURNBULL, Mr. B. J. Woop, Mr. P. L. Tait, Mr. R. J. CUMMING; Au- ditors: H. G. SELwoop, W. B. Woops. _ All meetings at 8 p.m., Auditorium, Normal School, 10th Avenue and Cambie Street, unless otherwisé announced. S PROVINCE OF QUEBEC SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF BIRDS INC. OFFICERS & COMMITTEE: Past Presidents: Mr. L. MclI. TERRILL, Mr. NAPIER SMITH: President: Mr. W. S. Hart; Vice-Presidents: Mr. H. A. C. JACKSON, Mrs. C. L. HENDERSON; Vice-President and Treasurer: Mr. HENRY MOUSLEY; Secretary: Miss M. SEatuH; Curator: Miss EmMILy G. LUKE; Commntitiee: Mrs. C.F. DALE. Mrs. H. HIsBBERT, Miss K. D. MALCOURONNE, MIss EDITH Morrow, Miss M.S. NIcotson, Mr. W. A. OSWALD, MR. R. A. OUTHET, R. B, Ross, JrR., Mr. NAPIER SMItH, Mr. L. Mcl. SPACKMAN, Mr. L. MclI. TERRILL, Mr.G. J. C. TicArR, Mr. V. C WYNNE-EDWARDS. ‘Address all correspondence to the Society at P.O, Box 1185, Montreal, P.Q., Canada. i : ; % SOCIETE PROVANCHER D’HISTOIRE NATURELLE DU CANADA Patron Honoraire: Son Excellence, 1p TRES HONORABLE CoMTE DE BerssBoroucH, P.C., G.C.M.G., Gouverneur- Général _du_ Canada; Vice-Patron Honoraire: HONORABLE M. H. G. CARROLL, Lieutenant-Gouverneur de la Province de Québec; Bureau de Direction pour 1932: Président: ADRIEN FALARDEAU, C.R.; ler vice-président: W. STUART ATKINSON; 2éme vice-président: Masor Jos. MATTE; Secrétaire-trésorier: Louis-B. LAvotn; Chef de la section scientifique: Dr. D.-A. Dery; Chef de la section de Propagande édurcationnelle: EpGAR ROCHETTE, C.R., M.P.P.; Chef de la section de protec- tion: R. MEREDITH, N.P.; Chef de la section d'information Scientifique et pratique: G. STUART AHERN; Directeurs: DR. J.-E. BeRNIER, Jos.-S. BLAIS, ANGUS GRAHAM. Secrétaire-trésorier: Louts-B, LAVom , 88, rue Sherbrooke, Québec. THE TORONTO FIELD-NATURALISTS’ CLUB OFFICERS FOR 1931-82. Honorary President: PRoressor A. P. COLEMAN; President: CoLIn S. FARMER; Hon. Vice-Presidenis: HON. CHAS. MCCREA, Dr. N. A. Powe, Mr. J. H. Fi.Eemine; Vice-President: A. M. PATTERSON; Secretary-Treasurer: C. G. BRENNAND: Publicity- Secretary: Dr. L. B. JACKES; Executive Commitice: PRoF. E. M. WALKER, Mr. STUART THOMFSON, Prog. J.R. DyMonpD, Dr. NorMa ForD, MAGISTRATE J. E. Jones, Pror: T F. McILLWRAITH, Mr. FRED Ipk, MR. F. C. Hurst, Mr. RUPERT 'Davins, Dr. P. E. CLarKson, Mr. L. T. OwEN; Committee on Conservation: Mrs. S. L. THOMPSON: Junior Members’ Representative: TAYLOR STATTEN; Leaders: Birds—MESSRS. S. L. THompson, L. l. SNyDER, J. L. Barium, R. V. LInDsAy, R. M. Speirs; F. H. EMery; Mammals—Pror. COVENTRY, MEssrs. EH. C. Cross, D. A. MacLitics; Reptiles and Amphibtans—MeEssrs. E. B. S. Locizr, WM. LERAy: Fish— Pror. J. R. DymMonp, Pror. W. J. K. HARKNESS; Insects— Pror. E. M. WALKER, Dr. Norma Forp, Mr. F. P. IDE; Botany—ProFr. R. B. THOMSON, Pror H. B. SIFTON, Dr. G. Wricut, Mr. W. R. WATSON, Mr. Owen, Dr. T. McTaytor; Geology—Pror. A. MCLEAN. ~ > ’ } BRITISH COLUMBIA BIRD AND MAMMAL SOCIETY President: Dr. M. Y. WiuvLtaMs; First Vice-President: HAMILTON M. LAING; Second Vice-President: Dr. C. J. BASTIN: Secretary-Treasurer; KENNETH RACEY, 3262 West Ist Ave. Vancouver, B.C. \ We would ask the Officers, and mere particularly the Secretaries, of all the Affiliated Societies to assist us in our task of building up the circulation of this member as a subscriber we can truly magazine. 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Receraeemenad il Ge entearame b Reem sermeead Kindly mention The Canadian Field-Naturalist to advertisers > OU WLU IIe ae : VOL. XLVI, No. 9 | (DECEMBER, 11932 ; Pines 4 i 2 = BY, iH a Be! i > i as A - | ts { rAd h Baca De ( nl Natl 9 we : BE } p 4 ‘ le f ‘ ; { Ftat dea i \ > B My | ‘ W Wy y or i ia a eee at __ i f A. al an ' U ISSUED DECEMBER Ist, 1932. Entered at the Ottawa Post Office as second-class matter THE OTTAWA FIELD-NATURALISTS’ CuUB . Patrons: ; ig THEIR EXCELLENCIES THE GOVERNOR GENERAL AND Gee oF BESSBOROUGH ji hl edidemts-| {Oy M. STERNBERG, 17 Grosvenor Ave., Ottawa. a Ist Vice-Presiilent: ME. WILSON | and Vice-President: HERBERT Gros ‘a Secretary: Miss Grace § . Lewis, oop popeer St. Treasurer: WILMOT LLOYD, 582 Mariposa Ave., 0} i) Rockcliffe Park. _ Additional Members of Council: F. J. ALCOCK, R. M. ANDERSON, Miss M. E. Cowan, Mussrs. ih G. CRAWFORD, NORMAN CRIDDLE, R. E. DeLury, Bad: FRASER, ANDREW HALKETT, We E. Harris, D. JENNESS, C. E. JOHNSON, Gy KINGSTON, EK. M. KINDLE, W. 4H. LANCELEY, A LARocque, — DOUGLAS LEECHMAN, HARRISON F. LEwIs, HOYES LLOYD, W. T. Macoun, M. O. MALTE, Mane G. McELutnney, G. A. Miuur, A. E. Porsttp, G. §. PostLerawatte, E. E. PRINcE, J. DEWEY i SopPER, P. A. Ta VERNER, EK. F. G. WHITE, W. J. WINTEMBERG, and Presidents: of Affiliated Societies Editor: DouGLAS LEECHMAN National Museum, Ottawa, Canada. Associate Editors: ' Ag JONNESS.........: ts OR una Anthropology CLYDE L. PATCH.......... ... .Herpetology — D. ~M.O. MALTE....... BA AS Bea a ay Botany ’ R.M.ANDERSON......... ayes. M ammalogy PF Re GATCHRORD 3) 3c foe oes tae os Conchology A. G. HUNTSMAN............ Marine Biology — ARTHUR GIBSON............200+ Entomology Pav TAVERNER NS Ag wee ....Ornithology F. J. ALCOCK..... CSAP RT RD NRE CEU _. Geology 1 MIKINDEE GRU 000 ee aaa -Palzontology m CONTENTS i ; PAGE The @omelanion of Sunspot Periodicity with Grasshopper Fluctuation in Manitoba. ro oe NormanCriddley i ee oe a Oe a 195° 7 A New Variety of Valvata lewisi from the Pleistocene of Ontario. By A. La Rocque........ 199 A Third Study of the Home Life of the Eastern Goldfinch (Spinus iristis tristis). By tieaig, : . Miousley yaa GU CE hy OG Ee aN » ) 200) im A Dinosaur Footprint Bird Bath. By Ca) Me Sternberg ic yi On 05 ee ee 203.4 Observations on the Occurrence of Otter in the Riding Mountain National Park, Manitoka, in ae Relation ‘to: Beaver Lite.) By i. U.iGreenai aio 2s o5 6 Ae es oe ie eee ART Dit 204 ie The Last. of (The Heath Hens.) ‘By P. A. Taverner. 20.0. 929 05 Po as ee PPE rasta Sr. 0} Notes and Observations :— f at. Note\to Mditoer By JecB: tarkim ny cee ek ay aig enn ee eae a a eo 208 — Killdeeriat Oakyille; Ontario. By KR. C. Broomam, \.) on. /)) ee ne 208 Willow Ptarmigan; Lagopus lagopus, in Central Albertain May. By Frank L. Parley. 208 — A Kentucky Warbler at Strathroy, Ontario. By As Ac Wood). 2.0. 35 Sy a Ne 2 Northern Shrike and English Sparrow. By A. Gissing............. Rds CaaS as i An Unusual Record of Scarlet Tanager. By Hamilton M. Laing........ ee SNA ~ Index to Volume XLVI OURS IRO ro Noa tae eo nahan NWT MONAURAL IRRNG alae The official publications of THE OTTAWA FIELD-NATURALISTS’ CLUB have been issued since 1879. The first were The Transactions of the Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club, 1879-1886, 3 two volumes; the next, The Ottawa Naturalist, 1886-1919, thirty-two volumes: and these have = -been continued by The Canadian Field-Naturalist to date. The Canadian Field-Naturalist is i issued monthly, except for the months of June, July and August. Its scope is the publication e of the results of original research in all departments of Natural History. Le ct Ass Price of this volume (9 cig a casts $2.00; Single copies 25¢ each _ The Membership Committee of The Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club is making a epee effort to F increase the subscription list of The Canadian Field-Naturalist. We are, therefore, asking every reader — who is truly interested in the wild life of our country to help this magazine to its Tightful place among 4 the leading Natural History publications in America. Subscriptions ($2.00 a year) should be forwarded to Bi WILMOT LLOYD, oe Ottawa Pield-Néturalists" Club, oe 582 Mariposa Ave. BA jel Park, ore CANADA. | The Canadian Field-Naturalist VOL. XLVI OTTAWA, CANADA, DECEMBER, 1932 No. 9 THE CORRELATION OF SUNSPOT PERIODICITY WITH GRASSHOPPER FLUCTUATION IN MANITOBA By NORMAN CRIDDLE Dominion Entomological Laboratory, Treesbank, Manitoba HE APPARENT correlation of sunspot periodicity with certain animal fluctu- ations was first brought to my attention by Dr. Ralph DeLury of the Dominion Observatory, Ottawa. The subject is by no means new but with the exception of Dr. DeLury few people in Canada have devoted much attention to. the study. The first. attempt to correlate ~grasshopper cycles with those of sunspots seems to have been made by A. H. Swinton in England in an article entitled “Data obtained from Solar Physics and Earthquake Commotions Applied to Elucidate Locust Multiplication and Migration” (1878). In this article an attempt is made to correlate solar disturbances with locust prevalence both in Eu- rope and America. The evidence is far from con- clusive although it does suggest that periods of sunspot minima are most favourable to grass- hopper outbreaks. If, as has been claimed by Dr. DeLury, there are actually marked atmospheric changes due to sunspot cycles, it follows that these may have an important effect upon animal and plant life. In- deed the available evidence strongly indicates that this is so, both in the case of game animals and in trees. In the present paper I have attempt- ed to show to what extent grasshoppers fall within the same sphere of influence. In order to understand the causes of grass- hopper fluctuation we should first know the maximum possibilities for reproduction in the ‘species involved. This has been ascertained by study of the egg-laying capacity of those insects. We find that the average number of eggs under favourable conditions deposited in a year by Melanoplus mezxicanus Sans., M. femur-rubrum De G., or Camnula pellucida Scud. to be approxi- mately 150 per female, while Melanoplus bivit- tatus Say produces at least 200 eggs. The possi- bilities for reproduction under optimum condi- tions are thus seen to be very great, and the evi- dence leaves no doubt in our minds as to why grasshoppers rapidly increase when conditions are favourable. As a rule grasshoppers are kept within bounds by a combination of meteorological factors and natural enemies. Should these conditions exert their maximum effect at the same time, then grasshoppers would become very scarce indeed, but generally the weather conditions which are detrimental to grasshoppers are also adverse to their insect foes; hence the two rarely act in unison. The meteorological factors, in particular, have a most important bearing on grasshopper survival and without favourable weather it is doubtful whether these insects would ever, in our territory, attain sufficient abundance to be- come an agricultural pest. This fact has long been recognized as the following quotation from the “Second Report of the United States Entomo- logical Commission” (1878) will indicate:—“We may state, therefore, as a proposition which we presume will be admitted as correct, that the development and movements of locusts are very largely influenced by meteorological conditions.” The seasons which most favour the develop- ment of grasshoppers are those in which dryness is combined with heat and sunshine. The opti- mum conditions would probably be a late, com- paratively dry autumn followed by an early, warm spring with a maximum of sunshine throughout the summer. Moisture, however, eith- er in the form of green herbage, dew or rain, is essential to grasshopper survival and_ short, heavy thunderstorms, providing a maximum of precipitation without greatly interfering with the heat and sunshine, would provide an impetus to rapid development. Such conditions combined with a comparative absence of important natural enemies, would almost surely bring about a grasshopper outbreak from normal numbers with- in three years. From the above it will be noted that grass- hopper fluctuation is largely brought about by two factors, namely, weather and invertebrate 196 enemies. Both play an important role in the in- ception of an outbreak while the decline, in spite of favourable weather, may be due to natural enemies alone. As a rule favourable weather is most important at the beginning of a grass- hopper outbreak while parasites and diseases do most to reduce it. It is usually assumed that extreme dryness is favourable to grasshoppers but as a matter of fact this is not true. Not only do the eggs re- quire a certain amount of moisture in autumn to survive but moist soil is also important to assist development and ensure a maximum hatching in spring. Moisture also becomes necessary after the hoppers hatch and without succulent food they would inevitably perish. In attempting to reach a conclusion as to the possible correlation between the periodicity of sunspots and the fluctuation of grasshoppers I have availed myself of as many of the old refer- ences to grasshoppers as possible. These records are far from being complete and a majority of them appear to relate to invasions rather than tc local outbreaks. Moreover, they invariably refe to abundance, never to rarity. On making com parisons of early grasshopper activities we must therefore, rely wholly upon the records of the in sects in vast numbers and assume that the in digenous insects were usually at the height o their activities at similar times. Needless to add this only furnishes us with approximate data. From a review of the literature we discove that there have been at least 32 years when grass hoppers were abundant between 1800 and 1930 these were 1800, 1802, 1808, 1818, 1819, 1821, 1830 1851, 1858, 1864, 1865, 1866, 1867, 1868, 1869 1870, 1872, 1873, 1874, 1875, 1876, 1898, 1899 1900, 1901, 1902, 1908, 1912, 1919, 1920, 1921 1922. While the above records are all from Mani toba it must be borne in mind that a number of them undoubtedly relate to invasions and it is highly probable that in some of them the grass hoppers originated in regions quite remote fron the province. A reference to the accompanying chart—ad mittedly incomplete in respect to grasshoppers— will indicate the extent of the correlation between grasshopper fluctuation and sunspot cycles. (Fig. 1). It will be noted that the first grasshopper out- break of which we have any record, namely that of 1800, immediately followed a period of sun- spot minima. The next one, 1808, was also during a low sunspot period although it began to rise and attained its maximum before the minimum of sunspots. The year 1818 was one of maximum THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST [VoL. XLVI grasshopper activities. Its rise in 1817 was almost at the height of a sunspot period while at its greatest intensity it was half way down the sun- spot decline. This great outbreak, however, had visibly fallen before the low ebb in sunspots was reached. There was a light grasshopper outbreak recorded in 1830 and in the neighbouring state of Minnesota one was recorded in 1842 and in Da- kota another occurred in 1853, but in Manitoba we had no further trouble until 1857 when the great outbreak, which extended with variable in- tensity until 1876, began. At this time any rela- tion to sunspots was almost entirely absent and the insects maintained their numbers even over the great sunspot year of 1870. This as we shall point out later, was doubless due to repeated in- vasions from other sections of the continent. After this period there was a low ebb in grass- hopper activity which lasted until 1898 when the insects again began to rise in numbers and by 1901 they had attained another high point. A reference to the chart will show that this out- break had its inception considerably before the sunspots had reached their minimum but that its maximum closely coincided with the minimum in sunspots. The 1912 peak in grasshoppers again had its rise half way down the sunspot decline but the much more intensive outbreak of 1919-23 began well up the sunspot peak and was falling before the minimum was reached. By far the most important evidence in our chart begins with the year 1882 because we know that all grasshopper outbreaks after that time have been of local origin, whereas before that date the rise or fall of indigenous species is only conjectural. Nevertheless the evidence from the records of early outbreaks is by no means with- out value and there is much which indicates a correlation between grasshopper and sunspot cycles. That there is a correlation between sunspot minimum, or decline, and a rise in the number of grasshoppers seems evident, but the presence of a number of other factors greatly complicates. the problem and often obscures what might other- wise be plain. On reviewing the accounts of early grasshopper outbreaks in Manitoba it becomes evident that a majority of these were due to invasion from foreign territory, more often than not from far to the southward. Thus we find several records of the winged insects appearing in June at a time when the local grasshoppers of the same species would be little more than half grown. This means that the invaders had their inception several December, 1932] 1780 90 1800 10 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 197 20 30 40 HIGH si oo Sey sol 1860 70 80 90 1900 10 20 High waa Normal Low 100 50 eens Sele bee AGMA eae eee Se SOS Oy Chart showing Sunspot and Grasshopper Cycles. The upper curves represents grass- hoppers, the lower ones Sunspots (Original) hundred miles to the south of us. These foreign swarms nearly always left their eggs in the in- vaded territory and their progeny, hatching the following spring, played far greater havoc with the crops than their progenitors had done before them. As a rule the progeny on acquiring wings, flew elsewhere, and unless fresh swarms arrived the country might be comparatively free from grasshoppers the following year. The point to be emphasized in connection with these invasions is that the imvaders probably originated in more arid sections of the continent where increased rainfall might actually be a bene- fit to the grasshoppers by stimulating plant growth and providing water for drinking, where- as extreme aridity might, in these sections, be less favourable to survival. In other words while the minimum rain period might benefit local grasshopper development, in arid areas a con- verse condition might be more favourable. The mean rainfall necessary to increase being the same in both cases although occurring at oppo- site phases in the sunspot cycle. If this were so then it would explain the invasions of Manitoba which took place during supposedly adverse local conditions. There is reason for believing that the great grasshopper period from 1857 to 1876 was main- tained by repeated invasions, rather than through the reproduction: of local species and that the 1817-18 outbreak was also due to invaders. If this was so then the almost negligible local correla- tion with sunspot influence at those times is ex- plained. The next eroup of factors which dontplieats the rhythm in sunspot-grasshopper periodicity are parasites, predators and diseases. As a rule the first essential to grasshopper increase is an ab- sence of the more important natural enemies, nearly all of which are insects. It is largely due to insect enemies that grasshoppers are not in perpetual outbreak in certain favourable sections of the country and there is little doubt that a marked fluctuation, due to insect enemies, occurs irrespective of either sunspot cycles or any other natural phenomena. It is doubtless due to this fact that the increase in grasshoppers often be- gins well up in the maximum sunspot period and declines before the minimum in sunspots is reached. Furthermore, there is the probability that some of the natural enemies are more susceptible to certain meteorological conditions than are oth- 198 ers and if this is so further complications arise. Were it necessary only to rely upon a knowl- edge of sunspot periodicity to foretell grasshopper outbreaks our task would be an easy one, but unfortunately this is not the case. Grasshoppers, like other insects, are profoundly affected by the relative prevalence of their natural enemies which alone may reduce them to insignificance or, being absent, enable them to rise to greater abundance. It is to these natural enemies, parasites, preda- tors and diseases, that the sudden drop from epi- demic to endemic conditions is usually due, but having reduced their hosts to scarcity these ene- mies are themselves reduced through a lack of grasshoppers upon which to subsist; the result being that the downward phase of the oscillation is almost independent of weather. The influence of sunspot variability on the flora and fauna is still far from being understood al- though the available evidence indicates that there is a correlation between the periodicity of sunspots and the more pronounced meteorological changes. If this is so then there is every reason for supposing that life would be similarly affected by the meteorological changes. It is scarcely ne- cessary to add that such knowledge would be of immeasurable value as an aid to forecasting in- sect activities and it might furnish us with at least one of the reasons for grasshopper fluctuation. We believe, after reviewing the evidence sum- marized above, that there is a distinct correlation in the periodicity of sunspots and grasshoppers and, omitting the possibility of imvasions, we should expect a high point in grasshopper preva- lence approximately every eleven years and that this maximum in abundance is to be looked for, on an average, at the minimum sunspot period, although the increase may begin well up the sun- spot decline and there may not be much abate- ment in its intensity until the low sunspot period is past. Our next grasshopper outbreak, accord- ing to this theory should reach its high point in 1932, which, as a matter of fact, there is every prospect of its doing. As we have already pointed out, there are several factors which militate against so simple a forecast and all we can reas- onably claim in this connection is that the meteorological conditions favourable to grass- hopper increase, will probably be at their best during the period we have stated. It will be the task of the entomologist to ascertain the bio- logical conditions prevailing at the time and to take these into consideration when making his forecasts. THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST [VoL. XLVI REFERENCES Betuung, C. J. 8. (1847) Grasshoppers or Lo- custs. Sixth Ann. Rept. Ent. Soc. Ont. Bruner, L. (1891) Destructive Locusts of North America together with notes on the Occur- rence in 1891. Twenty-second Ann. Rept. Ent. Soc. Ont. Crippie, N. (1910) The Migration of Some Native Locusts. Ann. Rept. Ent. Soc. Ont. (1911) Injurious Insects of 1910 at Trees- bee Manitoba. Jour. Econ. Ent. Vol. IV, o. 2. (1913) Injurious Insects of Southern Man- itoba. Ann. Rept. Ent. Soc. Ont. (1920) Locust in Manitoba with special reference to the outbreak of 1919. Fiftieth Ann. Rept. Ent. Soc. Ont. (1922) Manitoba Grasshoppers. Can. Field- Nat. Vol. XXXVI, Nos. 3-4. (1931) Grasshopper Control in Canada East of the Rocky Mountains. Bull. No. 143. Ent. Br. Dom. Dept. Agric. Canada. Dawson, G. M. (1878) Notes on the Locust In- vasion of 1874 in Manitoba and the North- west Territories. Can. Nat. and Quart. Jour. New Ser., Vol. VIII, No. 3. (1878) Notes on the Appearance and Mi- gration of the Locusts in Manitoba and the North-West Territories, Summer of 1875. Ibid., No. 4. (1878) Notes on the Locusts of the North- West in 1876. Ibid., No. 4. DeLury, R. E. (1931) Sunspots and Forest Life. Forest and Outdoors. Ottawa. Vol. 27, No. 6. Fipter, P. (1819) Extracts from General Rept. Red River District, H. B. Co. Archives, London, Eng. Fiercuer, J. (1900) Report of the Entomologist and Botanist, Ottawa Dept. Agric. Canada. (1901) Report of the Entomologist and Botanist, Dept. Agric. Canada. (1902) Report of the Entomologist and Botanist, Dept. of Agric. Canada. (1903) Report of the Entomologist and Botanist, Dept. of Agric. Canada. Gunn, Donatp and Turttis, C. R. (1880) History of Manitoba from the earliest Settlement to 1835 by the late Hon. Donald Gunn and from 1835 to the Admission of the Province into the Dominion by Charles R. Tuttle, Ottawa. Harcrave, J. J. (1871) Red River. Montreal. | Harmon, D. W. (1820) A Journal of Voyages and Travels in the Interior of North Amer- ica between the 47th and 58th degrees of North Latitude etc. Andova, Vermont. Henry, ALEXANDER and THompson, Davin (1875) New Light on the Early History of the Great North-West—The Manuscript Jour- nals of Alexander Henry and David Thomp- son 1799-1814. Edited by Elliott Coues. New York. Hino, H. Y. (1859) A Preliminary and General Report. on the Assiniboine and Saskatchewan Exploration Expedition etc. Trinity College, Toronto. December, 1932] Luioyp, Hoyres (1929) Water and Water-fowl. Trans. Sixteenth Ann. Game Conference, New York. Parker, J. R. (1928) Some Effects of Tempera- ture upon the Activities of Grasshoppers and their relations to Grasshopper Abundance and Control. Trans. Fourth Ent. Cong. of Ent., Ithaca. Ritgey, C. V. (1878) The Rocky Mountain Locust. THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 199 Can. Nat. and Quarterly Jour. Vol. VIII, Montreal. Riuey, C. V., Packarp, A. S. and Tuomas, C. (1878) Rept. of the U. S. Ent. Comm. for the year 1877 Relating to the Rocky Moun- tain Locust ete. Washington, D.C. (1878) Second Rept. U. 8S. Ent. Comm. Washington D.C., (1883) Third Rept. U. S. Ent. Comm. Washington, D.C. A NEW VARIETY OF VALVATA LEWISI FROM THE PLEISTOCENE OF ONTARIO* By A. LA ROCQUE N A SMALL collection of marl shells from Shallow Lake, Grey County, Ontario, received from: Mr. W. R. McColl of Owen Sound, there occurs a loosely coiled Valvata which belongs to the group of Valvata lewisi Currier but appears to be new. Valvata lewisi mccolli var. nov. Shell of fair size for the genus; whorls, three. The first one and one-half in contact with each other and coiled almost in the same plane; the last one and one-half loosely coiled and _ free, forming a rapidly descending tube. Sculpture of fine, thread-like lines on all three whorls of the shell, as in typical lewist; there is no trace of spiral lines. Aperture rounded; _ peristome simple. Type locality and horizon: Shallow Lake, Grey Co., Ont.; in marl of late Wisconsin age (Pleis- tocene). Collected by W. R. McColl. Types: Holotype, N.M.C. No. 7392; paratypes *Published by permission of the Director, Geological Survey of Canada. N.M.C. Nos. 7392a and 7392b. Deposited in the National Museum of Canada. MEASUREMENTS in millimetres Lgth. weer Ap. L. Ap. W. Holotype N.M.C. No. 7392 ..... 3.5 1.25 1.25 Paratype “ BB 55 so HS 4.0 1.75 1.5 Paratype ‘“ YBN), oc.06 3.25 3.5 1.5 1.5 Remarks: This variety of Valvata lewisi is near to ontariensis Baker (Nautilus 44:119, 1931), but differs from it in its larger size and especially in the absence of the rib-like lamellae on the last whorl. Named in honour of W. R. McColl Esq., the collector of the type lot. EXPLANATION OF PLATE. All figures eight times natural size. 1. Valvata lewisi mccolli var. nov. Paratype 1, N.M.C. No. 7392b. a. Side view; b. umbilical view; ¢. side opposite aperture. 2. Valvata lewist mccolli var. nov. Holotype N.M.C. No. 7392. a. Side view; b. umbilical view; ce. side opposite aperture. 3. Valvata lewist mccolli var. nov. Paratype 2, N.M.C. No. 7392a. a. Side view; b. umbilical view; c. side opposite aperture. 200 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST [VoL. XLVI A THIRD STUDY OF THE HOME LIFE OF THE EASTERN GOLDFINCH (Spinus tristis tristis) By HENRY MOUSLEY y IN REFERENCE to my previous studies! eT of the home life of these charming little I<<630] birds, it will be found that they embrace —for the most part—the later stages only, whereas, the present one covers the period from the laying of the first egg to the final depar- ture of the young birds from the nest, a matter of practically four weeks, or to be precise, twenty- seven days, so that my title might very well have been “A Month with the Goldfinches’, had it not been for the fact that this had already been pre-empted by Miss Bruce in 18982. For the benefit of those not having access to the above studies, I might briefly state that in the first one the fact was brought out that the rate of feeding the young was once only in every 53.3 minutes, this agreeing very well with Miss Bruce’s account of about once an hour. After my experi- ence with the Warblers, this continued slow rate of feeding came as a great surprise, so much so that a second study was undertaken to see whether these conditions held good at all times. During the seventeen and one-half hours I was at the nest in the second study, the average rate of feeding on one occasion worked out at once in every seventy-five minutes, this being even longer than previously, but on two subsequent visits, the rate was about once every half-hour, thus proving that at times the rate of feeding does vary some- what, although, taking it on the whole, the rate is very much below that of the Warblers, and probably other birds as well, for in this third study extending over fourteen days, and em- bracing sixty-six hours of intensive watching, the average rate of feeding for the whole period works out at once in every 49.5 minutes, whilst that for the first seven days—when brooding was in progress—comes out at once in every 43.1 min- utes only. Imagine young Warblers being fed on lines similar to these, their average rate—as a rule—working out at once in every ten or twelve minutes! Following this briet survey of former studies, let us now return to a consideration of the present one. The nest, as in the case of the other two, was found in the same general district, about six miles from Montreal, on the southern side of the St. Lawrence River, and not far from St. Lambert. It was placed in the forks of a small birch tree— or Canadian Field-Naturalist, 44: 177-79, 204-07, Noy., Dec., 2 Bruce, Mary Emily. A Month with the Goldfinches, Aul, 15: 239-43, 1898. the general favourite in these parts—seven feet above the ground, and on August 22 contained one egg. Three others were added, one each day, until August 25, when it contained four eggs, the female having commenced to sit, I think, on the second day; at least, she was found on the nest, in the afternoon of that day, this agreeing with Miss Bruce’s account, as her bird began to sit—at least, it was said to have by a young friend—on the second day, although, in that instance the nest eventually contained six eggs. It was not until early on the morning of Septem- ber 5, that the first two eggs hatched out, followed the day after by the third, whilst the fourth eventually proved to be addled. It will thus be seen that a fortnight elapsed between the laying and hatching of the first egg on September 5, on which date I lowered the nest four feet for photographing purposes, thus making it three, instead of seven feet, above the ground. On the return of the female, she seemed somewhat non- plussed at the altered condition of things, flying several times through the place where the nest had originally been, the force of habit of continu- ally going to this same spot being in the ascendant at the moment, regardless of the fact that there was now no longer any nest there. This mode of behaviour I have found general with most small birds, whenever alterations to their nests have been made, but they usually adapt themselves to the new order of things in a very short time, as this one did, for she both fed and brooded the young with little further ado. At this juncture, it may be well to mention the fact that neither on this, or any subsequent occa- sion, was the male ever seen at, or near, the nest, and I can only surmise that during the incubating period he must either have met with some acci- dent or else joined a band of roving Goldfinches, these birds being particularly numerous again this year, my friend Mr. Terrill telling me that he had found no less than seventy-five nests in this same district. It was the loss of her partner’s help in assisting to feed the young that first drew my attention to the benefit a brooding bird derives from the method of feeding by regurgitation, for on the present occasion, during the three hours I was at the nest, the female had only to leave it on two occasions to gather food, instead of nine normally, for she fed the young that number of times, at different intervals, by merely raising herself off —_- December, 1932] them, and pumping the partially digested food— which on this, and the next few days, seemed very liquid—into their mouths. On arrival at 9.30 a.m. the following morning (September 6), the female was brooding and did not leave the nest for another half-hour. It was then found that one of the two young birds had mysteriously disappeared, so that there now remained only one young and the two unhatched eggs in the nest. Things went on very quietly for a time, in fact, until shortly after noon, when I noticed that something unusual was taking place, the female moving uneasily about in the nest, until presently lifting up part of a broken egg shell, she proceeded to eat it, holding it in her bill whilst nibbling it away by degrees. After devouring this half, she lifted up the remaining portion and consumed it in the same manner as the first. This was interesting, in view of the fact that as a general rule, I think, parents have been supposed to carry off the empty egg shells and not to eat them. Shortly after this on going to look at the new arrival, I noticed the remaining egg had a slight dent in it, and when lifting it up, how very light it was. On further investigation, it proved to be addled, so I broke it in two, the dried up yolk inside making a third portion. These three I replaced in the nest, in order to see what the female would do with them on her return. I was not kept waiting long, for immediately she return- ed and caught sight of the two pieces of shell, she ate them both in the same manner as before, and later carried away the piece of dried-up yolk, it being too hard for her to eat, although she did nibble at it for a time. During the five hours I was at the nest, the young were fed on twelve occasions, the time spent brooding being three hours and thirty-six minutes, out of the total of five hours. Up to the present time, I had taken one photograph only of the young, soon after hatching on the 5th, showing the egg tooth, but before leaving to-day I decided to begin on the morrow, the 7th, and take a series of pictures showing the development of the young, and the principal happenings each day at the nest. To begin as you intend to go on, may be all very well in theory, but in practice it does not always work out, especially in bird work, the consideration of the young—as a rule—being the stumbling block, which it was in the present instance. Arriving at the site at 8 a.m., I found the female brooding, so waited until she left the nest before commencing operations. After pictures of the young had been taken, the camera was placed with the lens two feet six inches from the nest, a distance I very often adopt. In this case, however, it THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 201 proved to be too close, at least to begin with, for on returning the female would not face it, and after waiting several hours, I had at last to admit defeat, although in another half-an-hour I am sure her maternal instincts would have overcome the sense of fear, for she had been coming closer and closer to the nest, in fact had once perched on it. However, as already mentioned, it was con- sideration for the young and the fear of losing them, that finally decided me to suspend operations at the last moment, when success seemed certain, and allow the mother to feed them. She had been absent for a considerable period, in fact four and one-quarter hours. During the whole of that time, however, she was seldom out of sight of the nest, and being myself but twenty-five feet away, I naturally kept a close watch over the young, to prevent anything like their collapse taking place. Only those familiar with the home life of a Gold- finch know what liberties can be taken with their young, as compared with those of the Warblers which latter, I imagine, could hardly have with- stood such a strain, in the hot weather it was, without disastrous results. However, the young Goldfinches seemed none the worse for it, neither on this nor on a former occasion—mentioned in The Canadian Field-Naturalist?—when I tried the parents for over three hours without getting them to face the camera, which on that occasion was placed at about the same distance from the nest. It is only by experiment, however, that one can tell exactly how a bird is going to act, a pair of Maryland Yellow-throats (Geothlypis trichas trichas) earlier in the season, making little or no fuss under similar conditions, in fact making use of the legs of the tripod to perch on when going to or coming from their nest. On returning the following morning at 8 a.m. (September 8), the female being absent, I set up the camera again, only this time at four feet from the nest, instead of two feet six inches, as previously. I had not long to wait before the female returned, when, instead of over three hours, it was only fifteen minutes before she fed the young, somewhat nervously certainly, and then apparently was afraid to brood them, merely getting in and out of the nest continually. However, as generally happens, this nervousness soon passed off, and she both fed and brooded the young in a normal manner. Tiny slits were now beginning to show in the eyes of the older bird, but those of the younger ones were still closed. The mother seemed to gather most of the food in a north- easterly direction, generally leaving the nest and returning to it from that direction. On arrival the day following (September 9) the 3 Canadian Field-Naturalist, 44: 205, Dee 1930. 202 female was brooding, but later on when she left, I took some pictures of the young whose eyes were now beginning to show signs of opening. The gape was yellowish, but there were no spots or pads in the mouth, apparently, which was of a bright red colour. Patches of down were prominent on the head, as well as other parts of the body, especially the wings. It was very hot —in fact throughout the study the thermometer ranged from 74° to 94°—and both parent and young were feeling the effects of it, panting with wide open mouths nearly the wholetime I was with them. On the next, or sixth day of watching, it was again very hot, and both the birds and myself were feeling the effects of it. There were many interesting happenings, however, to distract one’s attention from personal inconveniences. The eyes of the young were now almost fully open and they were beginning to take notice of things, with their heads hanging over the rim of the nest. Feather tracts were showing on the wings and down the centre of the back, and for the first time they began to void over the rim of the nest. Up to the present the mother had disposed of the feces by eating them, but on this day she carried one fxcal sac away. Owing to the heat a good deal of brooding was done by the mother standing up in the nest, or on the rim, and shield- ing the young with outstretched wings, whilst panting for breath with wide open mouth, this being the method by which birds keep their tem- perature down in high summer. That is to say that during hot weather birds lose their super- fluous heat by breathing hard and breathing often. The outgoing breath from their lungs and air-sacs contains both the excess of heat and of moisture that we get rid of by perspiring. Hard and con- tinuous breathing is their safety valve, and in order to allow as much heat as possible to escape by radiation, they frequently erect or puff out their feathers as well. How many of us realize, I wonder, how a young bird must suffer from thirst also during hot weather, for it can get no real water to drink for the first ten to fourteen days or more of its life. Fortunately, however, nature has to some extent provided against this contingency, from the fact that most young birds are fed by their parents on soft juicy foods such as insects, worms, soft green caterpillars and the like, and it is from these that young birds can in some way assuage their thirst, young Goldfinches being particularly fortunate since their food is regurgi- tated to them in the form of a paste, perhaps three parts solid, and one part liquid, a kind of creamy mixture which can be easily swallowed and digest- THE CANADIAN FIELD-N ATURALIST [VoL. XLVI ed as well as serving the part of a thirst assuager also. On the morrow, or seventh day (September 11) brooding the young practically came to an end, with the exception of perhaps five minutes the day after, which can be ignored. The eyes of both young were now fully open, and as the female became quite accustomed to the camera, I de- cided in future to place it at three, instead of four, feet from the nest. If, as it often happened, both young voided practically at the same time after being fed, the mother would eat one sac, and fly off with the other, three good pictures being obtained of this event on the 12th. The next day it was very hot indeed, the young feeling it keenly, as with wide open mouths they hung their heads over the rim of the nest, the outside of which was now beginning to show the usual signs of fouling, owing to the neglect of the parents of this and kindred species in removing the excreta voided by the young. The feeding was most regular and consistent, first one young bird and then the other receiving a portion so long as the supply lasted. The mother nearly always gave notice of her approach to the nest by one or other of the various notes employed by these birds, in fact she had done so from the very first, and con- tinued doing it to the end, with very few excep- tions. Her approach to the nest, likewise, was nearly always from the rear, making use of certain twigs and branches to let herself down through the small birch tree to the top of a favourite stump, from which she finally landed on the nest itself. Things went on much as usual for the next few days, agreeing for the most part with my former studies of the later stages of home life, the young being fed about once an hour, until September 18, or the fourteenth day of watching, when, on arrival at 8.30 a.m., I found the elder of the two young perched on a twig at the side of the nest. On replacing it with the other, it remained for a time, but it was plain to be seen that the mother was doing her best to induce them to leave their home, by the usual method of not feeding them. Time and again she would perch on, or near, the nest, and then fly off a little way, until, at last, the elder bird took courage and left, followed shortly after by the other one. I can see them now as I write, the last picture taken depicting them standing almost side by side, often preening their feathers, and being fed by their mother, one at a time, not turn about as before, their position on the branch not allowing of this latter method. Altogether, I had spent seventy-one hours at the nest, sixty-six of which were devoted to in- tensive watching, during which the young were EE December, 1932] fed eighty times, or at the rate of once in every 49.5 minutes, for the whole period, whilst for the first seven days, or brooding period, the rate works out at once in every 43.1 minutes—as already mentioned. The total time spent in brooding was twelve hours and thirty minutes, THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 203 out of the total of sixty-six hours, whilst the number of broodings was forty-seven, thus giving an average of sixteen minutes for each brooding. In conclusion, the appended table furnishes a summary of all the principal happenings at the nest. TABLE OF SUMMARIES Period No. of | No of | Total Times | Times Oy Times | Times time feces feces Species Observation,| Hours | fed by | brooded|brooded| eaten | removed! Remarks 1931 Female by hours by by Female | minutes | Female | Female Hastern Septic sees 3k 9 8 iL 68 RED heen Wee, 2 eggs hatched Goldfinch..... Gree 5 12 8 3.36 DIS a amen a 3rd hatched ee 4 5 6 1.56 Area Septet (4th addled) later 8 9 9 1.46 Sie aed hon Wa OMe 8 9 10 2.49 Oi ee et i ie NOE tes: 6 6 4 1.40 5 1 NL Ra ait 5 5 2 50 4 1 IZ, 6 ES Vag | MAN Ut inal reeset 3 5 3 pS eee 54% 7 eet RNR AE | a eA Ht 3 AR ae, 5 Ba Coch oea lf oe AR 1 5 TESS eens | MEU steht] La ane tl Maer Willies tice EG Sc Sal 9 leet Wet day Gree 5 AST SOC BNO = GBI sree ara 3 5 ME TRC Rae ccie IE i Waa aeRO 7 O10 NG Rhea nace ele 8 Jal Pui fuera I ape ea age Neu | ip aOR Wet day Se Ae 5 (ao eae tcp se Ob oan iaaival oath Ms oan ba 2 tia MOvalse ae. 66 80 47 12.30 56 18 Average rate of feeding over the whole period =once every 49.5 minutes. Average rate of feeding for the first seven days =once every 43.1 minutes. Total time brooding = 12 hours, 30 minutes. Number of times brooded =47. Average length of each brooding =16 minutes. A DINOSAUR FOOTPRINT BIRD BATH* By C. M. STERNBERG ILLIONS of years ago, before the Rocky Mountains began to push their mighty shoulders skyward, dinosaurs roamed oy- er part of that section of the country now occupied by Alberta and British Columbia. During that period, which geologists call the Lower Cretaceous, the foothills section which is now traversed by the Peace River, was a low- lying country of many lakes, swamps, and peat bogs. Deposition in this region was very slow as shown by the presence of many seams of clean, semi-bituminous coal up to six feet in thickness. Between the coal seams are numerous layers of thin-bedded, ripple-marked sandstone, shale and clay-ironstone. These probably mark the shore- line of some lake or the bottom deposits of shal- low bays or ponds. At some localities the impres- * Published with the permission of the Director, Geological Survey of Canada, Department of Mines, Ottawa. sions or carbonized remains of rushes or other plants are preserved in a vertical position show- ing that they grew up through the different lay- ers or were covered by layers of mud or sand which filled the lakes. Mud-cracking is indicated on certain strata. On many of the strata are preserved the foot- prints of dinosaurs which trod these shores in the dim and distant past. Dinosaurs must have been numerous in this region for hundreds of their tracks are preserved in the small area which has been exposed, in the Peace River canyon, where the river has cut a narrow gorge through the foothills. They were observed at various levels throughout over 400 feet of vertical strata. This shows that they occupied this region for many generations. It is probable that after the dinosaur walked over the sandy shore or mud flat and left the 204 imprint of his feet, the sun dried the surface, so as to make a cleavage plane between this and the next layer of mud which was deposited. Or if the imprints were made under water the settle- ment of a slimy film or the deposit of a different type of sediment would make a cleavage plane so that the mud which filled the track would separate from the imprint. No doubt thousands of other tracks were made and filled but as there Dinosaur Footprint Bird Bath THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST [VoL. XLVI was no cleavage plane their presence can not be detected. Eight species of dinosaur footprints, ranging from less than 6 to 25 inches in length, were col- lected. The largest of these has been cast in concrete and mounted on a low base, in the grounds of the National Museum at Ottawa. This is a reproduction of a track described by the writer as Amblydactylus gethingi1 signify- ing blunt-toed. The dinosaur which made this track is not known from the fossilized skeleton but the short, bluntly-pointed toes would suggest a herbivorous type similar to the European Iguanodon. The imprint (Fig. 1) is 25 inches long, 23% inches in greatest breadth and has an extreme depth of more than 4 inches. The sole of the foot was more deeply impressed than the toes. Behind the impression of the “heel” the rock slopes up- ward and backward. This probably represents the impression of the posterior edge of the meta- tarsals which were not quite perpendicular above the phalanges as the animal walked. At almost any time of day, during the warm weather last summer, birds could be seen en- joying a dip in this unique bath-tub. Those most often noticed were house sparrows, robins, bronzed grackles and catbirds. Though there was a colony of purple martins nesting near-by they were never observed in the bird bath. 1Sternberg, C. M., Ann. Rept. 1930, Nat. Mus. Can., pp - 72-73, 1932. OBSERVATIONS ON THE OCCURRENCE OF OTTER IN THE RIDING MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, MANITOBA, IN RELATION TO BEAVER LIFE By H. U. GREEN RIOR to a few days before Christmas, 1930, otter were thought to be extinct in the Riding Mountain, Manitoba (now the Riding Mountain National Park), as neither otter nor otter signs had been seen for many years. I was then informed by an old trap- per, now employed by the Park authorities in a less destructive capacity, that he had observed otter tracks in the snow near Lake Audy, close by Jackfish Creek. This small stream was then open in places, but froze up throughout its entire length early in January, 1931. I made notes of his: observations. We ZS \ ti ey, On February 3rd, 1931, when on patrol in the Park, I visited a beaver pond situated in the valley of the Vermilion River, one mile west of Mile 32 Cabin, Strathclair Road, known as Site No. 2. The Vermilion River at this point is a very small stream usually drying up in the fall of the year. The pond in question, however, is spring fed and brim full at all seasons. The deep- est part of the retaining dam is the fillimg in the river bed some 10 feet wide and 9 feet deep. The surplus water finds its main outlet over the crest of the dam immediately above the river channel. The area flooded fills the entire valley and is approximately 4 acres in extent. Six beavers in- habited the pond; a male and female with their four “kittens” born during the latter part of May, 1930. December, 1932] The pond was previously visited on January 24th, 1931. It was completely frozen over, except for a narrow area near the crest of the dam above the river channel where a small stream of water trickled away. On February 3rd, 1931, the entire surface was covered with ice. The temperature in the mean- time had constantly remained at several degrees below zero F. On this occasion I noticed that the ice had sunk away from the inner face of the dam through the lowering of the water. Here and there on the snow-covered surfaée of the pond other depressions were visible. At one place beside a sloping hummock towards-the centre the ice had given way and upon close examination it was evident from the beaten surface of the snow close by that some form of animal life other than beaver had used the aperture thus created as a means of entering and leaving the pond.* There was a 9 inch air space betweeh the undersurface of the surrounding ice and the water level. The water was thinly frozen immediately beneath the aperture. Upon further investigation the tracks of at least two otters were unmistakably evident on the snow in the vicinity. They were confined to a small area and gave the impression that the otters had left the pond for a short time and then returned to the water. I next examined the dam and found that a portion of the outer surface had been torn away and a hole made through the entire structure at a point 10 inches below the crest. The resulting aperture measured roughly 10 inches by 10 inches. A trickle of water flowed through the aperture from the pond forming a solid mass of ice be- neath. Thinking that the destruction may have been accomplished by poachers I searched for human signs, but nobody had been anywhere in the vicinity. Otter tracks, however, were vis- ible in the snow on both banks of the river a few feet below the dam. Two dumps of fresh otter excrement were observed close by. Both contained masses of fine felted hair which later proved to be muskrat fur. (A few muskrats fre- quent the pond). There was life within the ‘Gsland” lodge, the only beaver habitation. A thin feathery wisp of vapour could be seen arising from the apex of the otherwise snow-covered cone. I visited the pond again on February 27th, 1931. In the meantime a light snow had fallen. There were no fresh otter signs. The breach in the dam was partially closed with ice and no life had recently left the pond via the hole be- * Possibly used as a “‘slide’’. THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 205 side the hummock. I could hear beaver stirring inside the lodge. As a keen observer for the past 25 years of all western and sub-arctic forms of mammalian life there is no doubt in my mind from the strong circumstantial evidence presented that the otters referred to deliberately breached the beaver dam at Site No. 2 for the purpose of gaining access to the pond and creating an air space to enable them to remain therein for some appreciable time. One may wonder what prompted their action. I would think the necessity of securing food. This seems a logical explanation when one considers the lack of any open streams or lakes in the Riding Mountain during the major portion of the winter season. In the spring, spawning fish “run” the ereeks and small rivers draining the several lakes. In the summer many small species exist in pot holes and beaver ponds. During the winter every beaver pond and deep pot hole supports its quota of finny inhabitants. From the evidence gleaned at a later date however, tragedy played an important part dur- ing the otters’ winter visit to the beaver pond known as Site No. 2. On June 10th, 1931, I and the Apache Indian “Grey Owl” proceeded to the pond with a canoe for the purpose of securing two young’ beaver “kittens” to augment “Grey Owl’s” colony at Clear Lake, but the pond appeared deserted of beaver life. Determined, if possible, to ascertain the fate of this colony I visited the pond on June 19th, 1931, and spent the entire day in serious investi- gation. One adult beaver was seen. Towards even- ing I found the partially decomposed carcase of an adult female beaver in the tall grass bordering the north shore of the pond. The remains con- tained five badly decomposed beaver embryos. There were still unmistakable lesions of deep festered sores behind the shoulders and on the right flank which only rending teeth could have inflicted. What killed this beaver? Could it have been the visiting otters and that death eventually claimed a victim of their attack? The four “kittens” of the previous year presented no prob- lem as, at least in the Riding Mountain, they leave the home pond in the early spring follow- ing their birth taking up their abode elsewhere until, as two year olds, they again wander abroad in search of mates. That the otters remained in the Vermilion River country was proven prior to my visit to Site No. 2 on June 19th, 1931. On June 11th, 1931, I and “Grey Owl,” again 206 in quest of beaver “kittens,” captured one little fellow in a pond known as Site No. 1 situated in the valley of the Vermilion River two miles above Site No. 2. This pond contains two lodges, both used by members of the same family. One is an “island” lodge; the other a “bank” lodge. During the afternoon fresh otter excre- ment containing feathers and the undigested bones of a wild duckling was observed on the side of the “bank” lodge. Between May 24th and June 11th, 1931, my observations of this colony showed that the adult male had occupied the “bank” lodge in solitude. The female and her later born “kittens” resided in the “island” lodge. In previous years the adult male left the pond about the time the female was expected to give birth to the annual increase, not returning for several weeks. On June 11th, 1931, all were in the “bank” lodge, less the captured “kitten.” Usually both adults would come when they were called and play in the water in anticipation of receiving such beaver delicacies as apples and carrots. On this occasion they seemed afraid to leave the lodge, but, nevertheless, would answer when we “spoke” to them using our usual ex- pression “mough-ow-ee,” uttered in a soft croon- ing tone. The loss of one “kitten,” taken near the “island” lodge, might explain the reason for the two adults seeking comfort and protection together at a time when they usually remain apart, and for their failure to respond to our en- ticements. But from my knowledge of their habits I am inclined to think that the presence of otters in the pond made them fearful of pos- sible direful consequences. I visited the pond frequently thereafter with- out noting any fresh otter signs. On July 13th, 1931, I passed the pond in com- pany with Mr. James Smart, Park Superinten- dent. As we stood beside the water talking “beaver” three adult otters broke surface a few feet away remaining in view for about two min- utes. The same afternoon they left the vicinity, for I tracked them a distance of half a mile be- low the dam. They have not been seen since. During their stay at Site No. 1 they apparently did not molest the beavers, perhaps for the very good reason that they were not afforded the opportunity. A few days after their departure I experienced no difficulty in calling the adult beav- ers from any part of the pond. Between June 11th, 1931, and July 18th, 1931, I could seldom do so. They seemed reluctant to show themselves. No doubt the otters were thereabouts during all THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST [VoL. XLVI this period. At least several broods of wild duck- lings mysteriously disappeared. Owing to the obvious scarcity of the otter in the Riding Mountain I think it may be logically assumed that the individuals who visited Site No. 2 during February, 1931, and Site No. 1 in June and July, 1931, are the same otters whose tracks were observed near Lake Audy a few days be- fore Christmas, 1930. The shortest distance across .country from Lake Audy to the Vermilion River is about 12 miles and devoid of any imtervening watercourses—a jaunt normally presenting no dif- ficulties to these nomadic mammals. What would they subsist upon during the journey in the depths of a sub-arctic winter across inhospitable terrain unless mice and shrews were captured and devoured in the emergency? Consequently, after a discursion of this nature the presence of a more natural diet of fish, and perhaps an occa- sional muskrat, would furnish ample incentive t) enter beaver ponds in search of sustenance and the material comfort of a generous environment. That otter will molest beaver is, I think, proved by the obvious fear of the inhabitants of Site No. 1 during the period the otters frequented their pond. That they will kill them may be thoughtfully inferred from the circumstantial evi- dence gathered from the examination of the beaver carcase found on the banks of Site No. 2. To support the latter belief several of my Indian friends, including “Grey Owl,’ have in- formed me on different occasions that two or more otters will “gang” and kill an adult beaver in water if found alone. They tell me, too, that otter will kill and eat beaver “kittens” at every favorable opportunity. Whatever relation normally exists between the beaver and the otter, the foregoing circumstances may prove of interest to other serious-minded in- vestigators. Further substantiation of course 1s necessary before final condemnation of the otter as being detrimental to the well-being of the beaver generally. Nevertheless, while one hesitates to advocate the destruction or confinement of any fast-dimin- ishing animal species, it would appear that there is every reason to believe that the otter and the beaver inhabiting the restricted and sparsely watered terrain of the Riding Mountain, Mani- toba, cannot exist together if the miserable rem- nant of beaver life is to remain unmolested and receive the sympathetic consideration and pro- tection it so sorely needs. December, 1932] THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 207 THE LAST OF THE HEATH HENS* By P. A. TAVERNER T IS A SAD THOUGHT to consider the passing and extinction of a race. In the history of the world this has occurred again and again. In fact the history of life on this earth has been of a constant succes- sion of the rising, flourishing, declining and final disappearance of line after line of living crea- tures, each making room‘ for the next and van- ishing into oblivion, leaving as record of their passing only occasional.enigmatic fossil fragments, a tradition in some tribal memory, a line in an old book of travel or a few treasured specimens in our museums. Usually in the hurly-burly of vital competition unique forms have dropped away unnoted and unmourned. In each case there must have been some single survivor of its race that struggled along for a while and then passed silently from the picture. Can anything be im- agined as sadly lonely as the last surviving mem- ber of a once dominant species? In one case at least the event has been sympathetically watched to the bitter end. The final tragedy was foreseen and every effort of science and prescience was made to avert it, but without success. Before me lies the report of Dr. Alfred O. Gross of Bowdoin College, on The Last of the Heath Hen, probably the final report, for while the single old bird still existed in life at the time of writing (May, 1932), the final catastrophe can not be long deferred and may already have taken place. The Heath Hen is a subspecies of the Pinnated Grouse or Prairie Chicken of the western plains that within early historical times inhabited the States of Massachusets and New Hampshire to New Jersey and probably Maryland. So common were they originally that papers of imdenture specified that apprentices were not to be served with Heath Hen oftener than a lmited number of times a week, yet in recent years the bird was to be found only in diminishing numbers on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. ‘Strenuous efforts were made to preserve this last fragment of a race, and all the powers of the State, supported by conservation organizations and local feeling, were invoked in its protection and assistance. For a time success seemed achieved. In 1916, the number of Heath Hens on Martha’s Vineyard was estimated at 800, or even more by some wardens, but by 1920 the *Published with the permission of the Director, National Museum of Canada, Department of Mines, Ottawa. number had dropped to 314. From then to 1924 when the last new brood was noted, numbers sank to 75, 28 and 17. The spring of 1927 saw 13 birds, but the autumn only 7, all males. In 1928 the numbers dropped from 3 in the spring to 1 in the autumn and that one is still surviving and has been noted annually since, including this spring of 1932. The solitary bird must be at least nine years old now and the end is not far in the future. The factor that has rendered it thus possible te observe a single bird year after year is its specific habit of coming to traditional dancing grounds for its spring mating ritual. These dancing grounds are constant year after year, generation aiter generation. They may be ploughed over, or even a road made across them, altered out of all semblance to the conditions under which they were first established, but still the birds that once did their mating there return spring after spring at the urge of the procreative instinct, as long as they survive. It is on such a ground and on such a futile errand that the last of the Heath Hens is seen in mating time and where it has even been trapped, banded and released without breaking its continuity of habit. The cause of the steady decline of the Martha’s Vineyard Heath Hens in spite of all that man could do to the contrary, is obscure, but amply demonstrates how helpless we are to preserve any wild species when once the complicated environ- mental factors become antagonistic to its con- tinuance. Numerous explanations have been ad- ‘vanced,—poaching, predators, especially the do- mestic cat, grass fires and ecological and climatic changes. Probably all these had their weight in the scale, but it is difficult to believe that any or all of them, in the face of the sincere efforts at their control, could have carried the species to ex- tinction. It is a growing belief of many investi- gators today that disease, especially introduced poultry affections to which native New World species have not achieved tolerance through gen- erations of experience, are at the bottom of much of the troubles of American upland game. We know how white man’s diseases are deadly to many natives, how soon the white man succumbs in tropics where aboriginals flourish contentedly and we can well realize the probability that American grouse cannot survive contact with Old World poultry. 208 A contributory factor must be considered but one that was probably of secondary and not of primary importance, as it would not have de-- veloped until the numbers had been reduced by other causes,—that is a progressive sterility of the birds from in-breeding. A number of males acci- dentally killed in 1925 were found with more or less atrophied sexual organs. Almost undoubted- ly the last of the Heath Hens is similarly sterile. Various suggestions have been made to supply the last male with a mate, a female of the closely related Prairie Chicken of the west, or even to introduce that species on the island. However, after due consideration the proposal was rejected. Whatever interest les in the Heath Hen, it is purely sentimental, and no mongrel breed or allied strain would retain the traditional associa- THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST [VoL. XLVI tions for which the race is most valued. If sports- men wish to introduce a practical object of pur- suit, it is another question. Let them do it as they can, but not to degrade the last days of the his- toric Heath Hen. The success of such transplant- ing is more than doubtful; judging from past ex- perience it would be doomed to certain failure. The Prairie Chicken does not take kindly to new environment. Similar attempts have been made to imtroduce the species in other parts of New England and even to introduce the Heath Hen on its original habitat on Long Island, but never with success. On the whole it seems the course of both good sense and good sentiment to bow to the inevitable and allow the last of the Heath Hens to make its exit with dignity and with an undiminished halo of tradition. CHRISTMAS BIRD CENSUS ‘ The Bird Census Committee wishes to remind any interested readers to take a Christmas Bird Census on some day between December 20 and 28, and send a report of it to the Editor as promptly as possible. For the kind of re- port desired, see published reports of previous years. NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS Dear Mr. Eprror—Mr. J. A. Munro has advised me that there is a typographical error in the paper on the economic status of the American Merganser, by Dr. Clemens and Mr. Munro, which appeared in the October number of The Canadian Field-Naturalist. This error appears on page 167. The sentence—“The Red-breasted Merganser, on the other hand, occurs as is rela- tively small migrant on the interior lakes and rivers” should read—‘The Red-breasted Mergan- ser, on the other hand, occurs as a relatively scarce migrant on the interior lakes and rivers.” —J. B. Harkin, Commissioner, per Hoyes Lloyd. KILLDEER AT OAKVILLE, ONTARIO.—On the morning of Feb. 14th, 1932, I noted a single Kill- deer (Oxyechus vociferus) on the lake shore at the eastern limits of the town. The weather was cloudy with a strong westerly wind and the tem- perature about 26°F. The ground was clear of snow. At a distance of about 40 feet I had an excellent view with field glasses and am sure of the identification. This is the first time I have noted the bird in winter at Oakville and I cannot find any similar record in the literature I have on hand.—R. C. BROOMAN. WILLOW PTARMIGAN, Lagopus lagopus, IN CENTRAL ALBERTA IN MAy.—On Saturday, May 16th, 1981, Mr. Robert Campbell, a prominent farmer, who lives eight miles south of Camrose, and less than two miles from the Battle River bridge, telephoned me that a bird, resembling a partridge in build and size, but whose plumage was mostly white, had been in his garden since early morning. I suggested that his description answered that of a Ptarmigan, but as this bird was unknown, even in winter, in this part of Alberta, it was more likely to be an albino grouse of some kind. I asked him to keep a close watch on the bird and I would go down and investigate immediately. Picking up two en- thusiastic bird students, Messrs. Marshall and Burpee, who were attending the Camrose Normal School, we set out for the Campbell farm, and arrived there in less than an hour from the time I got the call. The strange bird had flown down the road a distance of about 40 rods, and picking up Mr. Campbell and his son, George, we cau- tibusly approached the thicket in which the bird had alighted. Through the willows I could easily see that it was a Ptarmigan and I collected December, 1932] it. It was a male in full summer plumage. Its crop was filled with poplar catkins, and small poplar leaves, which at that time were just bursting from the buds. There was no grain of any kind, nor weed seeds evident, and the bird was in excellent condition. I only know of one other record for the Willow Ptarmigan south of the North Saskatchewan River, and that was shot in the vicinity of South Edmonton, in winter, some years ago. Why this straggler should be in this latitude during the breeding season is a mystery.—FRANK L. FARLEY. A KENTUCKY WARBLER AT STRATHROY, ON- TARIO.—A trip East in the spring of 1931 kept me away from Southwestern Ontario from May 13th to 24th. This lost check on nearly two weeks of bird migration, but, as often happens to an enthusiastic naturalist, the one morning available after returning was to be remembered. Soon after daybreak the morning of the 25th found me in a wooded area two miles north of the town of Strathroy, Ontario, spending a very busy few hours in bringing my neglected migration list up-to-date. alhe thrill of the morning came from following a song which at first was taken for the erratic song of an Ovenbird. The singer was finally collected from the top of a tall maple and proved to be a Kentucky Warbler in full plumage. The bird was found singing in a hardwood bush-lot composed principally of maple and beech, situ- ated on the bank of a creek, a wood which has always been good for migrating warblers, parti- cularly the later species. This is, I believe, the third Canadian record of the Kentucky Warbler; the specimen in No. 3884 in my collection. The second specimen was taken by Mr. Robert Elliott near Bryanston, Ontario, May 16, 1898*, which was the first record for Ontario, and is now in the Saunders collection.—A. A. Woop. NORTHERN SHRIKE AND ENGLISH SPARROW.— You might be interested to hear of an experience I had, two weeks ago, with a Northern Shrike. I was sitting in my log shack, writing, shortly before noon, when I heard the terrified shrieks of some small bird outside. Jumping up, and looking out of the window, I was just in time to see two objects apparently dash against the shack wall. Immediately there followed a great scuffing and more shrieking. I guessed the tragedy that was being enacted, but could not imagine how it was I heard the noise of the scuffle so plainly. On going outside, I found that the pursued bird Page 663, *Catalogue of Canadian Birds, John Macoun. Saunders, 1909. The Canadian Field-Naturalist, W. E. 19: 205, Feb., 1906. THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 209 (an English Sparrow) had flown for protection through a crack between two boards, on a part of the wall that has never been properly finished. When I approached, silence reigned, but on my tapping the wall, the fluttering started again, and to my surprise out dashed a large Northern Shrike with the sparrow in hisbeak. Being rather a squeeze for him between the boards, he dropped the sparrow, and flew off to a near-by poplar. The sparrow was quivering its last, so I picked it up and placed it on the window-sill outside, and went indoors to watch developments. It was not long before the Shrike returned for his dinner, but, instead of going to the spot where the sparrow had fallen, he fluttered in front of the crack in the wall, much like a fly-catcher will do before a window. Satisfying himself there was nothing there, he alighted on a large stone directly in front of my window, and I had a splen- did view of him. Then he spied his prey and flew boldly onto the window-sill, pecking at the sparrow viciously. Not being able to hold it with his foot, he soon picked it up in his beak and flew off. I wished, afterwards, I had secured the sparrow in some way, and made the Shrike have his lunch with me. I might add that the fine, waxy lines across the breast were very faint on this particu- lar Shrike. I have seen them much darker.— A. GISSING. — AN UNUSUAL RECORD OF SCARLET TANAGER.— Few better examples of the unusual wanderings of our land birds could be shown than that of a Searlet Tanager in my collection. On November 17, 1926, I noted a green bird with black wings in a small cherry near my den window. As no such bird should have been in cherry trees at Comox on Vancouver Island in November, I gave chase. When I got outside the door the bird had gone but a hunt in the surrounding woods disclosed it in the alders and I secured &. It proved to be a young male tanager and with unpardonable carelessness I called the bird a belated Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana) and dismissed the case, never having seen the young of this species at this time of the year because of its early migration. Two years ago, however, on getting specimens of eastern birds I recognized my bird for what it is: the Scarlet Tanager (Piranga erythromelas),a species showing no other records for British Columbia, none for Alberta and few for Saskatchewan. This probably will stand as the most westerly record of the species for some time, though there still remains the width of the Island to cross—a small matter to a bird adventurous enough to negotiate the plains and the western mountains.—HAMILTON M. LAING. Pha Let A vi Pa DA tea December, 1932] A.O.U. Meeting in Quebec. Acanthis hornemanni exilupes linaria holboelli linaria linaria : FCeLpIteT COO pert 0 U. Actias luna Actitis macularia Adder’s-Mouth, Green White Additional brachyuran crab from Northern British Columbia Agaphelus gibbosus Alabama argillacea _. Alasmidonta undulata Albino Grackles Alces americana americana ANH 2= CANIG eae eS EM el Ambliydactylus gethingi__. Amesia latifolia latifolia f. monotro- DOLOS INS I Ammodytes personatus __... Amnicola limosa lamosa porata lustrica Amphibia, Ontario Amphipoda PAMUSMUOTUDES) Annotated list of vascular plants collected on the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST INDEX TO VOLUME XLVI 142 21 151 1927-1930. 12, 36, 64, 89 Annual convention of win- ETE (QSYES(EY, Ua a San a Anodonta cataracta marginata Anthonomus grandis Anthus rubescens Aplectrum hyemale____. ASD; Arachnida Aralia medicaulis Archibuteo lagopus sanctt- johannis Arctic, Birds Arctomys monax ingavus_ Ardea herodias herodias _.. Arethusa Arethusa bulbosa Atrypa reticularis var. a... Attune with spring in Aca- die, Review of _.___ Bacteria Badger EXONS AS\O) Os) (aueeesetne ares mere Balena australis glacialis mysticetus Balenoptera acuto-rostrata loop AOA ee Balenoptera musculus _... § physalus 7 Bartramia longicauda 125, 72) Basidiomycetes 30 Bass, Small-mouthed Black 21 Bass guarding nest kills LOVEE TSU Cl © pee 21 BatBicebrowny eee on 150 Little Brown 150 Silver-haired 188 Trouessart Brown ._ 188 Bear Black So iarsarien A 34, 150 Bolan ters Siete a8 te 34 Beaver, Canada ___ 151, 204 Bird Census, Christmas 41, 208 Bird Records from the Arctic) een ae ge a4! 142 Bird-banding returns _____ 70 Bird=babhi es ies ul elias ae 203 Bird notes from the vicin- ity of Castor, Alberta 191 Birds of Ottawa—Adden- Ca SER NE 123, 162 Bison bison athabascae_____ 25 brSONEOISONi ea eeeeee 25 Sse, ISA Le 125 Black-crowned Night Heron in Okanagan Valley, BG ee hay Neon 190 Blackbird, Red-winged_1, 5, 22 Blarinc brevicauda brevi- COU e ae Sta eee ete 150 Blasturus cupidus 54 TEC OULOSUS ene 54 Blissus leucopterus _..._ 175 Bilire irae 3 eo we aie ae 1 Mountain, Nest of. 49 Bob=white; 22 225s) ee 172 BOlettist Seana 53 Bombycilla cedrorum 82, 165 173 garrula pallidiceps 82, 183 Bonasa umbellus togata __ 126 Bonnechere Valley 32 Botrychium angustisegmen- ERTS Set een Ts 2 minganense __....__- 5 onondagense 5 SN UCL a x2 mame iat 3 Brachiopod, Fossil 111 Brackeny ise oe ae Be 1 APS Trev Tiiby eae oh cae 125, 166 Branta bernicla glaucoga- SET Ine nee 125, 166 canadensis canadensis. 125 British carboniferous pro- ducti, Review of 23 Brooman, R. C., Gilder) 22) eae aes 208 Butialoleee. o = 3) een ee ae 25 Bunting, Indigo) 2] 164 Ibevollewavel 183 | Esra Spice Ne eee 3 192 Teaiz uli gta. eee Las 192 ESTO Wyte eee dae 183 Burgess, C. H.., Fossil brachiopod Buteo lineatus lineatus___. Butterfly, Azure Cabbage White Copper, Bronze Hunter’s Monarch Pearly Eve Red Admiral Skipper, Arctic —____. Skipper, Dusky Skipper, Silver-spotted Spring Azure Swallow-tail, Black __ Swallow-tail, Tiger CAIN = Review bye Caenis forcrypata Calamospiza melanocorys.- Calcarius lapponicus lap- ponicus Calidris leucophea Callianassa sp. Calvatia cretacea Calypso bulbosa Camerella panderi —_____- volborthi Camnula pellucida Campeloma decisum rufum Camptosaurus rhizophyl- lus Canadian Writer's Market Survey, Review of Canis familiaris borealis latrans latrans Iatrans nebrancensis __ lyeqons) 822 Saas mexicanus _.--------- occidentalis ___-__------- @anvassbacky nee Capella delicata 171, Gannpiddce ass @anbouire.:- ot sees (Chinchilla 164 Cardinalis cardinalis car- Ging: = see Carpodacus purpureus pur- PUNCUS:,,..-- wees Cartwright, B. W.. Hybrid Grouse Caspian Tern breeding on Lake Ontario Castor canadensis canaden- sis Catbird Cathartes aura septentrio- nalis Catostomus catostomus __ macrocheulus Census, Christmas Bird Centroptilum infrequens.__ quaesitum 211 164 163 145 22 151 173 212 Cerambycids = 168 Cervus canadensis manito- OTISIS a 151 Champsosquinusi == 128 Change of name of a fossil brachiopod panne 111 (Cloaye, JNRORM@: 2 185 Charadrius semipalmatus._. 142 Chat, Yellow-breasted 108 Check-list of North Amer- ican Birds, Review of. 23 Chen cerulescens _. 142 kyperboreus 124 Chickadee, Hudsonian — 165 Chipmunk, Lyster 147 INortinerny as: 147, 151 Chirostenotes pergracilis___. 100 Chondestes grammacus grammacus 106 Christmas Bird Census __ 41 (CTant) cy ic We Is AEN rl 167 Cincinnatia binneyana 33 Cistothorus stellaris__165, 182 Citellus franklinu 150 mchordson = 150 tridecemlineatus —__ 150 Clasping-leaved Cress in (Gamat aye Oe eee AN 48 Clemens, W. A. and Mun- TOMS pe Acs Food of Merganser —_ 166 Clethrionomys gappert gap- GOD: | Bee ee ON 151 cappert loringy 151, 178 gappert proteus _- 8 TALE LL UUS) ets bckeee red ee Ole Sen 8 VOLK Do} Meena oe 8 Ohipcompallasias sean 168 Coccyzus erythropthal- ATULES eee eae oe 173, 192 SodmRock se es See 168 Celosaurus antiquus 100 (CAG US: see ee 99 (COlooinagriy, 2k eo ee es 168 Colinus virgimanus —--- 172 Columba domestica ____- 126 Common Pests, Review of 193 Condylura cristata —.- 150 Contributions to the knowl- edge of extreme north- eastern Labrador 7, 34, 56, 84, 112, 153 Coral-root, Striped — MD. 72 Corallorrhiza striata 2 Cormorant, Double-crest- Gio lnae keene st ie 106, 124 Correction concerning re- cord of Neotoma c. drummondi — 145 Correlation of sunspot peri- odicity with grasshop- per fluctuation in Mani- ODE. 2S Bee elc LU . 1934 Cortinarius armillatus — ph cimnamomeus 1 53 YOO 2 53 Cosmopolites sordidus 174 THE CANADIAN. FIELD-NATURALIST Cotiusnaspe aa 167, 168 GUUOSUS Zee 168 GOMOD Sa 167 Coventry, A. F., Mearns Flying Squirrel 75 Temagami district, Ont. Rote iar eats clez eae 147 Cowbird) 22.00 ae 3, 172 Coyotenmeraicie sas 150 Crab, British Columbia —_ 153 (Cranes san) tar ee ee 192 (Crmesthy 168 (Giga; agian cee ee ee 168 Cress, Clasping-leaved —_ 48 Crickmay, C. H., Cypress ells 185 Criddle, N., Sunspots and Grass- INOFOPOSTAS ee 195 Criddle, S., Manitoba Mammals —.. 188 Red-backed Vole 178 Grocethiond lla aeene 173 Crocodile, Fossil, New —_ 128 GroscbillS Rec an White-winged 163 (Chromy, ING @i i 49 Cryptoglaux acadica aca- ica tiel Ls Ceneaee 127 funerea richardsoni __ 126 @iuck@@: eee 2 Black-billed 3, 173, 191 Curlew, Hudsonian 106, 125 Ovlasmonmicanits.= = 177 Cymatogaster aggregatus. 168 Cypress Hills, Physiogra- olay 8 Tia es aaa ee 185 Cypripedium arietinum 17 Gystid s) ee ee 134 Cystophora cristata 34 Dale, E. M.S., Notes from London, Ont ees 106 Date, Swine Or 108 ID@@ayaOOK) ee 168 IDyaen, [Bruel 2 152 Northern Whitetail 152, 183 Deerast any Clea ee 183 Delphinapterus leucas 8 Dendroica cestiva — 172 GSC Ol Oj ene 106 VAS {0 HN Me et Ne Sc 165 ADUTUULS' Nye ae ene 171 OL OLSUH omen a ena eae 192 Diatve saccharalis 174 . Diekeissell 106 Dicrostonys hudsonius richardsont _..--- 9 rubricatus richardson. 9 rubricatus rubricatus. . 9 Dictionary of Greek and Latin combining forms, TREWHONY OM ace ete 50 Dinosaur footprint bird- Jofeigrlny wrlaceensie 9 Be ee 203 -. Dinosaurs, Fossil —...- 99 [VoL. XLVI Diptera] ha 168 Modder 22 hes ea 3 Dogs Thiskim Oye eee 9 Doleroides pervetus otta- -WanuUS. iste ieneae 136 Dolphin, Bottle-nosed __ 8 North Atlantic 8 White-beaked 8 Dove, Domestic 222222 126 Mourning 3, 68, 126, 171 Dovekié 2 as 166 Dragon=fly = ae 168 _Dremeosaurus albertensis_ 109 Dowatcher ee 173 Dek; Ike 173 Dumetella carolinensis ___ 173 & Dymond, J. R.., Distribution of fish in N.K. Canada _____ 185 Dysdercus spp) 17 Hacle= Baldy ase 108 Nest. of) 23a 169 Ecdyonurus canadensis ___ 5d unterpunctatus ________ 55 lenminat Ss 55 LripUnclays \ a 55 Heret 0 107 Widen Kone ee 49, 124 Elliptio complanatus _..- 152 Empidonax minimus —- 31 trailli alnorum ___--- 127 trails trail, — 5 VIVESCENS — 31, 106 Empoasco 3.) 174 Enodia portlandia —____- 3 Entesicus fuscus fuscus__ 150 Ephemera simulans — 54 Ephoron coin 54 BHpipactis, Broad-leaved__ 2,5 Epipactis pubescens ____ 4 Erethizon dorsatum dor- Satu, = 187 Ereunetes pusillus 142, 173 Erignathus barbatus — 34 Mrmine, 2 34 Eskimo, Labrador _.34, 56, 84 112, 153 Eubalena glacialis —— 7 Hulachon) =e 168 Eurycea bislineata bisline- Gig 2a ee 147 Eutamias minimus — bore- (list 22a 147, 151 Evening Grosbeak seen feeding its young im Mitus| 1 ! i \ § (3 { j ‘ ! s - “nyt 9044 114 197 932 epee Bee eee pee eer, et ee RT | pezat “ “sey