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ip i OTTAWA AE ELS BLISHRD ST 1 gan CLUB
ISSUED esas 9, 1925
¥ oy
# ; Feileg at the Ottawa Post Office as second-class matter
THE OTTAWA FIELD- ELD-NATURALISTS’ CLUB
~ ‘Satrons: 2
THEIR EXCELLENCIES THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL AND THE LADY BYNG OF VIMY |
: President: Hoyes LLoyp.
Ist Vice-P resident: G. A. MILLER. 2nd Vice-President: NoRMAN CRIDDLE. - ‘i
Secretary: ; - Hon. Treasurer:
. F. WRIGHT, ah aay B.A. FAUVEL,
(Geological Survey, Ottawa), i ee 321 “McLeod St.
Ottawa, Ont.
Additional Members of Council: W: At MACOUN;/ Miss M. E. Cowan; CG. M. SterNserc; H. I. SMITH;
F. W. WaucH; P. A. TAVERNER; E. SApiR; E. M. KINDLE; W. J. WINTEMBERG; R.E. DeELury;
ARTHUR GIBSON; M.O. Matte; R. M. ANDERSON; H. GROH: Miss F.. FYLES; C. B. HUTCHINGS;
H. M. Ami; CLYDE L. PATCH; D. JENNESS; V. W. JACKSON; R. O. MERRIMAN; W.N. KELLY;
C. H. SNELL; J. R. McLEeop; JoHN Davipson; L. MclI. TERRILL; R. MEREDITH; FRANCIS Boe
-KERMODE; Pror. R. B. THOMSON; THE EDITOR.
Editor: ; Bos
~ HARRISON F. LEWIS, eee
Canadian National Parks Praaew
Dept. of the Interior, Ottawa.
Associate Editors:
SAPIRG cf ou hoe hee Mase ..... Anthropology EAC NG EDLUND SMAIN 3 25 Saas Marine Biology
E.
MeO: WALTER ose ta ees ces Botany PAS TAVERNEIR Gg .o.. Seee Ornithology —
BRL ATGHRORD. rcs eee cone Conchology E. M. KINDLE....... ah eae .. ..Palaeontology
WEY? WILLIAMS) sca byecmeeaeraen Geology R. M. ANDERSON....... see cere .Zoology —
ARTHUR GIBSON............-+.- Entomology CLYDE Li:PATCH: /3) 22/4, eee eee Bah a
CONTENTS oe
9 PAGE
The ic periniental Farm as a Bird Sanctuary. By Ralph E. DeLury . BERR Ee ARN Ne ion ae is ae ie Bite
Trilobites of the Beekmantown in the Philipsburg Region of Quebec. By J. H. Bradley, Jr. = 6 ay
Some Notes on “‘Resident”’ Bird-Banding on Vancouver Island, B.C. By G. D. Sprot.. a5
An Exploration into the Northern Plains North and Hast of Great Slave ‘Lake, including: the
Source of the Coppermine River. By G. H. Blanchet, F.R.G.S., of the Topo. Sur. of Can.. . 12:25)
The Birds of Ottawa—Addenda to October 2, 1924. By Hoyes Toya alii Se DER are cnc ft 1B)
Official Canadian Record of Bird-Banding Returns. Continued from December Issue, 1924. 18°23
In: Memoriam—Montague Chamberlain... ose. ee A oe ee OR Esl
Statement of the Financial Standing of the Giaws Field-Naturalists’ Club at the Claas of tlle en
Year 1923-1924—-November 27, 1924............. Pe toes martina Tare ome ne A. dig 2s Oe
Statement of Trust Funds Committee: - = 00.) 2) 3476 ed oie ee Pe ita See ae oe ae aa ee eae
Notes and Observations:— peated ye (ig ae
Christmas Bird Censuses; 19240503 i. eee eee ee er ree ert eet bay:
A Large Gorgonian from "Alaska. By As ie Vier bre ih see 2 sso Ae oe ope en cosa cl eames
Peromyscus maniculatus bairdii at Toronto. By L. L. Snyder....................... ee 25
Mr: Rodney Wood: . By Hoyes: Lloyds ny fe ee ee 26.
Report of the Council, Ottawa Bicli_-Naturatiets: Club, 1923-24. By J. F Wright, Sec EAs
- Annual Meeting of Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club. By J. F. Wright, Sec... .. ee Spe ste 26
Book Review:— Le
The Auk 1908) Bye Eon eos eee We Recs, Meare een nC TEIB Conc 6 onarune oo rrr
Palaeontology of the Silurian eo of Arisaig, Nova Scotia, By P. H. MeLearn—A. 1}
thirty-seven years ago, ‘‘to publish the results of ‘original each or tee anda in ei
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The Canadian Field-Naturalist
VOL. XXXIX
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, JANUARY, 1925
No. 1
THE EXPERIMENTAL FARM AS A BIRD SANCTUARY
IN EXPERIMENTAL FARM, concerned
as it is with all of the factors relating to
agriculture, finds in its bird life an in-
= teresting and important subject for
observation. The necessity of birds for the most
successful operation of various branches of farm-
ing has so often been demonstrated that, for
utilitarian reasons alone, the policy of protecting
birds, which has always been maintained by the
Directors of the Experimental Farms, is fully
justified. Though the Act respecting Experiment-
al Farm Stations* makes no explicit reference to
ornithological investigations, yet provision is made
Birds Convention Act.
to “conduct any other experiments and researches
bearing upon the agricultural industry of Canada”’;
and now, it is understood, consideration is being
given to the advisability of formulating definitely
this protective policy by constituting the Experi-
mental Farms sanctuaries under the Migratory
Bird-students and nature-
lovers throughout America will welcome such
procedure as a direct contribution to the cause of
bird protection, as well as a stimulant to a sympa-
_ thetic interest in this cause throughout the agri-
cultural districts.
The Central Experimental Farm, on the border
of the city of Ottawa, possesses a great variety of
the natural and artificial conditions most desirable
in a sanctuary for birds. An examination of the
aerial photograph{, which pictures the easterly
end of the Experimental Farm and about 500
feet of the city along the Carling Avenue bound-
ary, reveals some of these attractions: the open
water of Dow’s Lake and the Rideau Canal with
their edgings along the Farm of marsh and swamp;
- clumps of woods, deciduous and evergreen; mea-
dows and hillsides; lawns, shrubberies and hedges;
areas devoted to the cultivation of fruits, flowers,
grains and vegetables. In such surroundings,
_ many birds linger for days on their journies north
_ this glorious place.
and south, and many elect to make their homes in
There is plenty of food at all
seasons of the year for migrants and resident birds,
*Revised Statutes of Canada, 1906, c. 73.
{My thanks are due to Secretary J. A. Wilson of the Air
_ Board for this photograph and for permission to publish it
here: The photograph was taken at an elevation of 10,000
feet. _ Mr. C. R. Westland, who has surveyed this locality,
has kindly marked in the 1000-foot lines, N, E, S, and W from
the Dominion Observatory, the Geodetic zero point for Cana-
a.
{
By RALPH E. DELURY
and good shelter from enemies and from the chill
winds of winter.
As previous numbers of the publications of the
Field-Naturalists’ Club testify, Ottawa bird-
students have taken advantage of the proximity
of this bird paradise to record many interesting
observations. Excursions of the Club have been
held to the Farm, and to ‘“‘Dow’s-Swamp”’ (4000
ft. East, 500 ft. South of the Observatory); while
“Clark’s Woods’, as it was formerly called, near
the Observatory (500 N., 200 W.), has yielded
some valuable records. The swamp and woods
are not so large and unfrequented as when the
earliest records were made, but they still attract
many birds. The small marsh below tht woods
along Carling Avenue (700 N., 400 E.) has been
filled in partly and is nearly dry in the summer,
so that it has been practically deserted as a nest-
ing site by the Red-winged Blackbirds. On the
other hand the planted trees on the Farm, espec-
ially the wide strip all along its Carling and Fisher
Avenue boundaries, have grown into attractive
bits of woods, and so the increasing attractions of
the Farm have almost compensated for modifica-
tions in the surroundings. Also, the new hospital
(8000 W., 1000 S.) will soon have its large grounds
laid out, and it is hoped that a great number of
trees of various kinds will be planted there. On
the whole, the boundaries of the Farm will con-
tinue to be attractive to the birds, and the Farm
will doubtless become more so.
The ideal nesting places in marsh, tree and
meadow, as well as‘the nesting boxes which have
been put up, especially in the arboretum, are
taken advantage of by so many pairs of birds
that an accurate count of their numbers is almost
impossible. It is the practice among the men at
the Farm to guard carefully the nests they dis-
cover on the ground and in shrubs, indicating their
presence by a stake or other means, lest they be
injured in the usual processes of cultivating, grass-
cutting and shrub-trimming. It is inevitable,
however, in spite of these highly commendable
precautions, that many nests are molested; but
the timing of such operations as the ploughing in
of certain crops for their fertilising value could
smoetimes be arranged to the best advantage of
the birds nesting in the field.
: THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST [VoL. XX XIX
4 PLATE 1.
Above: Baby Killdeer, one day old. Old Killdeer on nest of four eggs.
Middle: Eastern end of Experimental Farm photographed from 10,000 feet in the air. :
Below: Mother Black Duck and six young. Spotted Sandpiper on nest of four eggs, being
moved by the hand after a short acquaintance. :
_ January, 1925]
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
PLATE 2.
Above: Pair of Downy Woodpeckers and nest. Meadowlark approaching nest with food for
her four young.
Middle: Ruby-throated Hummingbird sipping nectar from Cytisus Capitatus. Female Cape
May Warbler on spruce tree.
Below: Female Pine Grosbeak eating weed seeds. Bohemian Waxwing on crabapple tree.
4 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
The bird photographs reproduced herewith were
taken at the Farm and are representative of its
bird life. On the top of Plate 1 is shown a Kill-
deer on the nest in a pea-field (1200 E., 300 S.).
When the young were one day out of the shell the
parents led them across the road, one of the young
being detained long enough to be photographed
as shown. Three or four pairs of Killdeers nest
‘ on the eastern half of the Farm each year, and
Spotted Sandpipers in greater numbers. The
picture of the latter was taken in a plot of ‘“Duch-
ess’? wheat after a very short acquaintance, the
old bird coming back quickly to her four eggs
when called by a low whistled Leet, Leet, Leet-tee.
The Black Duck shown leading her brood nested
in the enclosed marsh of the Poultry Division
(2300 E., 200 N.). When the young were larger
she brought them to the feeding-trough, after first
chasing away the domestic fowl. In this marsh
the Canada Geese which have been domesticated
find natural nesting places, and usually a Bittern,
two or three Florida Gallinules and many Red-
winged Blackbirds nest there. At the top of
Plate 2 a pair of Downy Woodpeckers are shown
at their nest in the swamp beyond the Arboretum
(3100 E., 1600 S.); one parent is waiting to enter
with insect food for the young, while the other,
having taken in food and cleaned the nest, is
about to come out. The old Meadowlark pictured
is striding towards her nest on the hillside (2400E.,
1400 S.), after the usual ten-minute search for
moths, cutworms, etc. When her four young
were banded they scurried away into the long
grass and were found with difficulty. The Hum-
mingbird is shown sucking nectar from flowers of
one of the many shrubs in the Arboretum (1800 E.,
1200 S.); at this point as many as 30 Ruby-
throats have been seen at a Siberian Pea Tree.
The female Cape May Warbler pictured is repre-
sentative of the host of Warblers which loiter for
days at the Arboretum (2200 E., 600 S.). At one
time, ten species of Warblers were observed at the
edge of a clump of evergreens where some haw-
thorn trees were in bloom (2600 E., 1000 S.).
Pine Grosbeaks, Bohemian Waxwings and occa-
sionally Robins find plenty of food in the winter,
as many of the shrubs and trees retain their fruit.
The Bohemian Waxwing is shown seated in a
laden crabapple tree; while the Pine Grosbeak,
having eaten apple seeds, has gone to the weeds
to vary her diet (2600 E., 1200 S.).
Ninety-three species of birds have been observed
at the writer’s residence near the Farm (800 W.,
285 N.) during the last 14 years, and these,
together with others seen about the Observatory
grounds and the Experimental Farm, or within a
stone’s throw of it, total 136. It may be noted
that several additional species were observed but
‘Migrant Shrike,
not positively identified;
additional species have been previously recorded
by other observers. ©
of the Farm birds is desirable, it may be worth
while at present to append the writer’s list of
those observed from 1911 to the end of 1924.
In this list those seen in the writer’s garden. ;
_will be indicated by an asterisk. e
Horned Grebe, Pied-billed Grebe, Herring Gull,
Bonaparte’s Gull, Hooded Merganser, Black Duck,
Green-winged Teal, Canvas-back, Canada Goose,
Bittern, Great Blue Heron, Green Heron, Black--
crowned Night Heron, Florida Gallinule, Spotted
Sandpiper, Killdeer, Ruffed Grouse, Marsh Hawk,
*Sharp-shinned Hawk, Goshawk, Broad-winged
Hawk, *Pigeon Hawk, *Sparrow Hawk, Barred
Owl, Saw-whet Owl, *Screech Owl, Great Horned
Owl, Snowy Owl, *Yellow-billed Cuckoo, *Black-.
billed Cuckoo, *Belted Kingfisher, *Hairy Wood-
pecker, *Downy Woodpecker, Arctic Three-toed
Woodpecker, *Yellow-bellied Sapsucker,
headed Woodpecker, *Flicker,
*Nighthawk, *Chimney Swift,
Hummingbird, *Kingbird,
*Phoebe, Olive-sided Flycatcher,
Alder Flycatcher,
*Whip-poor-will,
*Wood Pewee,
*Least Flycatcher,
Horned Lark, *Blue Jay, Canada Jay,
*Bobolink, *Cowbird,
*Meadowlark,
bird, *Bronzed Grackle, *Evening Grosbeak,
*Pine Grosbeak, *Purple Finch,
*Crossbill,
*White-winged Crossbill, *Redpoll,
*Goldfinch, *Pine Siskin, Snow Bunting, *Vesper-
Sparrow, *Savannah Sparrow, *White-crowned
Sparrow, *White-throated Sparrow, *Tree Spar- —
row, *Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow, *Slate-
colored Junco, *Song Sparrow, *Lincoln’s Sparrow,
Red-
*Ruby-throated
*Crested Flycatcher, —
Prairie —
*Crow, —
*Red-winged Blackbird, —
*Baltimore Oriole, Rusty Black--
[VOL. XXXIX y
and at least ten
While a thorough list. -
*House Sparrow,.
Swamp Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, *Towhee, *Rose-~
breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting,
Tanager, *Purple Martin, Cliff Swallow, *Barn
Swallow, *Tree Swallow, Bank Swallow, *Bohem-. —
ian Waxwing, *Cedar Waxwing, *Northern Shrike,
*Red-eyed Vireo,
Vireo, *Blue-headed Vireo,
Warbler, *Nashville Warbler, *Tennessee Warbler,
Parula Warbler, *Cape May Warbler,
Warbler,
Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, *Chestnut-sided
Warbler, *Bay-breasted Warbler, =
Warbler, *Blackburnian Warbler, *Black-throated
Green Warbler, *Pine Warbler, *Ovenbird,
*Water-Thrush, *Morning Warbler,
ler, *Redstart, *Catbird, *Brown Thrasher,
+House Wren, "*Winter Wren,
*White-breasted Nuthatch,
hatch, *Chickadee,
*Ruby-crowned Kinglet, *Wood Thrush, *Veery,
Gray-cheeked Thrush,
*Hermit Thrush,
*Robin, *Bluebird.
*Scarlet.
“Warbling —
*Black and White:
*Yellow
*Black-throated Blue Warbler, *Myrtle-
*Black-poll.
Maryland.
Yellow-throat, *Wilson’ s Warbler, *Canada Warb--
*Brown Creeper,
*Red-breasted Nut-
*Golden-crowned Kinglet,.
¢
*Olive-backed Thrush, —
January, 1925]
T THE suggestion of Professor P. E. Ray-
mond, the writer spent eleven weeks in
the vicinity of Philipsburg, Quebec, dur-
: ing the summer of 1922. The time was
_ devoted mainly to a thorough search for fossils in
_ the Beekmantown rocks of this region. Although
the great bulk of the rocks was barren, determin-
able fossils were found in seven separate and
distinet horizons. The general results of this
study were published in the Journal of Geology*
and correlations within the Beekmantown of the
Champlain valley were suggested. The present
__ paper will concern itself with the trilobites of the
Philipsburg section. In the Middle and Upper
_ Beekmantown localities of this area, brachiopods,
gastropods, and cephalopods occur in some abun-
dance, but because of the light shed upon very
poorly understood genera, the trilobite fauna has
received the bulk of attention. Certain of these
forms will undoubtedly be of value to future
investigations concerning the stratigraphy of the
4 “Quebec Group,” and in the interpretation of
P. ¥ Beekmantown faunas in general.
3
Ea,
x
: ORDER OPISTHOPARIA BEECHER
__ FAMILY BATHYURIDAE WALCOTT
: Bathyurellus Billings
at - Bathyurellus flabellus sp. nov.
, Plate 1, fig. 7.
DESCRIPTION
Pygidium semicircular; width not quite twice
- the length. Axial lobe strongly convex, conical,
expanding a little anteriorly, almost half the whole
_ length; apex obtusely rounded. There are three
indistinct rings, crossed by a slightly raised medial
line; last ring as wide as both the others. The
4 axial lobe, although well-defined, is small and in-
significant in comparison with the rest of the
pygidium. The lateral lobes have a small triangu-
lar area adjacent to the axis that stands up in
sharp contrast to the general concavity of the
broad border of the pygidium. The raised area
around the axial lobe is marked by seven ribs on
_ each side. These are reduced to five pairs on the
concave portion. The distinctive feature of this
species is that the ribs on the lateral lobes are
*Vol. 31, No. 4, May-June, 1923.
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 5
en ie TRILOBITES OF THE BEEKMANTOWN IN THE PHILIPSBURG REGION OF
\e QUEBEC
; By J. H. BRADLEY, JR.
equally distributed over the entire expanse of
pygidium, giving a fan-like appearance. No other
member of the genus has ribs directly behind the
axial lobe. Ribs gently convex; grooves between
them gently concave. Surface apparently smooth.
Head and thorax unknown.
The pygidium of Bathyurellus flabellus has the
same general proportions as that of B. expansus,
but differs from it in having three poorly marked
axial rings instead of four well-marked rings; in
having five instead of four pairs of ribs on the
lateral lobes; but chiefly in not being smooth
behind the axial lobe. B. marginatus differs from
B. flabellus in having nearly flat lateral lobes;
B. fraternus in possessing a wider axial lobe which
is not elevated at the apex; B. validus in having
the whole of the lateral lobes of the pygidium
concave, and the axial lobe not elevated at the
apex.
In 1854, Angelin in his Palaeontolgia Scandin-
avica published a drawing of the pygidium of
Niobe explanata from the Orthoceras limestone
(Fagelsang limestone) of Scania. This fossil
closely resembles Bathyurellus flabellus in having
a similar fan-like pygidium with ribs directly back
from the axial lobe. It is also gently concave near
the posterior margin as in Bathyurellus. The axial
lobe of Niobe explanata differs, however, from that
of Bathyurellus flabellus in being larger and in
possessing eight well-defined annulations.
MEASUREMENT OF PYGIDIUM
Length of Width of
Length Width Axial Lobe Axial Lobe
7mm. 12.5.mm. 3mm. 2mm.
HORIZON AND LOCALITY
Upper Beekmantown at Philipsburg, Quebec.
Holotype No. 1736 in Museum of Comp. Zodlogy,
Cambridge, Mass., collected by J. Marcou.
Petigurus Raymond
Petigurus subrectus sp. nov.
Plate 1, fig. 3.
Cf. Bathyurus Nero Billings, Pal. Foss., 1 , Geol.
Surv. Canada, 1865, p. 260, fig. 243a-d.
Cf. Petigurus nero Raymond, Bull. Victoria
Memorial Mus., 1, 1918, p. 59, pl. 7, fig. 8.
6 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
DESCRIPTION
Glabella oblong as in Petigurus nero, but differs
from that form in lacking anterior enlargement.
Sides of glabella quite parallel from neck furrow
forward to a point about 2 mm. from tip where
sides converge rather abruptly. Dorsal furrows
well defined all round glabella. Glabella not as
convex as that of Petigurus nero. Neck segment
rounded and conspicuous. Surface covered by
tubercles. Known only from a single cranidium.
“HORIZON AND LOCALITY
. Middle Beekmantown, St. Armand, P.Q. Holo-
type collected by A. Hyatt from Division Bd in
syncline west of St. Armand station, and now No.
1737 in the M. C. Z.
FAMILY LEIOSTEGIDAE NOV.
Genus Leiosteguim Raymond
Bull. Victoria Mem. Mus., 1, 1918, p. 68.
Genotype, Bathyurus quadratus Billings.
Leiostegium cannot be placed in any family so
far described. The total absence of glabellar
furrows and the general smoothness of craniduim
and pygidium suggest that Leiostegium is a term-
inal genus. Its possible ancestry is uncertain,
however, because Cambrian forms possessing
quadrate glabellae do not as a rule correspond in
other important details. Symphysurus elongatus
possesses a subquadrate glabella, lacks glabellar
furrows, and has a well defined axial lobe similar
direct ancestor. Illaenurus quadratus Hall re-
-sembles Leiostegium in shape of glabella, but va
differs in having eyes close to the glabella and a se
pygidium totally lacking an axial lobe.
‘to that of Leiostegium. The eyes of the former — ]
are much nearer the glabella than in the latter, ay
and it therefore cannot be looked to as a possible —
Leiostegium is apparently unique in possessing aoe
quadrate glabella, wide fixed cheeks, small eyes
far from the glabella, the pygidium almost semi- _
circular,with axial lobe extending nearly the whole _
length. For trilobites of this type the family
Leiostegiidae is proposed. It is possible that in
the future, the ancestors of Leiostegium will be ©
made known.
fo
At present, however, it is clear —
that Leiostegium cannot be included in the Asa- a
phidae, Illaenidae or Bathyuridae, largely because
In any case the family |
of the position of the eye.
Leiostegiidae is necessary until something more is |
- learned of the genesis of this distinctive form.
Leiostegium quadratum (Billings)
Plate 1, fig. 5.
Bathyurus quadratus Billings,
Geol.,
Canadian Nat.
5, 1860, fig. 27; Geol. Canada, Geol. Surv.
Canada, 1863, p. 238, fig. 272; Pal. Foss., 1, Geol. 1
Surv. Canada, 1865, p. 412, fig. 396.
quadratum Raymond, Bull. Victoria Mem. Mus.,
1 ATS. p 268% ple; Tesh ead ts a
“%
A few specimens of the cranidium of this species
were found in a collection of gastropods and —
Leiostegium ~
chase
4 ‘|
\ pe the conglomerate beds at Stanbridge.
ie Se stopnds made by A. Hyatt from the upper
3 _ members of Logan’s series B at St. Armand, P.Q.
The writer finds this trilobite in his pallecnon from
Heretofore
= my quadratum has been known only from the con-
glomerate at Point Lévis, and the exact age of the
horizon could only be inferred. It is now quite
_ certain that it is a middle and upper Beekmantown
ss! ‘\ \ form. Figured specimen No. 1738 in Museum of
a as ;,
5
=H
4
\
_ Comp. Zodlogy.
FAMILY ASAPHIDAE BURMEISTER
SUBFAMILY ASAPHINAE RAYMOND
Genus Isoteloides Raymond
Tsoteloides whitfielai Raymond
Asaphus canalis Whitfield (not Hall), Bull.
Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., 1, 1886, p. 336, pl. 34,
- figs. 1-8; ibid., 2, 1889, p. 64, pl. 11, 12—Seely,
cron Siate Geol., Rep. 7, 1910, pl. 58.
_ Isotelus canalis ‘Cuba and Shimer, N. A.
Tales Fossils, 2, 1910, p. 291, fig. 1600.
Isoteloides areas Pose! Ann. Carnegie
Mus., 7, 1910, p. 36, pl. 14, figs. 1-4; fig. 4; 7th
oes
pene fs
ey |
/
in
i i
=’:
the Beekmantown.
_ Rep. Vermont State Geol., 1910, p. 223.—Walcott,
Smithson. Miscl. Colls., 1924, Vol. 75, No. 2, p. 58,
pi. 13, fig. 6.
This species is-found associated with Lloydia
Gord: 3 in the red-weathering beds of Division B.
‘Two pygidia, an hypostoma and a free cheek, were
found in a collection made by J. Marcou from this
rezion. The writer does not find Isoteloides whit-
fieldi in his collection from Stanbridge, and evi-
dence elsewhere indicates a possible upper limit to
this type in the Fort Cassin horizon.
HORIZON AND LOCALITY
Fort Cassin beds of the Beekmantown: Crown
Point, New York; Fort Cassin, Vermont.
Isoteloides convexus sp. nov.
Qnly a fragment of a pygidium is known, but
‘it shows pronounced differences from Isoteloides
_whitfieldi and suggests the possibility of the
presence of more than one species of this genus in
As the name indicates, I. con-
vexus differs from J. whitfieldi in possessing a
greater convexity and a greater particular convex-
ity of axial and pleural lobes of the pygidium.
_ This produces deep depressions between the axial
and pleural lobes so that this trilobite lacks the
smoothness of I. whitfieldi.
| ean
ieee |
}
HORIZON AND LOCALITY
Middle Beekmantown, Division B, Philipsburg,
z P.Q. Holotype No. 1739 in the M. C. Z. -
FAMILY ASAPHISCIDAE RAYMOND
Lloydia saffordi (Billings)
Plate 1, figs. 9, 10.
Bathyurus saffordi Billings, Canadian Nat.
Geol. 5, 1860, p. 320, fig. 24; ibid., 6, 1861, p. 313,
forward considerably.
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST q
figs. 1, 2; Geol. Canada, Geol. Surv. Canada, 1863,
p. 239, figs. 274a, b.—Billings, Pal. Foss., 1, Geol.
Surv. Canada, 1865, p. 259, figs. 241a, b; p. 411,
fig. 393.
Lloydia saffordi Raymond, Bull. Victoria Mem.
Mus., 1, 1918, p. 66, pl. 7, fig. 16.
Lloydia saffordi occurs in abundance associated
with Macluites ponderosus and other gastropods
in the upper B series at Philipsburg. ° This associa-
tion obtains also at Cow Head in boulders in
Division P. It is likewise the most common
conspicuous trilobite at Point Lévis. The writer
has several specimens from the conglomerate at
Stanbridge. The occurrence of this form at Stan-
bridge and Philipsburg marks it as a Beekmantown
species. It is interesting to find L. saffordi in a
collection recently made by Schuchert in the
Williston limestone southeast of Burlington,
Vermont. This is the first discovery of this arctic
type in the United States. Figured specimens
Nos. 1745 and 1746 in the M. C. Z.
Lloydia amplimarginata sp. nov.
Plate 1, fig. 8.
Axial lobe narrow and almost parallel sided.
Rings distinct and appear to be six in number.
Pleural lobes smooth and convex, separated by
sharp furrows from the axis. Slight furrows
separate pleural lobes from border which encircles
the entire pygidium. Lloydia amplimarginata
differs markedly from L. saffordi, with which it is
associated, in the width of this margin. In the
former, the margin is conspicuously wide, almost
as wide as the axial lobe. The widest part of the
margin in L. saffordi, directly behind the axial
lobe, is never quite half as wide as the widest part
of the anterior end of the axial lobe. Another
striking difference between these two related forms
is that the axial lobe of the present species enlarges
very little, whereas that of L. saffordi expands
MEASUREMENTS OF PYGIDIUM
Greatest Length of Greatest
Length Width Width of Axial Width of
Border Lobe Axial Lobe
10mm. 10.5mm. 2.25mm. 8.75 mm. 2.5 mm.
From these measurements, it can be seen that
Lloydia amplimarginata is almost as long as wide.
L. saffordi is always wider than long.
HORIZON AND LOCALITY
Middle Beekmantown, Philipsburg, P.Q. :
Described from a pygidium collected by J.
Marcou from Division B at Philipsburg. The
holotype is No. 1740 in the M. C. Z.
8 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST ~—
Lloydia pinguis sp. nov.
Plate 1, fig. 11.
DESCRIPTION
Known from cranidia only.
Glabella very convex, much elevated above the
general surface of the head, anterior angles slightly
rounded, sides straight and divergent a little back-
ward; posterior margin slightly less rounded than
anterior. Neck furrow deep and broad; neck
segment about twice as broad as rim which forms
frontal margin. Dorsal furrows shallow. Pal-
pebral lobes large, close to dorsal furrows, and
situated half way to the front.
This form differs from Lloydia saffordi in its
more convex glabella, which lacks the curve on
the lateral margins, and the well rounded frontal
angles. The glabella of L. pinguis is almost
oblong, whereas that of L. saffordt narrows con-
siderably toward the front. The entire cranidium
of Lloydia pinguis has a more plump appearance
than has that of L. saffordi.
MEASUREMENTS OF CRANIDIA
Length Greatest Smallest
Length Width of Width of Width of
Glabella Glabella Glabella
Jimm. 115mm. 8mm. 6.5mm. 6mm.
12mm. 125mm. 9mm. 65mm. 6mm.
HORIZON AND LOCALITY
Middle Beekmantown, Division B, at Philips-
burg, P.Q. Holotype collected by J. Marcou, and
now No. 1747 in the M. C. Z.
Lloydia obscura sp. nov.
Plate 1, fig. 6.
Lloydia sp. ind. Raymond. Bull.
Mem. Mus., 1, 1918, pl. 7, fig. 19.
DESCRIPTION
Known from pygidia and thorax only.
Among trilobites attributed to Lloydia saffordi
are forms with the axial lobe of the pygidium
narrow, expanding forward but slightly, pygidium
considerably wider than long, margin narrow.
In the general proportions of the pygidium, and
the lack of a conspicuous margin, Lloydia obscura
agrees with L. saffordi. In the almost parallel-
sided axial lobe, it is similar to L. amplimarginata
but differs from that form in lacking the nearly
equidimensional pygidivum and the broad border.
The thorax is yet too little known for exact des-
cription.
Victoria
Length Greatest
Length Width of Width of
Axial Lobe Axial Lobe
12 mm. 18 mm. 10 mm. 5 mm.
10 mm. 14 mm. 8 mm. 4 mm.
HORIZON AND LOCALITY
Upper Beekmantown from Point Lévis and Lot
LF
(VoL. XXXIX
21, Range 6, Division D, Stanbridge, P.Q. The
holotype is in the Museum of the Geological
Survey of Canada. Paratype No. 1748 in the
Museum of Comp. Zodélogy.
FAMILY ENCRINURIDAE ANGELIN
Cybele Kutorga
Cybele? pervetusta sp. nov.
Plate 1, fig. 4.
Known from a single pygidium.
In the absence of associated cranidia of En=
crinurus, Cybele, or Cybeloides, the pygidium in
question can only be provisionally referred to {
Cybele. Axial lobe an elongate spherical tienes
lacking annulation. In place of rings, five pairs: |
of pit-like depressions occur on the anterior part.
These represent either vestigial or rudimentary
furrows. Pleural lobes apparently with five ribs:
which turn back sharply, parallel to the axial lobe.
The pair of ribs nearest axial lobe meet posteriorly.
This pygidium is quite unlike any of the related.
forms in its large size and smooth axial and lateral
lobes.
MEASUREMENTS
- Length of Width of
Length Width Axial Lobe Axial Lobe |
13 mm. 15 mm. 11 mm. 5 mm.
HoRIZON AND LOCALITY
Middle Beekmantown from Division B5 at St.
Armand, P.Q. Collected by A. Hyatt, and No.
1749 in the M. C. Z.
FAMILY CHEIRURIDAE SALTER
SUBFAMILY CHEIRURINAE RAYMOND
Strotactinus genus novum.
Plate 1, figs. 1, 2. j
Amphion salieri Billings, Canadian Nat. Goal
1861, p. 322, fig. 6.; Geol. Canada, Geol. es
Canada, 1863, p. 278, fig. 248a, b.; Pal. Foss., 1,
Geol. Surv. Canada, 1865, p. 352, fig. 339.
ef. Ceraurinus Barton, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool.,
54, 1913, p. 547.
ef. Pliomerops Raymond, Amer. Jour. Sci., 4th
ser., 19, 1905, p. 878; Zittel-Eastman Textb. Pal.,.
1913, p. 725.
The most common trilobite in the Beekman-
town limestone at Philipsburg, exclusive of the
ubiquitous Lloydia saffordi, is the Amphion saltert
of Billings. Although free cheeks and thorax are
unknown, cranidia and pygidia of this type are
constantly associated on the same slab of rock.
No other similar form is sufficiently common to:
establish any doubt that the parts under discus-
sion belong to the same species. The cranidium.
resembles in general that of Ceraurinus marginatus.
Barton, with certain important differences. The
pygidium resembles in general that of Pliomerops
canadensis Raymond. For trilobites of this type
the writer proposes the name Strotactinus.
|
——
January, 1925]
-
9
DESCRIPTION
In the only specimen at the writer’s command
_ which shows a complete fixed cheek, the width of |
the cephalon at the neck furrow measures 12mm.,
while the length is 6 mm. In other specimens
_ studied, the width appears less in comparison with
the length. This ratio was given by Billings as
3:5 in his original description of the type, and the
present writer is inclined to accept this as the
probable ratio for the average specimen. The
importance of this ratio is seen in a comparison
with the cranidia of Ceraurinus, in which the width
is typically more than twice the length. This
narrower and longer appearance of the cranidium
of Strotactinus is due to the fact that in this genus
the intramarginal furrow .at the anterior margin
of the fixed cheek meets the glabella at or a trifle
below the point of origin of the first glabellar
furrow. In Ceraurinus, the intramarginal furrow
always meets the glabella anterior to the_ first
glabellar furrow. The glabella, therefore, appears
to sit higher with reference to the cheeks in
Strotactinus than in Ceraurinus.
Glabella weakly convex, subrectangular,
straight-sided, never expanding anteriorly as in
Ceraurinus ornatus and C. trentonensis. Three
pairs of glabellar furrows gently curving back-
wards. Neck furrows straight, lacking forward
flexure on the axial region of the glabella. Eye
apparently long, narrow, opposite second lobe of
glabella anterior to neck furrow. Fixed cheek
pustulose as in Ceraurinus.
Pygidium resembles that of Pliomerops cana-
densis in having five or six segments on the conicai
axial lobe and five ribs on each of the lateral lobes.
Axial lobe in Strotactinus relatively smaller than
that of Pliomerops. Average size of Strotactinus
considerably less than that of Pliomerops so that
typical pygidia of the latter show wider furrows
between the ribs and a greater general convexity
of parts.
- Pliomerinae.
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 9
CLASSIFICATION
Strotactinus appears to be a transition genus
from trilobites with pygidia containing five seg-
ments’ to those with pygidia of four segments and
a tendency to develop highly the first pair of
spines. The pygidium is very similar to that of
The head, on the other hand, is
clearly that of the Cheirurinae, and entitles Stro-
tactinus to be classed with that sub-family. The
glabella of the Pliomerinae shows a deviation from
the normal, whereas the pygidium lacks any
particular specialization. Since the most striking
characteristic of the Pliomerinae is this specialized
glabella, Strotactinus, whose glabella is not special-
ized, must be included in the Cheirurinae. On the
other hand, since Strotactinus has a pygidium
much like the Pliomerinae and very likely much ©
like the ancestors of the entire family, it must be
classed as a primitive genus of the Cheirurinae.
The tendency in the Cheiruridae was to reduce the
pygidial segments until the pygidium was very
small, with the first pair of spines very long, the
others short or absent as in Ceraurus. Cheirurus
is intermediate between Strotactinus and Ceraurus.
HORIZON AND LOCALITY
Middle and Upper Beekmantown, Philipsburg
and Stanbridge, P.Q. Figured specimens Nos.
1750 and 1751 in the Museum of Comp. Zoélogy.
EXPLANATION OF PLATE
Figs. 1, 2—Strotactinus salteri (Billings). X2.
3—FPetigurus subrectus Bradley. X1.
4—Cypbele? pervetusta Bradley. The faint
depressions on the axial lobe are not
shown on the figure. X11.
5—Letostegium quadratum (Billings.) X1.
6—Lloydia obscura Bradley. X2.
7—Bathyurellus flabellus Bradley. X2.
8—Lloydia amplimarginata Bradley. X2.
9, 10—Lloydia saffordi (Billings). A small
pygidium and an hyposyoma. X1.
11—Lloydia pinguis Bradley. X2.
10
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
SOME NOTES ON “‘RESIDENT”’ BIRD-BANDING ON VANCOUVER ISLAND,
BRITISH COLUMBIA
By G. D. SPROT
TE SMALL acreage owned by me—some
nine acres in all—is situated on the west-
etn shores of Saanich Inlet in an open
bay, known locally as Mill Bay, but,
correctly, as Creek Bay. The land slopes fairly
steeply down to the shore and is covered by a
dense growth of fifteen-year-old Douglas Fir,
Hemlock, Balsam, and Cedar, with a sprinkling
of Arbutus, Maple, Dogwood, Alder, and Willow.
The aspect is north-east and the Peninsula, about
five miles across the Inlet, lies low, giving little
shelter from the prevailing winds of north to
south-east.
I feel safe in saying that the south-east coast of
~ the Island, at least that portion from Victoria to
Nanaimo, is well out of the lines of flight of most
land birds of passage, other than those wintering
or nesting upon the Island. It will, therefore, be
easily understood that, except among the Anatide,
little in the way of extensive migrant banding can
be carried on in this area. Consequently, I have
given most of my spare time to a closer study of
the resident species th: oughout the year, a branch
of banding that at present seems rather neglected
by many, in favour of spring migrant trapping and
of nestling banding during summer. It has been
mentioned both in America and in Evrope that
- there is little satisfaction to be got out of the
banding of “residents’’, for the movements of such
are too easily: controlled by regular feeding.
Undoubtedly this may be the case, but are its
movements the only points of interest that we
desire to trace in the life history of a bird? I find
the interest in “resident”? banding never dulls.
With a careful system of keeping notes on the
plumage, growth, movements, etc., of each species,
many interesting as well as surprising facts are
revealed, which one could never discover through .
field-glass observation or the study of skins alone.
To me there is no more fascinating hobby than
that of “‘resident”’ banding throughout the year,
but to get the most out of it, one must be pre-
pared to stay with it. This, of course, is possible
only with those who have a permanent home.
It matters little whether one lives at home all day
or only returns home to sleep and eat, so to speak.
An hour or two a day or twice a week for trapping,
as long as the birds are fed daily, is all that is
required to get results. In fact, I find better
results are obtained in this way than if one stands
at the end of a pull string all day and every day.
Migrants who remain but a week or two around
the traps will stand a lot of bullying and may be
caught three or four times a day during their stay,
but with residents it does not pay to pull con-
stantly over them, and for this reason it is better
(vou. XXXIX ae
to feed every day under the open detachable ~ ae:
funnel trap, as described by me at an earlier date — ae
in The Canadian Field-Naturalist, and merely
replace the funnel for an hour or two when the ne
time can be spared.
One of the most interesting movement among
“residents’”” that I have learned through heidi 8
is their late winter or early spring wanderings. ~—
I had previously suspected a somewhat sluggish
northerly movement in early spring along this — *%
coast among such species as Juncos, Robins, Blue-
birds, Meadowlarks and Red-winged Blackbirds, —
and when a large flock of Juncos, unbanded, sud- —
denly arrived at the latter end of January, 1924,
I thought for some time that the northerly migra- —
tion had started. This idea was strengthened by Ai
the sudden absence of “repeats” from those birds —
banded in November, December and early Jan-—
uary, causing me to imagine that they had moved
Again was it strengthened still —
on northwards.
+
Ci
further by the appearance of Robins and Blue __
birds,
Blackbirds. Bluebirds remain all winter as far
north as the 49th parallel but on our west coast —
only. Robins seldom remain north of 48°31’,
except during such mild winters as that just past,
when single individuals are sometimes to be found —
However, the whole
as far north as Cowichan.
and, on February 19th, of Red-winged
idea of a probable northerly movement “crashed” is fs
when the late January flock of new arrivals, after _
being for the most part banded, suddenly dis-
appeared and the December banded birds as
suddenly reappeared. Another “theory” I had in
reserve to account for such irregular arrivals and
departures of some species usually termed “‘mig-
rants” on this Island, but of which many indivi-
duals remain all winter, was then tried out and
was greatly strengthened by the downfall of my
former idea. This was that many birds commonly
recorded in spring as “‘early arrivals of migrants”
are really only “wandering winter residents” on
the search for food, and because at this season it
is usual for the food supply to be suddenly cut off
through warm wet weather causing wild seeds to
germinate, etc., these wanderers are found and
noted far to the north of their winter homes and —
consequently get recorded as “first arrivals in the
general northerly migration” when actually they
for some time to come.
ta
ae
rs.
have, as yet, no intention of seeking nesting sites
In connection with the
J ery 1925]
above remarks on “wandering winter residents”
%
- Position A.
it appears that when a large flock of some species
arrives in a particular locality already frequented
by ‘another flock of the same species, as was the
case with the Juncos, the stronger unit often ejects
the weaker to the outskirts and when, as is the
ease in steady trapping, the stronger have been
mostly caught and banded, they become “stale”
and desert the station for a short time, allowing the
weaker to close in again upon the traps. In the
ase of the Californian Partridges or Quail, as
they are called locally, one covey only was present
from November, 1923, and fed continually at
In January, 1924, a stronger unit
arrived and for some time the November birds
disappeared, re-appearing however, a few weeks
later, having discovered my other feeding station
and trap at Position B. (See under Californian
Partridges.) f
_ As each bird is caught it is carefully handled and
examined and, at certain times of the year, I
_ found such birds as Jays and Juncos extremely
lousy and consequently ill-conditioned, but, after
feeding for several days in and around the traps
they appeared stronger, weighing heavier, and in
this condition seemed to be able to shake off these
pests. Ticks were also found on these two species
and in every case noted these were found in the
_ angles of the eyes on the lids, four or five in a
cluster, like small black beads, though never much
larger than a small pin head. In one case, how-
ever, a well-grown tick was found hanging to the
upper eyelid of a Junco, but with too secure a
hold to be removed. I thotyht of applying a hot
needle, thereby causing it to back out, but was
_ afraid of the heat injuring the bird’s sight and
_ therefore was unable to forward the tick in a
whole condition to headquarters to he identified.
- Curiously enough, I never re-caught, to my know-
ledge, any birds so afflicted, so was unable to note
the effect of this pest on its host or study its
growth. Question: Is it possible that these pests
in the early pin-head stage had proved fatal to
their hosts?
A few notes here on the species proving the most
interesting might not come amiss. These were
- Californian Partridges, Steller’s Jays, Juncos and
Towhees. A good many other species were
handled, but not in sufficient numbers to become
really interesting material.~
CALIFORNIAN PARTRIDGES (OR, LOCALLY, QUAIL).
My work with this species has been somewhat
disappointing, owing to a shortage of bands, but
some notes of interest were made.
A fresh covey of these birds arrived in January,
1924, numbering from 16 to 20 ,and several were
banded. They remained in the vicinity of the
' trap
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 11
(Position A.) Those birds banded in
November had been present in the vicinity of
Position A every day up to this date. They,
however, left it on the arrival of the stronger unit
(the November birds, at the close. of the shooting
season, numbering only from 8 to 9). A week or
so after this, however, the November birds re-
appeared at Position B on the opposite side of the
dwelling house, where they remained. An in-
teresting fact in connection with the above is
that neither covey ever associated with the other
nor did they, to my knowledge, ever poach on
each other’s preserves.
The road leading from my house to the main
road seemed the boundary line between the two
positions. On either side of this road are thick
groups of young firs and in these trees both coveys
roosted but each covey on its own side of the road.
I was constantly putting the birds up and it was
fairly easy to recognize them, owing to their num-
bers, but I do not remember on any single occasion
putting up the larger covey on Position B side of
the road nor the smaller on Position A side from
early January to the last week in February, when
the bands arrived but the birds had scattered.
The manner of roosting of these birds was. easily
observed, as the trees are only some 15 or 20
yards from the front of my house. These birds
‘had been allowed to feed under the traps without
being molested in any way during this time so it
is natural that they would stick to these separate
feeding grounds. Under such conditions we can-
not therefore say that the above notes show what
Quail may do under other or more natural con-
ditions, but they may at least prove a guide to
future observations along this line.
An experiment to the results of which I do not
attach much importance was a speed test with
these birds. I could catch very few birds just at
the time I wanted them, but tried 7 birds over a
55-yard course, using a stop watchgiving 1-5 secs.
The results gave an average with two birds of
25 miles an hour, but they glided perhaps 1-3 of
the course. To test the rate of gliding, one bird
was thrown lightly forward, it glided the entire
course from this send off, crossing at the rate of
221 miles per hour. Owing to having little cleared
land, the distance was too short; it should be
about 110 yards, I should say, for a fair trial with
this species, but the course must be measured
accurately (aerial measure) and a stop watch
giving 1-5 secs. is essential. Birds should be
headed in the direction of their daily “‘stamping
grounds” or they will swerve or break back, and
the finishing line must be well back from the
bushes or any other likely landing or the birds
will apply the brakes before crossing the line.
Four out of my seven birds were disqualified for
12 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
swerving or checking the flight or breaking back
before I discovered and corrected my mistakes.
STELLER’S JAY
This species proved the most interesting, re-
peating steadily. It was always easy to tell an
unbanded bird from a repeat when in the trap as
the unbanded birds kept springing up and down
until, when finally driven into the collecting box,
they would reel and fall upon their sides. A
“repeat” seldom, if ever, did this, but merely ran
back and forth in the trap. I found these birds
the quietest of all to handle and the most interest-
ing to study. Two out of some twenty banded
last winter nested close by. I fancy both were
males. The young of the two families were also
banded. Their domestic affairs proved interest-
ing, but would make too long a story here, as
would also the notes on the variation in plumage
of this species. All Jays deserted the traps during
December, 1923, for the depths of the woods, a
cedar grove about a mile away, but after this very
wet month was over and drier but colder weather
took the place of the heavy rains, they returned,
remaining until March Ist, when, with other
birds, the majority moved off.
OREGON TOWHEE
Towhees proved to be great “‘scrappers’ and
never failed to bite, squeal, and in some cases,
even before being touched, lie upon their backs
like a Hawk and squeal with rage. They were
‘Vou. XXXIX
also quick to find an opening and would slip:
through the smallest hole in quick time if given
the chance. They were hardly sky but extremely —
cunning, visiting the traps just at daybreak or at. —
night when it was almost too dark for me to see
them at thirty yards distance. When nesting, the —
males were hard to catch but the females would
repeat fairly regularly. The young birds are
easily caught and repeat freely and the change of
plumage and eye-colour makes an interesting study
in birds so easily taken.
OREGON JUNCOS
Although these birds were plentiful in autumn ~
it was not until January ,1924, that they came to — ?
the traps in any numbers, but from then on until
March 1st ninety-eight were banded. In this
species the difference in plumage of the several
flocks was also especially noted, as was also the
fact that these different flocks seldom associated
until the last week before leaving for the nesting
sites. :
Contrary to the experiences of most banders, I
find the summer months, commencing about June
1st, to be the best time of year for trapping seed
eaters, although February by a very small margin
was actually my best month. I have used whole
wheat and cracked corn only, through the summer _
~ months, as proving the most attractive bait to the
birds in my area.
AN EXPLORATION INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS NORTH AND EAST OF s
GREAT SLAVE LAKE, INCLUDING THE SOURCE OF THE one
COPPERMINE RIVER
By G. H. BLANCHET, F.R.G.S.
of the Topographical Survey of Canada
(Continued from page 187, Vol. XX XVIII, December, 1924)
THE INTERIOR WATERWAYS.
Pike’s Portage route brings you to Artillery
Lake, the start of a connected series of large lakes.
These waterways occupy a strategic position in
giving access to a stretch of country appealing to
the imagination in its vastness and from the mists
of obscurity that veil much of it. The three great
rivers of the north, Coppermine, Back’s and
Thelon, with over a thousand miles of intercepted
seacoast, may be reached by short portages over
the height of land, and by them bases may be
established at advanced points from which the
great unknown country off the waterways may be
explored.
The lake series comprises five large lakes, con-
nected by narrows or rivers, remarkable from the
fact that in their total length of three hundred
miles there are only two stretches where nagiva-
tion is interrupted and also, in that, by their
situation, lying in a great arc, they nearly close a
circle with Great Slave Lake. By them, one
leaves the rough country of the border of the
plateau, passes beyond the forests far into the
nocthern plains, then, swinging to the southwest,
returns to the woods. ;
In travelling these waters one can observe
thoroughly the conditions existing at the edge of
the forests and one phase of the so-called Barren
Lands—the country of the height of land. One
finds himself constantly correcting early impres-
sions and forced to disconnect accidental con-
ditions of living from actual conditions of the
country itself. The following remarks on the
waterways and the country including them are ©
1 a ale
Wig US A *
te Phy Nr Nene
7a
3
yy en Sa
‘,
ee)
et
southwest and southeast.
_
mn S ae. + Pe ee ;
based on observations made in the course of a
=: - survey and exploration during the past season
— (1924).
Proceeding up Artillery Lake we soon passed
a . the edge of the straggling forests and entered
“Barren Land” conditions. Should the traveller
be anticipating an increasing ruggedness and
pbleakness, as the name suggests, he would find
himself much mistaken, for the rough topography,
-__- associated with the bordering zone of the plateau,
gradually subsides to long low hills and wide, flat
valleys, rock exposures become increasingly rare,
and the boulders which, in the rocky border of
the plateau, lies cattered in every direction, com-
pletely exposed and in the situation in which the
~ ice deposited them, become more and more im-
_ bedded in the drift. The trees disappear, it is
true, but a healthy growth of shrubbery, moss
and grass replaces them. One passes from rocky
broken hills with scattered and stunted trees to
open rolling plains covered with a fairly abundant
vegetation, though of a restricted type.
Artillery Lake occupies a well defined valley
and is of simple shape, consequently it has been
fairly accurately mapped from the earliest times
and it offers little difficulty for travel.
miles up the lake on the south side a lofty dolomite
hill, with a sheer water face, and a high isolated
drift hill at the end of a long low point across the
lake have been connected with the supernatural by
Indian legend. The former is known as the
Beaver Lodge and the latter as the Rat Lodge,
and the natives still dread the place, believing
that the spirits of the dead monsters still control
the winds and waves here and must be propitiated
by the gift of some article of value to the lake.
Near the north end of the lake a sandy plain of
considerable width stretches across the country in
an east and west direction, by which, according to
Indian reports, one may travel westerly to Fort
_ Rae on Great Slave Lake and to the east to Thelon
River. There is a slight revival of the forests in
this sandy country in clumps of very stunted
Ses pruce..
On leaving Artillery Lake, a stretch of 12 miles
of lake-like expansions, connected by narrows with
swift water or rapids, brings you to Casba, or
Ptarmigan Lake. Disconnected areas of sand,
wind-blown into hills and buttes, are features of
3 _\ this part of the country. Casba Lake lies in a
shallow depression spreading to deep bays to the
The latter approaches
very nearly to waters draining, by Hanbury and
_ Thelon Rivers, to Hudson Bay; in fact, at two
‘points low morainic ridges have been accidents of
_ topography diverting the waters of the upper lakes
: to Great Slave Lake and the Arctic instead of to -
Hudson Bay. A bold range of hills, largely ex-
Some 20 -
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 13
posed granite, closes the north end of the lake,
with a narrow channel passing around its east
end, giving access to Clinton-Colden Lake. |
To this point the lakes have been fairly free
-from islands and of regular shape, and, with Back’s
map, corrected by Tyrrell’s survey of 1900, there
has been comparatively little difficulty in travel.
Tyrrell’s course left this route for Hanbury and
Thelon Rivers from the south-east bay of Clinton-
Colden Lake, and Back’s track from here furnishes
only the roughest sketches of the lakes. More-
over, the topography of the country in which
Clinton-Colden and Aylmer Lakes lie is entirely
lacking i in continuity; the hills are irregular, both
in disposition and in extent, and the intervening
water-filled valleys, which unite to form the lakes,
present a bewildering succession of bays and
channels and islands and headlands with little to
distinguish one from the other. Little may be
taken from Back’s map except the approximate
distance and direction from one another of the
three points at which his track touched known
mainland, the entrance to Clinton-Colden Lake,
the narrows of Tha-na-koei joining it to Aylmer
Lake, and the northern extremity of this lake,
from which the portage is made to Back’s River.
Stewart and Anderson, in 1855, travelling from
Great Slave Lake to the coast, searching for the
lost Franklin expedition, entered. Aylmer Lake
from the west by a portage route from Great Slave
Lake to Outram River and by it to Aylmer Lake.
Their record did little more than establish the
existence of Outram River.
About these points, fixed in position with some
accuracy, the map of Aylmer and Clinton-Colden
Lakes was built up. It was bound to be in-
accurate on account of the difficult topography,
and also from Back’s tendency to overestimate
distances not checked by observation. Actually
the map of the lakes was almost useless for travel,
and it was necessary to resort to the expedient ee
examining each bay for the outlet.
In proceeding northwesterly the country changes
from an undulating plain to one of a more rolling
character, which may be compared to the condi-
tion of the waves of the sea after a storm—short
and rounded hills stretching in an endless succes-
sion to the horizon. One’s view from a hill top is
usually of several repetitions of the hill he is on,
with the bays of the lake continued in the valleys
in disconnected small lakes. The impression of
vastness, which the constant repetition of a familiar
type produces, is at times almost overpowering as
the mind carries on beyond the visible horizon
with nothing to fix a limit to its range.
After leaving Aylmer Lake, we had not proceed-
ed far up Outram River when we passed the point
at which Stewart and Anderson had entered it.
14
Ahead lay a country mapped largely by tradition.
The Indians with Back had given him a sketch of
a large lake to the west. Its existence was proved
fifty years later, when Warburton Pike, in the
course of a private expedition from Great Slave
Lake to the musk-ox country, crossed this lake,
which he named Lake MacKay. He also made a
sketch map of the country to the north, including
the headwaters of Coppermine River, until then
unknown. Although these features were accepted
and shown on the maps, they were unsupported
by observation. Moreover, it did not appear
reasonable that Coppermine River could rise close
to the Arctic, as it has been shown, and the form
given to the lakes, great open bodies of water, is
hardly to be expected in the country of the height
‘of land. It was, therefore, with keen interest that
these unknown waters were entered and each new
view included possible discoveries. The Indians
had reported that there were no rapids between
Aylmer Lake and Lake MacKay, and also that no
~ eanoe route existed by which the Coppermine
could be reached. We had scarcely left the last
recognizable point of Stewart and Anderson when
we opened up a view of a heavy rapid. Above it
the parallel lines of high, rocky hills, with a well
defined valley between them, suggested a large
lake, and the waters entered on approaching them
justified this expectation. It was assumed that
this was Lake MacKay and that consequently
Outram River was comparatively short. Acting
on this assumption, it was decided to attempt to
reach the Coppermine from this point, striking
out in a northwesterly direction as far as possible.
A short exploration to the north showed the coun-
try to be well supplied with small lakes for some
distance, while the northern horizon was closed by
a blue range of hills, broken at one point by a
decided notch. Outfit was cut down to a small
canoe, a silk tent and pole, a rifle and ammunition,
tea, sugar, and salt and several roasting sticks.
We were prepared to make long portages and to
live off the country.
We travelled more by the hills than by the
country immediately before us, and usually had a
problematic range closing our horizon. Later on,
after reaching the Coppermine, we found ourselves
repeatedly blocked to the north by a persistent
range of hills that forms the northern boundary
of its watershed, but in the earlier part of the trip
we were fortunate in finding a good water route.
In fact, as we afterwards found, we had by chance
hit the only route practicable for summer travel
with an outfit. However, this was not at once
apparent. Again and again the hills appeared to
close off the north and west, but each time a break
would open up by which we passed from the head-
waters of one stream to that of another. The
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
streams were small but the lakes in which they
took their rise were numerous and of fair size.
Our first chain of lakes brought us to the notch in
the hills; these drain to Outram River.
portage led to some irregular water draining
easterly to Aylmer Lake, and another divide,
crossed by a chain of small lakes, opened into a
large lake of very irregular form with high rocky
country to the south, while to the north were
sandy areas, hills and ridges. This was assumed
to be the Lac de Gras of the map. The various ~
features appeared to be represented—to the east
it was joined, by some rapids, which we could
hear but did not investigate, to another lake
supposed to be Lac du Savage, and the east bay
opened out to an expansion with a large northerly
bay and with a further extension to the west. ©
To establish the identity of the lake we set out
confidently to its southwest corner where the
Coppermine should flow out. After several days
of disappointing searching, when each bay closed
or received a small stream, we were forced to the
conclusion, later verified, that the rapids noted at
the east end carried the water out of instead of
into the lake, and that the lake was one of which
no record existed. From its situation it appears
most reasonable that this is the main headwaters
of Back’s River, and that it joins the Sussex Lake
branch by Icy River.
We had observed a lake or a series of lakes to
the westward from a high hill, and now proceeded
to investigate it. A portage of eight miles, using
some small lakes, brought us to the easterly
extremity of these new waters, and it was again
necessary to work our way westward by the
southerly shore. After clearing some complicated
bays we opened up an extensive view to the west-
ward with a water horizon. As we proceeded a
= (Vor: SCX Ler
A short —
slow swing of the coast kept revealing new distant —
views with the lake stretching beyond the horizon.
Finally, as we approached the west end, the high
rugged country which composed it closed in with
no apparent break, and it was only when examin-
ing the last possible bay that the distant roar of
heavy water led us to an unexpected break in the
hills, of a gorge-like nature, through which a
heavy discharge of water broke in a series of
rapids. ~
In addition to this being the successful con-
clusion of a long and difficult trip, featured by
many disappointments, the scene was one of con-—
siderable natural charm. The great open stretch
of the lake discharged tumultuously through the
barrier ridge into a pleasant open valley, with the
harshness of the enclosing hills softened by the
blue haze of distance.
valley flowed the Coppermine, inseparably con-
nected with the story of the exploration of the
Winding through the .
X
(aan
Or
~s
x
—.
3
rs
af
.
“¥F
ar,
‘ t
=
a.
x
~
ee =
January, 1925]
_ white man.
- Coppermine at Lake Providence.
North. Animation was given to the scene by the
~_eonstant and rather aimless travel of band after
band of caribou, crossing and recrossing the river,
_ feeding in the valley, and disappearing over the
hills.. Perhaps the view afforded unusual gratifica-
tion in being the one considerable feature of the
- Coppermine—its discharge from its headwaters
lake—that had never before been viewed by a
We built a cairn on a commanding
rocky hill and left a record in it. There is a gap
of perhaps thirty miles between this poiat and
Franklin’s farthest upstream exploration of the
Time did not
permit of an investigation of this stretch, as we
proposed on the return to attempt to work our
way to the north or northeast into the musk-ox
country.
_ Returning by the north shore, each stream and
connected water was examined, to complete the
_ exploration of the Coppermine headwaters and in
order to find a route to the north if such existed..
All the features of the map of this coast, the north
bay, Lake Paul, Lac du Savage and the stream
flowing into it (considered to be the Upper Copper-
mine), proved to have been much exaggerated,
and a high rough range enclosing the lake on the
north precluded the possibility of a water route in
this direction. A return was therefore made to
- Outram River and the exploration continued west-
ward to Lake MacKay.
FicurE 4— COPPERMINE RIVER NEAR THE POINT OF DISCHARGE
FROM LAC DE GRAS
The series of rapids here are favorite crossing places for the caribou. They
think nothing of entering the roughest water.
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST - 15
We-had not proceeded far from the point from
which the Coppermine route branches off when the
hills closed in, and we were confronted by a formid-
able cascade with over fifty feet of a fall, which -
disproved our assumed Lake MacKay. Above
the cascade the hills fell away on either side, and
the country has the appearance of a series of
shallow ridges. Through this plain the river
meanders, here deflected by the ridges and else-
where enclosed by them to form shallow lakes of
irregular shape with rapids where they discharge.
The trip upstream was tedious, with the succession
of riffles and rapids, up which the canoe had to be
hauled or poled, and the lack of any commanding
“hills made it impossible to judge the country ahead.
Finally, after skirting the border of some high
rocky country, we ascended by a heavy boulder
rapid and the river opened out. into a broad ex-
panse with a water horizon, which proved to be
Lake MacKay. We had climbed nearly 200 feet
above Aylmer Lake. To the north Lac de Gras
lay 100 feet below this level, while to the south
and west Great Slave Lake was at 900 feet lower
elevation. No hills of any prominence were
within range of us, though we later found the
southwest end of the lake enclosed by rugged
country somewhat similar to that at the south
end of Artillery Lake. MacKay Lake apparently
occupies a flat tableland at the extreme summit
level of this part of the country, with nothing
eo ss
16
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
FicuRE 5.—THE TRIP TO LAC DE GRAS, <
the headwaters of Coppermine River, included over 50 miles of small lakes
and the intervening portages.
eonstraining it to discharge in any particular
direction, so that it spilled in an uncertain manner
across the low morainic plain already described.
The exploration of Lake MacKay revealed it to
be considerably misplaced on the map, on which
its size has been greatly exaggerated. It lies
parallel to Artillery Lake, and is similar in charac-
ter to it in the nature of the lake itself and of the
country in which it lies. In the rugged country
of its south end the edge of the forest is again _
reached. As all the country travelled between the —
last woods of Artillery Lake and this point was.
destitute of trees, where fuel was limited to small
appreciated how great a pleasure it was to see the a
mii oe :
at
willows and a certain variety of moss, it may be
trees again and to have the benefit of their shelter oy
and the comfort of a cheerful fire.
(Continued in the February issue)
THE BIRDS OF OTTAWA—ADDENDA TO OCTOBER 2, 1924
By HOYES LLOYD
INCE the publication of The Birds of
Ottawa, 1923, which paper was revised to
March 20, 1923, a number of items relat-
ing to the birds of the district have come
to my attention in various ways. These addenda
to the 1923 list do not include reference to articles
published since that list which deal with the
birds of the district, because those interested may
consult these articles in recent numbers of our
publication.
1. Moris bassana. GANNET.—On November 21,
1923, Mr. C. H. Young saw, flying over the city,
a Gannet which, to judge from its dull gray
1. C.F. N. XXXVII, eee pp. 101-105, 125-127, 151-156,
XXXVIII, 1924, pp. 10-1
colour, was a juvenile. |
with the bird in life.
1923 Messrs. N. H. H. Lett and J. A. Armstrong
reported a strange bird to G. R. White and me.
They described it as being of the size of a Goose, .
and stated that it had been observed near Cum-
mings Island in the Rideau River. The descrip-
tions did not identify it, but it is quite possible
that it was this Gannet or another. It is signi-
ficant that about a week after this account of the —
strange bird in the Rideau was heard, Mr. E. G.
White was informed that a Gannet had been shot
at Rideau Lake, Ontario. .
2. Phleotomus pileatus abieticola. NORTHERN
PILEATED WOODPECKER.—Perhaps as the result of
He is thoroughly familiar
Some time in the fall of ©
better protection, this striking bird of the forests
____ is again being found near the city. I located one
a few miles back of Hull, Quebec, on November 12,
1923, and Mr. D. Blakely found one at the Rifle
Ranges, Rockcliffe, on October 2, 1924.
3. Melanerpes erythrocephalus. | RED-HEADED
WooDPECKER.—I am indebted to Miss Edith
-__ Morrow, of Montreal, for a definite breeding date
/ of this species. From her account it appears that
one was feeding young in the nest at Rockcliffe in
June, 1920.
ea 4. Sturnus vulgaris. STARLING.—Mr. Rodney
-~ ©. Wood believes that he saw one alight on the
fence of the railway near South Indian, Russell
County, Ontario, while he was travelling by train,
January 8, 1924. At the time there was snow
Ss on the ground and a heavy snow storm was rag-
ing. Two days later, January 5th, Philip Foran
and I saw two Starlings flying eastward, down the
_ Ottawa, when we were snow-shoeing near the Rifle
Ranges, just below Rockcliffe. Each fall for some
years there has been a roost of Grackles, Red-
winged Blackbirds, and Cowbirds near the village
of Britannia, although this year it seems to be
_~ across the Deschenes Rapids in Quebec. On
a several occasions late in August, 1924, I watched
the birds flying to the roost, and while suspicious
of the identity of some small groups among the
masses, did not definitely suspect that these were
Starlings until August 30th. Determining to solve
_ the question for certain, I set out for Britannia on
the evening of September 5th. The sun was
setting when the first important companies began
to arrive, circle hesitatingly about the old-time
roost, swing low over the field near the river, and
then cross the Ottawa. A quarter of a mile away
a flock of a thousand birds, more or less, gathered
in some corn. From this assembly about five
hundred birds, all alike, broke away and passed
to the roost. I thought them Cowbirds, but the
3
Ee:
____ light was poor, and they flew close to the ground. |
_._ Another flock passed, and when the third came
near me a shot brought down three Starlings.
Probably this last flock of two hundred birds
; consisted entirely of Starlings, and it is quite
____ possible that the entire group from the corn were
; - Starlings. Presumably the-Starling then has a
:
a >
:
‘
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 17
strong hold in this vicinity already, although it is
just over two years since the first example was
noticed. Incidentally, it is thought that these
are the first specimens of the species to be taken
at Ottawa.
E. G. White tells me that there were at least
one hundred Starlings at the duck marsh, Locha-
ber, Quebec, on September 20th.
5. Spizella pusilla pusilla. FInRLD SPARROW.—
While the recorded occurrences of the species in
our district in summer offer presumptive evidence
of its breeding, it was not till the past summer that
more definite testimony was secured, so far as the
records show. On September 1, 1924 I collected
a juvenile Field Sparrow at Constance Lake,
Ontario, 14 miles west of the city. Both the
plumage and the action of the bird make me think
that it was taken at the place where the nesting
- occurred, although the bird could fly, and perhaps
this last assumption is not absolutely warranted
by. the facts.
6. Pipilo erythrophthalmus erythrophthalmus.
TOWHEE.—On May 10, 1918, Mr. J. Philip Bill,
with his wife, and Dr. E. Gordon Bill, saw a
female Towhee near his residence, at that time 90
James Street, Ottawa. Dr. Bill was familiar with
the species from observations madé elswhere.
7. Dendroica coronata. MYRTLE WARBLER.—In
the course of a Christmas bird census walk, on
December 22, 1923, Mr. Harrison F. Lewis found
a Myrtle Warbler in a grove of red pines near
Wychwood, some seven miles west of Hull, Que-
bee. The bird was in the company of a flock of
Chickadees. Identification is based upon careful
observation with X6 binoculars, and the charac-
teristic chip note was heard. This is the first
occurrence of the species in the Ottawa district in
winter.
8. Dendroica vigorsit. PINE WARBLER.—At an
excursion to Fairy Lake, near Hull, Quebec, on
May 19, 1923, this species was found in song, and
on July 15th of that year a specimen was taken.
This tends to confirm the belief that the Pine
Warbler is a rare summer resident. I found the
species again in the same general locality on May
18, 1924, and on the 21st Mr. P. A. Taverner
secured a specimen there for the National Museum.
18
THe CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
OFFICIAL CANADIAN RECORD OF BIRD-BANDING RETURNS*
(Continued from page 191, Vol. XX XVIII, December, 1924)
MALLARD, No. 205,656, female, banded by
Le Vie Walton, at Cuivre Island, Missouri, on
March 9, 1923, was shot at a place forty miles
north-east of Winnipeg, WU, on September
15, 1923:
MALLARD, No. 205, 678, female, banded by
NE Walton, at Cuivre Island, Missouri, on
March 9, 1923, was shot at Smooth Stone Lake,
Saskatchewan, aie 65, R. 6, W. 3rd M., during
the spring of 1923.
MALLARD, No. 205,703, banded by Jos.
Pulitzer, at Cuivre Island, Missouri, on March
10, 1923, was shot at Kelliher, Saskatchewan, on
November 1, 1928.
MALLARD, No. 102,183, banded by Allen
Green, at Oakville, Iowa, on March 18, 19238, was
shot near Moline, Manitoba, on November 6,
1923.
MALLARD, No. 205,802, female, banded by
Jos. Pulitzer, at Cuivre Island, Missouri, on
March 19, 1923, was killed at Lampman, Saskat-
chewan, on November 4, 1923.
MALLARD, No. 203,642, male, banded by
John Broeker, at Portage des Sioux, Missouri, on
March 21, 1923, was taken in a muskrat trap, at
Kirby, Saskatchewan, N.W. 4 of Sec. 28,-Tp. 39,
Rge. 15, W. of 2nd M. , on April 28, 1924.
MALLARD, No. 205, 890, banded by L. V.
Walton, at Cuivre Island, Missouri, on March 22,
foes. was shot at Long Lake, Alberta, on May 6,
MALLARD, No. 2038, 659, female, banded by
John Broeker, ‘at Portage des Sioux, ‘Missouri, on
March 23, 1923, was killed at a place about two
hundred miles north of The Pas, Manitoba, on
the Churchill River, on May 5, 1923..
MALLARD, No. 205,921, "panded sony iby AG
Walton, at Cuivre Island, Missouri, on March 23,
1923, was shot at Indian Head, Saskatchewan,
shortly before November 8, 1923.
MALLARD, No. 208,683, banded by John
Broeker, at Portage des Sioux, Missouri, on March
24, 1923, was killed at Fish River, Saskatchewan,
on May alg: 1923.
MALLARD, No. 208,738, banded by Jos.
Pulitzer, at Portage des Sioux, "Missouri, on March
30, 1923, was shot at Chauvin, Alberta, on Octo-
ber 25, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 200,284, banded by L. V.
Walton, at Cuivre Island, ‘Missouri, on January
10, 1923, was killed in the vicinity of Ogoki Post
of Hudson’s Bay Company which is on Ogoki
payed a tributary of the Albany River, on May 4,
BLACK DUCK, No. 101,811, banded by A. A.
Allen, at Ithaca, New York, on ‘January 19, 1928,
was taken at a ‘place sixteen miles east of Parry
Sound, Georgian Bay, Ontario, on April 28, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 203,310, banded by Jos.
Pulitzer, at Portage des Sioux, Missouri, on Jan-
uary 22, 1923, was shot near the mouth of the
Michipicoten River, one hundred and twenty miles
nora of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, on May 8,
*Published by authority of the Canadian National Parks
Branch, Department Of the Interior, Canada.
BLACK DUCK, No. 101,841, banded by D.
Beyea, at Union Springs, New York, on February
1, 1923, was shot at Mud Lake, twenty-five moe
north-west of Kingston, Ontario, on October 5,
BLACK DUCK, No. 204,220, parca by Doug-
las H. Beyea, at Union Springs, New York, on
March 9, 1923, was killed in a mink trap at South
River, Ontario, on April 15, 1924.
BLUE-WINGED TEAL, No. 232,575, banded
by John Broeker, at Portage des Sioux, Missouri,
on April 18, 1923, was killed at Partridge Crop
Lake, Saskatchewan, on May 22, 19238.
BLUE-WINGED TEAL, No. 232,632, banded
by John Broeker, at Portage des Sioux, Missouri,
on April 26, 1923, was shot at Niverville, Man-
toba, twenty miles south of Winnipeg, about
October 1, 19238.
BLUE-WINGED TEAL, No. 210,958, adult,
male, banded by Herman Battersby, at Oak Lake,
Manitoba, on May 29, 1923, was shot on a river
four miles south of Adams, Kansas, on November
10, 1923.
BLUE-WINGED TEAL, No. 232, ats handed 4
by Paul E. Page, at Lac Ste. Anne, Alberta, on
July 21, 1923, was re-caught in the same trap on “aa
July 29, 1923, and was shot at Ellingson, South
Dakota, on October 9, 19238.
‘PINTAIL, No. 101,858, female, banded by L.
V. Walton, at Cuivre Island, Missouri, on January
14, 1923, was killed at Churchill Post of the -
Hudson’s Bay Company, Manitoba, on July 15,
1923.
CANVAS-BACK DUCK, No. 211,119, fledge-
ling, banded by Adolf L. Holm, at Otto, Manitoba,
[Vou. XX XIX
on July 20, 1923, was shot at ‘Canterbury, Mani-
toba, at the south-east end of Lake Winnipeg, on
October 18, 1923.
GREATER SCAUP DUCK, No. 204,277,
banded by A. A. Allen, at Cayuga Lake, ‘New
York, on March 6, 1923, was killed on the St.
Lawrence River, twenty-five miles above Ogdens-
burg, in Canadian waters, during the month of
April, 1924.
GREATER SCAUP DUCK, No. 204,248,
banded by D. H. Beyea, at Union Springs, New
York, on March 15, 1923, was shot in the Province
of Ontario, near the Quebec boundary, on the St.
- Lawrence River, on September 29, 1923.
CANADA GOOSE, No. 282,045, banded by
Reuben Lloyd, at Last Mountain Lake, Saskat-
chewan, on July 30, 1923, was killed in the same
vicinity—no date given, but reported on October
30, 1923.
CANADA GOOSE, No. -232,085,
captivity by Reuben Lloyd, was banded and
released by him at Last Mountain Lake, Saskat-
chewan, on July 30, 1923, and died of injuries on
June’ 30, 1924, after being captured at Markham,
Texas.
AMERICAN BITTERN, No. 204,802, nestling,
banded by R. H. Carter, at Muscow, Saskat-
chewan, on July 1, 1923, was captured at Burr
Oak, Kansas, about September 14, 1923.
raised in.
7 -
r ~
ne January, 1925] s ~
__ BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, No.
_ «233,847 banded by W. F. Fogg, at Barnstable,
_ + Massachusetts, on June 16, 1923, was killed on
___ the north shore of the St. Lawrence River, within
Bae za ae ules of the City of Quebec, on September
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, No.
233,871, banded by L. B. Fletcher, at Barnstable,
Massachusetts, on: June 16, 1923, was found dead
on Amherst Island, Lake Ontario, on November
1, 1923. Apparently the bird had died shortly
before it was found. :
COOT, No. 210,951, adult female, banded by
_ May 26, 1923, was killed in Lake Jefferson County,
Minnesota, on October 26, 1923.
RED-TAILED HAWKE, No. 204,807, nestling,
banded by R. H. Carter, Jr., at Muscow, Saskat-
_ chewan, on July 1, 1923, was killed at Randall,
Iowa, on Octobe 31, 1923. :
NORTHERN FLICKER, No 110,921, banded
Ul
by R. H. Carter, Jr. at Muscow, Saskatchewan,
be on May 23, 1923, was killed near Terrill, Texas,
ie about October 20, 1923.
3 ~ CROW, No. 209,658, nestling, banded by Theed
ae Pearse, at Comox, Vancouver Island, British
Columbia, on June 17, 1923, was shot at Parks-
oe ville, British Columbia, on November 38, 1923.
ow CROW, No. 211,165, nestling, banded by R. H.
_ Carter, Jr., at Muscow, Saskatchewan, on June
24, 1923, was shot at Warner, South Dakota, on
ee April 18,1924. :
Bess CROW, No. 208,705, fledgeling, banded by
Adolf L. Holm, at Otto, Manitoba, on July 8,
_ . 1923, was caught in a wolf trap near Bronson,
Minnesota, on May 22, 1924.
CROW, No. 208,665, banded by Philip F. Foran,
at Banff, Alberta, on July 18, 1923, was picked up
dead in the same locality about August 5, 1923.
BRONZED GRACKLE, No. 108,966, adult
male, banded by Hoyes Lloyd, at 406 Queen Street,
Ottawa, Ontario, on April 29, 1923, was found
-_ injured at the corner of Laurier Avenue and Percy
Street, Ottawa, on September 11, 1923. The bird
afterwards died. __
__ BRONZED GRACKLE, No. 108,976, fledge-
__- ling, banded by Hoyes Lloyd, at Ottawa, Ontario,
~ on June 18, 1923, is believed to have been eaten
-_by a cat in the same vicinity shortly after it was
banded.
a BRONZED GRACKLE, No. 109,874, banded
by H.C. Arnold, at Davidson, Saskatchewan, on
_ ___ June 19, 1923, was found dead at a place six miles
oe of the banding station, on May 22,
924.
GRACKLE, -No. 109,878, banded by H. C.
~ Arnold, at Davidson, Saskatchewan, on June 19,
ve 1923, waskilled at a place one mile north of Orton-
_ ville, Minnesota, on May 24, 1924.
VESPER SPARROW, No. 43,682, banded by
_ &R. H. Carter, Jr., at Muscow, Saskatchewan, on
_ May 20, 1923, was badly injured by the trap and
—— Be found dead in the same locality on June 2,
Herman Battersby, at Oak Lake, Manitoba, on
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 19
CHIPPING SPARROW, No. 59,449, banded
by Wilfrid Scott, at Guelph, Ontario, on June Doe
1923, was found dead in the same locality, on
June 24, 1923.
SONG SPARROW, No. 44,541, banded by
Edward C. Knechtel, at Long Branch Park,
Ontario, on April 15, 1923, built its nest in a
vacant lot near the place where it was banded,
and was seen several times until June 14, 1923,
when its nest was found broken up. It is believed
that this bird and its young were eaten by a cat.
SONG SPARROW, No. 52,399, immature,
banded by Ralph E. DeLury, at Ottawa, Ontario,
on July 29, 1923, was re-caught in another trap at
the same station, on August 11, 1923, and, on
August 12, 1923, while it was repeating in another
trap at the same station, it was killed in the trap.
BARN SWALLOW, No. 36,588, adult; banded
by Adolf L. Holm, at Otto, Manitoba, on July 2,
1923, was found dead at Ashby, Minnesota, during
the latter part of May,- 1924.
CEDAR WAXWING, No. 78,376, nestling,
banded by R. H. Carter, Jr., at Muscow, Saskat-
chewan, on July 24, 1923, was found dead in the
nest in which it was banded, on July 29, 1923.
CEDAR WAXWING, No. 78,377, nestling,
banded by R. H. Carter, Jr., at Muscow, Saskat-
chewan, on July 24, 1923, was found dead in the
nest in which it was banded on July 29, 1923.
CEDAR WAXWING, No. 78,378, nestling,
banded by R. H. Carter, Jr., at Muscow, Saskat-
chewan, on July 24, 1923, was found dead in the
nest in which it was banded on July 29, 1923.
CEDAR WAXWING, No. 78,379, nestling,
banded by R. H. Carter, Jr., at Muscow, Saskat-
chewan, on July 24, 1923, was found dead in the
nest in which it was banded on July 29, 1923.
ROBIN, No. 16,114, juvenile, banded by Philip
F. Foran, at Ottawa, Ontario, on May 26, 1923,
was found dead at Hull, Quebec, on or about
August 10, 1923.
ROBIN, No. 16,115, nestling, banded by Philip
F. Foran, at Ottawa, Ontario, on May 26, 1923,
died in the same locality, on June 14, 1923.
ROBIN, No. 18,937, immature, banded by
Ralph E. DeLury, at 330 Fairmont Avenue,
Ottawa, Ontario, on June 12, 1923, was found
dead on Golden Street, Highland Park, Ottawa,
Ontario, during the month of May, 1924.
ROBIN, No. 71,831, banded by Philip F. Foran, —
at- Ottawa, Ontario, on June 14, 1928, was found
dead at the same station, on June 17, 1923.
ROBIN, No. 71,850, banded by Philip F. Foran,
at Banff Alberta, on July 28, 1923, was found dead
at a place fifty yards from where it was banded,
on July 31, 19238.
(Continued in February issue)
20 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
IN MEMORIAM ae
MONTAGUE CHAMBERLAIN
Died at Boston, Mass., December, 1924
‘A little while ago (The Canadian Field-Natur-
alist, XX XVII, 1923, p. 40) we had occasion to
call attention to Montague Chamberlain, one of
our distinguished predecessors in Canadian ornith-
ology. It is now our sad duty to record his final
passing.
Mr. Chamberlain was born in St. John, New
Brunswick, April 5, 1844, received his education
in the private schools of that city, and remained
in business there until 1887. In 1889 he was
appointed Assistant Secretary to the Harvard
Corporation, Cambridge, Mass., Later and until
1900 he was Secretary to the Lawrence Scientific
School. In 1907 he married Miss Anna Sartoris
Prout of Petersburg, Virginia, who died in 1913.
After this he turned back to his old New Bruns-
wick home for a while, but his last years were
spent in the Boston vicinity again, engaged in the
recreation of horticulture, especially in the cultiva-
tion of gladiolas.
Mr. Chamberlain was one of the leading ornith-
ologists of his earlier days. He became Corres-
ponding Member of the Nuttall Club in 1881 and
[Vou. XXXIX
a Resident Member in 1885. He was one of the
Founders of the American Ornithologists’ Union. —
He was also interested in Anthropology and in
1889 published a Maliseet Vocabulary and The
Penobscot Indians. In 1904 he established a li-
brary of over a thousand volumes for the Indians
at Old Town, Maine.
His ornithological publications relate mainly to
Canada. The Nuttall Bulletin and the early
numbers of The Auk contain many notes from his
pen. His major ornithological works are: A Cata-
logue of the Birds of New Brunswick, Bull. Nat.
Hist Soc. of N.B., 1882, A Catalogue of Canadian
Birds, 1887; Birds of Greenland, 1891; an edition
of Nuttall’s Manual that went through three
editions, 1891, 1896, and 1903; and a brief
account of Some Canadian Birds, 1895.
It is unfortunate for us that Mr. Chamberlain
did not continue his ornithological activity to the
end; we had much to expect from him. However,
he was one of the pioneers of Canadian ornithology
and it is owing largely to his work that many of
our paths are smooth and straight, as he and his
generation prepared the way for us as we are doing —
for those of the future.—P. A. T.
STATEMENT OF THE FINANCIAL STANDING OF THE OTTAWA FIELD-
NATURALISTS’ CLUB AT THE CLOSE OF THE YEAR 1923-1924
November 27, 1924
LIABILITIES
Ottawa Composition Co. Ltd.................0. $398.40
398.40
RECEIPTS
1 Jan., 1924—
Byeb alance on hander. sas sierra cies ie eens $26.10
MEMBERSHIP DUES—
(OST) Rena eect) MEMOS CuicEn ore oe cs cae ONES OD 682.12
LSA So Hit OF OG DoD OUD O ODOM OO An Goto 000.0 70.50
PATA VATICE efi cas 2 pave suooaay ae co Hake Se eon oe eee 30.00
Afiliated Societies: nicer cane shale chee eionene 60.40
Advertisements in magazine................ 105.01
Back Numbers and Volumes sold... ses 71.06
Reprints and Illustrations.......... ASS 172.84
Grant from Government of Ontario.......... 200.00
PV ONATIONG tee nevsy cts. B selene stabs oiarelenene wien Cae iti eae 201.05
Interestion, Bond.) 7. vine eck oi diken ceptors 13.75
Province of Saskatchewan (for Special Edition) 350.00
$2033.53
OTTAWA FIELD-NATURALISTS’ CLUB,
B. A. FAUVEL,
Treasurer
ASSETS
Cashsonvhand soe. Ses tersoce coo ace ee $9.98
Unpaid Membership Dues, 1928....,............ 16.50
Unpaid Membership Dues, 1924................. 76.50
Bills; Receivables. 2256 eke acces sce ese - 288.88
Dehetre sists espe cies Lists aoe ea eiece Aa ps teeta 6.54
$398.40
DISBURSEMENTS ;
To Ottawa Composition Co. Ltd................ $1188.20
Ottawa Composition Co. Ltd., Reprints...... 90.53
Ottawa Composition Co. Ltd., Illustrations... 188.90
Job Printing and Stationery, etc............. fo 57.37
Postage so Faen cge ie oe lo alone ae a ERO °. 38.65
Exchange ote cate ne tie cee abana ee on eee 9.90
Editors’ Honoraria, 1921 and 1924........... 100.00
Ottawa Composition Co. Ltd. (for Special
Edition, Saskatchewan).................. 50.00
Balance iba dese hate ee ea eee 9.98
$2088.53
Audited and found correct, December 27, 1924.
A. E. BATEMAN.
Gash on hand, Dee. 31, 1923... $497.51
; Received from R. B. Whyte Est.
Seer interest.on Bond 2-222. .f. 2...
Purchase of Victory Bond, 1934
BestOkeragess oc el:
_ Interest on Bond from May Ist
Ottawa, Ontario.
_ Aleutian Sandpiper, 3;
STATEMENT TRUST FUNDS COMMITTEE
tures |
100.00
Interest from Bank...........
rSl0S 5020s: $517.50
1.25
pA Conde eek 8.44
Receipts Haxpendi- .
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 21
Receipts Hxpendi-
tures
Interest payment to general
club funds, 1923-24....... 13.75.
Interest payment to general
club funds, 1924-25....... 10.45
Cash in Bank, Jan. 9, 1925. ... 70.32.
$621.71 $621.71
W. T. MAcown, Chairman
Audited and found correct,
A. EK. BATEMAN
NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS
Subscriptions for 1925 are now due; by pay-
ing promptly you will aid greatly in the efficient
publishing of the magazine. The subscription for
the year is $1.50; payment should be made to the
Treasurer, Mr. B. A. Fauvel, 321 McLeod St.,
If paying by personal cheque,
please include exchange.
CHRISTMAS BIRD CENSUSES, 1924
VICTORIA DISTRICT, BRITISH COLUMBIA—
(Date?—Ed.).—42 miles by automobile, 6 miles
on foot. District covered—Shoal Bay, Oak Bay,
Cedar Hill, Colquitz Creek, Beaver Lake, Portage
Inlet, Victoria Harbour. Weather clear and
frosty, bright sunshine and light north breeze all
day. There has been hard frost since December
16, but no snow has fallen. All lakes, winter
ponds, and sheltered portions of salt-water inlets
are frozen.
Such common species of landbirds as Brewer’s
Blackbird, Red-winged Blackbird and Screech
Owl were not encountered, although these had
been seen during the preceding week. All the
_water-birds listed, with the exception of Wilson’s
Snipe, were found on the Victoria Harbour Bird
Sanctuary.
Western Grebe, 1; Holboell’s Grebe, 1; Horned
; Grebe, 13; Pied-billed Grebe, 2; Pacific Loon, 1;
Glaucous-winged Gull, 365; Herring Gull, 1;
Short-billed Gull, 240; Brandt’s Cormorant, 2;
Pelagic Cormorant, 6; Red-breasted Merganser,
6; Mallard, 1; Baldpate, 18; Pintail, 2; Canvas-
- back, 150; Scaup Duck, 540; Golden-eye, 50;
Buffle-head, 36; Harlequin Duck, 6; White-
winged Scoter, 25; Surf Scoter, 50; Northwestern
Coast Heron, 1; Coot, 40; Wilson’s Snipe, 2;
Red-backed Sandpiper,
40; Ruddy Turnstone, 1; Black Turnstone, 16;
_ California Quail, 47; Chinese Pheasant, 6; Sharp-
shinned Hawk, 1; Belted Kingfisher, 2; Harris’s
Woodpecker, 1; Gairdner’s Woodpecker, 4; Red-
shafted Flicker, 3; Steller’s Jay, 10; Northwestern
_ Crow, 9; Western Meadowlark, 16; Oregon
Junco, 21; Rusty Song Sparrow, 44; Fox Spar-
row, 7; Oregon Towhee, 5; Anthony’s Vireo, 2;
Seattle Wren, 3; Western Winter Wren, 7; Red-
breasted Nuthatch, 2; Chestnut-backed Chick-
adee, 13; Western Golden-crowned Kinglet, 29;
Western Robin, 1; Varied Thrush, 8. Total,
50 species, 1850 individuals.—J. A. MUNRO.
LAKE COWICHAN, V.I., B.C., DECEMBER 24,
1924.—Tenth day of an abnormal cold period.
High easterly winds most of the time. Fewer
birds seen than in former years at the same time.
Food supply poor; berry crops and coniferous
seed crop both a failure in 1924. In the following
list the approximate numbers sighted are given.
Western Grebe, 2; Horned Grebe, 5; Pied-
billed Grebe, 8; Loon, 2; Marbled Murrelet, 8;
Glaucous-winged Gull, 25; Merganser, 5; Mal-
lard, 3; Scaup Duck, 10; Ring-necked Duck, 8;
Golden-eye, 50; Buffie-head, 20; Surf Scoter, 5;
Northwestern Coast Heron, 1; Coot, 30; Oregon
Ruffed Grouse, 2; Ring-necked Pheasant, 8;
Sharp-shinned Hawk, 1; Bald Eagle, 2; Pygmy
Owl, 2; Belted Kingfisher, 2; Steller’s Jay, 12;
Oregon Jay, 8; Oregon Junco, 10; Rusty Song
Sparrow, 8; Oregon Towhee, 2; Dipper, 1;
Chestnut-backed Chickadee, 50; Western Golden-
crowned Kinglet, 20; Varied Thrush, 10. Total,
30 species, 820 individuals —G. BUCHANAN SIMP-
SON.
CoMox VALLEY, VANCOUVER ISLAND, B.C.,
DECEMBER 24, 1924, 9.45 a.m. to 4.80 p.m. (with
break 2 to 2.30).—From Courtenay to Comox
(along river one mile, seashore 3 miles to Comox,
inland and round to seashore and back same way
3 miles). Seven miles, on foot. Bright sun all
day, no wind, freezing in shade all day. Obser-
vers together.
Holboell’s Grebe, 1; Horned Grebe, 12+;
Loon, 9; Pacific Loon, heard; Red-throated Loon,
2; Marbled Murrelet,.5; Glaucous-winged Gull,
1350+; Short-billed Gull, 14; Cormorant (Vio-
/
22 | _ THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST [Vou KXXIX — =
let-Green?), 2; American Merganser, 2;
Red-breasted Merganser, 4; Mallard, 450+;
Baldpate, 420; Pintail, 2; Scaup, 1200+; Ameri-
can Golden-eye, 250+; Buffle-head, 50+; Ameri-
can Scoter, 29+; White-winged Scoter, 200+;
Surf Scoter, 200+; Black Brant, 6; Heron, 5;
Coot, 15; Snipe, 2; Red-backed Sandpiper, 2;
Killdeer, 8; Chinese Pheasant, 18; Goshawk, 1;
Hawk (most likely dark phase of Red-tail, other-
wise Rough-leg), 1; Peregrine Falcon, 1; Screech
Owl, 1; Kingfisher, 4; Harris’s Woodpecker, 1;
Red-breasted Sapsucker, 1; Flicker, 7; Stellar’s
Jay, 6; Crow, 158+; Meadowlark, 4; Brewer’s
Blackbird, 1; Purple Finch, 30; English Sparrow,
heard; Oregon Junco, 60+; Rusty Song Sparrow,
24: Fox Sparrow, 8; Oregon Towhee, 10; Seattle
Wren, 2; Winter Wren, 6; Chickadee, 7; Kinglet,
6; Hermit Thrush, 2; Robin, 3; Varied Thrush,
19. Total, 52 species, 4623+ individuals.
The number of ducks seen was far more than
shown above, but the bright glare prevented
identification; there might very well have been a
thousand each of the American and White-winged
Scoters.
The Hermit Thrushes were seen three miles
apart and another was seen a few days previously.
The Glaucous-winged Gulls were nearly all
counted on the river, feeding on dead dog salmon.
On the 25th of December, and again on the
27th, a Golden-crowned Sparrow was feeding at
feeding-station at Courtenay.—R. M. STEWART
AND THEED PEARSE. :
N.B.—Compared with a census taken two years
ago (but not published), the conspicuous absence
is the Bald Eagle, three then; and Western Grebe,
then 1000; but this number was seen a few days
before in 1924. The greater number of Glaucous-
wings, accounted for by the salmon. Fewer
Golden-eyes, but more Mallards. Song Sparrows,
24, as against 9. 10 Towhees against none and 19
Varied Thrushes (very numerous this year) against
none. One Brewer’s Blackbird and no Redwings
as against 200 and 30, which is the usual number
that winter here.
This year we have had an unusually long spell —
of cold weather for these parts with low tempera-
tures —THEED PEARSE.
LONDON, ONTARIO.—Our Christmas Census this
year was taken under weather conditions very
different from those that prevailed in 1928.
it was very open and mild, whilst these year the
thermometer had been hovering around zero for
about a week. The day decided upon was Satur-
day, the 27th, and as usual a number of parties
were sent out, each working independently, the
results being combined into one list at the close
of the day. Fewer observers took part and a
Then,
rae
smaller territory was covered than in 1923, but
the total number of species was approximately the
same.
a number of very unusual records were made, as
will be seen from the account published in The
Canadian Field-Naturalist.
The day was rather cold, the thermomete
The number does not vary greatly from -
year to year, the only exception being 1922, when —
registering 19° at 8.00 a.m., rising to 23° at 1.00 se
p.m., and falling again to 10° at 6.00 p.m., but a
very strong north-west wind made it seem a great - — |
deal colder when one was crossing the open fields,
and few, if any, birds were found in such situations,
nearly all having sought shelter in the woods and
thickets. One party started out in the morning,
but a heavy snow storm made observations almost —
impossible, and apart from visiting the “Dump”,
where the Starlings and Sparrows board, and eall-
ing at a few feeding stations maintained by mem--
bers of the Club, they did not have much luck.
The afternoon parties, three in number, were more ~
fortunate in regard to weather, although it started
to snow again about 4.30 p.m. and was soon too
dark to see many birds.
The course followed in
the afternoon was, roughly speaking, the valley of —
the Thames River for a distance of eight milesorso.
This year we have included in our list the —
English Sparrow, something we have never done
heretofore, but an increasing number of observers
report it to Bird-Lore each year and there seemed
no good reason for omitting it when we were
showing two other aliens, the Starling and the :
Pheasant:
The list which follows contains practically all
the regular winter birds, and is rather remarkable
for two things, first, the absence of all northern
species (Crossbills, Grosbeaks, etc., including even
Snowbirds) and, secondly, the absence of summer
left-overs (Grackles, Meadowlarks, etc.), the Song
Sparrows hardly being classed in this category, as
there are always some of them here each winter. —
American Golden-eye, 12; Ruffed Grouse, 1;
Pheasant, 1; Red-tailed Hawk, 1 (calling loudly);
Screech Owl, 1; Kingfisher, 2; Hairy Wood-
pecker, 2; Downy Woodpecker, 8; Blue Jay, 8;
Crow, 597; Starling 12; Goldfinch, 5; English ~
Slate-colored —
Junco, 2; Song Sparrow, 38; Cardinal, 11; Brown
Sparrow, 500; Tree Sparrow, 3;
Creeper, 6; White-breasted Nuthatch, 9; Black-
capped Chickadee, 70; Golden-crowned Kinglet,
33. Total, 21 species, 1287 individuals—Mc-
ILWRAITH ORNITHOLOGICAL CuuB, KE. M.S. DALE,
Secretary.
HAMILTON, ONTARIO.—The
Protection Society Inc. made its annual count of
the winter birds on Saturday, December 27, when
seven members went out in four parties, one in
Hamilton Bird
ieee
__-wings were seen.
{
oa falling during p.m.;
PE ee he
Jan Beaty: 1925]
Gael the morning and three in the afternoon. The
territory covered was much the same as that
- eovered a year ago, except that this year none
went east of Wentworth Street and one party
made a short excursion back from the “Mountain
Brow” (the Niagara Escarpment), where the Wax-
The winter season so far has
been disappointing in the number of birds seen,
even regular visitors to feeding stations being
searce. The previous two weeks were unusually
cold for the time of year and the locality, zero
temperatures being experienced on several nights;
but birds were scarce before this cold weather set
in. In addition to the species seen on the census
walk, the following have been reported from the
same territory: Screech Owl, about December 24;
-Black-capped Chickadee, December 27; Purple
Sandpiper, 1; White-winged Scoter, 1; Crow, all
on December 28. The census returns follow:
HAMILTON, ONTARIO, CANADA—(South and
west limits of city, park, garden, and waste land,
among trees and in open, and south shore of
Dundas Marsh.)—December 27, 10—11.45 a.m.
and 1—5 pm. Snowing a.m., clear pm.; 2 in.
to 6 in. of snow; wind west, strong at first, but
temp. 21° at start, 15° at
return. Eleven miles on foot. Observers in four
parties, one a.m. and threein p.m. Herring Gull,
19; Ring-billed Gull, 2; Red-shouldered (?) Hawk
2; Unidentified Hawk, 2; Hairy Woodpecker, 1;
Downy Woodpecker, 8; Blue Jay, 2; European
- Starling, 1; Tree Sparrow, 44 (flocks of 2, 10, 12,
and 20); Slate-coloured Junco, 5; Song Sparrow,
5; Cedar Waxwing, 15 (two flocks); Golden-
crowned Kinglet, 8 (one flock). Total, 12 species,
114 individuals. The Song Sparrows were along
the banks of a small, open stream, blotch on centre
of breast noted on two, G. O. McM.—Missss R.
R. Mitts, E. O. SmituH, M. Hewson, Dr. G. O.
McMILLAN, Massrs. H. C. NUNN, ROGER NUNN,
D. A. BAXTER, ROLAND BROWN.
TORONTO, ONTARIO.—Christmas Day of 1924
dawned at Toronto a typical Canadian winter day.
The thermometer stood a few degrees above zero,
_ but a fresh wind made it seem a few degrees below.
The cold winter sun shone brightly on a few inches
- of freshly fallen snow.
Three parties ventured out to represent the
Toronto Field-Naturalists’ Club and report on
birds seen for the Christmas census. Officially
these started from their respective meeting points
_ at 9.30 a.m., but two members of one group had
already tramped a couple of hours before joining
_ the main party. With a view to covering as many |
_ kinds of country as.possible the parties were
_ arranged so that one traversed the lake front east
_ from the mouth of the Humber River and part of
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 23
High Park, another the northern part of High
Park, taking in the upland woods and the valleys
of frozen marshes and thickets, while a third party
met and observed in the wooded ravines of the
Don and its tributaries and in open fields and weed
patches in the vicinity.
The strong, cold wind made the observations in
the open country very meagre, but strangely
enough did not seem to reduce the bird life of the
open water, where many water birds were ob-
served. In the sheltered woods and particularly
in the wooded ravines there were, of course, the
regular winter_residents to be found, as well as
one or two surprises.
The party assigned to the Wateciout was by
far the most successful, both in number of species
and in numbers of individuals. Perhaps this was
the just reward of the enthusiasm that prompted
a start two hours earlier than the time agreed upon.
The observations of all parties combined are as
follows: Loon, 5; Great Black-backed Gull, 2;
Herring Gull, 44; Ring-billed Gull, 10; American
Merganser, 200; Hooded Merganser, 4; Golden-
eye, 18; Old-squaw, 6; Hawk (Sharp-shinned?),
1; Hairy Woodpecker, 1; Downy Woodpecker, 3;
Tree Sparrow, 15; Slate-colored Junco, 4; Song
Sparrow, 3; White-breasted Nuthatch, 3; Chick-
adee, 3; Golden-crowned Kinglet, 5; American
Robin, 1. Total, 18 species, 328 individuals.
Two English Starlings were seen at close range
in the northern part of the city on December 26.
Two other observers in the city report Hairy
Woodpecker, 2; Downy Woodpecker, 6; Slate-
colored Junco, 11; Brown Creeper, 2; White- -
breasted Nuthatch, 4; Chickadee, 10; and
American Robin, 1; all seen on Christmas Day.—
STuART L. THOMPSON, Chairman of Bird Group,
Toronto Field-Naturalists? Club.
THE SNAKE RIVER (Osceola to Lake Doré) AND
MICKSBURG REGION, ONTARIO.—December 24;
7.15 a.m. to 5.20 p.m. Overcast and partially
bright, snowing from 4 to 5 p.m. Four inches of
snow; wind southwest to west, moderate; tem-
perature 31° to 35°; about 30 miles on foot.
Canada Ruffed Grouse, 5; Cooper’s Hawk, 1
(also 21st and 28th); Goshawk, 1 (ad.); Hairy
Woodpecker, 2; Northern Pileated Woodpecker,
1; Horned Lark (subsp.?), 1; Northern Raven, 1;
Redpoll, about 30; Goldfinch, 1; Snow Bunting,
several; Northern Shrike, 1; Brown Creeper, 4;
Red-breasted Nuthatch, 6; Chickadee, about 50;
Brown-capped Chickadee, 1; Golden-crowned
Kinglet, 2. Total, 16 species, about 112 indivi-
duals. Also seen during previous month: Novem-
ber 80, Crow; December 4, Pine Siskin; Decem-
ber 7, Tree Sparrow; December 7, 14 and 21, Blue
Jay. A White-breasted Nuthatch was seen on
24 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
December 28. Goshawk seen at only a few yards’
distance, revealing the black crown and the vermi-
culations on the lower parts to excellent advantage.
—E. W. CALVERT.
OTTAWA, ONTARIO.—On December 28, eighteen
Ottawa bird observers set out in twos and fours
on seven different routes, as follows, in order from
the North line, in direction NESW: First Party,
C. L. Patch and R. S. Finnie, #. along the south
bank of the Ottawa River; 12 miles; 10.15 a.m.
to 3.10 pm. Second Party, C. EK. Johnson and
C. M. Sternberg, SSE. from Billings Bridge along
the Metcalfe Road; 9 miles; 10.00 a.m. to 3.30
p.m. Third Party, D. B. DeLury, R. E. DeLury,
J. H. Magee and G. L. Smith, S. through the
Experimental Farm along the Rideau Canal and
River to Black Rapids; 16 miles; 8.00 a.m. to
3 p.m. Fourth Party, D. Blakely and C. B.
Hutchings, SW. along the south bank of the
Ottawa River, Holland Avenue to Shirley’s Bay;
12 miles; 9.30 a.m. to 1.30 pm. Fifth Party,
H. F. Lewis, B. A. Fauvel, R. Lockwood and H.
Wright, S.W. by W. along the north bank of the
Ottawa River, Val Tetreau, P.Q., to Aylmer, P.Q.
and beyond; 15 miles; 8.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.
Sixth Party, P. Foran and W. H. Lancely, NW..,
Old Chelsea to Fairy Lake vicinity and Royal
Ottawa Golf Club; 16 miles; 9.45. a.m. to 3.15
p.m. Seventh Party, H. Lloyd and H. I. Smith,
NNW., Kirk’s Ferry, P.Q. to Gatineau Point,
P.Q., E. side of Gatineau River, 13 miles; 9.40
a.m. to 6.30 p.m. The day was cold, being
18°F. below zero when the first observers started
out at 8 am., and 7°F. when the last returned at
6.30 p.m. The cloudiness varied from one-tenth
to eight-tenths overcast; the winds were light,
shifting northwesterly to northeasterly at both
high and low altitudes; the ground was almost
bare in some places and several feet deep in snow
in others due to drifting; but on the average the
snow was about 6 inches deep. As the routes
taken are now quite definitely established, it seems
advisable to give in the following table the records
for each route, in order that bird students in the
years to come may make more definite use of the
comparisons from year to year:
LOG a 8 eds Lip DM TBs dy dels SOs Mimi (Ox
SPECIES tals
Merganser (sp.?) .. .. I) NaS ey 2
PME CROLCENEV CG, 2779-54. 5)): a) a cen ue ia a 14
INSP) os Foo cee ion 1 1
iumed (Grouse... 22.,"'2,..°3" : 5
Goshawk....... aE Le oie 1
Hairy Wood-
MACKEN ack Lee Ibe! 6
Downy Wood-
WECCHODEA nua ss, 238 Tt Anes be Bese val aes l()
Blaeway...7 2: ear Salma ies va le as 10
SOA bee eae pA lelbe Wil A 171
Starling 9.7220); ean Ge sales 86.
Purple-Minchs S27 Ge Sra. Notas 8 8
Redpoll. ....... Rear aban prs 74 5
Goldfineh....... ape lesser a. ALT
Pine Siskin. .... I ecrcaaal Utes Cohen acre CAD (340)
snow Bunting 2.379 ence
Tree Sparrow. 22°. 1b > ae ee
SONS Sparrow, 2.0 ss. oe ee eee Ds
Northern Shrike. .... 5 epaezs ce. teal
Brown Creeper.. .. UDOiRearre RCS Ae
Wh.Br.Nuthatch .. 3° 62225 5 oe OL ely ene
Red. Br. Nut-
hatch) 2 e- pn ware ati aac oe IU)!
Chickadee...... 9° 9.11 oy AS see
Roping ere RARE odes") 1
Totals of Species
(Species seen recently but not included in the
census: Bluebird, for the week ending December
21st, on which date it was banded by R. E. De-
Lury; and Golden-crowned Kinglet, seen on De-
cember 25th at Fairy Lake, H.L.)
It may be noted that this is the first time the
Starling has appeared on the Ottawa Christmas -
Census. The one seen by the Third Party was
flying from the neighborhood of a barnyard;
while the 85 recorded by the Second Party were
observed feeding at the Bronson Avenue garbage
dump, along with House Sparrows and Crows.
The Starling has evidently come to stay with us —
in Ottawa. (The Starlings seem to withstand
easily the intense cold, and some 30 of them are —
feeding at the “dump” at the time of writing, —
January 18.).—RALPH E. DeLuRY.
LANCASTER, ONTARIO (54 miles west of Mont- —
real).—December 25th, 10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.,
temperature 20°, partly clear; 8 inches of snow on
ground. Ruffed Grouse, 1; Downy Woodpecker,
1; Pine Siskin, 15; White-breasted Nuthatch, 2;
Black-capped Chickadee, 12; Total, 5 species, 31
individuals.
Also seen at Montreal: December 24, Mergan-.
ser, 3; Crow, 5; Snow Bunting, 10; Robin 1;
December 28, Starling, 3—L. McI. TERRILL. _
St. STEPHEN, N.B., TO DEER ISLAND, N.B., AND
RETURN.—On December 24 went from St. Stephen
to Deer Island, 30 miles by automobile and 7
miles by motorboat. Returned by same route on
December 26. The following birds were seen dur-
ing the three days, December 24-25-26. Pied-
billed Grebe, 1; Common Loon, 4; Black Guille-
mot, several; Murre (sp.?), several; Jaeger (sp.?),
1; Glaucous Gull, 1; Herring Gull, hundreds;
Terns (sp.?) (?—Ed.), many; Cormorant (sp.?)
several; Merganser (sp.?), 8; Black Duck,
several; Green-winged Teal, 2; Blue-winged Teal,
2; American Golden-eye, several; Barrow’s
[VoL. XXXIX
2: 10 18-440 4 Oe
January, 1925]
_ Golden-eye, 1; Buffie-head, several; Old-squaw,
several; Harlequin Duck, 4; Eider Duck, 2;
~ American Scoter, several; White-winged Scoter,
several; Surf Scoter, several; Short-eared Owl, 1;
~ Richardson’s Owl, 1; Saw-whet Owl, 1; Great
Horned Owl, 1; Hairy Woodpecker, 1; Crow, 25;
Pine Grosbeak, 12; Red-breasted Nuthatch, 15;
_ Black-capped Chickadee, 25; Kinglet (sp.?),
_ several; Robin, 500. A total of 33 species.
On my arrival at Deer Island, N.B., I saw about
200 Robins feeding on the berries of the Rowan
tree and then-they went to the mud-flats and were
feeding about the seaweed and mud and were
bathing i in the cold water that ran from freshwater
BG cams. About two miles from this point 200
more were seen and a quarter of a mile in another
direction were seen about 100—a total of 500 in a
distance of two and a quarter miles. These birds
_ were still on the island on December 26 and in the
morning were singing from the tree tops.
I have the following records of Canada Geese in
December, 1924:
_ December 7. Several flocks at St. Stephen, N.B.
December 8. Several flocks at St. Stephen, N.B.
December 14. Some stayed to feed on the St.
John River.
December 17. Two flocks at St. Stephen.
December 18. One flock. Some staying in St.
_ Croix River to feed.—J. S. Lorp.
A LARGE GORGONIAN FROM ALASKA.—Recently
a branchlet of the tree-shaped arctic gorgonian
(Primnoa lepadifera) was submitted .to me for
identification by the United States National
Museum officers, with the statement that it was
from a magnificent specimen seven feet high! It
lacked the base and may have been only a branch
of a much larger example. This, however, is
- larger than any known to me from the North
Atlantic. In life the color is bright pink or light
searlet.—A. E. VERRILL.
Professor -A. E. Verrill, emeritus professor of
zoology of Yale University, writes to the Natur-
alist enclosing a note on a large Gorgonian from
Alaska. Dr. Verrill is well known to Canadian
marine biologists for his extensive monographs on
the marine life of our Atlantic and Pacific coasts,
and more recently for his reports on the Alcyonaria
and Actinaria of the Canadian Arctic Expedition,
_. 1913-18, 170 pages, 32 plates, published in 1922.
Bec ile. 1s still actively interested in field work at the
age of eighty-five, and was sailing in October for
a protracted stay in the Hawaiian Islands, where
he expects to make collections for some museums.
_ His address is given as Lihue, Kauai Island,
- Hawaiian Territory.—R.M.A.
- Peromyscus maniculatus bairdit AT TORONTO.—
_ The capture of several specimens of Baird’s White-
_ footed Mouse at Toronto makes a further north-
_easterly extension to its known range (See Soper,
_ busy year for 1923-24.
_ THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST ; 25
Journal of Mammalogy, Vol. 4, No. 4, pp. 247-
248), and adds a new form to the Toronto list.
The first specimen, No. 24.2.2.3 in the Royal
Ontario Museum of Zoology, was taken on Feb-
ruary 2, 1924, in open ground near Eglinton
Avenue W., by W. J. LeRay. Mr. LeRay also
took specimens of this mouse at Ashbridge’s Bay,
which would indicate that bairdii is to be found in
favorable localities throughout the Toronto region.
—L. L. SNYDER.
Mr. RODNEY Woop, who has been located in
Canada with headquarters at Ottawa for about
three years, has left for Nyassaland. While in
Canada, Mr. Wood was Dominion Camp Chief of
the Boy Scouts Association. He is familiar with
several fields of natural history, perhaps more
particularly with entomology, and it was a pleasure
to have the opportunity of helping to introduce
him to Canadian birds. He needed little help,
however, and mastered the field identification of
new species in surprisingly short time. The
Dominion Headquarters of the Boy Scouts
Association recently published Animal Tracking
for Boy Scouts, which was prepared under Mr.
Wood’s personal direction.
Canada’s loss is Africa’s gain, and the
members of the Club wish Mr. Wood success in
his return to his estate in that distant part of the
empire. It is believed that he is the only member
of the Club who resides in Africa. Those members
who may wish to communicate with Mr. Wood —
should address him at Magombwa Estate, P.O.
Cholo, Nyassaland, via Cape Town, Africa.—
Hoyes LLoybD.
REPORT OF THE COUNCIL, OTTAWA FIELD-
NATURALISTS’ CLUB, 1923-24.—Council reports a
In all, eight meetings were
held, with an average attendance of fifteen mem-
bers. Many of these meetings were held at
councillors’ homes and pleasant social chats
followed the business session. It certainly would —
be amiss not to express in this report sincere
thanks to those members who so kindly enter-
tained us in their homes, and to the various com- ~
mittees and councillors for their interest in the
work.
After the appointment of the various committees
for the year, one of the first problems investigated
was the financial standing of the club and its
source of revenue. It was found that the club
started the year with a deficit of $146.00. Through
the energy of the President in selling back sets of
the Naturalist, this deficit has been reduced to
about $6.00. Use of the Trust Funds of the club
was given consideration and the interest was
offered as prizes for the best plant, insect, and
26
nature photograph collections. Other prizes were
donated by Dr. Ami for the best archzological
and palzontological collections, and by Dr. Malte
for the best botany collections.
A Publication Fund was established, to which
the Province of Quebec Society for the Protection
of Birds contributed $125.00. Many other
important contributions have been received and
acknowledged in the Naturalist.
A serious shock to Council was the announce-
ment that the Ontario Government had cancelled
the $200.00 grant, which had been paid annually
to the Club since 1898. The importance of the
continuance of this grant was emphasized to the
Premier of the Province, and it was urged that the
grant be increased from $200.00 to $500.00.
The Canadian Field-Naturalist, the official
publication of the club and.its affiliated societies,
has completed a successful year, and Volume 38
contains much important scientific information,
together with many illustrations. A special
number on the “Birds of Saskatchewan” was
published last May in cooperation with the
Government of Saskatchewan.
The Toronto Field-Naturalists’ Club was added
last March as a new and important affiliated
Society. Negotiations are in progress and it is
hoped in the near future to affiliate with several
other Natural History Societies. We now have
ten affiliated societies.
Many other items of business were transacted
and the above are only a few of the items of general
interest.—J.F. WRIGHT, Secretary.
ANNUAL MEETING OF OTTAWA FIELD-NATUR-
ALISTS’ CLUB.—The forty-sixth Annual Meeting
of the Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club was held
Tuesday evening, December 2nd, 1924, in the
auditorium of the Victoria Memorial Museum.
President Hoyes Lloyd, in opening the meeting,
told of some of the ways in which the Club was
attempting to spread interest in natural history
throughout Canada, and emphasized the most
recent method, namely, by radio. The Minutes
of the previous Annual Meeting, the Report of the
Secretary of Council and the Treasurer’s Report
BOOK REVIEW aS
In the General Notes for January, pp. 135-137, ;
THE AUK, 1923
Articles pertaining directly to Canadian ornith-
ology.
A BREEDING STATION OF THE HORNED LARK AND
PIPIT ON THE GASPE PENINSULA.—By Charles
W. Townsend, pp. 85-87.
This paper extends the breeding range of the
Eastern Horned Lark and the Pipit south of the
Gulf of St. Lawrence.
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
|
d ee
were then read and adopted. The election of
officers followed. The slate presented by Council
was elected and the officers and additional council
President,
Mr. Hoyes Lloyd; first vice-president, Mr. G. A.
members for 1924-25 are as follows:
Miller; second vice-president, Mr. Norman
Criddle; treasurer, Mr. B. A. Fauvel; secretary,
Dr. J. F. Wright; additional members of council,
Miss M. E. Cowan, Miss Faith Fyles, and Messrs.
W. T. Macoun, A. Halkett, C. E. Johnson, Frits —
Johansen, C. M. Sternberg, H. I. Smith, F. W.
Waugh, P. A. Taverner, E. Sapir, E. M. Kindle,
W. J. Wintemberg, R. E. DeLury, Arthur Gibson,
[Vous x Xe ae
M. O. Malte, R. M. Anderson, H. Groh,-C. B.
Hutchings, H. M. Ami, C. L. Patch, D. Jenness,
The Auditors elected for
and H. F. Lewis.
1924-25 are A. E. Bateman and C. W. Twinn.
Following the brief business session Mr. Harri-
son F. Lewis of the Canadian National Parks staff
and Editor-in-Chief of The Canadian Field-Natur--
alist gave a highly educational lecture on ‘‘Sea —
Birds” and showed, for the first time in Canada,
6 reels of moving pictures of the sea birds of the ~ .
north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence or the _
Canadian Labrador coast.
and Mr. P. A. Taverner. Many excellent close-
up and general scenes of these rare and interesting —
These mov-
birds and bird colonies were shown.
ing pictures are interesting and at the same time
are of highly educational value, and therefore, it —
is hoped that, in the near future, they will be chow
in many of our Canadian cities.
In closing the meeting President Lloyd conveyed
to Mr. Lewis the appreciation of the-Club for his
These moving pictures __
were taken by the Department of Trade and Com-
merce under the direct supervision of Mr. Lewis
splendid address, and also thanked the National ~
Parks Branch for the loan of the films, and the _
Victoria Museum for the use of their lecture hall.
About 300 members and their friends were present.
—J. F. WRIGHT, Secretary.
For the illustrations in this issue The Canadian
Field-Naturalist is indebted to Dr. R. E. DeLury, ©
Mr. J. H. Bradley, Jr., and the Topographical —
Survey of Canada. en ITOn,
Harrison F. Lewis reports a number of notes on,
t
and additions to, the list of birds of the Labrador |
Peninsula.
Under Recent Literature we observe ‘Besoaiee
Note on the Birds Observed at the Biological Station
of the University of Manitoba, by Wm. Rowan—
Ecology, Vol. III, 1922, pp. 255-260. An ecological —
study of the locality at Shoal Lake, eastern Mani-
-toba. A list of the birds of this station was
oxy published by the same author in The Auk in 1922.
a A photograph of a young Whooping Crane,
ae taken in Saskatchewan in the summer of 1913 and
_ published in Bird-Lore for September-October,
_~ 1922, is noted.
Under Correspondence, P. A. Taverner: presents
ae a circular, The Genus Debased, protesting against
b the too fine splitting of genera. The stand is
taken that the genus is a division of expediency
rather than a hard and fast unit of-fact and that
excessive multiplication of genera complicates
- rather than simplifies classification. Any scienti-
fie refinement in relationship can be expressed as
well in subgenera, which, not being used as terms
‘in the names of the species, will render unnecessary
many aggravating changes in nomenclature and
_ make for a simpler nomenclatural system. This
‘circular is signed by the majority of systematic
ornithologists of the United States and Canada.
,
__ NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF PORCHER ISLAND, B.C.—
By Allan Brooks, pp. 217-224.
Porcher Island is on the British Columbia coast
opposite the Queen Charlotte Islands. These
notes consist of annotations on fifty species, based
on a nine-day visit in September, 1920, and on
“specimens and reports made by C. de B. Green
as a result of a two months’ stay there in June
and July, 1921. The most notable things in this
list are the Steller’s Jay, Song Sparrow, and
_ Ptarmigan. The first-named proves to be annec-
tens, the Black-headed Jay of the interior, without
a tendency towards carlottae, as would be expected.
- Major Brooks regards caurina as the breeding form
of the Song Sparrow and rufina as a migrant,
though this is not finally demonstrated. Ptarmi-
gan taken prove to be Alexander’s Ptarmigan, the
first of the subspecies recorded from Canada.
THE MouRNING Dove (Zenaidura macroura
---~——s carolinensis) AT PANoRA, Iowa.—By L. L.
. _Snyder, of the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto,
ae pp. 240-244, with an excellent plate.
: A good account of occurrence and habits of a
oe nesting pair in the locality named.
_ BLUE FEATHERS.—By Wilder D. Bancroft, Emile
ae M. Chamot, Ernest Merritt, and Clyde W.
Mason, pp. 275-300. -
_ - This is a report of an investigation of the source
ss of color in blue feathers, conducted under a grant
_ from the Hekscher Foundation for the Advance-
ment of Research at Cornell University. It is an
abstract of a fuller account published in the Jour-
pe _are summed up as follows:
i Non-metallic blues of feathers are due to the
Wega
_ nal of Physical Chemistry. The final conclusions
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 27
feather. This is the blue described by Tyndall,
which is commonly observed in turbid media.
2. No blue pigments, and no other structural
causes of blue color have been observed in non- -
metallic blue feathers.
3. Green feathers are essentially the same as
blue feathers, except that the blue cells are over-
laid by a transparent yellow layer.
NESTING OF THE EVENING GROSBEAK IN NORTH-
ERN MICHIGAN. —By Ji. Stokley Ligon, pp.
314-316.
This paper describes nests discovered on White-
fish Point, Michigan, in July, 1922. Whitefish
Point is within twenty miles of the Canadian
shore. The paper is accompanied by two photo-
graphs, one of nesting habitat and one of nestling
bird. —
TURKEY VULTURES IN ALBERTA.—By James E.
Horning, pp. 324-325.
A report of the occurrence of Turkey Vultures
at Ministick Lake, Alberta, July 2, 1922.
THE MyNAH.—A STUDY IN ADAPTATION. met
Dayton Stoner, pp. 328-330.
This is a note that should make interesting
reading for bird lovers in Vancouver and adjacent
localities, where the closely related Japanese
Starling has gained a footing. Mr. Stoner’s
report of the effect of this species in the Hawaiian
Islands, New Zealand, and Fiji is not reassuring.
It has not made good in the destruction of noxious
insects, it is dirty and unsightly in nesting habits,
and it is supplanting native species.
Under Recent Literature is a review, on pp. 346-
348, of A Natural History of the Ducks, Volume I,
by John C. Phillips, Houghton Mifflin Co. This
is a monumental work, sumptuously produced,
which, when completed, will include all the Ducks
of the world. Colored plates from the brushes of.
the best bird artists are reproduced by the finest
processes. Maps represent the distribution of
each species and the highest type of printing and
book-making art is presented. ‘The only criticism
that the present reviewer, who has personally
examined the work, would make, is that it is too
fine and expensive for such an important work. ~
The substance of the letter press is thoroughly in
keeping with the appearance and shows an as-
tounding amount of personal experience and
research. Probably more of value regarding the
Ducks will be found within its covers than in any
other dozen works previously published—yet,
instead of being available to every one interested,
it is issued in a form that makes it obtainable
only by a few wealthy bibliophiles or by large
institutions. Most of the species treated of in
this volume are extralimital to Canada. Our
fellow countryman, Major Allan Brooks, is repre-
28
sented in it by one colored plate from his brush.
In succeeding volumes there will be many more
examples of his beautiful work.
Under Correspondence, Robert Ridgway, on pp.
371-375, counters the protesting circular, The
Genus Debased, presented by P. A. Taverner as
above noted. He urges the necessity of splitting
genera wherever a split seems taxonomically neces-
sary, yet, according to the present reviewer, who
is not, however, a disinterested party to the dis-
pute, it does not seem that he has shown any good
reason why the desired results cannot be obtained
through use of the subgenus, without loss of
scientific accuracy and with a great increase of
convenience to the general worker.—P. A. T.
(Concluded in the February issue.)
PALAEONTOLOGY OF THE SILURIAN ROCKS OF
ARISAIG, NovA Scotia, by F. H. McLearn.
Geological Survey of Canada Memoir 137, pp.
179, pls. 30, Ottawa, 1924.
This memoir is 2 valuable addition to Canadian
Palaeontology. Ina brief introduction the author
states that the Arisaig section was chosen because
of the good preservation of the Silurian faunas at
Arisaig, on the northeast coast of Nova Scotia.
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
2
boundaries of the Ordovician below and the
Devonian above, followed by the five formations
into which the Arisaig series is divided. The
formations are subdivided into zones based upon
lithological differences or upon the prevalence of
certain designatory fossils, with the exception of
the Beechhill, the lowest formation, which is con-
siderably thinner than the others. The descrip-
tion of each formation and each zone is accom-—
panied by a bulwark of fossils. Then follows a
marshalled array of fossils, giving in comprehensive
detail the range of the species in zones as well as
formations, with the comparative rarity or fre-
quence of their occurrence. A glance at the long
list in this finely worked out table is enough to
suggest the picture of the thickly populated,
moving, not to say squirming, sea-bottom in
Arisaig days. Of the 214 species given, there are
9 new mutations, 17 new varieties, and 79 new
species—that is, 105 new fossils, almost fifty per
cent. :
The remainder of this portion of the text is
devoted to the very important question of corre- —
lation of the fauna. The author shows a very
slight basis of comparison existing between one
of the Arisaig divisions and one of the Anticosti
[Vou. XXXIX
e4
5
o
divisions, and a stronger resemblance to some of
the fauna at Eastport, Maine, but a much more
definite and more interesting correlation is made
The reader is especially invited to note that the
correlations and “conclusions are based primarily
on Brachiopoda and Pelecypoda, to some extent
on Trilobita, and subordinately on Graptolitoidea
and Gastropoda”. The introduction is accom-
panied by a sketch map making clear the geo-
graphic position of the region and the geological
relationship of the formations to be discussed.
There follows a resumé of previous work on
these faunas and the development of opinion with
regard to their correlation with the Devonian or
Silurian rocks of New York, with the evidence
given for the final decision of the early writers
that they represent a Silurian sea—a decision
based on the fossil content correlated in a general
way both with New York and English fossils.
The relationship is shown between the strati-
graphical divisions of the early investigators and
the more clearly defined and finely distinguished
divisions of the more recent workers.
A short description is given of the location of
the more detailed sections, and the limiting
with the fauna of England, Scotland, and Wales.
There is a less definite comparison with the Silur-
ian of Norway. These correlations on the eastern _
and western borders of the Atlantic raise some —
interesting possibilities as to the migration and a
distribution of species, particularly as the lowest —
member, the Beechhill, seems to have more in
common with the eastern side of the Atlantic ms
than with the Silurian of the interior of North
America. The same can be said, though in a less
degree, of the other formations.
The second part of the Memoir is devoted to a
detailed description of species very minutely
worked out, followed by a complete bibliography.
Special emphasis should be laid upon the character ~
Theyer es
of the thirty plates illustrating the species.
are not only very clear and well defined, but the
soft tone is exceedingly restful and pleasing to the “as
eye.—A. Fi. W.
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FEBRUARY, 1925
ISTS’ CLUB
ISSUED FEBRUARY 28, 1925
Entered at the Ottawa Post Office as been oles matter
THE OTTAWA FIELD- ELD-NATURALISTS’ CLUB
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KERMODE: Buon R. B. THOMSON; THE EDITOR,
Editor: oe esi, <.:
HaRRISON F. LEwIs, Reig:
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Associate Editors:
E. SAPIR..... Pci es ma a ee aan Anthropology 5A Gi ERUINTSMAN Go yea eee M arine Bie
PIES Os IVCAG DR 5 Ee eS ING Botany P. A. TAVERNER...... oon ve a oe Ornithology:
HOR GwATCHRORD: 32st ee '...Conchology o WOME KONDIB ef es ..... .-Palaeontology
MIE YALE LTAMS: Gaccd. ein ne Ge oabot Ors Geology R. M. ANDERSON Beko” oan
ARTHUR GIBSON................ Entomology _ CLYDE L. PATCH...... ee eo oi)
~ CONTENTS
Oregon Jays. By G. Buchanan Simpson.......... pc ae ine Wrath EN Hee Ia OS ee ke Bs 99
An Exploration into the Northern Plains, North and East of Great Slave Lake, Incuding the > cs :
Source of the Coppermine River. By G. H. Blanchet, F.R.G.S Beaks 30
Prosecutions—Migratory Birds: Convention Actas 205 22 pce see cee eee Beier css « Coes we oh a 85
Further Notes of the Orchids, Ferns and Butterflies of Hatley, Stanstead County, Guebes, 1924, ua
By Henry Mousley ent
Official Canadian Record of Bird-Banding Returns. Manat a Sa a BRE garam = :
Editorial—The Wilderness. . .... BT ERR es SO aio Na Xo ae paen a Ae A . Ue
Notes and Observations:— y are (AA a
Bythinia tentaculata Linn. By F. R. Latehford. ee PUD eke Oat DER eka See eee ea
Mystery Bands. By Hoyes Lloyd...................... sac ae sod ua (ie a ieee et Gahran
An Unusual Nest of the Mallard. By A. D. Henderson. Faire Ors OF ea chee Renee
Migration. Incidents: «, By, .Harrison K, Gewis. 34s ee Pietra iia Oe igs |
Canadian Field-Naturalist Publication Fund—Statement of Receipts ot gee aCe SA a 08 :
Mditor’s Notesevts4 a. 3) swe eaten ioe 0) ney eeu ea FRE otis a og? amet adie: rece tei ae
Correspondence. 2a ee Nn SO fe SS a eae a Neen ae re ccm etal Seer waa Pana Ress
Book Review:—
Some Remarks on Birds.
The Auk, 1928. By P.A.T
Publications Received 646.4: te ans ws oe cy ae ee OnnD een ye en eter s/c) Ne Na "Se
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST, lately THE Orrawa NATURALIST, established
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it Ottawa. Price of this volume, $1.50; single copies 20c each. ane Ne
MAR 6 1925
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VOL. XXXIX
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, FEBRUARY, 1925
No. 2
OREGON JAYS
By G. BUCHANAN SIMPSON
SHORT account of an eight-years’ friend-
ship with a band of Oregon Jays may be
of interest.
In this district (Lake Cowichan, B.C.),
these birds are usually to be found in the wilder
mountainous regions. In winter, however, they
often come down to within a few hundred feet of
Lake level in the dense forest.
During the severe winter of 1915-16 my wife
and I noticed four Whiskey Jacks picking up
crumbs near the house.
After the manner of their kind, they would feed
undisturbed quite close to us from the beginning;
but it was only after patient coaxing that we got
the birds tame enough to perch and eat on our
hands. By spring they were quite friendly and
would swoop down from the tall trees in the
vicinity whenever we held out a hand. Some-
times when we were working in the garden they
would settle on one’s head or shoulders.
If, perchance, they alighted on an empty hand,
they would emphatically call for food by pecking
at one’s fingers most heartily.
Instead of going back to higher levels when the
severe weather ceased, the Jays remained with us
and nested at Lake level.
Both pairs brought their young to us when the
Jatter could barely fly, and it was quite a surprise
to see such sooty offspring.
The young birds came to our hands without any
fear at first sight. They perched on our heads
and shoulders, and covered us with bread and
milk in a frantic endeavour to eat their first meal
in the company of man.
In early autumn the young ceased to look like
faded little Crows, and acquired the general white
appearance of adult Oregon Jays.
Tame Whiskey Jacks, in numbers from four to
twelve, have been with us since 1916, but, as none
of these were ever banded, we have no means of
knowing whether any of the original four are still
with us.
We have tried the birds with all kinds of food
and their undoubted favourite is cheese, of which
they are passionately fond. (We had a tame
Carrion Crow in England, and a morsel of cheese
was always his favourite tit-bit.)
The Whiskey Jacks eat bread, porridge, un-
cooked rolled oats, cake, farinaceous food in
general, and, of course, meat, raw or cooked.
They have taken an occasional bite of apple or
pear. Sometimes one will catch and eat an insect,
but they will not look at an earth-worm. Fish,
either raw or cooked, they dislike.
The birds each had their morning morsel of
cheese to-day. They hold it in their mouths for
a long time, turning it over and over with their
tongues, as if the taste were most pleasing to them.
The cheese is often shifted to the “pouch” under
the chin and held there for some time. Then it
may be deposited carefully on some safe perch,
licked and mouthed again with intense satisfac-
tion, then finally eaten. They do this with no
other food. ;
In February the male makes very pretty love
to his spouse. The latter sits on a nearby perch,
ignoring any food that is thrown out. She flaps
her wings in a coy way, after the manner of a
nestling being fed by its mother, making plaintive
little cries. The male bird scrambles for the most
pleasing bit of food which is to be found, and
gallantly carries it to his wife, who receives it in
her beak and eats it with a great show of satis-
faction.
On some balmy fragrant afternoon in the spring
sunshine, when all the Whiskey Jacks are sitting
in a row, contentedly fluffed out, may be heard
their soft, lisping song, one to the other, most
gentle and loving, like the notes of a company of
Waxwings.
Vocally, our bird seems to be as versatile as the
Perisoreus canadensis and is often fond of imitating
the Pigmy Owl call.
On the approach of a Hawk, whose presence is
usually detected by these birds from afar, they at
once become perfectly motionless in the thickest
part of a bush, uttering a low, plaintive, warning
ery. When hard pressed, they will successfully
fight off a Cooper’s or a Sharp-shinned Hawk.
After all these years on the Lake shore, they
continue to take a Gull or a Heron for a Hawk,
and display the same symptoms of fear.
Unlike some of our race, they have a passion
for soap! We cannot leave a piece of soap out-
side the house for a short time without it being
30 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
carried off by the Jays. The camp soap suffers
the same fate at 5000 ft. level in summer. When
carrying anything beyond the capacity of their
beaks, they use both feet with which to hold the
object, the legs hanging straight down beneath the
body as they fly.
As far as we have observed, these birds are a
gentle, most loveable company, minding their own
[VoL. XXXIX
business in bird-land, and never robbing a small
bird’s nest (of which there are always several
nearby of Song Sparrow, Yellow-throat, etc.).
The Jays make free with our small garden, in
which we find them admirable companions, res-
pecting all our cherished alpine plants as well as
salads, tomatoes, berries and the like.
AN EXPLORATION INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS NORTH AND EAST OF
GREAT SLAVE LAKE, INCLUDING THE SOURCE OF THE
COPPERMINE RIVER
By G. H. BLANCHET, F.R.G.S.
of the Topographical Survey of Canada
(Continued from Page 16)
GEOLOGY, TOPOGRAPHY AND SOIL
No detailed study has been given to the geology
of the interior country. It forms part of the great
archean plateau of Northern Canada, which is
probably best known in the country north of Lake
Superior.
It can be generalized as a subdued plateau,
which was swept over by the ice fields of glacial
times, when its soil and softer surface rocks were
for the most part swept off. The harder rocks,
chiefly pre-Cambrian, were ground down, rounded
and polished, and over all, on the retreat of the
ice by the melting back of its face, a mantle of
drift was deposited. This was largely composed
of sand, gravel and boulders. Since glacial times
the action of the forces of nature has only slightly
modified the surface of the country on account of
the coarse nature of the materials and the short
season it is released from frost.
The conditions found in the country become
clear and logical in the light of its history. The
great plains of irregularly deposited drift are
features of much of the country, and through the
thin cover the rounded and polished hills outcrop
in some places, while in others the hills are formed
of the drift material itself. The occurrences of
sand mark episodes in the retreat of the glacier—
its spillways and temporary lakes. The finer
materials have usually been carried into the valleys
and the lower country.
In the height of land district the rock formations
are chiefly granites and gneisses outcropping in the
hills, cut and overflown by intrusives, and great
areas of rocks of a schistose character in the valleys
and often underlying the plains. The schists
fracture, in weathering, into great slabs and the
fracture plane is usually vertical, which facts are
to a large extent accountable for the rugged
appearance of the country. However, in spite of
the ragged appearance given to the valleys and
plains by the low irregular ridges of the outcrop-
ping schist and the freakish disposition of the slabs
weathered from them, these areas are usually well
watered, contain fair soil and produce a good
growth of grass.
It may be said that both the schist country and
the intruded granites are favorable for the occur-
rence of minerals.
To the north and east from the height of land
sedimentary rocks have been reported, the drift
cover becomes heavier and of finer materials, and
the country is more uniformly watered and there
is consequently an improvement in the vegetation.
VEGETATION AND CLIMATE.
The vegetation of a country is determined by
the soil, topography, and the prevailing climatic
conditions. Where vegetation is struggling against
adverse conditions the topography becomes an
increasingly important factor in the shelter it
affords, and also in providing places for the accu-
mulation of the finer drift soil. This fact is clearly
demonstrated in the case of a high mountain, and
will be found to assist considerably in explaining
the location of the line between the forests and
the Barren Lands. Two questions present them-
selves in connection with the last woods. “‘Does
the timber become gradually more stunted and
more scattered till it disappears?” and “How final
is the cessation of forest growth?” It is difficult
to conceive of a line drawn across a plain on one
side of which trees grow while on the other they
cannot. However, such a line does exist, modified
by variations of soil and shelter and the passage
of this line remains an event of the trip of out-
standing interest. It is true that on the forest
side of the line areas of barrenness exist, but these
are local; the great open stretches beyond normally
February, 1925]
do not produce trees. Exceptions on this particu-
lar line of travel are so rare that they may be
noted. At Thelon overland portage there are
several clumps of scrub spruce a foot and a half
high, at Musk Ox cascade on Casba River an
ancient dwarf spruce and some high willows grow,
and near the same point there are some clumps of
the shrub type four feet high. These have all
existed within the memory of the older Indians.
There may be other similar occurrences of timber
back from the waterways, but the line of the last
woods may be taken as definitely established and
maintained through the period during which
knowledge of the country has existed.
Again, the nature of the trees at the last woods
is found to be surprising. In sheltered spots,
where protection is obtained from the winds,
spruce and tamarack attain good development,
but where exposed to the heavy driving winds from
the northeast the spruce, which alone represents
the forest, has been dwarfed and flattened against
the ground in an almost unbelievable manner.
Their hardihood is attested by the great age
reached by these wind-blown dwarfs, exceeding
300 years in some cases, with the annual rings of
growth almost microscopic and widest on the
southwest side. It is probable that many seedlings
engage in the war with the elements but few sur-
vive. The dwarfs of the hills and the well-
developed trees of the sheltered valleys practically
end together.
The situation at the last woods gives the clue
by which the timber line is explained. Given the
THE CANADIAN FIBELD-NATURALIST 31
climate and soil which obtain here, trees can
develop only with a certain amount of shelter,
and of the seedlings produced by them few sur-
vive in the open country and these only in a very
stunted form. Back of the timber line rugged
topography affords sufficient shelter to maintain
the straggling forests, but beyond, the low hills,
with their rounded outlines, offer no protection
from the weather. This appears to be a satis-
factory explanation for this part of the country,
but should either of the factors assumed as con-
stant, soil and climate, change, timber might
reach development in spite of exposure to the
winds. It is probable that isolated areas of timber
beyond the normal timber line would be found to
have modifying conditions; better soil, such as in
the boulder clay areas, or climatic conditions
locally tempered by low elevation or in some other
way.
A traveller visiting the northern plains in late
summer will carry away with him several impres-
sions as to the color of vegetation. Of these only
one will warrant the name so often applied to it of
“barren”. This effect is produced by the stretches
of boulder moraines in which the predominating
colours are the grey of the boulders and the black
of the ‘‘tripe des roches’’, relieved only by the
green of its swampy valleys. A more usual view
is a pleasing one of gently undulating to moderate-
ly rolling country, well covered with shrubs and
moss on the slopes and grass in the bottoms,
coloring it a vivid green. A little later in the
season, after the first frosts have come, a still
FIGURE 6.—BARREN LANDS CARIBOU AT HOME
The Caribou gives life to the somewhat monotonous plains of the North and
in travelling in the country one finds himself most of the time
watching a caribou or looking for one to appear.
32 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
more striking effect is produced by great splashes
of crimson and yellow of the saxifrage, labrador
tea, and blueberry bush.
The question of grass growth in these northern
regions has been somewhat misrepresented. Any
broad generalizations covering such a huge area
will almost of necessity be unreliable. The reason-
able supposition that grass will grow in this coun-
try where soil and moisture favour it will, I think,
always be found to be the case. Coarse drift soil
and exposed rocky country will not produce grass,
while in the swampy bottom lands and on the lake
margins certain grasses grow well. In the portion
of the country traversed last season the occur-
rences of grass accorded absolutely with these
conditions.
It was observed that the caribou held to the
grassy valleys, and the Indians reported that they
feed on grass and the leaves of the shrubs entirely
in summer, eating the mosses and lichens only in
winter. So assured were they of this that wher-
ever the lichens were observed to have been dis-
turbed they took it as a sign of the caribou having
passed in winter. If it may be assumed that
grass is largely their summer food, there must be
large areas in their summer ranges on the lower
steppes of the plateau where it is abundant. The
muskoxen also are grass eaters, which further
supports this argument. Another line of argu-
ment might be that if grass grows in any quantity
in the area under observation, which may be con-
sidered one of the highest, most rugged, and
poorest watered portions of the country, it would
be reasonable to suppose that it would be more
abundant where these conditions are modified.
A consideration of the vegetation brings up the
question of fuel. Beyond the timber line nothing
of firewood size grows, except a very small willow,
which is found along the water’s edge in certain
places. While this, and a form of coarse black
moss, which grows on the rock ridges, offer a pre-
carious supply for a small party travelling rapidly
through the country, it is not advisable to depend
on them, as they make the fuel question too much
of a controlling factor and hamper operations.
Travel and work here would be much simplified
by carrying some form of oil fuel.
The climate in this portion of the country has
been largely determined by the fact that the pre-
vailing winds are from the northeast, blowing
without obstruction from Hudson Bay and the
Arctic. Add to this the long winter and the
continuous daylight of its summer season, due to
its latitude, and exaggerated extremes are to be
expected.
If the effects of the winds are ignored, the
season might be described as a short but intense
[VoL. XX XIX
growing season including June, July and August,
a brief autumn merging into winter about the
beginning of October, a cold winter with com-
paratively little snow, and spring starting in
March. The winds, however, complicate each
season, intensifying the winter and bringing un-
seasonable weather into each of the other seasons.
Due to the cold winter and the light snowfall, ice
forms to a great thickness on the lakes, and, unless
there is the lifting action of considerable spring
waters, the break-up may be late in July. In this
connection it is interesting to note that during the
past season the water level of Great Slave Lake
was nearly two feet higher than normal, while the
rivers flowing into it from the south were not high
and the southern lakes were exceptionally low.
The explanation of this, that conditions of un-
usually high water existed in the Barren Lands in
the spring, was verified by observations made on
the trip. On all the lakes visited evidences of
great spring floods were noted, and even in the
late summer grass and shrubs along the margins
were flooded.
THE FAUNA OF THE NORTHERN PLAINS —
The fauna of the Northern Plains is to a
large extent peculiar to it. First in importance
is the species of caribou, known as the Barren
Ground Caribou, (Rangifer arcticus). It has
always been one of the most important factors of
life and travel in this portion of the country.
When caribou were obtained, food was abund-
ant and their skins supplied clothing and leather;
“no earibou’’ was almost synonymous with starva-
tion. Consequently, their movements and hab-
its have been anxiously studied. But the caribou
is a migratory animal, and the people in the
various parts of its great range have little or
no contact with one another, so it is necessary
to piece together the fragmentary accounts of
the people living in the various parts of its range
in order to have a clear idea of its wanderings.
Like all migratory species, it responds to two
main instincts—to obtain less rigorous winter
conditions and to produce its young in a favored
locality. The working of these two instincts has
given the caribou of the sub-Arctic regions the
greatest range of any land animal. In fact, its
life is almost entirely occupied in migrations,
backward and forward between the timber in the
south where it winters and the coast and islands
of the Arctic, where its young are born. The bulls
and the cows seldom travel together, which further
complicates the study of their movements.
Piecing together the various accounts and
observations, the story of the caribou is somewhat
as follows. The cows, with the young of the
previous season, leave the shelter of the woods
February, 1925]
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 33
FicurRE 7—THE EDGE OF THE WOODS, LAKE MacKAY
Wherever the edge of the forest was observed, it was found the last stragglers
occurred in the valleys of rough, broken country, proving that
the factor of “‘shelter” is a very important one.
some time in February and work their way north-
ward, travelling in large bands, with the objective
of reaching the Arctic coast for the calving season
in June. They follow routes that take advantage
of lake crossings that may be made on the ice,
thereby avoiding rough country. Another very
important consideration determining their travel
at this season of the year is that their food is
almost entirely the lichens which grow on the hills.
The winter and spring trails will usually be found
to be more direct, and, though they are deeply
worn, the moss is not usually broken, as they are
travelled at a time when the frost is still in the
ground.
The bulls do not leave the woods till much later,
and travel northward more slowly, following the
retreating snow. As the season advances, they
lose their herding instinct and scatter widely
throughout the Barren Lands. Their horns are
discarded in December, and their life in the spring
and summer is a leisurely one, as they search for
the best supply of food—moss, grass and later the
leaves of the small willows and the scrub black
birch. The fly season in the Barren Lands in-
cludes late June, July and early August and, in
order to avoid this torment, the caribou have
only one resource—to travel against the wind.
Their gait is a swift trot and their feeding at this
time consists of a series of snatches. This swift
travel and the varying winds of summer account
partly for the wide and erratic travel of the sum-
mer season. It is probable that very few of the
old bulls reach the Arctic coast.
The heavy storms of early August start the
southerly migration of the cows, the yearlings and
the young. Their food at this season is chiefly
grass and leaves, and the good summer feeding
grounds are differently situated from their winter
and spring ranges, the former being found in the
wide low valleys and the latter chiefly on the hiils.
Consequently the southerly migrations, seeking
country of this nature and avoiding wide crossings
of the lakes, take different routes from those of
the spring.
The last of the heavy greyish winter coat should
be shed before the end of July, and they become
a sleek brown, with white on the neck and chest
of the bulls and on the belly and rump of the cows.
Their wonderful horn growth begins in the spring
and matures in September. The Barren Lands
caribou bull is transformed by his horns from a
small, rather insignificant animal to one with an
imposing presence in repose and of striking
appearance in animation.
Late August and September is the easy time of
the caribou year cycle, food is abundant, the flies
disappearing and the weather not severe. They
are travelling in bands of varying size with little
cohesion, and may be observed to break and re-
form when meeting other bands. While the
general drift towards the woods is maintained, it
is erratic. Pauses are made in good feeding
34 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
grounds, and there is a certain amount of aimless
wandering. As the bands move southward they
meet the bulls in their summer range, and a few
old bulls will usually be found with each band,
leading the way when travelling and mounting
guard when resting and feeding.
The caribou have remarkable sight, hearing and
scent. They are almost impossible to approach
in open country without detection; in fact, in
order to do so it is necessary to play on their
curiosity, which will only be successful till they
get the human scent, when they are off in the
wildest panic. When disturbed near water their
instinet is to take to the water and they are
capable of swimming incredible distances. In the
interior they generally make for a hill top.
It is in September that the Indians who live
outside the caribou range journey to meet them.
The skins are prime at this time, those of the bulls
for leather and those of the cows and calves for
winter clothing. They also put up dry meat, seek-
ing the old bulls, who have most fat at this season.
October sees the final massing of the herds and
the advance of the “foule’ towards the woods.
This is a sight seldom seen by white men, when for
days continuous bands pass a given point and
when estimates can be made only in acres or
square miles. The country east and north of
Great Slave Lake includes part of one of the great
trunk lines of the migration. It is probable that
most of the caribou ranging the country between
Great Bear Lake and Backs River gather into the
route deflected around the east end of the lake
and many winter there; for that reason it makes
an excellent point for observation and tor experi-
mental work toward protection and domestication.
The musk-ox (Cvibos moschratus), even more
than the caribou, is a species distinctive of the
northern plains. It is to be feared that the musk-
oxen are approaching extinction. In the past their
greatest: enemy was the wolf, and inorder to meet
this danger they adopted certain tactics which
later contributed to their destruction. At the
approach of danger they halted and formed a
circle, heads outwards. This kept the- wolves at
bay. The Indians and Eskimos took advantage
of this custom when hunting them, sending their
dogs in advance to halt and hold the herds to-
gether. They would then come with their rifles
and easily exterminate the band. It is many
years since the Great Slave Lake Indians hunted
the musk-ox, but the old men still remember the
hunts, which entailed great hardships and offered
little profit, as the trip was of necessity a dash
made under the severe conditions of winter far from
the woods. Two routes were followed, one leay-
ing Great Slave Lake at Talthelei (the former Fond
du Lac post) and striking northward, by which
[VoL. XX XIX
they crossed Mackay Lake at the last woods and
would meet the musk-ox on the upper Coppermine.
The other route brought them to Thelon River
and the upper lakes. Both these routes carried
them to the hunting grounds of the Eskimos from
the Arctic and Hudson Bay, who also hunted the
musk-ox. The latter has been saved from extinc-
tion by the fact that both the Indians of the
interior and the Eskimos of the coasts have in the
last forty years shortened their hunting expeditions
and there is now an area of country, including the
headwaters of Coppermine, Backs and Thelon
Rivers, where they probably survive unmolested.
Fresh signs were cbserved at one point last
season on Clinton-Colden Lake, but, though
ridges were investigated which were reported by
the Indians to have been frequented formerly by
musk-oxen, no other tracks were seen.
The only other large animal native to this
country is the Barren Grounds grizzly, (Ursus
richardsoni), or, as the Indians speak of it, the
white bear. lt is not numerous, but it may be
traced by the places where it has been digging for
ground squirrels and its great strength is evidenced
by the boulders pulled out.
The wolverines (Gulo luscus) are of interest
chiefly on account of their destructiveness. It is
almost impossible to protect a cache from them,
as they can climb and dig and have great strength.
The Arctic hare (Lepus arcticus canus) was fairly
abundant in the district traversed. The hares are
looked on as a reserve food supply by both the
natives and the wolves and foxes. They keep to
the stony hills. ae
The wolves and foxes are at present receiving
considerable attention in the country east of Great
Slave Lake, the wolves (Canis tundrarum) as a
conservation measure in protecting the caribou
and the white foxes (Alopex lagopus) on account
of the increasing value of their pelts. Both these
animals in adapting themselves to their habitat
have developed qualities peculiar to this part of
the country. Both have the protective whiteness
given to most animals of the Barren Lands;
in their case to assist them when hunting. The
white wolf remains white in summer, while the
fox turns to a peculiar mixture of dark colours,
best described as a brindle. The wolf usually
dens and produces its young near the edge of the
forest, while the fox rears his far out on the plains.
Both subsist mainly off the caribou, and at all
seasons may be found in the vicinity of the herds.
The Indians claim that the wolf can kill almost at
will, and there is no doubt he takes a heavy toll;
evidence of his kills are seen in all directions.
The foxes follow the wolves and clean up what
they leave.
(To be concluded.) .
_—— . see ne a
February, 1925]
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 35
PROSECUTIONS—MIGRATORY BIRDS CONVENTION ACT
By OFFICERS OF THE CANADIAN NATIONAL PARKS AND ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE.
Reported during the period January 18, 1924, to November 13, 1924
GOULDING, G. C., Oyama, B.C. Having in
possession a Loon in the closed season. Charge
withdrawn. Forfeitures: One mounted Loon.
RYAN, J., Glenn Valley, B.C. Killing a Swan.
Fine: $10.00.
WILLIS, J. W., Port Mouton, Queens Co., N.S.
Attempting to kill Black Ducks in close season.
Case dismissed.
SIDENER, James, South Ferraby, Alberta.
Having in possession portions of protected birds in
close season—skins of three Loons. Fine: $10.00.
BECKER, Herman W., Riverside, Essex Co., Ont.
Violation of Section (2), possessing Duck, and
decoys out in close season. Forfeitures: One wild
Duck, one pump gun, ammunition and three
deccys. Fine: $10.00.
CossABoon, Allen, Grand Harbor, Grand
Manan, N.B. Hunting wild Ducks in close
season. Sentence suspended.
Wooster, Albert, Grand Harbor, Grand Man-
an, N.B. Hunting wild Ducks in close season.
Sentence suspended.
MiTTON, EF. Roy, Baie Verte, N.B. Hunting
Geese and Brant in close season. Case dismissed.
MELOCHE, Raymond, Anderton Tp., Essex Co.,
Ont. Hunting wild Ducks in close season.
Forfeitures: 438 decoys. Fine: $20.00.
MELOCHE, Ernest, Anderton Tp., Essex Co.,
Ont. Hunting wild Ducks in close season.
Fine: $20.00.
CUNNINGHAM, Rudolph, Cape Sable Island,
Shelburne Co., N.S. Having in possession migra-
tory game birds in close season—Kider Duck.
Forfeitures: One dead Duck. Fine: $25.00.
CUNNINGHAM, Eugene, Cape Sable Island,
Shelburne Co., N.S. Having in possession migra-
tory game birds in close season—Kider Duck.
Fine: $25.00.
FAULKNER, Robert, Ostrea Lake, Halifax Co.,
N.S. Hunting wild Ducks in close season.
Fine: $10.00.
MosHER, Stephen E., Ostrea Lake, Halifax Co.,
N.S. Hunting wild Ducks in close season.
Fine: $10.00.
Mosumr, John S., Ostrea Lake, Halifax Co.,
N.S. Hunting wild Ducks in close season. Fine:
$10.00.
MosHerR, Wm., Ostrea Lake, Halifax Co., NS.
Hunting wild Ducks in close season. Fine:
$10.00.
Kent, Archibald, Pleasant Point, Halifax Co.,
N.S. Having in possession wild Ducks in close
season. Forfeitures: One single barrelled shot-gun
and bag of ammunition. Fine: $10.00.
Kent, Archibald, Pleasant Point, Halifax Co.,
N.S. Hunting wild Ducks in close season. Fine:
$10.00.
YOUNG, Vincent, Ostrea Lake, Halifax Co., N.S.
Having in possession wild Ducks in close season.
Fine: $10.00.
YOUNG, Vincent, Ostrea Lake, Halifax Co., N.S.
Hunting wild Ducks in close season. Forfeitures:
One double barrelled shot-gun and bag of ammuni-
tion. Fine $10.00.
Bowser, Isaac, Ostrea Lake, Halifax Co., N.S.
Hunting wild Ducks in close season. Forfeitures:
One double barrelled shot-gun and bag of ammuni-
tion. Fine $10.00.
Bowser, Isaac, Ostrea Lake, Halifax Co., N.S.
Having in possession wild Ducks in close season.
Fine: $10.00.
Bowser, Reuben, Ostrea Lake, Halifax Co.,
N.S. Having in possession a wild Duck in close
season. Fine: $10.00.
WILLIAMS, James, Ostrea Lake, Halifax Co.,
N.S. Having in possession wild Ducks in close
season. Fine: $10.00.
WILLIAMS, James, Ostrea Lake, Halifax Co.,
N.S. Exceeding the bag limit. Case dismissed.
WILLIAMS, James, Ostrea Lake, Halifax Co.,
N.S. Hunting wild Ducks in close season. For-
feitures: One double barrelled shot-gun and bag
of ammunition. Fine: $10.00.
WiLLiAMs, Leonard, Ostrea Lake, Halifax Co.,
N.S. Having in possession wild Ducks in close
season. Fine: $10.00.
WILLIAMS, Leonard, Ostrea Lake, Halifax Co.,
N.S. Hunting wild Ducks in close season. For-
feitures: One double barrelled shot-gun and bag
of ammunition. Fine: $10.00.
Levy, Amos, Cross Island, Lunenburg Co., N.S.
Having in possession portions of wild Ducks in
close season. Fine: $10.00.
Masson, Damas, Onion Lake, Sask. Having
in possession portions of a Loon. Fine: $10.00.
Dogson, Arthur R., Cape Tormentine, N.B. ~
Hunting wild Geese and Brant in close season.
Fine: $20.00.
Mitts, Cecil, Mills Point, P.E.I. Hunting
Canada Geese in close season. Fine: $10.00.
Mis, Walter, Mills Point, P.E.I. Hunting
Canada Geese in close season. Fine: $10.00.
KELLY, Thomas, Mills Point, P.E.I. Hunting
Canada Geese in close season. Fine: $10.00.
36 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
CHAPPELL, John, Mills Point, P.E.I. Hunting
Canada Geese in close season. Fine: $10.00.
DRISCOLL, Brenden, Mills Point, P.E.I. Hunt-
ing Canada Geese in close season. Fine: $10.00.
Mis, Harold, Mills Point, P.E.I. Having in
possession Canada Geese during close season.
Forfeiture: One Canada Goose. Fine: $10.00.
MILLS, Ernest, Mills Point, P.E.I. Having in
possession three Canada Geese in close season.
Forfeitures: Three Canada Geese. Fine: $10.00.
PorRIER, Thaddius, Cape Egmont, P.E.I.
Having in possession portions of Mergansers
which were taken in close season. Forfeitures:
Three glass sealers of meat—Merganser. Sentence
suspended.
POIRIER, Thaddius, Cape Egmont, P.E.I.
Having in possession Canada Geese in close season.
Sentence suspended.
STANLEY, Austin, 50 King St., Charlottetown,
P.E.I. Hunting Black Ducks in close season.
Fine: $10.00.
TAYLOR, James, St. Peter’s Island, P.E.I.
Having in possession Brant in close season. For-
feitures: Gun and Brant. Sentence suspended.
TAYLOR, James, St. Peter’s Island, P.E.I.
Hunting Brant in close season. Sentence sus-
pended.
CossABoon, Albert, White Head, Grand Manan,
N.B. Having in possession Gulls’ eggs. For-
feitures: Five eggs. Fine: $10.00.
COSSABOON, Ross, White Head, Grand Manan,
N.B. Having in possession Gulls’ eggs. For-
feitures: Five eggs. Fine: $10.00.
JUVENILE, Truro, N.S. Molesting and de-
stroying the nest and young of a migratory
insectivorous bird—a Flicker. Sentence suspend-
ed.
JUVENILE, Truro, N.S. Molesting and de-
stroying the nest and young of a migratory in-
sectivorous bird—a Flicker. Sentence suspended.
RICHARD, Adelard, Esquimaux Point (Havre St.
Pierre), P.Q. Having in possession one egg of a
Herring Gull. Fine: $10.00.
MAUuGER, Thomas, Whale Head, Saguenay Co.,
P.Q. Having in possession eggs of Common
Murres and Razor-billed Auks. Forfeitures: 593
eggs of Common Murres and Razor-billed Auks.
Fine: $15.00.
MAuGER, Ernest, Point au Maurier, Saguenay
Co., P.Q. Taking eggs of common Murres and
Razor-billed Auks. Fine: $10.00.
MAuGER, Ernest, Point au Maurier, Saguenay
Co., P.Q. Furnishing false information to a game
officer. Fine: $10.00.
DAUPHINEE, Harvey, Glen Haven, Halifax Co.,
N.S. Molesting Canada Geese in close season.
Fine: $20.00.
[VoL. XX XIX
GREGOIRE, Michel, Romaine, P.Q. Having in
possession Eider Ducks. Forfeiture: One shot-
gun. Sentence suspended.
CARTOUCHE, Pierre, Romaine, P.Q. Having in
possession Eider Ducks. Forfeiture: One shot-
gun. Sentence suspended.
DAouLT, A. S., Val Tetreau, P.Q. Shooting
wild Ducks in close season. One month in jail,
sentence suspended upon defendant furnishing
bond in sum $100.00 and being bound over to
keep the Migratory Bird Law for one year.
Forfeitures: Two Ducks.
SMITH, Walter, Lourdes de Blane Sablon,
Saguenay Co., P.Q. Possession of migratory non-
game birds—seven Puffins. Sentence suspended.
BUCKLE, Isaac, Lourdes de Blane Sablon, P.Q.
Having in possession migratory non-game birds—
seven Puffins. Sentence suspended.
Du Bois, Art., Seven Islands, P.Q. Killing a
Herring Gull. Forfeitures:; One Herring Gull.
Sentence suspended.
THERIAULT, Edgar, Esquimaux Point, P.Q.
Having had in his possession five Great Black-
backed Gulls. Fine: $10.00.
INGERSOLL, Earl, Grand Harbor, Grand Manan,
N.B. Killing a Herring Gull. Sentence sus-
pended.
LA FOLLEy, Edward, Seal Cove, Grand Manan,
N.B. Hunting Canada Geese in close season.
Sentence suspended.
McDonatp, Alexander, Covedell, Northumber-
land Co., N.B. Hunting Black Ducks in close
season. Fine: $25.00.
McEACHERN, John, Covedell, Northumberland
Co., N.B. Hunting Black Ducks in close season.
Fine: $25.00.
GRATTON, Fred, Covedell, Northumberland Co.,
N.B. Hunting Black Ducks in close season.
Fine: $25.00.
CURRIE, Paul, Fredericton, N.B. Killing a
Black Duck in close season. Fine: $10.00.
PRITCHARD, Valentine, Lakeside, N.B. Having
in possession three Spotted Sandpipers. For-
feitures: ‘Three Spotted Sandpipers. Sentence
suspended.
PRITCHARD, Valentine, Lakeside, N.B. Hunt-
ing Spotted Sandpipers. Fine: $10.00.
PorRIER, Prosper, Mizonette, Gloucester Co.,
N.B. Hunting Black Ducks in close season.
Fine: $10.00.
GRAVES, George, Lower Canard, N.S. Hunting
Black Ducks in close season. Forfeitures: One
gun. Fine: $10.00.
CANVIN, James, New York, U.S.A. Killing one
or more Semi-palmated Sandpipers. Forfeitures:
Several Sandpipers. Fine: $10.00.
February, 1925]
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST Sil
FURTHER NOTES ON THE ORCHIDS, FERNS AND BUTTERFLIES
OF HATLEY, STANSTEAD COUNTY, QUEBEC, 1924
By HENRY MOUSLEY
N PREVIOUS years, I have generally
al treated the orchids, ferns, and butterflies
separately, but having done very little
work on the two last during the past
year (1924), I have thought it best to incorporate
all three in one paper. If, as I remarked in the
April number of The Canadian Field-Naturalist for
1924, the spring of 1923 was a disappointing one,
what can be said of the present one, which was
even worse, if anything, not only as regards the
lateness of the blooming of the wild flowers, but
also of the arrival of the birds from their winter
quarters. I have added no new species of orchids
to my list, nor yet ferns, but, nevertheless, the
season cannot be said to have been an entire
blank, as several new wild flowers have been met
with, as well as many new stations for some of the
orchids. This latter fact has been as interesting
to me, almost, as actually finding new species, as
it has given me a still better idea of the distribu-
tion of some species, which, hitherto, I had found
only in very limited numbers. In the early part
of the spring, I devoted most of my time to the
further elucidation of the underground develop-
ment of the Hooded and Nodding Ladies’ Tresses
(Spiranthes Romanzoffiana and S. cernua), the
former of which I touched upon in my previous
paper, Canadian Field-Naiuralist, Vol. XX XVIII,
1924, No. 4, p. 62, intimating that the subject
would no doubt be fully dealt with in the Orchid
Review, which has since been done, in the March,
October, and November numbers of the present
year (1924), the latter number also containing an
account of the fertilization of S. Romanzoffiana—
by the small bee Chloralictus smilacini Rob.—a
thing hitherto unknown. The lovely little Calypso,
I am pleased to say, was found growing in two new
stations, but these were only small ones, in one
case consisting of nine, and in the other of five
plants only, one of which, however, bore a snow-
white bloom, an unusual thing in Calypso. As
regards its underground development, I imagined
I had fully described this in the Journal of the New
York Botanical Garden, Vol. XXV, 1924, pp. 25-80,
but so many new facts have come to my notice
during the present season that it has necessitated
another paper, which will no doubt appear later on —
in Torreya, or in the Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical
Club. I am afraid the introduced Small White
Lady’s Slipper (Cypripedium passerinum)-—-al-
though doing so well last year—is now dying out,
only two plants out of the five appearing this year,
which were very small and bore no blooms. Of
the three other introduced species, Serapias Helle-
borine or the Broad-leaved EHipipactis—now known
as Amesia latifolia—I am afraid is dead, whilst
the two others, the Crane-fly Orchis (Tipularia
discolor), and the Putty-root (Aplectrum hyemale),
did not bloom at all, but they were preparing to
send up new leaf buds when I left Hatley to spend
the winter in Montreal, towards the end of Sep-
tember. The rare little Ram’s Head Lady’s
Slipper (Cypripedium arietinum) again evaded all
my efforts to locate it, and I am beginning to
think it is not to be found in the immediate
vicinity of Hatley. I visited only once the
great swamp at Beebe, on June 28, in company
with Mr. C. H. Knowlton, when two interesting
plants were found, one, the Swamp Fly Honey-
suckle (Lonicera oblongifolia), and the other, the
One-flowered Cancer-root (Orobanche uniflora), a
curious little parasitic plant, which, if I remember
rightly, was growing on the roots of the Red-osier
Dogwood (Cornus stolonifera). Both these plants
were new to my list Amongst other interesting
things, several white examples of the Moccasin
Flower (Cypripedium acaule) were found, one being
an exceptionally fine specimen, measuring 40 cm.
in height, thus exceeding the extreme given in
Gray’s Manual by 2 em. On July 21, I visited
Lake Park, Quebec, where Mr. Knowlton had
found a small colony of the Downy Rattlesnake
Plantain (Epipactis pubescens) in 1923—as pre-
viously reported—-but I failed unfortunately to
locate the exact spot, finding only the so-called
Loddige’s Rattlesnake Plantain (Hpipactis tesse-
lata)—in which I have not much faith—and a few
other common species. Until the present season,
I had found the Slender Ladies’ Tresses (Spiranthes
gracilis) only in three stations, and in two of
these only one plant had been found, but now
these stations have been increased to seven, the
largest containing twenty-seven plants, all in
bloom. The Early Coral Root (Corallorrhiza
trifida) is another orchid which, although very
generally distributed, had not many plants in the
stations found previously, but I was fortunate in
finding a new one this season, on July 23, which
contained eighty-four plants in fruit. The Large
Coral Root (C. maculata) is another species which
has interested me very much this season, owing to
the fact of my having found a new colony, con-
taining quite a different colour phase of the plant,
i.e., a beautiful pink, probably the var. punicea,
instead of the usual brown one, var. intermedia,
which I have hitherto found to be the prevailing
388 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
colour here. It has been said that to him who
waits all things come in time; certainly I have
waited a long time before finding the Ragged
Fringed Orchis (Habenaria lacera) at Hatley, but
it has come at last, for I found the species—one
plant only—growing within two miles of the
village on July 31. It was indeed a red letter
day, only one other example having been found,
and that on July 29, 1922, in the great swamp at
Beebe, Quebec, which is fifteen miles from Hatley,
as the crow flies. This find well illustrates the
ironies of orchid hunting, for only last year I had
worked very carefully over this ground, when
looking for the var. echroleuca of Spiranthes cernua
—in fact had taken a photograph of the site, which
actually included the very tree under which H.
lacera was eventually found—but this was on
September 7, when lacera would hardly be recog-
nizable, although in a very exposed position.
Can it once have been plentiful here and hybridized
with the Small Purple Fringed Orchis (H. psy-
codes), and since died out? Certainly, I find quite
a large number of white examples of the latter
every season, far in excess of what one might
expect, seeing that none of the text books even
mention the fact of white blooms ever occurring
in this species, although we all know that magenta-
coloured flowers are subject to this change occa-
sionally, as in Arethusa, Calopogon, and Calypso,
etc., but it is usually not of common occurrence.
However, my white forms are not typical x H.
Andrewsti, although some of the labellums are
certainly not typical H. psycodes, and at that I
leave it. Although, as I have previously men-
tioned, the Broad-leaved Epipactis (Amesia lati-
folia) did not survive its removal from Toronto,
and transplanting at Hatley, still I had the satis-
faction of seeing it growing in its natural surround-
ings on Mount Royal, on my arrival in Montreal,
towards the end of September. There I found it
growing all over the mountain, in some cases as
many as 150 plants in a very small area, some of
which exceeded 80 cm. in height, the tallest being
89 em., which is 29 cm. in excess of the maximum
height given in Gray’s Manual! The raceme of
this latter was 26.5 cm. in length, and bore 77
dehisced capsules, but another much smaller plant
actually had 54 capsules on a raceme only 15 cm.
long! The plants were invariably found growing
under the shade of trees, and very often in quite
stony ground. Naturally, I am looking forward
to next year, when I hope to see it at flowering
time and make an exhaustive study of all its other
interesting peculiarities, which are many but
which, so far as I know, have not yet been critic- ©
ally examined or reported upon in this country.
Of the ferns I can say very little, having paid
but cursory attention to them this year; still, I
[VoL. XXXIX
found two rare things that many a collector does
not meet with in a life time, i.e., a plant of the
Rattlesnake Fern (Botrychium virginianum) with
four fruiting panicles, and one of the form onon-
dagense of the Moonwort (Botrychium Lunaria),
which—apparently—is a case of true dichotomous
branching, i.e., the stem divides or forks into two
branches, each of which bears a fertile and a sterile
frond, a thing quite rare in the Botrychiums.
Beyond this, which I suppose would satisfy most
collectors, I have nothing remarkable to add
except that I received a thrill one morning on
opening a parcel from the National Herbarium of
Canada, to find that it contained a few lovely
specimens of the rare little Dense Cliff Brake
(Cryptogramma densa)—or, as some prefer to eall
it, Peliza densa—collected in 1921 by Mr. Rebert
Harvie, Ottawa, near Black Lake, Megantic
County, Quebec, only the second station known
for it in the Province of Quebec, the other being
Mt. Albert in the Gaspé Peninsula.
As regards the butterflies, I practically drew a
blank, nothing unusual being found. The Mon-
arch (Danaus archippus) was very scarce, after
being so plentiful last year, only a very few speci-
mens being seen, and no larvae found. I came
across just one example of the Acadian Hair-
streak (Strymon acadica), which I have not seen
since 1921, and then only one example was met
with. The rare little Arctic Skipper (Cariero-
cephalus palaemon) was seen in perfect condition
in the big swamp at Beebe, which I visited on
June 28 in company with Mr. C. H. Knowlton,
as already mentioned. Perhaps the only out-
standing feature of the season was the comparative
abundance of the Pearly Eye (Hnodia portlandia),
and the Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui). Of the
former, which is a scarce butterfly here, I saw eight
examples, which is more than double what I
generally meet with, and of the latter, which I
have not seen for three years, I saw five examples,
besides finding many larvae feeding on thistles,
which I collected and reared, most of which, how-
ever, were unfortunately ichneumoned, so that
the results were very few imagos, the last—a fine
one—emerging on October 8. Like the Monarch,
the Painted Lady is a great migrant, its proper
home probably being northern Africa, where at
times it becomes so numerous that emigration no
doubt becomes a necessity, almost any part of the
world becoming the dumping-ground of this
surplus stock. Of the smaller Fritillaries, I can-
not help noticing the growing scarcity of the
Baltimore (EHuphydryas phaeton), which, like
Harris’ Checker-spot (Melitza harrisi), is becom-
ing extinct in the places where I have hitherto
been accustomed to find them. It is now three
years since I have seen either of them.
February, 1925] -
Before closing, I would like to say that the
birds have not been entirely forgotten, especially
the Warblers, in fact, the intensive study of their
home-life swallows up no end of my time, and
many things go by the board in consequence.
As a further contribution to my paper on this
subject in The Auk, Vol. XLI, 1924, No. 2, pp.
OFFICIAL CANADIAN RECORD
(Continued from page 19)
COMMON MURRE, No. 204,727, downy
young, banded by Harrison F. Lewis, on a small
island near Cove Island, between Pointe au
Maurier and Harrington, Saguenay County, Que-
bec, (Canadian Labrador), on August 12, 1923,
was shot at a place three miles south-east of
Swain’s Island, situated on the north side of Bona-
vista Bay, Newfoundland, on June 2, 1924.
GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, No. 232,821,
nestling, banded by Theed Pearse, at Mittlenach,
Gulf of Georgia, British Columbia, on August 12,
1923, was killed at “Hama Hama Boom” on
Hood’s Canal, Washington—no date given, but
reported on April 25, 1924.
HERRING GULL, No. 204,694, fledgling,
banded by Harrison F. Lewis, on a small island
near Cove Island, between Pointe au Maurier and
Harrington, Saguenay County, Quebec, (Canadian
Labrador), on August 12, 1923, was shot near
Aspey Cove, Fogo District, Newfoundland, on
September 19, 1924.
HERRING GULL, No. 204,762, partly fledged
young, banded by Harrison F. Lewis, on a small
island near Cove Island, between Pointe au Maur-
ier and Harrington, Saguenay County, Quebec,
(Canadian Labrador), on August 12, 1923, was
captured in a fox trap, at Pointe aux Esquimaux,
Quebec, (180 miles south and west of the place
where the bird was banded), on October 13, 1923.
RING-BILLED GULL, No. 210,471, partly
fledged young, banded by Harrison F. Lewis, at
Pointe au Maurier, Saguenay County, Quebec,
(Canadian Labrador), on August 12, 1923, was
taken at Red Point near Domino Run. Labrador,
on the north-east coast and 100 miles north of
Belle Isle, on September 14, 1923.
RING-BILLED GULL, No. 210,488, partly
fledged young, banded by Harrison F. Lewis, at
Pointe au Maurier, Saguenay County, Quebec,
(Canadian Labrador), on August 12, 1923, was
picked up on the beach at Hull, Massachusetts, on
October 2, 19238.
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, No.
232,122, young, banded by Reuben Lloyd, at Last
Mountain Lake, Saskatchewan, on July 1, 1923,
was killed at Long Lake, Saskatchewan, on Sep-
tember 15, 1924.
MALLARD, No. 101,873, male, banded by
L. V. Walton, at Cuivre Island, Missouri, on
January 14, 1923, was shot near Viscount, Sask-
atchewan, about September 20, 1924.
MALLARD, No. 203,747, female, banded by
John Broeker, at Portage des Sioux, ‘Missouri, on
April 1, 1923, was shot on the Owl River, which
empties into Lac la Biche, Alberta, in Tp. 68,
*Published by authority of the Canadian National Parks
Branch, Department of the Interior, Canada.
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
39
263-88, I have this year added a further study of
the Northern Parula, as well as one of the Yellow
Warbler, and Ovenbird, the two last being espec-
ially interesting, perhaps the most interesting I
have so far made, the publication of which will
no doubt take place later on.
OF BIRD-BANDING RETURNS*
Rge. 13, W. 4th M., shortly before September 23,
1924
MALLARD, No. 232,003, banded by Reuben
Lloyd, at Davidson, Saskatchewan, on August 12,
1923, was killed at Davidson, Saskatchewan, on
October e923:
MALLARD, No. 232,083, banded by Reuben
Lloyd, at Davidson, Saskatchewan, on August 12,
1923, was killed on the Little River, Grant Parish,
Louisiana, on January 5, 1924.
MALLARD, No. 232,093, banded by Reuben
Lloyd, at Davidson, Saskatchewan, on August 12,
1923, was killed at Lake Arthur, Louisiana, on
December 19, 1928.
MALLARD, No. 232,097, banded by Reuben
Lloyd, at Davidson, Saskatchewan, on August 12,
1923, was shot at Little Lake, Louisiana, on De-
cember 2, 1923. ,
MALLARD, No. 232,107, banded by Reuben
Lloyd, at Davidson, Saskatchewan, on August 12,
1923, was killed at Davidson, Saskatchewan, on
October 28, 1923.
MALLARD, No. 232,123, banded by Reuben
Lloyd, at Davidson, Saskatchewan, on August 12,
1923, was killed at Liberty, Missouri, on Novem-
ber 6, 1928.
MALLARD, No. 232,147, banded by Reuben
Lloyd, at Davidson, Saskatchewan, on August 12,
1923, was killed at Towner, North Dakota, on
September 28, 1923.
MALLARD, No. 202,579, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, ‘Ontario, on August 24,
1923, was shot at Lake Scugog, Ontario, during
the week of September 4, 1923.
MALLARD, No. 202, 582, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Seugog, ‘Ontario, on August 25,
1923, was shot about two miles from Caesarea,
Ontario, on Lake Scugog, on October 18, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 203,467, banded by John
Broeker, at Portage des Sioux, Missouri, on Feb-
ruary 8, 1923, was killed on "the Severn River,
Hudson’s Bay, Ontario, on June 24, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 202,541, banded by H.S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on August 24,
1923, was shot at Oakfield, New York, on October
25, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 202,544, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on August 24,
1923, was shot at Port Clinton, Ohio, on Novem-
ber 6, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 202,545, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on August 24,
1923, was shot at Rotten Lake, north of Norwood,
Ontario, on September 3, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 202, 558, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on August 24,
1923, ‘was killed at Paul’s Channel, ‘Broadwater Bay,
Machipongo, Virginia, on November Dam oZSe
40 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
BLACK DUCK, No. 202,560, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on August 24,
1923, was shot in Hay Bay, Bay of Quinte, Lennox
and ‘Addington County, Ontario, on October 8,
1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 202,561, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on August 24,
1923, was shot at Cardinal, Ontario, on September
22, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 202,590, banded by H.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on August -
1923, was shot on Cranberry Bay, at the north-
west end of Cameron Lake, Victoria County,
Ontario, on September 1, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 202, 606,. banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on August 27,
1923, was shot at Brown Hill, Ontario, on October
18, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 202,608, banded by H. 8S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on August 27,
1923, was killed on Cross Lake, Onondaga County,
New York, on December 29, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 202,609, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scuzgog, Ontario, on August 27,
1923, was killed at Santee, South Carolina, on
January 8, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 202,613, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on August 27,
1923, was killed near Oak Grove, Virginia, on
December 25, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 202,614, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on August 27,
1923, was killed in Quitman County, Mississippi,
about 10 miles east of Marks,
January 8, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 202,623, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on August 28,
1923, was found dead in a trap, in a shallow marsh
about 7 miles west of Algonquin Park, near
Ravensworth, Ontario, on May 2, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 202,625, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Seugog, Ontario, on August 28,
1923, was shot at Whitby, Ontario, on September
1, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 202,687, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on August 29,
1928, was shot on a small marsh pond near Inger-
soll, Ontario, on September 8, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 202,638, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on August 29,
1923, was shot at Long Point, Ontario, 10 miles
from the border, on September 22, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 202,639, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on August 29,
1923, was killed at Saluda, Virginia, on November
19, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 202,652, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on August 31,
1923, was killed at Broadwater Bay, Virginia, on
December 24, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 202,660, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on August 31,
1923, was killed in Salem Cove, at Salem, New
Jersey—no date given, but reported on October
13, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 202,662, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on August 31,
1923, was shot about 4 miles south of Belleville,
Ontario, on November 24, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 202,664, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on August 31,
Mississippi, on
[VoL. XX XIX
1923, was killed at Onancock, Virginia, on Jan-
uary 15; 1924:
BLACK DUCK, No. 202,668, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on August 31,
1923, was shot at the Big Point Club, on Lake St.
Clair, Ontario, on October 12, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 202,674, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on August 31,
1923, was shot at Zion, on the Otonabee River,
Camis from Peterboro, Ontario, on September 3,
BLACK DUCK, No. 202,676, banded by H. S..
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on August 31,
1923, was shot a few miles from Fenelon Falls,
Ontario, on September 29, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 202 ,677, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on August 31,
1923, was shot near Fort Mott, New Jersey, on
November 29, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 202,685, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on August 31,
1923, was shot on the Bradford River, Ontario, on
September 3, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 202,686, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on August 31,
1923, was shot about 20 miles east of Orillia,
Ontario, on September 3, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 202,691, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on August 31,
1923, was shot in Wicomico Marsh, Wicomico
County, Maryland, on December 8, 1923.
GREEN-WINGED TEAL, No. 202 ,583, band-
ed by H. S. Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on
August 25, 1923, was shot at Frenchman’s Bay,
22 miles east of Toronto, Ontario, on September 1,
1923.
GREEN-WINGED TEAL, No. 202,619, band-
ed by H. S. Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on
August 28, 1923, was shot in Pelee Park, Leaming-
ton, Ontario, on November 15, 1923.
PINTAIL, No. 232,018, banded by Reuben
Lloyd, at Davidson, Saskatchewan, on August 12,
1923, was shot at a place on the north edge of
Kern County, California, on October 21, 1928.
CANADA GOOSE, No. 232,095, banded by
Reuben Lloyd, at Last Mountain Lake, Saskat-
chewan, on July 30, 1923, was killed at Watertown,
Last Mountain Lake, Saskatchewan—date un-
known, but reported on October 30, 1923.
SPOTTED SANDPIPER, No. 44,549, banded
by Edward C. Knechtel, at Grand Bend (on Lake
Huron), Ontario, on July 7, 1923, repeated several
times at the same station until July 12, 1923.
SPOTTED SANDPIPER, No. 44,550, banded
by Edward C. Knechtel, at Grand Bend, Ontario,
on July 7, 1923, repeated several times at the
same station until July 12, 1923.
FLICKER, No. 219 927, immature, banded by
R. H. Carter J r., at Muscow, Saskatchewan, on
June 24, 1923, was found dead in the nest in which
it was banded, on May 10, 1924. It apparently
died shortly after it was banded.
CROW, No. 236,618, banded by Ernest Joy, at
Wood Island, Grand Manan, New Brunswick, on
August 25, 1923, was shot at a place not one-half
mile from where it was banded, on August 6, 1924.
BRONZED GRACKLE, No. 108,984, adult
male, banded by Hoyes Lloyd, at 406 Queen
Street, Ottawa, Ontario, on August 7, 1923, was
found dead at 297 Gloucester Street, Ottawa,
Ontario, on August 23, 1923.
(Continued in March issue)’
February, 1925]
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 41.
EDITORIAL
The Wilderness
The wilderness, or the unaltered face of Nature,
possesses a powerful influence in human affairs.
This influence is felt in a variety of ways, but
chiefly in its effect upon the character and the
thought of the human individual. Since the
earliest times great leaders whose lives and ideas
have moulded human opinion and guided human-
ity’s destiny have realized the value of the wilder-
ness to them and have deliberately sought to
permit its influence to work freely upon them.
Biblical instances cf this are numerous; while
more recent notable examples are those of Goethe,
Charles Darwin, and Theodore Roosevelt. The
wilderness affects humanity not only through such
leaders, but also by direct influence upon a multi-
tude of individuals of smaller note. The sturdi-
ness and ability of those who come much into
contact with it is a matter of common knowledge.
At the present day many a person whom civiliza-
tion has weakened and well-nigh destroyed is
soothed and strengthened and brought back to a
valuable and capable existence by the inbreathing
of Nature at first hand. Even to those who are
denied personal experiences in the wilderness, the
benefits of that wilderness are great and numerous,
though often unrealized. The mere contemplation
of the scantily marked areas on a map may be a
source of real pleasure and inspiration.
Canada is particularly fortunate in the fact that
a large part of its area is still unmarred wilderness.
Such country, for example, as that so well des-
cribed by Mr. G. H. Blanchet in the current
volume of The Canadian Field-Naturalist, is a
splendid possession and one of which, for the
present, there is no lack in cur Dominion. The
nation whose boundaries include large tracts of
wild Nature is sure to benefit from it in brain and
body and spirit, and to possess great advantage
over thickly settled nations. More than anything
else, it is the fact that Canada possesses an abun-
dance of wilderness that renders it desirable, above
countries less fortunate in this respect, as a place
of residence.
The sad condition to which some parts of this
continent, once desirable and attractive, have been
reduced by modern civilization is briefly described
in the following paragraph from the pen of Richard
Lieber, Director of the Department of Conserva-
tion of the State of Indiana:
“A little over a century of civilization in In-
diana has consumed ninety-five per cent of her
forest wealth; reduced her soil fertility; converted
sparkling rivers into muddy streams; lowered her
lakes, greatly impairing their value; drained her
marshes that teemed with aquatic life; and
initiated many other changes to which much of
her native plant and animal life can not adjust
themselves. New environments have driven
many of our animals and birds away forever;
and some of our trees and shrubs have also dis-
appeared or become so rare that in a few years
they will be only a memory.”
It is at once the privilege and the duty of Cana-
dians, not only to derive present enjoyment and
benefit in the fullest possible measure from their
wilderness areas, but to be ever vigilant in the
protection of these great possessions and in the
prevention in their country of anything like a
repetition of the fate which has befallen Indiana.
Happily, the soil and the climate of much of the
Canadian wilderness are such that its destruction
will assuredly be retarded, but we ought not to
permit this fact to give us a false sense of security.
The progress of mechanical invention, the increase
of the world’s human population, and the lust for
money are constantly at work to destroy our
wilderness, as those of other nations have been
destroyed in the past. While natural obstacles
to change might suffice to preserve primeval con-
ditions in at least some areas during our day, yet
a right and proper interest in posterity requires
that we do all in our power to maintain the best
of our wilderness as a priceless heritage for all
time.
NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS
Subscriptions for 1925 are now due; by pay-
ing promptly you will aid greatly in the effi-
The sub-
scription for the year is $1.50; payment should
cient publishing of the magazine.
be made to the Treasurer, Mr. B. A. Fauvel,
321 McLeod St., Ottawa, Ontario.
by personal cheque, please include exchange.
If paying
Bythinia tentaculata Linn.—Nothing is of greater
interest to the student of zoological geography than
the occurrence of introduced species, especially
when the foreigners firmly establish themselves,
spread, multiply and become pernicious. In their
native habitats they are held in check by that
mysterious balancing of forces on which even
man’s tenure of life seems to rest. Removed
from such influences, they increase inordinately
42 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
and often develop into a pest. Many instances
might be cited. It is sufficient to mention a few
that are but too familiar: the English Sparrow,
the San Jose scale, the Gypsy moth and the larch
saw-fly.
Excepting the grey European slug, Limax
agrestis Lu., which sometimes causes damage in
gardens, the molluses which have invaded Canada
rarely cause any economic disturbance. Recently,
however, there arrived in the Ottawa a small uni-
valve which, if carried above the Chaudiére Falls,
would be likely seriously to interfere with our
water services.
In September, 1921, on my last visit in that
year to the shoals of Duck Island, I was quite
astonished to find in my dredge a few examples
of a European shell, known as Bythinia teniaculata
L., never before observed in the Ottawa. As it is
a very prolific species, I think the inference may
be drawn that its advent is recent, especially as
these shoals have been my most favored collecting
grounds, visited almost annually for more than
forty years.
The first occurrence of this mollusc in Canada
so far as known was in the canal at Cornwall about
fifteen years ago, and I published a note regard-
ing it in The Ottawa Naturalist. Later I found
it in great numbers on the inner shores of
Centre Island, Toronto. There, as in the Ottawa,
it was in my opinion a comparatively recent
arrival. Had it occurred anywhere in the vicinity
of Toronto in Dr. Brodie’s lifetime, it would in
all probability have been discovered by that
indefatigable naturalist. In 1922 I found the
shell to be common in the Bay of Quinte at
the Belleville Wharf, a locality from which it was
absent in 1918.
No introduced mollusc has spread so rapidly
over so wide an area. Its diffusion in the United
States is little short of marvellous. It was first
found there in 1879, in Lake Ontario, at Oswego,
by the late W. M. Beauchamp, who published
notes of its occurrence in The American Naturalist
for September, 1881, and March, 1882, and in his
Land and Fresh Water Shells of Onondaga County,
1886. In a memorandum attached to a copy of
his paper presented to Dr. Bryant Walker the
author remarks: “‘B. tentaculata has done well at
Mohawk, and is spreading eastward in the Erie
Canal from Syracuse; but it does not seem to be
making much progress west of that city. It is
now (1886?) reported from Lake Champlain. It
was very abundant at Oswego, where I first found
ree
Later it spread westward with great rapidity.
It was recorded by Streator from Ashtabula, Ohio,
in 1889, and by Daniels from Indiana in 1901.
At Erie, Pa., it multiplied to such an extent that
[VoL. XXXIX
it interfered with the water supply, especially at
the intake wells, several miles out in Lake Erie.
According to Dr. Sterki (Nautilus XXIV, Jan-
uary, 1911), it was removed from the wells “in
wagon loads’’.
Dr. Walker informs me that it is found at
Niagara Falls in incredible numbers. It occurs at
several places in Michigan, notably at Harbor
Beach, Lake Huron. In Illinois it blocked the
water pipes at Lake View, a suburb of Chicago,
and frequently issued from the service taps in
thousands. The civic authorities invited Professor
Frank Collins Baker to investigate the cause of
the troublesome conditions. At his instance
divers examined the intake tunnel and found its
sides coated with millions of the little shell, its
eggs and young. By carefully scraping the tunnel
and providing a smaller meshed screen for the
intake, the nuisance was abated*.
B. tentaculata does not seem to have become
established in Lake Superior, or in the upper
reaches of St. Mary’s River, opposite Sault Ste.
Marie, with which I am familiar, though doubtless
it has been carried into the river and lake adhering
to the hulls of boats from ports on the lower lakes.
The shells probably become weak and lose attach-
ment to their carriers as soon as affected by the
intensely cold waters of Lake Superior and its
outlet.
This undesirable alien was probably brought to
the American continent in the marsh grass used in
packing crockery or similar commodities. Once
established it would multiply rapidly and be car-
ried from place to place adhering to boats and
barges. Wherever a few individuals were dropped
would become a new focus of dissemination. To
the Ottawa it must have been carried from Lake
Champlain or the St. Lawrence by vessels engaged
in transporting coal or lumber.
The shell is thin, concentrically operculated,
semi-transparent, smooth and shining, and of a
yellowish horn color. It has about five whorls
and is a little less than half an inch in length.
Its ordinary range is throughout central Europe.
It is worthy of remark that the only other
molluse which has seriously interfered with a
supply of water is also an intruder into England
from continental Europe. The mains in London
have frequently been clogged with Dreissena
polymorpha, commonly known as the zebra mussel,
imported, as is supposed, in ballast, and now
widely distributed in England, Ireland and south-
ern Scotland.
A French naturalist, Bouchard-Chantereaux,
has described the proceedings of B. ltentaculata
when laying its eggs. They are from thirty to
* Mollusca of the Chicago Area, Baker, 1902.
February, 1925]
seventy in number, united together in a narrow
band. When it desires to lay it selects a smooth
stone, or water plant and cleans the surface with
its mouth. That done, it contracts its foot,
rendering it a third shorter and broader; then,
raising the centre of the anterior extremity of the
foot so as to form a little canal intended to receive
the egg, it withdraws its head within the shell,
and directs its muzzle towards the branchial
orifice, where an egg appears, which it seizes and
guides into the canal to be fixed in its destined
place. The sedulous mother then cleans anew
the body to which it adheres and deposits a second
egg, repeating the operation until all the eggs are
expelled and arranged in ribbon fashion, each band
when laid by an adult consisting of three rows.
The whole process proceeds slowly, time being left
between each effort sufficient for the agglutination
of the eggs to one another and to the surface on
which they are deposited. The young emerge in
from twenty to twenty-five days and attain matur-
ity at the end of their second yearf.
Fortunately for the Capital, the Chaudiére Falls
present an almost impassible barrier to the pro-
gress up the Ottawa of this little shell and its
interference in that unlikely event with our
domestic water supply. Apart from a few racing
and pleasure craft—to none of which this shell
is likely to become adherent—hoats are seldom
transferred from below the Falls to any point
above the intake. In every case the transfer is
overland and any shells that might be clinging to
a hull would be almost certain to be jolted off dur-
ing the journey. While B. tentaculata may never
become a public nuisance at Ottawa, the advent
of a species new to the district which has proved
to be a pest elsewhere is not without interest, at
least to students of the geographical distribution
of animal life.
I wish to express my indebtedness for informa-
tion regarding the spread of this species in the
United States to Dr. Bryant Walker and Mr. C.
Goodrich, of Detroit, and to Professor Baker, of
the University of Illinois —F. R. LATCHFORD.
MystEeRY BANDS.—A great many persons
throughout the continent are carrying on a very
interesting plan of work in connection with wild
birds. They are capturing these birds either
fully grown, or when young, and placing a small
numbered aluminium band on the leg of each bird
captured.
To avoid confusion, only one set of numbers for
the continent is in use, and these numbers are
allotted by the Biological Survey, United States
Department of Agriculture, at Washington. The
TAbridged from Forbes & Hanley’s British Mollusca, Vol.
III, p. 13.
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 43
Biological Survey supplies the numbered bands to
persons who are co-operating in bird-banding work
on this continent. Persons who wish to trap pro-
tected birds for the purpose of banding them,
require a permit under the Migratory Birds Con-
vention Act before they trap any protected birds,
and these permits do not allow birds to be killed.
Applications for permits of this nature should be
made to the Canadian National Parks Branch,
Department of the Interior, Ottawa, and should
be accompanied by two reliable testimonials in
writing.
Very valuable information has been obtained
by banding birds and very much can be learned
in this way. It can be found approximately how
long each kind of bird will live, whether it will
return to the same place year after year, or not,
how fast it travels in migration, and many other
problems can be solved. Bird protectors are
much interested in this work because it gives them
a method of carrying on useful scientific investiga-
tions without destroying bird life.
The desirability has been recognized of having
all bird-banding records, as well as all returns (1)
upon birds banded in Canada and captured away
from the original banding station, or at the original
banding station at a considerably later date, and
(2) upon birds banded outside of Canada and
captured anywhere in Canada, filed at one central
point in Canada, where they will be available for
all persons interested. Therefore, the Canadian
National Parks Branch is keening the file of Cana-
dian Bird-Banding Records.
From time to time unofficial bands without
traceable marks of identification are sent to the
Branch by sportsmen and others who know about
the bird-banding investigations being carried on
to trace more definitely the migrations of our wild-
fowl. Two such bands are described below, and
an endeavour is being made to trace their origin.
Any information that can be furnished in connec-
tion with them will be greatly appreciated by the
Branch.
One of the bands was sent in to the Branch with
the leg of the Duck on which it was found, and
addressed to ‘“‘The Bird Banding Official’. The
envelope which contained it is post-marked
Ottawa, Canada, March 5, 1924, but no informa-
tion was given with regard to the sender. The
band is made of aluminium about one-half inch
wide and has nicked turned-in edges. The in-
scription ““PAT. APPLIED FoR’’ on the outside is
almost worn off. The band will be lent to respon-
sible persons who consider that they may be able
to furnish information concerning it.
Mr. C. H. Young, of the Victoria Memorial
Museum, Ottawa, reports that on September 15,
1923, Mr. Arthur Harwood, Postmaster of Water-
44 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
ton Park Post Office, Alberta, shot a Mallard
drake at Mountain View, Alberta. A pale blue
celluloid poultry ring was found on the leg of this
drake, but it is not known who placed the ring, as
it had no identification mark on it.—HoyEs LLoyp.
AN UNUSUAL NEST OF THE MALLARD.—Late in
May, 1924, a boy who knew I was interested in
birds informed me that he had seen a Duck sitting
in an open nest in a tree. On May 27th he took
me to the place and showed me the nest, which
proved to be that of a Mallard.
The female was sitting and left the nest at our
near approach. The nest was an old nest of the
.Crow which had been partly filled with shredded
bark by a squirrel and the Mallard had added
down. It was about fifteen feet up in a willow at
the edge of an open field and beside a small dry
slough. The nest contained ten eggs.
I am informed that the Mallard occasionally
nests in this manner, but this is the first instance
of it to come under my notice in the vicinity of
Belvedere, where the Duck is an abundant
breeder.—A. D. HENDERSON.
MIGRATION INCIDENTS.—On May 14, 1924, I
sailed on a small steamer from Souris, P.E.I., at
5.00 a.m., and arrived at Amherst Harbor, Mag-
dalen Islands, P.Q., at 4.00 p.m. The entire
distance from Souris to Amherst Harbor is about
sixty miles. On this occasion the first two-thirds
or so of the voyage were made through pack ice,
composed of floes and pans four or five feet thick,
so closely jammed together that navigation was
barely possible and progress was very slow.
During the final third of the voyage almost no ice
was encountered. The day was fine and the sky
was clear until after noon, but a haze filled the air
near the ice and water, rendering visibility poor.
On our little steamer we could not see more than
eight or ten miles in any horizontal direction.
Consequently, we could see no land from about
8.00 a.m., when we lost sight of East Point, P.E.I.,
until about 2.00 p.m., when we sighted Entry
Island, Magdalen Islands, P.Q.
Water birds seen during this crossing were only
Black Guillemots (18), Loon (sp.?) (3), Gannet (1),
Murre (sp.?) (2), Cormorant (sp.?) (10), Old-
Squaw (11), and a few Herring Gulls. The Gulls
were seen, one or two at a time, at rather long
intervals. I was surprised to see no Ducks except
the Old-Squaws.
Only two land birds were seen during this
voyage. About 8.30 a.m., a Barn Swallow came
up from astern, passed low over the steamer, and
continued without pausing, heading straight
through the haze for the unseen Magdalen Islands.
A male Myrtle Warbler, in very high plumage,
[VoL. XXXIX
came aboard the steamer about 11.30 am. It
flitted about the ship for about half an hour,
apparently looking for insects or other food.
It did not seem to be particularly tired. It was
observed on one occasion to alight on a cake of
ice in the sea where it remained for a minute or so.
This suggests that floating ice may more or less
regularly provide perching or resting places for
migrant birds passing over the Gulf of St. Law-
rence and similar waters in the spring. At any
rate, waters in which such ice is plentiful are
probably much less dangerous to migrant land
birds than they would be if they were free of ice.
Mr. Hoyes Lloyd has suggested to me that melt-
ing drift ice in the spring may also serve migrant
land birds by furnishing fresh water, suitable for
drinking, in its hollows. About 12.00 m. the
Myrtle Warbler left us and flew on straight ahead
of us, a few yards above the water, toward the
Magdalen Islands, which we did not make out
until some two hours later.—HARRISON F. LEWIS.
CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST PUBLICATION FUND
Statement of Receipts
Previously Acknowledged.............. $260 .00
Muss AG Re Sherman. 92) == ee 20.00
Col. Wim-*Wood- 3). 0). ee eee 20.00
Dr. George T. McKeough............. 10.00
Total... $310.00
THE PROVINCE OF QUEBEC SOCIETY FOR THE
PROTECTION OF BIRDS has again rendered splendid
assistance to The Canadian Field-Naturalist.
The Society purchased at regular rates 300 extra
copies of the issue of the magazine for January,
1925, and distributed them among its membership.
Each copy thus distributed was accompanied by a
form letter which pointed out the desirability of
supporting The Naturalist by subscribing for it.
This form of assistance is not only of immediate
financial value but contributes materially to the
building-up of that large body of subscribers which
is necessary for ultimate relief from financial
troubles. Our publishers rose to the occasion
and once more displayed their genuine interest in
the magazine by printing eight extra pages of text
without any extra charge. The Canadian Field-
Naturalist expresses its appreciation of the aid
which it has thus received and hopes that other
affiliated organizations may follow the excellent
example set by The Province of Quebec Society
for the Protection of Birds —EDITOR.
The cuts for the illustrations in this issue were
kindly furnished by the Topographical Survey of
Canada.—EDITOR.
February, 1925] THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 45
‘ CORRESPONDENCE
Epitor oF The Canadian Field-Naturalist, Radford had a femur five inches longer than that
Ottawa, Can. of the largest bull in the Wainwright herd. Must
Dear Sir: the huge and vigorous Wood Buffalo be doomed
The Wood Buffalo (Bison bison athabascz) is too
important an animal to be subjected to experi-
mentation that may result in decided harm to the
entire subspecies. The proposal outlined in a
recent number of this journal!, for introducing
large numbers of the Plains Buffalo into the range
of the Wood Buffalo, raises anew the old question
of man’s interference with nature, which, in too
many cases, is alike unnecessary and unjustifiable.
The establishment in 1922 of a sanctuary for
the Wood Buffalo west of the Slave River was one
of the most important and far-sighted conserva-
tion measures ever adopted by the Dominion
Government. Are the good results of this measure
to be endangered by the hasty carrying out of the
proposal in question?
In 1907 the total number of Wood Buffaloes
was estimated at 300 individuals”. In 1914 the
estimate had gone up to 500°. While I was at
Peace Point in 1920, the buffalo guardians gave
me their estimate as 1,000 or more. Mr. Gra-
ham’s own estimate (1924) is 1,500. Apparently,
then, with the good protection afforded in recent
years, the Wood Buffaloes have materially in-
creased in number. And so, in due course of
time, without experimentation or interference,
there is every reason to believe that their numbers
will practically reach the maximum that their
range can support. Why, then, attempt to force
this natural process by introducing overwhelming
numbers of a smaller and presumably less hardy
stock, reared in enclosures, and not so well fitted
as the Wood Buffalo is to survive deep winter
snows or to cope with wolves? For countless ages
nature has been molding Plains Buffalo to its
particular environment, and the Wood Buffalo to
its particular and distinct environment. How can
it be imagined that the one will suddenly fit
harmoniously into the environment of the other?
Interbreeding will undoubtedly take place, and
with the introduced Plains Buffalo vastly in the
majority, the descendants a few generations hence
will naturally have more of the characteristics of
the latter than of the Wood Buffalo. Some years
ago Mr. Barnum Brown, of the American Museum
of Natural History, remarked to the writer, if
memory serves him correctly, that the Wood
Buffalo specimen collected by the late Harry V.
1Graham, Maxwell, Finding Range for Canada’s joutalo-
Canadian Field-Naturalist, Vol. 38, Dec., 1924, p. 189
2Seton, Ernest Thompson, The Arctic Prairies, 1911, p. 320.
’Harper, Francis, The Athabaska-Great Slave Lake Exped;-
gon 214. 4 Summary Rept. Geol. Surv., Canada, for 1914 (191 5)
p.- :
to deterioration through unnatural interbreeding
with its smaller cousin of the Plains?
Mr. Graham intimates that at least the northern
herd of Wood Buffalo will be safe from contamina-
tion, because of the supposed gap between the
ranges of the northern and southern herds. This
gap can hardly yet be accepted as a proven fact,
or as a necessarily permanent condition. There
is evidently no physical barrier that would prevent
the two herds from mixing. In 1914 the buffalo
guardian, Peter McCallum, described this inter-
vening territory to me as jack-pine country.
The possible transmission of disease through the
introduced Plains Buffaloes is another factor to be
considered.
_ If the surplus stock of the Wainwright herd can
not be turned out in some of the thinly settled
districts of central Alberta, to be hunted under
suitable restrictions, would it not be wiser to send
them to the slaughter-house at once, rather than
to undertake the enormously expensive and diffi-
cult job of transporting them to northern Alberta,
and leaving them there to work slow but sure
havoe through interbreeding with the superb
Wood Buffalo? If a single importation of Plains
Buffaloes is made, could the effect ever be undone?
Could it mean anything less than an unnatural
change in the characteristics of practically the
only representatives of the genus Bison that are
left in a perfectly wild and free state?
This whole question is one for competent
zoologists to pass upon. Too many serious mis-
takes have been made in the past through failure
on the part of legislators and other government
officials to consult zoological authorities in con-
servation matters. Let the question be submitted
to the American Society of Mammalogists at its
annual meeting, to be held April 8-10, 1925.
Very truly yours,
FRANCIS HARPER.
Cornell University.
Zoological Laboratory.
Ithaca, New York.
February 14, 1925.
Epitor, The Canadian Field-Naturalist,
Ottawa, Ont.
Dear Sir:
I read with interest Mr. F. Farley’s account of
the occurrence of Horned Larks in winter in the
Camrose district.
I have now spent four winters in the Castor,
Alta., district, and would like to record the fact
46 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
that at no time of the year are we without Horned
Larks. At any time of the winter one can find
them, sometimes around the farm buildings, often
on the bare summer-fallow and more often on the
roads, usually from five to twelve in the flock.
By the third week of February they are mostly
paired off and nesting begins about the middle of
[VoL. XX XIX
March. I have seen young birds strong on the
wing before the end of April.
Yours truly,
THos. E. RANDALL.
Box 239,
Castor, Alberta,
December 2, 1924.
BOOK REVIEW
Some REMARKS ON BIRDS, by Dr. George T. Mc-
Keough, with A List OF THE BIRDS OF THE -
County oF KENT, by Dr. G. T. McKeough
and J. H. Smith, I.P.S. Kent Historical
Society, Papers and Addresses, Vol. 6, 1924,
pp. 49-74. Published by the Society, Chatham,
Ontario.
From the standpoint of the student of zoological
literature it is regrettable to find such a list tucked
away in a publication that is not generally known
or available to the ornithological public. There
can be no doubt as to the real value of such lists
in the present, and they become historical docu-
ments in the future, but at any time they attain
their greatest usefulness in publications where
they are more naturally expected.
In reviewing faunal lists that of necessity
become part of the zoological record, a critical
(to the layman it may seem hypercritical) scientific
standpoint is necessary. There is scarcely a
settled region in this country where an ornith-
ologist can not, from known distributions and
probabilities, correctly list ninety per cent of the
birds. A local list must be correct in the last ten
per cent or it loses its reason for being. It is
therefore in these refinements of distributional
ornithology that a contemporary critic must
criticise most closely in order to judge the scienti-
fic reliability of new work for the benefit of stu-
dents of the future when means of verification are
past and gone.
In this light one finds a number of things in
these two papers that make it evident that no
experienced ornithological eye scanned them before
publication. These shake the readers’ confidence
in other statements where confidence is necessary
for full acceptance.
Dr. McKeough shows a certain familiarity with
current ornithological literature but it is strange
to find him, on page 50, stating that his collabor-
ator was the first to note the deep influence the
glacial epochs had on bird life past and present.
The bearing of the glaciers on distribution and
present migration routes of birds is an old story
and has been noted ever since the glacial theory
was first advanced.
On page 32 he speaks of the “Crimson Phala-
rope’ in southern Alberta and the Northwest.
This new name may possibly refer to the Red
Phalarope, which is, however, almost confined to
the sea coasts and only of accidental occurrence
in the interior. Wilson’s Phalarope is the common
Phalarope of the region in question and the one
probably intended. On page 53 it is stated that
the Snowy Owl changes color in winter and then
becomes ‘‘almost pure white’. This species has
no seasonal change in color, but a considerable one
with age. Young birds are heavily barred with
brown. Fully adult ones are nearly immaculate.
Western Ontario is not the only Canadian area
favored by the presence of the Turkey Buzzard,
asis stated on page 57. From Manitoba westward
to the Pacific coast it is a regular and more or less
common summer resident and nests as far north
as Lake Winnipegosis and near Vermilion, Alberta.
Vide JWloyd, The Canadian Field-Naturalist,
XXXVI, 1922, pp. 178-179.
Nor is the Cormorant of Ontario a particularly
oceanic species as indicated on page 57. It does
nest commonly on the sea coasts, but it also breeds
in immense colonies across the prairie provinces.
In the annotated list are a number of interesting
records, many of which are probably correct, but
in view of collateral evidence they cannot be
accepted without further verification. The inclu-
sion of Franklin’s Gull as “‘An occasional one seen
in migration’; the substitution of the Mexican
Cormorant, Phalacrocorax vigua meaicanus, for
the Double-crested; the statement that the Avo-
cet “was at one time a fairly common migrant”’
and the record of the Yellow-throated Vireo as
only a passing migrant shake our confidence in
other statements where confidence is essential.
There are a large number of typographical
errors throughout. No consistent rule of capital-
ization has been followed, in places type faces have
been mixed, and the number of misspellings
indicate that the proof of the publication was not
carefully read. The list in general follows the
order of the current Check-List, but the nomen-
clature has not been brought up to date and so
many of the species are misplaced that the reader
cannot find them or be certain of the absence
—
February, 1925]
of any without searching the complete list.
230 species are enumerated, but we miss the
names of a number more that most certainly occur
within the county.—P. A. T.
THE AUK 1923
(Continued from p. 28.)
ARRIVAL OF BIRDS IN RELATION TO SUNSPOTS.—
By Ralph E. De Lury, pp. 414-419.
The author, an officer in the Dominion Observa-
tory, Ottawa, has obtained some very interesting
data on the subject, viz., the records of arrival of
the Cuckoo, Lark and Swallow at Montdidier,
France, for the years between 1784 and 1869.
These he charts and compares with the sunspot
and attendant rainfall cycle for the same interval
and the similarity of the curves produced is re-
markable. In brief, the arrivals are later in the
season during the maximum sunspot periods and
vice versa. This is probably not a direct result
of sunspot activity on the sun’s disc but a second-
ary one dependent upon the weather produced.
THE BiRDS OF WELLINGTON AND WATERLOO
COUNTIES, ONTARIO.—By J. Dewey Soper,
pp. 489-513.
An annotated faunal list of 206 species. An
interesting list from one of the richest ornitholo-
gical fields in eastern Canada.
EIGHTEENTH SUPPLEMENT TO THE AMERICAN
ORNITHOLOGISTS’ UNION CHECK-LIST OF
NortH AMERICAN BirDs.—By the Committee
on Nomenclature, pp. 513-525.
Among the authorized changes in the Check-List
of direct interest to Canadian ornithologists are
the following:
Larus thayeri, Thayer’s Gull, a new species
added from Buchanan Bay, Hllesmere Land. In
winter south to southern British Columbia.
Sterna caspia, Caspian Tern, becomes Sterna
caspia imperator.
Priocelia glacialoides becomes Priocella ant-
arctica. —
Oceanodroma kaedingi, Kaeding’s Petrel, is re-
duced to a subspecies of Leach’s Petrel as Oceano-
droma leuccrhoa kaedingi.
Dafila acuta, Pintail Duck, becomes Dafila acuta
tzitzthoa. ji
Histrionicus histrionicus pacificus, Western
Harlequin Duck, is recognized as a subspecies.
Somateria dressert, American-Hider, becomes a
subspecies of co-ordinate rank with the Northern
Eider as Somateria mollissima dressert.
Oidemia deglandi dixoni, Dixon’s White-winged
Scoter, is recognized as a north-western subspecies.
Olor becomes Cygnus, hence our Swans will be-
come: ,
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 47
Cygnus columbianus, Whistling Swan.
Cygnus buccinator, Trumpeter Swan.
Philohela becomes Rubicola, hence our Wood-
cock will be Rubicola minor.
Gallinula galeata, Florida Gallinule, becomes
Gallinula chloropus cachinnans.
Tringa becomes Calidris, hence the Knot will be
Calidris canutus.
Machetes hecomes Philomachus, hence the Ruff
will be Philomachus pugnazx.
The Black-bellied Plover in America becomes
the American Black-bellied Plover, Squatarola
squatarola cynosurae.
Dendragapus obscurus flemingi, Fleming’s
Grouse; Bonasa umbellus thayeri, Nova Scotia
Ruffed Grouse; Bonasa umbellus yukonensis,
Yukon Rufted Grouse; and Zenaidura macroura
caurina, Dusky Mourning Dove, are accepted as
subspecies.
Aluco pratincola, Barn Owl, becomes Tyto alba
pratincola.
Falco sparveria, Sparrow Hawk, becomes Cerch-
neis sparveria.
Cryptoglaux acadica brooksi, Island Saw-whet
Owl; Bubo virginianus lagophonus, Northwestern
Horned Owl; Bubo virginianus occidentalis, Pale
Horned Owl; Bubo virginianus neochorus, New-
foundland Horned Owl, Glaucidium gnoma swarthi,
Vancouver Pygmy Owl; Glaucidium gnoma grin-
nelli, Coast Pygmy Owl; Pryobates villosus sitken-
sis, Sitka Hairy Woodpecker; Dryobates pubescens
microleucus, Newfoundland Downy Woodpecker;
Dryobates pubescens glacialis, Valdez Downy
Woodpecker; Phiwotomus pileatus picinus, West-
ern Pileated Woodpecker; and Colaptes auratus
borealis, Boreal Flicker, are accepted as subspecies.
Colaptes cafer saturatior, Northwestern Flicker,
becomes Colaptes cafer cafer.
Perisoreus canadensis sanfordi, Newfoundland
Jay, is accepted as a subspecies.
Corvus caurinus, Northwestern Crow, is reduced
to’a subspecies of the American Crow as Corvus
brachyrhynchos caurinus.
Pinicola enucleator eschatosus, Newfoundland
Pine Grosbeak, and Loxia curvirostra percna, New-
foundland Crossbill, are accepted as subspecies.
Zamelodia becomes Hedymeles, so that we have:
Hedymeles ludovicianus, Rose-breasted Gros-
beak.
_ Hedymeles
Grosbeak.
Dendroica coronata hooveri, Hoover’s Warbler, is
accepted as a subspecies.
Ixobrychus neoxenus, Cory’s Least Bittern, and
Cryptoglaux acadica scotza, Northwestern Saw-
whet Owl, are eliminated.
melanocephalus, Black-headed
48 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
NOTES ON THE DIVING OF LOONS AND DucKs.—
By Nap. A. Comeau, p. 525.
This is an addition to a current discussion on
the under-water use of wings by diving birds.
MourNING DovE AT CAP ROUGE, QUEBEC.—By
Gus. A. Langelier, p. 532.
This is an interesting record of a species rare
near Quebec.
THE STARLING (Sturnus vulgaris) BREEDING AT
HATLEY, QUEBEC.—By Henry Mousley, p.
He)
The first breeding record for this species in
Canada.
WHEATEAR AT GODBOUT, QUEBEC.—By Nap. A.
Comeau, pp. 544-545.
A summary of all his records of the species at
Godbout from 1884 to 1922. This is the last
published work of this veteran naturalist of the
“North Shore’’, whose obituary has previously
appeared in these pages.
FuRTHER NOTES ON LAKE COUNTY, MINNESOTA,
Birps.—By Charles E. Johnson, pp. 547-548.
Adding four species to the list of birds of this
locality, which closely adjoins a part of Ontario
that is ornithologically almost unknown.
Under Correspondence, p. 571, is a letter by
Hoyes Lloyd presenting a resolution of the Ottawa
Field-Naturalists’ Club, which urges that exact
information regarding the locality of occurrence of
the nesting places of certain rare birds be placed
in the private records of responsible institutions
but withheld from publication.
-at Mahone Bay, N.S., September 12, 1841.
[VoL. XX XIX
On pp. 572-573 is reported the death at Forest
Glen, Maryland, on April 9, 1923, of the Rev.
James Hibbert Langille. Mr. Langille was born
He is
best known as the author of Our Birds in Their
Haunts, a book that has had wide circulation and
has guided many budding ornithologists.
ON THE NESTING GROUNDS OF THE SOLITARY
SANDPIPER AND THE LESSER YELLOWLEGS.—
By J. Fletcher Street, pp. 577-583.
This paper, accompanied by 4 interesting photo-
graphs, reports and describes the nesting of these
species near Bowden, Alberta, in the summer of
1923.
FURTHER NOTES ON THE BREEDING OF THE STAR-
LING (Sturnus vulgaris) AT HATLEY, QUE.—
By Henry Mousley, pp. 694-695.
Further report on the nest previously reported,
and announcement of another one.
SOME RECENT RECORDS FOR BRITISH COLUMBIA.—
By Allan Brooks, pp. 700-701.
Recording the taking of Wilson’s Phalarope,
adult male Black Merlin, and Dickcissel, as well
as a sight record of the Ferruginous Rough-legged
Hawk in British Columbia.
On page 722 is announced the death of James
Stirton Wallace, a nature lover whom many
naturalists will miss. He was born in Southamp-
ton, Bruce County, Ontario, in 1868, and died at
Smith’s Falls, Ontario, July 24, 1922, as the result
of an accident. He was a member of the Ottawa
Field-Naturalists’ Club.—P. A. T.
PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED
Journal of the Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society. Vol. Xi.
Nos.1land2. August, 1924. Chapel Hill, N.C., U.S.A.
The Mascoutens or Prairie Potawatomi Indians. Part I,
Social Life and Ceremonies, by Alanson Skinner. Bulletin of
the Public Museum of the City of Milwaukee. Vol. 6, No. 1,
Pp. 1-262, Plates 1-8, Figs. 1-2. November 10, 1924. Mil-
waukee, Wis., U.S.A.
Monthly Weather Map,
Service, Dominion of Canada.
Bulletin de la Ligue Francaise pour la Protection des Oiseaux.
Treiziéme Année. No.9. September, 1924. Paris.
Bulletin de la Ligue Francaise pour la Protection des Oiseaux,
Treiziéme Année. No.10. Octobre, 1924. Paris.
_Prace Zoologiczne. Polskiego Panstivowego Muzeum Przyrd-
niczego. Toml. Zeszyt 1, 1921. Zeszyt 2-3, 1922. Zeszyt
4,1923. Warszawa.
Monthly Record of Meteorological Observations, May, 1924.
Tesued by the Meteorological Service of Canada. Ottawa,
October, 1924. Meteorological
Bulletin de la Ligue Francaise pour la Protection des Oiseaux.
Paris.
Treiziéme Année. No. 11, Novembre, 1924.
Report of the Secretary of Agriculture, 1924. Washington,
1924.
’ Report of Chief of Bureau of Biological Survey. Washington,
1924.
Notes on West American Whale Barnacles, by Ira E. Cornwall.
Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci., 4th Ser., Vol. XIII, No. 26, pp. 421-431,
plate 18. November 29, 1924.
Shrubs of Indiana, by Charles C. Deam. Dept. of Conserva-
tion, State of Indiana. Publication No. 44. 1924.
Journal of the Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society. Vol. XL.
Nos. 3 and 4. December, 1924. Chapel Hill, N.C., U.S.A.
Monthly Weather Map, December, 1924. Meterological
Service, Dominion of Canada.
Recovery cf Marked Birds. Reprints from British Birds,
Vol. XVIII, No. 7, December 1, 1924.
Le Gerfaut, 14e Année, 1924, Fascicule III.
Beigique.
Le Gerfaut,
Belgique.
The Audubon Bulletin. Spring and Summer, 1924.
lished by The Illinois Audubon Society. Chicago.
Bruxelles,
14e Année, 1924, Fascicule IV. Bruxelles:
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MARCH, 1925
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ISSUED MARCH 23, 1925
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IGS SAPIR ee Aes Urs Anthropology AiG.) HUNTSMAN: = % eo ee Biolog
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CONTENTS
A Prelinniaary et of the Birds of the Lindsay District, Ontario. By E. W. Calvert: ; hon a - os 49
An Exploration into the Northern Plains North and Bast of Great Slave Lake, Bee the Source hae
of the Coppermine River. By G. H. Blanchet, F.R.G.S:...........-. tae oa dae nae
Official Canadian Record of Bird-Banding Returns.............. eteitnee ei acne iat eee aes) ie eat
The Hibernation of the Columbian Ground Squirrel. By William Abe Shaw. . ster aus eae att
In Memoriam: (Charles Wusebe Dionne... 0. ee ee pie aie. oe
Notes and Observations:— ~- a) is eae
A Distributional Record for Brewer’s Blackbird (Huphagus Esaioniahins By L. ay Snyder = Oars
The Recording of Acclimatization Experiments. By Hoyes Lloyd’.... Sina ee Me oe BEAL 63
Record of the Sooty Tern for Nova Scotia. By R. W. Tufts....................... Sat,
An Observation of Winter Crows. By Pearl McGahey....... ne ARs x: Bye Tee) Ae ee
Book Review:— wo Sa ae Aer:
Museum Guides By He Meo es iss iain iNebigs Mae emai nT. ec
The Cultivation of New Zealand Plants. By R.B.T........ arn Re Nae
The Mascoutens or Prairie Potawatomi Indians. By G.E.R................ Pero ei Be
aPhe vAqiks, 1924. Baye ALS ee Ne ere aie a Ses ont AAS pas Onur earns eet ;
Whale. Barnacles: «By Av G. oe. nove oe BARC st Dee Ret, Mean Ar 5 ee Se
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST, lately Tae OTrawa NATURALIST, established =
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| VOL. XXXIX
The Canadian Field-Naturalist
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, MARCH, 1925
No. 3
A PRELIMINARY LIST OF THE BIRDS OF THE LINDSAY DISTRICT,
ONTARIO
By E. W. CALVERT
HE DATA in the following preliminary
list have been obtained from many
localities within an approximate radius
of twenty miles of Lindsay, including
portions of some three counties and fifteen town-
ships. Four prominent lakes and some dozen
smaller ones or portions of others, four rivers and
many small streams serve to attract large numbers
of water birds, particularly those frequenting
marshy areas. The territory here considered is
chiefiy rolling or undulating in character, but some
localities are rugged. These reach, in the extreme
northern and southern regions, an elevation of
over 1000 feet above sea level. The lowest eleva-
tion (some 800 feet) is found in the eastern extrem-
ity and the average for the district is under 900
feet.
The timber remaining consists, in the uplands,
chiefly of patches of hardwood, with sugar maple,
beech and basswood usually predominating, but
often replaced by hemlock, white pine or other
species on lighter soils. The swampy areas
originally contained arbor-vitz, balsam fir, white
and black spruce, white elm, silver maple and
lareh. The “second growth” on burned-over areas
is usually composed of poplars and willows, but
white birch and larch also occur. The coniferous
growth serves to attract many species of Warblers
which are typical of the Canadian zone; members
of other groups occur in like manner. The deple-
tion has, however, caused many species to become
less frequent in recent years. The water-fre-
quenting groups are exceptionally well favored,
but shore birds as a class are not numerous.
The fauna of the district is fairly typical Alle-
ghanian in the vicinity of Lindsay to an elevation
of about 900 feet, but northward from about the
latitude of Sturgeon Lake, and possibly in Durham
County, a Canadian influence is_ perceptible.
Such species as the Myrtle Warbler, Winter
Wren, Junco, and Red-breasted Nuthatch are
present in large numbers within these areas, while
the Olive-sided Flycatcher is evenly distributed
throughout, where local conditions permit, Dur-
ham County excepted. The writer wishes to
acknowledge the use made of notes in the list of
summer birds of Pleasant Point, by Mr. E. M.S
Dale, published in The Naturalist for March, 1915.
Thanks are also due to Mr. W. G. Brooks, taxi-
dermist, of Lindsay, Mr. Charles Parkin, former
Game Overseer, of Valentia, and others.
1. Colymbus auritus. HORNED GREBE.—Fre-
quent migrant on Scugog Lake and River.
2. Podilymbus podiceps. PIED-BILLED GREBE.
—Common summer resident on all the larger lakes
and streams; abundant in fall migrations.
3. Gavia immer. Loon.—Frequent migrant lo-
cally. Breeds on Scugog and possibly Sturgeon
Lake.
4. Larus argentatus. HERRING GULL.—Com-
mon migrant, abundant locally, occasional
throughout the summer. Many non-breeding
birds spend the summer on Scugog Lake.
5. Larus delawarensis. RING-BILLED GULL.—A
common migrant on Sturgeon Lake (Dale).
6. Larus philadelphia. BONAPARTE GULL.—
Frequent fall migrant on Sturgeon and Scugog
Lakes.
7. Sterna caspia imperator. COUE’S CASPIAN
TERN.—Frequent fall migrant on Sturgeon Lake
(Dale).
8. Sterna hirundo. COMMON ‘'TERN.—Scarce
migrant. A flock of fourteen observed at Scugog
Lake, near Port Perry, May 27, 1924.
9. Chlidonias nigra surinamensis. BLACK TERN.
—Common summer resident on the marshes where
there are stumps.
10. Mergus americanus. AMERICAN MERGAN-
SER.—Frequent migrant in early spring on Scugog
Lake. Several wintered at Fenelon Falls in 1919-
20.
11. Mergus serrator. RED-BREASTED MERGAN-
SER.—Tolerably common migrant on Sturgeon and
Scugog Lakes.
12. Lophodytes cucullatus. HOODED MERGAN-
SER.—Tolerably common locally. Observed in
summer in Ops and Mariposa townships and may
breed. :
18. Anas platyrhynchos. MALLARD.—A_ not
common migrant. Two males mounted by Mr.
W. G. Brooks were taken near Lindsay in the fall
of 1919. A pair observed April 6 and one April
13, 1924, near Port Perry.
50 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
14. Anas rubripes. BLACK DucK.—A tolerably
common breeder, common locally; some young
hatched by June 1. Abundant migrant on the
lakes and larger streams. Occasional in winter;
one near Reaboro, December 22, 1919.
15. Nettion carolinense. GREEN-WINGED TEAL.
—Tolerably common migrant locally. One taken
near Reaboro in the fall of 1919. Several seen in
early April, 1924, near Port Perry.
16. Querquedula discors. BLUE-WINGED TRAL.
—Tolerably common in summer at Port Perry,
probably breeds.
17. Dafila acuta tzitzthoa. AMERICAN PINTAIL.
—Migrant in the Scugog region, not common.
Seen in April and May, 1924, in Cartwright town-
ship, chiefly in pairs.
18. Aix sponsa. Wood Duck.—Summer resi-
dent along the Scugog River, now searce. Several
that had been taken there were mounted by Mr.
W. G. Brooks in the fall of 1919. Reported near
Port Perry in April, 1924.
19. Marila americana. REDHEAD.—A not com-
mon migrant; most numerous on Seugog Lake.
20. Marila marila. ScAup Duck.—Common
migrant on the lakes.
21. Marila affinis. LESSER SCAUP Duck.—
Common migrant on Scugog Lake.
22. Marila collaris. RING-NECKED DucK.—
Common migrant at Port Perry; frequents the
marsh. ;
23. Glaucionetie clangula americana. AMERICAN
GOLDEN-EYE.—Common migrant on the lakes and
rivers. Several wintered at Fenelon Falls in
1919-20. we
24. Charitonetia albeola. BUFFLE-HEAD.—Mig-
rant; frequent on Scugog Lake and River.
25. Clangula hyemalis. OLD-SQUAW.—Spring
migrant on Scugog Lake, not common.
26. Oidemia deglandi. WHITE-WINGED SCOTER.
—QOne mounted by Mr. W. G. Brooks was taken
on Sturgeon Lake. Reported at Scugog Lake
but not common there.
27. Branta canadensis canadensis.
GoosE.—A frequent migrant.
28..Cygnus columbianus. WHISTLING SWAN.—
One seen April 10, 1924, near Port Perry; also
reported there previously.
29. Botaurus lentiginosus. BITTERN.—Common
summer resident; abundant locally.
30. Inobrychus exilis. LEAST BITTERN.—Scarce
summer resident, more numerous in early fall.
31. Ardea herodias herodias. GREAT BLUE
HERON.—Common summer resident, very com-
mon locally. Formerly a colony of some fifty
pairs bred in south Ops.
32. Butorides virescens virescens. GREEN
HERON.—Scarce summer resident along Scugog
River and its tributaries.
CANADA
{VoL. XX XIX
33. Nycticorax nycticorax naevius. BLACK-
CROWNED NicHt HgErRoN.—Young frequently
observed in July, 1924, near Port Perry. A bird
in immature plumage taken along the Scugog
River in 1919.
34. Rallus virginianus. VIRGINIA RAIL.—A
tolerably common summer resident on Scugog and
Pigeon waters.
35. Porzana carolina. SoRA.—Common sum-
mer resident along the lakes and rivers locally.
36. Gallinula chloropus cachinnans. FLORIDA
GALLINULE.—Very common summer resident
along the rivers and lakes locally.
37. Fulica americana. AMERICAN COOT.—
Tolerably common summer resident on Scugog
River and Scugog Lake.
38. Rubicola minor. Woopcock.—Tolerably
common summer resident locally.
39. Gallinago delicata. WILSON’S SNIPE.—
Common migrant and summer resident on larger
marshes; abundant migrant at Scugog Lake.
40. Pelidna alpina sakhalina. RED-BACKED
SANDPIPER.—Migrant on Scugog Lake, not com-
mon.
41. Totanus melanoleucus. GREATER YELLOW-
LEGS.—Migrant of varying abundance; often
common in spring. :
42. Totanus flavipes.
common spring migrant.
43. Tringa solitaria solitaria.
PIPER.—Tolerably common;
every summer.
44, Actitis macularia. SPOTTED SANDPIPER.—
Common summer resident; breeds.
YELLOW-LEGS.—A_ not
SOLITARY SAND-
observed almost
45. Squatarola squatarola cynosurae. AMERICAN
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER.—Two records. Observ-
ed near Sturgeon Lake (Dale). An immature bird
taken near Sturgeon Lake in 1919 was mounted by
Mr. W. G. Brooks. :
46. Oxyechus vociferus. KILLDEER.—Common
summer resident; young hatched the last week of
May.
47. Charadrius semipalmatus. SEMIPALMATED
PLOVER.—Migrant; probably not common.
_ 48. Bonasa umbellus togata. CANADA RUFFED
GROUSE.—Common resident; was becoming less
common previous to legislation for its protection.
Some young hatched about May 25 in Cartwright
township. hind
49. Zenaidura macroura carolinensis. MOURN-
ING DovE.—Tolerably common summer resident,
preferring swamps. Breeds;. common at Port
Perry. Apparently on the increase. One ob-
served December 14, 1919, south of Reaboro.
50. Circus hudsonius. Marsa .HAwk.—Com-
mon summer resident on large marshes, tolerably
common elsewhere; common migrant, abundant
2
March, 1925]
locally. Some young hatched by Junel. Several
individuals observed with snakes; birds also taken.
51. Accipiter velox. SHARP-SHINNED HAwK.—
A not common summer resident; more numerous
in migrations.
52. Accipiter coopert. CooPER’s HAwk.—
Searce; possibly a summer and sometimes a
winter resident.
53. Astur atricapillus atricapillus. GOSHAWK.
—Searce fall and winter visitor. A young bird
taken, in November, 1919, near Lindsay.
54. Buteo borealis borealis. RED-TAILED HAWK.
—Searce summer resident; tolerably common
locally in large woods (Blackstock).
55. Buteo linéatus lineatus. RED-SHOULDERED
HAWK.—Freauent summer resident in Ops and
Cartwright; not recorded in Fenelon.
56. Buteo platypterus. BROAD-WINGED HAWK.
—Rather scarce migrant in Ops; tolerably com-
mon in summer in Cartwright.
57. Archibuteo lagopus sancti-johannis. ROUGH-
LEGGED HAwk.—A scarce fall migrant.
58. Halizetus leucocephalus alascanus. NORTH-
ERN BALD EAGLE.—Rare migrant at Scugog Lake.
59. Cerchneis sparveria sparveria. SPARROW
Hawk.—Tolerably common summer resident.
60. Pandion haliaétus carolinensis. OSPREY.—
Searce migrant at Sturgeon Lake, frequent at
Scugog Lake.
61. Asio flammeus. SHORT-EARED OwL—One
observed and frequently heard during June and
July, 1924, near Port Perry.
62. Strix varia varia. BARRED Ow.L.—One
taken near Bethany in winter of 1917-18 and one
at Fenelon Falls on December 29, 1919.
63. Scotiaptex nebulosa nebulosa. GREAT GREY
Owt.—Rare. Two taken near Reaboro many
years ago, and one in the winter of 1918; the
latter mounted by Mr. Brooks.
64. Cryptoglaux funerea richardsonit. RICHARD-
SON’S OwL.—Near Reaboro seen February 8 and
March 16, 1914; one taken January 14, 1915.
65. Cryptoglaux acadica acadica. SAW-WHET
Ow.L.—Searce. One taken in 1919. One found
dead near Reaboro in 1903. Seen near Port
Perry, March 25 and 26, 1924.
66. Otus asio asio. SCREECH Ow.L.—Tolerably
common resident locally, the gray phase apparent-
ly predominating.
67. Bubo virginianus. GREAT HORNED OWL.—
A tolerably common resident in large swamps.
Great variation in late fall, the colors indicating
an influx from the northwest and northeast.
68. Nyctea nyctea. SNowy OwL.—Scarce
winter visitor; irregular.
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 51
69. Coccyzus erythrophthalmus. BLACK-BILLED
Cuckoo.—Frequent summer resident.
70. Ceryle alcyon alcyon. BELTED KINGFISHER.
—Common summer resident; very common
locally along the lakes and rivers.
71. Dryobates villosus villosus. Harry Woop-
PECKER.—Common resident where woods obtain.
72. Dryobates pubescens medianus. DOWNY
W 0OODPECKER.—Common resident.
73. Picoides arcticus. ARCTIC THREE-TOED
WOODPECKER.—Frequently observed singly from
October, 1904, to January, 1905.
74. Sphyrapicus varius varius. YELLOW-
BELLIED SAPSUCKER.—Common migrant; fre-
quent summer resident; rare in winter (1919-20).
75. Melanerpes erythrocephalus. ~ RED-HEADED
WooDPECKER.—A rather common summer resi-
dent locally.
76. Colaptes auratus borealis. BOREAL FLICKER.
—Very common summer resident. Apparently
more numerous fifteen years ago.
77. Antrostomus vociferus vociferus. WHIP-
POOR-WILL.—Frequent summer resident, common
locally.
78. Chordeiles virginianus virginianus. NIGHT-
HAWK.—Common summer resident, very common
at Bobcaygeon.
79. Chaetura pelagica. CHIMNEY SWIFT.—
Common summer resident, rather local. Former-
ly abundant in Lindsay, where frequently hun-
dreds of birds were observed circling around a
certain high chimney.
80. Archilochus colubris. RUBY-THROATED
HUMMINGBIRD.—Tolerably common summer resi-
dent, local.
81. Tyrannus tyrannus.
common summer resident.
KINGBIRD.—A very
82. Myiarchus crinitus. CRESTED FLYCATCHER.
—Common summer resident.
83. Sayornis phoebe. PHOEBE.—Common
summer resident. First brood hatches about the
-last week of May.
84. Nuttallornis borealis. OLIVE-SIDED FLy-
CATCHER.—Frequent summer resident. Have ob-
served it during summer in about twenty pieces of
coniferous timber in southern Victoria. Not
observed in Cartwright or Scugog townships.
85. Myiochanes virens. Wood PEWEE.—Com-
mon summer resident.
86. Empidonax trailli alnorwm. ALDER FLY-
CATCHER.—Frequent summer resident in small
swampy growth; very common locally.
87. Empidonax minimus. LEAST FLYCATCHER.
—Frequent summer resident, common migrant.
(To be concluded.)
52 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
[VoL. XX XIX
AN EXPLORATION INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS NORTH AND EAST OF
GREAT SLAVE LAKE, INCLUDING THE SOURCE OF THE
COPPERMINE RIVER
By G. H. BLANCHET, F.R.G.S.
of the Topographical Survey of Canada
(Concluded from Page 34)
BirD LIFE OF THE NORTHERN PLAINS
The birds of the woodlands generally range to
the limit of the trees and as these have been
studied at many points they need not be con-
sidered here. In the open plains, however,
observations have not been so complete and a list
of those birds observed to be breeding there is
attached.
Bird life is not abundant and songsters are
almost lacking. The loud, ringing cry of the Loon
the harsh notes of the Gull and the Raven, the
burr of the Ptarmigan and the rather plaintive
eall of the Lapland Longspur are almost the only
bird notes heard.
The question of food controls the habits of the
various species. Forthoseliving on berriesand leaves
the country offers an abundant supply. In the
case of insect-eaters the situation is not so favor-
able. While the mosquitoes and flies are in
season in July and early August, the supply is
abundant, but, lacking these, insect-eating birds
have little other resource. There are no ants in
the open plains and very few insects other than
those of the air and water. The flies disappear
abruptly with the cold storms of August and the
Lapland Longspurs and others depending on them
suffer great hardship till the fledglings are suffi-
ciently grown for the southerly migration about
the middle of August.
The Hawks and Jaegers that feed on the smaller
birds, mice, etc., and the Gulls which eat fish and
carrion indiscriminately appear to thrive.
Many young were breaking from the shell in
early July.
The following is a list of the birds noted in the
open plains. Of them the Yellow-billed Loon is the
most interesting, for, though he has often been seen
along the Arctic Coast, he has seldom been observed
on his breeding grounds. Some hundreds were
seen during the season, each pair with two young.
List OF BIRDS OBSERVED
1. Gavia immer. LOON.—Very scarce. This
species was seen on Artillery and Clinton-Colden
Lakes.
2. Gavia adamsi. YELLOW-BILLED LOON.—This
is the common Loon of the Barren Lands and its
loud, ringing calls may be heard at any time.
3. Gavia pacifica. PActric LOON.—This species
was not at any time as plentiful as the Red-
throated Loon, but was noted through the whole
district.
4. Gavia stellata. RED-THROATED LOON.—
Quite common through the entire district. Red-
throated Loons prefer the small ponds during the
summer and there they nest among the reeds.
5. Stercorarius parasiticus. PARASITIC JAEGER.
—This species becomes very plentiful to the north
and west of the west end of Aylmer Lake. It
lives almost entirely on Longspurs and waders
which it captures on the wing.
6 Stercorarius longicaudus. LLONG-TAILED JAE-
GER.—Very plentiful from the north end of Artil-
lery Lake, northwards and to the west. These
birds prefer the low, swampy country and live
mainly on small birds and mice.
7. Larus californicus. CALIFORNIA GULL.—-
Odd pairs were seen throughout the whole area.
8. Sterna paradisea. ARCTIC TERN.—A few
small colonies were noted on all the larger lakes of
the district. :
9. Mergus serrator. RED-BREASTED MERGAN-
SER.—These Ducks are not plentiful but a few
were seen on most of the lakes and rivers.
10. Anas platyrhynchos.
birds were seen on the Outram River.
11. Nettion carolinense. GREEN-WINGED TEAL.
—A number were seen on the Outram River and .
on the east end of McKay Lake.
12. Dafila acuta tzitzihoa. AMERICAN PINTAIL.
—One flock of young were seen on a small pond
on the south shore of Clinton-Colden Lake.
18. Clangula hyemalis. _ OLD-sQquAW.—Old-
squaw Ducks are common throughout the entire
district and were noted breeding in many places.
They prefer the small grassy sloughs for breeding
but collect in large flocks on the large lakes when
the young are able to fly.
14. Oidemia perspicillata. SuRF SCOTER.—Surf
Scoters were not seen past Artillery Lake.
15. Anser albifrons (subsp.?).
GoosE.—This is the only species of Goose noted in
this area. Numerous flocks of young were seen
on the Outram River and on the east end of Mc-
Kay Lake. The young were beginning to fly
about August 12th.
16. Lobipes lobatus.
Very common throughout the whole area.
ing around the small grassy ponds.
NORTHERN PHALAROPE.—
Breed-
MALLARD.—A few
WHITE-FRONTED |
a al Alin Rein, mit Sin
March, 1925]
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 53
FIGURE 8—THE MEETING WITH THE INDIANS AT THE LAST
WOODS, ARTILLERY LAKE
The stocking up with dry meat and caribou skins in the fall during the caribou
migration rivals in importance the fall whitefish fishery, when the
winter’s supply of dog feed is collected. The first
question of the Indians was “‘had we seen the
- Eskimos’’, their dreaded enemies.
17. Micropalama himantopus. STILT SAND-
PIPER.—Very plentiful along the Casba River and
around Clinton-Colden.
18. Pisobia maculata. PECTORAL SANDPIPER.—
Not very plentiful. Found breeding on Clinton-
Colden Lake and in the country east of Lac de
Gras.
19. Pisobia bairdi. BAIRD’S SANDPIPER.—Very
plentiful over the entire area.
20. Ereunetes pusillus. SEMIPALMATED SAND-
PIPER.—Not so plentiful as Baird’s Sandpiper, but
found over the whole area.
21. Totanus flavipes. YELLOW-LEGS.—One pair
seen July 15th on Artillery Lake. The young were
half-grown at this time.
22. Pluvialis dominica dominica. GOLDEN
PLOVER.—Quite numerous along Casba River and
in the country east of Lac de Gras. Breeding
wherever seen. é
23. Charadrius semipalmatus. SEMIPALMATED
'PLOvVER.—Rather rare, but a few may be found at
any point.
24. Lagopus lagopus lagopus. WILLOW PTAR-
MIGAN.—These birds are very plentiful and may
be found from the sparsely wooded country out
onto the Barren Lands. They were found through
the entire district covered during the trip.
25. Lagopus rupestris rupestris. ROCK PTAR-
MIGAN.—Not so plentiful as the Willow Ptarmigan
and generally frequents the high, rocky country.
Found in the same range.
26. Circus hudsonius. MARSH HAwK.—A few
noted around Artillery Lake and McKay Lake.
27. Accipiler velox. SHARP-SHINNED HAWK.—
One pair noted near the west end of McKay Lake,
in the last woods.
28. Archibuteo lagopus sancti-johannis. ROUGH-
LEGGED HAWK.—One pair noted on Artillery Lake,
but the species became quite plentiful around Lac
de Gras.
29. Falco peregrinus anatum.
Very rare. Odd pairs may be found at any place.
30. Asio flammeus. SHORT-EARED OWwL.—A
few individuals seen around McKay Lake and to
the north near Lac de Gras.
31. Otocoris alpestris (subsp.?). HORNED
LARK.—A few birds scattered over the whole area.
32. Acanthis linaria linaria. REDPOLL.—Dis-
tributed like the Tree Sparrow, but the Redpolls
are more plentiful near the tree-line.
Duck HAwkK.—
33. Plectrophenax nivalis nivalis. SNOW BUNT-
ING.—Very plentiful around Clinton-Colden and
Aylmer Lakes and Lac de Gras. A few birds
seen on Artillery and McKay Lakes.
54 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
34. Calcarius lapponicus lapponicus. LAPLAND
LONGSPUR.—Very plentiful over the entire area.
Breeds from the tree-line east and north.
35. Calcarius pictus. SMITH’S LONGSPUR.—
Quite numerous on Artillery Lake.
36. Passerculus sandwichensis (subsp.?). SAv-
ANNAH SPARROW.—Fairly common throughout
the whole area.
37. Zonotrichia querula. HARRIS’S SPARROW.—
The breeding range of this Sparrow is not definitely
known but in the past summer it was found to be
very abundant in the country along the edge of
the Barren Lands. It nests on the ground, usually
under a small bush, and the nests resemble those
of the White-crowned Sparrow,
38. Spizella monticola monticola. TREE SPAR-
ROW.—May be found anywhere in the district and
is very abundant wherever any scrub appears.
39. Anthus rubescens. Pripit.—A few birds may
be found at any point, but they were nowhere
plentiful.
FISHERIES
The fisheries of the northern lakes are an asset
of importance. Certain species reach a develop-
ment in these northern waters that is probably
unequalled elsewhere. The water is so clear that
a white object may be seen down to a depth of
fifty feet. The two chief varieties are the white-
fish and the trout. The whitefish averages about
three pounds, but reaches as high as ten, and is
unrivalled in any other part of the country for
quality. The lake trout is also a native of these
waters of outstanding excellence. There is a
considerable range in the characteristics of the
trout, especially in the colour and markings, but
there has never been sufficient study given to them
to determine whether these are accidental or the
distinguishing marks of subspecies. They were
seen as heavy as forty pounds, but in the more
northerly waters a more usual weight would be
about six to ten pounds.
[VoL. XX XIX
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS
The unfavorable impression which the name
generally applied to the treeless country of the
North, the Barren Lands, creates, should be cor-
rected by a more truly descriptive name, one which
will unite the different districts under some com-
mon characteristic and leave them open to be
interpreted as they are found. Perhaps we
cannot do better than follow the analogy of the
plains of Western Canada. These are given
location and character by the name, the “Western
Plains” and the open plains of the North might
similarly be described as the “Northern Plains’.
From the observations made on the trip, the
information gathered from the natives, and that
contained in narratives and reports, it is neither
safe to predict a great future for the north country
nor to dismiss it as valueless. It should be con-
sidered of potential value for present day econo-
mics and as one of the great reserve areas for the
future. It supports only the primitive nomadic
form of human life and a strongly migratory fauna,
its vegetation is restricted and its climate severe,
but these conditions have been met and overcome
in other parts of the world where resources of
sufficient value have been found. Its lack of soil
in some places may be compensated for by the
resulting exposure of its rock formations with
their minerals in others, excellent water-powers
are numerous, and it is one of the few great areas
where fur and wild life have been little disturbed.
Its ranges have demonstrated their possibilities
in supporting abundant life. Viewing the so-
ealled ‘‘Barren Lands’? in August, with their
plains and undulating hills stretching on all sides
to the horizon, enlivened by the colours of its
vegetation and animated by the roving bands of
caribou, it seems incredible that the country is
destined to remain an unproductive waste.
OFFICIAL CANADIAN RECORD OF BIRD-BANDING RETURNS*
(Continued from page 1,0)
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, No. 28,153,
banded by Eric Kiteley, at Winnipeg, Manitoba,
on August 27, 1923, repeated at the same place
until September 12, 1923.
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, No. 28,154,
banded by Eric Kiteley, at Winnipeg, Manitoba, ~
on August 27, 1923, repeated at the same place
until September 5, 1923.
BARN SWALLOW, No. 59,452, banded by
Wilfrid Scott, at Guelph, Ontario, on June 26,
aoee) repeated at the same station on July 11,
BARN SWALLOW, No. 59,455, banded by
*Published by authority of the Canadian National Parks
Branch, Department of the Interior, Canada.
Wilfrid Scott, at Guelph, Ontario, on June 26
1923, repeated at the same station on July 11,
1923.
BARN SWALLOW, No. 36,899, banded by
Ernest Joy, at Wood Island, Grand Manan, New
Brunswick, on August 16, 1923, was caught in a
wire fence and found dead at Seal Cove, Grand
Manan, New Brunswick, on September 11, 1923.
CEDAR WAXWING, No. 46,212, young,
banded by W. A. Oswald, at Pointe Claire, Quebec,
on August 26, 1928, died in its nest shortly after
it was banded.
TENNESSEE WARBLER, No. 74,615, banded
by Hoyes Lloyd, at Ottawa, Ontario, on August
29, 1923, died in the same vicinity the following
day.
March, 1925]
HOUSE WREN, No. 83,524, nestling, banded
by R. H. Carter Jr., at Muscow, Saskatchewan,
on August 7, 1928, was found dead under its nest
on September 2D, 1923.
HOUSE WREN, No. 83,534, nestling, banded
by R. H. Carter Jr. Pat Muscow, Saskatchewan,
on August 7, 1923, was found dead in its nest, on
April 20, 1924. It had probably died soon after
it was banded.
ROBIN, No. 109,902, banded by Reuben Lloyd,
at Davidson, Saskatchewan, on August 1, 1928,
was found dead at a place five miles south of the
banding station, on September 6, 1923.
MALLARD, No. 222,330, female, banded by
Paul E. Page, at Lac Ste. Anne, Alberta, on Sep-
tember 6, 1923, was killed at a place ten miles
east of Scottsbluff, Nebraska, on December 8,
1923.
MALLARD, No. 297,151, male, banded by
H. S. Osler, at Lake Scugog, ‘Ontario, on October
2, 1923, was shot at a place seventy ‘miles north-
east of Toronto, in Township of Manverson,
Durham County, Ontario, on October 6, 1923.
MALLARD, No. 297,152, male banded by
H. §S. Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October
2, 1923, was killed on the Scugog River, four miles
- north of Lindsay, Ontario, on November 2, 1923.
MALLARD, No. 297,154, female, banded by
H. S. Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October
2, 1923, was killed at Morattico, Virginia, on
January 21, 1924.
MALLARD, No. 297,345, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 4,
1923, was killed at a place about twelve miles
south of Georgetown, South Carolina, on Decem-
ber 26, 1923.
MALLARD, No. 297,376, banded by H. S.
‘Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 6,
1923, was killed at Richmond Dale, Ohio, on
December 24, 1923.
MALLARD, No. 297,422, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 9,
1923, was shot at North Branch, Michigan, on
November 14, 1923.
MALLARD, No. 1,405, female, banded by Miss
Gussie Innes, at Headingly, Manitoba, on Novem-
ber 6, 1923, was killed at a place thirty miles south
of Stuttgart, Arkansas—no date given, but
reported on November 24, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 202 ,697, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 1,
1923, was captured at a place between Sandusky
and Toledo, Ohio—no date given, but reported
on October 17, 1923;
BLACK DUCK, No. 202,700, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 1,
_ 1923, was killed at St. Clair Flats, Michigan, on
October 19, 1928.
~- BLACK ‘DUCK, No. 296,006, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Seugog, Ontario, on September 1,
1923, was killed at the Crane Lake Club, Saidora,
Illinois, on December 7, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,010, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 1,
1923, was killed in the rice fields of Jehossee
Island, South Carolina, about thirty miles south-
west of Charleston, about November ZA0) Ale 28}.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,023, banded by H.S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 2,
1923, was shot on the Rideau Canal, between
Kingston and Ottawa—no date given, but reported
on September 5, 1923.
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 55
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,035, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 3,
1923, was found dead at a place seven miles west
of Wedowee, Randolph County, Alabama, on
December sik L923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,042, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 3,
1923, was shot at Allison’s Bay, Prince Edward
County, Ontario, on September 8, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,046, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 3,
1923, was killed in the same vicinity, during the
fall of 1924, before November 26th.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,054, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 4,
1923, was shot in the cove of Salmon Island, on
the Bay of Quinte, Ontario, on September 7, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,059, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 4,
1923, was shot on Sand Bank Beach, dividing
Lake Ontario and West Lake, Prince Edward
County, Ontario, on September 5, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,065, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 4,
1923, was killed near Chestertown, Maryland, on
December He WBS)
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,069, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 4,
1923, was wounded and died at Cave Spring,
Georgia—no date given, but reported on February
lig NO 2A"
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,070, banded by H. §S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 4,
1923, was shot near Port Deposit, Maryland, on
December 28, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,073, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 4,
1923, was shot in the Long Point Marsh, Lake
Erie, on October 30, 19238.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,079, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 4,
19238, was killed on the Ohio River, near Tolu,
Kentucky—no date given, but reported on
February 18, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,083, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 6,
1923, was shot at a place two miles east of Wooler,
Ontario, on October 22, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,086, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 6,
1923, was killed in the Ocmulgee River, about two
miles north of Hawkinsville, Georgia, on December
151923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,088, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 6,
1923, was shot at Golden Gate, Illinois, on De
cember 28, 1928.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,091, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 8,
1923, was shot in the County of Durham, Ontario,
on September 21, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,108, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 11,
1923, was shot on a marsh on the Grand River,
Ontario—no date given, but reported on October
1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,113, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 11,
1928, was killed in the Cameron Marsh, Louisiana,
on December IAS 923"
(Continued in the April issue)
56 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
[VoL. XXXIX
THE HIBERNATION OF THE COLUMBIAN GROUND SQUIRREL
By WILLIAM T. SHAW
Washington Experiment Station
State College of Washington
(Copyright, 1925, by William T. Shaw)
ERHAPS the most arduous task of any
mammalian life study is that connected
with the search for information regarding
the comatose periods of aestivation and
hibernation, if such are involved in the life cycle.
Well do I remember with what impatience we
awaited the summer’s disappearance of the
Columbian ground squirrels, Citellus columbianus
columbianus, eager for the chance to go with pick
and shovel to search for the facts of aestivation
and hibernation. Yet tired, thirsty, and un-
successful was our return at the end of the day’s
effort. Where, but a few days past, scores of
squirrels literally swarmed the fields, now we
found none. Where had they gone? Again they
were sought for, and again, and all that autumn
and even on into the winter, yet without success.
In the spring following they still seemed very
abundant. True, we were working against odds,
for the badger, the squirrel’s natural enemy, was
also abroad and where he dug it was too late and
where he did not work there seemed to be a good
reason for our not trying. We were learning,
however, and long before reward came in finding
a wild squirrel in aestivation we had formed what
proved to be a correct idea of where and how he
would likely be when eventually found. Here
and there throughout the summer dens we were
running across certain moisture-proof jug-shaped
cells of surprisingly uniform dimensions which we
rightly judged had formerly been used as hiberna-
tion cells.
So cleverly did they hide themselves away that
it was not until we were beginning the excavation
of the twenty-sixth den in the early part of the
second season that we found a squirrel in semi-
aestivation. This was in early August. They
had been in aestivation scarcely ten days and our
prize was not quite dormant—only drowsy; yet
in this discovery we established the truth of our
surmise regarding the hibernation cell. This was
a beginning at least. Again we persevered for
more data and were partially successful in the
third season, but it was not until the winter of
1913-14 that we really achieved results of conclu-
sive value, results told by the accompanying series
of pictures.
Fortunately for the completeness of our work,
we were not content with these first discoveries
but determined to push on with the investigation
in search of further data on lines suggested as we
worked and also to secure more photographic
material. So it was, with varying success, that
we followed the quest of hibernation data for the
next five years, digging in all 136 dens and taking
careful data on 54 of them.
One wintry morning we started out on our quest.
It was almost the last day of the year. The late
December sunrise was wintry. About six inches
of snow lay upon the ground, more on the north
slopes, less on the south. Wild Horse Butte rose
up coldly in front of the distant mountains, its
black patches of scrub showing sharply against
the white. About its dome rested a fleecy fleck
of frozen foam-like cloud. The fore landscape
bristled with the umbel-stocks of the past sum-
mer’s yarrow. Beneath the snow, somewhere, we
believed, were sleeping squirrels. These were the
objects of our quest.
Selecting one of the dens that had been staked
out in the summer, we began digging. Soon snow
was being scooped away and the thwack of the
pick was heard, black earth soon replacing pure
snow drifts. This den seemed not to be very
fresh, giving signs of associated pocket gopher
work. When it was nearly dug out one of the
shovels broke through the end of a cell, and with
the touches of loose dirt, some age-brown grass
collapsed, lightly as breath, from the ceiling of
the cell. This being gently lifted there was
revealed the mummy form of a little Citellus body.
True to the instinct of his race, he had gone into
the long sleep to pass uninterruptedly into the
longer sleep from which no Citellus returns.
Though he may have been there several years,
all was undisturbed, the cell, the galleries, all were
as he had left them, even to nose prints in the soft
summer earth door of his winter home, pressed
clearly and distinctly as if it had been yesterday,
and not moldy ages ago, that he had gone to
sleep.
Failing in this first attempt, we now turned
towards the yellow sunlit south, to a large den
with many entrances, on a snow-covered knoll
just above the rimrock. The ground was shallow,
though it seemed a good four feet through to the
out-cropping lava as revealed down the slope, so
we began work. The usual east, south, and west
trenches, admitting better photographic lighting
were being sunk, when, about half an hour after
work had begun, we found a squirrel. This one,
a female, was in an old, rather decayed nest, of
March, 1925] THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 57
SURFACE OF GROUND »
SMSO OTe bey
EXIT SHAFT
DRAIN
3- re
HIBERNATION CELL
BOTTOM - SLOPE
BOTH WAYS
SEALED HIBERNATION DEN
OF
ADULT COLUMBIAN GROUND SQUIRREL
(CITELLUS COLUMBIANUS)
FicurE 1—SKETCH OF A HIBERNATION DEN, SEALED FOR HIBERNATION.
This is a sketch of the den shown in the photograph of Figure 2. Measure-
ments and depths are here clearly shown.
wild grass and considerable fine dirt. She lay in
the usual position, with the head and tail towards
the entrance of the cell. At once the camera was
aimed and a series of photographs was taken,
showing her coming out of the hibernating condi-
tion. The wind was now high and it was with
difficulty that a fire was started in the first excava-
tion, so that dinner might be had and coffee made
to add a little comfort to the situation. At two
o’clock we returned to the second den to photo-
graph the now awakened squirrel for a final
exposure. Examination of the den showed it to
be necessary to excavate out its main body in
(Original).
order to reach the line of focus for the hibernating
cell and galleries. In order to. do this two of the
men began work and had gone only a short dis- -
tance when Engvyall’s shovel struck into a cell and
pulled out a large amount of dried, rather new-
looking grass. Then, to our great surprise, we
saw the fur of a second squirrel. The two squir-
rels were not more than six feet apart; the second
was a young female weighing only 275 grams.
At first it was feared that she was seriously injured
by the shovel but this proved not to be so.
Strange to say, she had been a little to one side,
58 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
and only a short distance from the fire, yet she
was not awakened by it.
A brisk storm of large snow-flakes now blew up
from the south-east, with a temperature of about
32 degrees F. and, owing to the failing light, it
was decided to remove this second squirrel to the
laboratory, a mile or so away.
The find that gave the best results of all was
made on one mid-December day. It happened
in this way:
At 2.15, Richardson, who was working near the
surface, about the center of the den, suddenly cut
cleanly through the moist earth with his shovel
and uncovered or rather sliced off the top of a
large open burrow. The freshness of the newly
opened shaft at once attracted our attention.
It was smooth-walled and fresh looking and bore
no traces of fuzzy sprouting rootlets of wild seeds
as seen in most burrows at this time of year, when
the earth is moist. The hole was dropping at a
sharp angle. It was followed carefully, being
opened in sections and was always large and fresh
looking. Finally it struck a horizontal burrow
almost at right angles. To the left this new shaft
was plugged coneavely with what appeared to be
black soil, which may have come from the vertical
shaft. To the right it continued a short distance
and branched into a drain running down the main
shaft:* (Figs.)1 and 2:)
This work of discovery is most fascinating.
One feels as a prospector must feel who is looking
for gold. Up until the very instant of discovery
no one knows for a certainty, yet the signs are
extremely inviting. Now, logically, to the right
of these shafts should lie the hibernating cell.
The strained length of fore arm permitted my
extending finger tips to touch, rather uncertainly,
a little bit of dry nest material. Would this be
the strike? But, the greatest care must be taken
to preserve the hibernation den for photographic
purposes. One misuse of the shovel might ruin
the integrity of the structure. Carefully the
workmen shaved away the heavy soil from the
location of the cell. At length its upper side wall
shelled in, and there, in the little round hole in
the nest material lay the fuzzy, gray tail-tip of a
soundly hibernating Citellus columbianus colum-
- bianus. The nest was dry and snugly arched
over, though much more matted in the saucer
than in the ceiling. The bottom of the nest was
made of rather fine grass and some dirt, in which
were over one hundred bulbs of the wild onion.
This squirrel lay in the nest flatly on his sacrum,
as is shown in a photograph taken of him, in situ,
with his nose tight against his diaphragm and the
top of his skull flat in his lap. His tail was to-
wards the entrance of the cell, as is invariably the
rule, for in awakening the head is soon drawn out
[VOL. XX XIX
of the lap, to face the entrance and a possible
enemy. Failing light ona cloudy midwinter day
made photographing difficult, but we were for-
tunate in securing one good picture of this squirrel
in the hibernation position. (Fig. 3.) This
squirrel was an old male and weighed 594 grams.
The following day, at our leisure, we went back
to study and photograph this hibernation den.
We had discovered it by striking into the exit
shaft, a tunnel sometimes constructed at the time
of going into estivation for the purpose of reach-
ing the outer world in the following spring. On
awakening for good the animal digs through to the
surface of the ground and, when light begins to
dawn, pushes his way out, leaving the exit as
small as possible, in order that it may be a guard
against inclement weather and a possible enemy
(Fig. 4), or he may even have to penetrate many
inches or even feet of snow. (Fig. 5.)
THE Exit SHAFT.—The exit shaft is the burrow
of the hibernation den leading from the exit to
the nest cell. It is sometimes started towards
the surface in the previous summer, as will be
shown by examining the up-running holes in
(Fig. 2, C). It is generally of the same diameter
as an ordinary burrow (3.5 inches) and is common-
ly found to drop at an angle of 45 degrees and,
unlike a pocket gopher burrow, is free.and open
to an average depth of 2 feet, to which depth a
long stick or cane may be run freely. The shaft
of an open den is usually paved with black surface
dirt to a depth of 1 inch, which earth, dug down
as the animal came through to the-surface, often
extends as far as the nest, 4 or 5 feet, and some-
times into and filling the drains. The sides and
top of the shaft are rubbed smooth and waxy,
especially if the soil is moist. It was found that
the average length of this shaft, from the exit to
the hibernation cell, for 21 dens measured, was 7
feet, 9 inches. The shortest exit shaft was 1 foot
10 inches and the longest 19 feet 9 inches. The
diameter of the burrows of the hibernation den
was determined at 3.3 inches. These burrows,
comprising the exit shaft and closing-in shaft,
often expand into greater diameters where they
unite, as is shown in Fig. 2. ;
Very curiously, on sloping ground they almost
always opened the den with the exit shaft pointing
down-hill. This would seem to be a precautionary
measure against flooding. These shafts were
noted coming out on the side of an old potato
ridge, to avoid digging through the extra amount
of dirt. That this was premeditated would seem
true, as shown in the spring of 1914, when nine
of these exits were observed in one small tract of
land of about six acres, sloping gently to the south-
west. All pointed down-hill. Five of them came
TOP
FicurE 2.—_THE TYPICAL HIBERNATION DEN.
A hibernation den is frequently a part of an ordinary den shut or sealed off from the main
den by having all connecting burrows very effectually plugged. It may, however, be quite
remotely hidden away from the large summer den. It is securely sealed for the purpose of
eluding such natural enemies as the badger and the coyote, and excluding such guests of the
den as crickets, mice, pocket gophers, salamanders, toads and tree toads; which are also
found in the burrows of the big dens during winter. The hibernation den contains a few
feet of open burrow. The illustration shows—on the right, the nest, A; running down from
the centre, the drain, B; to the left of C, the closing in plug; running up from C, a burrow,
which is probably used as an exit in the spring upon awakening, at which time
it is complete through to the surface of the ground.
BOTTOM
Photo by William T. Shaw
TOP
BOTTOM
FIGURE 3.—A HIBERNATING SQUIRREL.
On December 13, 1913, we discovered a squirrel in absolute torpor. A sectional view of the
nest was secured, showing him in the actual position maintained in hibernation. He was
photographed exactly as he lay. He was found sitting flatly on his sacrum, tightly curled
vertically, not horizontally as in the case of a cat or a dog; with the top of his skull flat in his
lap. This would seem to be a most uncomfortable position. The animal is able to maintain
it on account of the great quantity of firmly packed nest material in which he lies.
He is beginning to revive and has raised himself up a little.
Photo from life by William T. Shaw
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TOP
BOTTOM
FicurE 6.—THE HIBERNATION NEST (Vertical Section).
The hibernation nest is made of straw or grass; usually the material nearest at hand, although
preference seems to be given to wild bunch grass, ‘The nest in the photograph is as it was
left by the squirrel when he came out of hibernation, the earth being
carefully cut away from one side.
Photo by William T. Shaw
March, 1925]
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 59
SEALED HIBERNATION DEN
(CITELL DS
COLUMBIANUS)
FIGURE 7.—THE CLOSING-IN PLUG.
This structure placed in the hibernation den as a last act
before going into exstivation is tamped in, layer after layer
—in this case for over two feet—until the den is
(Original).
securely sealed.
up either between ridges or on the side of a potato
ridge.
THE HIBERNATING CELL.—The hibernation cell
itself is the circular cavity in the hibernation den
in which the nest is placed and in which the squir-
rel remains during the time of his comatose condi-
tion. In shape it is almost a perfect sphere (Fig.
8).
The average size in inches of 42 of these hiber-
nation cells was:
Height, 8.4; front to back, 8.8; width, 8.3.
The smallest hibernation cell measured:
Height, 5.5; front to back, 6.25; width, 5.25.
This den contained a small female weighing 275
grams.
The largest hibernation cell measured:
Height, 11; front to back, 10.5; width 11
inches. :
From this den a large male weighing 615 grams
was taken.
THE NECK OF THE HIBERNATION CELL.—The
neck of the hibernation cell is the short burrow
connecting the cell with. the other burrows of the
den. It is usually of the same diameter as the
other burrows, 3.5 inches, and of varying lengths.
DRAIN
S
It generally leads up towards the cell, which would
seem a provision against flooding (Figs. 1, 8).
During the entire study twenty-one measure-
ments were taken of the necks of hibernation cells,
resulting in giving, as the average length of the
neck of the cell, 4.3 inches. The shortest being
practically no neck, and the longest being 21
inches.
THE SAUCER.—In the bottom of each cell was a
dish or saucer of varying depths. This depression,
which was simply the lower part of the curved
surface of the cell, holds a dust mulch upon which
the soft inner material of the nest rests. This
mulch protects the animal from moisture (Fig. 1).
In the saucers of 17 hibernation cells measured
the average depth was 2 inches, the shallowest .7
inches and the deepest 3.5 inches.
THE DRAIN.—One of the most remarkable
structures of the hibernation den is the drain,
shown typically in Fig. 1, 6. It is undoubtedly
constructed for the purpose of keeping water
from entering the nest, and is frequently omitted,
as a special structure, when the den is on a side
hill where drainage is met in another way.
60 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
The average length of the drain of 21 hiberna-
tion dens measured was 3 feet 5 inches, the short-
est 7 inches and the longest 7 feet 9 inches. The
average depth from the surface of the ground to
the deepest point of the drain of 24 dens measured
was 4 feet 1 inch. The deepest drain was 5 feet
6 inches and the shallowest, 2 feet 4 inches. In
this latter case, the den was on thin soil, only 35
inches to rock. The diameter of the burrow was
3.5 inches to expansions of 5, 7, and 9 inches.
Another function for the drain, aside from the
protection afforded against moisture, is in the use
to which it is sometimes put as a place into which
the dirt from the exit shaft is packed. Frequently
we find this earth in the drain after the squirrel
has opened his den. It is also found in the
bottom of the exit shaft.
4-2"
josbahe I
SURFACE OF GROUND
[VoL. XX XIX
THE CLOSING-IN PLUG.—By the closing-in plug
we mean a plug of earth several inches long
placed in the burrow leading to the outside at the
time of going into estivation. The plug is made
of earth probably taken from the drain and tamped
firmly into place by the squirrel, using his nose in
the operation.
When ready for estivation the squirrel closed
its den against all intruders found inhabiting its
summer den during the winter, such as crickets,
spiders, salamanders, toads, pocket gophers and
cottontails. This is done with the closing-in
plug and must of necessity be done from the in-
side of the hibernation den, as a last act. This
plug was first noted in the closed hibernation den,
as in Fig. 7. It was noticed then that it was
made of new dry earth, of late summer, the nose
CLOSING-IN
PLUG
SEALED HIBERNATION DEN
(CITELLUS COLUM BIANUS)
FIGURE 8.—A CLOSED HIBERNATION DEN.
This is the den shown in photograph in Figure 9, showing the relative depths
of the cell and drain.
(Original).
March, 1925]
prints being much less. distinct than they were in
plugs made of moist earth of spring.
An interesting speculation has suggested itself
as to how and where the squirrel gets the earth
with which to plug the hole after it is inside the
hibernation den. In the first place the hole is
plugged from the inside, as is shown by the
curves in the saucers, concave inside. Then the
squirrel must have the nest inside before it closes
the hole. The only place for it to come from is
the drain or the beginning of the exit shaft. In
the drain it gets damper soil than it would by
digging higher up, and this soil would pack better.
In the majority of cases of dens examined we have
found that the earth found in the closing-in plug
had been taken from the drain, as the soil was the
same.
The question naturally arises, do they inhabit
the same cell year after year? If so, they must
enlarge the length of the drain or dig new branches
CHARLES EUSEBE DIONNE
Born July 11, 1845 Died January 25, 1925
In the death of C. E. Dionne, which occurred
on January 25, 1925, the world of natural science
lost one of its finest personalities. Almost un-
known, and humble as all true scientists are, he
progressed and became, by dint of effort, persever-
ance and courage, one of the leading ornithologists
of his country.
His death is a severe loss to scientific societies
and to sportsmen, but especially to Laval Univer-
sity, where his place will be difficult to fill.
Charles Eusebe Dionne, son of Pascal Eusebe
Dionne and Emilie (Lavoie) Dionne, was born on
July 11, 1845, at St. Denis, Kamouraska County,
Quebec. His father was a farmer of limited means.
As a boy he attended, not too regularly, the
parochial school at St. Denis, until he reached
the age of 11. When very young, he loved to
wander through woods and fields and along the
shores; his interest in things relating to natural
history, such as plants, insects, and birds, was
being developed through contact with nature itself.
He was especially attracted by groves and by a
certain swamp behind his father’s house, in which
he used to see the Maryland Yellow-throat, a bird
which particularly attracted his attention as a
beginner.
When he left school, he remained on the paternal
farm till he reached the age of 15. A little later
he went to school again for two different periods,
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 61
in the drain or else resort to plugging in some
form, or use the black dirt thrown in the drain
from the exit burrow. This would give us a vague
idea as to the age of the den. Of course, in the
case of a young squirrel’s den, in which the drain
is already provided, the earth for closing the
entrance must be taken from some other part of
the old reconstructed summer den.
On July 24, a large squirrel which had been
trapped recently and enclosed in one of the cages
of the hibernation cellar in the hibernation cabin
showed indications of following his wild instinct
by stopping up the cracks in his box as if getting
ready to go into estivation. This was commonly
done by the Townsend squirrels in captivity.
Not only would they close the entrance and all
cracks for hibernation, but very frequently they
would close the door to their box each night,
during the periods of activity.
(To be concluded)
totalling thirteen months. The teacher, Mr.
Guillaume Robichaud, taught a special class of
two pupils, to which, as a favor, young Dionne
was admitted, but as a listener only, he not being
given the right to put any questions. Soon, how-
ever, the teacher noticed his application as well as
his eager desire for learning, so that he treated
him just as he did the other pupils. His progress
was so remarkable that one day Mr. Robichaud,
referring to him, said, “See young Dionne; he has
learned in thirteen months what most of the others
require four years to learn.”
This special class furnished him an opportunity
of seeing for the first time a treatise on natural
history. Having seen the coveted book on a shelf
and being too timid to ask for it, he had recourse
to a stratagem to snatch it, study it, and replace
it as it was. Shortly afterward, the teacher, hav-
ing discovered his doings, amicably reproached
him for his timidity and placed the book at his
disposal. Dionne read and reread the volume
and copied all the figures therefrom.
One of his brothers was an employee at the
Quebec Seminary and Charles decided to join him
and on January 19, 1865, he was appointed a
campus employee at a salary of $4.00 per month
plus room and board with the students. But
after the fire of March, 1865, he was given work
in the kitchen.
There was then a museum at Laval University
(closely associated with the Seminary), but rigid
62 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
rules forbade all employees to enter it. Young
Dionne did not even know that it existed.
In September, 1866, he was appointed apparitor
in the Faculty of Law of Laval University and was
also given work in the library. In such proximity
to the museum Dionne became aware of its exist-
tence. He also began his botanical studies by
means of books from the library. His first author
was Buffon. The following year saw the begin-
ning of his collection of birds. His collection of
insects was also commenced about that time, with
the encouragement and advice of Mgr. Hamel.
The only time which he could devote to his
study and the work of forming his collections was
that after the close of his day’s work as an em-
ployee and what he could spare at lunch time
and he almost had to hide to use even these hours
in his favorite way, for fear of ridicule from his
fellow-employees.
The Rector, Mgr. Hamel, took much interest
in his studies and would periodically come and
chat with him, observe his progress and encourage
him. Abbé Laverdiere, just before he died,
strongly recommended that the authorities of the
Seminary should help young Dionne and facilitate
his studies by giving him the necessary freedom
of action.
About 1867, he attended an evening course of
instruction given by Mr. Cloutier at the old
Normal School. He found it difficult at first to
obtain permission, as this class ended too late in
the evening to allow him to return to the Seminary
building before the closing of the doors at 8.45 p.m.
Far from being discouraged by the Proctor’s
refusals, he submitted his request to the Rector,
Abbé (later Cardinal) Taschereau, who not only
granted his-wish, but gave orders that a door
should be left open every night until his return.
The following year he was able to continue his
evening course at the Brothers’ Academy, under
the direction of Abbé (later Mgr.) Gauvreau.
On May 6, 1876, he married Marie Emilie
Pelletier.
In 1882 he was appointed Curator of the Mu-
seum of Laval University. At that date the
Museum contained but a small fraction of its
present wealth, and most of the specmens in it
were neither named nor classified. Mr. Dionne’s
first ambition was to establish order. Single-
handed, he accomplished this task so well that it
will always remain the most worthy monument
to his memory; a monument full of precious
lessons for the information of generations to come.
The board of directors of that period had truly
made a happy choice in appointing Mr. Dionne as
Curator.
All of Mr. Dionne’s outings were devoted to
collecting; he would visit the woods in the vicinity
[VoL. XX XIX
of Quebec, such as those at Sillery, Charlesbourg,
and around Chateau Bigot, as well as the shores
at St. Denis, Riviere Ouelle, and Chateau Richer.
Unfortunately, the time at his disposal was very
limited and holidays were few. A determination
such as his, coupled with a decided love of his
work, alone explains his persistence in following
his favorite studies notwithstanding the difficulties
imposed by chance and circumstances. “In spite
of that’’, he would say, a short time before his
death, “‘if I were to start all over again, and if I saw
in advance all the obstacles which I had to conquer,
I would not hesitate to choose the same path.”
‘In 1889 he collected at St. Denis specimens of
the Acadian Sharp-tailed Sparrow (Passerherbulus
nelsoni subvirgatus), which had recently been des-
cribed by Dr. Jonathan Dwight, Jr., of New York,
from specimens obtained in the Maritime Pro-
vinees. Soon afterward Mr. Dionne published
his records of this bird in his Catalogue annoté des
oiseaux de la Province de Québec. Some time later
Dr. Dwight, who had read this publication, sought
for the Sparrow in question in various marshes
along the St. Lawrence (but not at St. Denis)
but without success.* So he went incognito to see
Mr. Dionneand questioned himconeerning the bird.
This disclosed his identity, since no one but Dr.
Dwight could put such questions. Mr. Dionne’s
specimens were therefore shown and his identifi-
cation confirmed. Dr. Dwight has keld him in
high esteem ever since.
Mr. Dionne learned taxidermy from books, but,
as a result of his constant striving for improve-
ment and his observation of nature itself, he found
methods that were often more efficient and prac-
tical than those previously employed.
In spite of a great loss sustained in a fire in
1917, Mr. Dionne’s private collections are very
valuable. Space does not permit of mentioning
them in detail here, but they include, besides
birds and mammals, butterflies and other insects,
as well as a herbarium.
Mr. Dionne’s main travels are the following:
In 1882 he was invited to take part in an expedi-
tion to the lower St. Lawrence on board the Druid
in company with Mr. J. U. Gregory, an agent for
the Canadian Department of Marine. The object
of the excursion was to make certain studies and
observations on game.
He went to Chicago in 1893 and attended the
opening of the Field Museum. In 1900 he visited
the American Museum of Natural History, at
New York. During a trip to Europe in 1912 he
visited the Jardin des Plantes, the Musée d’His-
toire Naturelle and the Musée d’Anatomie, at
Paris, and the British Museum, at London.
*Dr. Dwight states that he obtained specimens at Riviére-
du-Loup, about 31 miles down stream from St. Denis.—Hditor.
March, 1925]
Besides various scattered notes and articles in
scientific periodicals he published the following
works: Les Oiseaux du Canada, Catalogue Annoté
des Oiseaux de la Province de Québec, Les Mammi-
féres de la Province de Québec, Les Oiseaux de la
Province de Québec, Les Araignées. All of these
works are recognized authorities in their respective
fields.
A Master of Arts, he was made a Doctor of
Science a few days before his death, at the com-
pletion of sixty years spent by him in the service
of Laval University. He was a member of the
National Geographic Society and had been an
Associate of the American Ornithologists’ Union
since 1893. He was one of the founders of. the
Provancher Society of Natural History.
His field of action was not limited to the fauna
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 63
of his own country; in fact, he made, with scien-
tists of all countries, thousands of exchanges of
specimens of insects, bird skins, and plants, thus
helping greatly to make our national treasures of
natural history known in foreign lands.
An amateur inquiring for information or bring-
ing specimens for his inspection was sure to
receive every possible assistance, given in the
kindest and most gracious manner. In this
excellent fashion Mr. Dionne popularized natural
history among the people of his province.
Dr. C. E. Dionne was assuredly not a closet-
naturalist and his knowledge was not merely book
knowledge, for he studied from nature’s great
open book.—D. A. D. ,
(The above memorial notice was furnished by the Provancher
Society of Natural History.)
NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS
A DISTRIBUTIONAL RECORD FOR BREWER’S
BLACKBIRD (Euphagus cyanocephalus).—Recently
‘a specimen of Brewer’s Blackbird (Euphagus
cyanocephalus) was presented to the Royal
Ontario Museum of Zoology by Mrs. Mundy,
formerly of Toronto, who had recently returned
from the north, where her husband was stationed
with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The
specimen was shot at Baker Lake, Provisional
District of Keewatin. Baker Lake lies about at
the intersection of 64° N. latitude and 96° W.
longitude, up Chesterfield Inlet from Hudson Bay.
The northern and northeastern boundaries of
the range of Huphagus cyanocephalus are des-
cribed in the 1910 edition of the A.O.U. Check-List
as follows: Western North America. Breeds
from British Columbia, Athabasca Landing,
Alberta, and southwestern Keewatin. . The
present record is about 600 miles north by east
of this delineation.
The information accompanying the specimen
states that the bird was shot in November, 1923.
The natives, speaking in a way to suggest that
they knew the species, informed Mrs. Mundy
that this bird was a female. The coloration,
however, is that of a male.
From the information at hand it is impossible
to judge as to the frequency of occurrence of
Brewer’s Blackbird in this area.—L. L. SNYDER.
THE RECORDING OF ACCLIMATIZALION E:XPERI-
MENTS.—For many years individuals, associations
of one kind or another, and Departments of Gey-
ernments have brought into Canada from else-
where, or transferred from one part of Canada to
another, various kinds of mammals, birds, and
other living things, thus making possible perma-
nent changes in fauna and flora should the newly-
placed living creature happen to succeed in its
new environment. The history of such accli-
matization experiments is well known in some
instances, as, for example, those of the House
Sparrow and the Starling, and the recording of
the effects of these birds on other iife, and of their
success in this continent still goes on. More
often than not the details of experiments of this
kind have not been published at all, or else they
have been recorded in such a way that they are
not permanently available to naturalists and
others who might be interested in them, and who
might profit by the experience gained in each such
experiment. In addition to publicity that is
given to acclimatization experiments through the
daily press and through Government reports it is
thought to be desirable to have a brief report of
each experiment, whether successful or otherwise,
published in a Natural History Periodical, where
the account will be permanently available to
naturalists who are concerned, or who may be
concerned in the future.
The Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club gave
attention to this subject recently and, as a result,
each Provincial Game Department received a
communication from the Club in which the im-
portance of such records of acclimatization was
discussed, and in which attention was called to the
publication of the Club as being available for
recording important acclimatization incidents.
For those who may not be familiar with reporting
items of this kind I would suggest that Mr. F.
Bradshaw’s article entitled The Hungarian or
European Grey Partridge which will be found in
The Canadian Field-Naturalist for May, 1922, Vol.
XXXVI, pp. 91-2 be used as a model. In report-
ing each introduction the date should be recorded
as being of very special importance.
64 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
For my part I propose recording at once as
many of these acclimatization experiments relating
to mammals and birds as possible. If anyone
has unpublished data on the subject, I would
suggest that they be prepared for publication in
The Naturalist. The history of some species
which may become acclimated in the country, or
in some new part of it, may be incomplete without
the data that may be available now, but lost to-
morrow.
The question of recording acclimatization data
in other fields is worthy of the attention of botan-
ists, ichthyologists, herpetologists, entomologists,
foresters, and others, in my humble opinion,
although, naturally, they may have done much
more along these lines than I know.—HoyEs
LLoyD.
RECORD OF THE SOOTY TERN FOR NOVA SCOTIA.
—The hurricane of the 26th of August, 1924, was
responsible for a number of rare and unusual
occurrences along the coast of Nova Scotia. On
the 28th, at a point several miles inland from the
Bay of Fundy and near the town of Wolfville,
[VoL. XX XIX
King’s County, a beautiful specimen of the Sooty
Tern (Sterna fuscata) was picked up dead and
brought to the writer, in the flesh. On examina-
tion this proved to be a female and was much
emaciated, apparently having died from starva-
tion.
The bird was mounted and subsequently pre-
sented to the Curator of the Provincial Museum
at Halifax. As far as can be determined this is
the first record of the Sooty Tern for Canada.—
R. W. TurtTs.
AN OBSERVATION OF WINTER CROwWS.—While
skiing on the Rideau Canal near Hog’s Back, in
the vicinity of Ottawa, on January 18, 1925, I
witnessed what I considered to be a very unusual
sight at that season—a long flight of Crows.
This flight passed in a westerly direction for at
least an hour and consisted, I judged, of many
hundreds of birds. The Crows flew in an irregu-
lar, straggling line, containing groups, large and
small, as well as single birds. One group con-
sisted of 47 birds —PEARL MCGAHEY.
BOOK REVIEW
MUSEUM GUIDES
GENERALGUIDE TO THE HALL OF PALAEONTOLOGY,
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF CANADA, Ottawa, 1924.
A Fossit FLowerR: by B. EH. Dahlgren, Field
Museum of Natural History, Department of
Botany, Leaflet Number 5, Chicago, 1924.
Guide books to natural history museums might
be roughly classified into two groups—those
written for the use of the man in the street, and
those planned for the instruction and guidance of
the student and the scientific specialist. The
elaborate and excellent guide books issued by the
British Museum represent the latter type at the
high-water mark of excellence.
A typical example of the primer type of museum
guide has recently appeared under the caption of
General Guide to the Hall of Palaeontology, National
Museum of Canada. The size and scope of this
little three-page folded leaflet adapt it to free dis-
tribution. The author has evidently had in mind
while writing this leaflet guide the 98 per cent of
museum visitors who could not even give an
intelligent definition of the word Palaeontology.
A generalized section of the earth’s crust with the
nomenclature which a century and a half of earth
study has developed for its subdivisions is shown
on one side of the folded leaflet. The other side
presents some of the simpler concepts of strati-
graphic palaeontology and refers briefly to the
significance of the more important exhibits in the
hall.
It is refreshing to see a return on this little guide
book to the use of the name National Museum in
place of Victoria Memorial Museum—the name of
the building in which the National Museum collec-
tions are housed. The need of a National Museum
in Ottawa as in other capitals was urged in a half-
page article in The Citizen as long ago as 1883.
The frequent use of Victoria Memorial Museum
as the official title of the Museum has led to
numerous misconceptions on the part of the public
concerning the status of the National Museum.
This unfortunate name has helped greatly to con-
ceal from the people of Canada the fact that the
museum in Ottawa belongs to and represents the
whole of Canada in the same sense that the British
Museum represents Great Britain and the U.S.
National Museum the United States.
A museum guide booklet recently published by
the Field Museum, Chicago, displays a happy
solution of the difficult problem of conveying to
the general public in an entertaining way much
important palaeobotanical information without
becoming too technical to frighten away the lay
reader.
A Fossil Flower is the arresting title which
appears on the cover of this booklet. Fossil
flowers are even more rare than the forests of
“solid stone, so hard that they shivered to pieces
the finest-tempered axes .. . ’’ which Sinbad and
his companion encountered according to The
Thousand-and-second Tale of Scheherazade. So
many a browsing reader will no doubt feel con-
strained to read the pages with this unusual label.
March, 1925]
We learn from this very handsomely printed
booklet that flowers, in which even the pollen
grains are perfectly preserved, have been found in
the beautifully fossilized eycads which occur in
the Black Hills of South Dakota. The area where
the finest of the flower-bearing cycads have been
found has recently been set aside by an act of the
United States Government establishing the Cycad
National Monument. It is due primarily to the
foresight and initiative of Dr. Wieland, of Yale
University, that this very remarkable locality has
been made safe for posterity. His intensive study
of the splendidly preserved cycad trunks resulted
in the discovery of the perfect flowers which some
of them enclose. Cycad flowers were probably
blooming on the edge of the Dakota deserts away
back in the days when the dinosaurs now exhibited
in the National Museum at Ottawa were wading
about in the marshes of central Alberta.
These oldest known flowers are preserved in the
sides of curious globular or bulbous thick-stemmed
fossils which are known to miners and quarry
workmen as fossil hives, wasps’ nests, or crows’
nests. They are related to the sago palms now
living in the tropics. Excellent illustrations of
the curious branched stamens of the models of the
fossil cyead flowers in the Field Museum of
Natural History embellish the pages of this in-
structive little booklet, which admirably presents
in brief form some of the more essential facts
about fossil cyecads.—H.. M. K.
THE CULTIVATION OF NEW ZEALAND PLANTS.—
By L. Cockayne, Ph.D., F.L.S., F.N.Z. Inst.,
F.R.S., Hon. Botanist State Forest Service,
N.Z.; Corresponding Member Horticultural
Society of Massachusetts, U.S.A.; Author of
“New Zealand Plants and Their Story’’, “The
Vegetation of New Zealand’, etc. (Whit-
combe & Tombs Ltd., Auckland, Christchurch,
Dunedin and Wellington, N.Z.; Melbourne
and London). Price 4/6.
Dr. L. Cockayne has given, in a very concise
and instructive form, the result of his personal
experience of thirty-five years in the cultivation
of the native plants of New Zealand. The number
of plants treated exceeds eight hundred. The
“habitat” or place of dwelling, as Dr. Cockayne
calls it, has been given special attention. There
are twenty-four well-reproduced photographs; a
map, and, as frontispiece, a beautiful reproduction
of the Crimson Manuka (Leptospermum scoparium
var. Nichollsit).
The book deals with the methods of procuring
and cultivating the plants; and has chapters on
trees, shrubs, herbs and climbing plants suitable
for gardens, as well as on ferns for the open
garden, on plants for decorating the home, native
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 65
plants for school grounds and children’s gardens,
and native plants for town gardening.
Dr. Cockayne is to be congratulated on the
delightfully interesting way in which he has pre-
sented a wealth of valuable first-hand information
and Messrs. Whitcombe & Tombs for putting out
the book in such good form at a price that will
commend itself to the public.
There are three short paragraphs that I should
like to quote from the author’s introduction:
“Though the wild New Zealand plants live in
all kinds of situations, and thrive under condi-
tions unknown in gardens, it must not be
thought that the majority are not amenable to
cultivation. Quite the contrary is the case; by
far the greater number yield to the gardeners’
skill; only a small minority refuse to change
their abode. Yet there is a deep-seated convic-
tion to the contrary, notwithstanding the fact,
as will be seen, that many species have been
cultivated for years.
“New Zealanders, as a whole, love their
plants. The bush is a delight to thousands,
with its multitude of ferns, its stately trees with
ropes of lianas depending frem their massive
boughs, its white clematis, and its scarlet ratas.
So, too, the lovely alpine flowers are a joy to
those more venturesome who climb the lofty
mountains. In short, many would willingly
cultivate the plants of their country, but they
are deterred by the reputed difficulty.
“Nor is this all, our flower-gardening is, in
large measure, an imitation of that of the
Motherland, although here the capabilities for
open-air horticulture are far wider, and plant
after plant, not hardy in Great Britain, can he
readily grown. Thus our gardens should surely
possess a peculiar stamp of their own, and a
national horticulture come into being, with not
—only a rich exotic garden flora, but one where
New Zealand plants themselves would play no
inconsiderable part.”
The writer of this review has the pleasure of
knowing the stimulating and vital personality of
the author of this book, and can only wish that
Canada may develop a Cockayne to exploit and
extol the possibilities of her native plants, many of
which are equally as beautiful and interesting as
those of the sister Dominion of the South.—
R. Bead.
THE . MASCOUTENS OR PRAIRIE POTAWATOMI
INDIANS, Part 1, Social Life and Ceremonies,
by Alanson Skinner. Bulletin of the Public
Museum of the City of Milwaukee, Vol. 6,
Pp. 1-262, Plates 1-8, Figs. 1-2. Nov. 10,
1924, Milwaukee, Wis. Price $2.00.
It is unfortunate that the first impression of this
66 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
book should be one of wonder and dismay. The
author has jumped at once in medias res and carries
the reader quite off his feet. In the introductory
chapter he writes of so many things other than his
subject and draws so many comparisons that the
general reader, unacquainted with the ethnology
of the Central Algonkian peoples, can gain but
little information. In the first place it is very
difficult to gather from the text where the Mas-
coutens live or lived. It is only by rather laborious
investigation that one discovers that these people
are to be found at present on a reservation at
Mayetta, Kansas, in central Oklahoma, at Arpin,
Wisconsin, and in Old Mexico.
One paragraph in the introduction is, however,
of interest, as it gives us some light upon the
origin of the Mascoutens. It runs as follows:
“All the tribes in question (the Potawatomi?)
have many traits of ethnology, and some even of
actual tradition linking them with the Algonkians
of the Middle Atlantic, and even of the New Eng-
land sea-coast. The Mascoutens are not lacking
in this respect. They tell us in their legends that
they came into the world near the sea, and close
to the habitations of their ‘Grandfathers, the
Delawares’. Their religion, no matter how dis-
guised, still harks back to those archaic eastern
Algonkian manitous, Fire, Water, and the Sea,
with the gods of the four cardinal points and the
great controlling deity, the Great Spirit.”
The bulk of the volume is taken up with des-
criptions of social rites, with lists of social groups,
and with the myths of origin of the various clans
and functions found in the social organization of
the Mascouten people. It is noticeable that the
accounts of ceremonies and the translations of
myths are rendered in a very free and pleasing
manner. The usual constant repetition cf native
words is entirely absent, and this makes the body
of the book pleasant and easy toread. Any out-
line of the material in the text would be a rather
lengthy undertaking and would, moreover, be un-
intelligible except to students of ethnology.
The whole book is a work of reference and as
such it is obviously useful, but for the general
reader it is rather too special and not explicit
enough. Another noteable feature is the absence
of any conclusion. The last sentence is part of
the description of a ceremony. This leaves the
reader wondering if the auther has formed no
conclusions from his research or whether he is
reserving their presentation for the conclusion of
the whole series, for the sub-title tells us that this
is only the first volume of a number.
As a piece of bookmaking, the volume comes up
to the high standard of the Milwaukee Museum
publications, both in the typography and in the
excellence of the illustrations.—G. E. R.
[VoL. XXXIX
THE AUK, 1924
This volume opens with an important article—
A CONTRIBUTION TO THE LIFE HISTORY AND
ECONOMIC STATUS OF THE SCREECH OWL (Otus
Asio). By A. A. Allen, plates I-V, pp. 1-16.
This provides much food for thought for con-
servationists of both the “hands-off” and the
““vermin-control” schools. In June-July, 1921, at
Ithaca, New York, Dr. Allen made a detailed and
accurate study of the food consumed by a brood
of Screech Owls during the final six weeks of their
nest life. The results are rather surprising to
those who advocate the leaving of nature to find
its own balance, irrespective of where the level
may come. During this six weeks 77 small birds,
not predominantly juveniles, were known to have
been brought to the young and the débris in the
nest hole produced recognizable remains of many
more from previous feedings. The total score for
this brood was at least one hundred birds, and
probably substantially more. The amount of
insect, small mammal and other food was insignifi-
cant and could in no way compensate for the
destruction of the insectivorous birds consumed.
Even more surprising than the unexpected
harmfulness of these birds was the small apparent
effect it had on the local resident bird life. Though
it is assumed that most of the birds were taken in
or near the small four-acre home grounds sanc-
tuary, the bird population within it was not
reduced appreciably. The 42 nesting pairs of
birds in this area were all known and watched.
Often one of a pair would be missing coincidently
with the appearance of a similar bird in the Owls’
menu, but new mates usually took the places of
such birds almost immediately. Indeed it seems
as if there were an abundance of unattached birds
ready for just such opportunities. Unless the
second parent disappeared before it could remate,
the semi-orphaned brood had very good chances
for survival. A census of the sanctuary the
following year showed a slight increase in bird
population rather than a decrease, in spite of the
fact that a number of birds in excess of the whole
adult population of the area was known to have
been eaten.
The conclusions which may be drawn from this
evidence are conflicting, but a great doubt is
raised as to the expediency of permitting Screech
Owls in areas where other birds are especially
desired.
CRITERIA FOR THE DETERMINATION OF SUBSPECIES
IN SYSTEMATIC ORNITHOLOGY. By Frank M.
Chapman, pp. 17-18.
Dr. Chapman acknowledges the propriety of the
use of intergradation as a test for subspecific
status but advocates freedom in the application of
March, 1925]
the principle; and urges that in cases where inter-
gradation is difficult or impossible to demonstrate,
_ collateral evidence should be used and each case
treated according to its own merits. This is a
proposal that we heartily approve.
DIVING OF GREBES AND Loons. By Chas. W.
Townsend, pp. 29-41.
Apropos of a paper on the use of wings and feet
under water, Dr. Townsend collects an amount of
evidence and concludes that the use of feet alone
is the most efficient method of avian submarine
propulsion, and that the use of both wings and
feet is a primitive method of progression and still
indulged in by young birds and by old ones when
frightened or wounded.
THE FORTY-FIRST STATED MEETING OF THE
AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGISTS’ UNION. By T.
S..Palmer, pp. 122-134.
The meeting was held at Cambridge, Mass.,
October 8-12, 1923. There was a good attendance
and an interesting programme of papers was
presented. Four representatives from Canada,
three Fellows and one Associate, were present.
J. H. Fleming, of Toronto, was elected to the
Council. Dr. Chas. W. Townsend, well known
to the readers of The Naturalist, was elected to
the single vacant Fellowship. 173 Associates
were elected.
THE SONGS oF LEACH’S PETREL.
Townsend, pp. 148-149.
A description of the weird night song of the
species as heard near Grand Manan, New Bruns-
wick, July and August, 1923.
NOTE ON THE CORMORANT (Phalacrocorax carbo).
By Chas. W. Townsend, p. 150.
Reporting the occurrence of this species near
Grand Manan, New Brunswick, in the winter of
1923, and the supposition that it breeds nearby.
On a trip to the vicinity in question, on July 25,
- 1923, Common Cormorants were recognized among
By Chas. W.
individuals of undeterminable species, but no
nests were found. ,
LEWIS’S WOODPECKER VISITS CHICAGO. By Ash-
ley Hine, pp. 156-157.
Mr. Hine, late of Edmonton, Alta., now of the
Field Museum, Chicago, reports the occurrence of
this western species at Chicago.
FURTHER NOTES ON THE STARLING IN CANADA. ~
By Henry Mousley, pp. 158-159.
Referring to Harrison Lewis’s record of the
Starling on the Canadian Labrador coast and
adding data on late occurrence near Hatley, P.Q.
The Starling is evidently firmly established in
Canada now.
THE LARK SPARROW (Chondestes g. grammacus)
IN NEW BRUNSWICK. By Chas. Ww. Town-
send, p. 160.
ever dias the capture of a specimen on Grind :
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 67
Manan, New Brunswick, August 13, 1923, and its
deposition in the Victoria Memorial Museum,
Ottawa.
Under Recent Literature we note—
A PRELIMINARY SURVEY OF THE BIRD LIFE OF
NortH Dakota. By Norman A. Wood,
University of Michigan, Museum of Zoology,
Miscellaneous Publication No. 10, Ann Arbor,
Mich., July 2, 1923.
A well annotated and careful list of 96 pages.
This should be of interest and value to ornitholo-
gical observers in adjoining parts of Manitoba and
Saskatchewan.
LocAL NAMES OF MIGRATORY GAME BIRDS. By
W. L. McAtee, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture,
Miscellaneous Circular No. 138. October 13,
1923. pp. 1-95, with 52 text figures. Price
20 cents. Supt. Documents, Govt. Printing
Office, Washington, D.C.
This is interesting as showing how many and
what strange names have been applied to various
birds of interest to the sportsman. It is a con-
lusive argument for the necessity of scientific and
officially accepted common names.
NOTES ON SPRING BIRD MIGRATION oF 1914 AT
ANTIGONISH, Nova Scotia. By Harrison F.
Lewis. Trans. N.S. Inst. Science. XV, Part
2, pp. 119-128. June 30, 1923.
An annotated list of larger scope than its title
indicates, by our own chief editor.
A COLLECTING EXPEDITION TO BONAVENTURE
ISLAND, QUEBEC. By George Shrosbree. Year-
book Milwaukee Public Museum, 1922, 22D:
22-LT.
A beautifully illustrated popular account.
THE DESTRUCTION OF WATERFOWL IN THE WEST.
By Allan Brooks. American Forestry, October,
1923.
An account of the deadly conditions on some of
the alkaline lakes of the west, illustrated by photo-
graphs. .
Wm. C. Adams, Director, Division of Fisheries
and Game, Massachusetts Department of Con-
servation, writes a letter in comment on and
approval of Dr. A. K. Fisher’s Statement Regard-
ing Scientific Collecting in the July issue of the
Bulletin of the American Game Protective and
Propagation Association. The subject “is very
important both from the standpoint of the develop-
ment of science and from that of its practical
application to conservation. It is the latter aspect
that the writer stresses. It would be well if this
letter could be given wide circulation and had we
space we would quote it liberally. Mr. Adams
- recognizes the importance of scientific information
as a basis for measures of protection and con-
~ servation ‘and the necessity for the collecting of
specimens in obtaining it. He deplores the fact
68 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
that enough naturalists are not being trained and
that obstacles are thrown in the way of their
development by certain short-sighted protection
policies.
His criticism of the ornithologist is not that he
collects specimens but that he has not generally
worked in closer contact with regular game com-
missions and authorities. In this we think Mr.
- Adams is confusing cause and effect. The reason
for the lack of co-ordination between naturalist
and game warden has usually been the disregard
by the latter for the information the former had
to offer. Game guardianships have been filled
many times by men of good intentions, but it has
been seldom that such appointees have had any
special knowledge of the animals they were en-
deavoring to protect or realized that the naturalist
had anything of value to offer. The naturalist,
especially the ornithologist, has been more often
the object of persecution by game officials than of
encouragement. It is certain that once regularly
constituted game protection authorities show a
desire for exact information the naturalist is will-
ing to assist, as has been demonstrated wherever
that enlightened policy has been followed. To-
day, the biggest and most successful influences for
the protection of wild life, such as the Audubon
Societies, the United States Biological Survey, the
various anti-millinery plumage bills; the inter-
national Migratory Birds Convention, and others
have been conceived and inaugurated by the speci-
men-collecting ornithologist. Mr. Adams makes
a plea for scientific assistance in studying the
cause or causes of the periodic rise and fall in
abundance of the Grouse. It may be said that in
response to or coincident with this appeal two
such investigations are being undertaken under
able scientific ornithological direction. One in the
State of New York with the Ruffed Grouse as the
object of study; the other in Florida for the study
of the Bob-White. When results are obtained,
they will probably be of great value to the whole
country, where similar problems have to be faced
without exact data for their solution.
An editorial on p. 202 discusses a campaign
recently inaugurated against the Crow by a well
known powder company. The Editor is strongly
condemnatory. Whether it is wise to entrust
vermin control to commercial concerns or whether
it is expedient to encourage irresponsible persons
to carry guns in the field during the close seasons
with the ostensible excuse of killing Crows is
[VoL. XXXIX
largely a question of administrative policy. That
the Crow has increased in some localities so as to
introduce a serious factor against the welfare of
resident species can hardly be doubted. That the
guardedly approving findings of a recent investiga-
tion of the economic influence of the Crow dis-
regard entirely its egg-eating activities is admitted.
That as a species it is well able to take care of
itself and is in not the slightest danger of exter-
mination under even the persistent persecution.
practiced is evident. It is our view that there are
many places where the number of Crows can be
greatly reduced with benefit to the community but
we are equally uncertain as to the best means of
accomplishing this end. We do not approve of
government bounties at all; they are expensive,
inefficient and subject to abuse. It seems useless
to hope for paid professional Crow shooters in the
present mental and financial condition of the
country. In the meanwhile it does not seem very
dangerous that ammunition companies should
interest local shooting clubs who have the most
at stake, to undertake the work at their own
expense. That the companies sell ammunition
and the shooters make a game of it is not a valid
excuse against it when the country in general
profits by it and no better solution is at hand.—
IP wArcan
WHALE BARNACLES.—It is a familiar matter to
one who explores the seashore to find plant or
animal attached to plant or animal in the most
bewildering fashion, particularly in the case of the
plants and the more sluggish animals. Usually,
however, the vertebrates are free from incommod- ©
ing overgrowths by other forms. The hump-back
whales are an exception, and not infreqeuntly they
are found conspicuously dotted with the large
whale barnacles. This occurs on both our Atlantic
and our Pacific coasts. On the latter the ordinary
whale barnacles are frequently accompanied by a
stalked kind of soft consistency. These two,
Coronula diadema and Conchoderma auritum, have
been known for centuries, and were included by
Linnaeus in his System of Nature. Nevertheless,
descriptions, even of the external parts, of these
forms have been but incomplete. I. E. Cornwall
has recently (Proc. Calif. Acad. Sc., Vol. XIII, No.
26, November, 1924) given many new details
accompanied by figures and photographs: The
pecimens were supplied him by Gaptain J. E.
Gilmore, of Cachelot, B.C.—A. G. H.
Sweet Canada
Eleven Bird Songs and a Round
by
Louise Murphy
Author of ‘‘A Little Book of Bird Songs,
Rhymes and Tunes fer Tiny Tots”’
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EXPLORATIONS
in Western Canada
The Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club
has just published an interesting vol-
ume of over 300 pages, entitled:
Autobiography of
John Macoun, M.A.
Canadian Explorer and Naturalist, Assistant
Director and Naturalist to the Geological Survey
of Canada—1831-1920.
This volume is an account of the life of this veteran
naturalist. Agriculturists generally, in fact al
interested in the development of Canada, will find
this book of much interest and value.
The edition is limited. The price is $3.00 with
15c added for bank exchange, if remittance is forwarded
by personal cheque.
Applications for the volume should be made to
Mr. Arthur Gibson
Birks Building
Stamps
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The more consistent use of
rubber stamps will materially
assist you in cataloguing the
collection of specimens you
have spent so much time and
trouble in securing. Let us
help you.
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eae US canvas
'. W. JACKSON; President: J. J. GOLDEN;,
. M. SpeEcHLY, A. M. Davipson, A. G
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e-Presideni: C. C. PEMBERTON; Secretary: H. T.
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k, Miss I. CATHCART, WM. DowNEs, A. HALKETT.
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President: Mr. J. J. GAnTZ, Red Deer; President: Mr. C. H.
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ae RANDALL, Castor, Mr. F. L. eS
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~The Canadian Field-Naturalist
VOL. XXXIX
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, APRIL, 1925
No. 4
J
“NOTES ON THE LIFE ALONG THE YUKON-ALASKA BOUNDARY.
By M. Y. WILLIAMS.
HE SURVEY of the Yukon-Alaska bound-
ary has passed into history as an inter-
national achievement, accompanied by
=——’ much adventurous exploration. The
official reports have long since been published,
and among them are to be found reports on the
geology, zoology and botany of the region tra-
versed.
It so happened, however, that the writer was
assistant, in 1911, to Dr. D. D. Cairnes, of the
Geological Survey of Canada, and voluntarily did
zoological work in addition to his other duties.
A list of birds and animals observed by him, after
being checked by the identification of specimens
collected, was published by Dr. Cairnes!, but no
fuller statement has appeared regarding the life of
_ that interesting and rather inaccessible region.
No equipment of any kind was available for
zoological work and the only guns in the party
wererifles. In spite of the limitations experienced
a number of new occurrences were recorded for
the district, the most notable being that of Swain-
son’s Hawk.
It is the intention of this paper to give such
information on the fauna of the region as is con-
tained in the writer’s private note book. Identifi-
cations have been made conservatively and after
comparison with the lists of Bishop and Macoun.
Except where specimens were taken and examined,
however, subspecific determination is based on
geographical probability.
The region principally under discussion is in-
cluded by Osgood? in his Hudsonian-Yukon faunal
district, which ‘‘includes all of the Yukon region
from Fort Selkirk to the limit of trees’’.
In general this region lies within the northern
portion of Yukon plateau, and is characterized
by mature topography—groups of rounded moun-
tains alternating with wide, swampy river and
stream valleys. The drainage is to the west and
tributary to the Yukon River. The maximum
elevation near the 141st meridian is 4000 feet
above sea-level, the minimum being 800 feet at
Rampart House. The larger river valleys have an
elevation at the boundary varying between 1200
1Geol. Surv. Canada, Summ. Rept., 1911, p. 26.
Memoir 67, p. 19.
2U.S. Department of Agriculture, Division of Biological
Survey, North American Fauna. No. 19. October, 1900.
Ibid-
and 1500 feet, the average mountain peaks rising
to 2500 feet. The timber line is approximately
at 2300 feet, but there is much variation, and
dwarf birch and spruce straggle considerably
higher than other species.
The common trees, as already described by
Cairnes, are: white spruce (Picea canadensis),
aspen poplar (Populus tremuloides), balsam poplar
(P. balsamifera), northern canoe birch (Betula
resinifera), tamarack (Larix laricina), five species
of willow, and two of alder. Among the shrubs,
the juniper (Juniperus nana), dwarf birch (Betula
glandulosa) and ‘‘soapollali” (Shepherdia canaden-
sis) are conspicuous. “Blueberries” and red
currants are locally abundant.
The route followed by the writer was up Kandik
River from Yukon River, about 90 miles to the
141st meridian, shovel-nosed canoes or poling boats
being used for transportation. The 141st meridian
was followed northward by pack-train to Rampart
House on Porcupine River, which supplied an
easy means of travel to Fort Yukon, Alaska.
The trails followed had already been used for
two years by the Boundary survey parties, and
the larger mammals had probably learned to shun
this region to some extent. Caribou and bear
were not so plentiful as reported for previous
years, and no sheep were seen, although reported
common formerly.
Following is a summary of the observations
made, including some occurrences from the South-:
ern Yukon region. Most of the observations were
made, however, along the 141st meridian between
latitude 65°50’ and 67°25’.
BIRDS
1. Gavia pacifica. PAcitric LooN.—One, Porcu-
pine River, August 28th.,
2. Gavia stellata. RED-THROATED LOON.—One,
Kandik River, June 6th.
3. Larus glaucescens glaucescens. | GLAUCOUS-
WINGED GULL.—A pure white Gull was seen on
Kandik River, May 29th.
4. Larus argentatus. HERRING GULL.—One,
probably of this species, on Porcupine River,
August 28th.
5. Larus philadelphia. BONAPARTE’S GULL.—
One, probably of this species, seen 30 miles below
White Horse, May 16th.
70 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
6. Mergus americanus. AMERICAN MERGANSER.
—Several on Kandik River, June 6th and 8th.
7. Mergus serrator. RED-BREASTED MERGAN-
SER.—Several on Kandik River, June 12th. This
species has not been previously reported.
8. Anas platyrhynchos. MALLARD.—A male 30
miles below White Horse, May 16th; a nest and
7 eggs reported below Carmacks, May 20th;
common on Coffee Creek, May 25th.
9. Dafila acuta tzitzthoa. AMERICAN PINTAIL.—
A pair 60 miles below White Horse, May 19th.
10. Marila marila. Scaup Duck.—One at
Carmacks, May 20th.
11. Glaucionetia islandica. BARROW’S GOLDEN-
EYE.—A pair 30 miles below White Horse, May
16th; one at Carmacks, May 20th. This species
has not been previously recorded, but has since
been collected by the writer on the Fort Nelson
River of the Liard system.
12. Charitonetta albeola.
pair 30 miles below White Horse,
Common at Carmacks, May 20th.
13. Histrionicus histrionicus (subsp.?). HARLE-
QUIN Duck.—One on Kandik River, June 13th.
One on Orange Creek, June 20th.
14. Branta canadensis hutchinsi. HUTCHINS’S
GoosE.—One, Yukon Crossing, May 24th, subsp.?;
five, Coffee Creek, May 25th, subsp.?; two, Kandik
River, June 2nd. One of these, which was killed,
measured 24 inches and had 17 tail-feathers. A
male killed on Kandik River, June 7th, measured
294 inches and had 16 tail-feathers. The head
and neck are in Victoria Memorial Museum.
Several on Kandik River, June 8th, subsp.?; one
killed on Kandik River, June 9th, subsp.?. Several
with young seen on Kandik River, June 13th,
subsp.?.
15. Gallinago delicata.
66°41’, August 14th.
16. Tringa solitaria cinnamomea. WESTERN
SOLITARY SANDPIPER.—About 30 miles below
White Horse, May 16th. One on Bern Creek,
July 19th.
17. Heteroscelus incanus. WANDERING TAT-
TLER.—Kandik River, June 12th.
18. Actitis macularia. SPOTTED SANDPIPER.—
Common on Coffee Creek, May 24th. Several on
Kandik River, June 7th.
19. Canachites canadensis osgoodi. ALASKA
SPRUCE PARTRIDGH.—Seen 60 miles below White
Horse, May 20th. A male taken in Lat. 66°40’,
BUFFLE-HEAD.—One
May 16th.
WILSON’S SNIPE.—Lat.
August 7th. A female and three young taken
August 18th.
20. Bonasa wmbellus wmbelloides. GRAY
RUFFED GROUSE.—A light-colored female taken
at Carcross, May 10th.
21. Lagopus lagopus lagopus.
MIGAN.—Several taken near
WILLOW PTAR-
Rampart House.
[VoL. XX XIX
One sent to Victoria Memorial Museum, August
26th.
22. Lagopus rupestris rupestris. Rock PTAR-
MIGAN.—Fairly common along 141st meridian
between June 17th and August 4th. Three taken.
Very young chicks seen June 24th. Young flying
well, July 19th.
23. Pediecetes phasianellus phasianellus. SHARP-
TAILED GROUSE.—Seen 60 miles below White
Horse, May 19th.
24. Circus hudsonius. MARSH HAWk.—-One in
light phase, at Yukon Crossing, May 24th.
25. Accipiter velox. SHARP-SHINNED HAWK. —
Two at Kandik River, June 1st.
26. Buteo swainsoni. SWAINSON’S HAWK.—
This was the commonest Hawk in the country
and was observed from 60 miles below White
Horse on May 18th to the Porcupine River,
August 28th. Birds in dark plumage were com-
mon. One female in black plumage shot by Dr.
Cairnes in lat. 66°40’, August 14th, and sent to
Victoria Memorial Museum.
27. Aquila chrysaétos (2). GOLDEN Tae
Probably this species seen about 60 miles south of
Porcupine River, August 20th. Not previously
reported.
28. Falco peregrinus anatum. Duck HAwWK.—
Kandik River, June 11th. Porcupine River,
August 28th.
29. Falco columbarius (subsp.?). PIGEON
HAWK.—Lat. 66°40’, identification doubtful. Seen
at Rampart House, August 27th.
30. Pandion haliaétus carolinensis. OSPREY.—
Bird and nest in top of live spruce, 35 feet from
ground, Kandik River, June 8th. Pair and nest,
Kandik River, June 11th.
31. Surnia ulula caparoch. AMERICAN HAWK
Owu.—Dead one seen 30 miles below White
Horse, May 16th. Four seen, one taken, lat.
66°40’, August 7th. :
32. Ceryle alcyon alcyon. BELTED KINGFISHER.
—QOne, 60 miles below White Horse, May 19th.
One, Kandik River, May 29th. One, Kandik
River, June 7th. One, lat. 66°40’, August 14th.
33. Dryobates villosus (subsp.?)$ Harry Woop-
PECKER.—Probably this species seen 60 miles
below White Horse, May 20th.
34. Picoides americanus fasciatus. ALASKA
THREE-TOED WOODPECKER.—Three-toed Wood-
peckers with white on back were seen 30 miles
below White Horse on May 16th and at Carmacks,
May 20th.
35. Colaptes cafer collaris. RED-SHAFTED
FLICKER.—Seen 60 miles below White Horse,
May 18th, and at Carmacks, May 20th.
36. Sayornis sayus. SAY’S PHOEBE.—Several
seen about 10 miles north of Black River, August
3rd and 7th.
April, 1925]
37. Otocoris alpestris arcticola. PALLID HORNED
LARK.—Horned Larks were seen near Orange
Creek, June 23rd.
38. Perisoreus canadensis canadensis. CANADA
JAY.—Sparingly distributed. Dark young seen
on the flats of the Black River, July 6th and 24th.
Two specimens taken.
39. Corvus corax principalis. NORTHERN
RAVEN.—Orange Branch, Black River, June 19th.
Porcupine River, August 28th.
40. Euphagus carolinus. Rusty BLACKBIRD.—
Carcross, May 10th.
41. Pinicola enucleator prob. alascensis. PINE
GROSBEAK.— Male in mountains near Bern Creek,
July 1. A pair seen on July 8th.
42. Loxia leucoptera. WHITE-WINGED CROSS-
BILL.—Bern Creek, July 19th.
43. Leucosticte tephrocotis litioralis. HBEPBURN’S
Rosy FincH.—A bird probably of this species seen
at about 3500 feet elevation near Bern Creek,
July 17th.
44. Acanthus linaria (2). REDPOLL.—No white
on rump; red of throat and forehead bright.
Near Orange Creek, June 24th.
45. Zonotrichia leucophrys gambeli. GAMBEL’S
SPARROW.—Seen 30 miles below White Horse,
May 14th, and at Yukon Crossing, May 24th.
46. Spizella monticola ochracea. WESTERN
TREE SPARROW.—Yukon Crossing, May 24th.
47. Passerella iliaca (subsp.?). Fox SPARROW.
—One in song on Kandik River, June 11th.
48. Petrochelidon. lunifrons lunifrons. CLIFF
SWALLOW.—At Ramparts of Porcupine River,
August 28th.
49. Tachycineta thalassina lepida. NORTHERN
VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW.—Several 50 miles be-
low White Horse, May 17th. Common at Car-
macks, May 20th.
50. Riparia riparia. BANK SWALLOW.—
Probably some of the holes in the banks of the
branches of the Black River were made by this
species.
51. Dendroica aestiva rubiginosa. ALASKA
YELLOW WARBLER.—Yukon Crossing, May 24th.
52. Dendroica coronata hooveri. HOOVER
WARBLER.—Birds probably of this species on
Orange Creek, June 22-23rd.
53. Penthestes hudsonicus (subsp.?). | HUDSON-
IAN CHICKADEE.—Dark birds, probably of this
species, were seen near Bern Creek on July 7th,
and 10 miles north of the Black River on August
Ath.
54. Regulus calendula calendula. © RuBy-
CROWNED KINGLET.—Near Bern Creek, July 8th.
55. Myadestes townsendi. TOWNSEND’S SOLI-
TAIRE.—One taken near Bern Creek, July 17th.
56. Hylocichla (sp.?). THRUSH.—Common
songster on burnt ridges during June and early
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 71
July. Seen up to 3400 feet elevation and as far
north as Bern Creek. One immature specimen
taken. Probably more than one species present.
57. Planesticus migratorius migratorius. ROBIN.
—Comparatively scarce. Seen principally on
mountain tops up to 2500 feet. Young half-
grown, but flying, seen near Orange Creek, June
24th, and young seen flying, July 1st.
58. Ixoreus naevius (subsp.?). VARIED THRUSH.
—The monotonous whistle of this bird sounded all
night along Kandik River during late May and
early June. Seen in interior to Bern Creek.
Two taken, July 1 and July 15.
MAMMALS
1. Rangifer (sp.?) prob. arcticus. CARIBOU.—
Many antlers on ridges, especially north of Black
River. Three fat bulls seen about 60 miles south
of Porcupine River. One taken by writer August
20th measured as follows: Length, 6 ft. 5 in.;
height at shoulder, 4 ft. 3 in.; between widest
points of antlers, 3 ft. 5in.; from tip of brow tine
to top of back tine, 3 ft. 5 in.; left antler, 26
points; right antler, 14 points. Trapper reported
caribou very plentiful along Black River in winter.
2. Alces gigas. ALASKA Moose.—Generally
scattered through country. Five taken for food.
A large bull shot near Bern Creek, July 19, had a
60-inch spread of antlers, which were still in the
velvet.
3. Ovis dallt. DALL MOUNTAIN SHEEP.—These
were reported as common during previous years,
and some signs were seen on the mountains.
Three young ones were seen by the packers and
one was taken.
4. Sciurus hudsonicus. Hupson BAy RED
SQUIRREL.—One seen 60 miles below White Horse,
May 20th.
5. Citellus (sp.?). GOPHER OR GROUND
SQUIRREL.—Common at Carmacks, May 20, also
in mountains south of Black River in July.®
6. Castor canadensis. AMERICAN BEAVER.—
Beaver cuttings common along Kandik River.
7. Microtus xanthognathus. CHESTNUT-CHEEKED
VOLE.—One found dead near Bern Creek, July
2nd.
8. Erethizon epixanthum. YELLOW-HAIRED
PORCUPINE.—One in valley of Black River, July
27th.
9. Lepus americanus dalli. DALL VARYING
Hare.—Probably this sub-species common along
Stewart River below White Horse at least as far
as Carmacks in May. One in lat. 66°40’, August
9th.*
3The former are probably Citellus plesius, but the specimens
which I have examined from the northern part of the boundary
region are undoubtedly Citellus parryi.cR. M. A.
‘The latter is more probably Lepus americanus macfarlani.
EaIVIEDAY
72 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
10. Vulpes fulua. Cross Fox.—One seen on
Porcupine River below Ramparts, August 29th.
11. Ursus americanus. BLACK BEAR.—Several
along Yukon below Dawson, May 28th. One on
Black River, July 22nd.
12. Ursus (sp.?). GRizzLy BEAR.—Two seen
north of Black River by Dr. Cairnes, July 27th
and August 2nd.
13. Martes americana actuosa. ALASKA MAR-
TEN.—Trapper on Black River stated that the
marten was his main catch of fur.
AMPHIBIA
Rana (sp.). FRoG.—Heard at Carcross, May
[VoL. XXXIX
10th. One reported as having been seen here
May 15th. Heard lower down Yukon River and
on Kandik River.
REPTILES
GARTER SNAKE.—One 18 inches long reported
by D. H. Nellis, 43 miles south of Dawson.
FISH
GRAYLING.—Common in
The largest taken was 14_
Thymallus signifer.
all mountain streams.
inches long.
Catostomus (sp.?). MULLET OR SUCKERS.—
Some seen on the bottom of Black River, July
16th.
A PRELIMINARY LIST OF THE BIRDS OF THE LINDSAY DISTRICT,
ONTARIO
By E. W. CALVERT
(Concluded from page 51)
88. Otocoris alpestris praticola. PRAIRIE HORNED
LARK.—Common. Rare from Christmas to
late January.
89. Cyanocitta cristata cristata. BLUE JAY.—
Common resident, local; very common, often
abundant in migrations.
90. Perisoreus canadensis canadensis. CANADA
JAY.—Frequent during November, 1904; last seen
March, 1905.
91. Corvus brachyrhynchos brachyrhynchos.
Crow.—Abundant summer resident, scarce in
winter.
92. Dolichonyx oryzivorus. BOBOLINK.—A very
common summer resident.
93. Molothrus ater ater.
summer resident.
94. Agelaius pheniceus pheniceus. RED-WINGED
BLACKBIRD.—Common summer resident, very
common loeally.
95. Sturnella magna magna. MEADOWLARK.—
A very common summer resident.
96. Icterus galbula. BALTIMORE ORIOLE.—
Common summer resident.
97. Euphagus carolinus. Rusty BLACKBIRD.—
Common spring and abundant fall migrant. One
observed in Manvers Township, December 22,
1919. i
98. Quiscalus quiscula eneus. BRONZED
GRACKLE.—Common summer resident, abundant
migrant.
99. Hesperiphona vespertina vespertina. EVENING
GROSBEAK.—A female observed May 11, 1914.
Several seen during the winter of 1919-20.
100. Pinicola enucleator leucura. PINE GROS-
BEAK.—Irregular winter visitor, sometimes com-
mon.
101. Carpodacus purpureus purpureus. PURPLE
FIncH.—Tolerably common summer resident;
CowBIRD.—Common
common migrant; often a common winter resident.
102. Lovia curvirostra minor (Red) CROSSBILL.
—A very irregular winter visitor.
103. Loxia leucoptera. WHITE-WINGED Cross-
BILL.—More numerous than the last, to judge from
records. Observed in winters of 1906-07, 1914-
15 and 1919-20.
104. Acanthis linaria linaria. REDPOLL.
ter resident, often common.
105. Astragalinus tristis tristis. GOLDFINCH.—
Common summer resident, usually scarce in
winter.
106. Spinus pinus. PINE SISKIN.—Winter visit-
or, often common.
107. Passer domesticus.
Abundant resident.
108. Plectrophenax nivalis nivalis. SNOW BUNT-
ING.—A common winter visitor.
109. Powcetes gramineus gramineus.
SPARROW.—Abundant summer resident.
110. Passerculus sandwichensis savanna. SA-
VANNAH SPARROW.—A very common summer
resident.
Win-
House SPARROW.—
VESPER
111. Zonotrichia lewcophrys leucophrys. WHITE-
CROWNED SPARROW.—Frequent migrant, some-
times common.
112. Zonotrichia albicollis. _WHITE-THROATED
SPARROW.—Common summer resident locally,
abundant migrant.
113. Spizella monticola monticola. TREE SPAR-
ROW.—Common migrant, often abundant locally;
sometimes common in winter.
114. Spizella passerina passerina. CHIPPING
SPARROW.—Common summer resident; very
common locally, in Lindsay and elsewhere.
115. Junco hyemalis hyemalis. SLATE-COLORED
JUNCO.—Searce summer resident locally; abun-
dant migrant; a not common winter resident.
April, 1925]
116. Melospiza melodia melodia. SONG SPARROW.
—Abundant summer resident; very scarce winter
resident; some young hatched by May 25.
117. Melospiza georgiana. SWAMP SPARROW.—
Common summer resident; abundant locally.
118. Passerella iliaca iliaca. Fox SPARROW.-—
A tolerably common fall and scarce spring migrant.
119. Pipilo erythrophthalmus erythrophthaimus.
TOWHEE.—Frequent migrant; a not common
summer resident.
120. Hedymeles ludovicianus. ROSE-BREASTED
GROSBEAK.—A tolerably common summer resi-
dent; common in Cartwright.
121. Passerina cyanea. INDIGO BUNTING.—Fre-
quent summer resident, common locally.
122. Piranga erythromelas. SCARLET TANAGER.—
Frequent summer resident.
123. Progne subis subis. PURPLE MARTIN.—
Frequent summer resident in Lindsay and in
several towns and villages; common in Port Perry.
124. Petrochelidon lunifrons lunifrons. CLIFF
SWALLOW.—Frequent summer resident very locally;
common twenty-five or more years ago (in
nineties).
125. Hirundo erythrogastra. BARN SWALLOW.— ~
A very common summer resident.
126. Iridoprocne bicolor. TREE SWALLOW.—
Summer resident; very common southward from
Lindsay; apprently scarce about Sturgeon Lake.
127. Riparia riparia. BANK SWALLOW.—Fre-
quent summer resident in Ops and Emily; com-
mon about Sturgeon and Scugog Lakes.
128. Stelgidopteryx serripennis. ROUGH-WINGED
SWALLOW.—Scarece near Port Perry; observed
only in spring.
129. Bombycilla cedrorum. CEDAR WAXWING.—
Common summer resident.
130. Lanius borealis. NORTHERN SHRIKE.—
A not common winter resident.
131. Lanius ludovicianus migrans. MIGRANT
SHRIKE.—Scarce since 1919; a common summer
resident about 1903.
132. Vireosylva olivacea. RED-EYED VIREO.—A
very common summer resident; abundant locally.
133. Vireosylva gilva gilua. WARBLING VIREO.—-
A tolerably common summer resident locally;
common in Lindsay.
134. Lanivireo flavifrons. YELLOW-THROATED
ViIREO.—Tolerably common migrant; formerly
recorded throughout the summer.
135. Lanivireo solitarius solitarius. BLUE-HEAD-
ED VIREO.—<A tolerably common migrant. One
recorded October 12, 1919.
136. Mniotilta varia. BLACK AND WHITE WARB-
LER.—Common summer resident; abundant mi-
grant.
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 73
NASH-
resident
137. Vermivora ruficapilla ruficapilla.
VILLE WARBLER.—Frequent summer
locally; very common migrant.
138. Vermivora peregrina. TENNESSEE WARB-
LER.—A tolerably common migrant.
139. Compsothlypis americana pusilla. NORTH-
ERN PARULA WARBLER.—Tolerably common mi-
grant; sometimes common. A summer resident
near Balsam Lake (Rosedale).
140. Dendroica tigrina. CAPE MAY WARBLER.
—Recorded at Pleasant Point in August, 1914
(Dale). Tolerably common at Port Perry in the
spring of 1924.
141. Dendroica xstiva xstiva. YELLOW WARBLER.
—Common summer resident.
142. Dendroica caerulescens caerulescens. BLACK-
THROATED BLUE WARBLER.—Very scarce summer
resident; common migrant.
143. Dendroica coronata coronata. MYRTLE
WARBLER.—Scarce summer resident from Lindsay
south; rather common about Sturgeon Lake;
abundant migrant.
144. Dendroica magnolia. MAGNOLIA WARBLER.
—Frequent summer resident, common locally;
very common, sometimes abundant migrant.
145.. Dendroica pensylvanica. CHESTNUT-SIDED
WARBLER.—Frequent summer resident; common
locally and in migrations.
146. Dendroica castanea. BAY-BREASTED WARB-
LER.—Usually a common fall migrant; occasion-
ally abundant in spring; irregular.
147. Dendroica striata. BLACK-POLL WARBLER.
—dUsually a tolerably common migrant.
148. Dendroica fusca. BLACKBURNIAN WARB-
LER.—Secarce summer resident; very common
migrant, sometimes abundant.
149. Dendroica virens. BLACK-THROATED GREEN
WARBLER.—Common summer resident locally;
abundant migrant.
150. Dendroica vigorsi. PINE WARBLER.—
Scarce summer resident locally.
151. Dendroica palmarum (subsp.?). PALM
WARBLER.—Frequent migrant.
152. Seiurus aurocapillus. OVEN-BIRD.—Com-
mon summer resident.
153. Seiwrus noveboracensis (subsp.?). WATER-
THRUSH.—Common summer resident, abundant
locally.
154. Oporornis philadelphia. MOURNING WARB-
LER.—Frequent summer resident.
155. Geothlypis trichas trichas. MARYLAND
YELLOW-THROAT.—A very common summer resi-
dent.
156. Wilsonia pusilla pusilla. WILSON’S WARB-
LER.—One observed August 19, 1914, at Pleasant
Point (Dale); one seen in spring near Reaboro by
the writer; tolerably common in the spring of
1924 near Port Perry.
74 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
157. Wilsonia canadensis. CANADA WARBLER.
—A rather common summer resident.
158. Setophaga ruticilla. REDSTART.—A com-
mon summer resident; very common locally and
in migrations.
159. Anthus rubescens. PIrpIT—A common fall
and rather scarce spring migrant.
160. Dumetella carolinensis. CATBIRD.—Common
summer resident, abundant in Cartwright.
161. Toxostoma rufum. BROWN THRASHER.—
A not common summer resident, tolerably common
at Port Perry.
162. Troglodytes aédon aédon. HOUSE WREN.—
Common summer resident, most common in
Sturgeon Point and in Lindsay.
163. Nannus hiemalis hiemalis. WINTER WREN.
—Scarce summer resident, rather common locally;
common migrant.
164. Cistothorus stellaris. SHORT-BILLED MARSH
WrREN:—Tolerably common as a summer resident
near Port Perry in 1924.
165. Telmatodytes palustris palustris. LONG-
BILLED MARSH WREN.—Very common summer
resident in marshes from Sturgeon Lake south.
166. Certhia familiaris americana. BROWN
CREEPER.—Resident; common in migrations; a
not common summer and winter resident.
167. Sitta carolinensis carolinensis. WHITE-
BREASTED NUTHATCH.—Common resident.
168. Sitia canadensis. RED-BREASTED NutT-
HATCH.—Scarce summer resident, local; irregular
resident in winter.
169. Penthestes atricapillus atricapillus. CHICKA-
DEE.—Common resident, abundant at certain
times.
170. Regulus satrapa satrapa. GOLDEN-CROWNED
KINGLET.—Very common, sometimes abundant
in migrations; sometimes a winter resident.
171. Regulus calendula calendula. RUBY-CROWN-
ED KINGLET.—Common migrant, sometimes very
common.
172. Hylocichla mustelina. Wood THRUSH.—
Scarce summer resident.
173. Hylocichla fuscescens fuscescens. VEERY.—
Common summer resident, abundant locally.
174. Hylocichla ustulata swainsonit. OLIVE-
BACKED THRUSH.—A tolerably common migrant,
sometimes common.
175. Hylocichla guttata pallast. HERMIT THRUSH.
—Common migrant, possibly a summer resident.
[VoL. XX XIX
176. Planesticus migratorius migratorius. ROBIN -
—Very common summer resident, some young
hatched by May 20.
177. Stalia sialis sialis. BLUEBIRD.—Common
summer resident.
The following species are HYPOTHETICAL:
Mareca americana. BALDPATE.—Searce migrant
at Port Perry.
Marila valisineria. CANVAS-BACK.—Searce fall
migrant at Port Perry; also a migrant at Valentia.
Glaucionetta islandica. BARROW’S GOLDEN-EYE.
—Harly spring migrant at Valentia.
Somateria spectabilis. KING EIDER.—A drake
and two ducks taken in the fall of 1909 near
Valentia by Charles Parkin.
Oidemia perspicillata. SURF SCOTER.—Scarce
migrant near Valentia.
Erismatura jamaicensis. RUDDY Duck.—A not
common migrant near Valentia.
Pisobia maculata. PECTORAL SANDPIPER.—
Rare (?) migrant.
Pisobia minutilla. LEAST SANDPIPER.—A prob-
able migrant.
Colinus virginianus virginianus. BOB-WHITE.—
Reported from near Valentia by Charles Parkin
many years ago.
Canachites canadensis canace. CANADA SPRUCE
PARTRIDGE.—F ound west of Lindsay about 1885.
Ectopistes migratorius. PASSENGER PIGEON.—
Reported by several old residents.
Falco peregrinus anatum. Duck HAwkK.—Rare
migrant at Scugog Lake.
Surnia ulula caparoch. HAWK Owu.—One taken
near Irondale in the fall of 1919 and mounted by
Mr. W. G. Brooks.
Phleotomus pileatus abieticola. NORTHERN PILE-
ATED WOODPECKER.—Reported in winter from
Manvers Township near Janetville.
Empidonax flaviventris. YELLOW-BELLIED FLy-
CATCHER.—Doubtfully recorded from Port Perry
in spring of 1924.
Corvus corax principalis. NORTHERN RAVEN.—
Found in the northern part of Victoria County.
Bombycilla garrula. BOHEMIAN WAXWING.—
Reported near Reaboro in the winter of 1917.
Vireosylva philadelphica. PHILADELPHIA VIREO.
—Doubtfully recorded at Reaboro.
Hylocichla alicie alicie. GRAY-CHEEKED
TuHRuSH.—Almost certainly found in migrations.
April, 1925]
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 75
NOTES ON SOME SUMMER BIRDS OF THE MAGDALEN ISLANDS
By P. B. PHILIPP
T HAS BEEN the good fortune of the
writer to make four trips to the Magdalen
Islands, at widely separated times.
This has been of particular advantage
in giving an opportunity to make comparisons as
to the numerical abundance of certain species as
affected by seasonal conditions, protective acts,
and the changed attitude of the natives toward
the bird life of the Islands.
The small group of islands making up the Mag-
dalens has always been and still is of great interest
to the ornithologist, and, in spite of their nearness
to civilization and comparative ease of access,
there is much room for observation and study.
June weather in the Islands is always cold, fre-
quently stormy, and gives a fair imitation of the
sub-boreal conditions found considerably farther
north. The bird life is likewise what would be
looked for in amore northern zone. For instance,
the Least Sandpiper and the Fox Sparrow are
abundant breeders, as is also a Horned Lark, some
specimens of which come pretty close in color and
measurement to the true Horned Lark.
u
A most convenient and attractive feature of the
bird life is the close grouping during the nesting
season of widely different species. For example,
in a small marshy tract of one hundred acres I
have found breeding Black Duck, Red-breasted
Merganser, Green-winged Teal, Least Sandpiper,
Wilson’s Snipe, American Bittern, Rusty Black-
bird, Bronzed Grackle, Fox Sparrow, Savanna
Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Black-
poll Warbler, Yellow Warbler and Robin. On
high ground within a half-mile radius were Black
Guillemot, Raven, Bank Swallow, Ruby-crowned
Kinglet, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Junco, White-
throated Sparrow and Yellow-bellied Flycatcher.
With the idea that an account of the breeding
habits of some of the most interesting and unusual
birds will be more desirable than a formal list,
this paper will be devoted to such notes and
observations as I have made on the birds that are
typical of the Islands.
THE LEAST SANDPIPER (Pisobia minutilla).
The protection afforded by the Canadian Migra-
tory Birds Convention Act and similar acts in the
States certainly appears to have effected a large
increase in the numbers of this dainty shore bird.
In 1907 an exhaustive search for breeding birds
resulted in finding eleven pairs. In 1923 in the
same territory over fifty pairs were located with
eggs or young.
The nesting of any of the Limicolae is interest-
ing, and not a great many data concerning this
most important period of the bird’s life have found
their way into the books. It is very fortunate,
therefore, that such a good opportunity is offered
for close study of one of the more northern breed-
ing species.
The Least Sandpiper has two entirely dissimilar
ways of nesting, which may be termed wet and
dry, and appears to use either indiscriminately.
The wet nesting sites are the grassy moss bogs,
usually close to tide water, and the dry nesting
is on the high dry ridges where grow. stunted
spruce and bay-berry bushes. In either case the
nest is simple. The bird picks out a spot in the
wet moss of a bog or in the dry leaves of a ridge,
and scratches a shallow hollow in which it sits,
and, by rapidly turning, molds a depression of the
required depth. Which of the pair does this I
have never determined, but the other bird is
usually present, standing close to the nest-builder
and offering encouragement with a low, rapid
_twittering.
After the hollow has been fashioned to the bird’s
satisfaction, a meager lining of bits of dead grass,
or dead labrador tea or bayberry leaves is added,
and the nest is ready for the eggs. These are
usually deposited daily, most frequently early in
the morning. The usual set is four, though some
complements are filled at three. Like those of
most of the family, the eggs are very large for the
size of the bird, are extremely pyriform, and
-arranged with their points together and well down
in the nest, so that the large ends lie closely
adjacent. This grouping permits the tiny body
of the bird to cover them in incubating. A series
of twenty-five eggs shows: Largest 1.25 x .85;
smallest 1.09 x .85; average 1.16 x .86.
In spite of the large egg and small bird body,
the laying of an egg is a fairly expeditious occur-
rence. I passed a new nest early one morning.
Both birds were at the empty hollow, and one
was arranging the dead leaves of the lining. I
repassed the spot certainly not more than five
minutes after, and one egg was in the cavity.
The duties of incubation would seem to be large-
ly performed by the male. I have collected four
birds from the nests and all proved to be males
on dissection. Also a bird which was accidentally
stepped on while it was shielding four young or
“downies’’ was a male. In fact after the eggs are
laid both birds are seldom seen around the nest.
The incubating bird is most solicitous about its
76 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
nest. It sits very closely and, when flushed, half
runs, half flutters for a few feet, as if trying to
lead the intruder away. If you are not deceived
by these actions but remain quiet, the bird soon
returns and walks daintily about, uttering a quick-
ly repeated peep, peep, peep, often with such
vehemence that the saliva fairly runs from its bill.
The birds arrive in the Islands about May 20th,
but housekeeping does not begin at once. Although
I have been there in the last of May, the first egg
I have ever found was found on the second of
June. The incubation period is about fifteen or
sixteen days, two nests watched hatching in these
periods taken from the laying of the fourth egg.
The young are beautiful little creatures, covered
with brown down flecked with whitish spots, and
they can run almost as soon as hatched, and are
very difficult to find once they have lost them-
selves in the grass or in the moss.
Altogether the Least Sandpiper is one of the
most interesting of the Island birds, and one the
student never tires of watching.
WILSON’S SNIPE (Gallinago delicata).
This large, strong wader is one of the commonest
birds of the Islands. Probably in no place of
equal area is the species more abundant. No-
where, day or night, in localities in any way suit-
able, can you fail to hear their raucous scaip, scaip
or the whistling peculiar to them which they make
in flight. The Snipe is one of the earliest arrivals
in the Islands, coming the last of April, and the
Islanders say that when a Snipe is heard winter
is gone and spring has come.
The nesting begins in the last ten days of May,
and isa simple affair. Usually wet marshy ground
is selected, preferably with low brush and grass,
with lumps or tussocks rising above the bog water.
The nest is a shallow hollow made in the grass or
moss of one of these lumps, lined with broken bits
of dead grass and sometimes with dead leaves.
The usual set is four, and, as with others of the
family, large for the bird. Placed with their
points together and extending downward into
the nest, the eggs take up very little room for
their size and are easily covered. A series of
twenty-four eggs measures: Largest 1.66 x 1.08;
smallest, 1.37 x 1.08; average 1.49 x 1.06.
The bird is a very close sitter and flutters off
almost under one’s feet, and it is no trick to catch
one in the hand. Which bird does the incubating
I do not know. Of one accidentally stepped on,
and two collected from the nest, all were males,
so that the male does at least some of the incubat-
ing.
The period of incubation is about eighteen days,
and the young can run about almost as soon as
[VoL. XXXIX
they are hatched. The “downies’’ are very beauti-
ful little creatures, a sort of peculiar mahogany
brown, almost claret color, flecked with light spots,
and their legs are strong and sturdy. They
mature very fast, and the end of June finds some
fairly proficient on the wing. When disturbed,
especially when there are young about in the
grass, the parent birds have a habit of alighting
on a low spruce or tamarack and giving vent to a
most ludicrous series of yelps, and a Snipe marsh
at the end of June is no place for any one with
delicate ears.
This wader has increased in numbers since 1907,
and in 1928, the year of my last visit, was really
abundant.
RuSTY BLACKBIRD (Huphagus carolinus).
This fine member of the family is another early
arrival, reaching the Islands, according to the
fishermen, early in May, and is another typical
bird of the region, being found almost anywhere,
in various situations. Most commonly they breed
in or about the edges of the boggy marshy ponds
and swamps, building low in the spruce and
tamarack (juniper).
They are early nesters, as I have found well
grown young in the second week in June. The.
nests are large and bulky, but, in spite of their
size, so closely match the surroundings that they
easily pass unnoticed. Built low in a mossy tree
or bush, they have an outer structure of dead
tamarack twigs to which cling strands of moss,
and a little mud, well cupped, with a lining of
green grass. This latter is quite characteristic,
and distinguishes this nest from that of the
Bronzed Grackle, which breeds sparingly. The
birds sit close and the female does most, if not all,
of the incubating. I have never found the male
on the eggs.
The usual complement of eggs is four or five
and they vary much in color. The general type
is quite characteristic, however, and the egg can
be easily distinguished from those of the other
Blackbirds. A series of twenty-five eggs measure:
Largest. 1.03 x .71; smallest .88 x .73; average,
peg Se
After the young come out both birds are most
solicitous, and by catching a nestling and tether-
ing it in a suitable bush, very good pictures can
be obtained. The one illustrated was thus taken,
the old bird being quite fearless.
They may well be called the policemen of the
bogs. Nothing stirs without two or three of the
birds starting an investigation. If anything
really serious develops, such as the appearance of
a Hawk or an Owl, every Rusty in the neighbor-
hood comes on the scene, and there is a fine hue
April, 1925]
and cry. In one swamp a pair of Short-eared
Owls had taken up their residence and it was easy
enough to locate the Owl by his retinue of Rustys.
A fine bird; a valiant defender of his family,
apparently doing no damage to other birds, or to
the slender crops of the fishermen. Long may his
“‘Red-wing’’ note be heard over the bogs and the
spruce tops of his summer home.
SEMIPALMATED PLOVER (Charadrius semipalmatus).
The ‘‘Redleg”’ is to me one of the most interest-
ing birds with which I have ever come into intimate
contact. For pure craft and dissimulation this
dainty Plover weil upholds the characteristics of
the family, of which it and its near congener, the
Piping Plover, are the breeding representatives in
the Magdalens.
It is exceedingly abundant in suitable localities,
frequenting the low inside beaches and flats,
especially where masses of dried eel-grass and
other dead seaweed have been left by the spring
tides. Its habitat thus gives it the long range of
vision which it seems to require, and it is seldom
caught napping. :
The first seen of the bird is usually on the edge
of the water, where it has run unobserved from
its nest, and it starts so quickly and runs so fast
it is next to impossible to catch it near home.
A good way to hunt is to go slowly along the
edge of the sand-dunes and keep looking a hundred
yards or so ahead, watching for the least move-
ment where the grass meets the flat beach. If
one is lucky, he will be rewarded by seeing one of
these little fellows running out onto the open
beach. Then a line is taken straight back into
the beach grass and dead seaweed, and, if a sharp
enough look is kept, the nest will be found.
A nest as such is not constructed. A shallow
hollow is scratched in the sand and this is lined
with bits of dead eel-grass, or a hollow is scratched
in a bunch of dead seaweed. In this are laid the
four eggs with their points together. The eggs
vary greatly in color, from a drab ground to a
greenish, well covered with spots and blotches of
brownish purple and almost black. Whatever the
variation, however, they match their surroundings
perfectly and are very difficult to see. From what
little experience I have had with the bird I judge
that the female (as in the case of the Piping
Plover) does most of the incubating, three birds
shot off the nest being of this sex. A series of 12
eggs measure: Largest 1.40 x .97; smallest 1.23 x
.97; average 1.382 x .97, the eggs being large for
the bird. The eggs are laid for the most part in
the first week in June, and the young appear in
the last week. They are very sturdy, can run
almost as soon as they are hatched, and can hide
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 10
almost as well as they can run. After the young
are out both parents appear to go about with
them, and families can be seen about the flats and
the edges of shallow ponds left by the tide.
They are much persecuted by the French fisher-
men, who hunt their eggs for food, but in spite of
this seem to be more numerous than they were in
1907, due, I believe, largely to their having been
taken off the game list both in Canada and in the
United States. They seem in no danger of
extermination.
Fox SPARROW (Passerella iliaca iliaca).
If any one should ask what is the most pleasing
bird of the Islands, to both eye and ear, I should
unhesitatingly answer, the Fox Sparrow.
The Fox Sparrow, or Foxy Sparrow, as the bird
might well be called, is common everywhere. In
the bogs, in the stunted spruces along the beaches
and in the wooded hills his delicious melody can
be heard from allsides. A strong, sturdy Sparrow,
it arrives in the Islands early in May before the
snow has gone, and nests early.
The nests are large and bulky, though excep-
tionally well built, and in spite of their size are
very difficult to find, so carefully are they con-
cealed. There are two distinct nesting situations.
One, and that most commonly adopted, is on the
ground, either in a wet bog or on a dry hillside,
under a thick mossy spruce root or a brush pile,
and usually in a very thick place. The other
situation is In a spruce bush, usually at a low
elevation, though I have seen nests fifteen feet
from the ground. This latter type is, of course,
the easiest to find. The year 1923 was particularly
favorable for tracking down nesting pairs. It was
a late, cold Spring and even in the first week in
June the snow lay deep in the bogs and woods,
and this drove the birds off the ground and into
the spruces, so that there was a chance of finding
the nests. Later in the month, however, there
were several nests found on the ground, after the
snow had gone.
These Sparrow nests are made of a varied
collection of materials. One before me that is
typical has an outer wall of spruce twigs and
Sphagnum moss, with a considerable amount of
dead wood chips and coarse grass. The inner
lining is of fine dried grass, and the cavity is well
cupped and plentifully lined with.cow hair. The
eggs are large and well marked, and the comple-
ment is usually three or four. A series of fifteen
eggs shows: Largest .98 x .70; smallest, .90 x .68;
average .95 x .69.
The young are pretty little fellows, and by the
time they leave the nest are well feathered with
the family russet brown. The female does most
78 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
of the incubating and the male sings to her almost
constantly. Perched on the top of a neighboring
spruce, he fairly bubbles melody, and he keeps it
up till late in the twilight. After the young are
hatched both parents feed them, and the nest is
kept scrupulously clean; and on leaving the nest
they stay around in a family party till they are
quite well grown.
I think that many of these Sparrows raise two
broods, as I have found nearly fresh eggs late in
June, in situations where I am certain the first
nesting was undisturbed.
BLACK-POLL WARBLER (Dendroica striata).
No account of the birds of the Islands would be
complete without some account of this Warbler.
Nowhere in the same territorial area, with the
possible exception of Seal Island, Nova Scotia,
have I found the bird as abundant as it is in the
Magdalen Islands. You are never out of the
sound of the singing males. Even the two-foot-
high stunted spruces of the sand-dunes have their
quota, and they are in bog, and on hillside; every-
where, in fact, where there is any spruce.
They arrive about the first of June, but are late
nesters. The first egg I ever saw there was on
June 22, and they are not in full swing until the
last of the month.
Like most of the spruce-nesting Warblers they
have a nest which is a very beautiful structure
and is large and compactly built. The female
[VoL. XX XIX
does the building and she is a lazy carpenter,
taking her time, and selecting her materials with
great care. The nest is usually low, two or three
feet from the ground, built in against the trunk of ©
a spruce, supported on a couple of horizontal
limbs or twigs, and firmly anchored in place.
A typical nest is a rather loosely made exterior
of spruce twigs, and a blackish tree moss, coarse
dead grass stems, and.a few rootlets, with an
interior wall of fine dead grass, well cupped, and
plentifully lined with feathers; this latter material
appears to be essential, and is in all nests I have
examined.
The set is four to five eggs, usually the latter,
though some complements are full at three. They
are large handsome eggs, with a white ground
color, boldly marked with brown and umber.
A series of fifteen eggs show the following measure-
ments (inches): Largest .74 x .56; smallest .66 x
.54; average .70 x .55.
The males are persistent singers, and very active
and pugnacious. Each has his own beat and
zealously guards it from others of his race. They
feed the females while the latter are sitting, and
a good way to find a nest in a low thick place is
to find a male with a bug and watch him.
Of the young I know nothing, as I have never
been late enough to find a nest in which the eggs
had hatched, and this is left for another trip and
another year.
bid
Fic. 1.—Least Sandpiper Standing Over Eggs.
Fic. 2.—The Rusty Blackbird Scolding.
Fic. 3.—The Semipalmated Plover Approaching Its Nest.
Bi
FIGURE 1—Least Sandpiper Standing Over Eggs
FIGURE 2—The Rusty Blackbird Scolding
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Imated Plover Approach
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Photo from life by William T. Shaw
FIGURE 10.—THE MULCH (Vertical Section).
As a further protection from moisture, we find in the squirrel hibernation nest a thick
mulch of fine dust in the bottom of the nest. It is upon this dry dust mulch that the
squirre! lies during his long sleep. The photograph also shows the coarser
material in the roof of the nest.
Photo by William T. Shaw
FicurE 11.—THE CACHE (Vertical Section).
Very unexpected information has been found in connection with the matter of the food
supply being stored for the winter. The nests of female and immature squirrels are almost
without exception lacking in a store of food. The nests of the old males, on the other
hand, very frequently, though not always, have a cache of some kind of food. Strange
to say, in this stored supply they seem to prefer some wild seed or bulb to grain, and
nests found in wheat fields are frequently stored with some wild seed. Furthermore, they
usually use but the one kind of seed, or bulb, in a nest at a time, though several kinds of
seeds and bulbs have been found in the various nests discovered. In this connection it is
interesting to note that the old male squirrels appear a week to ten days before the
females and immature, often when the weather is bad and food scarce, hence the need
of food. It is also of interest to note that the store, which is found in the mulch or
bottom of the nest, seems not to be touched during the winter, as several interesting
observations tend to show, but is reserved until the time of awakening in the spring.
Photo by William T. Shaw
April, 1925]
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 719
THE HIBERNATION OF THE COLUMBIAN GROUND SQUIRREL*
By WILLIAM T. SHAW
Washington Experiment Station
State College of Washington
(Copright, 1925, by William T. Shaw)
(Concluded from page 61)
OPEN AND CLOSED. DENS.—The hibernation
dens are considered for convenience of description
as open and closed. A closed den is one in which
the entrance to the den has been plugged from
the inside by the squirrel when going into estiva-
tion. It is sealed from all outside intrusion and
is an occupied den (Figs. 1, 9). It is, in this
locality, occupied continuously for the periods of
-estivation and hibernation, without being opened
to the exterior. An open den is one from which
the squirrel has emerged after coming from
hibernation, having opened the exit shaft through
to the exterior. It is frequently occupied for a
few days after becoming an open den (Fig. 6).
THE DEPTH OF THE HIBERNATION CELL.—The
average depth of 50 hibernation cells measured
was found to be 2 feet 6 inches. The most
‘shallow cell was 6 inches deep and the deepest
4 feet 11 inches deep (Fig. 8).
Young squirrels, or those going into estivation
for the first time, are enabled to hibernate in soil
of less depth to rock than older squirrels, since
_they rely on the up-running shafts of old dens
for drainage to their hibernation cell. One den
along the rimrock was excavated and while one or
two old brood-nest cavities were found, no hiber-
nation cells were disclosed. Here the soil was not
over 2 feet deep on the rock. It is supposed that
sufficient depth of soil should exist below the
hibernation cell to admit of a typical drain. This
would hardly be the case in 2 feet of soil.
THE NUMBER OF HIBERNATING SQUIRRELS PER
“CELL.—The number of squirrels inhabiting the
hibernation nest in the wild was invariably one.
This harmonizes with the unvarying circular form
of the cell. Doubtless the chief factor in control-
ling this would be associated with the regulation
of heat, which could not be regulated so well with
two squirrels occupying the same cell.
It would seem, too, that squirrels scatter at the
time of going into estivation, for they were found
_in separate hibernation dens as well as in separate
cells. Only once, as noted previously, were two
found at the same time in the same old summer
den. Only one squirrel was found in a large den
containing eight empty hibernation cells. It is
possible that where squirrels are more abundant
and conditions less disturbed, they will hibernate
_ *Published with the approval of the Director of the Wash-
ington Experiment Station as Scientific Paper No. 116, College
of Agriculture and Experiment Station, Pullman, Washington.
closer together, e.g., in the same reconstructed
summer den.
THE HIBERNATION NEST.—The hibernation
nests are quite uniform. In the saucer of the cell
we find a quantity of dust and finely chopped
straw, making a very dry compact matting upon
which the squirrel hibernates. Rising up from
this, on the sides and roof, is a compact mass of
coarser nest material, usually made from the grass
or grain leaves growing in the immediate vicinity.
A preference for the wild grasses (Bromus) is shown
by the fact that sometimes a squirrel hibernating
in the edge of grain fields will construct his
hibernation nest from wild grasses growing in the
nearby fence row. That this grass must be in a
special condition seems to be evident from the
fact that on several occasions we have found green
blades mixed with dry dead grass in the nests of
squirrels. One nest observed early in August
seemed to be made of green grass or grain blades.
Grass gathered in this condition is tougher and
more pliable and holds its shape better than dead
grass. Again, on March 5, while excavating a
den, we found a large summer nest which was
made of long dead grass blades, with now and
then a living blade and a green plant leaf inter-
mixed. The lining of the nest, however, seems to
be made of finely-shredded, soft, dead grass. The
outer covering is of tough, wiry, wild grass and
seems to keep off the fine particles of dust which
might sift down and also to prevent the moisture
from the top and sides of the cell from reaching
the hibernating animal. In other words, it serves
as athatch. That the nest should be affected by
dirt sifting from the roof of the cell is also pro-
vided against by the fact that the hibernation cell
is excavated from hard dry earth. The toilet
cavities which are so conspicuously associated with
the brood nest are entirely wanting here.
The hibernation nest fills the hibernation cell
very completely. Consequently its size is relative
to that of the cell. The material of 36 nests was
noted carefully and is grouped as follows:
12 with wild grass;
12 with old decayed straw material and dirt;
4 were made from grain leaves;
2 with wild grass and rootlets;
2 with old dead leaves and grass roots, as pulled
up by pasturing cattle;
1 with grain leaves and a few dry thorn leaves;
1 with rootlets;
1 with old straw and rootlets.
80 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
As a rule, the nests of the old squirrels were
made much thicker and warmer and of better
material than those of the young, but in some
cases, as in Fig. 2, the nest was made of old,
brittle straw material. The nest of Fig. 6, on the
other hand, was very warm and fresh. These are
both nests of old squirrels.
THE Mat oR MuucH.—The saucer of the cell
was filled with a dust mulch capable of resisting
moisture. (Fig. 10). It had an average depth of
3.3 inches. One mulch was 6 inches deep. It
frequently was mixed with broken-down nest
material, especially if the nest were an old one.
In this dust mat was found the store, commonly
mixed throughout with the dust, but often, in the
case of wild dry seeds, packed in a neat little pile
in the back part of the cell. (Fig. 11.)
The dry dust mulch serves admirably in keeping
the nest proper dry, as is shown in the case of a
den excavated March 1. This den was on a north
slope and in wet soil. Still, the moisture had not
gone through the dust mulch in the saucer. Again,
on March 10, a den was opened and a very large
dry nest of dead grass found. In the bottom of
this a dry dust mulch, as dry as the dust in a
summer road, was found. The walls of the cell
were so wet, even in the bottom of the saucer,
that the earth would smear when pressed.
It is probable that the mulch in the nest is not
accidental and is the result, in part, of the chew-
ing of the nest material into very fine particles.
It would seem that the actual mass of dust found
in the mulch would have to be scratched into the
saucer as it is not connected with the bottom of
the saucer, which is perfectly solid and hard and
conforms to the general curvature of the cell.
THE Roor.—In fifteen out of eighteen cases
examined the nest was roofed over. The roof was
usually the thinnest and lightest part of the nests.
It was, on an average, 1.5 inches thick, and was
made of coarse wild grass or other material
capable of shedding moisture. (Fig. 10.) One
roof measured was 2 inches thick. When the nest
was occupied it fitted up snugly against the ceiling
of the cell. This was especially noticeable in the
case of a den found March 7, when the roof of the
nest was of clean coarse grass. Usually a nest
found broken or trampled down in the cell was
one belonging to a squirrel which had been out of
hibernation some days or was a nest which had
been deserted entirely.
THE STORE.—It would seem from the study of
these animals that they are not of the storing
species. Curiously enough, the few stores found
in all the investigation were found in the nests of
adult males. The subject, however, is compre-
hensive and deserves special treatment. (Fig. 11.)
[VoL. XX XIX
It might be of interest to know what becomes
of these hibernation dens after they are no longer
to be used as such.
THE FATE OF THE HIBERNATION DEN.—In most
cases, shortly after the hibernation den is deserted
as such, it is opened up more fully and becomes
used as, or joined to, a summer den. This was
the case with two hibernation exits in the observa-
tion yards. They were opened up almost at once
and have been in constant use ever since as holes
leading into the summer den.
In regard to field results of investigations of this
condition, this much has been found. On Feb-
ruary 19, when we were attempting to capture a
squirrel in a hibernation den, we found that it had
made its escape by digging through what seemed
to be the shut-in plug. It was later captured in
the summer den by following burrows directly
connecting the two dens. On March 10, two
supposed exits were found a few yards apart. On
investigation the burrows leading from them were
found to lead to the same hibernation nest.
Evidently one of these burrows was constructed
in converting this den into a summer den. So,
too, on the same day a squirrel escaped from a
hibernation den by gaining access to some nearby
burrows of a summer den.
RECONSTRUCTION OF HIBERNATION CELL.—
Observations have led to the belief that the
‘hibernation den and frequently the hibernation
cell are sometimes reconstructed from some part
of a summer den, such as a burrow expansion or
a summer nest. A young squirrel was found
hibernating in a cell which had been made in the
upper part of the exit shaft of an old hibernation
den. In another case an old hole was found,
tightly plugged, in the upper side of the cell and
in still another instance a hole went directly
through the hibernation cell but was plugged
securely 13 inches beyond. This is the only
normal case found where an occupied hibernation
cell had two holes, however short, leading from it.
Three other cases of reconstruction were found.
RECURRENT USE OF HIBERNATION CELL.—It
would appear from the investigation of the recon-
struction of the hibernation cell that the squirrels
used the cells from year to year. This would seem
evident also in those cases where old potato skins
of former years were found together with fresh
potatoes of the previous summer.
That they favor certain localities is shown by an
observation made February 24, when examining
hibernation dens. One was found placed in the
side wall of an excavation that we had previously
made during these investigations and had filled in
again. This squirrel or another one had returned
and excavated his cell in the edge of this unex-
April, 1925]
eavated wall. The front half of the cell wall was
made of both surface dirt and subsoil, as it had
been filled in together, showing, in this case at
least, that they return to old hibernation grounds.
Three hibernation dens were found in which drains
were plugged with old hard dirt of former seasons.
GOING INTO AESTIVATION.—The squirrels of a
locality go into estivation so gradually and con-
tinue so steadily that they have all disappeared
before their absence is generally noticed. The
young and females disappear first and the males
last. From the middle of July on, until all are in,
their activities are governed to a considerable
degree by temperature, inasmuch as it deprives
them of moisture from plant sources. On July
22 only 7 sauirrels were observed on territory on
which 26 were noted June 11. On August 10 it
was noted that the squirrels were almost all into
estivation.
THE POSITION OF THE HIBERNATING SQUIRREL.
—By this we mean the position taken in the nest
while in hibernation. This is well shown in Fig. 3.
The position appears most uncomfortable to us,
and probably is associated with the physiological
necessity of driving and keeping most of the air
from the lungs at the time of going into the coma-
tose condition. We might expect the animal to
curl up comfortably as a cat or a dog does, but it
does not. Instead, it lies on the flat of the sacrum
and curls vertically so tightly that the nose is
implanted firmly against the diaphragm. The
front and hind feet of each side are brought close
together and the thighs are laid out flat. Here it
lies with the top of the skull parallel with the
bottom of the nest. It is so snugly and tightly
wrapt about by the nest that it is impossible for
it to fall over.
THE PHYSIOLOGY OF HIBERNATION.—Perhaps
the most striking and profound change accompany-
ing hibernation is that associated with the great
drop in body temperature. Existing with this
cold, clammy state is a condition in which the
respiration almost ceases, being noticeable only
by a very slow peristalsis-like movement over the
flank. The circulatory system is likewise reduced
to its lowest state of activity. That this profound
condition of coma is attained by a gradual pre-
paration is evident by the fact that squirrels in
the yards were seen to refrain from food for
several days at a time, after which they would eat
sparingly and again fast for a few days before
finally disappearing, in order to clear the alimen-
tary tract. It was noticed in the field as well
that for some days before going into hibernation
squirrels were difficult, or indeed impossible, to
trap with a bait.
condition prevailed in the vards.
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 81
That they eat sparingly on again awakening has
been noticed in the investigational work. In the
case of the squirrel taken February 19, indications
that he had resumed feeding again were found.
It was noticeable in the sealed hibernation dens
that no signs of their having fed were found.
This was especially evident in the case of the
squirrel taken March 10. This squirrel had no
store, yet it appeared that he had not left his den
for two days. During this time he must have
been without food. Reference is also made to
this in the studies of yard hibernation. The
stomach of the first squirrel taken March 10 was.
almost empty.
INTERMITTENT AWAKENING DURING HIBERNA-
TION.—In the yards it was found that the squirrels
awake at intervals of several days, especially in
the early part of their sleep. This became less
frequent towards the end of their periods of torpor.
It was also noted in the wild that all of the
occupied hibernation dens showed signs of activity
in their burrows. They were smooth and fresh-
looking and had none of the sprouting seeds and
mouldy litter found throughout those of the
summer dens at this season. Moreover, all of the
earliest squirrels of the season, taken through
November and December, were found showing
signs of being active, or at least very much pos-
sessed of their senses, while those of late winter
were more often found very comatose. A similar
(Fig. 9).
In seeking for a reason for this, a theory suggests
itself in connection with the hibernation nest. In
all the open summer dens examined in winter, the
nests were found damp and in many cases mouldy.
Not so with the hibernation nest! The difference
would be this, that during these intervals of
awakening from hibernation, the body temperature
of the squirrels would rise rapidly from a tempera-
ture of the surroundings to a normal blood heat
temperature, which would soon dry the nest
sufficiently to preserve the life of the animal. It
was also noticed in the yards that the squirrels,
both Columbian and Townsend, repair their nests
every time they awaken in the winter.
AWAKENING FROM HIBERNATION AND ITS RELA-
TION TO SOIL TEMPERATURE.—Fiarly in the investi-
gation it was thought that the awakening from
hibernation might be governed to some extent by
soil temperature. Accordingly careful tests were
taken both in the yards and in the fields. In
these tests it was found that the soil temperature
does not seem to assist in awakening. On Feb-
ruary 10, the soil at 2 feet depth was 38.8 degrees
F. and on March 1, at the time of the appearance
of the squirrels, was 37.1 degrees F. at the same
depth.
82 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
TIME OF REMAINING IN THE HIBERNATION DEN
AFTER AWAKENING.—That they sometimes remain
in the hibernation: den for some days after coming
to the surface of the ground, even in fine weather,
is shown by the example of a squirrel found on
February 27. This squirrel is known to have
remained in its hibernation den until March 5, or
a period of seven days. This was at a time when
the ground was free from snow. Its nest showed
signs of much use and was broken down flat.
On March 1 an exit was found that was well
worn and fresh. Possibly the squirrel had been
_ out some time, as the winter wheat about it was
nibbled for a foot or two around. They probably
do not leave the hibernation den soon if food is at
hand. This nest was observed again on March 2,
and seemed to be deserted. In such a season as
that of the spring of 1917, when cold, raw, wet
weather persisted for weeks, the squirrels remained
in these dens longer than usual. It is possible
they ‘could not leave, not being able to stand cold,
damp nests. One taken from hibernation March
10, and turned into a cold summer den in the yards
was later found dead, though it seemed to have
plenty of green vegetable food.
DISPERSAL AFTER HIBERNATION.—If the weath-
er is stormy and the ground covered with snow the
squirrels sometimes remain in the hibernation nest
{VoL. XX XIX
for some days. This is especially so with the old
males. If, however, spring is early and they
happen to come from hibernation on ground
destitute of vegetation, as in fields which have
been plowed since they went into estivation, they
will leave very shortly, sometimes travelling some
distance to a large summer den located in wild
grass or sod.
WILDNESS OF HIBERNATING SQUIRRELS.—
Throughout all the investigation of the Columbian
ground squirrels it has been noticed that they are
very shy and wild for a week or two before going
into estivation and again for about the same
length of time after coming from hibernation.
They are also very silent at these times, appearing
instinctively to avoid attracting attention. They
are observed slipping stealthily through the grass
and not exposing themselves much to view and
when they go into their dens they do not appear
again for some time, often not coming up again
while you remain. So, too, in the spring the first
squirrels of the season are very shy, disappearing
before you at a distance of 80 yards.
Here are expressed, very briefly, the facts of
zstivation and hibernation of this animal, showing
in a striking way the conformity of its life to meet
the needs of its environment. Truth is stranger
than fiction.
OFFICIAL CANADIAN RECORD OF BIRD-BANDING RETURNS*
(Continued from page 55)
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,117, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 11,
1923, was killed at a place four miles from Bob-
caygeon, Ontario, on October 9, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296, 118, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 11,
1923, was killed in Pigeon Creek, twelve and one-
half miles from Peterborough, Ontario, about
November 15, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,146, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 17,
1923, was shot on the Sassafras River, Kent
County, Maryland, on January 29, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,148, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 17,
ee pwae shot in the same vicinity on November
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,154, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Seugog, Ontario, on September 17,
1923, was killed on Chincoteague Island, Virginia,
on January 10, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,174, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 17,
ae was killed in the same vicinity on October 8,
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,177, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Seugog, Ontario, on September 17,
*Published by authority of the Canadian National Parks
Branch, Department of the ergs Canada.
1923, was shot on Sturgeon Lake, near Lindsay:
Ontario, on October 21, 19238.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,184, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 17,
1923, was shot in Hast Lake, ‘Prince Edward
County, Ontario, on November 8, 19282
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,185, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 17,
1923, was shot in Gull Marshes, Hog Island Bay,
Virginia, on January 16, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,189, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, | on September 17,
1923, was: killed on the Tennessee River, near
Rockwood, Tennessee, on January 17, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,208, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 18,
1923, was shot near the narrows, between Lakes
Simcoe and Couchiching, Ontario, about Novem-
ber 1, 19238.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,218, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 19,
1928, was killed at Nixon, Ontario, on October 30,
1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,227, banded by H. S.
Osler, at. Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 20,
1923, was shot in Currituck Sound, North Caro-
lina, on November 12, 1928.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,235, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 20,
1923, was shot on the Detroit River, eight miles
from Lake Erie, on October 18, 1923.
April, 1925]
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,236, banded by H..S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 20,
1923, was shot on Long Point Marsh, Lake Erie,
on November 8, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,245, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 20,
1923, was killed in Banana Creek marshes, seven
miles east of Titusville, Florida—no date given,
but reported on December 1, 1923)
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,255, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Seugog, Ontario, on September 21,
19238, was shot on what is known as Money Island,
of the Group of Fire Islands, New York, on De-
eember 21, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,259, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Seugog, Ontario, on September 21,
1923, was killed in Banana Creek marshes, seven
miles east of Titusville, Florida—no date. given,
but reported on December 1, UWS.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,269, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 21,
1923, was shot at Minden, Ontario—no date
given, but reported on October PALE B
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,275, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 22,
' 1923, was shot in a small marsh just east of Valen:
ae on Lake Scugog, Ontario, about October 25,
1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,276, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 22,
1923, was shot in the same vicinity, during the
first week of October, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,277, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 22,
1923, was killed on the Combahee River, South
Carolina, on January 16, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296, 284, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 22,
1923, was killed on the James River, Virginia,
twenty miles east of Lynchburg, on December Te
3
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,287, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 23,
1923, was killed near Wachapreague, Virginia,
about J anuary 30, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,294, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 23,
1923, was shot at Rushtown, Ohio, on December 8,
1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,295, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 23,
1923, was killed near Troy, Alabama, on Novem-
ber 20, 1928.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,301, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 23,
1923, was shot on the Cooper River, at Oakley,
South Carolina, on December 28, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,302, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 23,
1923, was shot in the same vicinity, on October 27,
1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,315, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 24,
1928, was killed in Currituck Bay, North Carolina,
on November 5, 19238.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,339, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 25,
oe ioe was killed in Back Bay, Virginia, on January
5, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,340, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 25,
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 83
1923, was killed in Dorchester County, Maryland,
on January 30, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,343, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 25,
1923, was shot in Star Bay, at the north end of
Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 19, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,344, panded by H. S-
Osler, at Lake Seugog, Ontario, on September 25,
1923, was shot at Apex, Missouri, about Novem-
ber 17, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,355, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 27,
1928, was “‘Found” at Shawneetown, Illinois, on
February iy, I zat
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,361, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 27,
1923, was killed on the Chariton River, near
Aholt, Missouri, on November 3, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,373, banded by H.'s.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 27,
1923, was killed near Huntsville, Alabama, on
December 7Ad), I 43}.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,374, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 27,
1923, was killed on Currituck Sound, North
Carolina, on November 2, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296 ,376, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario,’ on September 27,
1923, was shot at Brighton Bay, Lake Ontario, on
October 20, 1923.
BLACK ‘DUCK, No. 296,378, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 27,
1923, was shot near Fraserville, Ontario, during
the month of November, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296, 379, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 27,
1923, was killed near Lafitte, Louisiana, on Janu-
ary 39, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,398, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 28,
1923, was killed on the marshes near Delaware
City, Delaware—no date given, but reported on
December 1, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,424, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 29,
1923, was killed in Black Creek, Baldwin County,
Alabama, on November 27, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296, 427, banded by H. 8S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 29,
1928, was killed at Presque Isle Peninsula, Erie,
Pennsylvania, on November 21, 19238.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,428, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 29,
1923, was killed at Morriston, Florida, on Novem-
ber 30, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,487, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 30,
1923, was shot at King’s Bay, Lake Scugog,
Ontario, on October 25, 1923. <
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,442, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 1,
1923, was shot at a place two miles south of
Croswell, Michigan—no date given, but reported
on November blo 273:
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,444, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 1,
1923, was killed at Wellington, Missouri, on
October 26, 19238.
(Continued in the May issue)
84 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
ANDREW WALKER FLECK
Born October 16th, 1845 Died May 6th, 1924
On May 6th, 1924, the daily papers published
notices of the death of Andrew Walker Fleck.
These notices voiced the sorrow of the community
at the passing of an honorable and public spirited
citizen; they told of his birth in Montreal on
October 16th, 1845, of his marriage to a daughter
of J. R. Booth, of the many interests he shared
with his father-in-law; they dwelt upon the
splendid public spirit that placed him first in all
that was best in the charitable and philanthropic
work of Ottawa; they told, what his friends sadly
realized, what an irreparable loss this work had
sustained in his death.
Much as was known of Mr. Fleck’s work for
the public good, there was much more that was
not known, for he went about his mission quietly,
drawing as little attention to himself as possible,
and there is much that will never be written of
his usefulness. ©
Perhaps few knew Mr. Fleck as a naturalist,
yet such he was, in the very truest sense of the
word. Not, perhaps, a scientist, but a naturalist
in the appreciation of all that is beautiful in
nature, for no man without this appreciation could
have had a garden such as was his delight; Nature
gave his garden a beautiful setting—he gave it
eare and thought and made it a perfect thing
IN MEMORIAM |
[VoL. XX XIX
with its glory of bloom, its bird houses filled with
busy guests, its pool fed by a bubbling spring where
goldfish flashed and floated. But in this, as in all
else, he was generous. His interest in nature was
not a selfish hobby, for he was one of the small
number of men who, by their interest and con-
tinued support, gave to Canada a society which
from an inconspicuous local organization has
grown into a nation-wide body—the Ottawa Field-
Naturalists’ Club. Mr. Fleck was one of the
early members, having joined in 1899.
Canada owes a great deal to the men who,
while not definitely following the natural sciences
themselves, have still given their countenance and
influence in support of the early endeavours of
organizations engaged in teaching, recording and
observing the history of nature. Besides the firm
foundations laid for later progress, the older
records of our Club contain accounts of Canadian
Natural History as at a time long since changed
and the club sees these old friends of its youth
pass on with the deepest regret.
Mr. Fleck is survived by his wife; two sons,
Messrs. Gordon Fleck and Bryce Fleck of Van-
couver, B.C.; two daughters, Mrs. W. D. Her-
ridge,* of Ottawa, and Mrs. Gregor Barclay, of
Montreal; and one brother, Mr. James G. Fleck,
of Ottawa.—H. L.
*Died March 18, 1925
NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS
Stachys germanica L. IN CANADA.—On July 11,
1924, upon my arrival at the Boy Scout Camp on
the shore of Mink Lake, between Douglas and
Eganville, Ontario, almost the first plant to arrest
my attention was the one named above. At a
distance of a few yards the white, felty leaves and
stems might have passed for those of the common
mullein, but for the different aspect of the plants.
The first specimens, seen growing in the shade of
the camp site, were scarcely in flower, but it was
obvious that they must be Labiates; and, that
being granted, it was far from obvious to me what
might be the species. Hasty reference to my
“Gray”’ failed to locate such a plant, for the suffi-
cient reason that it is not included in that Manual;
so I had to face the boys, “stumped” by my first
difficulty.
Subsequent reference to Britton & Brown’s
Flora, backed by consultation of European works
with the assistance of Dr. M. O. Malte, established
the identity of the plant. It is included in the
above Flora on the sole strength of occurrence on
“‘Roadsides near Guelph, Ontario”. The herbar-
ium of the Victoria National Museum was found
to contain a specimen from that locality collected
by W. C. McCalla, August 27, 1897.
Further information on the occurrence of
Stachys germanica at Guelph appears in a note by
the late T. J. Moore, of Guelph, in the Ontario
Natural Science Bulletin, No. 2, 1906, page 47,
which may be quoted in full.
“As Guelph is, I believe, the only station known
in America for Stachys germanica L. (Mouse-ear)
it appears to me that some notes on its distribution
here might be of interest.
“Tt was first observed near the stables at the
B.A.C. in 1895 by Prof. M. W. Doherty, and was
first recorded in the appendix to Vol. III of
Oritton & Brown’s Illustrated Flora, published in
1898.
“Tt has now spread some three miles south-east,
four miles south, and three miles west, and is a
April, 1925]
bad weed in pastures and along the roadside.”
More recently, according to Paul C. Standley,
writing in Rhodora for July, 1920, ‘‘Stachys ger-
manica L., has been found on ballast in the eastern
United States.”
At Mink Lake this interesting plant was found
to have spread over many acres of rocky pasture
land which had evidently been part of an inhabited
clearing in the forest at one time. It is well
established here, indicating that it could be an
aggressive weed. Fortunately, it is isolated from
farming country by the lake and by tracts of
wooded land.
Stachys germanica was planted in the Central
Experimental Farm Botanic Garden in 1897, and
proved hardy, but has not been kept. It is quite
probable that it has been similarly planted in
other places; and that the two infestations known,
and perhaps others not brought to our attention,
have arisen in this way. Parts of Renfrew
County, including the neighborhood of Eganville,
received Central European immigration, during
the last century, which might well have brought
along for planting a species such as this.
A strikingly similar European species, Stachys
lanata Jacq., is also represented in the National
Herbarium, Ottawa, by one specimen, collected
in Sydenham Township, Ontario, by W. R. McColl
of Owen Sound.
The article in Rhodora, quoted above, reports
this occurrence near Owen Sound, stating that it
“has perhaps not been reported previously from
North America, although no thorough search of
literature has been made for verification of this
point.”” In the same article Newton Tripp, of
Forest, Ontario, is credited with finding a speci-
men.
Stachys germanica is described in Britton &
Brown’s Flora as an erect annual, one to three
feet high, simple or somewhat branched. Itsbest
field mark of distinction from our other Wound-
worts is its densely villous covering throughout.
The basal leaves are also characteristically oval in
outline —HERBERT GROH.
Segmentina crassilabris Walker IN MANITOBA.—
The discovery of the snail, Segmentina crassilabris
Walker”, in two Manitoban localities is of some
interest, since it extends the known distribution
of this species into the Hudson Bay drainage
system.
This species was first taken by me at Waugh,
Man., the eastern terminus of the G.W.W.D. Ry.,
which is situated on Indian Bay, a few miles west
of the Ontario boundary. Indian Bay forms part
of Shoal Lake, the waters of which flow into the
2Walker, Bryant. A New Species of Segmentina. Nautilus,
XX, 1907, pp: 122-124.
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
85
Lake of the Woods. My field notes regarding
this species are as follows, ‘‘Segmentina found on
underside of pieces of driftwood, near mouth of
Falcon River, water six inches deep, sand bottom.”
At this point the water has the color of very weak
tea, due presumably to the presence of extracts of
decaying vegetation.
S. crassilabris was also obtained from a small
pond in St. Vital, a suburb of the city of Winnipeg,
in April, 1924. In this pond it was associated
with Planorbis umbilicatellus and Lymnea palus-
tris.
Walker (loc. cit.) described the types of crassila-
bris from Hamtramck, Wayne Co., Michigan, and
also reported the following localities: Muscatine,
Ia.; Knox Co., Vincennes, and Brunston, Ind.;
Munroe and Kent counties, Michigan. Walker?
has also reported it from Charity Island, Lake
Huron. Adamstone! found it a rare shell in Lake
Nipigon, Ontario. It is of interest to note that
Whittaker‘ did not find this species in the Macken-
zie River district, although the related and equally
inconspicuous S. armigera and S. christyi were
both found. Winslow® also failed to obtain it in
North Dakota. Thus S. crassilabris has up to
the present time been obtained in the Mississippi,
St. Lawrence (Canadian), and Hudson Bay
drainage systems. In order to establish the
identity of this species beyond doubt, I submitted
it to Dr. Bryant Walker, to whom I wish to express
my thanks.—ALAN MOZLEY.
NESTING OF RICHARDSON’S OWL.—On the 11th
April, 1924, the writer discovered a nest of the
‘Richardson’s Owl on one of the smaller islands of
the Grand Manan (New Brunswick) group. This
island is approximately three miles long and has
an average width of about one-half a mile and is
largely covered with a growth of thick, stunted
spruces, gnarled and twisted from many years of
exposure to the elements.
Several acres of the more fertile parts of the
island have been converted into hay-fields where
the run-ways of innumerable field-mice were noted
and it seems highly probable that these attracted
the small Owls which, it was reported to me, have
frequently been seen on this particular island for
many years.
For the most part. the land is very low-lying
and the highest ridges would not be more than
twelve feet above sea level. It was on one of
Results of the Mershon Expedition to the
3Walker, Bryant.
Occ. Prs. Mus. Zool.
Charity Islands, Lake Huron, Mollusca,
Univ. Mich. No.7, 1915, pp. 1-7. ;
1Adamstone, F. B. The Distribution and Economic Im-
portance of Molluscain Lake Nipigon. Univ. Tor. Biol. Studies,
No. 22, pp. 67-119, 1923. i
4Whittaker, E. J. Freshwater Mollusca from Mackenzie
River Basin, Canada. Nautilus, XXXVLIII, 1924, pp. 8-12.
5Winslow,M.L. Mollusca of North Dakota. Occ. Prs. Mus.
Zool. Univ. Mich., No. 98, 1921, pp. 1-18.
86 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
these ridges, in an old and much decayed stump,
where a pair of Flickers had at one time held
forth, that the Owls had made their home, about
ten feet from the ground and close to the top of
the stump. At the first tap the hole was quickly
and completely filled by the grey face of the bird
peering down at me with slowly blinking eyes.
A second thump caused her to vacate the nest.
This she accomplished, however, with difficulty,
since the fit was a tight one and she was obliged
to hitch from side to side before getting clear.
She then flew to a perch about 20 feet away where
she sat nervously watching proceedings, but
uttering no note. The nest cavity was about ten
inches deep and considerably enlarged at the base,
which was covered with a thick bed of soft decayed
wood and feathers, well matted. Here were
-deposited five much soiled eggs, typical of the
Owl tribe as to shape and but slightly incubated.
After the eggs were collected and the writer had
withdrawn a few yards, the female returned to
the nest and for some moments was seen clinging
to the entrance by her feet and fluttering there in
a manner which suggested a gigantic moth. Fin-
ally, after considerable effort, she was able to
squeeze in and was last seen peering from the
hole just as though nothing had happened. The
male bird was not seen. The ground about the
nest tree was examined for pellets but none were
discovered and during our stay on the island, which
lasted several hours, only one was found and this
contained the fur, bones and skulls of some small
rodents. The measurements in inches of the eggs
were as follows: 1.28 x 1.07, 1.31 x1.06, 1.82 x 1.07
1:33) x 1.07, 1:27 x 1.07.—R., W. Durrs:
A SECOND RECORD OF THE SCISSOR-TAILED
FLYCATCHER AT YORK FAcTORY, MANITOBA.—
For many people the fascination of bird study
rests in the uncertainty of it. Birds, in spite of
their enormous powers of flight, usually belong to
certain territory and it is only there that they
can be expected. But occasionally a wandering
spirit, storm, or unknown cause sends a bird far
from its usual range. Bird students who would
instantly recognize strange species are not numer-
ous and many such wanderers must perish without
their aberrant journeyings being known. The
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher is a very striking bird,
breeding from Southwestern Missouri to Western
Texas. Mrs. Bailey puts emphasis on the length
of his tail as the outstanding feature, as one would
expect. She says:
“Discovering him first perched on the
chaparral you are struck by his long white
tail and glistening black, white, and salmon
plumage. In perching, the tail is closed thin,
and the black of the wings contrasts well
with the bright salmon sides. He sits quietly
[VoL. XX XIX
like any every-day bird, giving only an
occasional bee-bird like note, till suddenly
up he darts into the air, and with delighted
wonder you watch his odd figure and odder
gyrations in the sky.”
Truly the following is a strange record from the
shores of Hudson Bay:
Mr. A. Brabant, Fur Trade Commissioner,
Hudson’s Bay Company, Winnipeg, recently
forwarded a skin of the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
(Muscivora forficata) to Mr. J. B. Harkin, Com-
missioner, Canadian National Parks, with the
statement that the bird had been found frozen to
death near York Factory after a slight frost on
October 2, 1924. Mr. Brabant, in his letter,
quotes from the communication received from the
Company’s manager at York Factory, Mr. C.
Harding, who says “‘no similar bird has ever been
seen by the natives in these parts”. Mr. Harding
not only saved this interesting specimen as a
creditable bird skin, but also identified his find.
It is certainly a strange coincidence that a second
bird of this species should be reported from the
shores of Hudson Bay, and even more odd that it
should be from the same place where one was
taken in 1880. This previous York Factory
occurrence is recorded by Professor Robert Bell
in his Notes on the Birds of Hudson’s Bay (Proc. &
Trans. of the Royal Soc. of Can., Vol. I, Sec. IV,
1882, p. 52) in the following words: “But the
most singular discovery in regard to geographical
distribution is the finding of the Scissor-tail,- or
Swallow-tailed Flycatcher (Milvulus forficatus Sw.)
at York Factory. The specimen in the Govern-
ment Museum was shot at York Factory, in the
summer of 1880, and I have learned since then
that these remarkable birds were occasionally
seen at the posts of the Hudson’s Bay Company,
all the way west to the valley of the McKenzie
River.”
This specimen is still in the National Museum,
being No. 30 in the catalogue. Mr. C. W. Nash
found one dead on the prairie, October 20, 1884,
near Portage la Prairie (Seton, Awk, II, p. 218).
In The Ottawa Naturalist, XIII, 1899-1900, p.
195, is an account of one seen July 6, 1899, six
miles north of Winnipeg, Manitoba, by Mr. L.
Osborne Scott. The only other Canadian records,
so far as I am aware, are of accidental occurrences
in Eastern Canada. This second York Factory
specimen has been deposited in the Canadian
National Museum.—Hoyes LLoyD.
RECORD OF THE SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER
FOR GRAND MANAN, NEW BRUNSWICK.=A beauti-
ful specimen of the Scissor-failed Flycatcher
(Muscivora forficata) was taken at Whale Cove,
Grand Manan, New Brunswick, on the 26th of
April, 1925]
October, 1924, and brought to Mr. John R. Moses
of North Head, Grand Manan.
The bird, a female of the species, was preserved
and was examined by the writer at the home of
Mr. Moses on the 20th of November, 1924.
Reference to Macoun’s Catalogue of Canadian
Birds reveals the interesting fact that a Scissor-
tailed Flycatcher was taken at Clarendon Station,
Queens County, New Brunswick, on the 21st of
May, 1906, by Mr. G. S. Lacey. It is believed
that these two comprise the only records of the
species in the Maritime Provinces.—R. W. TUFTS.
THE STARLING (Sturnus vulgaris) AT GUELPH,
ONTARIO.—On March 23, 1924, seven Starlings
appeared in Guelph, Ontario. Five of these
moved on elsewhere and one pair remained to
breed. They nested in an old Flicker cavity some
forty feet up in a maple stub. There were two
broods during the season. On the opposite side
of the street a Screech Owl holed up during the
day time, the Starlings not being in the least
disturbed over the close proximity of this nocturnal
chap. When the Flickers arrived, in April, they
had quite a lively time while attempting to reclaim
their old nesting-site, but their attempt was not
successful.— ROBERT E.. BARBER.
THE WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE IN ALBERTA.—
During the last few years the White-fronted Goose
(Anser albifrons subsp.?) has become a fairly
regular fall migrant through Central Alberta.
While it has not been reported in the spring migra-
tions, it is possible that it returns via this route,
although it could not be expected to be observed
at that time of the year as readily as during the
shooting season. Previous to the fall of 1922,
these Geese were unknown to our oldest hunters,
and they were unable to recall ever having seen
them before.
On the 7th of October, 1922, twelve Gray
Wavies, as they were called, were shot out of
several flocks, near Beaver Lake, there being at
least a thousand seen at that time. On the 14th
of the same month, the writer secured two very
fine birds out of a flock of about fifty, and observed
during that day several other flocks, estimated to
number 25 to 50 each. These Geese were feeding
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 87
in wheat flelds which had been cleared of stooks,
were in excellent condition, and decoyed as readily
as do the Canada Geese. During the same month
a considerable number were killed in the Sullivan
Lake country. In 1923 they do not appear to
have passed through in the same numbers, al-
though a few were reported.
On the first of October, 1924, the writer, with
two friends, killed four White-fronted Geese out
of a flock of one hundred birds, on his farm, a few
miles south of Camrose. These were feeding in a
wheat field, amongst the stooks which had not as
yet been removed. This is quite different from
the habits of the Canada Geese, which rarely, if
ever, feed among stooks, always selecting for
feeding purposes fields which have been cleared.
This is one instance where the White-fronts use
less caution than do their larger relatives. While
hunting at Manitou Lake, Saskatchewan, just
across the border from Alberta, in the last week
in October, 1924, the writer saw hundreds of
White-fronted Geese, and secured seven one
morning. One flock was unusually susceptible to
decoying, and was called back over the pit three
times, before it finally left the field.
The breast plumage of the White-fronted Goose
varies exceedingly in color and form, no two of
those which have the black blotches being exactly
similar. The majority of those killed had only
the pale gray breasts, and these all seemed to be
the smaller birds. Would these latter be the birds
of the year? Out of a considerable series of
White-fronts weighed, the heaviest, a richly
blotched bird, tipped the scales at six pounds and
ten ounces. The plain-breasted birds averaged
about five pounds each.
These Geese are known to migrate through
Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan regularly,
and it would be interesting indeed to know for
what reason they have changed their usual course
five hundred miles during recent years.—FRANK
L. FARLEY.
Note—The Canadian Field-Naturalist is much
indebted to Mr. P. B. Philipp for meeting the
expense of publishing the illustrations accom-
panying his paper in this issue.—Editor.
BOOK REVIEW
BIRDS AND MAMMALS OF THE SKEENA RIVER
REGION OF NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA.
By Harry S. Swarth. University of California,
Publications in Zoology, Vol. 24, No. 3, pp.
315-294, Plates 9-11, 1 figure in text. Univ.
of Cal. Press, Berkeley, Cal., 1924.
This is another of the admirable faunal papers
from the painstaking pen of Mr. Swarth, published
under the auspices of the Museum of Vertebrate
Zoology, University of California. It is one of a
series of Northwest Coast brochures made possible
88 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
through the generosity and interest of Miss Annie
Alexander.*
The work upon which this publication is founded
was performed from May 25 to September 26,
1921, in the neighborhood of Hazelton, British
Columbia, by Mr. Swarth and Mr. Wm. D. Strong.
Hazelton is roughly as the Crow flies about 130
miles northeast of Prince Rupert, on the National
Transcontinental line, latitude about 55°15’ North
and, except in Alaska, the most northern railroad
point on the continent, being about on a line with
the mouth of James Bay.
The scope and treatment of the work is indicated
by the division headings. Introduction, consisting
of personnel of party and acknowledgements;
Itinerary and Description of Localities; Zonal and
Faunal Position of the Skeena Valley; Check-List
of the Birds; General Accounts of the Birds, an
annotated list, giving critical accounts of relation-
ships and occurrences; Check-List of the Mam-
mals; General Accounts of the Mammals, similar
to those of the birds; and Literature Cited.
No very revolutionary discoveries are made.
On the whole, the author finds upper Skeena
fauna and flora to be of the interior rather than of
the coast type, though certain coastal species occur
farther inland here than in the Stikine Valley, the
locality most likely to be compared with it. It is
slightly more humid, but in many respects similar
to that valley.
Some interesting occurrences are noted and the
ranges of several forms and species extended.
Fleming’s Grouse (Dendragapus obscurus flemingi)
extends this far south. The Willow Partmigan is
referred to alexandrae and a Rock Ptarmigan, the
female with a tail white at the base like that of
Lagopus hyperboreus of Spitzbergen, is described
and figured but not named. An interesting point
brought out is that within a small area within this
locality are found six species of Grouse—Ruffed,
Blue and Franklin’s and three Ptarmigan, an
association that has heretofore not been equalled
in this country. Both Eastern and Western Gos-
hawks were taken and Eastern and Black Pigeon
Hawks, the latter marking a considerable northern
extension of range. The Vaux’s Swift is probably
also a northern record. Two Eastern Kingbirds
were taken. A Red-winged Blackbird is referred
to arctolegus. Strangely enough, Brewer’s Black-
bird is absent and its place is taken by the Rusty,
a species from the east. The most northern record
of the Evening Grosbeak (brooksi) was also made.
*Others in the series have dealt with the fauna of the Alaskan
coast, Vancouver Island and the upper Stikine River. A
review of the latter is to be found in these pages, Vol. XX XVII,
1923, pp. 32-4.
TA short list of the summer birds of this same region has
previously been published by Taverner, Condor, XXI, 1919,
pp. 80-86.
[VoL. XX XIX
The Purple Finch is the eastern form. All three
Longspurs were secured. For Smith’s Longspur
it is the second record for the province, for the
Chestnut-collared it is the first. A White-throat-
ed Sparrow is a notable occurrence. Three forms
of Junco were collected. Mr. Swarth refers the
breeding bird to shufeldti and migrants to hyemalis
and connectens; the latter as defined in his Birds
of the Stikine River. The Eastern Fox Sparrow
was taken for the second time in the province but
altivagans is given as the breeding form. A Cat-
bird and a Western House Wren form northern
records for their respective species. ‘The Brown-
headed Nuthatches he refers to columbianus. ~
The typographical and general appearance of
this report is up to the usual high standard of the
series and denotes careful work on the part of
author, printer and proof-reader. The stock and
workmanship show no lowering of quality, even
in these days of high printing costs.—P. A. T.
Field notes and critical notes on taxonomy are
given for the 21 species of small mammals listed,
based on 265 specimens collected. The expedition
was hardly far enough afield to be in the big game
country, and the larger fur-bearers are difficult to
observe at the season when the field operations
were carried on, consequently only a few of the
larger mammals are casually mentioned in the
introduction.—R. M. A.
THE AUK, April, 1924
NESTS AND NESTING HABITS OF THE AMERICAN
HAGLE. By Francis H. Herrick, pp. 213-231,
continued pp. 889-122 and 517-541.
This is a very complete and intimate study, well
illustrated with photographs, of the nesting of a
pair of Bald Eagles. A most important paper to
any one who is studying this species.
NESTING RECORDS OF THE WANDERING TATTLER
AND SURF-BIRD IN ALASKA. By Olaus J.
Murie, 3 plates, pp. 231-237.
Gradually we are getting exact data on the
nesting areas of these birds, which have so long
eluded us. It has long been felt, through a process
of elimination, that they must nest in the mountain
interior of Alaska. Our suppositions are being
verified. In the summer of 1923 nests and eggs
of the Wandering Tattler were found on gravel
bars along small tributaries of the Tenana River,
near Fairbanks, directly north of Prince William
Sound. The exact locality is difficult to place on
the map unless one is very familiar with Alaska
or has maps that are more detailed than those
generally accessible and it would be very helpful
if authors who refer to such out-of-the-way places
would state their latitude and longitude.
April, 1925]
The nest of the Surf-bird was not found but
downy young were taken, July 21, 1921, on
McKinley Creek, a tributary of the Middle Fork
of Forty-mile River, a little south of where the
Yukon River crosses the International Boundary,
and July birds were seen in the same and other
years at the head of the Savage River and between
“upper Chena and Chatanika waters’’, near Fair-
banks.
A Visit To Tom LINCOLN’S HOUSE WITH SOME
AUDUBONIA. By Charles W. Townsend, pp.
237-242.
The principal Canadian interest in this paper,
outside of its connection with Audubon, in whom
all American ornithologists are interested, is in
the fact that it was Tom Lincoln who first dis-
covered Lincoln’s Sparrow, near Natashquan, on
the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, then
officially as well as popularly known as “‘The
Labrador’’, and after whom it was named. The
paper contains some interesting side lights on the
Labrador trip—amongst them an amusing quota-
tion of Lincoln’s describing the great Audubon as
“ec
...anice man but Frenchy as thunder.”
RECOGNIZING INDIVIDUAL BIRDS BY SONG. By
Aretas A. Saunders, pp. 242-259.
An interesting study of individual variation in
bird songs. There is given a method of graphic-
ally representing bird songs that appears to have
prospects of usefulness even to those without
musically trained ears.
A STUDY OF THE HOME LIFE OF THE NORTHERN
PARULA AND OTHER WARBLERS AT HATLEY,
STANSTEAD COUNTY, QUEBEC, 1921-1922.
With two plates of nests. By Henry Mousley
A very interesting study of the nesting of a
number of Warblers that goes to confirm our belief
that we have here in Canada a high authority on
Warbler nesting habits.
PECULIAR BEHAVIOR OF THE SPOTTED SANDPIPER
(Actitis macularia). By L. L. Snyder, pop.
341-342.
Records of the species perching on so small a
support as a telegraph wire and swimming to avoid
danger.
On page 342, Arthur T. Wayne records Great
Horned Owls killing Barn Owls. Apropos of this,
one of the best methods of attracting Owls within
gun range at night is to imitate the eall of the next
weaker species. It will sometimes work even when
their own callsfailtolure. They come to it with a
vigor that leaves little doubt as to their immediate
intention. It is interesting to note that nearly
every wooded coulee of any extent in the Canadian
prairies contains at least a pair of Long-eared
Owls—unless a Great Horned Owl there holds
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 89
forth, in which case there is little chance of finding
any smaller Owl resident in the area.
De. John C. Phillips’s Natural History of the
Ducks, Part II, is reviewed on pp. 358-359 at
considerable length and with nothing but well-
merited praise. This volume contains many of
our native species and pictures by our countryman,
Major Allan Brooks, are well represented among
the illustrations. Perhaps no work ever before
contained as much accurate and detailed informa-
tion on the Ducks of any limited locality as this
does on those of the world. That the name for
the Mallard is given in some forty-five different
languages illustrates the amount of research that
has been put into these pages. The only shadow
over the picture is the price—fifty dollars a
volume—which places the work beyond the means
of many who could make good use of it. Much
of this expense is inevitable in the thorough
presentation of the subject but a large part is due
to the sumptuousness that makes a beautiful book,
satisfying to aesthetic appreciation, without add-
ing to its working value.
Wetmore’s Food and Economic Relations of
North American Grebes, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture,
Department Bulletin No. 1196, 1924, pp. 1-24, is
briefly reviewed on pp. 369-370, as is Casey Wood’s
Birds of Fiji, Handbook of Fiji, 1924, on p. 371.
In the latter paper it is noted that the introduced
Myna, closely related to the Chinese Starling,
lately established in British Columbia, is a serious
enemy of the native birds.
On p. 372 is an appreciation of Dr. John D.
Tothill’s work on the relation of birds to the Fall
Webworm, published in Bull. 3, n.s., Dominion
Dept. of Agriculture, Ottawa, 1922, 107 pp. The
Red-eyed Vireo is given an astonishingly high
place among the factors controlling these pests, as
it was found to destroy from 11.4 to 89.5 per cent
of the broods. Dr. Tothill decided that birds are
of greatest importance when the insects are
scarce and of least value when they are most
abundant.
A paper on heterochrosis in the Crimson-
breasted Parrot, by Casey Wood, published in
The Hmu, is noted.
On p. 883 is a letter by Allan Brooks taking
exception to a denial, made by Ludlow Griscom
in a recent paper, that the sex plumages of the
Black Swift are similar in the adult. Major
Brooks states that in some fully adult specimens
the sexes are exactly alike, both in the lack of
white feather edges below and in the emargination
of the tail. A letter to the same effect by H. S.
Swarth follows that of Major Brooks. Both of
these authorities have had very ample experience
with the species and their word must be regarded
as final.
90 6 SNS THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
An obituary of Napoleon Alexander Comeau,
the naturalist of the North Shore, whose death
was noted in these pages before, appears on pp.
387-388.—P. A. T.
HISTORIES OF NEW Foop-FIsHES, Bulletins of the
Biological Board of Canada, ee I-IV, 1918-
20; 80 pp., Illustrated.
This series comprises short popular Leiba
on Canadian fishes of economic value, but hitherto
little considered by the fisherman or consumer,
owing to the abundance of more marketable
species along our Atlantic Coast. As these latter,
however, owing to intensive fishing, decrease in
numbers and size, or, owing to their migratory
habits, occasionally fail to appear at the different
localities, it is important to utilize other species,
which are really obtainable in large quantities,
but which at present are taken only as by-products,
during the fishing for Cod, Herring, Mackerel,
etc., along our coasts, and are generally discarded;
or for which no fishery at all has been made up to
the present time, though in European waters their
value is fully appreciated, both by the fisherman
and by the ordinary consumer. There they find a
ready market, chiefly in a salted or smoked state,
owing to their generally fairly large size. Though
Canadian and Alaskan waters are undoubtedly
some of the most important fishing-grounds in the
world, and rich in variety, the number of fish
species considered of commercial importance here
is surprisingly small, and the fishery is limited to
them. The Indians along the American Pacific,
the Eskimos and other Arctic tribes, and the
coastal fisherman of northern and western Europe
have long shown the way to utilize the many
edible and nourishing products of the sea, besides
the few species bringing the highest prices sought
for by white fishermen in America. A number of
the fishes of economic value occur on both sides
of the Atlantic and the Pacific, particularly to-
wards the north, both the ones of prime commercial
importance at present, and a host of others so far
little considered in America.
It is for the purpose of calling attention to these
latter ones, some of which may one day become as
important to our fishermen as are now the Halibut,
the Lobster, or the Oyster, that these Histories of
New Food-Fishes are published.
The first Bulletin in the series deals with the:
Canadian Plaice (Drepanopsetta platessoides), or
Long Rough Dab, and is by the Director of the
Atlantic Biological Station at St. Andrews, N.B.,
Dr. A. G. Huntsman.
and treats of the Lumpsucker (Cyclopterus lump-
us). The third is by Prof. W. A. Clemens, now
Director of the Pacific Biological Station at
Nanaimo, B.C., and deals with the Rock-eel or
Mutton fish (Zoarces anguillaris); while the fourth ©
bulletin, by Prof. C. J. Conolly, of Antigonish,
N.S., describes the Angler or Frog-fish (Lophius
piscatorius). The more detailed, scientific ac-
counts of the fish-species treated in these Histories
of New Food-Fishes, will be found in Contributions
to Canadian Biology, already reviewed in The
Canadian Field-Naturalist.
Each one of these four Bulletins is well supplied
with illustrations, as plates or in the text, showing
the distribution, growth, and appearance of the
particular species, from the egg and the larva up
to the adults. The text is subdivided into suitable
short chapters on the different subjects discussed
in connection with each fish: as their popular
names in Europe and America; the systematic
characters; occurrence along the different coasts;
capture and economic value; spawning and
development; habits, food, parasites, etc., accord-
ing to our present knowledge. As the four species
represent both deep water and coastal forms;
both viviparous and egg-laying species; species
depositing their eggs among rocks and sea-weed
along the shore, and species having fleating
(pelagic) eggs, these accounts of merely four fishes
show the great variety in their natural history,
and the importance of a proper understanding of
the natural history of each species in its economic
utilization. Furthermore, each bulletin is written
in a style both plain and interesting; contains
original data secured in Canada, and deals mainly
with the life-history along our own coasts. These
Histories of New Food-Fishes may be had for 10
or 15 cents apiece, on application to the Biological
Board of Canada.—F. J.
PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED.
Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science for 1923.
XXX. Des Moines.
Natural Resources, Canada. Vol. 4, No. 2, February, 1925.
Ottawa.
Rivista Italiana di Ornitclogia. Vo.1 VII, No. 1, Messina.
Bulletin of the American Game Protective Association. Vol.
14, No. 1, January, 1925. New York.
The European Hare (Lepus europaeus Pallas) in North
America. By James Silver. Washington, D.C. Issued
November, 1924.
Monthly Weather Map.
of Canada, February, 1925.
Volume
Meteorological Service, Dominion
Annales Zoologici Musei Polonici Historiae Naturalis. Tom
II, Zeszyt 1. Warszawa, 1923.
Annales Zoologici Musei Polonicit Historiae Naturalis. Tom.
Il, Zeszyt 2. Warszawa, 1924.
Annales Zoolegici Musei Polonici Histcriae Naturalis. Tom-
II, Zeszyt 3-4. Warszawa, 1924.
The Birds of Oklahoma. By Margaret Morse Nice and
Leonard Blaine Nice. University of Oklahoma Bulletin, New
Series No. 20, University Studies No. 286. Norman, Okla-
homa. May 15, 1924.
ae
™
[Vou. XXXIX
The second is written by
Prof. P. Cox, of the University of New Brunswick, .
L
_ NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF
Mak MANITOBA
Rene 1924
President: V. W. JACKSON; President: J. J. GOLDEN;
Presidents: H. M. SPEECHLY, A. M. Davipson, A. G.
NCE, NORMAN CRIDDLE; Mrs. C. E. BasTIN, Mrs.
NDERSON; General Secretary: A. A. MCCOUBREY, 307
¢ . Depot, Winnipeg, Man.; Hzecutive Secretary: R. M.
“THOMAS; Treasurer: Miss HELEN R. CANNOM; ORNITH-
OLOGICAL SECTION:—Chairman: B. W. CARTWRIGHT;
seretary: C. L. BROLEY. ENTOMOLOGICAL SECTION:
Chairman: A. V. MITCHENER; Secretary: A. SHIRLEY
ROOKS. BOTANICAL SECTION :—Chairman: C. W. LOWE;
ecretary: Miss GRACE CAMERON. GEOLOGICAL SEC-
_ THE HAMILTON BIRD PROTECTION
* SOCIETY
(Incorporated)
on. President: Mr. ADAM Brown; President: Mr. R. O
- M@RRIMAN; 1st Vice-President: Dr. H. G. ARNOTT; 2nd Vice-
President: Mr. C. D. Cook; Secretary-Treasurer: Miss RUBY
R. Mitts, Public Library, Hamilton; Directors: Dr. H. G.
RNOTT; C. D. Cook; Dr. J. A. DickSoN; Miss M. E. Gra-
ZAM; Miss Ruspy R. Minis; M. Hotton; M. JOHNSTON;
Mrs. F. E. MACLOGHLIN; R. O. MBRRIMAN.
ATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF BRITISH
~~ +=COLUMBIA. VICTORIA, B.C.
_ The officers for the above Society for the year ending
larch 31st, 1923, are as follows:—
resident: W.N. KELLY; 1st Vice-President: A. R. SHERWOOD;
Vice-President: C. C. PEMBERTON; Secretary: H. T.
ION 2380 Windsor Road, Victoria, B.C. Treasurer: Miss
M. THORNTON; Commitiee:—Miss C. G. Fox, Miss A. F.
ARDINER, Miss I. CATHCART, WM. DOWNES, A. HALKETT.
Auditors:—J. KEITH WILSON AND F. W. GoDSAL. _ T'rusiees:—
Rev. R. CONNELL, Dr. C. F.NEWCOMBE AND G: HARVEY.
Hon. President: Dr. Hy. GEORGE, Victoria B.C.; Hon. Vice-
} ident: Mr. J. J. GAETZ, Red Deer; President: Mr. C. H.
L, Red Deer; ist Vice-President: Mr. G. C. S. CrosBy,
Deer; 2nd Vice-President: Mrs. W. A. CASSELS, Red
*> Hon. Sec-Treas.: Mrs. S. PAMELY, Red Deer; Direc-
Mrs. G. C. S. Crossy, Miss E. C. Irvine, MR. W. A.
_ CASSELS AND MR. S. PAMELY, Red Deer, Mrs. G. F. Root,
Wetaskiwin, Mr. K. BowMANn, Edmonton, Mr. B. LAwTon,
Edmonton, Mr. T. RANDALL, Castor, Mr. F. L. FARLEY,
oF: e, Mr. W. C. McCatia, Bremner, and MR. D. M.
SINCLAIR, Peace River. ‘
e meetings of this Society are held in Red Deer on the
Tiday of each month except during July and August and
aps September. The annual meeting is held in Red Deer
he last Friday in November.
LWRAITH ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB,
oi ‘LONDON, ONT.
i: T. D. PATTERSON, 562 Waterloo Street; Recording
Mrs. E. H. McKong, Worthey Road; Correspond-
etary and Treasurer: E. M.S. DALE, 297 Hyman St.;
rs qualified to answer questions: W. E. SAUNDERS, 240
Ave.; _C. G. WATSON, 201 Ridout St. South; J. R.
OD, 355 Wortley Road; J. F. CALVmRT, 461 Tecumseh
M. S. DALE, 297 Hyman St. = é
©
resident: L. S. KLINCK, L.L.D., Pres. University of B.C.;
ident: JOHN DAVIDSON, F.L.S., University of B.C.; Vice-
dent: FRED Perry; Hon. Secretary: C.F. CoNNoR, M.A.,
9-W. 2nd Ave., Vancouver, B.C.; Hon. Treasurer: A. H.
N, 2302 York St., Vancouver, B.C.
ortnightly meetings in the University Buildings from
be: April (inclusive). Semi-monthly excursions from
| August (inclusive),
_ TION:—Chairman: A. A. McCousprey; Secretary: J. M.
. Miss Hmity LUKg, c-o Secretary.
pd
De listed Séciaties
PROVINCE OF QUEBEC SOCIETY FOR THE
PROTECTION OF BIRDS
Hon. President: 1. Gammen; Hon. Vice-President: W.H. ROBB;
President: LL. McI. TERRILL; 1st, Vice-President: NAPIER
SMITH; 2nd. Vice-President: E. ARNOLD; 3rd. Vice-President
and Curator: Miss E.G. LUKE; Recording Secretary: Miss H.
STONE; Corresponding Secretary: W. S. Hart, P.O. Box 1185,
Montreal, P.Q.; Treasurer: HENRY MousLEY; Committee:
Miss M. ARMITAGE, Miss E. BENNET; MR. AND Mrs. C. F.
DAL; H. A. C. JACKson; Miss E. Morrow; Miss L. MurpHy;
A, MACSWEEN; G.S. Mooney; W. A. OswaLD; L. MclI.
SPACKMAN; Mrs. W. W. WALKER; Dr. ARTHUR WILLEY;
Members qualified to answer questions: LL. Mcl. TERRILL,
44 Stanley Ave., St. Lambert, Que.; NAPIER SMITH,
Bank of Montreal, Verdun, Que., E. ARNOLD, 64 Durocher St.,
Montreal; W. A. OSWALD, 301 Wilson Ave., N -D.G., Montreal;
C. N. ROBERTSON, c-o Ross Realty Co., Room 805, Lewis
Bldg., St. John St., Montreal, Que.; Dr. ARTHUR WILLEY,
McGill University, Montreal; HENRY MousLEy, 274 Girouard
Ave., N.D.G., Montreal, P.Q.; Miss EpITH MoRRow AND
‘
SOCIETE PROVANCHER D’HISTCIRE
NATURELLE DU CANADA
Bureau de direction pour 1923
Président: DocTEUR S. GAUDREAU; Jer vice-président: ABBE
A. VACHON, M.A.; 2éme vice-présideni: A-R.-M. BOULTON;
Secrétaire-trésorier: Louis-B. Lavoir; Chef de la section
scientifique: A.-A. GopBoUT; Chef de la section de propaganda
éducationelle: DocTEUR A. Dery; Chef de la section de pro-
tection: R. MEREDITH, N.P.; Chef de la section d’information
scientifique et pratique: DocTEUR J.-E. BERNIER; Directeurs:
R.-F. Linpsay; Jos. Matte; G.-S. AHERN.
THE BRITISH: COLUMBIA ORNITHOLO-
GISTS’ UNION
Officers for 1923
Hon. President: Hon. MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, Victoria;
President: FRANCIS KERMODE, Provincial Museum, Victoria;
Vice-President: T. L. THACKER, Hope; Secretary-Treasurer:
J. W. WINSON, Huntingdon; Directors: J. A. MUNRO, Okana-
gan Landing; Dr. Keiso, Arrow Lakes; R. GLENDENING,
Agassiz; K. RAcEy, Vancouver; T. PEARSE, Courtenay;
W.N. KELLY, Victoria.
THE TORONTO FIELD-NATURALISTS’
CLUB
President: PRroressoR R. B. THOMSON; Vice-Presidents:
PROFESSOR E. M. WALKER, Dr. A. COSENS, J. H. FLEMING;
Secretary: W. F. Grecory, 151 Ellsworth Ave., Toronto;
Treasurer: F. H. BRIGDEN; Honorary Librarian: C. W. NASH;
Librarian: Dr. Lyman JACKES. BIRD GROUP:—
Chairman: STUART THOMPSON; Secretary: JAMES BAILLIE.
FLOWER GROUP:—Chairman: Dr. H.B.Sirton; Secretary:
Miss J. G. WRIGHT, PH.D.; INSECT GROUP:—Chairman:
PROFESSOR WALKER; Secretary: Miss NORMA ForD, PH.D.
MAMMAL GROUP:—Chairman: J. R. DYMOND; Secretary:
L. SnyDER. REPTILE, FISH AND AMPHIBIAN GROUP:
—Chairman: SuHit~tey Locipr; Secretary: T. B. KURATA.
PROGRAM COMMITTEE:—Chairman: Dr. W. A. CLEM-
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VOL. XXXIX, No. 5 MAY, 1925
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NATURALISTS’ CLUB
ISSUED MAY 19, 1925
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BPS APT coe ee la Meus Anthropology A. G. HUNTSMAN...... ......Marine Biolo
MEMO NPARPE DS ccc see Ne ieee epee Botany PA. TAVERNER, 2.0. DA0 eee Ornitholo
Fh AGATCHRORD, <i: .tals aie Conchology Ee MOIGINDIEEY (se ee ee
IVEY WELLTAMS: 334i te 2 NURS nna: Geology R. M. ANDERSON......... eee ih
ARTHUR GIBSON... ............. Entomology OBO LYDE Mi: PATCHE sa aiming _.. Herpe
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CONTENTS
Notes on the Herpetology of Point Pelee, Ontario. By E. B. Shelley agi Ramee. Ee :
Corallorrhiza Maculata and its Varieties in Canada. By Henry. Mousley 3:32) 2). Ate
Field Studies a Growth Forms of Some of the Native Trees of the Environment of Viera, Mae
“C. By C..C.Pemberton’ 55 fel ee ee ee eg ‘OG
Further Observations on Canadian Huphyllopoda. By Frits Johansen 2 : ~—-105
Integument of Chasmosaurus belli. By C. M. Sternberg.......................... 25 a aa
An Eye for Movement. By Henry Howitt, B.A.. Ss Ce a, Se rrr
The Bison and its Relations. By Charles M. Sternberg. SA al SIRES oS LON Steg en rR ga Mac nt
Notes and Observations:— i it
Annual Meeting of the Royal Society sta A ua ey
The Herring Gull at Quebec in Winter. By Rex Meredith..................... Roars) 1 13
Some Notes on the Killdeer Plover at Brockport, N.Y. By Gordon Aiea Biesercahe Yell
Notes on Winter Birds. By L. B. Potter, Eastend, SASK Micaeeici nc Sse ee “Ue
Common Cormorants Nesting in the Magdalen Islands. By Harrison F. Lewis fap
A Juvenile Richardson’s Owl from Grand Manan, N.B. By Hoyes Lloyd....... ee
Banding of the Baltimore Orioles. By Paul Kuta 0 a ee Be ists a
Two Winter Records from Wolfville, N.S. By A. L. Rand..... Se So le Sg 190) a ase
A Mystery Band Solved. By Hoyes TA Oy ds is cio Gy we es ae es
On the Wintering of Perdix perdix in Alberta, 1924-1925. By William Rowan. 2 ea i
Notes on Grouse and Woodcock Conditions in "Nova Scotia, Spring, 1923. ae R. W. Putts:
The Kingbird in Anticosti in 1924. By Harrison F. Lewis........................... »
Further Notes on the Willet in Nova Scotia. By R. W. Tufts............ Sed eee
Canadian Field-Naturalist Publication Fund..:....-.2....-..0.......0.0.. eens pre:
Worrespondence 07/0707) ey cals ap hasten ee ania ees et etc eae TS Sapoeee a. Gane
Official Canadian Record of Bird-Banding Returns. (Continued). Jas a ie
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It OM COO RR er
IN The Canadian Field-Naturalist for
A] September, 1919, Volume XXXIII,
ap) Number 3, pp. 60, 61, Mr. Clyde L.
—/ Patch gives a list of reptiles taken at
yint Pelee, with some notes of observations and
short description of the general characteristic
of the place. In closing his article he remarks:
‘As the foregoing is probably not a complete list
the reptiles of Point Pelee, additional records
uld be of interest’’.
During the summer of 1920, I was fortunate in
ving the opportunity to visit this interesting
ce where I spent about six weeks in field work
th a party from the Royal Ontario Museum of
ology, Toronto, and as a result will be able to
add four species of reptiles to Mr. Patch’s list
d Mr. C. W. Nash has kindly furnished me with
ifth. Iam able also to present a list of amphi-
pians, nine species in all.
_ The first in the list, a Urodele, of which I found
ne, was taken by Mr. P. A. Taverner in 1915.
and the record was sent me by Mr. Patch. The
1eceeding eight species are all Anura and were
en by myself while at the Point.
The attention which I was able to devote to the
rch for amphibians and reptiles was limited as
much of my time was occupied in other work
seems certain that a summer devoted to the
rpetology of Point Pelee would add still more
ies to the list of both amphibians and reptiles.
newts and salamanders and believe that a more
‘ul search would reveal at least a few besides
one species recorded below.
The marsh, with its open ponds, with bottom
rying from clean sand to soft mud, sustaining
much aquatic vegetation and small animal life,
should afford an ideal breeding place for the green
: and for several species of Ambystoma within
y, moist conditions, and so rich in small
ct life, one would expect to find the red-backed
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, MAY, 1925
as struck by the apparent absence of both ©
- The Canadian Field-Naturalist
No. 5
NOTES ON THE HERPETOLOGY OF POINT PELEE, ONTARIO
By E. B. SHELLEY LOGIER
Royal Ontario Museum of Zoology
Toronto, Ont.
The apparent absence of wood-frogs was also
more or less of a puzzle to me, for the conditions
seemed to be good enough; the many temporary
rain pools should serve—in rainy summers at any
rate—to tide the species over the larval stage
which is usually finished in July, and, these failing
there is always water in the marsh which is fringed
with woods on much of its western side.
Considering the: geographic location of Point
Pelee, its variety of landscape, its abundance of
water and of sheltering vegetation, it should be an
ideal place for many species of amphibians, so I
have no doubt that the list herewith presented is
far from complete.
AMPHIBIANS
1. TIGER SALAMANDER, Ambystoma tigrinum
(Green).—One specimen was taken at Point Pelee
by Mr. P. A. Taverner on October 2nd, 1915, but
he does not recall the circumstances of the capture.
This record, which was kindly supplied me by
Mr. Patch, is the only one I know of of any kind
of salamander from there.
2. AMERICAN TOAD, Bufo americanus Holbrook.
—This species was common and generally distri-
buted over the Point, being found in a variety of
locations, in the woods, on farm lands, around the
borders of the marsh, and under drift timber on
the beach at the edge of the woods.
Their songs were sometimes heard in the even-
ings from the rainpools which were so numerous
from the frequent showers of that humid, thundery
summer. Along the sides of the wagon road which
runs through from the east to the west beach,
immediately south of Gardiner’s property, were
several of these pools which were more or less
permanent in the early part of the summer, and
the toads had resorted to them to breed. Here
the tadpoles were seen in great numbers, but
they were destroyed in multitudes by the drying
of some of the pools before transformation was
completed.
3. FOowLer’s ToaAp, Bufo fowleri Garman.—
Three specimens of this toad were taken late in
the forenoon of July 1st, in the grass bordering
the motor road on the west side of the point, just
92 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
outside Mr. Grubb’s property. The three of them
were very close together when discovered, all
within about a square foot, disporting themselves
in the bright sunshine and seemed to be very wide
awake. At first sight they seemed different to
the American toad by reason of their unusual
coloration, and, on closer scrutiny, by the vertical
profile of the snout; the rather slender, elongated
and relatively straight parotoid glands which were
not like the broad, and often somewhat kidney,
shaped glands of the latter species; and by the
smaller size of the warts, which numbered from
two or three to seven or eight, in the black blotches
on the back. In the American toad usually one
or two warts are enclosed in any of these blotches.
The ground colour between the blotches was of a
greyish yellow, irregularly mottled with dusky
greenish shade. The under parts of the throat,
body and limbs were yellowish and without mark-
ings of any kind.
The general impression on viewing the toads
from above, as when I first saw them on the
ground, was that of uncommonly green toads.
One of these specimens was later sent to E. R.
Dunn, who confirmed my provisional identification
of Bufo fowlert.
4. CRICKET FROG, Acris gryllus LeConte.—
One specimen of this frog was found in the most
southerly pond in the marsh.
On the afternoon of July 15th, while sketching
beside this pond, my attention was caught by
what to me was a new frog-note, and which
sounded something like the tapping together of
two pebbles. This call, which like the calls of our
other diminutive frogs had considerable carrying
power, was uttered intermittently, that is, the
frog would call several times and then remain
silent for a while. By following the sound I
finally located the tiny producer, hiding among
the rushes in the shallow water at the pond’s
margin. It dived when I attempted to capture it,
but was dragged ashore in a net full of bottom
trash. When landed it did not make for the water
as frogs usually do, but took a few jumps further
ashore as if in an effort to hide itself in among the
shore vegetation. At the time of capture there
were some rich emerald green blotches on the
brownish ground colour of the back of this speci-
men, but, strange to say, these completely dis-
appeared after a few weeks in captivity, although
‘the little frog fed ravenously and seemed in the
best of health. No more frogs of this species
were taken or heard calling.
5. SPRING-PEEPER, Hyla crucifer Wied.—Judg-
ing by the chorus, this frog was present in very
considerable numbers in the swampy land and
strip of woods on the east side of the Point just
south of the marsh. In the twilight of damp or
[VoL. XX XIX
rainy evenings, and frequently all through the
night, especially in the early part of June, its
shrill notes were incessant.
Two specimens were taken. One was found in
the woods on the southern part of the Point on
June 13th. The other one, taken on the 15th of -
June, was found snugly resting in a deserted cater-
pillar tent which served it as a hammock, sus-
pended in the bushes. This was at the west side
of the marsh and exposed to the full heat of the
morning sun, and both the frog and the tent felt
warm to the hand on grasping them.
6. COMMON TREE-FROG, Hyla versicolor Le-
Conte.—This species was much in evidence by its
voice, although not frequently seen. Its brief,
trilling notes could usually be heard mingled with
the nightly chorus of Hyla crucifer. Two speci-
mens were taken, these were found in the daytime
hiding in a small well composed of a buried barrel
with the top open.
7. LEOPARD-FROG, Rana pipiens Schreber.—
This was the most abundant Rana; it was very
plentiful in the marsh and was also found wander-
ing up over the farmlands which were more or less
moist from the frequent rains of that summer.
8. GREEN FROG, Rana clamitans Latreille—
Not as plentiful as the Leopard Frog, but no
doubt the next most abundant Rana. Common
in the marsh, but I have no distinct recollection
of having found it anywhere else on the Point.
9. BULLFROG, Rana catesbeiana Shaw.—This
species, residing in the more inaccessible parts of
the marsh, was probably more plentiful than sight
records would lead one to think. The lonesome
booming call of at least a few individuals could be
heard there any evening at twilight; but, con-
sidering that the latter part of June and first two
weeks of July are the period of full chorus for this
species at Ithaca, (Wright, 1914), and that Point
Pelee would not differ very greatly from Ithaca in
the advance of the season, the notes of the bull-
frog were comparatively few on the evenings when
I visited the marsh.
REPTILES
Mr. Patch’s list of eleven species of reptiles no
doubt includes all the forms (excepting the Pilot
Snake) actually recorded from Point Pelee up to
the date at which his article was published, i.e.
September, 1919. His list is as follows*:
1. Blue-tailed skink, Eumeces fasciatus (Linné).
2. Hog-nosed snake, Heterodon contortrix
(Linné.)
3. Black racer snake,
(Linné).
Coluber c. constrictor
*The nomenclature which I am using is that of the second
edition of Stejneger and Barber’s Check List, 1923. This
necessitates revising the generic names of the Blue-tailed skink
and the Musk turtle.
the earlier edition.
Mr. Patch, of necessity, having followed
May, 1925]
. Fox snake, Elaphe vulpina (Baird & Girard).
. Garter snake, Thamnophis s. sirtalis (Linné).
. Rattlesnake, ‘Crotalus horridus (Linné.)
. Musk turtle, Sternotherus odoratus (Latreille).
. Snapping turtle, Chelydra serpentina (Linné).
Spotted turtle, Clemmys guttata (Schneider).
10. Blanding’s turtle, Emys blandingii (Hol-
brook).
11. Painted turtle, Chrysemys m. marginata
(Agissiz).
CONDO
The rattlesnake recorded in this list was an old
specimen measuring 56 inches in length. It was
taken near the end of the Point in September,
1918, by Captain G. Wilkinson, and is now in the
collection of the Victoria Memorial Museum,
Ottawa. As this one was such an old specimen
and as no others have been taken there in recent
years, Mr. Patch is of the opinion that it was
probably the last of its race.
Of the other species listed the black racer is the
only one I did not find. One of the residents of
the Point told me that this snake is more often
seen early in the summer before the grass has
grown tall in the marsh. The specimen recorded
by Mr. Patch was taken in 1906 by Mr. P. A.
Taverner. Mr. C. W. Nash, of the Ontario
Provincial Museum, tells me that he has records
of fifteen or sixteen specimens of this snake being
taken in Essex County and at Point Pelee in 1913
and some years following. Some of these he him-
self collected, and some were taken by other
persons and sent to him. He also tells me that
all these specimens were of the blue or blue-green
colouration, but that none of them showed any
yellow on the ventral parts.
Green colouration is characteristic of the species
in the more western reaches of its range. Cope
(1898) writes: ‘Specimens from the west and
southwest exhibit a more or less bright olive-green
with the whole under surface greenish-white to
bright yellow.” ‘Transitions between the eastern
black and the western green forms of this species
are frequently met with in the region connecting
the two habitats. Thus, in Michigan the species
is generally of a bluish green or greenish blue tint
above, and is known as the ‘blue racer’.”’
Ruthven (1912a) speaking of this species, says:
“Michigan specimens when adult usually uniform-
ly dull bluish green above Colour of
ventral surface nearly always greenish or bluish
white, although frequently tinged with yellow.”
The “blue racer’? is evidently the prevailing
colour form of Western Ontario as it is of Michigan,
and at present I know of no record of the black
form from that part of the Province.*
Mr. Nash is of the opinion that records of black
snakes from there may prove to refer to the Pilot
*The specimen recorded by Mr. Patch, which is represented
only by a skin, is now in the collection of the Victoria Memorial
Museum. He does not state what the colouration in life was.
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 93
black snake (Elaphe o. obsoleta) of which he has
several records from Essex County. The racer,
by reason of its smooth scales, may be readily
distinguished from the pilot snake in which the
scales are keeled.
To the above list I can add the following five
species:
1. Pitot BLACK SNAKE, Elaphe o. obsoleta
(Say.)—Mr. Nash has taken several examples of
this snake at the base of the Point. A specimen
measuring 6 feet 3 inches in length was taken
there on November 2nd, 1915.
2. MILK SNAKE, Lampropeltis t. triangulum
(Lacépéde).—One individual of this species was
found on June 14th, hiding in a hollow stump on
the west side of the Point. The ground in this
region was comparatively dry and not very thickly
wooded, and deer mice and blue-tailed skinks, both
of which enter into the diet of this snake, were
plentiful.
3. COMMON WATER-SNAKE, Natrix s. sipedon
(Linné).—Two specimens of this snake were taken
at the marsh, one on the 24th and the other on
the 25th of June. A few others were seen occa-
sionally through the summer.
One of the individuals captured was an adult
female, and in November following gave birth to
a litter of 41 young while in captivity at the
Museum, Toronto.
4. BROWN SNAKE, Storeria dekayi (Holbrook).
—One adult specimen was found early in June.
No others were seen.
5. Map TuRTLE, Graptemys geographica (Le
Sueur).—One young specimen was taken in the
marsh on July 16th, the carapace measured 94
mm.
GENERAL REMARKS
We found blue-tailed skinks very common in
the lightly wooded and drier parts of the Point,
they were most frequently found beneath the loose
bark of dead stumps and logs. Most of those
seen were either females or young individuals,
only three old males with the characteristic
coppery heads were found. Several of these
skinks were brought back to Toronto alive and
by the third of August about twenty eggs had
been laid. None of these eggs hatched, owing to
the unnatural conditions under which they were
deposited and kept.
The females usually make individual nests in
decayed logs and remain with their eggs until
hatched.
Ruthven (1911) during his studies of the reptiles
of Huron County, Michigan, found pregnant
females as early as‘June 19th. The first sets of
eggs were found on July 2nd, and the first young
lizards were observed on July 31st.
94 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
At Point Pelee, the first egg seen by us was
laid by a captive specimen on July 24th, the day
we broke camp, so we had no opportunty of
searching for nests or eggs in the woods after that
date.
Two specimens of blowing adders were found at.
the marsh. One of these entertained us with a
full display of its interesting antics. At first it
flattened its head and neck in the usual manner,
and hissed and bluffed at striking, but, failing to
make the desired impression, it tried the more
passive method of turning over on its back and
feigning death. Each time it was righted, it again
turned over on its back, quite overlooking the
fact that a dead snake lies the way it is put, but
when we retreated to a little distance, it righted
itself and started to glide away.
One of the specimens taken was exceedingly dark
in colouration and almost completely lacked any
trace of markings on the dorsal region.
Three fox snakes taken were also found at the
marsh. One of them, after capture, vomited up a
deer mouse and a young cowbird.
The garter snakes at Point Pelee are especially
interesting by reason of a strong tendency towards
melanism which prevails among them. Patch
(1919) refers to it and recalls the capture of three
coal black individuals in which the lower jaws and
throats were white.
I found only one garter snake answering to this
description, but noticed that among many of the
more normally coloured specimens there was a
marked tendency for dark pigment to predominate,
and in one dark olive coloured specimen the light
dorsal stripe was almost absent.
We collected, besides the melano, a number of
more normally coloured garter snakes and brought
them back to Toronto alive, where they were
exhibited along with the black specimens at the
Canadian National Exhibition. Most of these
garter snakes, including the melano, gave birth
to young while in the Exhibition cages, but un-
fortunately all of these litters were indiscriminately
mixed together without any attempt having first
been made to count them or estimate the per-
centage of black young among the offspring of
each. The black specimen, I understand, gave
birth only to black young. The more normally
coloured specimens, which vary considerably in
the degree of their dark pigmentation, produced
many coal black young along with normal ones.
Judging from the very large number of black
individuals in the total offspring of all these snakes,
the melanistic strain must have been very generally
present among them.
The black specimen measured about 26 inches
in length and appeared to be normal in every way
[VoL. XXXIX
except in its colour. It was taken at the marsh
on July 15th.
On one occasion we observed a garter snake
swallowing a young sparrow: the bird in question
was brought to our camp on the morning of June
28th by some neighboring children. It was fledged
and seemed able to shift for itself, and we let it go.
It had only gone a few yards when our attention
was drawn by a great commotion among the
sparrows in the bushes nearby, where they had
gathered in numbers and were chirping and scold-
ing and flying about in the most excited manner.
On approaching the scene of all this noisy agita-
tion, we found our young sparrow with its head
and neck engulfed in the distended jaws and
throat of a garter snake; the snake, which was
about two feet in length, took ten minutes to
swallow the bird.
From the 15th until about the end of June we
found Blanding’s turtle quite common, especially
along the strip of land bordering the east side of
the marsh. After the end of June these turtles
gradually ceased their terrestrial wanderings,
which: were evidently undertaken in search of
nesting sites, and we saw comparatively few of
them.
On the 22nd of June I saw five Blanding’s
turtles on the east side of the marsh. One of
these which was discovered at about six p.m., was
digging a nest in the sand on the top of a knowle
under the shelter of some cottonwoods, but my
approach had been too sudden and she would not
finish the work.
At about 6.30 p.m. on the same day, Mr. L. L.
Snyder found two of these turtles digging in the
sand high up on the beach, and kept one of them
under observation for a while. She dug a hole
about 7 inches deep and shaped like a flask, i.e.,
wider below, with a somewhat narrower neck
leading down, and deposited one egg while he
watched. He returned to the spot at 10 pm.,
accompanied by the writer, and found that eleven
eggs had been deposited. The nest had been so
carefully covered over with sand and smoothened
down, that one would never suspect a hole had
been dug there. We took the eggs and set them
to incubate in a box of sand which was left exposed
to the weather. On the 26th of August an accident
happened to them, and one of the members of the
party, Mr. N. K. Bigelow, who still remained at
the Point, found the young turtles perfectly
formed and evidently near to emerging. These
eggs had been incubating for 65 days. Snyder
(1921) gives a detailed account of this incident.
We found the painted turtle quite common, but
the spotted turtle was not so much in evidence,
only three specimens being seen. Two of these
were seen on June 22nd on the east side of the
May, 1925]
marsh. One of them was discovered at about 6
p.m., and was digging a flask-shaped nest with
her hind feet in the sandy sod close by the edge
of the marsh.
On June 24th and 25th and on July 10th, sets
of turtle eggs were found buried at or just below
water level in the wet sand at the margin of the
largest pond in the marsh, the nests were usually
covered over with drift trash washed up by the
waves. We did not succeed in hatching any of
these eggs, but I feel fairly sure that they were
those of the musk turtle. They were obviously
not those of any other turtle known to occur at
Point Pelee, and in size, shape, texture of shell,
and the number of sets, they agreed well enough
with Hay’s description of the eggs of this species
as quoted by Ruthven (1912b), but all of these
characteristics taken together would not fit any
other species found there.
I recently saw a set of musk turtle eggs taken
from the body of a female by Mr. Edward Bensley,
of Toronto, and in all the above-mentioned
features they closely resemble the eggs which I
found in the wet sand at Point Pelee marsh.
The choice of such a wet location seems peculiar,
as most turtles—even the snappers, which are
very aquatic—wander some little way from the
water if only a few feet, in search of a drier loca-
tion in which to deposit their eggs.
Some of the fishermen told me that they some-
times caught soft-shelled turtles in their pound
nets, and they spoke of these turtles as living
always in the water and only coming out on the
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 95
beach to lay their eggs. The turtle in question
was evidently Amyda spinifera (Le Sueur) as
Point Pelee is well within its range. I know of
two records from near Hamilton, Ontario, one by
Mr. Nash, at Dundas Marsh, and one from
Hamilton Bay. It also occurs at Lake St. Clair,
and Ruthven (1912c) records it from the southern
part of Michigan. However, I have no definite
record of any specimen from Point Pelee.
The above lists of nine amphibians and sixteen
reptiles include all the records for Point Pelee
which I have thus far been able to obtain, but
there is no doubt at all that more species could
be added to both lists, and any specimens, or
records by persons competent to identify their
captures would be much appreciated.
REFERENCES
1898. Cope, E. D., Rept. Smith. Inst. and U.S. Nat. Mus.
PPP 192) 193"
1911. Ruthven, A. G., Geol. and Biol. Surv. of Mich.
Pub. 4, Biol. Ser. 2. PP. 257-272.
192(a). Ruthven, A. G. Herpetology of Michigan. Mich.
Geol. and Biol. Surv. Pub. 10. Biol. Ser. 3. P. 107.
1912(b). Ruthven, A. G. Herpetology of Michigan.
Mich. Geol. and Biol. Surv. Pub. 10. Biol. Ser. 3. P. 138.
quoting from O. P. Hay, 1892. The Batrachians and the Rep-
tiles of Indiana. Rept. Ind. Dept. of Geol. and Nat. Resources,
XVII (1891), pp. 409-610.
1912(c). Ruthven, A. G.
Mich. Geol. and Biol. Sury. Pub. 10.
133.
1914. Wright, A.H. Life-Histories of the Anura of Ithaca,
New York., p. 78.
1919. Patch, Clyde L. A Rattlesnake,
Snakes and Other Reptiles from Point Pelee, Ontario.
Field-Naturalist Vol. XX XIII, No. 3, pp. 60-61
Herpetology of Michigan.
Biol. Ser. 3., pp. 132-
Melano Garter
Canadian
1921. Snyder, L. L. Some Observations on Blanding’s
Turtle. The Canadian Field-Naturalist, Vol. XXXV, No. 1,
Dpalie ks:
CORALLORRHIZA MACULATA AND ITS VARIETIES IN CANADA.
By HENRY MOUSLEY.
S IT UNDERSTAND this matter to-day, it
is as follows.
ERs In Rhodora, for August, 1922, there
—==——/ appeared an article by Dr. H. H. Bart-
lett, entitled, Colour types of Corallorrhiza maculata
Raf., in which the author describes three colour
types of C. maculata (Large Coral Root), and
further points out that there is every reason to
assert confidently that those types are genetical
- entities, and not mere variations due to environ-
ment.
In our latest book on Orchids by Prof. Oakes
Ames, Enumeration of the Orchids of the United
States and Canada, 1924, pp. 21-22, these three
varities appear as var. flavida Cockerell, var.
intermedia Farwell, and var. punicea H. H.
Bartlett. The substitution of var. intermedia for
the var. fusca of Bartlett in Prof. Oakes Ames’s
book was brought about no doubt by an article
appearing in the February issue of Rhodora, for
1923, by Mr. O. A. Farwell, entitled Corallorrhiza
maculata Raf., in which the author calls attention
to the fact that he had already in the Michigan
Academy of Science, 19th Report, for 1916, page
247, published the brown type as var. intermedia,
and that therefore Dr. Bartlett’s var. fusca
naturally became a synonym of var. intermedia,
as dealt with under the heading of synonomy in
Prof. Ames’s book. Now, owing to my investiga-
tions at Hatley, it would appear as if Mr. Farwell
had perhaps come to a somewhat hasty decision,
in assuming that Dr. Bartlett’s var. fusca was one
and the same thing as his (7.e., Farwell’s) var.
intermedia, for on.sending to Dr. Bartlett some
colour sketches—from living specimens, by that
well-known artist, Mr. Robert Holmes of Toronto
—of some forms of C. maculata that I had found
at Hatley during the past season (1924), I find
that there is avery reason to believe that var.
fusca and var. intermedia are not one and the same
96 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
thing, but two distinct varieties. It is not my
intention here to give the exact reasons for the
above conclusion, as Dr. Bartlett has dealt fully
with the subject in another paper, which will no
doubt appear shortly in Rhodora, but rather to
draw attention to the fact that no intensive work
has yet been done—so far as I am aware—with
regard to the distribution of these varieties of C.
maculata in Canada, all the stations so far recorded
lying within the United States. It is with plea-
sure, therefore, that I am able to record the taking
of the var. flavida Cockerell in a wood a few miles
to the north-east of Toronto, by Mr. Robert
Holmes. The appearance of the specimen was
perpetuated by him in a beautiful water-colour
sketch which he made at the time. This form has
lemon-yellow flowers with an unspotted (or per-
haps spotted, which I look upon as immaterial)
white lip; scape and sheaths Martin’s-yellow.
As regards the forms taken by myself at Hatley,
Que., it may safely be said, I think, that I have
examples of the var. intermedia Farwell, and of
the var. punicea Bartlett, which latter variety, as
its name suggests, is of a lovely pink shade, i.e.,
the scape and developing fruit are without any
trace of brown whatever. The var. intermedia
Farwell, as I understand it, is a form half-way
[VoL. XX XIX
between var. flavida and var. punicea, and, if so,
it certainly corresponds with what I take here,
and not with the var. fusca. Of the latter Dr.
Bartlett says, in his forthcoming paper, “‘After
matching carefully the sheath colour of var. fusca
with vandyke-brown (as represented in Ridgway’s
Colour Standards), I can hardly think that any
one having this plant in hand could describe it as
exactly intermediate between var. punicea (‘the
species’ as Mr. Farwell calls it) and var. flavida.”
If, as Dr. Bartlett says, vandyke-brown is in the
‘‘make-up” of var. fusca, then I agree with him
that the form I take at Hatley cannot be ascribed
to his var. fusca, but rather to the var. intermedia
of Farwell.
In conclusion, it is hoped that this paper may
be the means of drawing attention to this curious
group of saprophytic orchids, and their varieties,
as Mr. Robert Holmes tells me that he has found
a yellow form of C. striata—in a wood about
twelve miles west of Toronto—the flowers of
which were yellow throughout, with no other
colour developed, and with no indication of the
striata markings.
I am much indebted to Dr. Bartlett and to Mr.
Holmes for the interest they have taken, and the
help they have accorded me in various ways.
FIELD STUDIES OF GROWTH FORMS OF SOME OF THE NATIVE TREES
OF THE ENVIRONMENT OF VICTORIA, B.C.
By C. C. PEMBERTON,
Victoria, B.C.
N ASSEMBLING photographic field
studies of growth-forms of the native
trees in the environment of Victoria,
British Columbia, I have met with several
ohdses of tree life about which I have experienced
difficulty in gaining information. Some of these
are, I believe, undoubtedly exemplifications of
known ecological reactions. Others seem to me
to be reaction to environmental relations as yet
unascertained. J am well aware that as an ama-
teur and living so far away from large libraries, I
am not in touch with current literature and am
not cognizant of the most recent researches and
findings.
I therefore seek to publish these field studies
and notes in the hope of eliciting information and
possibly of enlisting the interest of others.
FASCIATION OF THE PLAGIOTROPOUS SHOOTS OF
FIR CONSEQUENT ON THEIR CONVERSION TO
ORTHOTROPOUS SHOOTS. ALSO SIMILAR FAS-
CIATION OF THE ORTHOTROPOUS SHOOT OF FIR
WHEN OVERTURNED OR EVEN WHEN DIVERTED
FROM THE VERTICAL DIRECTION OF GROWTH.
The dominant apogeotropism of the primary axi-
or orthotropic shoot in conifers of the fir type is
most obvious; it is also a well known ecological
reaction. The diageotropism and _ dorsiventral
symmetry of the radiating lateral branches or
secondary plagiotropic shoots of the fir are also
most obvious and commonly known characteristics.
A familiar instance of correlation of organs in
plant life is when the primary orthotropic shoot is
lost or suppressed and one (or more) of the lateral
branches or secondary (plagiotropic) shoots
promptly assumes the vertical orthotropic lead in
lieu of the lost or suppressed primary leader. A
similar correlation, not perhaps so frequently met
with, occurs where the primary axis becomes
diverted or overturned from the strict vertical
growth. Its terminal leader then seeks to re-
establish the vertical lead and any branches which
become placed in vertical position by the diver-
sion of overturning speedily change from dorsi-
ventral to radial symmetry and become typically
orthotropic. The branch nearest the base, how-
ever, generally becomes the dominant shoot at the
cost of the more remote branches and former
May, 1925]
FIGURE 3—COMPARISON OF GROWTH FORM BETWEEN CONIFERS
OF FIR TYPE AND BROADLEAF TREES (ANGIOSPERMS).
Normal growth-form of Grand fir (Abies grandis Lindley) left, and Douglas fir, (Pseudotsuga
taxifolia, [Poir.] Britt.) right, viz: single vertical primary axis from which lateral branches radiate
in dorsi-ventral symmetry. Normal growth-form of Garry oak, (Quercus Garryana Hooker)
centre, viz: initial single vertical primary axis followed by continual bifurcation in which the
identity of the initial axis is lost.
leader, which soon die off.
On loss of the leader a young lateral branch,
being pliant, can bend upward so completely that
soon the point of bending can not be detected.
Older branches, lower down, can not bend and it
is therefore only their terminal buds which react
to gravity and become vertical. Curious fascia-
tion ensues in the girth increment of the older
part of these branches. Co-incident with the
upturning of the tip of the branch, super-develop-
ment of fasciated and looped annual rings appears
on the lower side of the older and more horizontal
part of the branch and there is of necessity con-
tinuity in girth increment between the lower side
of the branch and the stem of the primary axis of
the fir. In the case of diverted or overturned
primary axes similar fasciation in girth increment
follows in the stem compelled to grow out of strict
‘vertical direction.
Examples of the fasciation of substitute branch-
stems and of the diverted primary axes abound in
the vicinity of Victoria and every stage and phase
of the phenomenon can be readily observed and it
would seem that by means of this fasciation stems
of conifers of the fir growth form could be made to
assume almost any shape desired.
I have not found any reference to this fasciation
in any text book, though the substitute leaders
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 97
and overturned
axes must have
been under obser-
vation of foresters,
lumbermen and
botanists continu-
ally. In Sachs,
Lectures on the Phy-
siology of Plaiis
(The Clarendon
Press, MDCCCL-
XXXII, page 505),
reference is made
to fasciation of
substitute leaders
of Scarlet Runner,
as follows:—
“Tf, for example,
the Common Scar-
let Runner (Phas-
eolus multiflorus) is
allowed to germin-
ate till the primary
root is about 10-12
em. long, and the
young germinal
shoot between the
two cotyledons, the
so-called plumule,
is then carefully cut
off, then, as the
root-system in-
creases in strength
and activity, vigorous shoots grow out from the axils
of the two cotyledons. These shoots do not
usually develop in this plant, because as a rule
the normal primary shoot attracts to itself the
whole of the supply of nutriment from the seed,
so far as it is suited for the formation of leaf-
shoots. In our experiment, on the contrary, the
shoot-forming substances of the seed penetrate
into the growing-points in the axils of the coty-
ledons and cause them to sprout vigorously. Not
rarely, however, an abnormality makes its appear-
ance here; these vigorously growing axillary shoots
of the cotyledon exhibit so-called fasciations, i.e.,
the shoot-axes become broad and band-like, and
crooked, and stili other abnormalities occur.
Since fasciations not rarely occur in plants of the
most different kinds—e.g., in Willows, in Com-
posite of the Camomile group, ete.—it is at any
rate of some interest to know that it is also possible
to produce such abnormalities artificially.”
In History of the Lumber Industry of America,
by James Elliott Defebaugh, Vol. 2, p. 493 (The
American Lumberman, Chicago, 1907), the mining
of buried cedar logs, ‘‘Cupressus thyoides,”’ in the
Dennisville swamp, New Jersey, as described in
Franklin B. Hough’s Report upon Forestry, 1877,
is quoted. The following extract from the quota-
tion seems to bear on the subject of fasciation of
overturned primary axes, viz:
“Tree after tree, from 200 to 1,000 years old,
may be found lying crossed one under the other,
some partly decayed, as if they had died and
remained standing a long time and then been
98 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
broken down. Others had been blown down, and
some had continued to grow for a long time after
falling, as known by the heart being much above
the centre, and by the wood of the under side
being hard and boxy.”’
The works mentioned in the foot note, No. 6,
viz: “George H. Cook’s Geology of New Jersey
(1868), Scheyichbi and the Strand, by Edward S.
Wheeler (1876), and Lyell’s Second Visit to the
United States, are not available here.
I have observed that some of the garden species
of Cypressus normally show fasciation of the
horizontal portion of the lower branches, the
terminals of which have become orthotropic
naturally and according to the growth form of the
species. I think, too, that the large lower limbs
of Cedrus (Cedrus Libani, etc.) often show fascia-
tion. The illustrations which I have seen of large
ancient specimens of the California Big Tree
(Sequoia Washingtoniana [Winsl.] Sudworth)—
(Wellingtonia)—appear to me to denote that some
of the plagiotropic shoots of these old trees are
prone to develop terminal substitute orthotropic
shoots with consequent fasciation of the horizontal
part of the branch. I have not had opportunity
of seeing the trees themselves. On the other hand,
so far as I have observed, the broadleaf type
(Angiosperms) do not, when naturally or accident-
ally prostrated, ipso facto, show fasciation.
I have supposed
that this fasciation
is a positive geotro-
pic reaction due to
the impeding of the
descending elabor-
ated sap.
I venture to
surmise that the
plagiotropie shoot
of the fir type, in-
asmuch as it has
adapted itself to
dorsi-ventrality of
symmetry,may also
normally adapt its
girth increment to
radial configura-
tion but that on
change to ortho-
tropic reaction the
fasciation may be,
so to speak, a
co-relative abnor-
mality. I, however,
put forward these
surmises with all
diffidence.
FIGURE No. 3.
—TIllustrates the
FicurE 4.—FASCIATION IN SUBSTITUTE BRANCH LEADER AND
IN PROSTRATED PRIMARY AXIS OF FIRS.
Right: portion of trunk of Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga taxifolia, |Poir.] Britt.), showing differ-
entiation in rings of girth-increment between primary and
plagiotropous shoots: centre: section of trunk of Broadleaf maple, (Acer macrophyllum Pursh.),
showing continuity of ring of girth increment of primary stem with that of each of the limbs.
Left: Grand fir (Abies grandis Lindley), showing fasciation due to prostration of primary axis;
third specimen from left: fasciation of prostrated fir stem in cross section.
[VoL. XXKIX
difference in normal growth-form between the coni-
fer of the fir type and that of the broadleaf trees
generally. The fir type (Grand fir, left, and Doug-
las fir, right) has the single vertical primary shoot
from which radiate the lateral branches with their
bi-lateral branchlets in dorsi-ventral symmetry,
tapering from the lowest tier toward the apex of
the primary stem and giving the tree the pyramidal
form known as the ‘Christmas Tree’. In the
broadleaf type, (centre, Garry oak, Quercus
Garryana Hooker), continual bifurcation soon com-
mences and the identity of the primary axis is
speedily lost in proliferation of limbs and branches.
The illustration shows invasion of the original
natural meadow lands of the vicinity of Victoria
by mixed formation of conifers and broadleaf trees.
FIGURE No. 4.—Illustrates the difference in the
matter of girth increment between the fir type and
broadleaf type and also gives an example of fas-
ciation of the stem of a prostrated primary axis of
fir.. Centre (Broadleaf maple, Acer macrophyllum
Pursh): The continuity of ring of annual incre-
ment between the original stem and each of the
limbs is apparent. In the loop between the limbs
however, there is often diversity of cross grain,
graftage, etc. Right, the top of a stump of
Douglas fir, the centre of which has decayed but
the cut on the top has been healed over by root
secondary axes or orthotropous and
May, 1925]
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
99
FIGURE 5.—FASCIATION IN SUBSTITUTE BRANCH-LEADER AND
IN PROSTRATED PRIMARY AXIS OF FIRS,
Initiation of the substitution of a lateral branch for the primary axis in the matter of vertical
lead. The primary stem has been destroyed and one of the lateral branches below the point of
injury has become vertical in lieu of the lost leader.
Britt.). Locality, Victoria, B.C.
graft. The remains of the dead branches show
how the rings of annual girth increment of the
stem had encroached on those of the lateral
branches. The specimen on the left and the second
specimen from the right show the fasciation of a
prostrated Grand fir stem.
FIGURE No. 5.—Gives an illustration of the
initiation of the up-turning of a lateral branch of
Douglas fir in order to resume the vertical lead of
the primary leader, which had been destroyed at
this point.
Figure No. 6.—Apparently the Douglas fir in
this illustration had its leader broken off in early
life. The bent portion (about the centre of the
picture) seems to indicate that the leader had been
lost at that point and a young lateral branch had
so completely resumed the lead that it looks like
a continuation of the original stem. Lower down
_ other lateral branches had made an effort to change
from the secondary diageotropism of the lateral
branch with dorsi-ventrality of symmetry to the
apogeotropism of a primary axis with radial sym-
metry. On the right apparently an adventitious
shoot had also developed and had later been killed
by shade of the surrounding firs, since felled and
piled as cordwood.
FIGURE No. 7.—This picture shows, in section,
Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga taxifolia, [Poir.]
the fasciation of the older portions of substitute
branch leaders of conifers. Left is a cross section
of a partly substitute branch leader such as the
lower vertical shoots in Figure No. 6, and on the
right is a cross section of the more horizontal part
of these branch-substitutes. There is great
diversity in the shapes assumed by the fasciated
branch-leaders. The development on the lower
side of the branch-leader may be in pear-shaped,
oblong or oval. These specimens were lying on a
log of oak when photographed.
FIGURE No. 8.—This shows a longitudinal
section made of an original stem of a fir together
with one of the substitute branch-leaders such as
those in Figure No. 6. The illustration proves
that before substitution the girth increment of the
stem enveloped that of the lateral branch and
after substitution there was continuityfin ring of
girth increment between the fasciated lower side
of the substitute branch-leader and the stem of
the primary axis below the point of substitution.
FIGURE No. 9.—The specimens ‘‘C2” on the
extreme right and ‘‘C1” second on the left show
the way the rings of girth increment of the primary
axes of firs envelope those of the lateral branches.
In “C2” the rings of girth increment of the lateral
branch are seen to lie athwart those of the primary
100
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
[VoL. XXXIX
FiIGuRE 6.—FASCIATION IN SUBSTITUTE BRANCH-LEADER AND
IN PROSTRATED PRIMARY AXES OF FIRS.
Substitution of several lateral branches for a lost primary leader.
horizontal position of the lower substitute branch-leaders.
[Poir.] Britt.). Locality, Victoria, B.C.
axis and in ‘‘C1” the hole left by a dead branch
which had fallen out is portrayed. The specimen
“B” on the left is an adventitious shoot sprung
from the cut on a stump of a broadleaf tree (Dwarf
maple, Acer glabrum Torrey). The second speci-
men from the right is an adventitious shoot
developed on the prostrated shoot of a young
Grand fir. Fasciation of the prostrated stem has
just commenced. The centre specimens are
sections of a healed-over stump of Grand fir from
Note the fasciation of the
Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga taxifolia
which adventitious shoots had developed below
the cut and thrived until killed by shade. This
stump proved to be root-grafted to a foliage pos-
sessing tree of the same species near by. The
capping might therefore be one of those cases of
overgrown stumps caused by root graft. In all
my experience of overgrowth of stumps the wood
of the original stump is dead and the capping
starts with the cambium on the stump at the time
of felling. In this instance some of the outer rings
/
May, 1925]
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
101
FIGURE 7.—FASCIATION IN SUBSTITUTE BRANCH-LEADER AND
IN PROSTRATED PRIMARY AXIS OF FIRS.
Left cross-section of a substitute branch-leader where several of the branches have become
equally nearly vertical in direction of growth. Right cross section of horizontal portion of sub-
stitute branch-leader. See Fig. No. 9.
of the stump had remained vital as can be seen in
the illustration. The capping, therefore, was
likely to have been formed in the first instance by
the sprouts. At the time the specimen was
secured the sprouts were dead, but the capping
was vital. The retention of vitality in the stump
must have been due to the root graft but such
vitality did not extend to any part of the sprouts!
The sprouts had sprung from below the cut of the
stump and were probably there at the time of
felling. Lateral adventitious shoots often develop
on the stems of Grand fir. They are necessarily
plagiotropic initially and are then dorsi-ventral in
symmetry but they often become orthotropous as
they grow older and at the same time change to
radial symmetry.
TROPISMS OF THE GARRY OAK (Quercus Garryana .
Hooker).
The Garry oak is the sole species of oak native
to the Province of British Columbia and it occurs
only on the southern portion of Vancouver Island
and some of the adjacent small islands. It is very
plentiful close to Victoria where it forms an out-
standing feature of the landscape. Its maximum
size so far north has been commented on as not at
all like a species nearing the limit of its range.
When the tree grows in upland and rockland
environment, its stem and limbs assume very
fantastic shapes with multitudinous contortions,
FicuRE 8.—FASCIATION IN SUBSTITUTE
BRANCH-LEADER AND IN PROSTRATED
PRIMARY AXIS OF FIRS.
Longitudinal section of stem and substitute branch-leader
showing the stem of the original lateral branch penetrating
into the centre of the primary stem; also, showing the
excessive formation of rings of wood on the lower side of the
branch following its substitution. Note the continuity of ring
of the substitute branch-leader with that of the primary axis,
Grand fir (Abies grandis Lindley). ;
102
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
[VoL. XX XIX
FIGURE 9.—ADVENTITIOUS SHOOTS, PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
AXES, ETC.
Left “B’’: adventitious shoot from cut stump of broad-leaf tree (Acer glabrum Torrey)
Left “C1”: hole left in trunk by dead lateral branch of Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga taxifolia [Poir.]
Britt. .
Centre: capped stump of Grand fir (Abies grandis Lindley), showing adventitious shoots-
°
Right: lateral branch of Douglas fir enveloped by wood of the main stem. Second specimen from
right: adventitious shoot developed on prostrated primary axis of Grand fir.
Note the fasciation
attendant on prostration just commencing on the lower side.
twistings and turnings. In the lowlands the
shapes are more normal.
GIRTH INCREMENT
A curious feature in the girth increment of the
oak is a tendency for the wood of the stem and
branches to form protuberances toward, adhere to,
and spread over any rocks that are near the tree.
The spread often is in a pancake shape which
can take place at the base of the stem or anywhere
higher up on the stem or limbs. Protuberances in
the wood also often stretch from the stem or limbs
toward nearby rock, to which they become firmly
attached. Not all the oaks which may be in
apparently similar positions with reference to rock
show the characteristic and the stem or limbs of
any one tree may have move than one of the
protuberances. Figure No. 10 shows a case of the
pancake-like spread of the wood at the base of an
oak over an adjacent boulder. It is apparent
that the spread is irregular, being greater in one
direction than another, and being upward as well
as downward. It is also evident that by the
increase in girth the centre of the tree has become
poised over the boulder, Figure No. 11 illustrates
the case of limb-like protuberance which has grown
in this case downward and become attached to a
boulder of rock on which it forms a sort of socket
which holds the tree to the boulder.
No explanation is forthcoming, as far as I can
learn, for phenomena of this kind. Healing of a
wound, tropic reaction to electricity, or to some
unascertained property in particular portions of
the rock have been suggested. Other species of
trees in this vicinity do not show the characteristic
so far as I have observed (except, perhaps, in
the case of one arbutus). The phenomenon of
spread of wood over extraneous objects seems
recently to have attracted attention in England.
In A Text-Book of Wood, Herbert Stone, (London,
William Rider & Son, Limited, 8 Paternoster Row,
E.C., 1921, p. 190), the author says:—
May, 1925]
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
103
_ FIGURE 10—TROPISMS OF GARRY OAK.
Typical spread of wood of girth increment over rock masses at the base or in touch with the
stem or branches of the tree.
“Birch and other trees when strangled by
Honeysuckle form cushions which roll over the
stem of the climber (chiefly on the upper side) and
eventually bury it. It is well known that wires
fastened round trees will become imbedded in the
wood in the same way as the stem of the Honey-
suckle; moreover, if a wire merely touches the
tree without actually passing round it (as may
happen when it is close up to a wire-fence), the
callus will grow along the wire and form snout-
like prolongations, which may be as much as five
inches in length. The roots of an Elm-tree grow-
Loeality, Victoria, B.C.
ing in the Birmingham Botanical Gardens in a
very light soil, produced outgrowths which envel-
oped any pebble with which they came in contact.
This covering in some cases is so complete that
the pebbles with their integument of root resemble
potatoes. Mr. H. A. Cox tells me of a ‘‘Tree of
Heaven” (Ailanthus glandulosus) at Fulborne
which has produced a large mass of callus on the
top of a wall. After passing across the whole
width of the wall (9 inches) the callus has com-
menced to flow, as it were, down the other side,”
104
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
[VoL. XX XIX
FIGURE 11.—TROPISMS OF GARRY OAK.
Curious characteristic of Garry Oak (Quercus Garryana Hooker), Swellings and protuberances
develop in the girth increment and attach themselves firmly to adjacent rock masses.
Victoria, B.C.
I have never seen prolongations of wood along
the wires of fences, like those described by Mr.
Stone. Inthe Mineral Museum of the Parliament
Buildings, Victoria, B.C., there is a specimen of a
large piece of rock nearly covered with a coating
of the wood and bark of a coniferous tree. The
specimen has lain in the Museum for many years
and is said to be from Kamloops district, B.C.,
and to have been found at the base of a large
Western Yellow Pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl.).
The name of the finder of this specimen and the
particulars of the finding are lacking. I have
asked foresters and others of the Dry Belt of
Kamloops district whether they have seen any
other instances of the overgrowth by wood of
stone, or rock. They all assure me that they
have never seen any such occurrence.
The question of possible tropisms incident to
vegetative activity of girth increment does not
seem to have received much consideration. In
the exogenous tree of the temperate zone the
girth increment is radial in cylinders or annual
rings which increase during the period of vegeta-
tive activity, by degrees, as the sap travels down-
ward from the foliage to the root tips. In the fir
type, apparently, the girth increment of the
secondary and primary axes comes from different
directions and when the branch loses its foliage
the stem will not, so far as I can learn, supply
food to keep the branch alive. In the fir type no
callus nor healing from the reserve material takes
place on the stump of a felled tree, nor at the base
of afelled stem. By means of root graft, however,
healings of stumps of fir trees can take place at
great distances from the host tree and the forma-
Locality,
tion of the wood occurs horizontally along the
intergrafted roots and upward into cappings on
the stumps as well as downward to their roots.
The sap can apparently also be passed on by one
stump to another by secondary root graft and the
callus can also pass down into the cavity of a
hollow root-grafted stump, and also heal over the
broken end of a root of another tree with which
the roots of the host tree may have formed a graft.
With all this power of transmitting wood forming
material, I have never seen any conifer in this
district show the slightest tendency to envelope
any rock or other surrounding materials such as
rock, wire, etc.
In the broadleaf type of tree, the healing of
wounds on the stem is preferably from the top
downward and from the sides inward. Cappings
of lateral or vertical limbs which have been broken
or pruned can also take place and this healing
generally is in a ring toward the centre and out-
ward or upward, as the case may require. Felled
stems of broadleaf trees can also form a limited
amount of callus at the lower end of the cut stem
and the power possessed by broadleaf trees of
forming callus on stumps from the reserve material
is generally known.
The growth of the girth increment of the stems
of the oaks both in the pancake spread, such
as that shown in Figure No. 10, and the limb-like
protuberance of the type illustrated in Figure No.
11 are to my mind quite different to vegetative
activity of a healing. I believe they will prove to
be tropic reaction to some unascertained stimuli
in the rockmasses close to the tree.
May, 1925]
the tree.
tiy, Victoria, B.C.
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 105
FIGURE 12.—TROPISMS OF GARRY OAKS.
Characteristic apical elongation of terminal buds toward rock masses in the neighbourhood of
After attainment of the apparent objective the normal growth-form is resumed. Local-
in the direction of prevailing winds, ete. Figure
APICAL ELONGATION
Rock in the environment of oak seems often to
influence the direction of growth taken by the
trees. There are many cases where an oak or one
of its limbs bends over toward nearby rock and
after attaining a certain point resumes more
vertical growth. Frequently, the stems are quite
procumbent for a while and these bendings are not
No. 12 gives an illustration of one of the many
phases of the characteristic. It shows a pro-
nounced bending over of the stem and limbs of an
oak till certain points in the rock close at hand
have been reached. Then the branches curve
sharply upward and assume the normal growth-
form of the oak.
FURTHER OBSERVATIONS ON CANADIAN EUPHYLLOPODA
By FRITS JOHANSEN
EUBRANCHIPUS GELIDUS
HE TEMPERATURES around Ottawa
for the first half of April, 1924, were
between 26°F. and 48°F., except for the
minimum of 14°F. on March 31-April Ist.,
and the maximum of 52°F. on April 4th. The
weather was mostly clear, except for snow on
April 25th; rain on the 6th, 9th and 13th, and
some overcast days.
On April 13th, I looked for Phyllopods (E.
gelidus) in all the pools and ponds between Fairy
Lake and Wrightville (Hull), Que., where I found
them last year; but I could discover no hatched
larvae, though the pools were ice-free, and the
snow had almost disappeared from the fields here.
Air temperature at 4.15 p.m. 384°F., of water in
pools 44°F; overcast, rainy and windy.
On April 16-17th, the temperatures were
between 28°F. and 54°F., and the weather clear.
During these two days most of the hibernating
_ gouldii (see below).
eggs of E. gelidus hatched in the ponds around
Ottawa. ;
April 18-19th were rainy (particularly the 18th)
and colder (38°-42°F.), thus delaying the hatching
of further eggs; but the next two days, though
cloudy, had a higher maximum-temperature
(52°-54°F.), and a minimum-temperature of 32°F.,
thus facilitating the hatching of more eggs of E.
gelidus.
On April 29th, I went to the pools on the fields
at Billings Bridge, Ont. The overflow from the
Rideau River on the fields had now subsided, and
the pools had become ice-free and mostly isolated.
Many of them contained young E. gelidus, rang-
ing in length from 4 to 12 mm., and in the largest
ones the two sexes could already be differentiated,
though apparently less than a week old. I also
secured here half a dozen larvae of Limnetis
Temperature of air 48°F., of
water in the pools 56°F. (4.30 p.m.; overcast).
106
Next day I went again to the different pools
between Fairy Lake and Wrightville, Que., and in
most of them, which usually contain H. gelidus, I
found many young of this fairy-shrimp, 4-10 mm.
long, thus about four days old. Temperature of
water in these pools 57°F. at 4 p.m. (Air 50°F.;
overcast).
In the small pond further west and close to
Fairy Lake (between the ‘“‘“Mountain-road” and
the Lake) I found on the same day millions of
only 1-2 days old larvae of HE. gelidus, all in the
metanauplius stage (for a description and figure of
this stage see Canadian Field-Naturalist for
January, 1924), and 3-4 mm. long. They had
probably hatched only the day before, because
this particular pond became free of ice and snow
later than the others. From these observations
it will be seen that even around Ottawa, the
hibernating eggs of EH. gelidus do not hatch simul-
taneously in the different pools and ponds, where
the species occurs; but it depends upon what time
each one becomes free of snow and ice. First
hatch the eggs in the pools formed by the over-
flow of Rideau River; next the eggs in the ponds
on the grassy fields, e.g., at Wrightville; while in
the small ponds situated in pockets upon hill-
slopes they hatch still later.
During April 20-25th the temperatures were
between 32° and 56° F., with mostly overcast
weather, except for rain on the 22nd, and the 20th
clear.
On April 27th, I again went to Billings Bridge,
and the fairy-shrimps now had a length of 10-15
mm., the largest ones of both sexes being mature,
the females containing ripe eggs, and the males
with large claspers (2nd pair of antennae). Lim-
netis gouldit in the metanauplius-stage were also
secured (see below).
The temperatures during April 26-30th, were
between 38°F. and 74°F., and the weather clear,
except rain on the 30th. On May 1-10th, the
temperatures were between 36°F. and 60°F., with
overcast weather, except for rain on the 3rd, 4th,
and 10th, and the 6th clear.
On May 11th, I again went to the pools outside
Wrightville. In the pools (see April 27th) on the
north-side of Fairy Lake, the fairy-shrimps now
had a length of about 10 mm., and both sexes
mature, except for a few delayed individuals,
about 7 mm. long. In the other pools nearer
Wrightville, they were full-grown (15-20 mm.
long) and both sexes mature, (eggs and claspers).
The weather was overcast, clear and sultry.
The temperatures on May 12-21st, were between
30°F. and 68°F., but only on May 18-20th was the
minimum less than 40°F. May 12-14th were
overcast, with rain on May 15th and 18th; the
other days clear.
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
[VoL. XX XIX
‘On May 22nd, I went to Billings Bridge, and
found many adult fairy-shrimps of both sexes in
the different ponds on the fields here. In some of
the pools they were smaller (15 mm. long) than in
others (20 mm. long), probably owing to the
difference in amount of food available in the ponds.
Weather clear and warm, with an air and water
temperature of about 60°F. at 4.30 p.m. Later in
the day I placed some live E. gelidus (females
with eggs) in the rock-pond at the quarry between
Billings Bridge and Hogsback, to see if they will
thrive here, where they have never been observed
so far. This pond has a muddy bottom and rich
aquatic vegetation, and if the other localities
where they occur around Ottawa should be des-
troyed (filled in) in the future, the quarry pond
may remain.
On May 25th, I examined a couple of smaller
temporary pools alongside the railway and car-
tracks near Tetreauville (Hull), Que. The largest
ones of them was 1-2 feet deep, and its bottom is
formed by the gravel used for the tracks, covered
with a great mass of filamentous algae on pieces of
wood, ete. I observed a number of adult (2 cm.
long), female H. gelidus with ripe eggs swimming
around here (half a dozen kept), but only a few
males of the same species. A similar, but still
smaller pool, next to it, probably also contained
these fairy-shrimps earlier in the spring, but had
now dried up. This is anew locality for E. gelidus,
around Ottawa.
The temperatures on May 22nd to 31st were
between 36°F. and 70°F., with clear weather
except for May 23-27th, when it was overcast-
rainy, and hail-showers on May 25th.
On May 29th I again went to Billings Bridge. .
Though the small pools had dried up or almost so,
the others still contained living EL. gelidus of both
sexes, though males were few. Particularly was
this noticed in one of the larger ponds, which con-
tained a great many fairy-shrimps; but among
the hundreds of females (with ripe eggs) there
were only half a dozen males. This is the same
pool in which Limnetis gouldit (see under this
species) was noticed a week ago to be considerably
larger than in the others, as was also the case
to-day. Temperature of water about 60°F., of air
58°F., at 5p.m.; clear. More live LE. gelidus were
transplanted to Brulé’s quarry-pond at Hogsback
to-day.
While two (27th and 30th) of the last days of
May were cooler (maximum temperature 56°F.),
the five first days of June had temperatures
between 42°F. and 72°F ., the maximum tempera-
ture being 70°-72°F. on all five days (all warm
and mostly clear). .
On June 5th I again went to Billings Bridge, but
in spite of careful search I was unable to find a
May, 1925]
single E. gelidus to-day, even in the pond where
they were so numerous a week ago. Nor were
there any to be seen in the quarry-pond near
Hogsback. The very last days of May thus
represent the latest occurrence of E. gelidus around
Ottawa, in 1924, which is 3-4 days later than in
the preceding year (see Canadian Field-Naturalist
for January, 1924). This is probably owing to the
comparatively late (middle of April) hatching of
the eggs in 1924, around Ottawa; and the cool
weather during the spring this year, which made
the season for this fairy-shrimp a little longer than
in other years.
LIMNETIS GOULDII (L. brachyurus).
The finding, on April 20th, of the first larvae of
_ this clam-shrimp in a pool on the fields at Billings
Bridge, together with young fairy-shrimps, has
been mentioned above, under E. gelidus. I
secured six nauplii, 4 mm. long, of the clam-
shrimp, all with the appearance typical for this
species (“‘turtle-shell’’, etc.; see Canadian Field-
Naturalist for January, 1923). The four of these
nauplii moulted and transformed into metanauplii
(double “‘clam shell’’, etc.) before preservation the
same evening. The (hibernating) eggs of L.
gouldit thus began hatching to-day, a week earlier
than last year, while most of the eggs of EH. gelidus
hatched in 1924 three or four days earlier than in
1923.
A week later (April 27th) I secured at Billings
Bridge a number of metanauplii of L. gouldii, in
the same pools, by using a pipette and standing
out in the water. They were between } and 3}
mm. in diameter, the smallest ones having appar-
ently just transformed from the nauplius-stage.
Temperature of air and water in the pools was
about 60°F. at 4 p.m. (Clear).
‘On April 26th, and 27th, the maximum tempera-
ture went above 60°F., and they were the first real
warm days this spring, thus speeding up the
hatching of the eggs of L. gouldit.
I again examined the pools at Billings Bridge
for clam-shrimps on May 22. . The smaller pools
had now almost dried up; but even these contained
L. gouldii, which were present in all the pools in
millions and had a size of about 2 mm. in diameter,
except in one pool, where they were larger (3-4
mm.), though not yet with eggs.
A week later (May 29), L. gouldii was still
present in these ponds in millions, even in the
almost dried-up pools. They were from 2 to 4
mm. in diameter, the largest ones being found in
one of the largest pools (see May 22). Both sexes
were present and seen in copulation; the females
carried eggs. I noticed that some of the smallest
individuals were females, some of the largest ones
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
107
males, so there is apparently no difference in size
between the two sexes, in this species.
On June 5th, all the small pools in the fields at
Billings Bridge had dried up; but the others all
contained great quantities of L. gouldii, with a
size of from 23 to 44 mm. in the one pond (see
May 29), and less than 3 mm. in the other ponds.
I collected a number of them, and later in the day
transplanted them alive to the pond at Brulé’s
quarry near Hogsback, to see if they will thrive
here, where they have so far not been observed.
Weather clear and warm.
On June 15th, I visited the pond at Tenaga,
Que. (see Canadian Field-Naturalist for January,
1924), and found that it still contained a few L.
gouldii, though they were not nearly so numerous
as earlier in the month. I secured only eight
specimens in all, half of which were females with
- eggs, half of them males; and these represented
both large and small specimens of the two sexes.
The weather was sultry, with weak sun. No E.
gelidus were seen:
Six days later I again went to the pools at
Billings Bridge. Only the two largest ponds
contained any water now; but there were still
quite a few L. goulditin them. The clam-shrimps
had a size of from 23 to 4 mm., and were mostly
of a brownish colour, only a few orange-colored.
The females carried eggs, and the two sexes were
often seen in copulation.
The weather during June and the first week of
July, 1924, was warm, with temperatures between
42° and 88°F.; mostly clear, with rainshowers of
short duration on June 2, 6, 12, 13, 14, 26, 28 and
July 3rd.
Finally, on July 6th, I paid the last visit to the
pools at Billings Bridge. They had now all dried
up, except the largest pond, the deeper parts of
which still had pools of water. By wading out
into these and standing here, I secured, by stirring
up the water, in the course of half an hour, two
dozen L. gouldii. Both sexes were represented,
and copulating freely; except a couple orange
colored ones they all had a brownish coloration.
I kept them alive, and the last two of these died
four days later.
This is ten days later than L. goudlit was
observed around Ottawa in 1923, and the latest
record of them from this vicinity so far.
The different, outward conditions causing the
disappearance of E. gelidus and L. gouldii in the
summer, around Ottawa, is thus both striking and
interesting. In the case of the fairy-shrimp it is
the advent of summer-weather, which makes it
disappear suddenly in the middle or end of May,
though there is still plenty of water and food in
the pools in which they occur. The clam-shrimp,
however, apparently does not disappear entire\
108
until all the pools in which it occurs have dried
up completely; and the observation given above,
under July 6, 1924, shows that they are very
tenacious to life and able to thrive, even if only a
square foot of water or two remains of the pool or
pond in which they are found.’ The observation
also shows that at least in certain years (e.g. 1924)
the season around Ottawa for L. gouldii is as long
as two and a half months, from the time the
(hibernating) eggs hatch in the spring, to the dying
off of the last adults in July.
It would be interesting to know more about the
life-history of this clam-shrimp on the prairies of
THE CANADIAN -FIELD-NATURALIST
[VoL. XX XIX
western Canada, where it seems to be found (at
least in certain ponds) even in August, judging
from a Saskatchewan record (see Canadian Field-
Naturalist for May, 1921). In Eastern Canada
there is only one record’ (see above, July 6, 1924),
of it, later than June; ‘but it has been recorded
(A. §. Pearse, in Occas. Pap. Mus. Zool.,
Univ. of Mich, No. 1, December 20th, 1913), as
abundant on July 4th, 1912, in a pond in Massa-
chusetts, and in the northwestern part of this
continent it has also been collected in July (see
Canadian Field-Naturalist for May, 1921, post-
script).
He ECS oN. OF CHASMOSAURUS BELLI*
By C. M. STERNBERG
N THE early days of Paleontology there
was little expectation of securing com-
plete skeletons of extinct animals and
much less of ever gaining an adequate
idea of the integument of land-dwelling forms.
Since then our knowledge of the dinosaurs has
advanced to such a stage that to-day we not only
know every bone of the skeleton of many of the
forms but have a fairly accurate idea of the
musculature and the external covering of the body.
Even the eggs of one form have been found.
The integument of the Hadrosauride has been
known for a number of years from field observa-
tion and small specimens of the impression in
some museums; but it was left for my father,
C. H. Sternberg, to collect the first skeleton of a
dinosaur in which the impression of the greater
part of the external covering is preserved. I refer
to the skeleton of Thespesius annectens (Trachodon
annectens), which was collected from the lance
formation of Niobrara County, Wyoming, and is
now in the American Museum of Natural History,
New York, known as the Mummy dinosaur.
Since that time several specimens of hardosaurs
have been collected from the Upper Cretaceous
strata, in which more or less of the integument is
preserved as impressions on the sand or clay, so
that to-day there is practically no part of the body
of which the integument is unknown.
In the case of members of the other families of
dinosaurs much less is known of their external
covering. For years it was thought that the
horned dinosaurs had been covered with dermal
scutes or bony plates in the epidermis because
dermal scutes were found in more or less close
association with the bones of horned dinosaurs.
We now know that these dermal scutes are from
the armored dinosaurs and there is no evidence of
*Published with the permission of the Director of the Geolo-
gical Survey, Ottawa.
the presence of such scutes in the Ceratopsia.
The integument of a horned dinosaur was first
described by L. M. Lambe, F.R.S.C., in the Ottawa
Naturalist for January, 1914, from a specimen of
Chasmosaurus (Protorosaurus) belli collected by
C. H. Sternberg in 1913 from the Belly River
formation of Red Deer river, Alberta. At that
time Mr. Lambe had only fragments of the rock
bearing the impressions, as the large section show-
ing the pattern over a considerable area was not
prepared until after his death. :
The object of the present article is to describe
more fully and illustrate the pattern or arrange-
ment of the large, round plate-like and the smaller
polygonal tubercle-like scales rather than go into
a detailed description of the scales themselves,
which were so admirably described by Mr. Lambe.
The integument here described is from the same
individual as were Lambe’s fragments, Cat. No.
2245, Victoria Memorial Museum, and consists of
a section about 11% feet by 3 feet, from above the
pelvie arch and the right flank. The median line
is not recognizable, though it is thought to have
been not far beyond the part preserved. Due to
the fragility of the rock bearing the impressions
and the necessity of removing the underlying
bones, it was possible to save only parts of the
impressions. Before they were disturbed, how-
ever, a photograph and plaster mould were taken
of those parts best preserved.
As in the hadrosaurs there is no evidence of
bony plates in the skin but the tubercles were
much larger and somewhat thicker than in that
family, although the animal was smaller. There
is great variation in the size of the tubercles and
even over a small area there seems to be no
uniformity though the tubercles on the upper part
of the body seem to be much larger than those on
the under parts. Examination of the larger area
does not bear out Lambe’s belief that “The plates
109
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
May, 1925]
“unesn]Al [BMOULsT] BMOJIA GPZZ ON ‘“AURy WYySI1 oy} pue youre otajed ey} sAoge wouy 4129 snunvsowsnnYyD Jo yUeUINZeWUI Jo UOIsserduIT
TON GLVId
110
increased in size toward the somewhat central
one, which was largest.’’” However, there is evi-
dence of a uniform increase in size among some
loose fragments. These fragments are probably
from the under parts as they show only the smaller
tubercle-like scales.
The large round plates are arranged in irregular,
longitudinal rows and are spaced from two to four
inches apart. They vary considerably in size and
are not always distinctly differentiated from the
larger polygonal tubercles either in size or shape.
The large plates, one of which is two and one-
fourth inches in diameter, were low, flat, circular,
and are defined by a circumscribing groove. The
edges of many of the larger polygonal tubercles as
well as the large round plates have a crinkled
appearance due to short, grooves placed at right
angles to, and ending at the edge of the plates.
Closely surrounding these large plates are smaller
polygonal tubercles giving the appearance of a
rosette.
polygonal, tubercle-like, non-imbricating scales of
varied but smaller size. In general thelargeround
plates decrease in size from the dorsal surface of
the body downwards over the femur and ischium
though the general arrangement seems to be the
same.
‘THE CANADIAN FIBLD-NATURALIST
The intervening spaces were filled with -
[VoL. XX XIX
Brown figures and describes the integument of
Centrosaurus (Monoclonius) cutleri* from the same
general region of the body as that preserved in the
present specimen. In his specimen the polygonal
tubercles seem to be more uniform in size and the
large round plates are more widely separated.
This may be partly due to the fact that it is from.
somewhat lower on the body, though it would be
expected that animals so different in skull and
skeleton structure would have a very. different
epidermal pattern. airs as
In the area here figured there are none of the
small apical tubercles referred to. by . Lambe.
These were thought to have been derived from the
under parts and the lack of such scales in the
region of the hips and flanks tends to confirm this
belief.
As more becomes known about the integument
of this interesting family of dinosaurs, it is quite
likely that arrangement and size of the scales will
be found to differ in each form. It is quite likely
that with this varied scale pattern there was a
varied color pattern.
*Bull. Amer. Mus. of Nat. Hist., Vol. XX XVII, 1917, p
305, Pl. XVIII.
AN EYE FOR MOVEMENT
By HENRY HOWITT, B.A.
N A beautiful, moonlight night in August,
1921, I was standing on a white limestone
road in a swamp listening to some hounds
aaa baying in pursuit of an American Vary-
ing Hare (Lepus americanus). Suddenly I saw
the hare sinuously jump through a snake fence
among the weeds bordering the road and run
. swiftly up the bank directly in front of me. I
never moved, and the hare seemed not to appre-
ciate I was alive. Without pausing a moment he
leaped across the road, almost brushing my legs
as he passed, and it was only as he nearly touched
me, and possibly got my scent, that he twisted in
his course and was gone.
Last fall I was on a wagon track in a wood, my
beagle searching the adjoining cover. He gave
tongue, and, happening to look down the track in
his direction, I saw a Cotton-tail Rabbit (Syl-
vilagus floridanus) approaching. The rabbit
silently went by on the other side of the track
within ten feet, and without even quickening the
pace of his leisurely hop, or in any way showing
that he did not think I was a tree. Slowly he
disappeared around a bend. The only movement
I had made was in turning my head to watch him
as he approached and passed.
On February 7th, 1925, during an exceptionally
mild period and on the same day as I heard my
first Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) of the year, in
Guelph Township, Ontario, I saw five Prairie
Horned Larks (Otocoris alpestris praticola) walking
slowly about in some manure which had been
scattered lightly over a field. With the aid of
eight power, prismatic field-glasses I could see
them distinctly. Hearing the whistling of wings
overhead, I looked up and saw a Sharp-shinned
Hawk (Accipiter velox) fly into a tree, the foot of
which was about twenty or twenty-five yards from
the larks. The hawk perched on a branch twenty-
five or thirty feet from the ground. Momentarily
I expected him to swoop down on the larks. I
remained motionless. So, apparently, did the
larks for, although I searched their location
thoroughly with my glasses, they never moved,
and I was unable to distinguish the protective
colouring of their grey-brown-streaked bodies
from the manure upon which they crouched.
Entranced by this natural phenomenon, I remain-
ed to watch. The hawk’s scrutiny was evidently
no more successful than mine, for in about five
minutes he flew to another tree at the edge of the
field, 150 or 200 yards distant, and perched about
May, 1925]
the same height as in the first. All the players in
the little drama again played their parts exactly
as before, and with the same result. At the
expiration of a second five minutes the hawk flew
on, and after about another five the larks rose
from the exact spot I had last seen them, flew
singing over the place where I was standing, and
disappeared in the direction whence the hawk had -
come, and in the exactly opposite direction to that
in which he had gone.
I have sat in a punt in a duck marsh, with gun
across my knees, waiting for the ducks to come in,
and have seen them, like small aeroplanes in the sky
flying fast straight towards me; but as I raised my
gun to be ready, they immediately swerved out of
range. They had a vast marsh to survey, but saw
the slightest movement.
On March 21st, 1925, the River Speed below
- Guelph was in flood, and its high and rushing
waters appeared as they may have done a century
ago before the forests fell and the sun dried up
the creeks. In the eddying back-water of a small
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
a |
bay swam a pair of those beautiful, scarce mig-
rants, Hooded Merganser Ducks (Lophodytes
cucullatus), the drake’s white, black-rimmed,
Greek warrior-like crest, striking, black, white
and chestnut, nuptial plumage, black bill, and
yellow eyes making an astonishingly brilliant show,
comparable to that of the tulip and other gay,
spring flowers, and in marked and sudden contrast
to the recent dullness of winter. As I rounded a
clump of cedars on the bank I saw them, and
stood still without cover. Fortunately, at that
moment the backs of their heads were towards me.
They were not more than twenty-five yards
distant, turned and approached, and for several
minutes I had a good view through my glasses
before a trapper quietly came out of some trees
behind me and the visitors promptly flew away.
All wild animals are either hunters or hunted,
many both; and through the survival of the
fittest in the course of natural selection, their eyes
have become quick to catch movement.
THE BISON AND ITS RELATIONS
By CHARLES M. STERNBERG
HE FOLLOWING notes were prepared
in answer to a responsible personal
request. It was thought that they
might be of interest to readers of The
Canadian Field-Naturalist.
The family Bovide includes the antelopes, sheep,
goats and bovines, (cattle and buffaloes).
In the sub-family Bovine are placed pigmy
buffalo, African and Indian buffaloes, gayal, zebu,
gaur, yak, domestic cattle and bison. The family
dates back to Miocene times but the sheep and
oxen did not appear until the Pliocene.
The musk-ox forms a connecting link between
the Caprine (sheep and goats) and the Bovine.
There were about a dozen species of Bovinze
scattered over Asia, Africa, and Europe many of
which are now extinct. In this sub-family the
horn-cores may be round, flattened, or angular
and are frequently directed outward but never
curved spirally, inward, or of the corkscrew shape.
The buffaloes of India and Africa are characterized
by their angular horn-cores and the great convexity
of their forehead in the most typical forms. In
bison, represented by Bison bonasus (the European
bison) and Bison bison (the American bison) the
skull is characterized by its great relative width
and shortness, the tubular orbits, the moderately
convex fore-head, and the curved rounded horn-
cores which are placed considerably below the
level of the occiput. The European species is
represented in the Pleistocene of Europe by a
variety Bison priscus. A cranium from the
Siwalik Hills, India, has been referred to the genus
as Bison sivalensis and appears to be allied to
modern forms.
The genus Bos of the old world is the most
specialized representative of the sub-family. In
this genus are placed the wild oxen of India and
Burma which are characterized by more or less
flattened horn-cores. The earliest representative
of this genus is Bos etruscus from the upper
Pliocene of Europe.
Bison arrived in America in mid-Pleistocene
times or during the warm inter-glacial period.
They were the only members of the ox tribe to
reach America and they did not extend into South
America. The earlier forms are found associated
with mastodon, the Columbian elephant, and the
great ground sloth. There were seven species of
bison in North America, of which, apparently, the
first to arrive was the great Bison latifrons one
specimen of which has a spread of over six feet from
tip to tip of the horn-cores. Bison has been found
from Alaska to Florida. It can not be stated
whether all the species were contemporary but it is
quite certain that one, Bison occidentalis, found in
Alaska and Kansas, was contemporary with the
modern species. At the present the old world
has but one species, Bison bonasus. Bison differs
from the true oxen in the skull, shoulder hump
and hair. At present there are two sub-species of
bison living in North America, i.e., B. bison
typicus (plains bison) and B. bison athabasce
(wood bison).
112
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
[VoL. XX XIX
NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS
THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY
OF CANADA will be held in Ottawa, on May 19,
20, 21. In Section V—Biological Sciences—the
Presidential Address will be delivered by Professor
Andrew Hunter of the University of Toronto, his
subject being “‘Proteolysis and the Structure of
Proteins”. The program includes fifty-eight titles
grouped under three headings: Zoological; Medi-
cal, Physiological and Biochemical; Botanical.
THE HERRING GULL AT QUEBEC IN WINTER.—
A Herring Gull was observed by me near the
waterfront of the city of Quebec from time to
time during the winter of 1924-25 until January
29th, when it was seen flying around quite un-
concernedly. I noticed the bird particularly dur-
ing the extreme cold weather of twenty below zero
and thereabouts.
On February 24th, 1925, I again saw a Herring
Gull at Quebec. I do not think that this was the
Gull seen earlier in the winter, as it was much
whiter than that one-—REX MEREDITH.
SomME NOTES ON THE KILLDEER PLOVER AT
Brockport, N.Y.—The article in The Canadian
Field-Naturalist, Vol. 38, No. 10, on the Killdeer
Plover, by Theed Pearse, recalled to the writer’s
mind similar “displays’’ repeatedly observed dur-
ing August, 1924. Working in the open at a
vining-station, many occasions were offered to
observe the actions of this bird.
One morning a pair (?) was seen approaching
over-head, and, as they neared the locality where
the men were working, one (sex unknown) plunged
toward the ground with irregular and unsteady
flight. Reaching the ground, it limped along and
dragged the right wing for about twenty feet and
then tumbled over on its head in a manner similar
to that described by T. P. -The writer, observing
this for the first time, approached the bird, but
was surprised to see it rise and join the other
bird overhead. Two days later, a bird (presum-
ably the same) came down in the same manner as
that previously observed and after limping a
short space, sat on the ground. It was approached
within ten feet before resuming flight. In the
afternoon of the same day the bird came down
again. This time it “landed” in the center of a
circle of men who were watching a game of horse-
shoes being played, and five feet from one of the
players. When the men overcame their astonish-
ment, one of them hurled a stone at the bird
which then resumed its flight.
It is the writer’s belief that this was a male bird
and that the peculiar ‘‘antics’’ were a sexual dis-
play. I have it in my notes that the female (?)
was always near at these occasions. Since the first
brood was at that time the size of the old birds
and on the wing, the bird was not trying to protect
its young by luring the men away. It was never
observed to act this way when alone in the fields.
I did not, however, have opportunity to watch the
bird for any length of time. It was also not
accurately ascertained whether it was the male or
female bird that came down each time.—GORDON
HILLGARTNER.
NOTES ON WINTER BIRDS.—Speaking generally,
bird life has been scarce this winter. Two species,
the Northern Waxwing and the Redpoll, which are
usually our commonest winter residents, have been
almost entirely absent. A few of the former
appeared on November 12th and 13th, and of the
latter on December 11, but they were evidently
migrating, and by New Years all had disappeared.
The severe weather in December brought a con-
siderable number of Snow-buntings around the
buildings of this ranch. Twenty years ago these
birds were more often seen in this valley, but since
-the “‘benches” have been settled up they remain
in the higher levels, only visiting us when driven
down by storms. The same applies to the Lap-
land Longspur, but these are even more loth to
descend, and it takes a winter indeed to have
Longspurs hopping about the yards. In recent
years the Horned Lark has become a year-round
resident. Already the males are in full song, and
appear to be only awaiting the passing of the snow
to start nesting operations. The most notable
visitor this winter has been the Pine Grosbeak.
As a rule this bird confines itself to the thicker
bush, but this time I have noted scattered bands
in several places where I have never seen them
before. I understand that Pine Grosbeaks have
been scarce in many parts of Saskatchewan, which
may account for their greater numbers here. On
March 1st I had the pleasure of hearing for the
first time a Grosbeak singing. I saw the bird,
which was in the grey immature (?) plumage, fly
into the top branches of a poplar, where it sang
continuously for a couple of minutes. Perhaps I
may never hear the song again, for I believe the
bird is not an habitual songster, particularly
south of its breeding grounds. Farther up this
river where the bush is heavier, at one ranch on
February 12th I noted about twelve Tree Spar-
rows, and at another there were some half-dozen
Rusty Blackbirds wintering. The latter bird has
remained all winter before, 1910-1911, but the
Tree Sparrow is a new recruit, I think. Winter
started here without notice in no uncertain fashicen
on November 4th and lasted some weeks without
May, 1925]
let-up, and it is quite possible these Sparrows were
caught and decided they had better remain where
they were. Once in a way a few Rosy Finches
appear about November and frequent our corrals
along with the Redpolls, but there have been none
since the winter of 1921-22. Downy Woodpeckers
are rare in this neighbourhood; I have seen two
only thistime. Two years ago a couple of Flickers
wintered at a ranch about eight miles away. We
have the Magpie, of course, in plenty. They are
bold, cheeky birds, but it can be said in their
favor that they consider Canada is good enough
for them 365 days in the year, and we should be
dull without them. Whereas they are fond of
perching on the backs of the cattle, presumably
to keep their toes warm, it is very rare indeed, in
my own experience, that an individual bird gets
the habit of pecking at the brands. On the other
hand, I think they must do some good by digging
out warbles, though the cow does not enjoy the
operation. On November 14th, we watched a
Gyrfaleon flying overhead. Its white plumage
with the black wing tips were very conspicuous.in
the bright sun. Golden Eagles are not uncommon.
Last fall I watched with amusement one of these
birds having a very bad time from a flock of some
fourteen Magpies. It had settled on a knoll, and
in a moment was surrounded by a chattering mob
which gave it no peace, compelling the great bird
to rise again into the upper air where the Magpies
could not follow. The Sharp-tailed Grouse, which
some ten years ago became so scarce, seems to be
coming back. Five Sage Grouse spent December
and January close by, and I used to see them
frequently; on one occasion two of them were
squatting in the centre of the railway track.
Further down this river below Eastend, where the
valley widens out into great flats, the sage grouse
is still plentiful, and I believe most landowners
take a pride in them and endeavor to prevent any
shooting as far as they can. The little Grey
Partridge is now established in the district, though
not in any numbers as yet. I saw my first pair
last spring on May 21st, and .this winter have
noted half a dozen now andthen. They seem very
wary and do not allow close approach, even when
I am on horseback, and the long and severe winter
seems to have bothered them not at all. I fancy
they must make an easy living on Russian thistle
and other weed seeds.—L. B. PottTmr, Eastend,
Saskatchewan.
COMMON CORMORANTS NESTING IN THE MAG-
DALEN ISLANDS.—On May 15, 1924, I proceeded
in a motorboat from Amherst Harbor, Magdalen
Islands, to a point on the water in front of the
cliff, about 150 feet high, which forms the north-
east corner of Entry Island, of the Magdalen
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
113
group. On small ledges, about half-way up the
face of the cliff, were a number of Common
Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) and their nests,
which I studied at leisure through binoculars (X6),
as the motorboat, with engine stopped, floated
quietly on the swell. They were sheltered from
above by an overhanging bulge of rock, while
below them the cliff dropped sheer into the water.
I counted seven nests that appeared to be occupied
and thirteen Cormorants. As the birds stood on
the ledges their white throats and white flank
patches were seen to be very large, white, and
conspicuous. The white flank patches were also
very conspicuous when the birds soared in the air.
The fishermen who accompanied me said that
the Cormorants nested at this cliff every year and
were never disturbed.
The common Cormorant is now known to nest
in North America at two places, viz., Lake Island,
Saguenay Co., Quebec, and Entry Island, Mag-
dalen Islands, Quebec.—HARRISON F. LEWIS.
A JUVENILE RICHARDSON’S OWL FROM GRAND
MANAN, N.B.—Mr. R. W. Tuft’saccount* of thenest-
ing of Richardson’s Owl, Cryptoglauxfunerea richard-
soni, in the Grand Manan group, New Brunswick,
reminded me that I had a juvenile specimen from
the same locality. It was taken at Grand Manan
on June 22, 1922, and sent to Mr. Tufts in the
flesh. Although in bad condition for preparing as
a specimen, it was recognized as being an interest-
ing plumage, and saved by him. Both the size.
Length 83 (R.W.T.), Width 6.1 (H.L.), and the
plumage mark the specimen as a juvenile, and no
doubt it was raised in the vicinity where captured.
The description of the immature of this species
given in Chapman’s handbook fits the case exactly.
—HOoyeEs LLoyp.
BANDING OF THE BALTIMORE ORIOLES.—On
May 22nd, 1924, I observed a male Baltimore
Oriole in one of my traps at 140 Luxton Ave.,
Winnipeg, Man., and after due consideration
decided to hold him as a decoy for a short period
and the following is an idea of the results of my
experiment.
The Oriole was placed in a large cage and while
under my care was fed with Oranges, Bananas,
meal-worms and plenty of fresh water. All the
trap cages were baited in a similar manner but as
the weather was rainy and cold I had no success
until May 27th (when a change in the weather
was apparent) they came in numbers. The decoy
kept up, during this period, from morn till night
a persistent call which sounded to my ears like
“come here’ (repeat). The new arrivals hopped
*Canadian Field-Naturalist, XX XIX, April, 1925, p. 85.
114
into the traps without any ceremony whatever.
In all I banded 34 Orioles from May 27th until
July 13th, with the same decoy. On June 6th,
No. 241,986 was released at 5 p.m. from the City
Hall, Winnipeg, and on the following day was
back once more in the traps and he was again
released at once and after a few days was observed
to have made a nest about 500 yards distant from
the traps in a large Maple Tree, he remained
there with the hen which was also banded, No.
241,938, during the entire summer months and
reared three (3) young, but I was not fortunate
in banding them. The decoy kept calling all the
time during the day, those in the tree answering.
As the Orioles were released out of the traps they
at once made for the large Maple Tree where No.
241,936 had his nest, but he never let them get
nearer than about 200 yards and after a short, but
sharp struggle he drove them away.—PAUL KUNTZ.
Two WINTER RECORDS FROM WOLFVILLE,
Nova ScotiA.—On December 24, 1924, I saw in
an orchard in Wolfville a small Sparrow which I
at first thought to be a Tree Sparrow, but which,
on close inspection, failed to reveal the characteris-
tic black mark on the breast. Consequently, I
collected it. It proved to be a female Chipping
Sparrow in fairly good condition. Here at Wolf-
ville the Chipping Sparrow is usually a summer
resident from the first of May until the first part
of October, this being the first winter record of
this species known to me.
On January 17, 1925, I observed about thirty
Lapland Longspurs on the Grand Pré meadow
near Wolfville, and again on January 29 I saw
eight, two of which I collected. The only other
record of this species in this locality is one by R.
W. Tufts, who states that from February 8 until
March 2, 1916, they were frequently observed in
small numbers on the Grand Pré, several speci-
mens being taken.—A. L. RAND.
A MystTERY BAND SOLVED.—The Canadian
National Parks Branch, which keeps a record of
all wild bird banding operations of interest to
Canada, has had brought to its attention an item
from The Free Press, St. John’s, Newfoundland.
This item gave an account of a bird locally called
a “Ticklace’’, which was killed on August 12,
1924, by Mr. L. Curtis, of Horse Island, in the
District of St. Barbe, Newfoundland. On the
bird was found a thin silver band said to be
inscribed with the words: ‘Inform Witheberry
High. Holdron, London’. q
On writing to Messrs. H. F. & G. Witherby,
326 High Holborn, London W.C. 1, England, it
has now been learned that this ring, No. 67,423,
was put on a young Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla),
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
[VoL. XXX1LX
on June 28, 1923, on the Farne Islands, Northum-
berland, England, by one of Mr. Witherby’s
correspondents. Mr. Witherby stated that the
foot of the bird was examined by Mr. W. C.
Henderson, of the United States Bureau of Bio-
logical Survey, and was pronounced by him to be
that of a Kittiwake, which agrees with Mr.
Witherby’s records. The record is extremely
interesting, more especially as this bird is the
first under Mr. Witherby’s ringing scheme—which
has been in operation for sixteen years—reported
from this side of the Atlantic. The correct
lettering on the band was “‘Inform Witherby, High
Holborn, London’”’.—HoyeEs Luoyp.
ON THE WINTERING OF Perdix perdix IN AL-
BERTA, 1924-1925.—The following facts appear to
me to be of sufficient interest to warrant publica-
tion.
The Hungarian Partridge (Perdix perdix) has
been increasing very steadily since its introduction
into the south of Alberta some fifteen years ago.
In the last year or two more introductions have
been made in the north central portions of the
Province, chiefly for the sake of fresh blood, as
the birds had already spread into this district.
Climatic conditions seem to suit them admirably,
and not even the severest winters appear to have
had any detrimental effects upon them. But this
year there has been quite a high rate of mortality
in many localities. The ultimate cause has un-
doubtedly been the heavy snowfall.
Partridges have been picked up dead along the
railway tracks in large numbers. One section
foreman has picked up about sixty on his section
alone, whilst another has picked up even more.
Similar reports, that have not yet been verified,
however, are plentiful. All the birds were
reported as being in excellent condition. Various
samples have reached the Scientific Committee of
the Northern Alberta Game and Fish Protective
League for examination. Of a batch of six, picked
up together near Blackfalls, four were submitted
to us. These had all met violent deaths, injuries
ranging from a cracked skull and broken back to
broken wings and crushed legs, the birds being
otherwise in prime condition. Since the injuries
had all been received from the same side, the
obvious inference to draw is that the birds had
roosted in the railway bank in covey formation
and had flown into a passing night train, possibly
making deliberately for the headlight of the engine.
This view has received ample corroboration from
various other specimens examined and from in-
formation derived from many sources. Thus, Mr.
Dan. MacDonald, a locomotive engineer, and an
exceptionally observant member of the Game
League, has kindly sent me the following in a
- recent winter.
May, 1925]
letter, which deserves full quotation :—
“On winter nights, and especially when the
weather is stormy, coveys of partridge lie close
together for shelter in the cuts that contain a lot
of snow. They remain there until a train is very
near them, when they rise. The powerful head-
light of the locomotive seems to blind them and
they fly straight in the direction in which they
arose. Many of them strike against the engine
and are killed.
“In daylight I have noticed the Hungarians
remaining on or near the track until the engine
was as nearly upon them as at night time but
they would rise and fly away in safety to the side
of the track or a considerable distance ahead
before alighting.
“A number of them being found dead together,
as if smothered, might possibly be due to a snow-
plough having been run through these cuts. The
flying snow and. ice would strike their shelters
with considerable force and stun them, or they
could be covered so deeply by a heavy layer of
snow thrown up by the plough that they would be
unable to get up and so perish.”
The last paragraph refers to the finding of whole
coveys (in one instance numbering sixteen birds)
dead in the banks.
There seems little doubt that the partridges
have been attracted in many parts of the Province
to the railways. A combination of open ground
on the tracks and a more or less constant supply
of wheat (loss from the grain cars), with deep
snow and lack of food in other parts, has induced
the Hungarians to make the railway tracks their
headquarters. They are so addicted to the tracks
that they even roost in the snowdrifts on the banks.
Prairie Chicken (Pediecetes phasianellus) share
this good feeding ground in some numbers with
the Partridges, but we have been unable to trace
a single case of a chicken being killed or injured.
They evidently do not go to roost in the railway
banks. There seems no doubt that the damage
to partridges is done entirely at night.
Hungarian Partridges have also been finding
feed to some extent on poultry farms during the
But it is interesting to speculate
as to the effects that the heavy snowfall might
have had on the species if the railways did not
exist or if they never moved grain. It seems
probable that in spite of the heavy toll they have
taken, they have saved the race from even greater
decimation.
Three of the birds examined by us were weighed
and found to turn the scales at 18, 14 and 14
ounces respectively. In view of the fact that the
Alberta birds are universally considered to be
smaller than the common partridge of England,
whose average weight is 13 ounces, these figures
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
115
are particularly interesting. These birds were
killed in March, at the end of a very long and
particularly severe winter —WILLIAM RowAN.
NOTES ON GROUSE AND WOODCOCK CONDITIONS
IN NOvA SCOTIA, SPRING, 1923—The winter of
1922-23 in this Province was characterized by an
unusually heavy snow fall which continued into
April. From personal observation and from many
reports received from reliable-sportsmen it would
appear that both Ruffed Grouse and Woodcock
were adversely affected by this unusual weather
condition.
There is no doubt that the grouse have suffered
a diminution in numbers, a fact apparently ascrib-
able in some way to the severity of the season.
It was not due to any food shortage, since these
birds at this season feed largely on buds and
berries which were available in normal quantities,
there being no sleet storms throughout the winter
to encase the branches and thus deprive the birds
of this particular food supply. Nor would their
habit of diving under the snow and becoming
imprisoned by crust, thus dying from starvation
and exhaustion, account for the fatalities among
them, since there were no sudden thaws and
consequently no formation of crust during the
season noted.
Nevertheless a general scarcity began to be
noted in the early spring. During May and June
of the current year the writer spent three weeks in
Annapolis County in a section where grouse
naturally abound in large numbers and where
hundreds had been seen during the hunting season
of the previous autumn. During this three weeks
only about a half-dozen grouse were started and
to hear the drumming of the cock was a matter
for comment. While traversing the barrens and
covers with my guide we happened upon the un-
mutilated remains of no less than four. This man
is a keen observer and an accurate student of wild
life. He had worked in the woods during March
and April, covering wide areas on snow-shoes
-every day. He stated that he had found literally
dozens of dead grouse especially during the latter
part of April. These he stated were resting on
little pedestals of ice and snow, their bodies pro-
tecting these supports from the rays of the sun.
Sometimes several would be found near together.
His theory was that the birds, having sought
shelter by diving as is their custom, had eventually
been buried by the weight of snow which had
drifted in from the wind-swept barrens after days
of continuous blizzards and had thus found it
impossible to work their way out. He predicted
a general scarcity of the birds this autumn and
- time has proved the correctness of his forecast.
116
The hatching season of the first part of June
was favorable, but from practically all over the
Province came the same report—grouse absent or
rare; and the writer’s own experience in Annapolis
and Kings Counties during October confirmed
these.
The woodcock suffered from the lateness and
inclemency of the spring and it was believed by
some that the casualties among them had approxi-
mated calamity. These birds normally return
from the south during the latter part of March.
They are dependent for food on earth worms and
small grubs which they procure from the soft mud
of the swamps and bogs which they frequent.
This year, in spite of the wintry conditions still
prevailing over the Province, a large flight of
woodeock came back on schedule time. Their
favorite haunts were covered with ice and snow
and considerable numbers were reported found
dead or in such a weakened condition from lack
of food that they were unable to fly. None of
those picked up had been killed by wires. Two
were seen on several occasions on cold days trying
to feed in the soft earth formed by a hot water
seepage at the Acadia Sugar Refinery near Halifax.
Several were reported probing in manure piles
close to farm-yard barns. These conditions
obtained for about two weeks and it is reasonable
to assume that a considerable percentage of this
advance flight perished.
It is fortunate that later flights did not arrive
till after the food crisis had passed.
A favorable breeding season ensued followed by
an excessively dry summer. The migration was
carefully noted this autumn over the Maritime
Provinces, over a hundred questionnaires being
sent out to sportsmen particularly interested in
woodcock hunting. From these the impression
was gained that the New Brunswick flight was
somewhat larger than was anticipated, but that in
Nova Scotia it was considerably below the average.
How much prevailing easterly winds may have
had to do with this difference in numbers I am
naturally not prepared to say. The diversity of
opinion revealed by the answers to the question-
naire, as to the numerical status of this bird was
very pronounced and would seem to render the
findings of slight scientific value-—R. W. TUFTS.
THE KINGBIRD IN ANTICOSTI IN 1924.—On
August 1, 1924, Mr. M. W. Armstrong and I saw
a Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) in a tree-top near
Lake Gamache, at Ellis Bay, Anticosti, Quebec.
The tree in which the Kingbird was perched was
close by the side of a road, and, as we walked
toward it along the road, with a bright sun shining
from behind us, we saw with the utmost clearness
the size, dark upperparts, white underparts and°
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
[VoL. XXXIX
white tail-tip which characterize this familiar
species. The only previous record of the King-
bird in Anticosti is that by Dr. Schmitt of two
individuals taken May 7, 1902, at English Bay.—
HARRISON F.. LEWIS.
FURTHER NOTES ON THE WILLET IN NOVA
ScotrA.—According to early records the Willet
(Catoptrophorus Semipalmatus) was known to
breed in favorable localities along the eastern sea-
board of North America from Nova Scotia to
Virginia. It would appear, however, that with
the advance of civilization and its attendant
agencies inimical to bird life, these birds became
greatly reduced or entirely extirpated throughout
the greater part of their former breeding range.
In his Handbook of 1910, Dr. Frank Chapman,
referring to the nesting of the Willet says“. . .
formerly bred in Nova Scotia’. The fact is that
these splendid birds have never been exterminated
in this Province, though we are convinced after
consulting many of the older residents of the
districts still frequented by Willet that their
numbers have suffered a very serious reduction
with the passing years.
During the summer of 1922 several surveys were
made throughout that section of the Province
where they are known to occur, for the dual
purpose of ascertaining as true an approximation
as possible of the number of birds still present and
for the acquisition of additional data respecting
their habits and actual distribution. The result
of this report was published in The Canadian Field-
Naturalist of November, 1922, and estimated the
number of Willet at the close of the 1922 breeding
season at 736 inclusive of that year’s increase.
If any gross error has occurred in this estimate it
has been on the side of conservatism. It also
stated that the breeding areas were confined to
the coastal regions where feeding conditions were
favorable, from the head of St. Mary’s Bay in
Digby County south-westerly throughout Yar-
mouth and Shelburne Counties and to the southern
border of Queens County at St. Catherine’s River
near Port Mouton.
The districts above described have been under
surveillance during 1923 and 1924 and the impres-
sion gained from the most careful survey would
seem to be that the numbers are not increasing.
For instance the notable colony at the head of St.
Mary’s Bay scattered over approximately six
hundred acres, which is segregated from all other
colonies and therefore lends itself to more accurate
census taking, showed no increase during 1923.
On the other hand, in June, 1924, an appreciable
decrease was noted, on which occasion only
seventeen birds were observed as compared with
forty in 1922, conditions being equally favorable
May, 1925]
in both cases. In the Chebogue (Yarmouth
County) district, which, in contrast to the more
concentrated area along St. Mary’s Bay is straggl-
ing and ill-defined in its limits, thus presenting
greater difficulties for accurate observation and
counting of individual birds, a similar conclusion
was reached.
During 1923 and 1924 three new colonies were
discovered and a careful census taken. The first
was on June 5th, 1923, at St. Catherines River,
Queens County, where about twenty pairs were
found breeding on upland barrens one-half mile
from salt-water marshes. On June 7th of the
same year another small colony was discovered at
Pinkney’s Point, Yarmouth County, with presum-
ably not more than four pairs in evidence. The
third was at Pubnico Harbor on the border of
Yarmouth-Shelburne Counties, where, on the 11th
June, 1924, fourteen birds were counted at one
time.
The Willet returns to Nova Scotia about May
1st and is rarely seen later than September 10th.
They begin to nest by the middle of May. Though
their feeding grounds are the salt-marshes and
muddy inlets along the shore they often nest in
the open pastures or on the rough boulder-strewn
uplands at a considerable distance inland. It is
no uncommon sight to see the adult birds flying
overhead on their way to and from the feeding
grounds, uttering their characteristic cries as they
go. Of the seven nests, however, which it has
been my good fortune to find, all have been on
low land close to the feeding grounds. One at St.
Mary’s Bay was located only a few feet above the
high water mark, well concealed in the coarse
marsh grass of the year before. All were mere
depressions in the ground, beautifully lined with
smooth, dry grasses and invariably concealed by a
tangle of grasses, weeds or low bushes. Two nests
examined contained five eggs each. One of these
clutches was just hatching and it was observed
that one of the eggs was infertile. The other sets
contained four eggs each, which I believe to be
the usual number.
As an intruder approaches a nesting colony it
would appear that the sitting birds, alarmed by
the cries of their mates, quietly leave the nest and
join the clamor in the air, thus facilitating the
possibility of an accurate count, while at the same
time making it a matter of considerable difficulty
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
LET.
to locate the nest. After circling about in the air
for some moments they gradually retire to some
available vantage-point—hboulder, roof, telephone
post, hay-rick, ete., where they perch and continue
their protest, displaying, however, little or no
evidence of fear. As the unwelcome visitor nears
their nest or the young in the grass they often
become exceedingly bold, darting angrily within a
few feet of one’s head. Reassured by the retreat
of the invader, the female after an appreciable
interval, drops to the ground and thence runs
under cover to her nest which may be one hund-
red yards or more distant. These tactics account
for the difficulty in locating the nest.
On June 19th, 1923, a nest located under a
tangle of wild rose bushes was discovered in a
pasture at East Chebogue, Yarmouth Co. The
bird sat so close that by approaching her quietly
I was actually able to remove her from the nest
with my hand. Band number 104,492 (Biol.
Survey) was then attached to the leg during which
process she betrayed very little nervousness.
The Willet is known throughout its Nova Scotia
breeding range by a variety of names which vary
locally. The more common of these are ‘“‘White
Wings”, ‘“Pillo-wee’’, “‘Cluey’’, ‘“Pill-will-willet,”’
“Humility” and ““White-winged Curlew’’.
As evidence of their former abundance a middle-
aged resident of Little River, Chebogue district,
told me last summer that in his youth he was
accustomed to hear his father refer to the days
when ‘‘Cluey’s” eggs were gathered in basket-fulls
for household use by the members of his family.
It is pleasing to note that in these more enlightened
days, in the communities where the birds still
occur, the residents seem disposed to protect them
and in some cases take an active interest in their
preservation. It would seem that the apparent
decrease noted above cannot be ascribed to any
persecution they suffer while on their Nova Scotia
breeding ground.—R. W. TUuFTs.
CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST PUBLICATION FUND
Statement of Receipts
Previously Acknowledged............. $810.00
Protebe ie Prince... 225. eee eee 10.00
IVS SiN ean © OW aon eg oe 5.00
Totals . pia 3 teeters Veena ers. $325 .00
118
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
[VoL. XX XIX
‘CORRESPONDENCE
Epitor, The Canadian Field-Naturalist,
Ottawa, Ontario.
At the risk of cluttering the pages of The Natur-
alist with useless repetition, I want to add to Mr.
Harper’s, my earnest protest against the proposal
to ship some of the surplus Plains Buffalo from
Wainwright to the Peace River district to augment
the Wood Buffalo, already there.
From the standpoint of the nature student, this
would be a calamity of colossal proportions. Our
two little herds of Wood Buffalo are apparently
gaining a little in numbers and with the whole-
hearted protection that has been given them, may
even increase to the limit of the capacity of their
habitat; it would be a dreadful thing to have the
last absolutely wild examples of this noble animal
degraded by being crossed with a smaller sub-
species. Crossing would undoubtedly take place,
and it might be that, with the reduced stamina of
the hybrids, the progeny might become so weak
that the whole race might pass out within a decade
or two.
There are so many examples the world over, of
calamitous results arising from the interference of
man with native fauna, that one can only suppose
that the promoters of this scheme to mix the blood
of the two Buffalo, have not sought advice from
‘any student of Natural Science. A step so serious
should not be taken without unanimous approval
of a number of men who have made a life study of
mammalian fauna, such as Dr. Hornaday and
others in New York and Washington.
I sincerely hope that the scheme will be aban-
doned. It would call for quite a large financial
outlay and the money would probably be worse
than wasted. It would surely be possible to drive
these Buffalo north from Wainwright to un-
occupied lands within one hundred miles or more,
where they might possibly, though very im-
probably, re-establish themselves as wild animals.
But it would be better to lose the whole Wain-
wright herd, rather than risk the last remnant of
the Wood Buffalo.
W. E. SAUNDERS.
London, Ont.
April 18, 1925.
EDITOR, The Canadian Field-Naturalist,
Ottawa, Canada.
We desire to bring to your attention the follow-
ing resolution, adopted April 10 at the annual
meeting of the American Society of Mammalogists
—an international organization containing over
seven hundred members. We trust that you will
take such energetic action in the matter as seems
appropriate.
WHEREAS plans have been made for introducing
large numbers of Plains Buffaloes annually into
the Wood Buffalo Park of Northern Alberta,
and whereas the American Society of Mammalo-
gists, a professional Society of international
membership, including practically all field-natur-
alists who are interested in mammals, feels that
serious results would occur from carrying out the
above plan, viz:
A. Interbreeding would take place between the
races of Plains Buffalo and Wood Buffalo, so that
the distinctive characteristics of the Wood Buffalo
would be lost in a few generations and in this way
the largest and noblest game animal of North
America would pass out of existence as such.
B. The new arrivals and the mixed descendants
of the two races of Buffaloes would be less fitted
to carry on the struggle for existence in northern
Alberta than is the native race of Wood Buffalo.
C. Tuberculosis and other diseases would be
likely to be transmitted with harmful effects to
the northern herd.
D. Owing to the restricted range of the Wood
Buffaloes and the limited amount of food available,
overcrowding would follow so that the proposed
plan would afford only a temporary means of dis-
posing of Plains Buffaloes; therefore be it,
RESOLVED, That the American Society of
Mammalogists express its earnest hope that some
other means may be found of disposing of the
surplus Plains Buffaloes, and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be
forwarded to the Department of the Interior of
Canada and to the organizations interested in wild-
life conservation.
Very truly yours,
A. BROZIER HOWELL,
Corresponding Secretary.
Washington, D.C., April 13, 1925
May, 1925]
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
OFFICIAL CANADIAN RECORD OF BIRD-BANDING RETURNS*
(Continued from page 83)
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,446, banded by H. 8S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 1,
1923, was killed on the eastern branch of the
Cooper River, Berkley County, South Carolina,
on December 8, 1928.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,457, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 1,
1923, was shot in the same vicinity, on October
i 1923. -
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,460, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 1,
1923, was shot at the Currituck Shooting Club,
Cape Henry, Virginia, on January 22, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,463, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 1,
1923, was killed on the Potomac River, twenty
miles below Washington, D.C.—no date given, but
reported on December 18, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,484, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 1,
1923, was killed near Bainbridge, Missouri, on
December 6, 1928.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,489, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 1,
1923, was killed at Dike, Virginia, on December 4,
1928.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,495, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 1,
ee was shot at Oshawa, Ontario, on October 18,
1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,157, banded by H. S.
~ Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 2,
1923, was killed on Jacobs Lake, Arkansas County,
Arkansas, on November 17, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,162, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 2,
1923, was shot on Reelfoot Lake, Tennessee, on
November 20, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,167, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 2,
1923, was shot by a resident of Toronto, Ontario,
on November 15, 1923, but the exact locality of
shooting was not given.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,182, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 2,
1923, was shot in a marsh of the Winous Point
Shooting Club, near Port Clinton, Ohio, during
the week of November 18, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,184, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 2,
oe shot in the same vicinity, on October
10, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,205, banded by H. 8.
Osler at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 2,
1923, was killed on the ““True Blue” Plantation,
30 1 ce em, South Carolina, on November
3 3
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,210, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 2,
ees ibe shot in the same vicinity, on October
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,214, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, * Ontario, on October 2,
1923, was shot in Twenty Creek, near Smithville,
Ontario, on November 1, 1923.
*Published by authority of the Canadian National Parks
Branch, Department of the Interior, Canada.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,226, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 2,
1923, was killed on the Woodside Pond, Guilford
County, North Carolina, on November’ Oe 925.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,246, banded by Hes:
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 2,
1923, was shot at a place fifty-five miles north of
Peoria, Illinois, on October 24, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297, 250, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 2,
1923, was shot on Long Point Island, Lake Erie—
no date given, but reported on December 4, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,272, banded by Hi: S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 3,
1923, was shot at a place about two miles from
Caesarea, Ontario, on October 16, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,273, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 3,
1923, was killed at the Fin & Feather Club, about
eleven and one-half miles south-east of Dallas,
Texas, on October 25, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,282, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake ‘Scugog, Ontario, on October 38,
1923, was shot in the Frenchbroad River, thirty
miles south-east of Knoxville, Tennessee, on
December 15, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,290, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 3,
1923, was killed at Morgana, South Carolina—no
date given, but reported on December 10, 1923.°
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,302, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 38,
1923, was shot in a small marsh just east of
a on Lake Scugog, Ontario, about October.
PAS IL
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,306, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 3,
1923, was killed at a place six miles west of Carrier,
Mississippi, on November 4, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,336, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 4,
1923, was caught in a marsh on the Trent River,
near Frankford, Ontario, during the spring of
1924, before May 5, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,339, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 4,
Ba ae shot at Port Clinton, Ohio, on November
21, 1923
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,341, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 4,
1923, was killed on the Elk River, Maryland—no
date given, but reported on January 3, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,344, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 4,
1923, was shot on “‘Wrack Island”, Rice Lake,
Ontario, on November 2, 1928.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,355, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 5,
1923, was shot on Big Murphy Island, at the
mouth of the South Santee River, South Carolina,
on November 12, 1928.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,357, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 5,
1923, was killed at a place four miles south-east of
Fulton, Arkansas—no date given, but reported on
January 28, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,358, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 5,
120
1923, was killed at a place twenty-five miles east
of Bristol, Virginia, on December 8, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,374, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 6,
1923, was caught alive in a trap and afterwards
killed, at Johnson’s Bayou, Louisiana, on Decem-
ber 3, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,380, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog. Ontario, on October 8,
1923, was shot at Hall’s Mill Creek, Mobile,
Alabama, on November 11, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,407, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 9,
1923, was shot at Stewart’s Bay, Lake Scugog,
Ontario, on October 26, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,412, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 9,
1923, was shot in “Cheyenne Bottoms’, three
miles south-west of Redwing, Kansas, on Decem-
ber 15, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,420, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 9,
1923, was shot at Long Point, Ontario—no date
given, but reported on November 10, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,424, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 11,
1923, was shot on Greenlaw’s marsh on the north
shore of Lake Ontario, near the village of Picker-
ing, twenty miles east of Toronto, on November
(WEP,
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,429, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 11,
1923, was shot at Sandusky Marsh, Ohio, on
December 6, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,431, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 11,
1928, was shot on Burlington Beach, Township of
Saltfleet, Ontario, on December 10, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,489, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 11,
1923, was killed at Lebanon, Illinois, about twenty-
five miles east of St. Louis, Illinois—no date given,
but reported on November 8, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,443, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 11,
1923, was shot in the Ontario Government Park,
ore north shore of Lake Erie, about October 22,
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,656, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 11,
1923, was killed on the Edisto River below Jack-
sonboro, South Carolina, on November 15, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,661, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 11,
1923, was killed in the same vicinity during the
fall of 1924, before November 26, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,671, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 11,
1923, was killed in the extreme southern part of
the eastern shore of Virginia, on November 5, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,675, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 12,
1923, was killed on the McGee Marsh, twenty
miles east of Toledo, Ohio, on October 24, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,677, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 12,
1923, was shot by a resident of Norris City,
Illinois, on December 7, 1928. The locality of
shooting is not given.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,678, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 13,
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
[VoL. XX XIX
1923, was killed on Reelfoot Lake, Tennessee, on
November 16, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,682, banded by H. 8S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 138,
1923, was shot at a place about forty-eight miles
east of Toronto, Ontario, on October 23, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,684, banded by H. 8S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 13,
1923, was killed in Posey County, Indiana—no
date given, but reported on March 15, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,689, banded by H. 8S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 13,
1923, was killed at a small pond near Owensville,
Indiana, on December 3, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,690, banded by H. 8S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 13,
1923, was killed in Crooked Lake, Ontario, on
November 5, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,696, banded by H. 8S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 14,
1923, was shot on Rice Lake, Ontario, twenty
miles from Peterborough, on November 10, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,699, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 14,
er: shot in the same vicinity, on November
i
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,713, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 22,
1928, was shot in the same vicinity, on November
8, 1928.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,720, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 22,
1923, was shot on Wagner’s Lake, Ontario County,
Ontario, on November 12, 1928.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,725, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 23,
1923, was killed on the Edisto River, South Caro-
lina, on January 17, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,735, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 24,
1923, was killed in one of the numerous small
ponds in an isolated section of Charlotte County, -
Florida, on November 29, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,738, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 25,
1923, was killed near the mouth of the Edisto
River, South Carolina, on November 28, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,749, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 29,
1923, was shot on Emily Creek, County of Victoria,
Ontario, on November 27, 1923.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,761, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 31,
1923, was killed near Mechanicsburg, Ohio, on
December 3, 1923.
BALDPATE, No. 210,511, banded by Reuben
Lloyd, at Davidson, Saskatchewan, on September
6, 1923, was killed at Clements, Kansas, on Octo-
ber 26, 1923.
GREEN-WINGED TEAL?, No. 201,328, fe-
male, banded by Donald W. Gillingham, on Zone
Island, Fraser River Delta, British Columbia, on ~
September 28, 1923, was shot on Sea Island, in
the Strait of Georgia, Richmond Municipality,
British Columbia, on October 1, 19238.
BLUE-WINGED TEAL, No 296,350, banded
by H. S. Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on Sep-
tember 25, 1923, was killed in Potomac Creek,
Stafford County, Virginia, on November 10, 1923.
BLUE-WINGED TEAL, No. 297,740, banded
by H.S. Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on Octo-
May, 1925]
ber 25, 1923, was killed in the same vicinity during
the fall of 1924, before November 26, 1924.
PINTAIL, No. 296,307, banded by H. S. Osler,
at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 23, 1923,
was killed in the same vicinity, during the fall of
1924.
PINTAIL, No. 201,312, young male, banded by
Donald W. Gillingham, on Zone Island. Fraser
River Delta, British Columbia, on September 28,
1923, was shot on Westham Island, British Colum-
bia, on November 18, 1923.
PINTAIL, No. 201,324, young, banded by
Donald W. Gillingham, on Zone Island, Fraser
River Delta, British Columbia, on September 28,
ae was shot in the same locality, on October 7,
1923.
PINTAIL, No. 201,308, young female, banded
by Donald W. Gillingham, on Zone Island, Fraser
River Delta, British Columbia, on September 29,
1923, was shot at Gridley, California, on Decem-
ber 16, 1923.
PINTAIL, No. 201,306, young female, banded
by Donald W. Gillingham, on Zone Island, Fraser
River Delta, British Columbia, on September 30,
1923, was shot at the north arm of the Fraser
River, British Columbia, on October 1, 1923.
PINTAIL, No. 201,307, young male, banded by
Donald W. Gillingham, on Zone Island, Fraser
River Delta, British Columbia, on September 30,
1923, was killed on the swamps of Westham Island,
at the mouth of the Fraser River, British Colum-
bia, on October 1, 1923.
PINTAIL, No. 201,316, young male, banded
by Donald W. Gillingham, on Zone Island, Fraser
River Delta, British Columbia, on September 30,
1923, was killed on Westham Island, at the mouth
of the Fraser River, twenty-one miles south of
Vancouver, British Columbia, on October 1, 1918.
PINTAIL, No. 201,317, young male, banded by
Donald W. Gillingham, on Zone Island, Fraser
River Delta, British Columbia, on September 30,
1923, was shot at Vancouver, British Columbia—
no date given, but reported on October 1. 1923.
PINTAIL, No. 201,325, young male, banded by
Donald W. Gillingham, on Zone Island, Fraser
River Delta, British Columbia, on September 30,
1923, was shot on the delta of the Fraser River,
British Columbia, on October 1, 1923.
PINTAIL, No. 297,361, banded by H. S. Osler,
at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 5, 1923, was
shot on Lake St. Clair, Ontario, on November 1,
1923.
PINTAIL, No. 297,362, banded by H. S. Osler,
at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 5, 1923, was
shot at Cayuga Lake. New York, on November 21,
1923.
CANADA GOOSE, No. 237,947, banded by I.
S. Adams, at La Batture aux Loups Marins,
opposite L’Islet, Quebec, on October 20, 1923, was
shot in the same vicinity, on October 27, 1923.
FLORIDA GALLINULE, No. 296,121, banded
by H.S. Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on Sep-
tember 14, 1923, was captured at a place six miles
from Mayo, Florida, on November 1, 1923.
PHEASANT, No. 224,336, male, banded by G.
D. Sprot, at Mill Bay, Vancouver Island, British
Columbia, on December 20, 1923, repeated at the
same station on February 22, 1924, and was shot
at a place between Shawinigan Lake and Mill Bay,
British Columbia, on November 10, 1924.
CALIFORNIA PARTRIDGE, No. 113,300,
banded by J. A. Munro, at Cedar Hill, Vancouver
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 121
Island, British Columbia, on September 26, 1923,
was found dead at a place three-quarters of a mile
from where it was banded, on or about February
10, 1924.
BLUE JAY, No. 18,623, banded by K. Grant
McDougal, at East Kildonan, Manitoba, on De-
cember 30, 1923, was found dead at a place about
one mile from the banding station, on February
28, 1924. The body of the bird was partly eaten,
probably by an ow! or a cat.
STELLER’S JAY, No. 260,901, juvenile female,
banded by G. D. Sprot, at Mill Bay, Vancouver
Island, British Columbia, on September 26, 1923,
repeated at the same station until November 20,
1923, and was killed in a rat trap in the same
vicinity, on September 12, 1924.
STELLER’S JAY, No. 48,026, banded by G.
D. Sprot, at Mill Bay, Vancouver Island, British
Columbia, on October 25, 1923, repeated at the
same station on November 4, 1923.
MEADOWLARK, No. 216,959, banded by
Reuben Lloyd, at Davidson, Saskatchewan, on
September 22, 1923, caught its toe in a barb wire
fence and wound itself around until it broke its
leg near the joint. The lower part of its leg was
taken off. It was found dead about one hundred
yards from the Banding Station, on May 5, 1924.
It probably died during the fall of 1923.
HARRIS’S SPARROW, No. 26,461, banded by
Eric Kiteley, at Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Sep-
tember 17, 1923, repeated at the same station on
September 19 and 20, 1923.
HARRIS’S SPARROW, No. 26,467, banded by
Eric Kiteley, at Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Septem-
ber 17, 1923, repeated several times at the same
station until September 24, 1923.
HARRIS’S SPARROW, No. 26,469, banded by
Eric Kiteley, at Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Septem-
ber 17, 1923, was recaught at the same station on
September 20, 1923.
HARRIS’S SPARROW, No. 28,166, banded by
Erie Kiteley, at Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Septem-
ber 17, 1923, repeated at the same station until
September 21, 19238.
HARRIS’S SPARROW, No. 28,168, banded by
Hric Kiteley, at Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Septem-
ber 17, 1923, was recaught at the same station on
September 19, 1923.
HARRIS’S SPARROW, No. 28,171, banded by
Eric Kiteley, at Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Septem-
ber 17, 1923, repeated several times at the same
station until September 24, 1923.
HARRIS’S SPARROW, No. 28,172. banded by
Eric Kiteley, at Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Septem-
ber 17, 1923, repeated several times at the same
station until September 19, 1923.
HARRIS’S SPARROW, No. 26,481, banded by
Eric Kiteley, at Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Septem-
ber 18, 1923, repeated at the same station until
September 22, 1923.
HARRIS’S SPARROW, No. 26,490, banded by
Eric Kiteley, at Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Septem-
ber 21, 1923, repeated at the same station until
September 25, 1923.
HARRIS’S SPARROW, No. 26,491, banded by
Eric Kiteley, at Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Septem-
ber 21, 1923, was recaught at the same station on
October 1, 1923.
HARRIS’S SPARROW, No. 26,492, banded by
Eric Kiteley, at Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Septem-
ber 21, 1923, was recaught at the same station on
September 25, 1923.
122
e
HARRIS’S SPARROW, No. 26,493, banded by
Eric Kiteley, at Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Septem-
ber 22, 1928, repeated several times at the same
station until October 3. 28)
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, No. 28,160,
banded by Eric Kiteley, at Winnipeg, Manitoba,
on September 9, 1928, repeated at the same station
on September 11 and 18, 1923.
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, No. 28,162,
banded by Eric Kiteley, at Winnipeg, Manitoba,
on September 10, 1923, repeated several times at
the same station until September 26, 1923.
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, No. 28,164,
banded by Eric Kiteley, at Winnipeg, Manitoba,
on September 10, 1923, repeated several times at
the same station until September 14, 1923.
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, No. 28,163,
immature, banded by Eric Kiteley, at Winnipeg,
Manitoba, on September 10, 1923, repeated several
times at the same station until September 24, 1923,
when it was caught by a stray cat and wounded
beyond recovery
WHITE- THROATED SPARROW, No. 76,011,
banded by K. Grant McDougal, at East Kildonan,
Manitoba, on September 17, 1923, repeated at the
same station until September 22, 1923, when it
was killed by a marauder.
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, No. 26,465,
banded by Eric Kiteley, at Winnipeg, Manitoba,
on September 17, 1923, was recaught at the same
station on September 18, 1923.
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW. No. 26,466,
banded by Eric Kiteley, at Winnipeg, Manitoba,
on September 17, 1928, repeated at the same
station on September 19 and 21, 1923.
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, No. 28,167,
banded by Eric Kiteley, at Winnipeg, Manitoba,
on September 17, 1923, repeated at the same
station until September 20, 1923.
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, No. 28,170,
banded by Eric Kiteley, at Winnipeg, Manitoba,
on September 17, 1928, was recaught at the same
station on September 18, 1923.
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, No. 28,174,
banded by Eric Kiteley, at Winnipeg, Manitoba,
on September 17, 1923, was recaught at the same
station on September 18, 1923.
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, No. 26,473,
banded by Eric Kiteley, at Winnipeg, Manitoba,
on September 18, 1928, repeated at the same
station until September 92, 1923.
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, No. 26,478,
banded by Hric Kiteley,. at Winnipeg, Manitoba,
on September 18, 1923, repeated at the same
station until September 28, 1923.
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, No. 26,479,
banded by Eric Kiteley, at Winnipeg, Manitoba,
on September 18, 1923, was recaught at the same
station on September 19, 1923.
_ WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, No. 26,494,
banded by Eric Kiteley, at Winnipeg, Manitoba,
on September 22, 1923, was recaught at the same
station on September 23, 1923.
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
[VoL. XXXIX
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, No. 26,496,
banded by Hric Kiteley, at Winnipeg, Manitoba,
on September 22, 1923, was recaught at the same
station on September 34, 1923.
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, No. 26,497,
banded by Eric Kiteley, at Winnipeg, Manitoba,
on September 22, 1923, was recaught at the same
station on September 24, 1923.
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, No. 62,778,
immature, banded by Eric Kiteley, at Winnipeg,
Manitoba, on September 27, 1923, repeated several
times at the same station until October 12, 19238,
when it was found dead in the same vicinity.
WHITE-THROAT ED SPARROW, No. 62,783,
immature, banded by Eric Kiteley, at Winnipeg,
Manitoba, on September 29, 1923, repeated several
times at the same station until October 19, 1923,
when it was found dead in the same vicinity.
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, No. 42,767,
banded by R. Lloyd, at Davidson, Saskatchewan,
on October 1, 1923, was recaught at a point two
hundred yards from where it was banded, on Octo-
ber 138, 1923.
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, No. 42,755,
banded by R. Lloyd, at Davidson, Saskatchewan,
on October 2, 1923, repeated at the same station
on October 6, 1923.
JUNCO, No. 33,748, banded by J. A. Munro,
at Colquitz, Vancouver Island, British Columbia,
on November 15, 1923, was recaught at the same
station on November 18, 1923.
JUNCO, No. 38,749, banded by J. A. Munro,
at Colquitz, Vancouver Island, British Columbia,
on November 18, 1923, was killed in a pole-trap
in the same vicinity, on January 14, 1924.
SLATE-COLOURED JUNCO, No. 56,792,
banded by R. W. Tufts, at Wolfville, Nova Scotia,
on September 10, 1923, was recaught i in the same
trap on September 12, 1923.
SLATE-COLOURED JUNCO, No. 59,529,
banded by K. Grant McDougal, at East Kildonan,
Manitoba, on October 4, 1923, was recaught at the
same station on October 6, 1923.
FOX SPARROW,.No. 28,143, banded by K.
Grant McDougal, at East Kildonan, Manitoba,
on October 4, 1923, was recaught at the same
station on October 12, 19232
FOX SPARROW, ‘No. 28,145, banded by K.
Grant McDougal, at East Kildonan, Manitoba,
on October 12, 1923, was recaught at the same
station on October 14, 1928.
CATBIRD, No. 28, 141, banded by K. Grant
McDougal, at East Kildonan, Manitoba, on Sep-
tember 11, 1923, was recaught at the same station
on September 13: 1928.
BROWN THRASHER, No. 18,618, banded by
K. Grant McDougal, at East Kildonan, Manitoba,
on September 9, 1923, repeated twice at the same
station on September 12, 1928.
(Continued in the September issue)
Bi
May, 1925]
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
123
BCOK REVIEW
THE AUK—JULY
THE POLYNESIAN FRUIT PIGEON, Globicera paci-
fica, ITS FOOD AND DIGESTIVE APPARATUS.
By Casey Wood, pp. 433-438, 1 figure.
An anatomical description of the stomach of the
“Nutmeg Pigeon”. Thestomach is not strongly
muscular and in place of the usual hard grinding
plates that most birds use to reduce hard seeds to
pulp, on the inner lining are several rows of horny
cone-like processes. It is explained that it is not
the nutmeg seed itself that is digested but the
softer outer pulp that surrounds the fruit.
Is PHOTOPERIODISM A FACTOR IN THE MIGRATION
OF BirpDS? By G. Eifrig, pp. 439-L44.
Citing cases where experiment has shown that
prolonged illumination has brought plants into
bloom long before their season. Mr. HBifrig
suggests that the varying length of day may be
the direct factor that starts birds migrating. It
is not an altogether new thought. Birds do
migrate more or less by the calender. Though
bad weather may delay their movements their
- arrivals and departures are far more constant than
seasonal conditions. There must be something to
keep the migrating instincts in tune with the sea-
sons. That length of daylight, the proportion of
active feeding hours to those of sleep or rest, may
be a factor in this is quite probable. However it
does not explain all, for one thing, birds wintering
near the equator where day and night are equal
throughout the year. There is an investigation
being carried out in Canada now along these lines
and it would be rash to develope or criticise the
theory until the results are reported.
THE SONG OF THE SONG SPARROW (A SYSTEMATIC
STUDY OF ITS CONSTRUCTION). By Wm. C.
Wheeler and John T. Nichols.
An interesting paper wherein is also presented
another method of graphically representing and
recording songs that has promise for the musically
untrained.
Under General Notes, Page 470, A. L. Gormley
reports the capture of a Fulmar near Arnprior,
Ontario, May 3, 1924. Not only is this the first
record for Ontario but it seems to be the first
noted occurrence of the species anywhere away
from the immediate vicinity of the sea.
Mary Sayle, p. 474-475, fed apple, grape, straw-
berry and cherry seeds to pigeons and found that
none passed the aliamentary tract in condition to
germinate.
O. J. Murie, p. 481, reports Clarke’s Nutcracker
in the Kuskokwim River and the Fairbanks regions,
Alaska, thus extending its known range consider-
ably.
On P. 501 is noted—With Canoe and Camera on
Some Alberta Lakes, by D. A. Henderson, Oologist,
XLI, February, 1924.
THE AUK—OCTOBER 1924
FURTHER NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS ON THE BIRDS
OF HATLEY, STANSTEAD COUNTY, QUEBEC.
By Henry Mousley, pp. 572-589.
This consists of seasonal and specific notes on
this locality that Mr. Mousley has studied so
intensively. He adds twelve species to his pre-
vious lists.
NINTH ANNUAL LIST OF PROPOSED CHANGES IN
THE A.O.U. CHECK-LIST OF NORTH AMERICAN
Birps. By Harry C. Oberholser, pp. 590-595.
These lists of proposed alterations are of great
value to all interested in systematic ornithology as
proposals from widely scattered sources many of
them unavailable to most readers are here brought
together.
NOTES ON THE PURPLE FINCH.
pp. 606-610.
Some valuable results of banding these birds at
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, during the years
1922-1924, with special relation to the changes of
plumage with age. He shows no grounds for the
more or less generally accepted theory that males
revert from the adult crimson plumage into a
yellow or olive one. He believes that it takes at
least four years for the highest crimson plumage
to be assumed. He seems to have special oppor-
tunity for banding Purple Finches and gets
numerous annual returns. It will be interesting
to see what definite facts the next few years will
produce. The puzzling plumages of the Cross-
bills could well be untangled by this method.
Henry Howitt, pp. 614, announced a sight
record of the Golden-winged Warbler at Guelph,
Ontario, May 31, 1924. The species is not un- -
common in the southern part of the province
along Lake Erie, and there is nothing improbable
in its occurrence at Guelph.
Harrison F. Lewis, p. 617, takes exception to
the statement that “‘Omshel”’ is the only common-
ly used vernacular synonym for Robin, as held by
a recent writer, stating that to more than 2,450,000
French Canadians the name ‘Merle’ is in com-
mon usage.
W.L.M. (c Atee) reviews the subject of the rela-
tion between birds and the spread of Foot and
Mouth disease and cites Stockman, S., and Mar-
By M. J. Magee,
124
jory Barnett, Bird Migration and the Introduction of
Foot and Mouth Disease, Journ. Ministry Agr.
(London), 30, No. 8, 1923, pp. 681-695 and a
critique of the same by A. Landsborough Thomp-
son, Bird Migration in Relation of Foot and Mouth
Disease. The latter author does not think that
the conclusions of the former that birds are an
important factor in the spread of this disease are
justified by the evidence presented. W.L.M.
quite agrees with him and cites examples of
hysteria on this continent and states that of some
35,556 infected herds, birds were suspected of
being carriers in but 18 cases. He admits the
possibility, even the probability of birds spreading
the disease in some cases, but the ordinary observa-
tional evidence is very unreliable and adequate
investigation is needed to determine how serious
a factor they are.
The same reviewer quotes, p. 630, A. B. Baird,
Proc. Acadian Ent. Soc., 8, p. 162, 1923, who
credits birds with consuming about 10 per cent of
the Larch Sawfly in New Brunswick.
Pp. 639-641, under Correspondence, is a letter
from A. Landsborough Thompson commenting on
Mr. Eifrig’s Is Protoperiodism a Factor in Bird-
migration? before referred to in these pages. He
is generally favorable to that article but urges
caution in reasoning by analogy from plants to
birds and raises some objections.
Pp. 643-644 contain an obituary to Montague
Chamberlain whose death was noted in a previous
number of The Naturalist.
On P. 648 occurs an editorial on the DuPont de
Nemours Powder Companies campaign against the
Crow. The condemnatory attitude is strong.
Generalizations are made that may have local
point but certainly do not apply to very large
areas of this country. For instance, it is stated
that “Crows are not so numerous now as formerly
nor are they doing so much harm .’ We
have correspondence showing that in the prairie
Provinces, from thirty to fifty years ago, the Crow
was practically unknown, or at least so few in
numbers that they made no impression on the
perceptions or memories of ordinary observers.
To-day they occur in black hordes and certainly
this newly arrived superabundance does constitute
a serious menace to game birds. If the Crow
averages, as a species, over the whole of its range,
agriculturally neutral, which is the strongest argu-
ment that is advanced in its favor, its status now
and in this section is well on the unfavorable side.
As to the feared extermination of the species—that
is too improbable for consideration. That the
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
[VoL. XXXIX
campaign against the Crow does sell some am-
munition for the powder company is no logical
argument against the effort if the results are
otherwise good. We personally think the Crow
is a geographical problem and that those critics who
fail to recognize that fact are as much at fault as
the DuPont people, who fall into the same error.
No better method of discrediting scientific author-
ity can be conceived than for it to make broad
generalizations that are false within the experience _
of a large number of lay observers. It is the old
dispute of the description of the two sides of the
shield but the scientific mind should be the first
to investigate the other side before dogmatizing. —
It must be noted that the above remarks apply
only to the Crow, not to any allied campaign
against other species like hawks, herons, ete.
These latter may also have varying geographical
status, but lie in an entirely different category.
We think conservationists weaken the case for
conservation when they concentrate their heavy
guns in defence of so questionable an object as the
Crow. —P. A. T.
SOME OTHER PUBLICATIONS
Birds and Wild Animals.—List of publications
relating to the above subjects for sale by Super-
intendent of Documents, Washington, D.C.
Price list 29—11th edition. A handy compendium
of papers in print on the above subjects embody-
ing the economic investigations of the United
States Government. The prices range from 5
cents to $1.50 and are little more than nominal.
In The Oologists’ Record, London, V, March,
1925, pp. 16-17, is a letter from T. E. Randall,
Castor, Alta., recounting two peculiar nesting
sites. In one case a nest in North-east Kent,
England, was used for two clutches of Magpie
eggs, two of Kestrel and finally one of Stock Dove,
allin the same season. The other is that of a House
Wren building in the pocket of a coat hanging on
the wall of a boat house at Gull Lake, Alta.
In Natural History, XXV, 1925, pp. 54-57,
appears A Trickster Outwitted, by Chas. Mac-
namara. Describing how the Yellow Warbler
outwitted the Cowbird by building the changeling
egg into the foundation of its nest and raising its
own brood in a new cup above. It is written in
Mr. Macnamara’s usual charming manner. The
only thing that we object to is the statement that
the Cowbird never lays more than one egg in the
same nest. Many of us can recall numerous cases
where they have exceeded this limit.—P. A. T.
si
May, 1925]
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
125
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Inst., Toronto, Ont.
Cowan, Miss EDITH, 97 Stanley Ave.,
Ottawa, Ont.
Cox, Pror. PHILIP, 329 St. John St.
Fredericton, N. B.
Cram, A. S., Lands Patent Branch,
Dept. of Interior, Ottawa, Ont.
Cramp, Miss BE. B., 44 Sussex St.,
Rochdale, Lancashire, England.
Geological Survey,
CRAWFORD, H.: C., Entomological
Branch, Dept. of Agriculture,
Ottawa, Ont.
CRERAR LIBRARY, The Yohn, Chicago,
Tll., U.S.A.
Crews, A. C.,
Toronto, Ont.
CRICKMAY, CHAS., -234—15th St. E.,
N. Vancouver, B.C.
CRIDDLE, NORMAN, Treesbank, Man.
CRIDDLE, STUART, Treesbank, Man.
CROSSLEY, F-., Bashaw, Alta.
CROSBY, < Rhinebeck, N.Y., U.S.A.
CRossy, G Cas Red Deer, Alta.
CUSTANCE, P. cag 6221—19th St. S.E.,
Calgary, Alta.
DAIGNEAU, Dr. P. L., Thetford Mines,
P.Q.
DALE, CHAS. F., 625 Cote St., Antoine
Road, Westmount, P.Q.
DaLe, E. M. &., 297 Hyman S8t.,
London, Ont.
DAVIDSON, PROF. JOHN, Dept. of
Boueny, Univ. of B.C., Vancouver,
B
Dawson, W. H., 35 Delisle Ave.,
Toronto, Ont.
DAvis, T. E., 182 Sussex St., Ottawa,
Ont.
Day, CLAUDE B., Richmond, Cal.
DEAM, CHAS., 108 Main St., Bluffton,
Indiana, U. S.A.
De Lury, Dr. RALPH E., Dominion
Observatory, Ottawa, Ont.
Wesley Building
126
Des Lury, GEORGE, Alliance, Alta.
DeEmpsEY, J. H. C., P.O. Dept., Hamil-
ton, Ont.
DEMETRIO, REV. C. H., Emma, Lafay-
ette, Missouri, U.S.A.
DENNISON, Miss H., 27 Elgin Ave.,
Toronto, Ont.
DENT, Miss E. A., 466 Somerset St.,
Ottawa, Ont.
DE Vany, J. L., Annapolix Royal, N.S.
DEXTER, JOHN SMITH, Univ. of Porto
Rico, Rio Piedras, Porto Rico.
Dice, LEo R., Univ. of Michigan, Ann
Arbor, Mich.
Dickey, D. R., 514 Lester Ave., Pasa-
dena, Cal., U.S.A.
DINGMAN, RUSSELL G., Highland Cres.,
York Mills, Ont.
DosBiz, Mrs. W. J.,
Weston, Ont.
DOooLitTtLE, EB. A., Painsville, Ohio.
DUNLOP, JAS., Woodstock, Ont.
DustTAN, A. G.. Entomological Branch,
Dept. of Agriculture, Birks Bldg.,
Ottawa, Ont.
Dwieut, J. D., 438 West 70th St.,
New York City, N.Y., U.S.A.
Dymonp, J. R., Royal Ont. Museum
of Zoology, Toronto, Ont.
Dyson, J. L., Alexis Creek, Chilcotin,
Glenwyld,
B.C.
EASTHAM, J. W., Court House, Van-
couver, B.C.
Eppy, E. D., 65 Lynwood Ave.,
Toronto, Ont.
EDMONTON PUBLIC LIBRARY, Edmon-
ton, Alta.
Etrric, REv. G., Oak Park, Ill., U.S.A.
EMERTON, J. H., 30 Ipswich St.,
Boston, Mass., U.S.A.
ENTOMOLOGICAL BRANCH LIBRARY,
Birks Bldg., Ottawa, Ont.
EVANS, Miss E. L., e-o Preventorium,
Queen Alexandra Sanatorium,
R.R. No. 7, London, Ont.
EVANS, JOHN D., Trenton, Ont.
FARLEY, F. L., Camrose, Alta.
BARE: H. G., 243 Wright Ave., Toronto,
nt.
FAUTEUX, A®GIDIUS, 349 Rue St.
Denis, Montreal, P.Q.
FAIRBAIRN, H. W., 1318 Bank St.,
Ottawa, Cnt.
FAUVEL, B. A., 321 McLeod St.,
Ottawa, Ont.
FELLOWES, K., Income Tax Office,
Daly Bldg., Ottawa, Ont.
FERRIER, W. F., 52 St. Andrews
Gardens, Toronto, Ont.
FIELD, C. L., 3 Hampton Court, 355
Mountain St., Montreal, P.Q.
FIELD MuseuM, Natural History
Library, Chicago, Ill., U.S.A.
FINNEGAN, F., Tecumseh Ave., London,
Ont.
Fisk, H. H. S., Mount Royal Ins.,
17 John St., Montreal ,P.Q.
FLEcCK, A. W., 500 Wilbrod St.,
Ottawa, Ont.
FLEMING, J. H., 267 Rusholme Road,
Toronto, Ont.
FLETCHER, J. V., 54 Cotswold Road,
Brookline, Mass., U.S.A.
FOERSTE, Dr. AuG. F., 129 Wroe Ave.,
Dayton, Ohio, U.S.A.
FOERSTER, R. E., Vedder Crossing
ForD, Miss Norma, 96 Dunn Ave.,
Toronto, Ont.
Forpyce, G. L., 40 Lincoln Ave.,
Youngstown, Ohio, U.S.A.
Forest, Miss A. M., Queen Alexandra
Sanatorium, R.R. 7, London, Ont.
FRASER, Pror. C. MCLEAN, Univ. of
B.C., Vancouver, B.C.
FYLES, Miss F., Central Exp. Farm.
Ottawa, Ont.
CAEy: F. A., 480 Spadina Rd., Toronto,
nt.
GAGNON, T. P., Thetford Mines, P.Q.
GALVIN, E. R., Sporting Powder Diy.,
E. T. du Pont de Nemours Co.,
Wilmington, Del., U.S.A.
GAME ComM., Harrisburg, Pa., U.S.A.
GAREAU, REv. C. A., Terrebonne, Leto
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
pei srs C. B., Box 512, Cranbrook,
GARTRELL, GEo. N., Summerland, B.C.
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY LIBRARY, Ottawa,
nt.
GILLMAN, Miss, Woodroffe, Ont.
GIBSON, ARTHUR, Entomological Bnch.,
Dept. of Agriculture, Ottawa, Ont.
GIBson, A. R., 199 Heath St. W.,
Toronto, Ont.
GoopRIcH, CALVIN, Newark Star-
Eagle, Newark, N.J., U.S.A.
Gomes LIGNORI, Box 80, Arnprior,
nt.
Goupiz, Miss Marie J., Alexandra
School, Medicine Hat, Alta.
GOULD, Harry, High River, Alta.
GOULD, JAS. F., Commissioner, Game
& Fish Dept., St. Paul, Minn.
GouLpiInc, A. M., Dentonia Park,
East Toronto, Ont.
GRAHAM, M. E.. 33 Baillie St., Hamil-
ton, Ont.
GRANT, Mrs. M. C., 24 Blackburn
Ave., Ottawa, Ont.
GRINNELL, J., Univ. of Cal., Berkeley,
Cal., U.S.A.
Grist, Miss Mary L., 251 Laurier
Ave. E., Ottawa, Ont.
Grou, H. P., Botanical Division, Can.
Exp. Farm, Ottawa, Ont.
Gross, Dr. A. O., Bowdoin College,
Brunswick, Me., U.S.A.
Gunpy, Mrs. S. W., 73 Spadina Rd.,
Toronto, Ont.
Gunby, Mr. N. F., 16 Oriole Rd.,
Toronto, Ont.
HALKETT, ANDREW, 216 Lyon S&t.,
Ottawa, Ont.
HAMBLY, FRED. J., Buckingham, P.Q.
HAMERSLEY, Mrs. W. H., P.O. Box 24,
Hafford, Sask.
HAMILTON, Dr. B. A., Highland Park,
Til., U.S.A.
HAMILTON BIRD Prot. Society, Miss
R. R. Mills, See.-Treas., Public
Library, Hamilton, Ont.
HAMILTON, Miss S., 388 O’Connor St.,
Ottawa, Ont.
HAHN, EMANUEL, 32 Adelaide St. E.,
Toronto, Ont.
HauN, Miss FREYA, 9 Washington
Ave., Toronto, Ont.
HanHAM, A. W., R.M.D., No. 1,
Toronto, Ont.
Harpy, (G2 77A-;
Victoria, B.C.
Harpy, Capt. C. P., 300 Bank of
Hamilton Bldg., Hamilton, Ont.
Hare, C. T., 5 Summerhill Terrace,
Montreal, P.Q.
Harkin, J. B., Dom. Parks Branch,
Ottawa, Ont.
HariLow, R. C., Colgate University,
Hamilton, N.Y., U.S.A.
HARPER, FRANCIS, Zoological Library.
Cornell Univ., Ithaca, N.Y.
HARRINGTON, A. JEROME, 813 Bathurst
St., Toronto, Ont.
HaRRISON, W. J., 81 Montcalm St.,
Hull, P.Q.
HARROLD, C. G., 177 Smith St., Winni-
peg, Man.
Hart, N. C., Western Univ., St.
George St., London, Ont.
Hart, W. S., 252 The Boulevard,
Westmount, P.Q.
HAYDEN, J. E., 652 Belmont Ave.,
Westmount, P.Q.
Hayes, A. O., Room 719, Av. Roque
Pena 567, (Edificio Banco Boston),
Buenos Aires, Argentine.
HENDERSON, A. D., Belvedere, Alta.
HILLGARDNER, GORDON, 27 Fourgette
St., Brockport, N.Y., U.S.A.
HopeGson, ANGUS, 714 Pine Ave.,
Montreal, P.Q.
Houpom, Rev. M. W., The Vicarage,
Surrey Centre, B.C.
HOLLAND, Ray, Editor, "Forest &
Stream,’’ 180 Gaylor St., Lears-
dale, N.Y., U.S.A.
152 Menzies St.,
[VoL. XXXIX
Hotmes, Rost., 24 Isabella St.’
Toronto, Ont. 5
Hou.tain, C. F., Port Hope, Ont.
HoweE.Lit, Miss M. K., Wychwood
Park, Toronto, Ont.
HowEeELL, Mr. Geo., Wychwood Park,
Toronto, Ont.
Howarp, C. K., General Tourist Agent,
C.N.R., Montreal, P.Q.
HUARD, CANON V. A., No. 2 Richelieu
St., Quebec, P.Q.
Hupson, Pror. G. H., 39 Brook St.,
Plattsburgh, N.Y., U.S.A.
Hupson, H. F., Entomological Labora-
tory, Strathroy, Ont.
HuGHES, HERBERT F., Dollard, Sask.
HUNTER, ANGUS, 512 Wellington St.,
London, Ont.
HuntTsMAN, A. G., Biological Dept.,
Univ. of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.
HuRLBuRT, DrR., Civie Hospital,
Ottawa, Ont.
Hurst, Mr. F., 476 Russell Hill Rd.,
Toronto, Ont.
Hutcuines, C. B., Entomological
Branch, Dept. of Agriculture,
Ottawa, Ont.
Hutton, W. S., Geological Survey,
Ottawa, Ont.
INGALL, E. Drew, 129 Cartier St.,
Ottawa, Ont. ~
INGERSOLL, E., 605 Carnegie Hall,
New York, N.Y., U.S.A. j
INGLIs, R. A., Div. of Botany, Experi-
mental Farm, Ottawa, Ont.
INTERNATIONAL INST. LIBRARY, Dept.
of Agriculture, Ottawa, Ont.
JACKES, LYMAN B., Huron St., Toronto,
nt.
JACKSON, H. A. C., 35 Campbell Ave.,
Montreal West, P.Q.
JAMES, Mrs. FREDERICK, Percé, Co.
Gaspé, P.Q. :
JARVIS, GERALD, Bank of Nova Scotia,
Arnprior, Ont.
JENKINS, J. D., Charlottetown, P.E.I.
JEFFERY, Miss C. M., 42 Hayman
Court, London, Ont.
JENNESS, D., Geological Survey, Ot-
tawa, Ont.
JENNINGS, OTTO E., Carnegie Museum,
Pittsburgh, Pa., U.S.A.
JOHANSEN, F., Vittoria St., Ottawa,
Ont.
JoHNSON, A. S. JR., Thetford Mines,
P
JOHNSON, C. E., Geological Survey,
Ottawa, Ont.
JOHNSON, Mrs. G. E., 70 Flora St.,
St. Thomas, Ont.
JouHNSON, M. G., St. Jovite, P.Q.
JONES, NELSON T., RR. No. 2, Port
Stanley, Ont. :
JULIAN, E. J., 575 Patterson St.,
Peterboro, Ont.
KEALEY, Miss Luuu, 14 Blackburn
Ave., Ottawa, Ont.
KeELLy, W. P., 371 Walmer Road,
Toronto, Ont.
KELLEY, REV. N. P., 30 Aberdeen St.,
Quebee City, P.Q.
KENNARD, FREDERIC H., Dudley Rd.,
Newton Centre, Mass., U.S.A.
KINDLE, E. M., Geological Survey,
Ottawa, Ont.
Kine, W. C., 508 Maclaren St.,
Ottawa, Ont.
Kingston, A. C., 108 Argyle Ave.
Ottawa, Ont.
KiTtTo, V., 317 Queen St., Ottawa, Ont.
KIRKE, E., Geological Survey, Wash-
ington, D.C., U.S.A. -
KiucH, Pror. A. B., Queen’s Univ.,
Kingston, Ont.
Kurata, T. B., ’'Arcady,’’ Swansea,
Ont.
La Brig, W., Kamouraska, P.Q.
LAING, H. M., Comox, B.C.
LANCELEY, W. H., 23 Elmdale Ave.,
Ottawa, Ont.
LANGELIER, GuS., Cap Rouge, P.Q.
LAMBERT, Mrs. A. J. F., Carmagh,
Sask. + ae
LAPINE, ANDRE, c-o Brigdens Ltd., 160
Richmond St. W., Toronto, Ont.
May, 1925]
ey JOHN, 58 St. Ursule St., Quebec,
LATCHFORD, Hon. F. R., Osgoode Hall,
Toronto, Ont.
LAUGHLIN, A. W., 87 Elm St., Toronto,
Ont.
Law, MRS. G., 251 Sussex St., Ottawa,
Ont.
Law, J. EUGENE, R.D. 2, Box 629,
Pasadena, Cal., U.S.A.
LAWRENCE, A. G., City Health Dept.,
Winnipeg, Man.
LAWTON, BENJ., Chief Game Warden,
Edmonton, Alta.
LeacH, NORMAN L., Fraser Bldg.,
Ottawa, Ont.
Lees, Miss JESSIE, 120 Riverdale
Ave., Ottawa, Ont.
Less, W. A. D., Camrose, Alta.
LeEIn, A. H., Biological Dept., Univ. of
Toronto, Toronto, Ont.
LEONARD, Mrs. R. W., Springbank,
St. Catherines, Ont.
LERAY, W. J., 154 Booth Avenue,
Toronto, Ont.
Lett, Mrs. R. C. W., 12920 Stoney
Plain Rd., Edmonton, Alta.
LEWIS, HARRISON F., Can. Nat. Parks,
Ottawa, Ont.
Lewis, Mrs. HARRISON F., 58 Gros-
venor Ave., Ottawa, Ont.
LEwIs, GRAcE S., Dom. Bureau Statis-
tics, Ottawa, Oht.
LiBrary, St. Andrew’s College, Toron-
to, Ont.
LIBRARY OF PARLIAMENT, Ottawa, Ont.
Linpsay, R. V., 61 Brookfield St.,
Toronto, Ont.
LIBRARY, Univ. of Kansas, Lawrence,
Kansas, U.S.A.
LuioyD, Pror. F. E., McGill Univ.,
Montreal, P.Q.
ora Hoyes, 406 Queen St., Ottawa,
. nt.
LuioyD, Mrs. WILMotT, 460 Queen St.,
Ottawa, Ont.
Luioyp Lisrary, Cincinnati, Ohio,
LOCHHEAD, Pror. W., MacDonald
College, P.Q.
Lockwoop, R. D., 406 Queen St.,
Ottawa, Ont.
LoGIgr, SHELLY, Royal Ont. Museum,
Toronto, Ont.
LorD, J. S., St. Stephen, N.B.
Low, W. J., 16 Highland Ave., Mont-
real, P.Q.
Lowe, CuHas. W., Dept. of Botany,
Univ. of Man., Winnipeg, Man.
LUNN, HERBERT, Hillier, Ont.
Lyon, W. T., Waukegan, Ill, U.S.A.
MACCLEMENT, PROF. W. T., Queen’s
Univ. Grounds, Kingston, Ont.
MacDonal1D, Rev. G. A. ,215 Sunny-
side Ave., Ottawa, Ont.
MACDONALD, Miss R. H., 38 Herkimer
St., Hamilton, Ont.
MacKay, Dr. A. H., 61 Queen St.,
Dartmouth, N.S.
MaAcLaucauin, Mrs. F. E., 452 Main
St. E., Hamilton, Ont.
MAcNaAmarA, CHAS., Arnprior, Ont.
MACSWEEN, A., 375 Jeanne Mance St.,
Montreal, P.Q.
Macowun, W. T., Experimental Farm,
Ottawa, Ont.
Maces, M. J., 603 South St., Sault
Ste. Marie, Mich.
MAHEUX, GEORGES, Dept. of Agric.,
Quebec City, P.Q.
MALcoiM, Miss E., 124 Herkimer St.,
Hamilton, Ont.
MALTE, Dr. M. O., Geological Survey,
Museum, Ottawa, Ont.
Mann, G. P. G., 163 Northcliffe Ave.,
Montreal, P.Q.
Marcotte, Rev. LEON, St. Charles
Seminary, Sherbrooke, P.Q.
MARSHALL, J. H., 52 Leonard Ave.,
Ottawa, Ont.
MARSHALL, A. G., 15 O’Connor St.,
Ottawa, Ont.
MARTIN-ZEDE, GEO., Directeur de
V’Isle Anticosti, Baie Ellis, Anti-
costi.
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
MartTIN, A. W., C.N.R. Agent, Port
Arthur, Ont.
Mason, W. F. H., Court House,
Edmonton, Alta.
MASSACHUSETTS HorT. Society, 300
Massachusetts Ave., Boston, Mass.
MATHER, KIRTLEY F., Denison Univ.,
Granville, Ohio., U.S.A.
McARTHovR, J. C., Blind River, Ont.
MeCAN: F., 593 Nelson St., Ottawa,
nt.
McCauGHEy, Dr. S. G., 142 Powell
Ave., Ottawa, Ont.
McCu.tocu, Dr. FE. A., 165 St. Clair
Ave. W., Toronto, Ont.
McDonaLp, D., Deputy Minister,
Game & Fisheries Dept., Parlia-
ment Bldg., Toronto, Ont.
McDoueaut, Nem A., Box 175,
Summerside, P.E.I.
McELHINNEY, Dr. M. G.,, 252 Lisgar
St., Ottawa, Ont.
McGILu Univ. Liprary, 65 McTavish
St., Montreal, P.Q.
McGAHEy, PEARL, 193 O’Connor St.,
Ottawa, Ont.
McILWRAITH ORNITH. CLuB, E. M. S.
Dale, Hyman St., London, Ont.
McIntyre, J. G., c-o C.N.R.O., 138
Jackson Bldg., Ottawa, Ont.
McKEoucH, Dr. Gro. T., RR.. No. 1,
Bienheim, Ont.
McLacauin, Dan., Arnprior, Ont.
McLaing, L.S., Entomological Branch,
Dept. of Agriculture, Ottawa, Ont.
McKEnzZIE, Miss K., 41 Fairleigh Ave.
South, Hamilton, Ont.
McKiIntey, Dr. J. N., 94 Inglewood
Drive, Toronto, Ont.
McLEop, J. R., 345 Wortley Road,
London, Ont.
McMILLAN, Dr. G. O., Hamilton
Normal School, Hamilton, Ont.
MERRYWEATHER, E., Wabanum, Alta.
MERRIMAN, R. O., 96 West 2nd St.,
Hamilton, Ont.
MEREDITH, R., 46 Dalhousie St.,
Quebec, P.Q.
MIDDLETON, MRs., 13 Washington
Ave., Toronto, Ont.
MIDDLETON, Miss, 10 McMaster Ave.,
Toronto, Ont.
DE MIFFOoNIs, H., 355¢e Elgin St.,
Ottawa, Ont.
Mee G. A., Normal School, Ottawa,
nt.
MILLER, PRoF. W. G., 21 Howland
Ave., Toronto, Ont.
MILLEN, Miss I.., Hull, P.Q.
MINER, JOHN T., Kingsville, Ont.
MITCHELL, G. M., 92 St. Peter St.,
Quebec, P.Q.
MITCHELL, JAS., Box 49, Ruthilda,
Sask.
MissouRI BOTANICAL GARDEN, St.
Louis, Mo.
Moore, Rev. G. W., D.S.O., 2 Park
Villas, Barnstaple, N. Devon,
England.
Morris, F. J. A., 643 Aylmer St.,
Peterborough, Ont.
Murpry, Mrs. L., 9 Summerhill Ave.,
Montreal, P.Q.
MONTIZAMBERT, Miss TUSTER, 123
Cooper St., Ottawa, Ont.
Morris, Rost. T., 114 East 54th St.,
New York City, N.Y., U.S.A.
Morrow, Miss EpitH, 90 Durocher
St., Outremont, Montreal, P.Q.
Morse, EpwarD S., 12 Linden St.,
Salem, Mass., U.S.A.
Moustey, H., 274 Girouard Ave.,
Notre Dame de Grace, Montreal,
Mounce, Miss I., Central Experi-
mental Farm, Ottawa, Ont.
Munro, J. A., 1060 St. David St.,
Oak Bay, Victoria, B.C.
Murray, Mrs. A., 29 Murray Ave.,
Westmount, P.Q.
Murray, JAs. M., 406 Simcoe St.,
Woodstock, Ont.
MurpPHy, JOHN, 174 McLaren St.,
Ottawa, Ont.
127
MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY,
Cambridge, Mass., U.S.A.
NALDER, R. F., East Kelowna, B.C.
Nasu, C. W., Provincial Museum, St.
James Square, Toronto, Ont.
Nat. His. Soctmty oF MAN., c-o Dr.
A. M. Davidson, 6 Medical Arts
Bldg., Winnipeg, Man.
NELSON, DENYS, Gen. Hospital, Van-
couver, B.C.
NEWTON, H. E., Box 935, Victoria, B.C.
N.Y. BOTANICAL GARDEN, Bronx Park,
New York City, N.Y., U.S.A.
N.Y. STATE ForEStTRY COL., Syracuse,
NEYeS DES. Ae
N.Y. State Liprary, Albany, N.Y.
N.Y. ZOOLOGICAL Society, 185th St. &
Southern Bo., Bronx, New York,
INGY.-; S2A-
NICOLLS, REv. G. J., 7 Gladstone Ave.,
Westmount, P.Q.
NOBERT, JULIAN, Cluny, Alta.
NoRMAL SCHOOL, Brandon, Man.
NoRMAL SCHOOL, Camrose, Alta.
NorMAtL SCHOOL, London, Ont.
NORMAN, ERNEST S., Kalevala, Man.
Norton, Mrs. Harry A., Edgewater
Farm, Ayers Cliff, P.Q.
OBERHOLSER, HARRY C., 2805 18th St.
N.W., Washington, D.C., U.S.A.
O’ DONOGHUE, CHAS. H., Univ. of Man.,
Winnipeg, Man.
Ocitvy, A. S., Civil Service Comm.,
Hunter Bldg., Ottawa.
OLIVER SPANNER & Co., 26 Elm St.,
Toronto, Ont. é
ONTARIO AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE, Lib-
rary, Guelph, Ont.
ORDE, Hon. Mr. JUSTICE, Osgoode
Hall, Toronto, Ont.
OsLER, K.C., H. S., e-o John Murray,
Club House, Port Perry, Ont.
Pack, ARTHUR N., 1214 16th St.,
Washington, D.C.
PARTRIDGE, J. A., 153 Clendennan
Ave., Toronto, Ont.
PATTEN, Dan., Midnapore, Alta.
Payne, F. F., Agricultura] Station,
Paget East, Bermuda.
PatcH, CLYDE L., Geological Survey,
Ottawa, Ont. A
PATTERSON, ARNOTT M., Humberside
Ave., Toronto, Ont.
PATERSON, A. J., 60 Brock Ave.,
Montreal West, P.Q.
PATERSON, T. D., 562 Waterloo St.,
London, Ont.
PATRICK, JAMES, Yorkton, Sask.
PEARSE, THEED, Box 158, Courtney,
B.C
PEARSON, T. GILBERT, 1974 Broadway,
New York, N.Y., U.S.A.
PEMBER, KARL A., Woodstock, Vt.
PEMBERTON, C. C., 606 Sayward Bldg.,
Victoria, B.C. :
PERKINS, E. H., Box 52, Waterville,
Maine, U.S.A. Ss
PERLEY, Mrs. W. B., Ojibway, Essex
Co., Ont.
Puinie, P. B., 220 Broadway, New
York City, N.Y., U.S.A.
PicHer, R. H., Mines Branch, Sussex
St., Ottawa, Ont.
PrERSOL, Pror. W. H., 55 Dunvegan
Rd., Toronto, Ont.
Porsi.pD, Dr. M. P., Disco, Greenland.
Ports, T. J., c-o H. Birks & Sons,
Winnipeg, Man.
PotTER, LAWRENCE B., Gower Ranch,
East End, Sask.
POWELL, DR., 167 College St., Toronto,
Ont.
PREECE, W. H. A., 21 Wellington St.,
Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. :
Preston, Miss I., Central Experi-
mental Farm, Ottawa, Ont.
PRIcE, JOHN H., c-o Price Bros. & Co.
Ltd., Quebec City, P.Q.
Price, Miss E., 27 Irwin Ave., Toron-
to, Ont.
PRINCE, PRoF. E. E., 204 O’Connor St.,
Ottawa, Ont.
PRINGLE, F. D., 273 Wright Ave.,
Toronto, Ont.
128
EROUpEOON Mrs. JOHN, Monkton,
nt.
PuGsLey, E., 8 Ahrens St. E., Kitchen-
er, Ont.
PuGET SOUND BIOLOGICA! STATION, c-o
Univ. of Wash., Seattle, Wash.
DE PUYJALON, L. H., 192 Charlotte St.,
Ottawa, Ont.
QUEBEC SocIETY PROT. BIRDS, Box
1185, Montreal, P.Q.
RAcEyY, KENNETH, 3262 Ist Ave. W.,
Vancouver, B.C.
RancH, R. H., Coleate University,
Hamilton, N. ag WSS)
Rickson, A. O., 264 Bee: Hall Hill,
Montreal, P. Q.
RANDALL, T. T. E., Box 239, Castor, Alta.
Raymo, W. A., 30 St. Mary St., Clark-
son, Toronto, Ont.
RAYMOND, P. E., Harvard Univ.,
Cambridge, Mass.s U.S.A.
REDER, J., R.R. No. 2, Dundas, Ont.
REED, GUILFORD W., Bee Frontenac
St., Kingston, Ont. °
REED, MONTAGUE, 2660 Park Ave.,
Apt. 11, Montreal, P.Q.
REFORD, Mrs. K. S., 260 Drummond
Ave., Montreal, P.Q.
REYNOLDS, Dr., 445 Colborne St.,
London, Ont.
RoBB, WALLACE H., Cazenovia, N.Y.
ROBERTSON, A. D., Western Univ.,
London, Ont.
ROBERTSON, CARL T., 1626 Hollyrood
Rd. N., Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A.
ROBERTSON, C. N., c-o Ross Realty
Co., Room 805 Lewis Bldg., St.
John St., Montreal, P.Q.
Rocers, Miss M., 11 Fourth Ave.,
Ottawa, Ont.
Roper, Rt. REv. J. C., 140 Bay St.,
Ottawa, Ont.
Best Miss E. G., Box 34, Pakenham,
nt.
Ross, F. Donaup, P.O. Box 370,
Quehec, P.Q.
Ross, R. B. JR., 367 Metealfe Ave.,
Westmount, P.Q.
Roper, A. W., 254 Oliver Ave., West-
mount, P.Q.
Ross, W. A., Vineland Station, Ont.
ROWAN, WM., University of Alberta,
Edmonton, Alta.
Rowe: T.C., 27 Gwynne Ave., Ottawa,
nt.
RoyAL CANADIAN INSTITUTE, 198
College St., Toronto, Ont.
Buse M. L., 224 Driveway, Ottawa,
nt.
RUSSELL, G. DINGMAN, 98 Woodlawn
Ave., Toronto, Ont.
SIsteR RutuH, A.S.Y.D., St. John’s
Convent, Major St., Toronto, Ont.
SAmpsoN, D. A., Fertile P.O., Sask.
SANSON, N. B., Banff, Alta.
SATTERLY, J., 269 Davenport Rd.,
Toronto, Ont.
SAVAGE, JAS., Athletic Club, Buffalo,
N.Y., U.S.A
Sarue E., Victoria Museum, Ottawa,
nt.
STATTEN, TAYLOR, 14 McMaster Ave.,
Toronto, Ont.
SAUNDERS, W. E., 240 Central St.,
London, Ont.
SAYLOR, L. G., Kelowna, B.C.
SCHANTZ, ORPHEUS M., 10 South
Lasalle St., Chicago, Ill, U.S.A.
Scott, R. Brucn, 214 Poplar Plains,
Toronto, Ont.
Scott, Rev. C. T., 127 Westminster
Ave., Toronto, Ont.
Scotr, C. W., 2760 Hutchison St.,
Montreal, P.Q.
Scott, Miss Mary McK., 183 Waver-
ley St., Ottawa, Ont.
ScoUe, Ws L., 383 Stewart St., Ottawa,
nt.
SEATH, L. A., 329 Victoria Ave., West-
mount, P.Q.
SEQUIN, C., Haileybury, Ont.
SETON, Ernest T., Lake Ave., Green-
wich, Conn., U.S.A.
SHAW, J. A., 448 Lansdowne Ave.,
Westmount, P.Q.
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SHaw, W. T., State College, Washing-
ton, Pullman, Wash.
SHEPPARD, R. W., 24 John St., Niagara
Falls, Ont.
SHERMAN, Miss A. R., National, via
McGregor, Iowa, U.S.A.
SHIRAS 3RD, GEO., Stoneleigh Court,
Washington, D.C.
SHuTt, F. T., Central Exp. Farm,
Ottawa, Ont.
SIFTON, Dr. H. B., 10 Rathnally Ave.,
Toronto, Ont.
SincLaIr, D. M., Red Deer, Alta.
SMALL, Dr. H. B., 150 Laurier Ave. W.,
Ottawa, Ont.
SMARDON, Miss S. L., 369 Redfern
Ave., Westmount, P.Q.
SmitH, A. G., Wainwright, Alta.
SMITH, FRANK, Natural History Bldg.,
Urbana, Il), U.S.A.
SmITH, HARLAN L., Geological Survey,
Ottawa, Ont.
SmiTH, NAPIER, c-o Bank of Montreal,
Verdun, P.Q.
SNELL, C. H., Red Deer, Alta.
SNYDER, L. LS Royal Ont. Museum of
Zoology, Toronto, Ont.
SOCIETE PROVANCHER D’HISTOIRE
NATURELLE DU CANADA, Jos.
Matte, Sec.-Treas., 18 Ave. Mais-
onneuve, Quebee City, P.Q.
OPER, J. D., 10527 85th Ave., Edmon-
ton, Alta.
SowTEerR, T. W. E., Cont. Surveyors
Office, Dept. of Interior, Ottawa,
Ont.
Speck, F. G., Univ. of Pennsylvannia,
Museum, Univ. of Pa., Philadel-
phia, Pa.
SPEECHLY, Dr. H .M., 209 Enderton
Bldg., Winnipeg, Man.
SPREADBOROUGH, WM., 859 Phoenix
St., Victoria, B.C.
SPENCER, J. G., Dept. of Zoology,
Univ. of B. G., Vancouver, B.C.
Sprot, G. D., R.M.D. Cobble Hill,
Vancouver Island, B.C.
SquirES, Mrs. NaTHAN C., Frederic-
ton, N.B.
STALKER, MArRy,
Montreal, P.Q.
STATE COLLEGE OF WASHINGTON,
Pullman, Wash., U.S.A.
STAPLES, OWEN, Hogarth Ave., Toron-
to, Ont.
STEPHEN, REV. Bro., Longueil, P.Q.
STERNBERG, Cuas. M., Geological
Survey, Ottawa, Ont.
STEVENS & Brown, 4 Trafalgar Sq.,
London, England.
STEWART, D. D. A., Ninette, Man.
STEWART, Mr. JOHN, 28 South St.
Halifax, N.S.
STEWART, D. D. A., Ninette, Man.
STEWART, R. M., Dom. Observatory,
Ottawa, Ont.
STEWART, RONALD, Comox, B.C.
Stour, Rev. M. L., St. Alexander
College, Ironside, 12{8).
STRANG, Y. Ross, 282 Grande Allée
Quebec City, P. Q.
STRICKLAND, E. H., Univ. of Alberta,
Edmonton, Alta.
SWALES, B. H., ‘U.S. National Museum,
Division of Birds, Washington,
D.C., U.S.A.
Swirt, H. F., 110A Grand Boulevard,
Notre Dame de Grace, Montreal,
P.Q.
Symes, P. B., 338 Kent St., Ottawa,
Ont.
17 Essex Ave.,
TatuaM, C. O., Editor, “Rod & Gun,”’
Woodstock, Ont.
TAVERNER, P. A., Geological Survey,
Ottawa, Ont.
Taytor, A. W., 68 Yale St., St.
Catherines, Ont.
TayLor, L. E., Kelowna, B.C.
TEMPLE, PETER, 438 Gladstone Ave.,
Toronto, Ont.
TERRILL, LEwis M., 44 Stanley Ave.,
St. Lambert, P.Q.
TuHackerR, T. L., Little Mountain,
Hope, B.C
[VoL. XX XIX
THE LIBRARY, Geological Museum,
Oslo, Norway.
TuHoMa~S, R. M., 298 Garry St., Winni-
peg, :
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Toronto, Ont.
THOMSON, PrRor. R. B., Botanical
Laboratories, Univ. of Toronto,
Toronto, Ont
THORNE, H. M., 0 McGill St., Mont-
real, P.Q.
THURSTON, J., 613 7th Ave. W.,
Calgary, Alta.
TISDALE, PAUL, Kenton, Man.
TopLey, Mrs. W. J., 272 Somerset St.,
Ottawa, Ont.
TORONTO FIBLD-NATURALISTS’ CLUB,
W. Gregory, 151 Ellsworth
Ave., Toronto, Ont.
TOWNSEND, Dr. CHas. W., 98 Pinck-
ney St., Boston, Mass.
Turts, R. W., Wolfville, N.S.
TURNBULL, J. F., Box 1097, North
Bay, Ont
48th Ave. West,
TURNBULL, Th. D.,
Vancouver, B.C.
TYRRELL, J. iB. Room 534, Confedera-
tion Life Bldg., Toronto, Ont.
U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE LIBRARY,
Washington, D.C., U.S.A.
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Dept. of Interior, Washington,
D.C., U.S.A. :
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ley, Cal., U.S.A.
UNIV. OF CHIcaco, Gene Library,
Chicago, Ill., U.S
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bridge, Mass., U.S.A.
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Ill., U.S.A
Univ. LAVAL BIBLIOTHEQUE, Quebec
City, P.Q.
UNIV. OF MANITOBA LIBRARY, Kennedy
Street, Winnipeg, Man.
UNIV. oF MICHIGAN LIBRARY, Ann
Arbor, Mich., U.S.A.
UNIV. OF MONTREAL, Botanical Laby.,
St. Denis St., Montreal, P.Q.
UNIV. OF PENNSYLAVNNIA, The Library
34th St. & Woodland Ave.,
Philadelphia, Pa., U.S.A.
UNIV. oF OHIO, The Library, Columbus
Ohio, U.S.A.
Univ. oF ToRONTO, The Library,
Toronto, Ont.
UNIV. OF TORONTO, Dept. of Geology,
Toronto, Ont.
VANCOUVER Nat. His. SOCIETY, c-o
C. F. Connor, 3529 2nd Ave. W.,
Vancouver, B.C.
VAN Horne, Miss, 513 Sherbrooke St.
W., Montreal, P.Q.
VEBERT, E. P., 40 Robert Ave., Outre-
mont, P.Q.
WaILes, G. H., 43837 Willow St.,
Vancouver, B.C.
WALLING, EVERETT L., Commissioner
of Birds, 1022 Hospital Trust
Bldg., Providence, R.I., U.S.A.
WALKER, BRYANT, 1306 Dime Bank
Bldg., Detroit, Mich., U.S.A.
WALKER, Dr. F. M., 67 Alcina Ave.,
Toronto, Ont.
WALTER, MRs. E. F., 626 Victoria Ave.,
Westmount, P.Q. :
WALSHAW: KENNETH, Grenfell P.O.,
ask.
WARDELL, Miss E. B., 94 Gloucester
St., Toronto, Ont.
WARREN, Dr. B. H., 220 West Market
St., Westchester, Pa., U.S.A.
WARWICK, F. W., 36 Blenheim Road,
Galt, ‘Ont.
WASHINGTON STATE COLLEGE, Pull-
man, Wash., U.S.A.
WATSON, EH. B., Entomological Branch,
Dept. of Agriculture, Birks Bldg.,
Ottawa, Ont.
Wuite, Ep. F. G., 185 Wurtemburg
St., Ottawa, Ont.
Wuitr, G. R., 185 Wurtemburg St.,
Ottawa, Ont.
May, 1925]
WHITAKER, R. J., Grand Lake, Nfld.
WHITE, JAS., Snelgrove, Ont.
WuHitk, J. H., Faculty of Forestry,
Univ. of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.
Waite, Mrs. P. B., 72 Fifth Ave.,
. Ottawa, Ont.
WHITEHEAD, A. B., 302 Grande Allée,
Quebec City, P.Q.
WHITEHOUSE, F. C., Can. Bank Com.,
Nelson, B.C
WIickHAM, Pror. H. F., State Univ.,
Iowa City, Iowa, U.S.A.
WILLEY, Pror. ARTHUR, McGill Univ.,
Montreal, P.Q.
WILLIAMs, Dr. M. Y., Univ. of B.C.,
Vancouver, B.C.
Witson, Miss ALicE E., Geological
Survey, Ottawa, Ont.
“WILSON, Miss E., Acacia Ave., Rock-
cliffe, Ottawa, Ont.
WILSON, F. H., 26 McGregor St.,
Montreal, P.Q.
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
WILLIAMS, C., 310 Brunswick Ave.,
Toronto, Ont.
WINCH, F., Sporting Powder Div., E.
T. du Pont de Nemours Coy.,
Wilmington, Del., U.S.A.
WINCHESTER, H. S., 35 Willard Ave.,
Ottawa, Ont.
WINSON, J. W., Huntingdon, B.C.
WINTEMBURG, W. J., 32 Grosvenor
Ave., Ottawa, Ont.
meer: A. A., R.R. No. 2, Ilderton,
nt.
Woop, C. RoDNEY, Magomba Estate,
P.O. Cholo, Nyasaland, Africa,
via Cape Town.
Woop, Miss KinG, 29 Alcina Ave.,
Toronto, Ont.
Woop, Cou. WM., 59 Grand Allée,
Quebec City, P.Q.
WOOLCOMBE, ReEv. G. P., Ashbury
College, Rocekcliffe Park, Ont.
OME: Wo., 102nd St., Edmonton,
Alta.
129
Wricut, A. H., Zoological Dept.,
Cornel Univ., Ithaca, N.Y., U.S.A.
WRIGHT, HaRLow H., 568 Mclaren
St., Ottawa, Ont.
WRIGHT, J. FRANK, Victoria Mem.
Museum, Ottawa, Ont.
Wricut, Miss Etta, 176 Lansdowne
Rd., Rockcliffe Park, Ottawa, Ont.
WRicutT, Miss S. E., 317 Queen St.,
Ottawa, Ont.
YEOMANS, Miss N. A., 137 Isabella St.,
Toronto, Ont.
YOUNG, REV. C. J., 1726 Fifth Ave. W.,
Vancouver, B.C.
YOUNG, C. H., Victoria Mem. Museum,
Ottawa, Ont.
ZOOLOGICAL MusEuM, Oslo, Norway.
ZOOLOGICAL MUSEUM, Copenhagen,
Denmark.
ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY, LONDON, Regents
Park, London N.W., England.
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_ NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF
_ MANITOBA
1924
V. W. JAcKSON; President: J. J. GOLDEN;
ce-Presidenitss H. M. SpmEEcHLY, A. M. DAVEE ON, A. G
LAWRENCE, NORMAN CRIDDLE; Mrs. C. BASTIN, Mrs.
_C. P. ANDERSON; General Secretary: A. A. Mobaoanay 307
€ R. Depot, Winnipeg, Man.; Executive Secretary: R. M.
‘THOMAS; Treasurer: MisS HELEN R. CANNOM; ORNITH-
OLOGIGAL SECTION:—Chairman: B. W. CARTWRIGHT;
_ Secretary: C. L. BROLEY. ENTOMOLOGICAL SECTION:
_ =Chairman: A. V. MITCHENER; Secretary: A. SHIRLEY
ROOKS. BOTANICAL SECTION :—Chairman: C. W. LoWE;
Secretary: Miss GRACE CAMERON. GEOLOGICAL SEC-
pe, harman: A. A: McCousrey; Secretary: J. M.
a. Presideni:
THE HAMILTON BIRD PROTECTION
SOCIEFY _
(Incorporated)
‘on. Presideni: Mr. ADAM BROWN; President: Mr. R. O
ARRIMAN; 1st Vice-President: DR. H. G. ARNOTT; 2nd Vice-
resident: Mr. C. D. Cook; Secretary-Treasurer: Miss RUBY
-R. Mitts, Public Library, Hamilton; Directors: Dr. H. G.
A NOTT; C. D. Coox; Dr. J. A. DICKSON; Miss M. E. GRA-
Miss Rupy R. MIs; M. Horton; M. JOHNSTON;
‘ RS. F. E, MAcLocHuin; R. O. MBRRIMAN.
TURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF BRITISH
COLUMBIA, VICTORIA, B.C.
- The a fticdcs for the above Society for the year ending
parc 3ist, 1925, are as follows:—
i "Rev. R. CONNELL, M.A.; 1st Vice-President:
e N. Key; 2nd Vice-President: Mrs. HUGH MACKENZIE;
‘Hon. Secretary: HAROLD T. NATION; Hon. Treasurer: MIss
S.M. THORNTON; Committee: G. A. HARDY, C. C. PEMBERTON,
a CorNWwALL F.R. G.S., A. R. SHERWOOD, H. Boyce; Audi-
tors: Miss aes, M.Sc., WILLIAM Downss.
)
ALBERTA NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY
‘Hon. President: Mr. J. J. GAETZ, Red Deer, Alta.; Hon. Vice
President: Dr. Hy. GEORGE, Victoria, B.C.; President:
C. H. SNELL, Red Deer, Alta.; ist Vice-President: Mrs.
A. CASSELS, Red Deer, Alta.; 2nd Vice-President: MR. S.
BLY,
skiwin, Alta.; Mrs. J. McMiLian, Red Deer, Alta.; Miss BE.
C. Irvine, Red Deer, Alta.; Mr. F. L. FARLBY, ’ Camrose,
a.; Mr. W.A. CASSELS, Red Deer, Alta.; Mr. B. LAWTON,
monton, Alta.; Mr. K. BowMAN, Edmonton, Alta.; PROF.
Rowan, Univ. of Alta., Edmonton, Alta.; Mr. W. F.
tRIS, Eed Deer, Alta.; Mr. T. BE. RANDALL, Castor, Alta.;
A. C. BRETHOUR, Calgary, Alta.; Hon. Sec-Treas.:
M RS. S. PAMELy, Red Deer, Alta.
he meetings of this Society are held in Red Deer on the
Friday of each month except during July and August and
aps September, The annual meeting is held in Red Deer
e last Friday in November. ~
LONDON, ONT.
> T. D. PaTTERSON, 562 Waterloo Street; Recording
y: Mrs. E. H. McKong, Worthey Road; Correspond-
cretary and Treasurer: E. M.S. DALE, 297 Hyman St.;
ers qualified to answer questions: W. E. SAUNDERS, 240
Ave.; C. G. WATSON, oe Ridout St. South; J. R
D, 355 Wortley Road; J. F. CALVERT, 461 Wecasen
}. M. S. DALE, 297 Hyman St.
J
“OUVER NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY
? . President: L. S. KuInck, L.L.D., Pres. University of B.C.;
e mt: JOHN DAVIDSON, F.L.S., University of B.C.; Vice-
FRED Perry; Hon. Secretary: C.F. Connor, M. oe
5 2nd Ave., Vancouver, B.C.; Hon. Pua A. H
LIN, 302 -¥ ork St., Vancouver, B. C.
~
ed Deer, Alta.; Directors: Mrs. G .F. Root, Weta-
Affiliated Societies
PROVINCE OF QUEBEC SOCIETY FOR THE
PROTECTION OF BIRDS
Hon. President: I. GAMMEL; Hon. Vice-President: W. H. RoBB;
President: L. McI. TERRILL; 1st. Vice-President: NAPIER
SmitH; 2nd. Vice-President: E. ARNOLD; $rd. Vice-President
and Curator: Miss E. G. LUKE; Se a Secretary: Miss H.
STONE; Corresponding Secretary: W. Hart, P.O. Box 1186,
Montreal, P.Q.; Treasurer: HENRY Sees Committee:
Miss M. ARMITAGE, Miss E. BENNET; MR. AND Mrs. C.F.
DALE; H. A. C. JACKSON; Miss E. Monnow; Miss L. MURPHY;
A, MACSWEEN; G.S. Mooney; WwW. A. OSWALD; L. Mel.
SPACKMAN; Mrs. W. W. WALKER; Dr. ARTHUR WILLEY;
Members qualified to answer questions: L. MclI. TERRILL,
44 Stanley Ave., St. Lambert, Que.; NAPIER SMITH,
Bank of Montreal, Verdun, Que., E. ARNOLD, 64 Durocher St.,
Montreal; W. A. OSWALD, 301 Wilson Ave., N.D.G., Montreal;
C. N. ROBERTSON, c-o Ross Realty Co., Room 805, Lewis
Bldg., St. John St., Montreal, Que.; Dr. ARTHUR WILLEY,
McGill University, Montreal; HENRY Mous.Lby, 274 Girouard
Ave., N.D.G., Montreal, P.Q.; Miss EDITH MORROW AND
Miss EMILy LUKE, c-o Secretary.
SOCIETE PROVANCHER D’HISTOIRE
: NATURELLE DU CANADA
Bureau de direction pour 1923
Eee en DocTEuUR S. GAUDREAU; Jer vice-président: ABBE
A. VACHON, M.A.; 2éme vice-président: A.-R.-M. BOULTON;
Secrétaire-trésorier: Louis-B. Lavotz; Chef de la section
scientifique: A.-A. GopBouT; Chef de la section de propaganda
éducationelle: DocTEUR A. DreRy; Chef de la section de pro-
tection: R. MEREDITH, N.P.; Chef de la section d’information
scientifique et pratique: DOCTEUR J.-E. BERNIER; Directeura:
R.-F. LINDSAY; Jos. MattH; G.-S. AHERN.
THE BRITISH COLUMBIA ORNITHOCLO-
. GISTS’ UNION
Officers for 1923
Hon. President: Hon. MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, Victoria;
President: FRANCIS KERMODE, Provincial Museum, Victoria;
Vice-President: T. L. THACKER, Hope; Secretary-Treasurer:
J. W. WINSON, Huntingdon; Directors: J. A. MUNRO, Okana-
gan Landing; Dr. KELSO, Arrow Lakes; R. GLENDENING,
Agassiz; K. Racry, Vancouver; T. PEARSE, Courtenay;
W.N. KELLY, Victoria.
THE TORONTO FIELD-NATURALISTS’
CLUB
PROFESSOR R. B. THomson; Vice-Presidents:
PROFESSOR E. M. WALKER, Dr. A. COSENS, J. H. FLEMING;
Secretary: W. F. GrmeGoRY, 151 Ellsworth Ave., Toronto;
Treasurer: F. H. BRIGDEN; Honorary Librarian: C. W. NASH:
Iibrarian: Dr. LYMAN JACKES. BIRD GROUP:—
Chairman: STUART THOMPSON; Secretary: JAMES BAILLIE.
FLOWER GROUP :—Chairman: Dr. H. B. Sirton; Secretary:
Miss J. G. WRIGHT, PH.D.; INSECT GROUP:—Chairman:
President:
\PROFESSOR WALKER; Sceretary: Miss NORMA ForD, PH.D.
MAMMAL GROUP: :—Chairman: J. R. DYMOND; Secretary:
L. SNYDER. REPTILE, FISH AND AMPHIBIAN GRO
—Chairman: SHILLEY "LOGIER: Secretary: T. B. KURATA.
PROGRAM COMMITTEE:—Chairman: Dr. W. A. CLEM-
ENs. WILD LIFE PRESERVATION COMMITTEE:—
Chairman: RussELL G. DINGMAN. EDUCATIONAL COM-
MITTEE:—Chairman: TAYLOR STATTEN.
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.
a
Sweet Canada
Eleven Bird Songs and a Round
by
Louise Murphy
Author of ‘‘A Little Book of Bird Songs,
Rhymes and Tunes for Tiny Tots’’
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igen OCT 13 1925:
SEPTEMBER, 1925
_ VOL. XXXIX, No. 6
SVORALISTS CLUB
; Entered at the Ottawa Post Office as second-class matter
THE OTTAWA FIELD- ELD-NATURALISTS’ CLUB
pee | x
THEIR EXCELLENCIES}THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL AND THE LADY BYNG OF
Vi pa eee G. A. MILLER. ae
1st Vice-President: Noman, vis Ce 2nd Vice-President: Dig: nM ND:
Secretary: — Vj CRP Ste ‘ _ Hon. Treasurer: ox ee ed
Ajo 8. WRIGHT, hts ait ie fe Se ; B. A. FAUVEL, é
148 Third Ave. (le D CVE @ ~ 321 McLeod St.,
Ottawa, Ont. ants Ottawa, Onty
Additional Members of Council: W.T.Macoun; Miss M. E. Cowan; C.M. Greuneee
P. A. TAVERNER; E.SAPIR; W.J. WINTEMBERG; R. E. DELURY: ARTHUR GIBSON;
R.M. ANDERSON; 18 GROH; Miss F. FYLES; C. B. HUTCHINGS: CLYDE L. PatcH; H
D. JENNEsS; H. F. LEwis; Hoyes LLOYD; Frits J OHANSEN; ANDREW HALKETT; C. E.
G. R. Wits; E. G. WHITE: G. i MACDONALD: A. G. KINGSTON: NoRMAN LEACH;
McELHINNEY: V.W. JACKSON; R. O. MERRIMAN; W.N. KELLY; C. H. SNELL; I R.
JoHN Davipson; L. McI. TERRILL; R. MEREDITH; FRANCIS KERMODE; R. B. THoMSO}
Acting Editor:
G. A. MILLER,
Normal School, Ottawa.
Associate Editors: — ‘ Prue
VSN TR Se tena bd a oteaenn Anthropology A. G. HUNTSMAN......... ... Marine
IOS NDAMID RH Ae ce OR reas aevinee Botany PA, PAVERNER: fo. 5. eee Onna
Riek MUATCHPORD. ok Lak mersak Conchology IV SRSIIN DE eee ase i ta ali
VNR AIISE Ste hihi aie ee aie gents Geology REM ANDERSON. 3s. 3 aes
ARTHUR GIBSON.........- Sasi Entomology CLYDE LL; PATGH V4.2 a ee ea
CONTENTS
Field Studies ag Growth Forms of Some of the Native Trees of the Environment of Vietori
By C) CPemberton, Victoria, Bi. 2 2uii it vi, mnie er ee ne
The Acclimatization of the Fox Squirrel at Pelee Island, Ontario. By Hoyes Lloyd...... pei
Further Notes on Canadian Freshwater Isopods and Amphipods. By Frits Johansen...
The Spider Collections of F. W. Waugh. By J. H. Emerton..........................
A Pleistocene Fauna from the South-Western Mainland of British Columbia. By C. H. Criekmay
The Weasels of Southern Manitoba. By Norman and Stuart Criddle CE aiSie Cee ane ue onal than Ea las i
In Memoriam—James Ballantyne.............-.---. SON Car Ne ce Ae ‘sn ee eae
Notes and Observations:— . : | (ee
Unusual Form of Trillium Senate. ay W.E. Saunders lenin. = ene gc deapae:
The Increase and Present Status of the Starling (Sturnus palaces) at Toronto, 1925. ‘By
Lal. Snyder and Jas. te) Baillie imo. a ae aa hod SM Rok eT SN aaa ,
‘The Frog Eats the Bird. By Clyde L. Patch............ SHOR: RR a ol
A Duplex Nest of the Phoebe. By W.E.Saunders................:......- Br i
The Hooded Warbler (Wilsonia citrina) in Ontario. By Jas. L. Baillie, dir Se ee
The Introduction of the Muskrat and the Rocky Mountain Goat on Vancouver Island.
By Hoyes lloyds sis vice as ek rene ee UR Ca REA: Sete
Canadian Field-Naturalist Publication Fund—Statement.of Receipts. . eee, 3 sae) bi e reuke
Victoria Memorial Museum—Field Programme, 1925...................... Se eee 162
The official publications of THE OTTAWA Hiauh NAPOU Ae CLuB have. been issued —
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of the results of original research in all departments of Natural History.
OCT 13 1925
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The Canadian Field-Naturalist
VOL. XXXIX
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, SEPTEMBER, 1925
No. 6
FIELD STUDIES OF GROWTH FORMS OF SOME OF THE NATIVE TREES
OF THE ENVIRONMENT OF VICTORIA, B.C. 3
By C. C. PEMBERTON,
Victoria, B.C.
TWINING FIRS
A remarkable habit has lately appeared in the
fir trees of the districts surrounding Victoria, B.C.
It consists of a twining movement whereby the
stem: of one fir winds around that of another in
the manner of an ordinary twiner. Several
instances of this nature have been observed both
in Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga taxifolia |Poir] Britt.)
and Grand fir (Abies grandis, Lindley).
Figure No. 1. I obtained the photograph of
the two firs shown in this figure many years ago
when I first endeavoured to assemble photographic
studies of the growth forms of our native trees.
At that time I saw no other instance of anything
approaching a twining movement in any of the
coniferous trees of this neighbourhood.
_ Figure No. 2. Some months ago, however,
Mr. L. A. Breun drew the attention of the Natural
History Society of British Columbia to a curious
instance of apparent twining in a small Douglas
fir tree close to the excavation for the new Dry
Dock now nearing completion at Esquimalt.
Here a slender Douglas fir had bent sharply over
to the right and gradually circled upward around
the stem of a larger Douglas fir which had been
growing close to it. After completing the circle
the rotating movement continued at a much
sharper curve for about three quarters of the
distance around the trunk of the larger tree and
the twiner then assumed vertical growth. In this
specimen the encircling movement, though on a
large scale, is much more like an ordinary twiner
than in the grand firs shown in Figure No. 1, and
I felt convinced that it was a genuine instance of
twining. Since the excavation operations for the
dock have commenced, the two firs have died.
FIGURE No. 3. Being fully satisfied that both
the instances depicted in Figure No. 1 and Figure
No. 2 were actual cases where a twining movement
had taken place, I sought for other evidences of
the phenomenon. Not far from the dock I found
the specimen shown in Figure No. 3, in which,
although the twining movement is present, it is
not very pronounced. A young Grand fir appar-
ently had made a partial twine to the left around
the stem of a larger tree, which in this case was a
Douglas fir. The top of the twiner was evidently
soon killed by the excessive shade from the more
sturdy Douglas fir and at first it seemed as if the
whole tree had been killed. Quite recently, how-
ever, a young lateral branch which apparently is
of adventitious origin has sprung from the lower
part of the twiner and is thriving. This seems to
prove that the lower portion of the twining tree
which is now exposed to lateral illumination has-
remained vital and this retention of vitality may
be due to root graft with a large foliage possessing
Grand fir which is situated to the right hand of
the picture. The adventitious branch is quite
small and does not show in the illustration.
FIGURE No. 4 In the same neighbourhood I
also observed another example of a partial twining
movement in Grand fir trees. This is depicted in
Figure No. 4, and has several peculiar features.
The twiner and its support have apparently a
common base and seem originally to have formed
one tree. The twiner first takes a slight turn to
the right. Afterwards it swings over to the left
and evidently in its effort to effect a twining move-
ment it pressed against the trunk of the larger tree
so tightly that graftage ensued. From this point
a ridge running up the stem of the larger tree
seems to indicate that the leader of the twiner
must have grown vertically along the stem of the
support and, becoming grafted as it proceeded, was
finally enveloped by the girth increment of the
larger tree. Then, at the point where the graftage
started, another leader, which may be either an
adventitious shoot or a substitute branch leader,
had apparently endeavoured to continue to twine.
The shade from the forest seems to have killed
this new leader for it is now dead and decadent as
far down as the point of graftage where it com-
menced. The stem of the original twiner, however,
remains vital below this graft down to where it
springs from the base. There is also a stub of
another stem which evidently once grew out from
the common base but was subsequently cut off. The
stub, however, remains vital and is in process of
132
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
[VoL. XXXIX
TWINING
FIGuRE No. 1.—Grand fir.
another tree of the same species.
being healed over by a callus formation from the
parent tree. The explanation of the multiple
leader formation may be that it is a case where
the leader of the young fir was destroyed and the
lower branches all tried to become substitute
leaders. (See The Canadian Field Naturalist, Vol.
XXXIX, No. 5, Fig 5, p. 99, Fig 6, p. 100.)
One of them may have dominated and now
form the trunk around which the twiner has
Abies Grandis, Lindley.
FIRS
Twine to the left by one Grand fir around
The ’’Gorge Park”’, Victoria, B.C.
.tried to circle. The twiner, in that case, would be
one of the competing branches which, being out-
distanced in the vertical race, resorted to twining.
The stub probably belonged to another competing
branch which was also being left behind in the
vertical race at the time it was cut away.
FIGURE 5 AND FIGURE 5a. In the woodland
portion of the new Inter-Municipal Burial Park at
Royal Oak, in the Saanich Municipality, I have
September, 1925]
TWINING FIRS
FicuRE No. 2.—Douglas fir. Pesudotsuga
taxifolia’ (Poir) Britt. Remarkable twine to
the right by a small Douglas fir round the
trunk of a larger tree of the same species.
Dry Dock, Esquimalt, B.C.
recently seen two more specimens of Douglas fir
showing a twining characteristic. One of these is
shown in Figures Nos. 5 and 5a. Figure No. 5
represents the trees as seen when looking to the
eastward. In this the twiner starts on the left.
It grows vertically for a short distance. Then it
takes a sharp turn to the right and winds tightly
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 133
around the stem of the supporting fir to which it
has grafted and is now nearly enveloped by the
girth increment of the latter. In fact, only a faint
trace of the stem of the twiner can be discerned.
Figure No. 5a illustrates the trees as seen looking
to the westward and shows on the left the point
where the twiner has completed its twine and has
emerged from the graftage and then resumed the
more vertical direction. This view also shows, on
the right, the vertical part of the stem of the
twiner before it made its twining movement and
became grafted to the stem of the support, as seen
in Figure No. 5.
FicuRE No. 6. The two. trees seen in this
figure are two young Douglas firs which twine
loosely to the left around each other. They
TWINING FIRS
FicurE No. 3.—Grand fir, Abies grandis,
Lindley. Partial twine to the left by a small
Grand fir around a larger Douglas fir. Esqui-
malt, B.C.
34
form the second of two instances which I found
in the Royal Oak Burial Park, and to my mind
do not appear to have originally been two separate
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST [VoL. XX XIX
TWINING FIRS
FiguRE No. 4.—Grand fir, Abies grandis,
Lindley. Partial twine to right and then to
left and graftage.
Esquimalt, B.C.
TWINING FIRS
FIGURE No. 5.—Douglas fir, Pesudotsuga
* taxifolia (Poir) Britt. Twiner, (left) grows
3 vertically at first, then twines to right and
intergrafts with larger tree of same species.
Inter-Municipal Burial Park, Saanich, B.C.
individual trees, but, on the contrary, have every
appearance of being two substitute branch-leaders
of a young fir which had lost its primary leader.
Mr. Alfred Carmichael has recently pointed out
two more cases of twining firs. Both are grand fir.
September, 1925] THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 135
TWINING FIRS
FiGuRE No. 5a.—View of trees in Figure No. 5
from opposite direction. Shows end of twine
and graft and resumption of vertical growth by
twiner.
One is situated on the West Sooke road near
the Kangaroo cross-road and consists of a fairly
large Grand fir which has twined to the right
around the stem of a larger Douglas fir. The
Douglas fir has, however, recently died. In this
instance the stem of the twiner flattens out against
the stem of the Douglas fir, near the tops of the
two trees, and then ends in a lateral, branch-like
TWINING FIRS
FigurE No. 6.—Douglas fir, Pesudotsuga
taxifolia (Poir) Britt. Two young Douglas fir
trees twine loosely to the right. Inter-
Municipal Burial Park. Saanich, B.C.
136
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
[VoL. XX XIX
POSITIVE GEOTROPISM OF SHOOTS INDUCED BY PARASITIC
DISTURBANCES
FIGURE No. 7. —Lateral branch, or secondary axis of Grand fir apie grandis, Lindley) showing
positive geotropism in adventitious shoots of ’’Witches’ Broom”
This branch was cut down in
order to obtain the picture.
growth. The other instance pointed out by Mr.
Carmichael is on the Happy Valley road, near its
junction with the East Sooke road, and is a case of
one Grand fir making a pronounced twining move-
ment to the right around the stem of a nearby
tree of the same species. Mr. A. H. Maynard has
also shown me photographs of natural graftage of
stems of Grand fir saplings on his property on
West Saanich road, in which the graftage seems to
be the result of a twining movement. I have not
had opportunity to study these latter growths.
The governing influence guiding the movement
of twining plants seems to be conceded to be
diageotropism. Why some types of plants make
sinistrorse and others dextrorse twines, and others
again twine in either direction, or even (in a few
species) change their direction of twine, is appar-
ently as yet unknown.
In The Boys’ Own Annual for 19038, at page 51,
there is an article, ‘““TWINING PLANTS—Why Do
Beans and Hops Climb Differently?” by Mr. Eric
R. Collier, in which he says:
“Now the shoot of a plant growing in the
northern hemisphere, following the apparent
course of the sun, would face East in the early
morning, South at noon, and West in the even-
ing. Thus it would travel in a clock-wise
direction. On the other hand, a plant growing
in the southern hemisphere, and following the
direction of the sun’s apparent motion, would
face successively, East, North and West, thus
rotating in an anti-clockwise direction. If the
history of these twining plants is traced back to
their original habitat, it is found that the hop,
clematis, pea, nasturtium, vine, honeysuckle and
nightshade were all originally found growing
somewhere inthe northern hemisphere . . .
Also all these plants twine in a clockwise direc-
tion . . . On the other hand, however, it is
found that the bean, convolvulus, fuschia,
asparagus and white bryony all had their original
habitat in countries situated in the southern
hemisphere, and were imported into Hurope at
various times during the last few hundred
years... Moreover, all these plants twine in
an anticlockwise direction, corresponding to the
anti-clockwise direction of the sun’s apparent
motion in the southern hemisphere.
‘Finally, the question arises: ‘Why have not
these plants changed their direction of rotation,
to accomodate their growth to the direction of
the sun’s motion in the hemisphere in which
they are growing?’
“The answer to this question lies in the fact
that the plant: is obeying a vestigial instinct
which it has not yet lost. The process of evolu-
tion, though sure, is exceedingly slow, and no
doubt, at some distant period in the world’s
future, these twining plants will finally lose this
instinct in the same way that man will probably
lose vestigial remains such as the vermiform
appendix and the os coccyx.”
The stems of firs do not ordinarily require to be
supported. Both Douglas and Grand fir belong
to the Northern hemisphere and the specimens so
September, 1925]
far observed indicate that in each species trees
may twine either to the right or left. Mr. Collier’s
explanation, therefore, would not in these particu-
lars apply to twining firs.
On the other hand, the twining movement seems
to have taken one or more seasons to accomplish.
It looks like the heliotropic curvature of the
arbutus (See The Canadian Field-Naturalist, Vol,
XXXVI, Fig. 2, p. 22), but in a continuous circular
manner, therefore, the resumption of the vertical
direction after the twiner has reached a certain
height may mean that the twining in the early
stages had been occasioned by an endeavour to
reach light but that the attainment of this object
enabled the tree to obey its normal negative geo-
tropism.
In my experience the primary axis of sapling
Grand fir may in light contests show positive
heliotropic reaction to lateral illumination and at
the same time assume the dorsi-ventrality of
symmetry of a lateral branch. In Douglas fir. on
the other hand, the negative geotropism of the
primary axis is most imperative and in contests
for overhead light the orthotropic shoot may
become aborted and then a lateral branch generally
re-establishes the vertical lead and radial symmet-
try of a primary axis. I have not examined the
root systems of the twining firs to see whether
root graft exists between the twiner and its
support where they are of the same species, or
whether root graft is in any way incident to the
phenomenon of twining.
It is well known that many conifers possess the
power of supplying wood-forming material by-~ -
means of root graft to the stumps of other trees,
of the same species, which have been felled. It
also seems that the assimilated sap can be passed
on, by secondary root graft, to other more re-
‘mote stumps. (See The Canadian Field-Naturalist,
Vol. XXXV, No. 5, Figs. 3, p. 85 and 4, p. 86.
Fig. 3, however, is in an inverted position). In
these cases the food material comes down the
stem of the foster tree, along its roots, through
the graft and up the stems of the stumps of the
felled trees. On these it can form a capping
which is said to have amounted, in one instance,
to two hundred rings. I submit that it is con-
ceivable that a young fir, losing canopy display
through crowding, may obtain nourishment from
the tree to which it is root grafted, and this food
material, being from the base or roots of another
tree, may in some way induce a twining move-
ment which lasts until the twiner regains full
canopy.
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
137
I note that in A Textbook of Botany (John Merle
Coulter, Ph.D., Charles Reid Barnes, Ph.D., and
Henry Chandler Cowles, Ph.D., American Book
Company, New York. All II, Page 656, Foot
Note No. 1), the authors say:
“Recently, evidence of the inception of a
twining habit has been discovered in a race of
snapdragons, (Antirrhinum Majus), the new
form appearing to be a mutant. This form has
the characteristic anatomical features of twiners,
such as a small pith region, compact vascular
tissues, and cortical differences on the convex
- and concave surfaces.
“Furthermore, the twining varients, however
eaused, come true to seed. It is difficult to see
much advantage in the changed habit, since the
_ new forms are quite as erect and strong as
ordinary individuals, and coils often occur in
positions where they scarcely can be of use, as
at the base of a shoot.”
POSITIVE GEOTROPISM IN SHOOTS OF
“WITCHES’ BROOM”
The adventitious shoots of the ‘‘Witches’
Broom” shown in Figure No. 7 have sprung from
the lower side of a lateral branch of Grand
fir (Abies grandis, Lindley) and are positively
geotropic in direction of growth, as if they were
roots.
This is contrary to the ordinary rule in fir, viz:
that the primary axes of shoots are essentially
apogeotropic. The presence of the fungoid
parasite, therefore, has in this instance evidently
upset the normal correlations and reactions of an
autophytic plant. There seems, however, to have
been a slight tendency to heliotropiec curving
toward the lateral light. I believe that in their
lack of geotropic reaction the shoots of this
‘Witches’ Broom” are like partial parasites, such
as mistletoe, ete., which, in direction of growth
react toward any body on which they germinate
in the same manner as the autophyte normally
reacts in relation to the earth.
I note the interesting accounts of early experi-
ments in respect to mistletoe, etc., given by Dr.
Lindley (An Introduction to Botany, third edition,
Longman, Orme, Brown, Green and Longman’s,
London, 1839, pp. 408-409). Although Knight’s
opinion is quoted by Lindley (p. 406) I am un-
aware whether his experiments with the Klinostat
had at that time been made.
I have not had opportunity of following up the
later research in connection with the subject of
geotropic reaction in parasites and partial parasites.
Bi
138
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
[VoL. XX XIX
THE ACCLIMATIZATION OF THE FOX SQUIRREL AT PELEE ISLAND,
ONTARIO
By HOYES LLOYD
N NOVEMBER, 1922, I paid a visit to
Point Pelee National Park, and while
journeying westward called upon both
Mr. J. H. Fleming, at Toronto, and Mr.
W. E. Saunders, at London. Mr. Fleming called
my attention to the fact that the Fox Squirrel,
Sciurus niger subsp? occurred on Pelee Island,
which was of interest, as this is apparently the
only spot where it is found in Canada. The fact
of this species being found at Pelee Island was also
discussed with Mr. Saunders. In the course of
my visit to Point Pelee the question of Fox Squir-
rels was naturally discussed with the Super-
intendent, Mr. F. H. Conover, who has long taken
an interest in the wild creatures of his neighbour-
hood. From memory, Mr. Conover at once
volunteered the information that the Fox Squirrel
had been introduced on the island many years ago,
and he kindly agreed to secure any details that
might be available at this late date concerning the
introduction. These came to me by letter of
January 24, 1928, from which I shall quote:
“Dear Mr. Lloyd:—I have been casting about
for a considerable time endeavouring to obtain
definite information in respect to the ‘Fox Squir-
rels’ that some thirty years ago were first intro-
duced upon Pelee Island by Mr. Charles Mills, of
Sandusky, Ohio, U.S.
“The definite date cannot so far be given, only
approximate.
“T am still at work seeking further information
in this connection.
“Mr. Mills has since died, and as these squirrels
were transferred by the American Fishing Club,
the older members have passed out. If I can
obtain anything I certainly will do so with pleas-
ure.—F.. H. Conover.”
This information was supplemented later by a
statement that Mr. Mills brought these squirrels
from southern Ohio, near the Kentucky border
After being brought to Pelee Island, they soon
became plentiful, but dwindled later to such an
extent that Mr. Conover doubted if one could be
found by January, 1925. He has a specimen
taken at Pelee Island about eight years ago by a
hunter. Mr. Saunders saw none on his last visit
to the island, and comments on this as remark-
able—the time being midsummer.
Having survived in this new environment, which
is undoubtedly almost identical with that from
which it came, for such a long time, it must be
considered that the Fox Squirrel became thorough-
ly acclimated, although apparently it was depleted
by hunting later. It is to prevent the fact of its
introduction being forgotten, and to protect future
naturalists from thinking the species indigenous,
should it persist, that these few lines have been
written.
FURTHER NOTES ON CANADIAN FRESHWATER ISOPODS AND AMPHIPODS
By FRITS JOHANSEN
N SEPTEMBER, 1923, I received from
Prof. C. H. O’Donoghue, of the Univer-
[ez 630] sity of Manitoba, Winnipeg, some vials
containing freshwater Crustaceans, which
he had collected, in the end of May, 1923, ina
pond named “‘Hydra Lake’’, situated at about 400
feet elevation, on the hill above Horswell Bluff,
about 14 miles north of Departure Bay, on the east
side of Vancouver Island. Among these crustaceans
(Copepods, Cladocera, etc.) were a dozen speci-
mens (half-grown and adults) of the common,
freshwater Amphipod, Hyalella azteka (Saus.).
This is apparently the first record of this species
from Vancouver Island; but I have already
recorded it from the mainland part of British
Columbia (Canadian Field-Naturalist for October,
1920, p. 181). I have recently seen specimens of
this species, sent from the vicinity of Halifax, to
the Department of Marine and Fisheries, Ottawa,
which seems to be the first definite record of H.
azteka from the part of Nova Scotia lying south of
the Strait of Canso.
On August 8rd, 1924, I. collected a number of
adults (both sexes) and newborn young of the
same species (H. azteka) among algae and stones
in the bights below the old wharf on the Ontario
side, at Deschenes Rapids, Britannia; and two
weeks later I found a great many newborn and
half-grown young of the same Amphipod, among
Utricularia-plants in Black River, on the east side
of Lake Simcoe, Ontario. ;
So late as October 19th, 1924, I found both the
Isopod, Asellus communis and the Amphipod
Eucrangonyx gracilis, exceedingly common among
dead leaves and aquatic vegetation in the pond in
Major Hill Park, Ottawa, Ont. The Isopods had
a length of from } to 14 em., and showed their
usual sluggish behaviour; it is perhaps worth
mentioning here, that their latin, generic name
(Asellus) means “the little ass”, and refers to the
September, 1925]
coloration of those isopods, greyish above and
whitish below.
The Amphipods (E. gracilis) were represented
by new-born (1 mm. long), half-grown young, and
adults, the females carrying dark-blue eggs. The
young, particularly the new-born ones, were pale
(whitish), with the orange, intestinal tract shining
through; in the older ones the margin of the body
segments (somites) had the strongest (darkest)
coloration.
This new record of EF. gracilis proves that in the
vicinity of Ottawa, there are at least three broods
during the summer and fall, as I have suggested
in The Canadian Field-Naturalist for October,
1920, p. 129, the time in the autumn, however,
being in October, not in September. Future in-
vestigations may show that there new broods are
still more frequent, during each season of about
seven months (April-October inclusive).
From the records of Asellus communis around
Ottawa (see Canadian Field-Naturalist for Novem-
ber, 1920, pp. 147-48), it would seem that the
broods are less frequent, and the growth slower,
than in £. gracilis and other freshwater Amphi-
pods, perhaps owing to the more vegetarian diet
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
139
of the Isopods. In lakes and rivers, which do not
freeze to the bottom during the winter, both the
Isopods and Amphipods probably occur all year
round, and their broods are therefore more numer-
ous than in more shallow water.
NotTE—Since this was written, and sent in for
publication, I have received from Dr. S. C. Ells,
of the Department of Mines, Ottawa, ten adult
Gammarus limnaeus, including some females with
eggs, collected by him in McClelland Lake, about
sixty miles north of Fort McMurray, Alta., in the
Athabasca River country, about lat. 57 degrees
north, in June, 1924.
Dr. Ells kindly informs me that this lake, which
is in township 98, range 8, west of the 4th meridian,
is in size about 6 by 3 miles, at an elevation
of about 900 feet, with an outlet to Athabasca
River. These “shrimps’’ are considered a pest in
the lake, as they devour all bait on fish-hooks, and
clog the lines set there. The only commercial
fish in this lake are pike (and perhaps pickerel).
This new record of G. limnaeus is valuable; for
it shows that the species is as common in the sub-
arctic parts of western Canada as further north
and south.
My identification of these specimens has been
kindly verified by Mr. C. R. Shoemaker, of the
U.S.N.M., Washington, D.C.—F.J.
THE SPIDER COLLECTIONS OF F. W. WAUGH
By J. H. EMERTON
N THE course of his studies of the
language and customs of the Indians,
which took him on long visits to out-of-
the-way parts of Canada, Mr. Waugh
was accustomed to observe and collect spiders,
and so became well acquainted with the common
kinds and discovered many facts of value relating
to the distribution of these animals in North
America.
In 1916 he visited Nipigon, Long Lake and
Manitoulin Island, where he found the then little —
known Linyphia nearctica, Linyphia limitanea and
Theridion zelotypum near their southern limits in
the Great Lakes region. In the following year he
collected around Winnipeg and there found
Pardosa greenlandica, its most southern station
except in the mountains.
In 1918 he spent the summer at the Six Nations’
Reservation, near Brantford, Ontario, where he
collected largely and found several southern species
near their northern limits in Canada, the two
species of Argiope, E’peira hortorum, Hyctia bina
and E'peira insularis.
In 1919 he had a long season at Lac Seul,
Ontario, where he collected from June to Septem-
ber and made a typical Middle Canadian collection
of fifty species, including the western Lycosa
beanii and the arctic Lycosa albohastata.
His most interesting collection, however, was
that of 1921 and 1922 in Labrador. Starting in
the summer of 1921 at Natashquan on the north
shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, where he col-
lected the common Lycosidae and Epeiridae, he
moved northward to Voisey’s Bay in August and
in September and October followed up the Assiwa-
ban River as far as Cabot Lake. At all stations
the common spruce tree spiders Linyphia phry-
giana, nearctica and limitanea were found in the
immature condition in which they pass the winter,
while Lepthyphantes duplicatus and bihamatus
which live near the ground were in the adult
condition in both sexes. At Voisey’s Bay occurred
the arctic species Pardosa furcifera, Lycosa pictilis
and Lycosa albohastata and at Cabot Lake the
transcontinental species Hilaira brunnea and
Pholodromus alascensis.
At Nain, in May, 1922, all the spiders were in
the same condition as in September, but after the
middle of June all the Linyphiadae and Lycosidae,
which wintered immature, were found as adults.
The arctic Lycosidae and Gnaphosa brumalis were
also mature. The rare Lophocarenum quadri-
cristatum, known from the top of Mt. Washington,
was also found and in meadows back from the
shore Singa variabilis and Tetragnatha laboriosa,
common species in New England and farther south.
140
Mr. Waugh’s last expedition, in the summer of
1924, was again to the north shore of the Gulf of
St. Lawrence, at Seven Islands. On May 26 he
wrote: “I am getting ready to leave for the field
and expect to go during the first week in June.
I have my spider outfit packed already and hope
to get a nice lot of specimens’. In regard to his
methods, he wrote: “In Labrador I beat all sorts
of trees and shrubs on a ground sheet or small
tarpaulin. I also shook out a lot of moss and
lichen on the sheet. A great many of the Lyco-
sidae I caught scurrying along the ground. I shall
do a lot of looking under stones and such when-
ever I have the opportunity again”. He had in
mind writing an account of his collections of 1921
and 1922, and in this letter says: “‘I have deferred
writing anything about my spider collections for
The Canadian Naturalist as I should like to add
_ the names of the new species after your article has
appeared”’.
The collections of the 1924 expedition showed
improvement in the absence of immature and
over-common species and a larger proportion of
those that were rare or new. Among the latter
was Ceratinella ornatula, lately described by Crosby
from specimens found in the Adirondacks, a new
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
{[VOL. XXXIX
Theridion resembling the well-known Theridion
montanum and a new Pellenes, one of the jumping
spiders in which the males are highly ornamented
on the front of the head and on the first and third
pairs of legs. Descriptions and figures of these
are in manuscript and will appear in a future
number of The Canadian Entomologist.
This collection contained considerable numbers
of Theridion montanum, differens, aurantium and
sexpunctatum, as well as the new species, but
showed a marked absence of Theridion zelotypum
which is so abundant in spruce forests, from
Quebec westward through Manitoba. Other
collections from the lower St. Lawrence and
Labrador have shown the same absence, so it
seems probable that this species does not occur in
the Labrador peninsula. The collection contained
a large number of Lepthyphantes calcaratus, dupli-
catus, furcatus and bihamatus which live in the
moss and leaves of the forest and were abundant
in the Labrador collections of 1921 and 1922.
Mr. Waugh returned in September, 1924, as far
as Montreal, and there unaccountably disappeared,
and nothing has been heard from him since, so it
is left to me to write the deferred story about his
collections. :
A PLEISTOCENE FAUNA FROM THE SOUTH-WESTERN MAINLAND OF
BRITISH COLUMBIA
By C. H. CRICKMAY
FEW years ago (1919) Dr. S. J. Schofield,
of the University of British Columbia,
then my teacher, drew my attention to a
fossil locality which he had discovered.
This locality is a road cutting on the Pacific high-
way on the south side of the Fraser River, opposite
the city of New Westminster. It is 2,100 yards
from the south end of the Fraser River bridge and
seventy feet above mean sea level (approx.).
Collections have been made by me at this place
from time to time, and have now been sufficiently
studied to permit a brief notice of the fauna and
its significance to be published. Since its original
discovery, this locality was found by Johnston!
who collected there and published a small faunal
list in his memoir on this area”. There is some
lack of agreement between Johnston’s list and my
own. I have failed to find certain of his species,
but since I have never seen his material, I am
unable to explain this. But in view of the un-
certainty, I have used the utmost caution in
1Pleistocene oscillations of sea-level in the Vancouver region,
British Columbia. W. A. Johnston. Trans. Roy. Soc.
Canada, vol. XV, 1921.
2Geology of the Fraser River Delta Map-area,
W. A.
Johnston. Geol. Surv. Canada. Memoir 135, 1923.
identifying the shells, and have marked with an
asterisk those species which are common. The
names of the species which I have collected at this
locality follow’:
Strongylocentrotus of drobachiensis Muller.
Terebratalia transversa var. caurina Gould.
Leda fossa var. vaginata Dall.
*L. fossa var. sculpta Dall.
Pecten (Chlamys) hindsii var. Jordani arnold.
*P. (Chlamys) hindsii var. kineaidi Oldroyd.
*P. (Chlamys) hindsii Carpenter.
P. (Chlamys) hindsii var. navarchus Dall.
Pododesmus (Monia) macroschisma Deshayes.
Astarte alaskensis Dall.
*Cardium ciliatum Fabricius.
C. corbis martyn.
*Serripes gronlandicus Gmelin.
*Saxidomus giganteus Deshayes.
Paphia (Protothaca) staminea var. ruderata
Deshayes.
*Macoma incongrua Martens.
*M. brota Dall.
M. calcarea Gmelin.
M. inquinata Deshayes.
*Spisula (Hemimactra) voyi Gabb.
*Schizothaerus capax Gould.
Mya truncata Linne.
3Since this was written, Johnston’s material has been
examined by W. H. Dall, who finds Pecten islandicus to be
present.
A ee ao
September, 1925]
Panomya ampla Dall.
Lora cf. fidicula Gould.
Admete couthouyi Jay.
Chrysodomus liratus Martyn.
*Trichotropis cancellata var. quadricarinata A.
Adams.
Lacuna ef. porrecta Carpenter.
L. ef. unifasciata Carpénter.
Natica (Cryptonatica) clausa Broderip &
Sowerby.
Puncturella galeata Gould.
Balanus rostratus var. apertus Pilsbry.
The present distribution of these species, all of
which are living, is in the main to the northern
part of the Oregonian and to the Aleutian faunas.
There are no species in the fauna which fail to
extend as far north as Alaska at the present time,
moreover the two varieties of leda fossa are now
confined to the Alaskan coast. Many of the
species are circumboreal in their present distribu-
tion. None range far into the warmer regions of
the earth. All of which compels me to believe
that this fauna represents an average sea tempera-
ture as low as, and probably somewhat lower than,
that which prevails at this latitude on the west
coast to-day.
There are also certain other conditions which it
is possible to reconstruct. The shell bed is now
seventy feet above sea-level. But the shells are
not those of a littoral fauna. The absence of the
ubiquitous Mytilus edulis known on the west coast
from earliest Pleistocene, the presence of the large
Chrysodomus, and finally the profusion of Pecten
hindsii and its varieties, all show that the water
was not shallow: It may have been anything from
20 to 100 feet deep. This means that sea level
was anything from ninety to one hundred and
seventy feet higher then than now. Also, it will
be noticed that not only is the fauna typically
marine, but two forms are present, an echinoid
and a brachiopod, which are absolutely unknown
in sea water of even a slightly diluted salinity.
In view of this it is plain that no fresh-water
stream of a size at all comparable with the Fraser
could have emptied within a considerable distance
(twenty miles or more) of this locality. A pecu-
liarity of the fauna is the predominance of pelecy-
pods, and large forms. Many of the shells show
drill-holes attributed to the predatory gastropods
yet in comparison with the total fauna the latter
are very rare both in species and even more so in
individuals.
The correlation of this fauna is a difficult
problem. Since all of the thirty-two species are
living, it is tolerably certain that the fauna is a
late one. But the facts that the two varieties of
Leda fossa are not known living nearer than Alaska,
and that Trichotropis cancellata var. quadricarinata
is not known living nearer than Japan, suggest
strongly that conditions have changed greatly
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
141
since the burial of these shells: requiring the lapse
of considerable time; so it is safe to say that the
fauna is not quite so late as its 100% of living
species might suggest. The variety of Tricho-
tropis is interesting because it is an immigrant
from the north which survived in Japan but failed
to do so on the American side. It probably
arrived in late Cenozoic or Pleistocene time, but
as Trichotropis never ranged as far south as
California, it did not find its way into the standard
Pleistocene sections. This is unfortunate because
it precludes for the present the possibility of dat-
ing the arrival of the variety in question on the
west coast. But Johnston lists Pecten islandicus
which, if present, would be a valuable help. How-
ever, in hundreds of specimens I have failed to
find a single islandicus* and therefore rather doubt
this identification, especially as Johnston fails to
list the somewhat similar-looking kincaidi which
iscommon. Finally, 29% of the species occur also
in the Saanich formation®. This, however, hardly
proves a close relationship, especially as Arnold
and Hannibal’s lists are compilations without any
reference as to sources. It must be confessed,
therefore, that the purely palaeontological evi-
dence is inconclusive as regards the exact date of
the fauna. Perhaps the best idea of the approxi-
mate date of it is gained from the fact of the low
temperature just proved to be one of the conditions
under which the fauna lived This limits it to
latest Pliocene or Pleistocene.
There is some structural evidence. The rela-
tionships of the formations involved are shown in
the sketch section:
The shells are contained in a bed of fine blue-
grey mud about two feet thick. The shell bed is
observed to overlie a mass of till which precludes
the possibility of it being pre-Pleistocene. It is
overlain by a delta deposit of gravel and sand, the
age of which is not evident from this exposure.
But the top of the surrey terrace lying a short
distance above and behind this section is composed
of glacial till which presumably overlies the delta
gravels though the contact is hidden. The sugges-
tion is, therefore, that the gravels antedate this
upper till-sheet and are therefore of Pleistocene
age, which limits the shell bed and its fauna to a
Pleistocene date also. But it is still wholly un-
certain where in the Pleistocene column these till-
sheets belong. Obviously the problem must now
be turned over to the field-worker because it de-
pends on the correlation of the till-sheets of the
region. So far, this difficult question has been
singularly neglected, and yet plainly until correla-
tion is attained we can say nothing with any
conviction of telling the truth, of the detail of
geologic history.
4See note on first page.
5The Marine Tertiary Stratigraphy of the North Pacific
Coast of America. R. Arnold and H. Hannibal. Am. Phil.
Soe., Proc., vol. 52, 1923.
142
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
[VoL. XX XIX
THE WEASELS OF SOUTHERN MANITOBA
By NORMAN AND STUART CRIDDLE
IN BOYHOOD days we shared with others
the popular belief that all weasels were
harmful. Our father originally believed
’ it and he had been so taught through
contact with game-keepers of estates in England
where all predatory creatures were looked upon as
vermin. Weasels were, therefore, hunted on sight
and killed with a persistency only exceeded in the
equally unreasonable destruction of snakes.
Once, on a date unrecorded, several of us saw a
large weasel in a wood-pile and, being possessed
with the prevailing belief, we at once gave chase,
The hunt was long, but eventually the weasel dis-
appeared beneath some log buildings. We had
hardly gathered around the hole, sticks in hand,
before the weasel emerged with a mouse which it
placed at the entrance and then disappeared down
the hole, quickly returning again with another
rodent, repeating this manceuvre until eventually
six were exhibited before us.
The train of thoughts to which this incident
gave rise was a new one, and we paused in our
hunt, but the courage of the animal, combined
with the unmistakable evidence of its usefulness,
soon created so profound an impression that we
ultimately left the weasel in possession of the
field and thereafter confined our efforts to observ-
ing rather than to killing, the present article being
the result of our observations.
Our old associates, Messrs. E. H. and C. Vane,
though now occupying their own homes, have
continued to observe the habits of weasels and,
from them we are indebted for many notes.
E. Criddle has remained to work with us and
much that we record below is his. A younger
brother, Talbot, has also supplied us with reports
of his experiences and finally, we are indebted to
several neighbors who, imbibed with some of our
desire for knowledge, have freely contributed
observations.
The object in writing this paper at the present
time, is to counteract several very biased accounts
of the economic standing of the weasel which have
recently appeared in print. We also hope to
induce the same desire for observation and know-
ledge which the incident mentioned above created
in us; feeling sure that observation will develop a
very different idea of the habits of weasels from
that which is at present held by the majority of
people.
Southern Manitoba is inhabited by three species
of weasel which may be recognized in life by their
various sizes, and from specimen in hand by the
following characters:
LONG-TAILED WEASEL, Mustela longicauda Bon-
aparte.—Tail long, about six inches, black tip
extending well back. Total length of male seven-
teen inches, female thirteen inches.
BONAPARTE’S WEASEL, Mustela cicognanit Bon-
aparte.—Length of tail three and one-half inches,
black tip short. Total measurement, male twelve
inches, female nine inches.
LEAST WEASEL, Musiela rixosa (Bangs).—
Much smaller than the other two, not greatly
exceeding a large mouse in size. Tail without a
black tip.
All our weasels are brown above in summer time
and they turn white in winter so that the weasel
of the warmer months later become the ermine of
commerce. The black tip, however, is always
retained.
There is still much to be learned about the
breeding habits of weasels due to the skill with
which they conceal their dens. It is known that
they make their homes in holes; a hollow log, an
old gopher burrow or a mouse residence may
supply the necessary accommodation and the fur
or feathers of their victims are often used to line
the nests. There is, seemingly, but a single litter
during the year, which is probably cared for only
by the mother. A family of young consists of
from four to eight members. The hunting is done
mostly at night and on this account the animals
are seldom seen but the presence of a female
frequenting a certain locality is a good indication
that there is a family in residence somewhere near.
The mother is, indeed, ever watchful in the
interests of her offspring and she had been known
to show great courage in attempting to defend
them.
Young weasels, like most juvenile creatures,
have a superabundance of energy which they
exhaust by innumerable gambols together. In
these antics they climb trees and run along fence
rails almost as actively as a squirrel, and when
fighting they eject a strong musky odour which is
very noticeable when a family of youngsters is at
play and still more so when two males meet in
battle. Whether this scent is of any marked value
under such circumstances is uncertain but there is
little doubt that it provides some protection
against other enemies.
As winter approaches, the weasel families separ-
ate, and each individual establishes its own head-
quarters, which is generally the former residence
of some rodent. 'The nest of the former occupant
being renovated and used as a sleeping place.
There is a store chamber, perhaps some distance
September, 1925] .
away, in which surplus food is hidden for future
use. Stores of mice, etc., are added to whenever
opportunity offers, but they are seldom used when
fresh victims can be obtained.
During the winter of 1921-22 a female long-tailed
weasel made her home in the basement of the
junior writer’s house and her bed consisted of a
bag of feathers, where she evidently slept in com-
fort, despite the people overhead. This animal
had free access to the summer kitchen, where she
made herself very much at home and helped her-
self to meat, milk and such other objects as were
to her fancy. She eventually became quite tame
and would readily climb up the observer’s leg to
take meat from his hand. Her store was never
located, but her tracks showed that she often
wandered more than half a mile away in search of
food. About twenty Ruffed Grouse were fre-
quenting the nearby woods at the time and most
of them made regular evening visits to the house
forfood. The weasel, however, appeared to ignore
them entirely.
Another Long-tailed Weasel took up its residence
near the farmyard during the winter of 1922-23
and made its headquarters in a threshing machine.
The nest was somewhat roughly constructed and
consisted of a convenient bunch of straw and chaff
under the cylinder. Well to the back was a pile
of approximately three pounds of droppings which
were found to contain a considerable amount of
the hair of mice and rabbits, but no bird remains
were present. This weasel had selected a store
chamber some one hundred and forty yards away
from the nest. Two bush rabbits had been
dragged to the entrance and numerous smaller
rodents were taken below ground. The rabbits
were buried beneath the snow and eaten as neces-
sity arose. This weasel had ready access to all
the farm buildings but, in spite of the presence of
poultry, confined its hunting to mice and rats.
The weasel is a born hunter and among all the
carnivorous animals of North America we doubt
whether any excel it in boldness and activity. So
quick indeed are the animal’s movements that it
comes and goes, vanishes and reappears in a
manner quite bewildering to the observer. Before
the days of enlightenment, we cornered the animals
more than once, at least we thought we had, but
when the critical moment arrived for moving the
last log or digging away the last sod, behold, the
weasel was no longer there, having vanished as
mysteriously as ghosts are supposed to do.
The weasel’s animated nature induces it to
wander far afield in search of prey. In summer
its actions almost escape notice, but in winter the
freshly fallen snow tells a tale that is unmistakable.
There one may see the tracks leading in every
direction, indeed there might have been a dozen
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
143
weasels present instead of one, judging by those
innumerable footsteps. Very little escapes the
attention of this animal; at one time following
along a bush rabbit’s runway, at another entering
the burrow of a pocket gopher or darting at a
mouse as the disturbed rodent attempts to escape.
It may well be that while we are trying to trace
the weasel it is more successfully observing us,
because inquisitiveness is one of its characteristics.
It is doubtless its fearless curiosity that makes the
animal seem tame and there is no doubt that it
would be much less frequently seen but for these
traits. Its inquisitiveness, indeed, often leads it
to destruction not only by dogs and cats but, alas,
also by man.
The summer activities of weasels are much more
difficult to follow than are those of winter and we
can only guess at the extent of their rambles by
the fact that it is almost impossible to set a trap
in the vicinity of a weasel’s abode without catch-
ing it within a few days, showing that it enters
practically every hole in search of its legitimate
prey.
Weasels like water both for drinking and wash-
ing themselves. A bird trough placed convenient-
ly for observation purposes was frequently visited
by these animals. In drinking they held their
mouths very close to the water and as far as we
could see, lapped the liquid up with rapid move-
ments of the tongue. As a rule, after drinking,
they would merely spring to the ground and vanish
amid a bunch of scolding birds, but occasionally we
have seen an animal slowly drag itself through the
water and follow this performance by some rapid
gambols, or a quick run, a method of drying which
most of us have practiced in our youth.
Weasels have doubtless numerous natural
enemies and it is possible that the smaller species
are attacked by the larger. Among their more
notable foes may be reckoned coyotes, foxes,
badgers, hawks and owls. It hardly seems pos-
sible, however, that carnivorous creatures alone
are capable of reducing weasels to a normal balance
and we suspect that they suffer from diseases
similar to those known to attack badgers and
skunks. The smaller weasels are also affected by
the food supply and there is a marked fluctuation
in their numbers, dependent upon the prevalence
of mice.
Man, as we point out elsewhere, is a very
important factor in the survival of the weasel and
it is largely in his hands whether these animals are
perpetuated. His companions, the dog and cat,
also play a leading part as weasel destroyers and
each has a marked influence in keeping these
animals from the barnyard.
The fact that weasels frequently kill many more
animals than they require for immediate use has
144 : THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
been universally interpreted as a lust for killing—
a supposition which we believe to be quite erron-
eous. It is true that weasels often kill more than
they need, but the surplus is not necessarily wasted
because the animals always store it for future use,
in much the same way as do badgers, minks or
skunks, and with the same object in view as
squirrels have in gathering nuts. We have ob-
served many such stores, but as far as our observa-
tions go, the habit of killing in excess occurs much
more prominently in the late summer and autumn
months than in the spring. Indeed, we have no
records of excessive spring slaughter and this
indicates that the supposedly blood-thirsty habit
of weasels is no more a lust for killing than is the
woodsman’s foresight in providing his larder with
meat for the winter months.
in this connection that members of the weasel
family, when undisturbed, do not leave their
victims scattered about, but carefully store them
away, and in many instances the bodies are buried
‘with earth or taken under ground in order to pre-
serve them. We suspect that this instinct for
preserving food for future use accounts for most
of the excessive killing by carnivorous animals
instead of this latter indicating an aimless desire
for slaughter which would unnecessarily deplete
the food supply of the future. This instinct,
however, does not seem to be as definite as that
of some rodents, and there is no doubt that much
of the stored meat decays before it can be utilized.
The prevailing idea that weasels are alike in
their food habits is no more true than is the claim
that hawks and owls have identical habits. In-
deed, a knowledge of nature will show that similar-
ity in habits is not a common feature in allied
species inhabiting identical territory. In the case
of weasels, size alone should suggest variations in
food possibilities and this is fully verified by a
study of the animals.
The adverse criticism against weasels is based
on the same form of evidence as is so constantly
employed to condemn predatory birds, namely
the occasional killing of poultry or the prominently
displayed attack upon some game or song bird.
In other words, the every day habits of the animals
are overlooked while the casual ones, being more
spectacular, are used as a basis for general con-
demnation.
Before we can arrive at the facts it is necessary
to remember that there are three species of weasels
involved which not only differ from one another
in size, and therefore in capabilities of doing harm,
but also in habits to at least as great an extent as
our birds of prey. Each kind should thus be
judged on its merits rather than collectively on
conclusions drawn from observations on different
species.
It should be noted ©
[VoL. XXXIX
The species that lends itself most readily to
popular observation is the Long-tailed Weasel,
Mustela longicauda, an animal of great boldness
and remarkable agility. Its food habits are much
more varied than are those of other species and in
killing its prey it is only limited by its power to
overcome the animals attacked. Bush rabibts,
Lepus americanus, are among the largest of its
victims and even with these more young than
adults are captured. Nevertheless, mature speci-
mens are often overcome and on one occasion the
junior writer saw a location where a weasel and a
rabbit had rolled down a bank fully seventy feet
high, the former retaining its hold on the latter
with the pertinacity of a,bulldog.
On another occasion, Mr. T. Criddle observed
one of these weasels attacking a scrub gopher
Citellus franklinii, which it had almost overcome
when interrupted. The destructive pocket
gopher, Thomomys sp., is another animal that
suffers severely from the weasel; this appears to
be especially true in winter, when the hunter
boldly enters the rodent’s burrow in search of it,
and, after killing it, frequently makes the gopher’s
residence a temporary headquarters from which
to make numerous raids upon other rodents in the
vicinity. Innumerable instances could be quoted
in which the victims of weasels were rabbits,
gophers or mice. The shrill ery of a rabbit in
the dark is nearly always due to a weasel’s attack.
Indeed, we have often watched the latter at work
during the twilight hours. First would come the
almost noiseless run of the small rabbit with its
characteristic dodging and this would be followed
by the appearance of the agile foe which, at times,
would leap high over obstacles and at others move
swiftly beneath them. Then there would follow
intermittent cries of the rabbit as the weasel
secured a temporary hold of its quarry, for be it
noted that this hunter apparently bites anywhere
to begin with and it is probable that the blood
made to flow acts as an aid to tracking as well as
weakening the prey. Several similar close en-
counters might occur before the rabbit would be
finally overcome, but weasels are very persistent
when they once get into contact with their victims
and it is therefore very seldom that the latter
escape. In killing, they either penetrate the brain
with their teeth, or dislodge the vertebrae behind
the head.
It is highly probable that some of these pro-
longed hunts are due to a playfulness on the part
of the weasel, a phenomenon which is parallelled
by the well-known cat and mouse performances.
Indeed, Mr. Ronald Buckell assures the senior
writer that he has witnessed encounters of this
sort in England, the hunter being a stoat and the
victim a rabbit. The stealthiness with which this
September, 1925]
member of the weasel family would creep up to
the rabbit and nip it and then stand high on its
hind legs to watch where it went, was so obviously
a matter of fiendish sport as to be unmistakable.
Moreover, this playfulness was speedily termin-
ated by a vital bite when the ‘stoat tired of its
sport.
Bonaparte’s weasel is more secretive and less
bold than its larger relative, and it is less often
found in the haunts of man. We have discovered
its home in winter time beneath old straw piles
where it doubtless obtained abundant food by
devouring the mice that congregate in such places.
On one occasion, indeed, on moving some straw,
_ we came upon eleven of these rodents, all neatly
placed in a heap.
We have no record of Bonaparte’s weasel killing
poultry, and we doubt whether it ever does so.
Doubtless the young of some wild birds are cap-
tured, but we must recall the fact that this can
only happen during a limited period of the year.
At other times, the destruction of birds is seldom
possible and the weasel is consequently obliged to
turn to mice for food.
The Least weasel, or as it might well be termed,
the mouse weasel, is such a midget in comparison
with the other species that it usually passes un-
noticed unless caught in a trap. It is quite in-
capable of killing poultry, but, being small, it can
readily follow mice down their holes or along their
runways. It probably kills some nestling birds,
and perhaps extends its bill of fare to insects.
The following is taken from the manuscript of an
article by the junior writer on Microtus minor.
“In 1922, these mice went into winter quarters .
in great numbers and their homes were well stocked
with food. Three homes were under observation
in which all went well until the middle of February,
1923. Then, within a few days, each was taken
possession of by a Least weasel and the inhabitants
quickly destroyed. One mouse residence near my
house was occupied by a weasel for about two
weeks, during which time I observed where several
mice had been carried over the snow to the home.
This mouse residence was examined in April and
in it were discovered six dead Microtus minor, one
Evotomys, the head of another and at least six or
eight other remnants including Microtus drum-
mondi, these last remains being chiefly indicated
by the hair-lined nest of the weasel.
“The homes of twenty-seven other mouse com-
munities were examined at this time and all were
found to have been entered by weasels, the mice
having been killed and partly eaten in each
instance. Thus from being an abundant animal
this species was reduced to insignificance in the
course of a few weeks while all other kinds of mice
had suffered severaly from the same enemy.”
Supply and demand are prominent factors in
governing our weasels’ food habits. The two
smaller species, as we have already pointed out
are so dependent upon mice for a living that they
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
145
increase or diminish with the fluctuation of these
creatures. The Long-tailed Weasel, however, is
not so easily checked by the temporary disappear-
ance of any particular kind of game. If mice are
scarce it devotes greater attention to gophers or
bush rabbits and if these are not in sufficient
numbers to satisfy its appetite, the animal raids
a poultry house as a last resource. In nine years
out of ten, this weasel will find sufficient food
about the fields and woods, but on the tenth it
may be obliged to temporarily turn to domestic
animals. It is at such times that the weasel is
seen and its deeds recorded. A thousand mice
may have been killed in the meantime, but the
destruction of half a dozen hens is alone used as
evidence of the weasel’s economic standing.
In the last twenty years we have permitted
weasels to frequent the farm buildings at will and
the poultry house has been no exception. In that
time rats and mice suffered severely from the
weasels, while the total number of poultry taken
were six. Many times that number, however,
have been killed by rats.
When we review our experiences of the past, we
are astonished to find what few poultry have been
killed by weasels. Our own losses in forty-two
years have not exceeded fifteen birds and even
these were usually eatable. There have been
reports of losses from time to time from neighbors,
but on looking into details we find that there are
very few farmers who have experienced more than
three separate occasions of weasel depredation and
the total loss per farmer in the last thirty years
does not, we are sure, exceed ten birds. This is
surely a remarkably small payment to weasels in
general for the great good done by ogee in killing
rodents.
We wish to point out, too, that only the excep-
tional weasel becomes a poultry killer. In most
cases apparently it is a fully-grown male that does
the killing. There are exceptions, of course, but
when we see a large weasel actively engaged in
rodent hunting within a few feet of a brood of
newly hatched chickens and not even looking at
them, we must at least pause to ask if this animal
is the enemy that we were taught to believe it to be.
Numerous wild birds necessarily fall victims to
weasels, particularly in the breeding season when
the young are helpless in their nests. It also
occasionally happens that a mature grouse or duck
is surprised and overcome, but we have not secured
much evidence to indicate that adult birds suffer
very greatly in this way. Indeed, the only
occasion we can recall was when a weasel had
dragged a Sharp-tailed Grouse over the snow and
even in this instance there was no direct evidence
to prove that the bird had been killed by the
weasel.
146
FIELD NOTES
The notes presented below have been furnished
from field observations made in the vicinity of the
writers’ home at Treesbank, Manitoba, and jotted
down as the incident occurred. They are abbre-
viated in order to save space.
November 2, 1908.—A Long-tailed Weasel quite
white, though bush rabbits are still brown.
November 21, 1910.—There is a Bonaparte
Weasel about the farm buildings which has free
access to the fowl-house. It is rapidly extermin-
ating the mice.
October 3, 19138.—Observed a _ Long-tailed
Weasel with a field mouse which it took down a
hole. The former was white.
March 27, 1916.—A Long-tailed Weasel still
white.
July 19, 1917.—T. Criddle saw a Long-tailed
Weasel attacking a scrub gopher, C. franklinit.
The rodent was in mortal terror and squeaked
continuously. Eventually the gopher was thrown
on its back and would have been speedily killed
but for an interruption.
October 29, 1917.—C. Vane writes:
“A weasel last night made its way into our fowl-
house, the door being inadvertently left open.
The weasel killed eleven fowl, some of which were
dragged into the yard. All the largest fowls were
selected, the pullets remaining untouched though
they were in the majovity. Next night the weasel
dug a hole beneath the building and killed a hen
and two cocks, returning for another during the
day, making a total of fourteen in all.”
This weasel proved to be a large one, probably
an old male.
October 31, 1917.—A rixosa almost white. It
was evidently hunting for mice.
July 2, 1918.—Noted a Long-tailed Weasel with
a freshly killed mouse near the farm buildings.
This weasel was seen in the afternoon running off
with a rat. Two small punctures in the throat
were the only evidence of the manner in which its
death had been brought about.
September 11, 1918.—A longicauda took seven
pocket gophers placed near the Entomological
Laboratory. It seized the rodents by the middle
of their back and held them high while carrying
them away. They were stored in an old gopher
burrow some two hundred yards distant. One of
these animals was tied to supports by both hind
legs, which caused the weasel considerable trouble
to free, but this was ultimately accomplished by
biting the legs through above the string.
October, 1918.—Following a severe outbreak of
mice in 1916-17, Bonaparte’s weasel increased
enormously and very soon reduced the rodents to
comparative rarity. This resulted in a scarcity of
food for the weasels, which in their turn became
greatly reduced in numbers. It is interesting to
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
[VoL. XX XIX
note that no poultry losses were reported during
the period of mouse scarcity.
November 9, 1918.—Another Long-tailed Wea-
sel about the farm buildings. Mice around the
laboratory have vanished.
July 11, 1919.—Two longicaudas present. The
poultry stretch out their necks and cackle when
the weasels draw near, but the latter pay little
attention and continue with their mouse hunting.
They have been seen running off with rats on
several occasions.
July. 12, 1919.—The two weasels mentioned
above have been joined by three more, the whole
probably constituting a family. They have
proved quite entertaining with their various antics
but they show no inclination to attack our poultry
despite the presence of numerous small chicks.
August 6, 1919.—A Long-tailed Weasel had a
drink at the bird trough this morning and then
slowly crawled through the water. It later
frisked about as if to dry itself.
August 20, 1919.—A longicauda in the Insectary
ran at me this morning apparently with a view to
intimidating. It uttered a shrill ery while making
the attack, but retreated after advancing within
two feet. (This weasel remained around the farm
buildings well into the winter.)
July 11, 1920——There are two large weasels
about the buildings which have the usual free
access to the poultry-house. Each has been noted
with rats and this afternoon one of them was seen
running into the woods carrying a rat, followed
by two excited swallows.
April 2, 1921.—A longicauda seen near Labora-
tory. It is still white.
April 18, 1921.—The above-mentioned weasel is
now brown.
May 31, 1921.—Saw a Bonaparte’s weasel cap-
ture a Red-backed Vole after a long hunt during
which the pursuer never once lost track of its
victim.
July 31, 1921—A Long-tail drinking. The
squeaking of a rat a few days previously had
indicated the presence of a weasel.
August 21, 1921.—Heard cries of a small rabbit
at dusk to-night, which investigation showed was
being attacked by a large weasel. The rabbit was
later carried to the weasel’s store chamber below
ground.
October 31, 1921.—A Long-tail almost white.
It has been about the farm buildings for more
than a month. .
February 17, 1921.—Came across the marks of
a weasel carting some object over the snow. An
investigation revealed a recently-killed pocket
gopher with its captor still in possession.
November 8, 1924.—Shot a bush rabbit and
left it lying. Two hours later the rodent was
September, 1925]
found to have been dragged beneath a brush pile
and partly eaten. Innumerable weasel tracks left
no doubt as to the identity of the thief.
January 31, 1925.—A Long-tailed Weasel killed
three hens last night, and rather severely bit a
cock about the neck. This, or another weasel,
had been around the farm-yard for some time.
(The specimen was a large male.)
At least twice within our memory, weasels have
made their way into a temporary meat-house
where, not satisfied with the ample supply of food
available, they have proceeded to hide everything
capable of being moved. In this way ox-hearts,
suet and other delicacies have vanished down holes
or behind boards and logs.
In the fall of 1924, Mr. A. Cooper, a prominent
poultryman of Treesbank, observed a large weasel
carrying a freshly killed rat which it stored below
ground and then returned towards the poultry-
house, causing no little apprehension to the owner.
Within a short time, however, the weasel reappear-
ed with another rat which it hid as before. In this
way several rodents were accounted for during the
afternoon, and Mr. Cooper assures us that the
weasel “‘kept up the good work for some days’’.
Being a farmer of many years’ standing, Mr.
Cooper has naturally lost some poultry through
the agency of weasels, but while he remarks that
“there are good as well as bad actors among
weasels”, he has the practical good sense to
recognize the value of an efficient ratter even
though it be a weasel.
Our sister, Maida Criddle, writes under date of
March 4, 1925:
“There is another weasel (longicauda) in the
fowl-house, a well-behaved one thistime. It came
and took a piece of meat out of my hand quite
nicely, which it carried down a hole and then
came and sniffed all over my mitt to see if there
was any more. I thought it had been killed when
I visited the farm buildings next day as there was
a strong smell of musk on the cat and in the fowl-
house, but the weasel was there as cheeky as ever.
It got hold of my skirt twice and tried to pull me
down its hole. I think it wanted the cloth for a
bed, as it was taking straw and other material
down the burrow. The poultry were very
frightened at first, but they are getting used to the
weasel’s presence now.”’
Once while ploughing, we observed a Long-tailed
Weasel carrying a field mouse which it dropped,
and ran down a hole. The junior writer then
picked up the rodent and held it near the burrow,
upon which the weasel came out and grabbed the
mouse at its opposite end, pulling lustily, actually
permitting itself to be dragged from the hole while
thus occupied. Ultimately the weasel was per-
mitted to retain possession of its prey.
On one occasion the senior writer saw a Long-
tailed Weasel resting on a tree. It had squeezed
its abdomen between a forked limb and was
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
147
hanging thus in evident pain. On being approach-
ed very closely it showed some inclination to fight,
but changed its mind and moved instead. to
another limb, where it again squeezed its body
between two branches. There was a most pathetic
look upon the animal’s face, almost as if it were
requesting assistance. We have no doubt that it
had eaten part of a poisoned mouse or gopher.
On another occasion a Long-tailed Weasel was
caught in a trap set for gophers, and, on being
released by Miss M. Criddle, at once turned upon
its liberator and bit savagely at her boot. It then
moved a short distance away to a tub of water,
where it drank thirstily, merely glancing at the
observer from time to time while doing so, and
then ran off out of sight.
Mr. T. Criddle records a similar experience.
After liberating a large weasel from a trap, it
immediately rushed at him and persisted in its
attack with such ferocity that it was three times
picked up and thrown, on each occasion to a
greater distance, before it finally abandoned its
offensive.
We have no record of a weasel making an un-
provoked attack upon anyone.
Hawks are not always the aggressors, as is
shown by an incident reported by Mr. H. L. Sea-
mans, of Lethbridge, Alberta. Mr. Seamans
noted a large buzzard suddenly fly straight up-
wards from a fence post, and then alight upon
another one some distance away. A little while
afterward this bird once more arose in the same
manner as before, and presently repeated the
performance again. An investigation then follow-
ed and revealed that a Long-tailed Weasel was
following the hawk from post to post.
We should hardly expect a weasel to attempt to
capture a bird of the above type. On the other
hand, it is possible that these animals might be
able to startle a hawk sufficiently to cause it to
drop its prey, which would thus provide food for
the weasel.
CONCLUSION
In summing up the evidence for and against
weasels, there are three important points to be
considered. Firstly, the food habits are divisible
into useful and harmful ones, depending upon
whether the animal takes rodents or poultry and
other useful birds; and secondly, there is the
value of the weasel’s fur, which represents an
important asset. We have tried to show in the
previous pages what the food habits are and we
think that even the most prejudiced person must
pause on beholding the evidence.
One at least of our weasels is almost wholly
beneficial, and we have no hesitation in proclaim-
ing this species, rixosa, the most useful of all
148
Canadian predators. Of cicognantii, the evidence
in its favor seems overwhelming and we are,
therefore, confronted with longicauda alone.
What is the evidence? This weasel is a perpetual
mouser, a hunter of pocket gophers, ground
squirrels and rats, an enemy of bush rabbits, a
stealer of young birds and a casual raider of
poultry-houses. It is a destroyer of fully two
thousand rodents for every fowl taken and the
possessor of a pelt that surpasses any other weasel’s
in value.
As an illustration of the value of weasels’ pelts,
we would point out that more than fifty-four
thousand were secured and sold in Manitoba
during the year ending September 30, 1924,
representing a value of approximately $40,000.
It is evident that early training has had much
to do with the prejudice against weasels and that
the folk lore of other lands has influenced others
as it influenced us in boyhood days.
In the past, the trapper has had the lives of
these animals much in his own hands, and he has
not, we regret to say, always used his privileges
in the best interests of posterity. His object has
usually been to kill as many as possible, and in
this he has been ably seconded by the fur trade
which, by advertising and circularizing, have done
everything possible to increase the output of furs.
No wonder, therefore, that fur-bearing animals are
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
[VoL. XX XIX
becoming scarce or that noxious ones are over-
running the country.
It is surely time to call a halt to these proceed-
ings. Trapping is a legitimate trade with which
we have no quarrel, but there are other interests
to be taken into consideration, among which are
those of agriculture. It seems to us that the
farmer should be considered first in this matter..
We all know of the enormous losses that are caused
by gophers, mice and allied rodents. Grain crops,
fruit trees and forests are all affected by these
creatures. As the carnivorous animals have
diminished in numbers, the rodent tribe have
increased by leaps and bounds, causing untold
mischief in so doing.
The remedy is largely in our own hands. Two
important considerations are involved in this
question, namely, the conservation of useful
animals, and the preservation of our crops. These
aims can only be accomplished by restoring the
balance which Nature originally maintained, but
which has been upset by man. Much has already
been done with this end in view, but for reasons
which we have already indicated, weasels which
constitute one of the most important factors have
been left out. There are no valid reasons for such
a course, but, on the contrary, there is ample
evidence to prove that these animals should be
protected.
IN MEMORIAM
JAMES BALLANTYNE
Born March, 1835 Died April 6, 1925
An esteemed citizen, and a long-standing and
deeply interested member of the OTTAWA FIELD-
NATURALISTS’ CLUB, passed from our midst into
the great unseen on April 6th of the present year,
in the person of Mr. James Ballantyne.
Mr. Ballantyne was born in March, 1835, at
Newcastleton, in Scotland, and had therefore at
the time of his decease entered upon his ninety-
first. year.
His parents came to Canada in 1840, when he
was about five years old, and settled on a farm
near Smith’s Falls, Ont., and in the course of
Mr. Ballantyne’s career, he developed into a man
of versatility and great usefulness, and over sixty
years ago became a permanent citizen of Ottawa.
As a business man, he engaged successfully in
many enterprises; as a public man, he took a
deep interest in educational matters, and was
intrusted with many municipal and county
responsibilities, often consecutive for years; and
in the things of the mind, he associated himself as
a member of numerous scientific and literary
institutions.
He was a long-standing member of the Ottawa
Field-Naturalists’ Club, a regular attendant of its
excursions and-lectures, and contributed an article
on “Our Squirrels’, which was published in the
June, 1888, number of the official organ of the
club which, at that time, bore the title of the
Ottawa Naturalist. And for long he was an auditor
of the Club.
He was also, for upwards of forty years, a
member of the former Ottawa Literary and
Scientific Society, a member for many years of
the Horticultural Society, and for some years a
member of the Camera Club; and with great
liberality of thought, Mr. Ballantyne was a man
broadly tolerant of all who aimed for the better-
ment of the world; and all who knew him best
will ever remember the efficacious and exemplary
life which he led.—A. H.
September, 1925]
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
149
NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS
UNusUAL Form oF Trillium grandiflorum.—
There is an area of unknown size extending from
London to at least eighty miles east along Lake
Erie, and some distance south-west, in which this
plant shows variations that are entirely outside of
the limits set by the authorities. Last year I
visited a woods where the aberrant forms are
numerous and brought home a number of them
which I planted without record, and am surprised
to find that some of them are more nearly normal
this year. This unexpected state of affairs led me
to visit the same woods again on May 10th, 1925,
and I am planting some of them in my garden,
taking careful note of their individual characteris-
tics.
Normally, this species has a six-angled ovary,
but only one of all these plants conforms to that
detail, nearly all the rest having three-angled
ovaries, though some of then have none.
The normal leaf of this species here is practically
sessile, but there are only three of these that are
quite so. Of the twenty other plants referred to
here which should have sessile leaves, nine have
petioles of one-half inch or less, one has petioles
about one inch long and five vary from two to
four inches. Then there are three amazing plants
that have no leaf at all—nothing but the sepals
and petalsall in a group.
These variations come almost invariably on the
plants which depart from the custom of having
white flowers, there being only four plants in the
whole series that have white petals, the rest having
a varying proportion of green; sometimes only a
thin light stripe down the centre, in others the
stripes become wider and wider until finally the
green reaches the edge, and then the end of the
petiole is the only part that shows white, and even
this does sometimes vanish. It will be a very
interesting experiment to try and raise seed from
some of these forms, but seed is not frequently
met with. I have now in the garden one clump
from last year’s planting which grew all together
in the woods as though the plants resulted from
one pod of seed. This group shows sessile and
petioled leaves, also pure white and green and
white flowers.
The shape of the leaf varies also, some of them
are narrow, and some nearly round with an
acuminate tip.
I shall now refer to a few individual plants.
Plant E. with Petioles one-third inch, three
angled ovary and white petals, has a rounded leaf,
the tip being abruptly acuminate.
Plant H. is a particularly interesting one with
two stems from one root; the petiole lengths are
one-third and one-half inches; one stem has one
white petal and two petals that are green in the
centre, and the other has one petal white with a
thin light green stripe; another petal has a wider,
heavier stripe in the centre and the third petal is
divided at the centre line, one-half being white
and the other half green.
Plant O. has two petals and three sepals. The
petals have a narrow green stripe and one of the
sepals is half white.
Plant Q. has only a single leaf, which comes up
a long stem from near the root, where it joins the
flower stem.
There are six without leaves at all. One of
these has two of the stamens changed into crinkled
petals three-quarters inches long, the whole flower
being white. One very beautiful flower picked by
one of the party and the root not taken, had six
equal petals, each with a brilliant green stripe one-
eighth inch wide and it had also six stamens and
three sepals.
This last flower illustrates in concrete and
emphatic form the absolute disregard which this
species shows for the usual custom of nature in
making all the plants of the species in close
resemblance with each other.
Gray’s Manual makes the best reference to
these unusual forms, as follows: ‘‘Monstrosities
are not rare, with the calyx and sometimes the
petals changed to leaves, or the parts of the flower
increased in number,” but this reference is entirely
inadequate. The description of the species should
read-something like this: Leaves three, or two or
one or none, varying from sub-sessile on the stem
to radical leaves with petioles four inches or more.
Petals usually three, varying from the usual white,
through white with a green central stripe, to a
solid green; ovary, usually six-angled, sometimes
three-angled or absent —W. E. SAUNDERS.
THE INCREASE AND PRESENT STATUS OF THE
STARLING (Sturnus vulgaris), AT TORONTO, 1925.—
It is well known that the Starling has become
established in the Toronto region, but it seems
advisable to record the rate of increase and the
present status of the species before the local
reports become too obscure to bring together.
The earliest record of the Starling for the
Toronto district is that of Fleming’, who saw a
flock of seven flying over his garden in the central
part of the city on August 24, 1920. The next
recorded observation was that of Harrington”,
who mentions having seen a flock of five on De-
cember 38, 1922, at Lambton Mills, just west of
1Fleming, J. H.—‘The Starling, Sturnus vulgaris, at Toronto,
Ontario’. Canadian Field-Naturalist, Vol. XXXVI, page 15.
2Harrington, Paul—“‘Notes on Prairie Warbler and Starling”’ .
Canadian Field-Naturalist, Vol. XX XVIII, page 58.
150
the city limits. About the same time, Mr. E.
Brown informed the writers that several pairs
were frequenting Cedarvale ravine, in the north-
central part of the city. A large winter flock was
also noted by Harrington*® (at Downsview, north-
west of the city), on December 19, 1923. From
this date on, Starlings have been noted by local
observers over an increasing area and with greater
frequency. The species doubtless invaded the
Toronto district from the south and west and
became established as a breeder in the rural dis-
tricts in that direction. During the winter of
1923-24 members of the Brodie Club repeatedly
reported the Starling from the adjacent country
west of Toronto, large flocks estimated at one
hundred individuals having been seen.
On April 26, 1924, Harrington found the Starling
breeding at Cooksville, west of the city, and again
on the annual field-day of the Brodie Club, May
18, 1924, Starlings were noted as nesting at the
same place. An interesting note in this connection
is that the birds have established themselves in
the hollow, horizontal arms of the Hydro-Electric
towers. Such a nesting sit is inaccessible and
offers an almost unlimited advantage during the
breeding season. On May 25, 1924, a single pair
was noted by Snyder as nesting in an abandoned
Flicker hole in a dead elm near Pottageville, north-
west of Toronto. No other local breeding records
have been reported, but the species has increased
so that during the winter of 1924-25 it could be
seen regularly at several places in and near the
city. A flock of one hundred and fifty birds was
noted as frequenting a garbage-dump in Cedarvale
ravine during the past winter.
Stuart L. Thompson collected two specimens on
February 9, 1925, near Leaside, in the Don Valley,
which were the first specimens to be taken and
also the first evidence that they had encircled the
city and are now to be found in the more easterly
sections of the district. One of the specimens is
in Mr. Thompson’s private collection and the
other is in the collection of the Royal Ontario
Museum of Zoology. A third specimen, in the
collection of J. H. Fleming, was taken on March 8,
1925, by H. Haugh. These are the only specimens
which have been taken in the district that are
known to be in scientific collections.—L. L. SNy-
DER and JAS. L. BAILLIE JR.
THE FRoG EATS THE BIRD.—The bird eats the
frog and the frog eats the bird, and that is the
way of the wild. In August, 1923, I captured a
bullfrog in Grant Lake, near Burbidge, Quebec,
which had shortly before swallowed an Olive-sided
Flycatcher. Though this bird was fully grown,
its beak showed slight indications of juvenility.
‘Harrington, Paul— Ibid. .
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
(VoL. XXXIX
A few years ago I found a bullfrog in the Rideau
River that had engulfed a young Baltimore Oriole.
The bird had probably fallen from a nest over-
hanging the water, as it was not sufficiently well
developed to attempt flight.
Several captive bullfrogs in the National
Museum have swallowed young mice, young water
snakes and young leopard frogs, all living, with
great gusto, and have shown no signs of hiccoughs
as did Kipling’s whale that swallowed the Mariner.
I have found the stomachs of frogs to contain
such inanimate and unnutritive articles as the
cones of the alder, which would point to the
conclusion that the bullfrog snaps up any moving
object, even, to his sorrow, a bit of red yarn in
which a fish-hook is concealed. The cray fish
seems to be one of the most desirable of frog foods.
In the stomach of a Red-tailed Hawk taken on
the Queen Charlotte Islands, I found the dis-
membered remains of two toads.
In May, 1923, Mr. R. O. Merriman, of Hamil-
ton, Ontario, sent in two De Kay snakes labelled,
“articles from the larder of a migrant shrike.”
These snakes, the larger of which measures thirteen’
inches, have been pierced by a thorn or a barb
but are otherwise only slightly mutilated.—
CLYDE L. PATCH.
A DuPLEX NEST OF THE PHOEBE.—On May 13,
1925, a lady brought in for my inspection a nest
of the Phoebe which exhibited what was to me a
novel method of circumventing the Cowbird.
The nest was built on her verandah and apparently
when just about completed, the Cowbird laid an
egg in it. The Phoebe promptly proceeded to
build a new nest, but instead of making an addi-
tion above the first nest, as is the well known
habit of the Yellow Warbler, she built the second
one alongside the first, and the wall between the
two adjoining cavities is completely finished and
woven together just as all the other sides of both
nests.
The result is that each nest is a complete and
finished unit although they are connected at the
one side where they adjoin each other, and the
outer walls of the whole are completely finished
and continuous. Efforts of this character in the
bird world are sufficiently rare to make this
occurrence noteworthy.—W. EF. SAUNDERS.
THE HOODED WARBLER (Wilsonia citrina) IN
ONTARIO.—As this species is of rare occurrence in
this province, it seems advisable to record here,
four hitherto unpublished records which have come
to my notice recently and also to bring together
as many of the old records as possible with a view
to establishing its present status as an Ontario
bird. :
September, 1925]
The first published notice of this species in
Ontario appeared in A List of Birds of Western
Ontario', reporting it as ‘“‘Very rare; only one
specimen taken’’. This specimen, I am informed by
Mr. Saunders, was taken at Hyde Park, Ontario,
about 1880, by John A. Morden. After an inter-
val of over twenty-five years, the second authentic
record for the province was collected in the Don
Valley, Toronto, on May 24, 1907, by Stuart L.
Thompson. It is a male and is still in his collec-
tion. Five years later, in 1912, W. E. Saunders
collected a juvenile female at Point Pelee on
August 12. A male, the fourth Ontario record,
was taken on Hamilton Mountain, May 18, 1920,
by Fred Garrity. This bird was sent in the flesh
te H. B. Haugh, of Toronto, to be mounted, is
still in Mr. Haugh’s collection and has been
examined by me. The fifth. and last record we
have of this bird, is a female, collected at Point
Pelee, April 23, 1924, by W. E. Saunders.
Hypothetical records are as follows: There is a
notice, published by Macoun, on the authority of
Rev. C. J. Young’, as follows: “A specimen of
this warbler, rare in Ontario, was captured at
Cataraqui, near Kingston, Ontario, and is now in
the collection of a resident there’. Mr. Edwin
Beaupre, of Kingston, has informed me, under
date of March 2, 1925, that the collection is still
extant, including the Hooded Warbler in an excel-
lent state of preservation but that unfortunately
no data whatever accompany same. The collec-
tion, he says, was probably formed about 1890.
Under the circumstances, it seems advisable to
consider this purely a hypothetical record, since
it seems probable that the exact place of capture
will never now be definitely known. Fleming?
records two specimens in his hypothetical list in
The Birds of Toronto, Ontario, which he says were
no doubt taken there.
There are a number of authentic sight records
which must be considered, as follows: Saunders*
reported that “some specimens were taken at
Rondeau in the spring of 1884 by Mr. (H. P.)
Atwater’. Writing to me under date of February
26, 1925, Mr. Saunders emphasized the fact that
Atwater did not collect specimens but certainly
heard individuals sing repeatedly and saw them.
Mcllwraith® reported that he ‘‘once found a young
male at Hamilton—towards the end of May’’, and
further states that “it was found occasionally by
Mr. Norval at Port Rowan”. (A male was seen
by B. H. Swales on Belle Isle, Detroit River, on
1J. A. Morden and W. E. Saunders. Canadian Sportsman
and Naturalist. II, 1882.
2John and J. M. Macoun.
1909, p. 672.
3J. H. Fleming, Auk, XXIV, 1907, p. 88.
4John and J. M. Macoun. Catalogue of Canadian Birds,
1909, p. 672. .
5Thos. Mellwraith. Birds of Ontario, 1894, p. 381.
Catalogue of Canadian Birds,
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
151
September 19, 1903, and another male was seen
by him there on May 6, 1920°.)
In Macoun’s Catalogue of Canadian Birds, is
recorded a specimen as having been taken at
Woodstock in May, 1916, by J. A. Cole. Mr.
Saunders informs me that this record has since
proven to be false and that Mr. Cole concurs with
him in dropping the record.
In conclusion it will be seen that the Hooded
Warbler is a rare migrant into Ontario, appearing
only about the shores of Lake Erie and Lake
Ontario. The fact that a young bird was taken
in the early autumn seems to point to its breeding
in the province, but as yet we have no conclusive
evidence of its doing so.—JAs. L. BAILLIE JR.,
Royal Ontario Museum of Zoology, Toronto, On-
tario
THE INTRODUCTION OF THE MUSKRAT AND THE
Rocky MOUNTAIN GOAT ON VANCOUVER ISLAND.
—In connection with the endeavour of the Club to
record all acclimatization experiments in Canada,
we are greatly indebted to Mr. M. B. Jackson,
K.C., Chairman of the Game Conservation Board
of British Columbia, for particulars here related
concerning the introduction of these two species.
MUSKRAT (Ondatra zibethica)—The muskrat is
not indigenous to Vancouver Island, although it
seems that there are places on the island eminently
suited to them. As they would prove a valuable
addition to the fur resources of the island if they
sueceeded in adapting themselves to conditions
there, the Board had a small numbertrapped inthe
Lower Mainland during the past twelve months
and they were released at Shaw Creek Game Re-
serve, Ucluelet, Jordan River, Port Alice, Hopkins
Lake (Merville), and Comox, where reports indi-
cate that they have done exceedingly well. It is
the intention of the Game Conservation Board to
remove a large number of the muskrats from the
dyked areas on the lower Fraser River, where they
are something of a menace and plant them in other
suitable locations.
Rocky MOUNTAIN GOAT (Oreamnos montanus).
—Although Vancouver Island is apparently an
ideal locality for this species, it does not occur
there. Through the kind offices of Mr. J. B.
Harkin, Commissioner, Canadian National Parks,
the Board secured four goats from Banff, Alberta,
in January, 1924, and these were released in the
Elk reserve at Cowichan Lake, Vancouver Island.
They have not been seen since, but it is the opinion
of the officers of the Board that they have sought
the higher peaks, possibly at Mount Arrowsmith
near Barclay Sound. The board is going to make
a determined effort to acclimatize the Rocky
Mountain Goat on Vancouver Island, because they
6Bradshaw H. Swales. Auk, XX XVII, 1920, p. 463.
152
will provide additional objects of interest, and so
that there will be another game mammal for the
sportsman. In this connection it should be men-
tioned that a vigorous campaign is being waged
against the cougar, it being thought that its
elimination will aid in the increase of both goat
and wapiti—HoyeEs LLOYD.
CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST PUBLICATION FUND
Statement of Receipts
Previously acknowledged.............. $ 325.00
T. L. Thacker, Little Mountain, Hope,
1B Oh Meret ies Manes me rg LOTR ere arty frre 5.00
S. Prentiss Baldwin, Cleveland, Ohio.. 5.00
$ 335.00
VICTORIA MEMORIAL MUSEUM
DEPARTMENT OF MINES
FIELD PROGRAMME, 1925
Biological Division:
Dr. R. M. ANDERSON, Chief of the Division,
expects to spend the latter part of the summer
and early fall in biological reconnaissance work,
principally collecting mammals and birds in eastern
Ontario and eastern Quebec, south of the Gulf of
St. Lawrence.
Mr. P. A. TAVERNER, ornithologist, will spend
the months of June and July collecting specimens
along the Red Deer River, in Alberta, with a view
to clearing up doubts as to the breeding forms of
the localities traversed and particularly to study
the red-tailed hawk. He will be assisted by Mr.
C. G. Harrold who, during the months of April
and May, was engaged in southern Manitoba in
securing for the Museum specimens of migrant
blue geese.
Dr. M. O. MALTE, Chief Botanist, with Mr.
W.R. Watson as assistant, is spending the summer
in the foothills area of the Province of Alberta
from the International boundary north to the
Yellowhead Pass. His work is being done with a
view to consolidating the botanical knowledge of
the region in question, which so far is comparative-
ly vague.
Mr. C. H. YOUNG is engaged in the collecting of
material for the scientific staff of the Museum in
selected localities in the Provinces of Nova Scotia
and New Brunswick, and Mr. C. L. Patch and
others will make short collecting trips from Ottawa
in the interests of the Museum.
Bi
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
MR. HAMILTON M. LAING, through the courtes
of the Mount Logan Expedition of the Canadian
Alpine Club, was allowed to accompany it for the ©
purpose of collecting natural history specimens.
The area to be traversed is one from which w
possess no material and concerning which we have
but very vague knowledge.
Mr. J. D. SOPER, in the summer of 1924, was
despatched as naturalist by the Museum with the —
expedition sent to Baffinland by the Northwe:
Territories Branch of the Interior Department.
He wintered in the North and it is expected he will
return to Ottawa when the Interior Department
boat makes its prospective trip during the summer
of 1925.
Mr. W.S. ODELL will, as opportunities presen
themselves, collect mushrooms and fungi in th
vicinity of Ottawa.
Anthropological Division:
Dr. E. SApir, Chief of the Division, after
<5", el
completing some work in the office, plans on
engaging in research on Athabaskan and Haid
Linguistics at the Hupa Reserve, California, and
Queen Charlotte Islands.
Me. H. I. Suira will have as his principal work
the direction of work intended for the preservatioi
of totem poles in the Skeena River district, B
This work is being financed by the Department
Indian Affairs and the Canadian National R
ways is co-operating in the work. Mr. Smith)
incidentally carry on archaeological and ethn
gical work as opportunities present themselves.
Mr. W. J. WINTEMBERG is engaged in archae
logical reconnaissance in the provinces of Sask
chewan and Alberta. The tentative route |
out for him extending from Estevan, Sask
chewan, to Edmonton, Alberta, to Macl
Alberta, and from thence easterly along the In
national boundary to the western boundary «
Manitoba.
.Dr. C. M. BARBEAU is engaged in intensi
study of the folk technology and colonial arts
crafts of the ancient French colony of Quebec an
vicinity. The headquarters for this work will be
on the Isle of Orleans.
months. His work will probably be carried on in
the Province of Saskatchewan.
NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF
i MANITOBA
ae aay is 1924 ‘
_ Hon. President: NORMAN CRIDDLE; President: C. W. LOWE;
_ Vice-Presidents: Dr. H. M. SPEECHLY, Dr. A. M. DavIDSON,
_ A. G. LAwRence, J. B. WALLIS, B. W. CARTWRIGHT, A. A.
_ McCousrey; Acting General Secretary: H. B. WH8STON,
Room 307, C.P.R. Depot; Executive Secretary: R. M. THOMAS;
Treasurer: J.J. Mort, P.O. Box 1562. ORNITHOLOGICAL
- SECTION:—Chairman, C. L. BrouEy; Secretary: L. E.
McCatt. BOTANICAL SECTION:—Chairman: ©. W.
Lowe; Secretary: Miss Grace CAMERON. ENTOMOLO-
_ GICAL SECTION:—Chairman: G. SHIRLEY BROOKS;
- Secretary: A. M. Davipson. GEOLOGICAL SECTION :—
Chairman: L. G. THOMPSON; Secretary: F. M. OLIVER.
_ SHE HAMILTON BIRD PROTECTION
SOCIETY
(Incorporated)
Hon. President: Mr. ADAM BROWN: President: Mr. R. O
MERRIMAN; 1st Vice-President: Dr. H. G. ARNOTT; 2nd Vice-
President: Mr. C. D. Cook; Secretary-Treasurer: Miss RUBY
R. Mus, Publie Library, Hamilton; Directors: Dr. H. G.
ARNoTT; C. D. Cook; Dr. J. A. DIcKSON; Miss M. E. GRA-
HAM; Miss Rusy R. MILis; M. Ho.Lton;
Mrs. F. E. MACLOGHLIN; R. O. MERRIMAN.
NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF BRITISH
COLUMBIA, VICTORIA, B.C.
The officers for the above Society for the year ending
March 31st, 1925, are as follows:— —
President: Rev. R. CONNELL, M.A.; ist Vice-President:
W. N. KSLLY; 2nd Vice-President: Mrs. HUGH MACKENZIE;
S.M. THORNTON; Committee: G. A. HarDy, C. C. PEMBERTON,
TRA CORNWALL, F.G.S., A. R. SHERWOOD, H. Boyce; Audi-
tors: Miss MockrinGE, M.Sc., WILLIAM DOWNES.
Pe on ee
a
4 /
ALBERTA NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY
‘ Hon. President: Mr. J. J. GAETZ, Red Deer, Alta.; Hon. Vice
_ President: Dr. Hy. GEorGE, Victoria, B.C.; President?
"Mr. C. H. SNELL, Red Deer, Alta.; 1st Vice-President: MRs-
_ W. A. CAssEts, Red Deer, Alta.; 2nd Vice-President: Mr. S.
_ Pamety, Red Deer, Alta.; Directors: Mrs. G .F. Root, Weta-
_ Skiwin, Alta.; Mrs. J. MCMILLAN, Red Deer, Alta.; Miss E.
_ C, Irvine, Red Deer, Alta.; Mr. F. L. FARLEY, Camrose,
¥ Alta.; Mr. W. A. CASSELS, Red Deer, Alta.; Mr. B. LAWTON,
; Edmonton, Alta.; Mr. K. BowMAN, Edmonton, Alta.; PRoF.
€ W. Rowan, Univ. of Alta., Edmonton, Alta.; Mr. W. F.
Harris, Hed Deer, Alta.; Mr. T. E. RANDALL, Castor, Alta.;
Mr. A.. C. BreTHour, Calgary, Alta.; Hon. Sec-Treas.:
_ Mrs.S. PaMEety, Red Deer, Alta. :
oe The meetings of this Society are held in Red Deer on the
__ last Friday of each month except during July and August and
_ perhaps September. The annual meeting is held in Red Deer
on the last Friday in November. j
re
— H
ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB,
LONDON, ONT. | :
resident: T. D. PATTERSON, 562 Waterloo Street; Recording
ecretary: Mrs. E. H. McKoNnz, Worthey Road; Correspond-
Secretary and Treasurer: E. M.S. DALE, 297 Hyman St.;
mbers qualified to answer questions: W. E. SAUNDERS, 240
tral Ave.; C. G. WATSON, 201 Ridout St. South; J. R.
icLEOD, 355 Wortley Road; J. F. CALVERT, 461 Tecumseh
.; E. M.S. DALE, 297 Hyman St.
NCOUVER NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY
President: L. S. Kuinck, L.L.D., Pres. University of B. C.;
dent: JOHN DAVIDSON, F.L.S., University of B.C.; Vice-
dent: FRED PERRY; Hon. Secretary: C. F. CONNOR, M.A.,
. 2nd Ave., Vancouver, B.C.; Hon. Treasurer: A. H.
, 2302 York St., Vancouver, B.C.
Fortnightly meetings in the University Buildings from
tember to April (inclusive). Semi-monthly exeursions from
y to August (inclusive). F
M. JOHNSTON; .
Hon. Secretary: Haro~p T. NATION; Hon. Treasurer: Miss ~
ss Affiliated Societies
PROVINCE OF QUEBEC SOCIETY FOR THE
PROTECTION OF BIRDS
Hon. President: I. GAMMEL; Hon. Vice-President: W.H. -
President: L. Mcl. TERRILL; Ist. Vice Prasvieds Wee
Smitu; 2nd. Vice-President: E. ARNOLD; Srd. Vice-Presideni
and Curator: Miss E. G. LUKE; Recording Secretary: Miss H.
STONE; Corresponding Secretary: W. S. Hart, P.O. Box 1186,
Montreal, P.Q.; Treasurer: HENRY MousLEy: Committee:
Miss M. ARMITAGE, Miss E. BENNET; MR. AND Mrs. C. F.
DALE; H. A. C. JACKSoN; Miss FE. Morrow; Miss L. MURPHY;
A, MACSWEEN; G.S.MOooNEY; W. A. OsWALD; L. MclI.
SPACKMAN; Mrs. W. W. WALKER; Dr. ARTHUR WILLEY;
Members qualified to answer questions: L. Mcl. TERRILL,
44 Stanley Ave., St. Lambert, Que.; NAPIER SMITH,
Bank of Montreal, Verdun, Que., E. ARNOLD, 64 Durocher St.,
Montreal; W. A. OSWALD, 301 Wilson Ave., N.D.G., Montreal;
C. N. ROBERTSON, c-o Ross Realty Co., Room 805, Lewis
Bldg., St. John St., Montreal, Que.; Dr. ARTHUR WILLEY,
McGill University, Montreal; H=nry MousLEy, 274 Girouard —
Ave., N.D.G., Montreal, P.Q.; Miss EDITH MORROW AND
Miss EmIty LUKE, c-o Secretary.
SOCIETE PROVANCHER D’HISTOIRE
NATURELLE DU CANADA
Bureau de direction pour 1923
Président: DocTauR S. GAUDREAU; Jer vice-président: ABBB
A. VACHON, M.A.; 2éme vice-président: A.-R.-M. BOuLToNn:
Secrétaire-trésorier: Louts-B. LAvorm; Chef de Ia section
scientifique: A.-A. GopBoUT; Chef de la section de propaganda
éducationelle: DoctEuR A. DERy; Chef de la section de pro-
tection: R. MEREDITH, N.P.; Chef de la section d’information
scientifique et pratique: DOCTEUR J.-E. BERNIER; Directeura:
R.-F. LInDSAY; Jos. MATTE; G.-S. AHERN.
THE BRITISH COLUMBIA ORNITHOLO-
GISTS’ UNION
Officers for 1923
Hon. President: Hon. MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, Victoria;
President: FRANCIS KERMODE, Provincial Museum, Victoria;
Vice-President: T. L. THACKER, Hope; Secretary-Treasurer:
J. W. WINSON, Huntingdon; Directors: J. A. MUNRO, Okana-
gan Landing; Dr. KELso, Arrow Lakes; R. GLENDENING,
Agassiz; K. Racky, Vancouver; T. PEARSE, Courtenay;
| W. N. KELLY, Victoria. i
THE TORONTO FIELD-NATURALISTS’
CLUB
President: PrRoressoR R. B. THOMSON; Vice-Presidenis:
PROFESSOR E. M. WALKER, Dr. A. CoSENS, J. H. FLEMING;
Secretary: W. F. Grecory, 151 Ellsworth Ave., Toronto;
Treasurer: F. H. BRIGDEN; Honorary Librarian: C. W. NASH:
Librarian: Dr. LyMan B. Jackes. BIRD GROUP:—
Chairman: STUART THOMPSON; Secretary: JAMES BAILLIE.
FLOWER GROUP:—Chairman: Dr. H.B.Sirton; Secretary: —
Miss J. G. WRIGHT, PH.D.; INSECT GROUP:—Chairman:
PROFESSOR WALKER; Secretary: Miss NORMA ForD, PH.D.
MAMMAL GROUP:—Chairman: J. R. DyMonpD; Secretary:
L. SNYDER. REPTILE, FISH AND AMPHIBIAN GROUP:
—Chairman: SuHittey Locier; Secretary: T. B. KURATA.
PROGRAM COMMITTEE:—Chairman: Dr. W. A. CLEM-
ENS. WILD LIFE PRESERVATION COMMITTEE:—
Chairman: RussELL G. DINGMAN. EDUCATIONAL COM-
MITTEE:—Chairman: TAYLOR STATTEN.
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.
Sweet Canada
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EE OSE AS ena oars ee eet NOV 2 4 rs
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SRARGRALISTS CLUB
ISSUED Seta. 30, ae
- Entered at the Girias Post Office as HO aoe matter
THE OTTAWA FIELD- NATURALISTS CLUB
arouse :
THEIR EXCELLENCIES THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL AND THE LADY B
VEE ia ai) Ue A. Mrtuer. ec
1st Vice-President: Kahdb (rx xDpLE() () end, Vice-President: Re
ye reta = : . Treasurer
corte 13 DULL L he oe ee
4s hed Ave. REO scan 821 McLeod 8
Ottawa, Ont. - ; Ottawa, Ont.
Additional Members of Council: W.T. MAcoun; Miss M. E. Cowan; C.M. STERNBER
.A. TAVERNER; E. SAPIR; W.J. WINTEMBERG: Dedede DELURY; ARTHUR GIBSON; M.O. 1
R. M. ANDERSON; H. GROH; Miss F. FYLES; C.B. HutTcHINGs; CLYDE L. Patc EE
D. JENNESS; H. FE. Lewis; Hoyss Luoyp; Frits J OHANSEN; ANDREW HALKETT; |
G. R. Waite; E.G. WHITE; G. A. MacDonatp; A. G. KINGSTON: NorMAN LEACH; |
McELHINNEY; V. W. JACKSON; R. O. oS W. N. au C. H. oN J Re
eh Acting Editor:
ee , ence G. A. MILLER,
oe a en Normal School, Ottawa.
ee Associate Editors: pe SENS
GAPIRG Ge Soe: retain Mea Mn Amiinoneiogy A. G. HUNTSMAN..........
E.
MO MARE ee Soe. Wier ees ete Botany ON PAS TAVERINER,.:).c.)foe en ae een
F, R. LATCHFORD......... AER Bas Conchology — eat
INTRA WWD AMSG ose cet at ce incom nouns Geology a ie,
ARTHUR GIBSON.........-....-- Entomology CLYDE L. PATCH.... aay ra
\ CONTENTS. ae
The Christmas Bird Census at Arnprior, Ontario. By Cee NoacNamae ee
Further Bird Notes from Southern Vancouver Island. By JA - Munro. pa
Another Invasion of Canada. By Henry Howitt............ seit che Onsen eaemeg ee at
Lead Poisoning in Trumpeter Swans. By J. A. Munro.........................-4. Uae
Extracts From—“Forest Insect Conditions in Northern Ontario? By M. B. lane
The European Grey Partridge in the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia. By J. AS Munro
Bare Island, British Columbia. By J. A. Munro SOKO i abner actin: os Sue Oy ty a tae
Passenger Pigeons. By William Welshove ys hole eee SE are ES vo A ae ah Ree ae
Notes on the Economic Relations of Kennicott’s Screech Owl (Otus asio enn in the N. ic
tora Region... By J> A. Munroe. ei 0 ee OF eae oe ee
Radio Lectures—Fall 1924 to Spring 1925... 2... 2.) ee ee Sue Grae ane st
Official Canadian Record of Bird-Banding Returns................. nO Oe Abe casa SS
Prosecutions Under the Migratory Birds Convention Act.......................... eae
Notes and Observations:—
The Introduction of the European Grey Partridge in Manitoba. ay Leyes Lloyd...
An Ivory Gull, Pagophila alba, Gunn, Observed at Victoria, B.C. By W. H. oe Pres
Christmas Bird Censuses in Canada. By Hoyes loyal ep in ene Bae sae
A Case of Disease in the California Partridge (Quail), Lophoriye ealifornicus californ Us
Shaw. By WiHAs Preece io Oi Re i os i ae a i
Gannets of Bonaventure Island, Quebec. By William A. Duval. ACh tee ete ig
Canadian Field-Naturalist Publication Fund. Statement of Receipts. . maa eR
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The Canadian Field-Naturalist
VOL: XX XEX
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, OCTOBER, 1925
No. 7
THE CHRISTMAS BIRD CENSUS AT ARNPRIOR, ONTARIO
By CHARLES MACNAMARA
OR twelve successive years now Liguori
Gormley and I have taken a Christmas
Bird Census in the vicinity of Arnprior,
and a survey of the figures may be of
Unlike an official census of a human
interest.
population, our Bird Census does not pretend to
count every individual bird in the district. Its
figures are index figures only, representing the
relative numbers of the different species, and not
the total number present each year. But the
count having always been made under fairly
uniform conditions, the figures are comparable
among themselves, and give a good idea of the
rise and fall of the winter bird population in the
vicinity from year to year.
Travelling separately, we have always gone over
approximately the same territory. Liguori’s route
lies towards the west, and mine eastward from the
town, and between us we usually cover about
twenty miles. Our hunting ground, which
stretches along the south shore of the Ottawa
River, is mostly rough, rocky country, well wood-
ed with both evergreens and deciduous trees, and
includes a few fields and clearings, and a couple of
beaver meadows with small streams flowing
through them.
The weather of the twelve Christmases was
about evenly divided between clear and cloudy.
Two years it snowed. Only one year (1923) was
the ground bare. Usually the snow lay three to
five inches deep, while on four occasions it ranged
from twelve to sixteen inches, and we had to use
snowshoes. We have always started out with the
thermometer below freezing point, and five times
it was below zero, the lowest being 10°F. below.
Only twice did it rise above 32°F. while we were
making our rounds.
From these low temperatures it is plain that our
regular winter residents must be real birds of the
north. The tide of summer migrants, ebbing
southward in the fall, sometimes leaves behind an
odd Song Sparrow, or a Blackbird or Robin, which
manages to survive in some sheltered place for
part of the winter at least. And the remarkably
mild winter of 1923-24 (I found dandelions in
blossom on Christmas day) bestowed on our cen-
sus of that year the unusual records of a White-
throated Sparrow and a Tree Sparrow. But all
~ would do much for the birds.
these birds, though quite at home here in the
summer, are accidental at Christmas time, and
have no right place among our winter birds.
The only native bird that is known to be a
really permanent resident here all the year round
is that hen of the woods, the Ruffed Grouse
(familiarly: the Partridge). While a good many
other birds are to be found here both summer and
winter, it is doubtful if the same individuals stay
throughout the year. This is a point that bird-
banding will eventually clear up, but it seems
probable that the summer residents migrate south-
ward in the winter, and others of the same species
come down from the north and take their places.
The Ruffed Grouse, however, rarely moves more
than a few miles around in its district.
Even under uniform conditions of game protec-
tion—or, as it generally is, lack of protection—the
number of Ruffed Grouse in a district varies a
great deal from year to year, and is supposed to
depend largely on the spring weather, a cold wet
May and June being bad for the chicks. How-
ever t i> may be, adequate protection from hunters
In 19138, when we
took our first bird census, the Grouse around here
were at a low ebb, and we found none at all that
year. During the next five years we recorded
only from one to three each census, rising to five
birds in 1919, perhaps as the result of an extra
favourable breeding season. Then, in 1920, part
of the census district was declared a Provincial
Game Sanctuary, and that Christmas we counted
fifteen Grouse, and the next Christmas, twenty-
eight. Man, the most destructive factor in their
problem of how to live, having been eliminated,
they outstripped their natural enemies in increase.
But the balance of life was soon restored. The
natural enemies, also sheltered in the Sanctuary
from human harm, soon caught up. Probably
unfavourable weather came in, too. For, in 1922,
the number of Grouse was down to eight, and for
the two succeeding years it has been five and
again eight. This indicates a Grouse population
of only about one-third as many as when they
were unharassed by other predatory animals as
well as man, but about two and a half times as
many as the average before the Sanctuary was
established.
154 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST (VoL. XX XIX
CHRISTMAS BIRD CENSUS AT ARNPRIOR, ONTARIO, FOR TWELVE YEARS
Species | ais [1014 | 1015 | sre | tr7 | to | 19 | 920 [ras | [oes | a
a ei el
| American Gokden-eye, oc wianulal fee buolews| ule@ | 2sy/e Wes) eee Ml
|Conasa RuffedGrose | 3 ft To | ef [5 isles] [5 [6
Howse | ee
ScfecNOwl fe eee ee Coe Soe orleolaeee ance
| Great Horned Owls Sef jade [poubut | ojos pt) el
fHiry wooapecker UE 2 i 2" es ea ee ee
[Downy wooupecrer fez | | fet fs | 4 lal lolala|
ete Denes weteetee—_}_f_}_ Ft a Tt
American Three-toed Woodpecker Sail se tlewe’ latest liam alapecal esi p RARE lata a
Northern Pileated Woodpecker EIS eS Se eh Se ee
Blue Joy polis die [sina seel ots] Ball aleve ea
iGonada day, 2 8 ee eae
American Grows en Swe boiale |r |= | es ee
Bomer Gate VO PS a See ae
ence smacech ___ emf Jl fea |_[o et | fate a
Pine Grosbeak
a Finch
siike weastaaul aT ORE hs op) al el el ele ae
[Redpet ch ti swt tobe | ola Geel ois aa a
american Goerineh Se! [a7] ee ees Ae
Pine Sion | ft | el 5a| | Se
Snow Bunting fot 3 ||| thearal 3 | 57 [reoral |
iiidimnaciSareics aoa bala oat aac) le
Pte eee ey eee
Gola cronnéa ingen
[Toto Species | Jes [ie [5 | 5 Tire Lan ee ia
October, 1925]
While the Ruffed Grouse may be found in much
the same haunts at all seasons, a bird more charac-
teristic of the winter alone, and the one species
that appears in all our twelve censuses without a
break is the Black-capped Chickadee. Of course,
there are Chickadees here in the summer also, but
they are few and wild and mistrustful, quite un-
like the flocks of confident little birds we meet in
winter calling cheerfully to one another, and often
tame enough to alight on the observer’s head or
shoulder. Their “phoebe” call properly belongs
to the springtime, when even a Chickadee’s fancy
lightly turns to thoughts of love. But Liguori’s
expert rendering of it always brings an unseason-
able answer, even in midwinter. The Black-caps’
duskier, hoarser cousin, the Hudsonian Chickadee,
we have recorded in our census only once. It is
not such a very rare visitor, but only once have
we happened to see it at Christmas time.
Another bird representative of winter is the
White-breasted Nuthatch. It, too, is here more
or less all summer, but is much more noticeable
in the winter. The birds usually travel in pairs,
and often with a flock of Chickadees, their low-
toned, nasal “quank, quank’’ being a familiar
accompaniment to the high-pitched “‘chick-a-dee-
dee’. The smaller Red-breasted Nuthatch is not
so reliable, and while some years it is more plenti-
ful than the White-breasted, other years it is
entirely absent.
Another uncertain bird is the Brown Creeper,
which fluctuates in our census from nothing to
sixteen. It is, however, very easy to overlook
the Brown Creeper. Close pressed to the bark,
it zig-zags inconspicuously up tree trunks, always
commencing at the bottom, and it takes a keen
ear to catch its extremely fine-drawn note.
The tiny Gold-crowned Kinglet, which is listed
four times, is another bird we may have missed
some years when it was here, but it is never numer-
ous and belongs among the more unusual winter
birds.
The Woodpeckers are a hardy family. Of the
eight species known in Hastern Canada, our census
records five. The Hairy Woodpecker is one of
the dependable winter birds, never very plentiful,
but always on hand. Of late years, probably ow-
ing to the protection afforded by the Game Sanc-
tuary, we have been able to include a Pileated
Woodpecker or two. Twice we have entered the
searce Arctic Three-toed Woodpecker, and last
Christmas I was lucky enough to come across the
rare American Three-toed Woodpecker on the
appointed census day. Liguori, being a better
ornithologist than I, nearly always contributes the
best finds. So when we met in the evening to
compile our lists, I announced my American Three-
toed Woodpecker with a flourish of pride. Alas!
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
155
he countered with the unique record of two Wax-
wings, which, he said, might be Bohemians, but so
as not to claim too much, he would put them down
as Cedar Waxwings.
But there is little excuse for missing any Wood-
pecker within a quarter of a mile. A Wood-
pecker’s waking hours in winter are all spent
hammering a laborious meal out. of a tree, and the
blows can be heard a long distance through the
quiet woods. If you hear what sounds like a man
chopping with a hatchet where no man can pos-
sibly be, you may safely put it down to a Pileated
working for his dinner. The smaller species
naturally do not make so much noise, but even
the little Downy’s tappings carry a long way.
In contrast with old reliables like the Chick-
adees, Nuthatches and Woodpeckers, are the
erratic Grosbeaks, whose comings and goings no
man can know. In the last twelve years, the
Evening Grosbeaks have visited us seven times,
generally coming two years in succession with an
absent year between. When they do come they
appear in the early winter in flocks of twenty-five
to one hundred birds, and stay around town until
April or May. We have never noticed them far
out in the woods. The Pine Grosbeaks, on the
other hand, are birds of the open, and do not often
come to town. Ash seeds scattered on the snow
are a good sign of their presence. - They are rarer
visitants than the Evening Grosbeaks, and we
have recorded them only four times.
The large Finch family (to which the Grosbeaks
belong) furnish half-a-dozen other winter repre-
sentatives. But some years they do not arrive in
time for the census, and a good many years they
are missing all winter. Thus there are large gaps
in the record of the Purple Finch, White-winged
Crossbill, Redpoll, American Goldfinch, Pine
Siskin and Snow Bunting.
Our count of White-winged Crossbills in 1922
was greater than that of any other bird at any
time, but we have seen it here only three winters.
The American Crossbill also came in the winter of
1922-23, but too late for the census. The Snow
Bunting has sometimes been absent from our list
because all of the species in a district often con-
gregate in a single flock which moves about
erratically, and several times we have failed to
find them until after Christmas.
As there is very little open water here in winter,
our duck records are few. Every winter, as long
as I ean remember, two or three American Golden-
eyes have come to fish in the rapids below the mill
dam, but usually they arrive too late for the
census. Birds of prey are scarce also, and the few
hawks observed were too far away for certain
identification. The Northern Shrike is always
here some time during the winter, but not often
156
in the right time for us. Twice only have we
recorded the Screech Owl and once the Great
Horned Owl. Perhaps if we had stayed out later
in the evening we would have improved our owl
records.
There are other well known winter birds that
make only intermittent appearances in our lists.
The Blue Jay was missing four years, but we feel
that when absent in name he may sometimes have
been really present in body. Boisterous and un-
mannerly as he usually is, the Blue Jay in cold
weather is often mute and retiring. When in this
mood he slips secretly through the trees, and is
hard to find. Thus on Christmas Day, 1924,
neither of us sighted or heard a single Blue Jay.
Two days later we saw three or four.
The Canada Jay seldom ventures this far into
civilization. It prefers the boundless contiguity
of shade farther north where it is unbroken by
man’s desecrating clearances. [Every five or six
years, however, a few of the birds may visit us for
a month or so, and in 1921 the visit happened to
come at Christmas, giving us our only record of
the ‘‘Whiskey Jack’.
A few American Crows occasionally winter near
here in some sheltered wood. In the cold weather
they are quiet and dejected, and not at all like
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
[VoL. XXXIX
the garrulous birds of summer. They stick close
to their retreat and rarely travel about the country
until spring.
A bird that should, but does not, figure in our
Census is the European Starling. The first scout
of what is likely to be a Starling invasion arrived
at Arnprior in April, 1922. He was “‘collected’’,
and no more were seen until the 3rd January
1924, when another one appeared—too late for the
Census—and survived several adventures around
town, (once it was caught in a hen house but
escaped) until in April it was joined by a mate.
During the summer the pair were lost track of
but may have nested here. Our next record is the
5th January, 1925—again too late for the Census
—-when six birds were seen. Since then, records
are numerous, and two pairs at least are known to
have nested. One couple, appropriately enough
for birds of the Old World, picked on the cornice
of the Lutheran Church as a good site for a home.
As yet the birds are relatively few and have
attracted no public attention. But tkese are
probably only the first trickles of the flood, and
in a few years Starlings may be as familiar in this
part of the country, and as little welcome, as the
English Sparrow.
FURTHER BIRD NOTES FROM SOUTHERN VANCOUVER ISLAND
By J. A. MUNRO
Published by permission of The Canadian National Parks Branch,
Department of the Interior, Ottawa.
Larus glaucescens. GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL
N JULY 23RD, 1924, through the courtesy
of Dr. Chester Brown, of the William
fees} Head Quarantine Station, I was taken on
ail! the launch Hvelyn to the Race Rocks,
some two miles off Rocky Point. The launch
stopped fifty yards off shore and we rowed to the
largest of the rocks north of the light station.
A decided swell on the dead calm sea, but a better
day could not have been chosen, clear and hot
and still—with a wind it would have been impos-
sible to land.
The island on which we landed is roughly an
acre in extent, there is no soil or vegetation and
the jumbled rocks are worn smooth by the surf
that, during winter gales, probably sweeps clear
over the summit. This is the highest of the Race
Rocks, excepting the one on which the light station
is built, all the others are submerged during high
tides. It was found to be occupied by a colony
of Glaucous-winged Gulls estimated at seventy-
five pairs, and a few Pigeon Guillemots. As we
approached in the dinghy, the former rose and
circled the island, rising higher after we landed.
Elsewhere, nesting gulls of the same species were
observed to show much more solicitude for their
eggs than did these birds for their young.
Young birds were found in various stages of
development from downys only a few days old to
half-feathered fledglings, the majority being about
four weeks old. Only the youngest downys were
in nests; older birds crouched motionless in the
numerous rock crevices usually with head lowered
as far as possible or else thrust into a cranny too
small to admit the body. After being banded they
would run over the rocks to again crouch next the
first obstacle encountered. When handled, these
youngsters cried and bit and invariably regurgi-
tated the contents of their au which consisted
of young herring.
To band young gulls with speed and comfort,
two operators are required, one to hold the Reel
while the other adjusts the band. Thirty-six birds,
were banded, probably a third of the juvenile
population.
Some nests were fairly substantial and: all were
composed of fine twigs, grass and moss; this
material having probably been carried from the
mainland, two miles distant, for there is no vege-
tation on the rock. Three nests containing eggs
were noted 1/1, 1/2, 1/3.
October, 1925]
Two Pigeon Guillemots flew on to the rock
several times and several others swam amongst the
kelp off shore. We were unable to find either
eggs or downy young.
Cygnus columbianus. WHISTLING SWAN.
A considerable migration of whistling swans
took place during the latter part of October, 1924,
reports of their occurrence in numbers being
received from districts where swans had not been
observed for many years. A still larger migration
was reported from points on the mainland coast,
notably at Sea and Lulu Islands, where the total
number was variously estimated at from two
hundred and fifty to eight hundred individuals.
Cygnus buccinator. TRUMPETER SWAN.
It has been known for some years that a band
of Trumpeter Swans winter regularly on a group
of lakes on Vancouver Island, and in recent years
a Migratory Bird Warden has been detailed to
guard these birds. No casualties have been
reported since this special protection was institut-
ed. During the past five years the number of
birds in the flock has varied from six to eighteen,
but last winter (1924-25) the band numbered
twenty-eight—fourteen adults and fourteen cyg-
nets*. The lake most favoured by the swans is
at an altitude of eight hundred feet above sea
level from which it is distant about thirty miles.
Of the type characteristic of Vancouver Island,
with cold, deep, clear water, it is hemmed in by
steep mountains covered with dense coniferous
forest. Red cedar predominates along the lower
levels and meets willow thickets and alder at the
water’s edge. The chief feeding ground is a
shallow lagoon lying in a wide, marshy flat upon
which is an almost impenetrable growth of willow
and alder. This lagoon is fed by a small creek
with sufficient current to ensure open water over
the feeding ground even during cold winters where
the lake itself freezes. Splatter-dock, Nymphea,
grows luxuriantly and in the summer the broad,
fleshy leaves cover much of the surface with an
over-lapping pattern. No doubt the large seeds
of this plant are an important item in the winter
diet of the swans. Other water plants such as
milfoil and various potamogetons do not make
vigorous growth, possibly because of the low
summer temperature of the water.
In the summer of 1919 a pair of Trumpeter
Swans nested on the shore of this lagoon and
raised two young. It has been reported that one
of the pair was crippled and, being unable to leave
its wintering ground, induced a mate to remain
behind and breed—a story denied by the lucky
discoverer of the nest who states that the crippled
*That a slight increase has taken place in other bands
wintering on the mainland is thought worthy of record also,
as indicating a hopeful future for this magnificent bird.
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
157
bird had been shot the previous year. This man
accompanied me on a trip to the lake several years
ago and pointed out the spot where the nest had
been situated, on a sandy point, surrounded by
willows, at the junction of two arms of the lagoon.
He told of paddling his canoe past the sitting bird
within a few yards on numerous occasions and at
‘the same time noting the mate on the water a
short distance away. Later in the summer, he
several times saw two downy young accompanied
by one or both parents.
Early in November, 1924, two adult Trumpeter
Swans alighted on Beaver Lake, part of Elk Lake
Game Reserve, near Victoria. On this secluded
lake, screened from observation by thick forest
growth, these birds tarried until a severe cold
spell—December 15th to 26th—covered the lake
with ice and forced them to visit the larger,
adjacent, Elk Lake, where they remained until
February 27th, usually frequenting the marshy
south shore, in plain view from the West Saanich
Road. Sometimes they could be seen feeding—
with long necks submerged the entire length,
perhaps dredging for the fallen seeds of the
abundant yellow pond lily—but more often
standing motionless in the shallows or asleep on
the water at a safe distance from shore, with head
and neck folded neatly over the back. Frequently
I stalked them, screened for a greater part of the
distance by thick brush, but could not get closer
than one hundred and twenty-five yards. Once I
had left the cover they sighted me at once and
paddled out two hundred yards or so, there to
turn and swim slowly back and forth parallel with
the shore. On one occasion, after I had made a
long stalk, and taken a number of pictures, both
birds rose slowly, with much splashing, and
flapped low over the water to the opposite shore,
but generally they showed no particular alarm on
being approached.
Usually while swimming the neck is held rigidly
at right angles to the body, but at times there is a
swaying movement forward and back in unison
with the paddle stroke; the latter made visible
by the regular appearance and submersion of the
knobby heel-joint, so conspicuous against the
white flanks. This neck swaying was performed
first by one bird then the other.
During two months acquaintance with these
birds, not once was heard the famous “brassy
trumpet call’’ so often referred to in literature—
‘nor have I heard it elsewhere—in my experience
the Trumpeter Swan has been a relatively silent
bird. Occasionally a three note call was given, the
first two, slightly guttural, being introductory to
the third, which is a sustained composite note,
first deep and mellow, then rising crescendo—this
with great carrying power but seemingly no louder
158
at two hundred yards than at halfa mile. Syllabi-
fying bird voices is most unsatisfactory and the
results usually intelligible only to their author so
the following is submitted with apologies: wgh-ugh-
aw-r-r-r-t-h. Sometimes the last composite note
is given without introduction, at. other times the
introductory ugh is uttered four or five times in
succession without the culminating sustained note.
To me, the performance resembles Canada Goose
talk on a magnified scale.
Gallinago delicata. WILSON’S SNIPE.
Wilson’s Snipe were fairly abundant during the
past winter (1924-25) and in the cold weather of
late December a number congregated about a
ditch containing a little open water supplied from
the Colquitz Pheasant Farm. Through the
interest of Game Warden Cummins, in charge of
the Farm, it was possible to band nine of these
birds. Mr. Cummins captured them without
difficulty by simply placing, over a portion of the
ditch, a partridge net into which the birds walked
at dusk.
Accipiter coopert. COOPER’S HAWK.
Abundant during migration, much less common
in winter and a scarce breeder. Two immature
males were taken in quail traps on January 28th,
1925. One had torn to pieces six captured quail
but no part of the birds had been eaten; the other
had been attracted by an Oregon Towhee, the
only bird in this particular trap. This had been
killed and eaten.
Astur atricapillus. GOSHAWK.
During October and November, 1925, a consider-
able migration of immature birds occurred and
seven specimens were secured. None of these are
as saturated as Queen Charlotte Island birds, but
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
[VoL. XX XIX
average darker than those from the interior of the
Province.
Zonotrichia coronata. GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW.
Perhaps the commonest Zonotrichia during
migration and probably a regular but scarce
winter resident. Specimens were banded on the
following dates: immature in first winter plumage,
November 20th, 1924; adult female, December
31st, 1924; adult female, January 27th, 1925.
Passerella iliaca. Fox SPARROW.
While banding Fox Sparrows in the Victoria
region during the winter of 1924-25, two dis-
tinguishable races were encountered, viz: sinuosa
and townsendi; specimens sent to Mr. Harry S.
Swarth being so determined. The very dark
breeding race fuliginosa was not observed. Sin-
uosa was found to be the common wintering race
of this region, while townsendi was comparatively
scarce and first appeared during the cold spell
before referred to in this paper. Thirty-four
specimens of sinuosa were banded between
November 9th, 1924, and January 9th, 1925, and
six specimens of townsendi were taken during the
same period. Ohly a small number repeated and
usually only for a day or so following the initial
capture. Valdez Fox Sparrow, No. 241716, band-
ed on November 24th, 1924, and recaptured on
January 9th, 1925, was an exception.
Pipilo maculatus oregonus. OREGON TOWHEE.
While winter banding in the Cedar Hill District
the Oregon Towhee was taken in about the same
numbers as the Fox Sparrow and frequently both
species were found together in the same trap.
Thirty-one specimens were handled between
November 9th, 1924, and January 31st, 1925.
This is recorded merely to indicate the relative
abundance of this species in winter.
ANOTHER INVASION OF CANADA
By HENRY HOWITT
N OCTOBER, 1921, a neighbour in
Guelph, Ontario, with whom I had been
hare shooting several times in that
vicinity, persuaded me to spend a day
with him hunting what he called “big Jacks” near
Galt, which is about fourteen miles distant.
We started before dawn in a motor-car with two
black, white and tan hounds about eight months
old, Nip and Tuck by name, a cross between fox-
hound and beagle, of the well-known “harrier”
size and type. That season they had proved
their ability to tongue the trail of the native hare
(Lepus americanus), but they were now to match
their wind and wits against a much larger and
faster quarry.
(2082
My neighbour was armed with a sixteen gauge,
double-barreled, hammerless, Ithaca gun, and I
with a twelve gauge of the same style and make.
We carried number four and five shot shells.
Arriving in Galt shortly after daybreak, two
friends joined us there with another car and two
more hounds of the same useful size. We motored
to the Township of Beverly, in Wentworth County
about ten miles south-east of Galt, and picked up
another hunter at a farm on the way.
Leaving the cars on the side of a road, we took
to the fields about seven o’clock, the dogs ranging
in front, and we slowly walking in a line extending
to right and left, each man keeping about one
hundred yards distant from the next, but with his
October, 1925]
eyes on the dogs, lest they should show any of the
usual signs of picking up a scent. The grass was
faded brown and about eighteen inches long.
Before we had crossed the first field there was a
rapid ‘“Bang! Bang!’’, and one of my companions
ran to a fence corner and picked up something
from the ground. It was the largest hare I had
ever seen, nearly three feet long from the toes of
the front feet to those of the hind, and the body
large and heavy, of typical hare shape, the hind
legs much longer than the fore, and the tips of the
long ears black. It was white underneath, but
elsewhere, except the black ear-tips, a mixture of
light grey and fawn suffused with reddish brown
in parts, but with many of the hairs tipped with
black, the result being a protective coloring which
blended perfectly with the dead grass of the fields.
It had escaped the notice ofthe dogs for the
moment at least, and had sprung from the grass
where it had been lying, and dashed away at
remarkable speed, only when one of our line of
hunters had approached within a few feet, but he,
although somewhat startled by its sudden rush,
had hit it fairly with one or both barrels.
We continued our slow march over fields, and
fences, and another “‘big Jack” was bagged shortly
afterwards. In the afternoon we were joined by
two more men and more dogs from Galt, and that
day the party shot eighteen “big Jacks’’, and three
cotton-tail rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus). We
met two boys of about sixteen armed with single-
barreled shotguns. They were dragging an enor-
mous sack, made by ripping open fou. or five
potato bags and sewing them together. In it
were ten “big Jacks” they had shot that day
without the aid of dogs.
Subsequently I have enjoyed many such health-
ful tramps afield in the cold, invigorating, autumn
air and welcome sunshine.
“Big Jacks” are usually found in fields, although
when chased by dogs they will often run through
a wood, and from one wood across fields to another,
possibly in an endeavour to get out of sight of the
hounds, but I have never known one, when chased,
to pause to hide in the shelter of the trees. To
hit one which suddenly jumps up a few feet in
front of you and rushes off like an express train
- requires more skill and coolness than to shoot a
native hare (Lepus americanus) asit ambles leisurely
along the aisles of cedar.
On one occasion, in the same Township of
Beverly, if we had not walked out of it, a dog
which was near me flushed a “Big Jack” in such
a way that I could not shoot without endangering
the dog. The “Jack’’, followed by the dog, got
through a fence and ran down a road, and was
there met by another dog which caught it alive
and squealing like a baby.
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
159
I have never known a dog to run down a “big
Jack’’, which soon leaves the dog far behind, but
good dogs will stay on his trail, and I have heard
their bugling die away in the distance and then
grow louder and louder as the hare circled, as he
often, if not always, does.
The first I shot was after he had made just such
an immense circle. I could hear the dogs coming
back, baying furiously and suddenly “Jack’’ came
through a log fence not more than twenty-five
yards away and straight towards me. I missed
with the first barrel, and ‘‘Jack’’, perhaps fearing
otherwise I might kick him, turned half left and I
fired the second at his flank. - Even then he kept
running around in a circle of about eight feet in
diameter with one hind leg broken and a iarge
patch of blood on his side where more of the shot
had struck, fired from a full choke, Ithaca gun, at
a range of less than twenty-five yards! I had to
kill him with a stick, much to the amusement of
two of my companions who had come up too late
and sat on a fence and laughed at my efforts. I
told them they perched on the fence for fear the
hare would bite them.
Another morning there were six of us in line
crossing a meadow, and the dogs were behind.
Through a gate at the far side of the field I could
see across a second field, and from beyond it came
the sound of dogs of another hunting party, and
of a shot or two. Across the second field towards
the gate and straight twoards me raced a “big
Jack”! I was on the extreme left of our line and
waited until he was within about. seventy-five
yards, but dare not wait longer because our dogs
were coming up from behind us and might spoil
the shot. I dropped on one knee and fired.
“Jack” turned to his left and ran down the front
of our line. I let go the second barrel, and all
the others fired both theirs, but ‘Jack’ flew on
his way, his speed undiminished, belly to the
ground at every stride! Indeed he seemed to
spurt at each “Bang!’’.
But what are these “big Jacks’, where did they
come from, and are they increasing in number?
From several reliable sources I have learned
that they are descendants of common European
hares (Lepus europeus) which, a year or so before
the Great War, were imported from Germany by
a German and placed on a farm near Brantford
about eighteen miles south of Galt, and have been
told the names of the man and thefarm. He has
long since disappeared. They are much larger
than our native varying hare (Lepus americanus),
and do not turn white in winter as the latter does.
Neither do they burrow like our cotton-tail rabbit
(Sylvilagus floridanus).
The neighbour with whom I first hunted them
tells me they are exactly the same as the common
160
hares of Germany (Lepus europeus) which he has
shot there many times. ...
A friend with whom I have discussed them was
in Belgium during the late war, and, although he
has never seen our “big Jacks’’, his description of
the size, color, and habits of the hares he shot
there is identical with that of our invaders. He
described how a comrade and he, armed with
rifles, would one stand at the edge of a wood while
the other traversed a neighbouring turnip field
until a hare sprang up and ran at top speed straight
for the wood as it almost invariably did.
The last “big Jack’ I shot was in Puslinch
Township, Wellington County, but within half a
mile of the Township of Nassagaweya in the
County of Halton, on September 15th, 1924, and
was chased by my beagle out of a cedar swamp
and ran at full speed straight across the field
where I was standing towards another wood about
one hundred and twenty-five yards distant, but
this time I knocked him stone dead with one
barrel of number six shot at a range of about
twenty-five yards.
T have never weighed “‘big Jacks’’, but a reliable
butcher to whom two we shot were taken to be
dressed tells me they weighed nine and thirteen
pounds, respectively. They are not as tender to
eat as cotton-tail rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus).
As already narrated, in 1921 the nearest place
we could find them was in Beverly Township, in
Wentworth County, to which, if the above account
of their origin be true, and I think it is, they
spread from near Brantford in the adjoining
County of Brant. By the fall of 1923 they had
reached the next Township of Puslinch in the
LEAD POISONING IN
By J. A.
HE BAND of Trumpeter Swans that
regularly winters in a bird Sanctuary of
Gray Western Canada, contained eight adults
and eight cygnets upon arrival from the
north in late October; this being an increase of
six over the previous year. About the middle of
December a spell of unusually cold weather froze
the lake and river mouth-where these swans were
accustomed to feed. Because of this, they were
forced to leave the Sanctuary and seek new
quarters to the north on the open waters of a
larger lake, part of the band selecting a sheltered
and shallow bay near the south end of the lake
and the remainder making headquarters some
thirty-five miles farther north. Reports of their
subsequent movements during the ensuing six
weeks indicated a passing to and fro between
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
[VoL. XXXIX
County of Wellington, within four or five miles of
the City of Guelph, and no Guelph sportsman or
naturalist now need go far afield to find them.
Have been told they have been observed in Oxford
County, which touches Brant County on the other
side.
On July 22nd, 1925, I was walking near Han-
lon’s Creek, about three miles south of Guelph.
From beneath the close, low branches of a white
cedar (Thuja occidentalis) beside the path, a “big
Jack” hopped slowly along a few feet in front of
me. I sat down and watched with the aid of
field-glasses. Four times the big hare returned as
if wishing to get back to the place it had left.
It came so close to me as to put my eight-power
glasses out of focus and, as I lowered them, was
alarmed by the movement and circled to return
again and again, but not so close as at first. I
carefully searched beneath the cedar but the
ground was dry and hard and I found neither nest,
form, nor young.
Newspaper accounts state these hares bees been
seen in the County of Halton, which adjoins
Wellington, and one excited sportsman told a
reporter they had horns. Evidently he mistook
the black ear-tips.
In spite of being much hunted, their love of the
open fields, scorn of ‘“‘holing up’’, and fondness for
the same dress the year round, which renders them
conspicuous in winter, they have spread across at
least three townships in as many years, and one
may imagine what a menace to agriculture they
might become were it not for our glorious, frost-
biting, sun-dazzling, snow-sparkling, Canadian
winters which in large measure cut off their food
supply.
TRUMPETER SWANS
MUNRO
these two points. Both these localities had been
visited at irregular intervals before the freeze-up
and on one such occasion a swan had been shot.
The persons implicated in the killing were con-
victed of the following offences committed on the
same day, viz: killing a swan; having a swan in
possession during the close season; killing a
pelican and hunting migratory game birds from a
power boat.
During the period January 22nd to Rabie
12th, 1925, one adult and six cygnets died of an
acute complaint which later was determined as
lead-poisoning. The first victim, a male, was
picked upo n the lake beach and forwarded to the
Provincial Museum at Victoria, B.C. The other
six birds were found either dead or in a dying
condition, and it was reported by the Migratory
October, 1925]
Bird Warden, who picked up three of the dying
birds, that a condition of paralysis was noted in
every case. Apparently the wings were first
affected, then the leg muscles, and the helpless
sick birds drifted with the waves until finally
washed ashore where it was an easy matter to
pick them up.
The specimen forwarded to the Provincial
Museum was not available for examination in the
flesh, but I was informed by Mr. G. A. Hardy,
Assistant Biologist at the Museum, that dissection
showed a congested condition of the proventriculus,
which, from his description, was thought to be
identical with that of the lead-poisoned Mallard
figured by Wetmore in Bulletin No. 793 of the
United States Bureau of Biological Survey.
The remaining six specimens—one adult female,
four immature females, and one immature bird
not sexed—showed in each case the following
indications of lead poisoning, viz: Entire liver
stained dark green; discharge of dark green fluid
from mouth; diarrohcea, the excreta stained dark
green; flaccid cloaca and anus, enlarged four times
natural size. Stomach contents of the spceimens
first obtained were not examined, the visceras
being sent intact, for pathological study, to Dr.
E. A. Bruce, Animal Pathologist, and unfortun-
ately, owing to a miscarriage of my explanatory
letter, this material was not examined at the
laboratory for traces of lead poisoning. In this
connection, and in reference to a specimen later
obtained, Dr. Bruce reported as follows:
“T am of the opinion that these birds died
from lead poisoning, a fact that might have
been ascertained or suspected at an earlier
date but for the fact that a letter of yours
with the Victoria date mark of the 8th, did
not reach me until the 18th, by which time
some of the material you forwarded me had
- been destroyed. Without the letter in ques-
tion I had no information as to location of
birds, symptoms or any suggestion that
poisoning might be the cause. No particular
_ attention was therefore paid to the contents
of the gizzard; parasites were searched for
with negative results insofar as being the
cause of death was concerned, it being remark-
able how free from worms these birds were,
only three specimens being found from two
sets of viscera.
“Later, the gizzards in question having been
burnt in a wood fire, the ash was examined for
the gizard slag, which was then tested for
lead with positive results.
“The positive test for lead in the slag
mentioned confirms the findings made in
material secured from a dead swan found
buried at Summerland on the 20th. In this
bird 451 shot were found (all in the gizzard
with the exception of one in the duodenum
and a few in the proventriculus which prob-
ably reached there through handling); the
shot were, I judge, mostly No. 6, some very
much worn, and weighing 17 grams. In
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
161
addition, some shot, possibly 30, were spilt in
the carcass when eviscerated. A positive test
for lead was secured from the liver and kidney.
Reinsch test for arsenic was negative, but in
view of the fact that shot contains a little
arsenic, it is probable that arsenic might be
demonstrated by a chemist.
“Lead poisoning is further indicated by the
kidney, which shows on section a diffuse
nephritis, and by the blood which indicates
anaemia. Although I have no normal counts
of swan’s blood to go by, it is quite evident
that the number of red cells is greatly reduced,
and many of those present are young forms.
Polychromasia is in evidence, but the baso-
philic granules commonly found in red blood
cells of mammalia suffering from lead poisoning,
were not noticed (this was remarked by Wet-
more). The liver was stained green through-
out and the gall bladder full of thick bile.
On section the liver shows bile stasis and some
necrosis. All three gizzards examined were
full and their contents stained green; all
showed some loosening and erosion of the
pads. The proventriculus in one case con-
tained a little food, the other two were empty
“The intestines show evidence of irritation
and in places a little inflammation; the
mucous surface covered with catarrhal exu-
date and the contents greenish in colour and
fluid, the latter being particularly noticeable
in the cloaca. The vent flabby, and the ceca
apparently normal except that some of the
contents were greenish in colour.”
This is the first instance of lead-poisoning in
waterfowl that has been reported from the district,
where it is probably of rare occurrence. To
account for the heavy mortality from this cause
amongst the valuable Trumpeter Swans the
following theory is offered.
Trumpeter Swans have frequently been observed
feeding, or perhaps taking sand, in water from two
to three feet in depth, and this is thought to be a
constant habit. The feeding grounds which the
swans frequented after being driven from their
sanctuary comprise areas where duck shooting and
to some extent, trap shooting, has been practised
for many years and no doubt a large amount of
shot is buried in the sand at the bottom of the
lake, the greatest amount probably having been
deposited at the limit of shot range from the shore.
In these particular areas the depth of water at
this distance from shore is that at which swans
are accustomed to feed and, therefore, these birds
would be more liable to pick up pellets of shot
than would the diving ducks in feeding farther out
in the lake or the pond ducks in feeding along
shore. It may be remarked in this connection
that no sick ducks have been reported and, as the
beaches were being patrolled, any such casualties
would probably have been noted.
On February 12th the remainder of the flock,
six adults and two cygnets, appeared on a small
opening in the ice at the mouth of the River where
162
it enters their lake sanctuary and feeding ground.
Whether these birds were affected is not known,
but no further casualties occurred. When Dr.
Bruce and I examined them, through 8X bino-
culars, on February 20th, all seemed in good
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
[VoL. XX XIX
condition and took flight when approached from
the shore. Later a number of faeces were collected
along the edge of the ice and these Dr. Bruce
considered normal.
EXTRACT FROM—
“FOREST INSECT CONDITIONS IN NORTHERN ONTARIO”
By M. B. LUNN
Read at a meeting of the Entomologists’ Group, Professional Institute of the Civil Service, March 6, 1925.
HE WORK of woodpeckers is undoubtedly
one of the major facts in the control of
the Spruce Bark-beetle, Dendroctonus
piceaperda. Only occasional trees are
entirely overlooked by the birds, and in these
immense numbers of beetles mature. Woodpecker
work’ is apparently begun when the larvae are
about half-grown and carried on systematically
from then until the remaining beetles emerge in
the spring. On trees infested in June, woodpecker
work commences about the middle of August and
probably reaches its height during winter. The
species of woodpeckers observed at work are the
Northern Pileated, Hairy and the Arctic Three-
toed; the Downy Woodpecker is also abundant
in this district but has not been observed on
Dendroctonus trees.
When heavy woodpecker work takes place
approximately all the brood is either eaten or
knocked off the tree in the scales of bark scattered
by the bird. The Pileated and Arctic Three-toed
pry off the bark in flakes to a considerable extent
riddling the remainder with holes. If in the
larval or pupal stage, the mortality from exposure
and abnormal conditions is undoubtedly complete
among individuals thus knocked off the tree,
while, unless the young adults are nearly ready to
emerge, and the weather is very favourable, a
heavy percentage of these will die also. Young
adults thus exposed in winter probably all die.
In heavy woodpecker work on a standing tree,
July-August, 1923, infestation, the following
numbers of young adults were found to have
escaped the birds:—
5 in one brood
20 in one brood
7 6é 6é ce 5 ce ce ¢
3 ce ce be 12 (3 be 66
il ce ce ce 6 6é ce 6é
20 6é ce ce 4 ce ce ce
Totalaeccgu- Wak ee 83
In this tree (No. 5), there were approximately the
following numbers of tunnels:—
146 successful tunnels in butt log (16 ft.) and
stump;
49 drowned-out tunnels in butt log (16 ft.) and
stump;
9 successful tunnels in upper log—16 ft.
116 drowned-out tunnels in upper log—16 ft.
In the whole trunk only about five hundred beetles
were left from the whole tree. :
On October 11, a 15-inch d.b.g.* tree of the June
1924 attack, which had been subject to heavy
woodpecker work, was cut, the bark carefully re-
moved in small sections, and a count made of the
remaining larvae, pupae and young adults. The
total number of successful tunnels in the tree were
also counted; the result being as follows: ~
Total number of tunnels in 28 feet of infested
Total number of larvae, pupae, and young
adults remaining in tree............... 6368
Parasitised or diseased larvae.............. 98
Clerid larvae present (in only one instance
were these found actually feeding on
beetle:larvae): S04. asc. ee ee 21
Assuming that at least one hundred eggs (a low
estimate) were laid in each successful tunnel,
theoretically over ninety thousand insects should
be present in the tree. Heavy mortality among
the broods was, however, doubtless due to other
causes than woodpeckers. Due to the very short
distances between the adult tunnels, overcrowding
of the larvae with consequent starvation probably
accounted for large numbers of them. One strip
of bark, with an area of one square foot, was found
practically untouched by the birds. Under this
were found two hundred and fifty beetles. Had
there been no woodpecker work in this tree, which
had an approximate area of eighty-eight square
feet of infested surface, there would thus ap-
parently have developed about twenty-two thou-
sand beetles. It seems a reasonable assumption,
therefore, that upon the date of examination the
destruction of almost three-fourths of the total
brood likely to emerge can be credited to the work
of the woodpeckers. Since the birds were feeding
on this tree at the date of cutting, in fact fed upon
the upper portion of the log at the actual time
that counts were being carried out on the lower,
and normally feed on Dendroctonus-infested trees
throughout the winter, no doubt a considerable
proportion of the remaining insects would have
been destroyed by the birds.
*d.b.g.— Diameter, breast, high.
October, 1925]
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 163
THE EUROPEAN GREY PARTRIDGE IN THE OKANAGAN VALLEY,
BRITISH COLUMBIA
By J. A. MUNRO
N THE winter of 1917-18, a European
Grey Partridge, which had been killed
near Summerland by flying against a tele-
phone wire, was sent to me in the flesh
for identification. As far as known, this species
had not previously been recorded in the Okanagan
Valley and at the time was unknown to local
sportsmen.
During the next three years several small coveys
became established—the furthest outpost being at
Crescent Beach, near Summerland—and their
number steadily increased. Since then has
occurred a rapid extension of range northward
and a phenomenal increase in the number of
individuals. So far, the most northerly point
reached is Salmon Arm, approximately 175 miles
north of the State of Washington, from whence
came the original stock. It is understood that no
birds have been released in this district on the
Canadian side of the international boundary.
This hardy bird evidently finds conditions in
the dry-belt of British Columbia entirely to its
liking, and I am of the opinion that in another
decade it will outnumber all the other species of
Upland Game birds combined, including the
introduced Mongolian Pheasant, which, by the
way, is also in a flourishing condition.
In the Okanagan Valley, the habitat of the
Grey Partridge embraces not only the artemesiae
association, where it first became established, but
also the dry range land of Pinus ponderosa to at
least 4,000 feet altitude and, of course, the cul-
tivated lands on bench and river bottom. It is
interesting to compare the history of the species
on Vancouver Island and the Fraser River Delta
where introductions were first made perhaps
twenty years ago. Although birds have been
liberated at various times since, little invasion of
new territory is recorded and only a nominal in-
crease has taken place—a condition that perhaps
may be ascribed to unfavourable climatic condi-
tions. Here, cultivated fields and meadow lands
are frequented almost entirely, the heavy coast
forest offering no attraction.
In the summer of 1924, complaints of damage,
caused by this species, to the melon and tomato
crop in the southern Okanagan were received by
the Game Conservation Board of British Colum-
bia, and the economic status of the Grey Partridge
became a question of importance. Four speci-
mens, taken at Osooyos and Oliver, were secured
by the Secretary of the Board and sent to me for
the purpose of stomach analysis, the results of
which are shown in the following table.
For assistance in the identification of seeds I am
indebted to Professor John Davidson of the
University of British Columbia.
STOMACH CONTENTS OF FOUR EUROPEAN GREY PARTRIDGE
TAKEN IN THE SOUTHERN OKANAGAN DISTRICT, BRITISH COLUMBIA
Sexand No. Date and Hour Condition of
Stomach
Locality
Contents
203 Aug. 17/24 Oliver, B.C. + full 17 seeds, Chenopodium (album?); 100 (est) unidentified seeds of one
6 immature 11.00 a.m. species; small quantity comminuted vegetable matter not identified.
. Vegetableamattors sepa tere sian secs aise ers Seiers SSS ieee eae Rae 50%
204 SandiandaGravel evs my ae nie itineraries ene dea ol 50%
CS immature Aug. 17/24 Oliver, B.C. 4 full 100 (est.) seeds Echinochloa crusgalli, the majority in fragments;
11.00 a.m. 9 seeds Setaria glauca.
Weretablesmattercr ce ere etic eater eects ates a teh) en cea chet etoneReeL 40%
205 SandlandsGrav.eleieny aes stn ats ne ee ee ee 60%
CS immature Aug.19/24 Osooyos, 3 full 53 seeds Chenopodium (album?); 150 (est.) unidentified seeds (same
12.05 P.M. B.C. species as in No. 203); small quantity indeterminate vegetable matter.
Weoetableanatter etc vi deo lescccnsc Phen ok igo Raine Ree aersua os pecan eens 50%
206 Gravelee tee Ree nee cre oe rea a ere neater Sov ogsocis 50%
So adult Aug. 19/24 Osooyos, full Crop: 3 leaves Medicago sativa; 52 seeds Chenopodium (album?):
12.05 P.M. B.C. 112 seeds Polygonum (sp?); 11 seeds Stipa (sp?); 3 grasshoppers (sp?);
Weretab lemmaticrc yas riers sues ie en se tees eevcromeete enya event sek 60%
BNSC CES Sea eisppe chee arco od sea es a ee ero con aueeon ne a
full STOMACH; 21 seeds Polygonum (sp?); 104 seeds Chenopodium (al-
bum?); 5 (est.) seeds of Stipa (sp?) in fragments; 51 seeds Rhus
glabra; small quantity comminuted vegetable matter; 1 whole grass-
hopper (sp?); fragments of several others.
Weretablenmeatter ctr yc. cie.tarercicec oie oe iene ue ae ore oR east orerenes ste 40%
NSE CES. Rane aa A Pee ahs Sieve tl ate A Poe cs Ln ene eam aie eva 35%
An opinion regarding the local food habits of
the Grey Partridge formed on such scanty material
would have slight value, yet this study does
suggest a possibility of its relations to agriculture
being beneficial. With the exception of three
alfalfa leaves found in one stomach the identified
vegetable content, while including seeds of neutral
value such as sumach, consisted chiefly of noxious
weed seeds. The destruction of grasshoppers
indicated by the analyses, may be of economic
164
importance. Possibly the Grey Partridge will
prove a control factor of value in this district
which is subject to periodic invasions of these
insects, perhaps, in this respect taking the place
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
[VoL. XXXIX
of the Sharp-tailed Grouse, now greatly reduced
in numbers in the southern portion of the Okana-
gan Valley.
BARE ISLAND, BRITISH COLUMBIA
By J. A. MUNRO
ARE or Ridge Island, forming Reserve
Number 9 of the Saanich Indian Tribe,
is situated in Haro Strait about five miles
east of the village of Sidney on Van-
couver Island. The island is approximately a
half-mile long, two hundred yards wide, and con-
tains twenty-six acres more or less, most of which
is rock. The west side is mainly precipitous from
the central ridge which has a maximum elevation
of approximately two hundred and fifty feet. The
more gradual slope to the east shore is covered
with soil and supports a growth of various wild
grasses, Kamas or wild onion, vetches and other
flowering plants. The hollows where the soil is
deeper are covered in places with a dense growth
of wild cherry, willow, etc., some of which reach
tree size, while one small group of Douglas fir and
several madronas stand out prominently against
the lesser growth. There is no arable land on the
island and no fresh water.
The following observations were recorded under
date of May 14th, 1921, and July 23rd, 1923,
when the Island was visited in connection with
the enforcement of the Migratory Birds Conven-
tion Act.
PIGEON GUILLEMOT—Cepphus columba.
May 14th, 1921.
It was estimated that forty pairs were present,
flying in pairs about the island or else resting in
small bands on the water close to shore. Some
of the latter were performing their mating actions
which, as far as observed, consisted of a short
rapid flight led by the female with the male in
close pursuit, followed by a quick dive, both birds
striking the water about the same time to continue
the pursuit beneath the surface. No occupied
burrows were found and it was evident that egg-
laying had not started. Many burrows have
been usurped by the Belgian Hares, which were
introduced on the island some years ago.
July 23rd, 1923.
With a tameness peculiar to the breeding season
a number of Guillemots sat about on the rocks
close to the water’s edge and allowed us to ap-
proach within a few yards. Their bright red feet,
conspicuous against the grey rocks, were almost
as much so when the birds were in flight, for,
carried straight out behind, they appeared all
searlet stripes on either side of the short tail
Small bands rode on the gentle swell two hundred
yards or so from shore, others swam amongst the
kelp closer in and a constant passage of birds took
place back and forth from the rocks to the sea.
In the short time at my disposal, it was not pos-
sible to spend much time in hunting for nests
which are more difficult to find than those of the
gulls. Five nests conta ning the quota of two
eggs were found, also a number of crevices that
showed signs of being occupied. The colony was
estimated to contain one hundred and fifty pairs
but only a small percentage had commenced lay-—
ing. The remains of several eggs, which had been
eaten either by crows or gulls, were found on the
summit of the island. The breeding crows have
all been killed but a few bold marauders still visit
the island, in constant peril from the twelve-gauge
of the warden.
GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL—Larus glaucescens
May 14th, 1921.
It was estimated that seven hundred individuals
were congregated on the island, either standing on
the rocks, which were splashed with their dropp-
ings, or in the grassy hollows. | These, with the
exception of three second-year birds which evi-
dently were visitors, were fully adult. All ap-
peared to be mated and were associated in pairs
but nest-building had not started. A close ap-
proach was not allowed and the birds when thus
disturbed circled over our heads screaming con-
tinuously, and then flew to some other part of the
island or else settled on the water a short distance
from shore, there to rest until we had passed on,
when they would shortly return to what was
evidently their selected nesting sites.
July 28rd, 1923.
The first close-up of the island revealed the
gulls, hundreds of them, snowy white against the
grey weathered rocks. When we landed and
walked along the summit of the island, all the
nesting birds for seventy-five yards ahead of us
rose in the air and circled about the cliff or flew a
short distance out to sea. Soon after we had
passed, they returned to the vicinity of their nests
and the bolder individuals settled on the rocks
twenty yards or less behind us. During our walk
along the island, part of the colony was always in
October, 1925]
the air. The wheeling birds went through their
varied repertoire of calls, some musical, some
harsh, but rarely did those standing on the rocks
utter a sound. On the whole, there was relatively
less noise in this breeding colony than would be
made by a flock of feeding gulls.
The short turf that grows in all the pockets of
this great rock has been burnt dry and yellow in
the summer heat and the stalks of wild onion,
with their clustered seed-pods, are dry and brittle.
On these open portions of the island is little colour
to relieve the neutral grey of the rocks and the
seared yellow of the turf save an occasional green
willow. All the turf patches are white with gull
feathers and the dry grass is trampled flat by the
feet of many birds, the projecting rocks—favorite
roosting places—are painted with droppings.
Amongst the debris accumulated by this thriving
colony were found the shells of various molluses
and sea-urchins of different sizes—the remains
from countless feedings. Here and there also
were castings of crab-shells and fish-bones. Nests
were found everywhere, and as the eggs were in-
conspicuous, one had to walk warily. Many
nests in the exposed patches of turf were unpro-
tected from the full glare of the sun, others were
built close to the shelter afforded by a projecting
rock, while a few were more or less concealed by
clumps of withered vegetation. On the cliff face
itself, wherever there was a grassy ledge, one or
more nests were found and practically every
sheltered crevice was occupied. Each was like
its fellow—a slight hollow lined with tufts of dry
grass to which the small roots were still attached.
It was noted that nests built on the bare rock had
been furnished with a thicker lining of grass than
those built in the turf. Five clutches of four eggs
were found—no doubt the work of two females in
each case—but the greater number of nests held
three eggs and others only two or one. A con-
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
165
siderable difference in the size and shape of the
eggs and a great variation in ground colour and
markings was apparent. A few clutches of three
included one egg on which the pigmentation was
nearly obscured by a light grey wash. Occasion-
ally with clutches of eggs of the greenish grey type
were single eggs of a warm brown ground colour,
heavily blotched with dark umber—probably con-
tributed by a different female. We examined
about two hundred nests and it was thought these
represented one-third of the colony. One gull was
incubating eggs thirty feet from the warden’s tent.
VIOLET-GREEN CORMORANT—Phalacrocorax
pelagicus robustus
May 14th, 1921.
Two bands, estimated at thirty all told, were
seen. Apparently none were mated. Indications
pointed to their having nested in former years on
the rock cliffs at the north-west corner of the
island.
July 28rd, 1923.
Cormorants are nesting in their usual colony on
the steep cliff at the north-west end of the island.
As we walked to the edge of the cliff, the sitting
birds flapped out from nests that were invisible
below us on the undercut rock. To our right as
we faced the sea, a slanting chimney led to a rough
ledge on which were built two nests, and above
these, on what seemed most precarious founda-
tions, were two others; all held their quota of
greenish-white eggs—conspicuous objects against
the dark wall of rock. From one of these nests a
sitting bird, thought to be a female, was-seen de-
parting at close range. She did not fly out with
the other members of the colony, but rose on her
feet and remained straddling the eggs with long
neck curved in our direction. For a few seconds
only she hesitated, then carefully slipped off the
nest and took wing.
PASSENGER PIGEONS
By WILLIAM WELSH
Kincardine, Ontario
A Bruce County pioneer, over eighty years of age.
N THE month of May, in the year 1854,
A we were landed from a small rowboat on
the shore of Lake Huron. We had with
us only a few chattels with which to start
house-keeping in the wilds of Bruce County. The
spot at which we landed was near Pine river, a
mile or so north of Point Clark.
It was about 3 o’clock in the morning when the
boat put us ashore, and as day dawned we saw
our surroundings, beautiful in their untrodden
grandeur. The clean, pebbly beach showed little
sign of civilization. Even the logs and drift-wood
bore neither mark of axe nor saw, but were just
as they had been torn from spots where nature
had planted them. We could see the beautiful,
native pines appearing in rows, as if planted by
man. This was owing to the fact that the wooded
sand dunes ran parallel with the shore.
As the day wore on, the pigeons surprised us,
they came in such large numbers. But this
seemed accountable because of the enormous crop
of beechnuts of the previous year, and as the clay
166
land was covered in places with beech and maple
it was a grand feeding ground. Where the pigeons
came from we could not surmise, but still they
came, and all in good condition. Evidently they
were coming from the south, where the winter had
been spent.
A person, who has not seen these flocks of
pigeons, cannot comprehend the enormous num-
bers flying overhead and continuing for days.
They were often so low that guns, stones and
sticks were used to knock them down; pigeon
soup or pigeon pie was often part of the frugal
fare of the settlers. These birds always flew in
flocks of hundreds or thousands and to even count
the flocks visible at one time was impossible.
Standing on the lake-shore, I have seen the flock
at times following one another so closely that at
least one third of the space seemed filled with
pigeons, and this would continue for days. In
later years, as the clearings were enlarged, I have
seen a flock of hundreds light in a wheat field,
with the result that the crop was soon a dead loss.
They were, however, easily frightened away.
Often the birds would perch on trees in such
numbers as to break strong limbs with their weight.
There was no care taken in preserving this
quiet, harmless innocent bird; the white man was
even worse than the Indian in destroying it.
While the Indian looked to its food value, the
white man thought often only of the sport of
killing.
What calamity caused the disappearance of such
myriads of birds is not known, but the Passenger
Pigeon is now extinct. Whether they wece des-
royed by disease or whether extensive snowfalls
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
(VoL. XXXIX
or cold weather overwhelmed them is not certain
Hawks could often be seen in the flocks and owls
must have had good hunting, picking them off at
night. The Blue Hawk was then plentiful and
easily distinguishable in the flocks. I have seen
this bird catch a pigeon in direct flight. This we
cannot wonder at when we consider the relative
speed of flight of these two birds. — It is estimated
the Passenger Pigeon’s flight is sixty miles an
hour, the Blue Hawk’s from eighty to one hundred
and eighty, when taking a dive. Other animals,
such as foxes, coons, minks, weasels and martens
also aided in the destruction of the birds.
The Passenger Pigeon, like the domestic pigeon
and Mourning Dove, laid only two eggs at one
hatching. These eggs were laid on a platform of
twigs worked into a suitable network. The chicks
grew very quickly and in a few weeks were nearly
as heavy as the parents. The young were then
looked upon as dainties by epicures, and to supply
this demand many were taken from the nests.
The pigeons built in communities and the extent
of a pigeonry might be over a hundred square
miles. There was one convenient to our farms,
only about six miles away, and this was said to
extend eleven miles in one direction and thirteen
in another. I did not see any trees with more
than twenty-four nests and there were others with
perhaps twelve and some with not more than three
or four. There was a continual noise when the
birds were leaving their nests or returning to them.
But this coo-ing was not disagreeable, although
slightly plaintive.
We are not ever likely to see again such sights
as the Passenger Pigeon has afforded us. ;
NOTES ON THE ECONOMIC RELATIONS OF KENNICOTT’S SCREECH OWL
(Otus asio kennicotti) IN THE VICTORIA REGION,
By J. A. MUNRO
HE following data, based on an examina-
tion of the stomach contents of thirty
Screech Owls are presented to illustrate
how the feeding habits of this species
may be affected by local conditions; this study,
indicating a marked preference for insect diet on
the part of the local race—a habit which certainly
is not common to the species as a whole.
Specimens referred to in the accompanying
table were taken in an agricultural district of in-
tensive farming, where areas of low-lying bottom
land, usually fringed with Sitka Alder, birch,
willow and dogwood, are separated by low, rocky
knolls covered with Madrona, Garey oak, Douglas
fir and Jack pine—both associations being pene-
trated by the introduced broom. As much of
this district has been under cultivation for over
thirty years, its ecologic factors may be considered
fairly stable.
It will be noted that numbers 174, 175, 178, 179
and 182 are the only specimens in which bird-
remains were found. These were taken, during a
spell of unusually cold weather, in traps of the
ordinary funnel type which were being operated
at the Provincial Game Farms to capture quail.
Small birds entered these traps quite frequently
and sometimes, if captured after the evening in-
spection, were imprisoned for the night. Con-
fined thus, they served to bait the traps for Screech
Owls which, no doubt, were hard pressed for food,
the ground being frozen and insects dormant.
It may be added that Saw-whet Owls were cap-
tured under the same conditions.
One point of note is: The pellet of mouse-hair
October, 1925]
in stomach No. 190 was the only evidence obtained
that mammals form an item in the diet of the local
Sereech Owl. Small mammals are poorly repre-
sented on Vancouver Island; those occurring
locally being Vancouver Island Squirrel, Puget
Sound White-footed Mouse, Vancouver Island
Meadow Mouse, Vancouver Island Shrew and the
introduced Norway Rat and House Mouse, both
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
167
free-ranging species in this district. Few oppor-
tunities for capturing the diurnal squirrel would
occur and shrews, it is believed, are rarely eaten
by owls and perhaps should not be considered in
this discussion. | But there remain four species,
all present in fair numbers, and yet apparently
seldom molested by the commonest raptore in the
district.
STOMACH CONTENTS OF THIRTY KENNICOTT’S SCREECH OWLS TAKEN IN THE VICTORIA REGION,
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Condition of
No. Date Sea Stomach Contents
189 Jan. 14/25 Male Distended 6 noctuid larvae; fragments of large earth worm; quantity of earth mixed with
fragments of dry grass and rubbish.
190 Jan. 14/25 Male Distended 5 noctuid larvae; fragments of two earth worms; 1 small pellet of mouse hair
quantityof miscellaneous rubbish, chiefly dead grass and earth.
201 Feb. 16/25 Male 2 full A pellet composed of minute fragments of insects (noctuid larvae?) mixed with
earth.
115 Feb. 24/24 Female ¢ full A pellet containing fragments of thorax and elytra of carib beetle mixed with
fine sand and indeterminate matter.
209 Mar. 9/25 Female +full Paste of comminuted insect remains (noctuid larvae?) and earth.
123. Mar. 10/24 Male ¢ full A pellet containing fragments of elytra and tarsi of carib beetles mixed with earth
124 Mar. 11/24 Male + full Small quantity of earth and fragments of carib beetle.
125 Mar. 18/24 Male + full Small fragments of carib beetie.
55 Mar. 21/22 Male Distended Remains of approximately 80 noctuid larvae.
127 Mar. 21/24 Male + full Fragments of elytra and tarsi of carib beetles.
128 Mar.2 4/24 Female + full Fragments of elytra and tarsi of carib beetles.
61 Mar. 25/22 Male Distended Remains of approximately 60 Noctuid larvae.
129 April 1/24 Male Full 25 noctuid larvae (Huxoa?).
63 April 26/22 Female Distended Approximately 65 noctuid larvae.
133 May 14/24 Male + full Fragments of elytra and tarsi of carib beetles.
139 June 24/24 Juv. Fem. }{ full Integuments of 3 lepidopterous larvae.
142 Aug. 21/24 Im. Male Full Fragments of carib beetles.
143 Aug. 21/24 Female ¢ full Fragments of carib beetles.
144 Aug. 21/24 Im. Male Full Fragments of carib beetles.
145 Aug. 22/24 Female Full Fragments of elytra and tarsi of carib beetle; portions of one cricket (orthoptera).
146 Aug. 23/24 Male Full Fragments of carib beetles. ‘
147 Aug. 26/24 Im. Male } full oany. of insect eggs (lepidoptera?) mixed with earth and indeterminate
matter.
148 Aug. 27/24 Female + full Remains of 3 crickets and 1 grasshopper (orthoptera); elytra of 5 carib beetle
(carabus taedatus); elytra of 4 small black carib beetles.
161 Nov.9/24 Male Nearly Empty Comminuted matter (insects).
162 Nov. 9/24 Male + full Elytra of carib beetles and indeterminate matter.
174 Dec. 9/24 Female Distended Remains of two Fox Sparrows.
175 Dec. 9/24 Male Distended Pellet containing bones and feathers of Junco.
178 Dec. 23/24 Female Distended Remains of Fox Sparrow and Oregon Towhee.
179 Dee. 23/24 Female Distended Remains of Fox Sparrow.
182 Dec. 29/24 Female + full Pellet of Junco feathers.
SUMMARY abnormal conditions which no small owl could be
A study of the stomach contents of thirty
Sereech Owls taken during nine months of the
year in the Victoria region, British Columbia,
suggests that:—
1. The local race shows a marked preference for
an insect diet. Species of insects belonging to the
genera of Lepidoptera and Orthoptera known to
be destructive to agriculture were found in twelve
stomachs and comprised forty percent of the in-
sects eaten; the remainder being species of ground
beetles Caribidae, believed to be chiefly beneficial
to man.
2. The presence of bird-remains in stomachs
should not be taken as evidence that the local
Screech Owl is destructive of small birds because
in these instances the birds were attacked under
*Allen, Economic Status of the Screech Owl.
expected to resist.
3. The four species of small mammals inhabit-
ing the region are seldom eaten by screech owls
even during the winter months when flesh-food
would be expected to figure prominently in their
diet.
The evidence submitted regarding the economic
status of the local Screech Owl is by no means
conclusive and possibly an altogether different
story might be revealed by an intensive study of
nestlings such as Dr. Allen conducted*. But it is
considered that a marked predeliction for insects
is indicated when such fare is hunted during the
relatively barren winter months when probably
flesh-food could more easily be obtained.
The Auk,
Vol. XLI, pp. 1-16.
168
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
[VoL. XX XIX
RADIO LECTURES—FALL 1924 TO SPRING 1925
- TTAWA is so well provided with lectures
O] that it has long been difficult to secure
eal large enough audiences to warrant the
ee expenditure of time necessary to prepare
an address. It was for this reason, and in part
because of the inauguration of a comprehensive
lecture course each winter by the authorities of
the National Museum, that the Club has discon-
tinued its time-honoured policy of holding series
of Natural History lectures each winter. Radio
offered the new possibility of taking the lecture to
the audience, and the Council agreed to having a
programme of lectures available furnished to each
of the radio stations, CNRO and CKCO. Both
these stations have co-operated admirably with
the Club, and the members of the Club have
given generously of their time to make the radio
feature a success.
The first step was to secure a list of addresses
from the members. This was promptly accom-
plished, and nineteen titles were furnished each
of the two radio stations; the subjects being
divided so that topics of more or less local interest
were allotted to the less powerful station, CKCO.
Sixty-one formal titles for lectures were soon made
available. This start gave a large choice to the
stations in preparing their programmes. It should
be mentioned that the Club has held itself in
readiness to furnish short talks on Natural History
subjects other than those formally arranged in
advance, and on the other hand the stations have
always been ready to give announcement to events
concerning the Club.
Radio station CNRO, the Canadian National
Railways, Ottawa, has given a radio address under
the auspices of the Club on practically every
Saturday night from December 6, 1924, to April
18, 1915. Thishas been the general programme,
including a great diversity of subjects, but in ad-
dition to it this station has often broadcast talks
of more local and special interest, in which cate-
gory belong the talks on “Birds of the Week’’.
The general programme may be of interest to
others called upon for similar Natural History en-
deavour, and for the purpose of record it is given
here.
Dec. 6, 1924—“‘Totem Poles’’: Dr. E. Sapir.
Dec. 18, 1924 —‘‘The Earth and the Fullness
Thereof’: Miss A. E. Wilson.
Dec. 20, 1924—“‘A Day in an Eskimo Snow
Hut”: D. Jenness.
Dec. 27, 1924—“‘Ten Summers in the Yukon’’:
Dr. W. E. Cockfield.
Jan. 3, 1925—“‘Sight-seeing along the Canadian
National Railways in British Columbia”: Dr. J. R.
Marshall.
Jan. 10, 1925—“‘Canada and the Migratory Bird
Treaty”: Hoyes Lloyd.
Jan. 17, 1925—“Fishing and Hunting in the
Gaspé Peninsula, Quebec’: Dr. T. J. Alcock.
Jan. 24, 1925—‘“‘Prospecting in Manitoba’’:
Dr. J. F. Wright. Z
Feb. 7, 1925—‘‘Some Wild Animals You Should
Know”: Mr. Clyde Patch.
Feb. 21, 1925—‘‘What We Owe to the Indians’”’:
Mr. W. J. Wintemberg.
March 4, 1925—“‘The Barren Lands Caribou”:
Mr. G. H. Blanchet.
March 7, 1925—‘“Shooting Birds with a Cam-
era”: Dr. R. E. DeLury.
March 14, 1925—“‘Geology in the Development
of Mineral Resources”: E. D. Ingall.
March 21, 1925—“‘Dinosaurs—the Real Giants
of the Past”: C. M. Sternberg.
March 28, 1925—“‘Bears in Canada’s National
Parks’: Miss M. B. Williams:
April 4, 1925—‘‘Dangerous Insect Invaders”:
Mr. L. S. McLaine.
April 18, 1925—‘‘Mining Taleum”’: Dr. M. E.
Wilson.
In connection with Dr. DeLury’s lecture on
“Shooting Birds with a Camera’’, the Club and
radio station CNRO offered a series of twenty
prizes to the boys and girls who wrote the best
essays of a prescribed length re-telling the story
in their own words. Many first-class essays were
entered, and several interesting exchanges of
correspondence resulted. One pleasing result was
the donation of a camera to the competition by
the boys of Connaught Public School, Ottawa.
In giving this prize, the boys said that they had
in mind three reasons, as follows: 1. They were
all fond of birds; 2. They had built, and were
building, bird houses; 3. They wished to help a
good thing along. It was the writer’s privilege,
acting with Dr. DeLury, to personally present
this prize to the bo who won it, and who came
to Connaught School to receive his prize. The
entire prize winner list was broadcast by radio and
printed in the press.
The chief feature of the radio talks from station
CKCO, the Ottawa Amateur Radio Association,
has been the regular broadcasting of bird news
and other natural history notes, under the title of
“Birds of the Week’’. Occasionally, when the
station CKCO could not utilize this feature, the
CNRO station obliged the Club by transmitting
these talks, thus preventing any serious interrup-
tion in their continuity, which is believed to be
important in maintaining the public interest.
Since October 18, 1924, when this series was in-
augurated, the following speakers have given the
October, 1925]
number of -addresses indicated: C. EK. Johnstone,
4; H. F. Lewis, 4; C. L. Patch, 3; Hoyes Lloyd,
3; R. E. DeLury, 3; C. B. Hutchings, 2; W. E.
Hurlburt, 2; N. Criddle, 1. .
In addition to this series, Mr. N. Criddle spoke
from this station on “‘Skunks’’, and Mr. H. F.
Lewis gave a resumé of his address, “‘Canadian
Sea Fowl’, which was the feature of the 1924
annual meeting.
One follower of the radio lectures of the Club,
Mr. D. Kemp Edwards, an Ottawa lumber mer-
chant, gave to the Club some 1,500 bird-houses of
kinds suitable for Robins, Tree Swallows, and
Wrens. This splendid present was announced
through station CKCO, and for several days Mr.
Edwards’ place of business was besieged by crowds
of children, each wanting a bird-house. They
were given to those who had a note from a parent
stating that it would be put up in a suitable place.
Each house was cut to pattern, and the child was
given a printed sheet of instructions telling how to
put it together.
Wide as is the range of influence from one power-
ful station, the influence of the addresses prepared
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
169
by members of our organization at Ottawa will
have a still wider effect, for the officials of the
Canadian National Railways have requested and
received permission to broadcast these addresses
from their eight other Canadian stations. The
Club has co-operated with these officials as well in
securing speakers for the radio stations of the
C.N.R. system, which extend from Moncton to
Edmonton.
The Club has used the radio also in an attempt
to keep in touch with distant members. A mes-
sage of instructions from several different Govern-
ment Departments was broadcast from CNRO
early Christmas morning, addressed to Mr. J.
Dewey Soper, Pangnirtung, Baffin Island, N.W.T.
There was included a personal greeting from Mr.
Soper’s family and a few words of good will and
best wishes from his fellow members of the Ottawa
Field-Naturalists’ Club.
I hope that this account of the radio affairs of
the Club has not been too wearying, but our
results show that people are still willing to be
attracted by Natural History and radio is one
way of telling them of its charms.
OFFICIAL CANADIAN RECORD OF BIRD-BANDING RETURNS*
(Continued from page 122)
In the following returns upcn banded birds, it will be noted
that some returns may be thought to indicate, from the date of
capture, violations of the Migratory Bird Act cf Canada or the
United States. The great majority of returns, which seem to
indicate violations, are from birds accidentally caught in traps set
for fur-bearing mammals, from birds caught in fish nets, killed by
oil, or from birds found dead from unknown causes. Appropriate
action has béen taken in connection with the few returns which
indicate illegal shooting.
HERRING GULL, No. 209,563, young, banded
by Wm. M. Duval, at Bonaventure Island, Gaspé
County, Quebec, on July 28, 1923, was shot at
Castalia, Grand Manan, New Brunswick, about
January 15, 1925.
CASPIAN TERN, No. 224,034, banded by F.C.
Lincoln, at St. James, Michigan, on July 26, 1923,
was found dead at Sand Point, Guysborough
County, Nova Scotia, about October 14, 1924.
CASPIAN TERN, No. 224,175, banded by F. C.
Lincoln, at St. James, Michigan, on July 26, 1923,
was found dead at Upper Prospect, Nova Scotia,
on August 28, 1924. The bird had probably died
from starvation.
_CASPIAN TERN, No. 224,192, banded by F.C.
Lincoln, at St. James, Michigan, on July 26, 1923,
was killed at Cape Morien, Cape Breton, Nova
Scotia, on August 28, 1924.
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, No.
232,115, young, banded by R. Lloyd, at Last
Mountain Lake, Saskatchewan, on July 1, 1923,
was killed at Lake Verret, Assumption Parish,
Donaldson, Louisiana, on November 4, 1924.
MALLARD, No. 200,478, banded by L. V.
Walton, at Cuivre Island, Missouri, on January
13, 1923, was shot at Oxbow, Saskatchewan, on
September 4, 1924.
*Published by authority of the Canadian National Parks
Branch, Department of the Interior, Canada.
MALLARD, No. 203,355, banded by John
Broeker, at Portage des Sioux, Missouri, on Jan-
uary 27, 1923, was killed at North Battleford,
Saskatchewan, on September 18, 1924.
MALLARD, No. 205,375, banded by L. V.
Walton, at Cuivre Island, Missouri, on February
23, 1923, was shot at Last Mountain Lake, Sask-
atchewan, on October 29, 1923.
MALLARD, No. 205,377, banded by L. V.
Walton, at Cuivre Island, Missouri, on February
23, 1923, was shot at Miniota, Manitoba, on
October 29, 1924.
MALLARD, No. 205,484, banded by L. V.
Walton, at Cuivre Island, Missouri, on February
24, 1923, was shot at Kandahar, Saskatchewan,
on October 3, 1924.
MALLARD, No. 205,466, banded by L. V.
Walton, at Cuivre Island, Missouri, on February
25, 1923, was shot at Miniota, Manitoba, on
September 15, 1924.
MALLARD, No. 203,522, banded by John
Broeker, at Portage des Sioux, Missouri, on March
1, 1923, was shot at a place about eight miles east
ef Manitou Lake, Saskatchewan, on October 20,
4.
MALLARD, No. 205,676, banded by L. V.
Walton, at Cuivre Island, Missouri, on March 9,
1923, was killed in the vicinity of Island Lake,
about four hundred miles north of Winnipeg.
Manitoba, on July 25, 1924.
MALLARD, No. 205,681, banded by L. V,
Walton, at Cuivre Island, Missouri, on March 9,
1923, was shot at Fisher’s Lake, four miles west of
Lashburn, Saskatchewan, on September 16, 1924.
MALLARD, No. 205,702, banded by L. V.
Walton, at Cuivre Island, Missouri, on March 10,
1923, was shot on the Muscowequan Indian Reser-
vation, Lestock, Saskatchewan, about eighty miles
170
north-east of Regina, on October 3, 1924.
MALLARD, No. 203,756, banded by John
Broeker, at Portage des Sioux, Missouri, on April
2, 1923, was shot at a place ‘two hundred miles
east of the Poplar River Indian Reserve and some
six hundred miles north of Selkirk, Manitoba, dur-
ing the month of September, 1924.
MALLARD, No. 203, 771, banded by John
Broeker, at Portage des Sioux, Missouri, on April
4, 1923, was shot in Tp. 49, Ree. 8, W. 3rd M.,
Saskatchewan, on October 4. 1924.
MALLARD, No. 2382 505, banded by John
Broeker, at Portage des Sioux, Missouri, on April
10, 1923, was shot at Silver Grove, Saskatchewan,
about October 10, 1924.
MALLARD, No. 232,021, young, banded by R.
Lloyd, at Davidson, Saskatchewan, on July 17,
1923, was killed at the Quiver Club, Mississippi
River, one and one-half miles below Hastings
Landing, Illinois, on November 29, 1924.
MALLARD, No. 232,048, banded by R. Lloyd,
at Davidson, Saskatchewan, on August 12, 1923,
was shot near Yorkton, Saskatchewan, on Sep-
tember 27, 1924.
MALLARD, No. 232,053, banded by R. Lloyd,
at Davidson, Saskatchewan, on August 12, 1923,
was re-captured at the same station on June iL.
1924, and was shot at Pella, lowa, on November 7,
1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 204,908, banded by A. A.
Allen, at Ithaca, New York, on March 29, 19238,
was caught i in arat trap and found dead on Lot 10,
Tp. 3, Chandos, Peterboro County, Ontario, on
pul 12, 1925.
BLACK DUCK, No. 202,542, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on August 24,
1923, was shot at Mad ‘Horse Creek, Salem, New
Jersey, on December 27, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 202, 547, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on August 24,
1923, was shot in Henderson Harbor, New York,
about September 30, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 202,646, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on August 29,
1923, was killed on Cat Island, Mississippi Sound,
Mississippi, on November 15, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 202, 653, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on August 31,
1923, was killed at a place two miles east of
Killarney, Georgian Bay, Ontario, during the fall
of 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,025, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 2,
1923, was shot at a place in Norfolk County,
Ontario, six miles from Lake Erie, on November
20, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,034, banded by H.S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 3,
1923, was shot at a place a few miles north of
Savanne, Ontario, about April 15, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,072, tamdied by H.S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 4,
1923, was killed at Cape Henrietta Maria, James
Bay, Ontario, on September 25, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,092, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 8,
1923, was killed at Jackson Marsh, Waveland,
Mississippi, on November 22, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,150, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 17,
1923, was killed at Sand Beach Marsh, Carroll
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
[VoL. XX XIX
Jownship, Ottawa County, Ohio, on October 21,
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,151, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 17,
1923, was shot on Grace Island, Mouth of the
Santee River, South Carolina, on January 16, 1925.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296, 183, banded by lal. (S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 17,
1923, was shot at New Carlisle, Indiana, on
November 10, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,187, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 17,
1923, was shot at McLaren’s Creek, about five
miles north of Lindsay, Ontario, on October 23,
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,218, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 19,
1923, was killed in the Blackwater River, at Mil-
ton, Florida, on January 24, 1925.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296, ,247, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 21,
1923, was shot at Lynn Haven, Florida, on Decem-
ber 17, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,309, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 24,
1923, was shot at a place eight ‘miles east of Con,
neaut Lake, Conneaut Marsh, Crawford County,
Pennsylvania, on December 2, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296, 313, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 24,
1923, was killed at Williamstown, West Virginia,
on December 21, 1928.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,358, beude? by Hos:
_ Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 27,
1923, was killed at a place in Westmoreland
County, on the Potomac River, near Popes Creek,
Virginia, on December 20, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296, 371, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 27,
1923, was killed at Smith’ Ss Point, opposite Bell.
port, "Long Island, New York, on January 15, 1925.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296, 401, banded by HGS:
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 28,
1923, was killed on Deals Island, Maryland. on
January 9, 1925.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,425, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 29,
1923, was killed at Davis, North Carolina, on
November 12, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,484, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 30,
1923, was killed at the Byrd Spring Rod and Gun
Club, Huntsville, Alabama, on December 11, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,454, banded by HESS:
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 1,
1923, was shot on the Cocolanius Creek, Perry
County, two miles east of Millerstown, Pennsyl-
vania, on November 27, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,477, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 1,
1923, was killed on Evans Creek, Rome, Georgia,
on Je anuary 1, 1925.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,491, banded by H. 8S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 1,
1923, was caught in a muskrat trap at Bishop’ S
Head, Maryland, on January 238, 1925.
BLACK DUCK, No. 296,499, panded by H.S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 1,
1923, was killed at Irving, New Jersey, on Novem-
ber 17, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,168, banded by H.S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 2,
October, 1925]
1923, was shot on Rice Lake, Northumberland
County, Ontario, on October 20, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,189, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 2,
1923, was killed on Hope Creek, Delaware River,
Salem County, New Jersey, on November 8, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,201, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 2,
1923, was found dead at Jackson Creek, Chester
River, Maryland, on February 17, 1925.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,203, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 2,
1923, was shot at a place four miles south of Bloom-
field, on the White River, Greene County, Indiana,
on December 8, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,206, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 2,
1923, was shot on Lake Butte Des Mortes Marsh.
Winnebago County, Wisconsin, on September 26,
1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,261, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 3,
1923, was shot at Point Pelee, Ontario, on No-
vember 8, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,280, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 3,
1923, was killed at Onancock, Virginia, on No-
vember 27, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,286, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 3,
1923, was shot at Havener Pond, Waldsboro,
Lincoln County, Maine, about October 28, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,372, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 6,
1923, was killed at Odessa, Delaware, on December
9, 1924.
GREEN-WINGED TEAL, No. 296,352, band-
ed by H. S. Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on
September 25, 1923, was killed at Oconomowoc,
Wisconsin, on September 27, 1924.
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
171
BLUE-WINGED TEAL, No. 296,384, banded
by H.S. Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on Sep-
tember 27, 1923, was shot at Patton Point, Lake
Pcugog, Ontario, during the month of October,
4,
BLUE-WINGED TEAL, No. 296,387, banded
by H. S. Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on Sep-
tember 28, 1923, was killed at a place near Olin,
Iowa, on September 29, 1924.
GREATER SCAUP DUCK, No. 228,781, fe-
male, banded by D. H. Beyea and A. A. Allen at
Union Springs, New York, on February 23, 1923
was found unable to fly at Little Lake, three miles
north of Barrie, Ontario, on May 8, 1925.
GREATER SCAUP DUCK, No. 204,343,
banded by Douglas H. Beyea, at Union Springs,
New York, on March 13, 1923, was shot on the
St. Lawrence River, four miles from Kingston,
Ontario, on November 21, 1924.
COOT, No. 210,970, female, banded by Herman
Battersby, at Oak Lake, Manitoba, on May 31,
1923, was shot at Clear Lake, Iowa, on October
27, 1924.
CROW, No. 210,671, male, banded by R. H.
Carter, Jr., at Muscow, Saskatchewan, on April
22, 1923, was shot at a place one-half mile south
of where it was banded, on June 5, 1925.
BRONZED GRACKLE, No. 218,749, banded
by R. E. Horsey, at Rochester, New York, on
August 5, 1928, was shot at a place in Lincoln
County, Ontario, one and one-quarter miles south
of Lake Ontario, and eighteen miles west of Nia-
gara Falls, on May 16, 1925.
CHICKADEE, No. 56,226, banded by R. H.
Carter, Jr., at Muscow, Saskatchewan, on April
21, 1923, was caught and killed in a mouse trap in
the same locality, on February 1, 1925.
(To be continued)
PROSECUTIONS
MIGRATORY BIRDS CONVENTION ACT, BY OFFICERS OF THE CANADIAN NATIONAL
PARKS AND ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE
Reported during the period: November 13, 1924,
to September 15, 1925.
WOLFE, Gerald, Grand Desert, Halifax Co.,
N.S. Having in possession Semipalmated Plover.
Fine: $10.00.
MyAaTTE, Adam, Grand Desert, Halifax Co.,
N.S. Having in possession Semipalmated Plover.
Fine: $10.00.
EGAN, James T., Lower Water St., Halifax, N.S.
Attempting to kill Black-breasted Plover and
_ Greater Yellow-legs by the use of an automatic
shot gun. Fine: $50.00. Forfeitures: One auto-
matic shotgun.
Hunt, J. W.. 793 Lawrence St., Halifax, N.S.
Having in possession Semipalmated Plover.
Fine: $10.00.
SIMMONS, Daniel, Yarmouth, N.S. Killed three
Black Ducks in close season. Fine: $15.00.
LEMAN, Lloyd, West Devon, P.E.I. Killed one
Great Blue Heron. Forfeitures: One shotgun.
Sentence suspended.
BROWN, George, Seal Cove, N.B. Killing
White-winged Scoters by the use of a motor-boat.
Fine: $10.00.
NELSON, Andrew, Seal Cove, N.B. Killing
White-winged Scoters by the use of a motor-boat.
Fine: $10.00.
FRASER, Kenneth, Seal Cove, N.B. Killing
White-winged Scoters by the use of a motor-boat.
Fine: $10.00.
JUVENILE, Seal Cove, Grand Manan, N.B.
Injuring Herring Gulls. Sentence suspended.
Morse, Warren, Grand Manan, N.B. At-
tempting to kill wild ducks by the use of a motor-
boat. Fine: $10.00.
RUSSELL, Arnold, White Head, Grand Manan,
N.B. Molesting wild ducks in close season.
Fine:- $10.00.
RUSSELL, Arnold, White Head, Grand Manan,
N.B. Attempting to kill wild ducks by the use of
a motor-boat. Fine: $10.00.
Wooster, Brantford, Grand Harbor, Grand
Manan, N.B. Attempting to kill Black Ducks
later than one hour after sunset. Case dismissed.
Morse, Warren, Grand Manan, N.B. Molest-
ing wild ducks in close season. Fine: $10.00.
Wooster, Brantford, Grand Harbor, Grand
Manan, N.B. Hunting Black Ducks in close
season. Case dismissed.
172
DROUILLARD, Henry, Walkerville, Ont. At-
tempting to kill migratory game birds after sunset.
Fine: $10.00.
Martin, Alphonse E., 10,009 Jasper Ave.,
Edmonton, Alta. Selling migratory game birds—
one Mallard. Fine: $15.00.
PHAEL, John, North Sydney, N.S. Attempting
to kill wild ducks by the use of a motor-boat.
Sentence suspended.
CAMPBELL, Dan, North Sydney, N.S. At-
tempting to kill wild ducks by the use of a motor-
boat. Sentence suspended.
EVANS. William, North Sydney, N.S. At-
tempting to kill wild ducks by the use of a motor-
boat. Sentence suspended.
McDonaLtp, E. L., Halifax, N.S. Offering
Black Ducks for sale. Fine: $10.00.
Asorur, Abraham, Baie St. Anne, N.B. Selling
Canada Geese. Fine: $10.00.
GILLIS, W. R., Kouchibouguac Beach, N.B.
Trafficking in Canada Geese and Brant. Fine:
$300.00. Forfeitures: Seven Canada Geese and
four Brant.
ALLEN, John J., Port Elgin N.B. Shooting
Scoters from a motor-boat. Fine: $10.00. |
CoMEAU Peter, Tracadie, N.B. Offering Can-
ada Geese for sale. Fine: $10.00.
LoustgR, Fred, Tracadie, N.B. Offering Can-
ada Geese for sale. Fine: $10.00.
ALLEN, John J., Port Elgin, N.B. Killed a
Herring Gull. Sentence Suspended.
Morse, L.. Roy, White Head, N.B. Hunting
Scoters in the close season. Sentence suspended.
Morse, L. Roy, White Head, N.B. Having
dead Scoters in possession in close season without
lawful excuse. Fine: $10.00.
PALMER, Charles, Tabusintac, N.B.
Canada Geese. Fine: $10.00.
_ CossaBoon, Geo., Grand Harbor, N.B. Hunt-
ing wild ducks in close season. Fine: $10.00.
COssABOON, Geo., Grand Harbor, N.B. Resist-
Selling
a an officer in the discharge of his duty. Fine:
.00.
JUVENILE, Lower Nicola, B.C. Shooting a
Swan. Sentence suspended.
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
[VoL. XXXIX
McKENZIE, Russell A., Woodside, N.S. Killing
Brant in close season. Fine: $10.00.
BREDEAU, Fred, Tracadie, N.B.
possession a Sandpiper. Fine: $10.00.
LANGLOIS, Arthur J., (Son of Adolph Langlois), ©
Anderton Tp., Ont. Hunting migratory game
birds in closeseason. Fine: $10.00. Forfeitures:
Seven decoys.
LANGLoIs. Arthur J., (Son of Albert Langlois),
Anderton Tp., Ont. Hunting migratory game
birds in close season. Fine: $10.00.
HILL, Charles, Amherstburg, Ont. Shooting
ducks during close season. Fine: $10.00.
RYAN, Clarence, Sunnyside, Ont. Shooting
ducks during close season. Fine: $10.00.
TAYLOR, Thomas, Tilbury, Ont. Shooting
Canada Geese in close season. Fine: $25.00.
Dorey. Joseph, West Arichat, N.S. Shooting
wild ducks in close season. Fine: $10.00.
WALFIELD, Reginald, Bell’s Island, Lunenburg
Co., N.S. Hunting wild ducks in close season.
Fine: $10.00.
WALFIELD, Leo, Bell’s Island, Lunenburg Co.,
Having in
ae Hunting wild ducks in close season. Fine:
10.00.
HISELER, Lloyd, Steven’s Island, N.S. _ Killing
Old-squaws in close season. Fine: $20.00. For-
feitures: Four Old-squaws.
Ducuan, Wilfrid. Shippigan Gully, N.B.
Hunting Scoters in close season. Fine: $10.00.
Forfeitures: Four Scoters.
DucGuaNn, Joseph, Shippigan Gully, N.B. Hunt-
ing Scoters in close season. Fine: $10.00. For-
feitures: One Scoter.
HACHE, James, Shippigan Gully, N.B. Hunt-
ing Scoters in close season. Fine: $10.00. For-
feitures: Scoters.
HAcHE, Edward, Inkerman, N.B. Hunting
Seoters in close season. Fine: $10.00.
Ross, Laura (Mrs.), Tabusintac, N.B. Buying
Brant. Fine: $10.00. :
ROSENZWERG, Geo.. Horizon, Sask. Having in
possession dead duck without lawful excuse in
close season. Fine: $10.00.
NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS
THE INTRODUCTION OF THE EUROPEAN GREY
PARTRIDGE IN MANITOBA.—The Ottawa Field-
Naturalists’ Club is indebted to Mr. J. H. Evans,
Deputy Minister, Department of Agriculture and
Immigration, Province of Manitoba, for official
advice that the European Grey Partridge has
been introduced in Manitoba. In March, 1924,
the Manitoba Game Protective League, Dr. H. J.
Merkeley, Secretary, imported 108 of these birds.
They were kept at the Manitoba Agricultural
College for about a week after arrival so that they
could be properly fed and partly acclimatized
before being released, and were finally liberated on
the farm of Jerry Robinson, at Warren, Manitoba,
which is about thirty miles northwest of Winnipeg.
The district is said to be reasonably well suited to
their needs. The Winnipeg Free Press says that
forty-five brace were released, the event taking
place on Sunday, April 6, 1924. Motion pictures
were taken of the birds and the members of the
League and officials who were present. Premier
Bracken’s little son held one of the birds to be
released.. Arrangements were made to feed the
birds until they became accustomed to their new
environment. The Winnipeg Tribune and Mr.
E. G. White, who was present at the liberation of
the newest of Manitoba’s game birds, credit the
Assiniboia Gun Club as well as the League men-
tioned with sponsoring the acclimatization effort.
In the Winnipeg Free Press of March 29th it is
said that the birds were secured in Czecho-
Slovakia, and that they had cost about twelve
dollars a pair. Further introductions are planned
and complete protection is being given the species
until it has a chance to become established.—
HoyeEs Luoyp.
AN Ivory GULL, Pagophila alba, Gunn., OB-
SERVED AT VICTORIA, B.C.—On 19 February,
October, 1925]
1925, a gull believed to be of this species was
observed in Victoria Harbour. It was standing
on the cabin roof of a small yacht, which was
moored close to the Causeway. It was observed
for several minutes at close range: in colour it
was pure white all over without any shading or
marking of grey or black; the eye was dark.
The bird was close enough to have been recognized
as an albino had it been such. In size it appeared
to be slightly larger than the Short-billed Gull,
with which it was sharing the cabin roof. It
appeared to be standing in a somewhat crouched
position, but, after examining the specimens in the
Provincial Museum, I have come to the conclusion
that this appearance was due to the tarsus being
relatively shorter than is the case in species of the
genus Larus.
I do not know of any records of this species
from Victoria, though it has been taken at and
recorded from other points in British Columbia.
—W. H. A. PREECE.
CHRISTMAS BIRD CENSUSES IN CANADA.—For
some years now The Canadian Field-Naturalist has
published a number of bird censuses taken at
Christmas time by bird students in various parts
of Canada. A limited number of Canadian ornith-
ologists take an annual census at Christmas time
which is published in Bird-Lore. At present these
censuses are not well distributed in Canada, and it
is thought that many other bird students would be
willing to devote a day to taking a Christmas bird
census, if they knew of the importance of this
effort. The bird census is the best guide to tell
us where our bird population is in winter, and its
importance is increased because through the work
of Bird-Lore censuses of this kind: are taken
throughout the United States.
The rules for taking a bird census, as given in
Bird-Lore are, briefly, as follows:—
The census should be taken on Christmas day
or as near that date as circumstances permit:
time limits, December 22nd to December 27th
except that in the Rocky Mountains and westward
the time limits are December 20th to 25th. Each
census-taker should send in only one census. A
census walk should last four hours at the very
least, and an all-day one is preferable. Each re-
port must cover one day only. When two or
more names are signed to a report, a statement
should be made as to whether the workers counted
together, or separately. Census area should have
a diameter of not more than fifteen miles. Un-
usual records should be accompanied by a brief
statement as to identification. Fuller details are
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
173
given in Bird-Lore, November-December numbers.
The Canadian Field-Naturalist has published in
the past those Canadian censuses that have been
sent to it, and the hope is expressed that every
competent person in Canada will try to arrange
to send a bird census this year to our paper and
to Bird-Lore, where the results for the United
States and Canada are published.—HoyEs Luioyp.
A CASE OF DISEASE IN THE CALIFORNIA PART-
RIDGE (QUAIL), Lophortyx californicus californicus,
Shaw.—On 31st January, 1925, when walking near
Mount Tolmie, Victoria, B.C., I saw a California
Partridge (o’) picking up grit on the road ahead
of me. It appeared to be in a somewhat weak
condition and allowed me to walk up to it and
capture it without making any great effort to
escape. I picked it up at 3.380 P.M. and took it
home with me; it expired at 6.30 P.M.
The bird was in very poor condition, nothing
but skin and bone; this cannot have been through
lack of food, as its bowels moved three times dur- -
ing the period that I had it under observation.
The plumage was in excellent condition.
The carcass was taken down to the Provincial
Museum, where it was skinned and examined by
Mr. G. A. Hardy. The liver was found to be
very much affected, one lobe being in a condition
so abnormal as to render it incapable of function-
ing, the other being in the initial stage of infection.
—W. H. A. PREECE.
GANNETS OF BONAVENTURE ISLAND, QUEBEC.—
In 1923 there were forty-seven nests of Gannets on
a ledge in the sanctuary that I had not seen occu-
pied by Gannets before. In 1924, there were
seventy-two. This year (1925) the birds have
extended the ledge by digging away the clay down
to the rock, and there are about four hundred
occupying that ledge now, although not all are
nesting yet.
As I understand, young Gannets mate in their
second year. A Gannet will locate a place to
nest, make a part of a nest, and, in the following
spring, will return, complete the nest and lay its
eggs..—_WILLIAM M. DUVAL.
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MANITOBA
cea é se 1925-26
Hon. President: NORMAN CRIDDLE; President: C. W. LOWE;
_ Vice-Presidenis: Dr. H. M. SPEECHLY, Dr. A.M. DAVIDSON,
A. G. LAWRENCE, J. B. WALLIS, B. W. CARTWRIGHT, A. A
_McCousrey; General Secretary: A. A. McCouBREY, Room
Executive Secretary: R. M. THOMAS;
Treasurer: J.J. Mott, P.O. Box1562. ORNITHOLOGICAL
2 C. L. Brotey; Secretary: L. E.
MeCatt. BOTANICAL SECTION:—Chairman: C.\ EH.
Lowe; Secretary: Miss Grack CAMERON. ENTOMO-
LOGICAL SECTION:—Chairman: G. SHIRLEY BROOKS;
Secretary: A. M. Davipson. GEOLOGICAL SECTION :—
Chairman: ..G. THOMPSON: Secretary. F. M. OLIVER.
ze
_ THE HAMILTON BIRD PROTECTION
x _ SOCIETY
(Incorporated) -
Hon. President: Mr. ADAM BROWN; President: Mr. R. O
‘MERRIMAN; ist Vice-President: Dr. H. G. ARNOTT; 2nd Vice-
President: Mr. C. D. Cook; Secretary-Treasurer: MISS RUBY
R. Mitts, Public Library, Hamilton; Directors: Dr. H. G.
ARNOTT; C. D. Coox; Dr. J. A. Dickson; Miss M. BE. Gra-
HAM; Miss RuBy R. Minis; M. Hotton; M. JOHNSTON;
Mrs. F. E. MACLOGHLIN; R. O. MERRIMAN. |
‘
COLUMBIA, VICTORIA, B.C.
The officers for the above Society for the year ending
March 31st, 1925, are as follows:—
President: Rev. R. CONNELL, M.A.; 1st Vice-President:
W. N. KELLY; 2nd Vice-President? Mrs. HUGH MACKENZIE;
Hon. Secretary: Haroutp T. NATION; Hon. Treasurer: Miss
S. M. THORNTON;- Commitiee: G. A. HARDY, C. C. PEMBERTON,
TRA CORNWALL, F.G.S., A. R. SHERWOOD, H. Boyce; Audi-
_ tors: Miss MockripcE, M.Sc., WILLIAM DowNEs.
a
President:
-
NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF BRITISH
ALBERTA NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY
Hon. President: Mr. J.J. Gantz, Red Deer, Alta.; Hon. Vice
Dr. Hy. GEORGE, Victoria, B.C.; President:
Mr. C. H. SNELL, Red Deer, Alta.; 1st Vice-President: Mrs.
_ iW. A. Cassets, Red Deer, Alta.; 2nd Vice-President: Mr. S.
_ PAMELY, Red Deer, Alta.; Directors: Mrs. G .F. Root, Weta-
skiwin, Alta.; Mrs. J. MCMILLAN, Red Deer, Alta.; Miss E.
-C. Irvine, Red Deer, Alta.; Mr. F. L. FARLEY, Camrose,
_ Alta.; Mr. W. A. CASSELS, Red Deer, Alta.; Mr. B. LAWTON,
Edmonton, Alta.; Mr. K. BowMAN, Edmonton, Alta.; PRoF.
W. Rowan, Univ. of Alta., Edmonton, Alta.; Mr. W. F.
Harzis, Hed Deer, Alta.; Mr. T. E. RANDALL, Castor, Alta.;
Mr. A. C. BretHour, Calgary, Alta.; Hon. Sec.-Treas.:
Mrs. S. PAMELY, Red Deer, Alta.
_ he meetings of this Society are held in Red Deer on the
last Friday of each month except during July and August and
perhaps September. The annual meeting is held in Red Deer
_on the last Friday in November.
ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB,
LONDON, ONT.
President: T. D. PATTHRSON, 562 Waterloo Street; Recording
Secretary: Mrs. E. H. McKons, Worthey Road; Correspond-
ing Secretary and Treasurer: E. M. S. Daun, 297 Hyman St.;
Members qualified to answer questions: W. E. SAUNDERS, 240
Central Ave.; C. G. WATSON, 201 Ridout St. South; J. R.
McLzop, 355 Wortley Road; J. F2 Catvurt, 461 Tecumseh
Ave.; E. M.S. DALE, 297 Hyman St.
-McILWRAITH
_ VANCOUVER NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY
. President: L. S. KLInck, L.L.D., Pres. University of B.C.;
ent: JOHN DAVIDSON, F.L.S., University of B.C.; Vice-
mt: FRED PERRY; Hon. Secretary: C.F. CONNOR, M.A.,
‘W. 2nd Ave., Vancouver, B.C.; Hon. Treasurer: A. H.
2302 York St., Vancouver, B.C.
ightly meetings in the University Buildings from
er to April (inclusive). Semi-monthly excursions from
» August (inclusive). :
} ge 1 i;
= Affiliated Societies
es re NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF.
PROVINCE OF QUEBEC SOCIETY FOR THE
PROTECTION OF BIRDS
Hon. President: I. GAaMMuL; Hon. Vice-President: W.H. ROBB;
President: LL. MclI. TERRILL; 1st. Vice-President: NAPIBR
SmitH; 2nd. Vice-President: E. ARNOLD; 9rd. Vice-President
and Curator: Miss E.G. LUKE; Recording Secretary: Muss H.
STONE; Corresponding Secretary: W. S. HART, P.O. Box 1186,
Montreal, P.Q.; Treasurer: HENRY Mousitpy; Committee:
Miss M. ARMITAGE, Miss E. BENNET; MR. AND Mrs. C. P,
DALE; H. A. C. JacKson; Miss EF. Morrow; MissL. Murpuy;
A, MACSWEEN; G.S.Moonry; W. A. OswWaLp; L. MclI.
SPACKMAN; Mrs. W. W. WALKER; Dr. ARTHUR WILLEY;
Members qualified to answer questions: L. Mcl. TERRILL,
44 Stanley Ave., St. Lambert, Que.; NAPIER SMITH,
Bank of Montreal, Verdun, Que., E. ARNOLD, 64 Durocher St.,
Montreal; W. A. OSWALD, 301 Wilson Ave., N.D.G., Montreal;
C. N. ROBERTSON, c-o Ross Realty Co., Room 805, Lewis
Bldg., St. John St., Montreal, Que.; DR. ARTHUR WILLEY,
McGill University, Montreal; HENRY Mous.Ley, 274-Girouard
Ave., N.D.G., Montreal, P.Q.; Miss EpITH Morrow AND
Miss EMILY LUKE, c-o Secretary.
%
SOCIETE PROVANCHER D’HISTOIRE
NATURELLE DU CANADA
Bureau de direction pour 1923
Président: DocTEUR S. GAUDREAU; Jer vice-président: ABBE
‘A. VACHON, M.A.; 2éme vice-président: A.-R.-M. BOULTON:
Secrétaire-trésorier: Lovuis-B. Lavotm; Chef de la section
Scientifique: A.-A. GopBouT; Chef de la section de propaganda
éducationelle: DoctEuR A. DERy; Chef de la section de pro-
tection: R. MEREDITH, N.P.; Chef de la section d'information
scientifique et pratique: DocTmUR J.-E. BERNIER; Directeura:
_R.-F. Linpsay; Jos. Mattn; G.-S. AHERN.
_ THE BRITISH COLUMBIA ORNITHOLO-
GISTS’ UNION
Officers for 1923
Hon. President: HON. MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, Victoria;
President: FRANCIS KERMODE, Provincial Museum, Victoria;
Vice-President: T. LL. THACKER, Hope; Secretary-Treasurer:
J. W. WINSON, Huntingdon; Directors: J. A. MUNRO, Okana-
gan Landing; Dr. KEeLso, Arrow Lakes; R. GLENDENING,
Agassiz; K. Racry, Vancouver; T. PHARSE, Courtenay; -
W. N. KELLY, Victoria.
‘i
THE TORONTO FIELD-NATURALISTS’
CLUB
President: PROFESSOR R. B. THOMSON; Vice-Presidente:
PROFESSOR FE. M. WALKER, DR. A. CosEns, J. H. FLEMING;
Secretary: W. F. GREGorRY, 151 Ellsworth Ave., Toronto;
Treasurer: F. H. BRIGDEN; Honorary Librarian: C. W. NASH;
Librarian: Dr. LyMAN B. Jackes. BIRD GROUP:—
Chairman: STUART THOMPSON; Secretary: JAMES BAILLIE.
FLOWER GROUP:—Chairman: Dr. H.B.Sirton; Secretary:
Miss J. G. WricuT, Po#.D.; INSECT GROUP:—Chairman:
PROFESSOR WALKER; Secretary: Miss NorMA ForD, Pua.D.
MAMMAL GROUP:—Chairman: J. R. DyMOND; Secretary:
L. SNYDER. REPTILE, FISH AND AMPHIBIAN GROUP:
—Chairman: SHILLEY LoGimrR; Secretary: T. B. KURATA.
PROGRAM COMMITTEE:—Chairman: Dr. W. A. CLEM-
ENS. WILD LIFE PRESERVATION COMMITTEE:—
Chairman: RussELL G. DINGMAN. EDUCATIONAL COM-
MITTEE:—Chairman: TAYLOR STATTEN. ;
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.
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PAPAPAPAPA
‘ce ee icone 35,343 DEC 17 1925
‘VOL. XXXIX, No. 8 NOVEMBER, 1925
=
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CLD-NATURA RLASTS CLUB
ISSUED NOVEMBER 30, 1925 ; :
Entered at the Ottawa Post ‘Office as Seber diclass matter
THE OTTAWA FIELD- ELD-NATURALISTS’ CLUB
ere eg
THEIR EXCELLENCIES THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL AND THE LADY BYNG OF VIMY
President: G. A. MILLER.
ist Vice-President: N crten CRIDDLE. 2nd Vice-President: E. M. Kini. “
pare athe Uw 1G Hon, Treasurer:
yas ae ven . By AS FAUVEL,
jie ThA d Ave, y3 821 MeLeod St.,
Ottawa, pipe 6 ate rich: Cee ines * _ Ottawa, Ont.
Additional Members és ae W.T.Macoun; Miss M. E. Cowan; C.M. Ssiucueae ie anna ;
P. A. TAVERNER; E.SAPIR; W.J. WINTEMBERG; R. E. DELURY: ARTHUR GIBSON; M. O. MALTE; ©
R. M. ANDERSON; H. GROH; Miss F. FYLES; C. B. HUTCHINGS: CLYDE L. PATcH: H. M. Ami; —
D. JENNESS; H. F. Lewis; HOYES LLOYD; Frits JOHANSEN; ANDREW HALKETT; C. E. JOHNSON; |
G. R. WHITE; E. G. WHITE: G. A. MACDONALD: A. G. KINGSTON: NORMAN LEACH; MarK G.
McELHINNEY: V.W. JACKSON: R. O. MERRIMAN; W.N. KELty; C. H. SNELL; J. R. MCLEOD;
JOHN DAVIDSON; L. MclI. TERRILL; R MEREDITH: FRANCIS KERMODE; R.B.THOMSON; E E. PRINCE >
Acting Editor:
G. A. MILLER,
Normal.School, Ottawa.
;
2 i\tes
Associate Editors:
HA SAPIR Sih ti wick: TPL Saath Grae ae Anthropology A. G. HUNTSMAN... F, ieneeek see M arine Biology —
[WLOCO SO. WN Ofte gee a NRA Se ys ao Botany . P. As TAVERNER. ia.) 4 ak Ornithology —
WOR, LATCHFORD. 62.502 oh, Conchology EM. KINDEE ioe ......Palaeontology —
IVE ON ee MTG PA MIS On at Wi Sk PA ree ee Geology R. M. ANDERSON..........:... ....Zoology
ARTHUR GIBSON...... Wa aS Uo Entomology CLYDE Te. PATCH 2! Bae ee Herpetology
t : : P ye
; . PAGE
January Bird Notes from Mount Tolmie, Victoria, B.C. By W. H.A. Preece............ in a
The New Bird Sanctuaries in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. By Harrison F, Lewis....2-.). ©.) eae ATT ae
Bird Banding Report—September 1924 to March 1925—‘‘Mavisburn”’ Banding Station, Mill — ‘lyon aiiae
Bay, Victoria Island, B.C. By G. D. Sprot..... eis heats othe ver kite Re ee 109 47
Squirrels Eating Amanita muscaria. By W.S. “Odell, Obtains csc hor ee eae 5 ee eae 1803255)
Field Work in the Lower Arctic Zone. By James C. Critchell-Bullock............... Pa eiets, 4): 1S
The Birds of Bird Islands, Nova Scotia.. By Ivan A. Bayley.................4.......-- CS a Saree
Observations on the Chinese Starling (Ethiopsar cristatellus). By R.A.Cummins........ 7 CO re
Interesting Photographs of Nesting Woodcock. By W.T. Brown, Westmount, Que........... 190 |
Official Canadian Record of Bird-Banding Returns (Continued). ..............0..c0 eevee eees Oe ae
Notes and Observations:— Jo
Resolutions of The Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club................... pias ceil es eee
Lympezxa (Bulimnea) megasoma Say. By F. R. Latchford........................-.45 198 eae
Robins Eating Salmon Fry at Andérson Takes British Columbia: By J. A. Munro..... i ee,
Meadowlark at Englehart, Ontario. By Jas. iu) Baillie Jr... eae a ee “94 a
peroneal, ne Clutches of Eggs of Short-Eared Owl (A800, flammens). By T. E. ee
SNA io Raa Sis RN Ry oo eM ce Oe iL) Ae ee rr
Harris’s Sparrow in Castor, Alberta, District. By T. E. Rendall Sy at Oi ee
Notes of Interest from Castor, Alberta, District; “By Tk. Rendalle, 5 ae ee
Pere and PD nor ies Sixth Winter Session, 1925-6. The Natural History Society of
ANTICO DA es ey UL MO SR MOSS EONS tHE HRCI cL Sy fev RG eR nner a
Book Review—Roosevilt Wild Life Bulletin, Vol. 2, No. 4; Vol. 3, Nos. 1 and2. By ABK.
Publications: Recel ved e228 3 ay rey en Nee eo eID ee EL aR SET Ege ce het en :
The official publications of THE OTTAWA FIELD-NATURALISTS’ CLUB have been issued
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The Canadian Field-Naturalist
VOL. XXXIX
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, NOVEMBER, 1925
No. 8
JANUARY BIRD NOTES FROM MOUNT TOLMIE, VICTORIA, B.C.
By W. H. A. PREECE
VT IS not intended that the following note-
should be regarded as constituting any-
thing approaching a seasonal census or
Some check-list of the birds of the district
indicated in the title of this paper. My oppor-
tunities for observing have been too limited to
permit of anything so ambitious. It may be,
however, that the following gleanings from my
note-book will be of interest to those living in less
ornithologically favoured parts of Canada, as in-
dicative of the numerous species of birds that may
be met with here whilst taking a winter walk.
All the species hereafter dealt with, have been
observed during January of this year.
The area here dealt with consists of Mount
Tolmie and the country lying to the south and
west of it. One expedition was made to the north
of the mountain, but the district to the east was
not visited at all.
THE SOUTHERN SLOPES
The Southern slopes are, in the main, covered
with scrub oaks. The districts north, west, and
south of it consist of open fields, market gardens
and orchards; oak trees are plentiful throughout
and there are also a number of oak coppices and
woods. The oak is the typical tree of the district,
though alder, willow and Douglas fir are also to
be found. The fact of some eighty per cent of
the trees being oaks possibly limits the number of
species of birds to be observed in the district.
Had I visited the country to the east of the
mountain, where there is a considerable tract of
conifers, mainly Douglas firs, I believe, it is prob-
able that some species not recorded would have
been observed and others recorded occasionally
would have been found there in abundance.
GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL, Larus glaucescens,
Naum. AMERICAN HERRING GULL, Larus
argentatus smithsonianus Coues. SHORT-TAILED
GULL, Larus brachyrhynchus, Rich.
The three species mentioned above were to be
seen in quantity on the fields and vacant lots and
in the air almost daily. It is quite possible that
still other species were observed, but no others
were satisfactorily determined.
Mr. J. A. Munro, in The Canadian Field-
Naturalist, Vol. XX XVIII, p. 148, gives some
interesting information about the habits, etc., of
Larus glaucescens in this district.
WILSON’S SNIPE, Gallinago delicata, Ord.—The
only record was obtained on January 1. The bird
seen was remarkably tame, allowing me to come
“within a few feet of it before taking flight; I
flushed it three times from a roadside ditch. On
the first two occasions, it flew about fifteen yards
and then resumed feeding, but on the last occasion
it circled round me and returned to the ditch
about twenty yards in my rear.
GREY PARTRIDGE, Perdix perdix, Linn.—An
introduced species. A covey of eight birds has
been observed on the flats south-west of Mount
Tolmie almost daily throughout the winter.
CALIFORNIA PARTRIDGE, Lophortyx californicus,
Shaw.—An introduced species. Abundant around
Mount Tolmie. Their ‘‘Who goes there’ is quite
the most frequently heard call.
RING-NECKED PHEASANT, Phasianus torquatus,
Linn.—An introduced species. Abundant.
HARRIS’S WOODPECKER. Dryobates villosus har-
rissit, Aud. GAIRDNER’S WOODPECKER. Dryobates
pubescens gairdneri, Aud.—The above two species
were only recorded once each during January.
Both are common residents on Vancouver Island
trees, which would account for their scarcity in
this district.
LEwIs’s WOODPECKER, Asyndesmus torquatus,
Wils.—In The Canadian Field-Naturalist, Vol.
XXXVIII, p. 176, Mr. J. A. Munro refers to this
species as follows: “‘A common summer resident
of local distribution” (in Southern Vancouver
Island); after which he gives two winter records.
In the remarks on the species in the Catalogue of
British Columbia Birds compiled by Mr. Francis
Kermode and printed in 1904, we find the follow-
ing: ‘“‘A summer resident on Vancouver Island’’.
My own observations did not coincide with the
above statements. I mentioned the fact to Mr.
Kermode, who supplied me with the following
information. Some twenty-five or more years
ago this species only occurred here as a rare
straggler and gradually became established as a
summer resident, but for some years a number
appear to have been thoroughly acclimatized and
are now residents, staying here all the year round,
176
There is, however, no doubt that in summer the
number of the species is considerably augmente
by immigration.
I believe that the local distribution referred to
by Mr. Munro will be found to coincide with the
local distribution of the oak trees to which this
species seems particularly attached. It has a
great fondness for telegraph poles; on rather more
than half of the numerous occasions in January
that I observed the species, it was associated with
them, the bird either running up the pole or more
often perched on the top.
At least two birds were resident in the Mount
Tolmie district.
NORTH-WESTERN FLICKER, Colaptes cafer satur-
atior, Ridgw.—Abundant, frequently seen and:
even more frequently heard.
SKYLARK, Alauda arvensis, Linn.—Originally
introduced by the Natural History Society of
British Columbia, this species has increased and
multiplied so that it may now be regarded as
locally abundant. I heard them singing on
January 27 for the first time this year and since
then have heard them almost daily.
STELLER’S JAY, Cyanocitta stelleri, Gmel.—One
of our handsomest birds. This species was abun-
dant all over the city throughout the fall and early
winter, but after Christmas was very little in
evidence. Isaw one on January 1, but, after that
neither saw nor heard anything of the species until
January 30, when I watched a flock of six invade
a poultry run only to be forced to beat a hasty
retreat before the determined assault of some Ply-
mouth Rocks, the rightful owners of the-run.
Mr. Munro, in The Canadian Field-Naturalist,
Vol. XX XVIII, p. 176, gives some interesting data
regarding this species here.
NORTH-WEST CROW, Corvus caurinus, Baird.
—Abundant and always very much in evidence.
NORTHWESTERN REDWING, Agelaius phenicius
caurinus, Ridgw.—Numbers of this species were
observed on two occasions in company with the
flock of Brewer’s Blackbirds, alluded to later.
I observed nesting colonies at Lost and Prospect
Lakes last summer and there are doubtless similar
colonies in most other suitable localities through-
out the district.
WESTERN MEADOWLARK, Sturnella magna neg-
lecta, Aud.—Was seen and heard singing almost
daily. First heard singing January 1. The birds
here appear very erratic in their habits, in certain
areas always appearing in flocks of twenty or more,
in other areas always being found singly or in pairs
BREWER’S BLACKBIRD, Euphagus cyanocephalus,
Wagl.—A large flock numbering many hundred
has been around the district throughout the winter.
This species presents a case almost parallel to that
of Lewis’s Woodpecker, so Mr. Kermode informs
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
(VoL. XXXIX
me; that is to say, the species formerly scarce
locally, has of late years become common, even
abundant. In the Catalogue of British Columbia
Birds printed in 1904, amongst the remarks on this
species, we find the following: “‘Not common on Van-
couver Island; afew have been taken nearVictoria’’.
EUROPEAN HOUSE SPARROW, Passer domesticus,
Linn.—This undesirable alien, though present, is
fortunately not yet by any means so omnipresent
as in the Eastern Provinces.
NUTTALL’S SPARROW, Zonotrichia leucophrys
nutialli, Ridgw.—One observed January 15 in
company with a flock of Oregon Juncos.
WESTERN CHIPPING SPARROW, Spizella socialis
arizonae, Cones.—Not by any means common, but
was observed on several occasions.
OREGON JUNCO, Junco hyemalis oregonus,
Towns.—One of the most abundant winter birds
here. Numerous flocks were observed almost
daily.
Rusty Sone SPARROW, Melospiza melodia mor- —
phna, Oberh.—Frequently observed; first heard
singing January 238.
OREGON TOWHEE, Pipilo maculatus oregonus,
Bell.—Can hardly be called common, but can
usually be observed in one or two localities. Not
quite so attractive, perhaps, as the Eastern race,
but nevertheless a pleasure to meet. The eall
note seems to me to be rather more guttural and
rasping than that of the eastern bird. I would
render it as E’rd-zee-ee-ee. :
WESTERN HousE WREN, Troglodytes aedon
parkmanni, Aud.—Several records, all towards the
end of the month. One heard singing January 30.
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, Sitia canadensis,
Linn.—One record only; January 25.
CHESTNUT-BACKED CHICKADEE, Parus rufescens,
Towns.—Very numerous, seldom out of sight and
hardly ever out of hearing.
WESTERN GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, Regulus
satrapa olivaceus, Baird. SITKA KINGLET, Regulus
calendula grinnelli, W. Palmer.—Both species fre-
quently to be seen, usually in company with
Chickadees.
WESTERN RoBIN, Planesticus migratorius pro-
pinquus, Ridgw.—By no means numerous, though ~
one or two are usually to be seen in the course of
a walk.
VARIED THRUSH, Ixoreus naevius, Gmel.—This
beautiful bird was to be seen quite commonly
during the fall and early winter, but I only ob-
tained three records for it in January. I consider
this quite the handsomest of our winter birds. I
do not know who inflicted the ‘‘popular’’ name
upon the species, but I’m convinced he can only
have known the bird as a skin. It would have
been no greater insult to call it a Skewbald Robin
or a Parti-coloured Ixoreus.
‘November, 19251
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
177
THE NEW BIRD SANCTUARIES IN THE GULF OF ST. LAWRENCE
. By HARRISON F. LEWIS
YRIADS of sea-birds, including valuable
Eider Ducks, quaint Puffins, and splendid
Caspian Terns, have long found a home
on the many islands which fringe the
north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. During
the nineteenth century, they were subject to
severe persecution and their numbers rapidly
dwindled. In recent years, however, the protec-
tion which they have received under the terms of
the Migratory Birds Convention Act has enabled
the survivors to nest in greater safety and to make
good a part of their previous losses. It is expected
that they will make even more rapid gains in
future, for during the year 1925 the Department
of the Interior of the Dominion Government has
established ten bird sanctuaries for their benefit.
These sanctuaries can be visited with comparative
ease, for the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence
is served in summer by well-appointed and com-
fortable steamers, with weekly sailings -from
Quebec City, while the eastern end of this coast
has, in addition, weekly communication by steam-
er with ports on the west coast of Newfoundland.
There are no hotels near the sanctuaries, but in
most instances good board in private houses can
be obtained. Thus some of the most attractive
and least known of our sea-birds can be studied in
their homes. Permits to collect birds or eggs for
scientific purposes are not, however, valid in the
sanctuaries themselves.
The following table shows in detail the numbers
of the sea-bird population of these sanctuaries in
1925. This, of course, is only a fraction of the
bird population of this entire coast. The figures
given are as accurate as it has been possible to
make them; they are in part the result of careful
counts and in part of conservative estimates, made
by the writer. Shorebirds, such as Spotted and
Least Sandpipers and Semipalmated Plovers,
which nest in some of the sanctuary areas, are not
included in this table.
SEA-BIRDS BREEDING IN NEW BIRD SANCTUARIES IN GULF OF ST. LAWRENCE, 1925:
SANCTUARIES
BIRDS Birch | Betch- | Watshi- Fog Wolf Cape |St. Mary] Mecat- | St. Aug-| Bradore
Islands | ouane show Island Bay Whittle | Islands tina ustine Bay TOTAL
IG OR Rye eresiels occ 5 s'eis 620 300 3,850 400 100 80 500 400 200 6,540
Black Duck........ So, Ree re. 2 2 2 Sus ees es 6
Green-winged Teal. . eke Brat wae 2 wae oe aay ¥ 2
Red-throated Loon.. bce dike ae 10 2 oe 24
AEH ese erste ee ee. BAG 300 en abel 3,000 ws 1,250 aoe = 51,000 | 55,550
Black Guillemot..... aes a sects 60 seus aks 130 100 30 tees 32
Common Murre..... eyes Seve aes 64 314 3,062 3,600 es #5 200 7,240
Razor-billed Auk... . 300 60 20 2,150 40 3,500 50 4,100 | 10,580
Great Black-backed
Guill niese. cas s 12 24 220 80 122 70 150 250 40 968
Herring Gull........ 60 200 200 80 100 30 200 100 50 1,020
Ring-billed Gull..... “Re aie eicne 210 ws eee 60 270
Caspian Tern....... ahd we oe 60 Bas 60
Common Tern...... Soy 200 500 56 156
Aretie Tern......... 54 40 50 6 96
Double-crested Cor-
MOLANG. occ. cies 750 280 334 1,364
FROMAT Gee: 692 1,364 4,880 1,794 6,068 3,978 9,340 962 328 | 55,300 | 84,706
Birch Islands Sanctuary is the westernmost of
these ten sanctuaries and is about 425 miles from
Quebec by the steamship route. It consists of
two wooded islands, each about a mile across, and
one small island, bare of trees. The largest island
’ contains some attractive ponds. The chief breed-
ing sea-bird is the Eider Duck, which here usually
hides its nest under trees or shrubbery. Mingan,
where the steamers call and where accommodation
can be obtained, is about four miles distant.
Betchouane Sanctuary, about 460 miles from
Quebec, contains three islands, the largest of which
is densely wooded, while the two others are tree-
less. As the table shows, this sanctuary contains
quite a variety of sea-fowl, including some hund-
reds of Puffins and Razor-billed Auks. These two
highly interesting species do not nest in any
numbers on this coast west of this point. Accom-
modation for one or two persons could probably
be obtained at Betchouane, two miles from the
sanctuary, but the nearest port of call for the
steamer is Havre St. Pierre, about seventeen miles
away.
Watshishow Sanctuary is a large area, extending
some eleven miles along the coast, and including
a great number of small islands, which are all
practically treeless, but which show great variety
of form and arrangement. This sanctuary is pre-
eminently the home of the famous Eider Duck,
whose abundance here is truly astonishing and
whose nests are more readily seen on these bare
islands than on the thickly wooded islands farther
178 THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
westward. It is a thrilling sight to see hundreds
of great black-and-white drakes and their brown
mates whirling about like leaves before the blast
as one sails into one of the multitude of unin-
habited harbors formed by the islands in this area.
It is even more delightful to remain quietly in
some inconspicuous place and watch the handsome
birds sailing about on the blue water, feeding and
courting, or resting in groups on the reddish-brown
rocks. Visitors to Watshishow Sanctuary must
provide their own accommodation. | The nearest
place at which the steamer calls is Baie Johan
Beetz, about ten miles from the sanctuary and
480 miles from Quebec.
Fog Island Sanctuary, consisting of Fog Island
and all the islands and rocks within two miles of
Fog Island, is about 590 miles from Quebec, 65
from the steamers’ point of call at Natashquan,
and 11 from the little village of Romaine. It is
a very attractive area, with moss-covered, rocky
islands studding the smiling waters in most intri-
eate fashion. It contains the greatest variety of
sea-birds to be found in any of tthe sanctuaries
along the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence,
no fewer than fourteen different species making
their homes here in 1925. Remarkable among
them are the dashing Caspian Terns, with their
scarlet beaks and raucous voices, which are not
known to nest anywhere else in the Province of
Quebec at the present time, and the graceful,
retiring Red-throated Loons, which nest beside
small ponds in the moss. This sanctuary is the
westernmost place known on this coast where the
confiding Common Murres are accustomed to
breed. Each pair of these birds hatches each
year only a single egg, which is often laid on the
bare rock. Thirty-two of their eggs and young
were counted in this sanctuary in 1925. There is
no accommodation to be had near Fog Island
Sanctuary, and visitors must camp outside the
sanctuary or live afloat.
Wolf Bay Sanctuary is a long chain of islands
lying along the western side of the bay after
which it is named. It contains an abundance of
Puffins and Razor-billed Auks and a moderate
number of other species. Accommodation is
available here, but the nearest port of call of the
steamer is at Harrington Harbour, 45 miles away.
Wolf Bay is about 605 miles from Quebec.
Cape Whittle Sanctuary consists of a number of
islets lying well out to sea near Cape Whittle.
While it contains Eiders, Gulls, Auks, Double-
crested Cormorants and Black Ducks, the most
numerous bird in the sanctuary is the Common
Murre. The Murre lays its handsome eggs in
the open on several of the islets in the sanctuary,
especially on Egg Rock, where 1263 eggs and
young, representing 2526 adult birds, were counted
[VoL. XX XIX
on July 21, 1925. Close to Cape Whittle Sanc-
tuary is situated a small colony, the only one now
remaining on the north shore of the Gulf of St.-
Lawrence, of the so-called “Common” Cormorant.
Cape Whittle Sanctuary is about 615 miles from
Quebec by the steamship route along the coast.
The nearest accommodation is at Wolf Bay settle-
ment, five or six miles away. The nearest port of
call for the steamer is at Harrington Harbour, 35
miles distant. :
St. Mary Islands Sanctuary contains an un-
usually large and varied bird population, nesting
on four large islands and two small ones. The
islands are practically treeless, and are adorned
by a large number of small ponds, which are very
attractive to the birds. The sea-birds are also
attracted to these islands in the nesting-season by
the presence there of many large cracks and fissures
in the solid rock, in which animated crowds of
Murres and Auks rear their young in shelter and
comparative security. This is one of the best
sanctuaries from the point of view of the occa-
sional visitor, both on account of the abundance
and variety of its bird-life and because it contains
a secure harbor for small boats, with limited
accommodation at the light-keeper’s dwelling.
This sanctuary is about 12 miles from Harrington
Harbour, where the steamers call, and is about
635 miles from Quebec.
Mecattina Sanctuary is situated in the large
bay between the communities of Whale Head and
Mutton Bay, and contains no less than 138 islands,
of various sizes, charmingly situated about deep
and sheltered waterways. Here was once a great
bird population, most of which has long since been
destroyed or driven away, although scattered rem-
nants of at least seven species still remain. It is
expected that, under sanctuary conditions, the
bird life will soon become more abundant. The
steamer stops regularly at Mutton Bay and
accommodation may be secured there or at Whale
Head. Mecattina Sanctuary is about 660 miles
from Quebec.
St. Augustine Sanctuary contains a group of
small islands near the mouth of the St. Augustine
River. While these islands, as well as others in
the neighborhood, are ideally suited to the needs
of nesting sea-birds, yet the bird life of all this
part of the coast has received such harsh treatment
from the hand of man that only a very small
fraction of the original bird population now re-
mains. It is hoped that the provision of peace
and safety within the bird sanctuary and the
enforcement of the Migratory Birds Convention
Act all along the coast will cause the bird-life in
this region to return to normal, with the sanctuary
as its chief stronghold. The steamer stops at St.
Augustine, where there is limited accommodation.
November, 1925]
This sanctuary is about 710 miles from Quebec.
Bradore Bay Sanctuary contains Perroquet and
Greenly Islands, near the western entrance to the
Straits of Belle Isle. The most abundant nesting
bird here is the laughable Puffin, which usually
nests in the shelter of a burrow, which it excavates
in the soil. At this point, which was a recognized
fishing station early in the sixteenth century, these
birds have been subjected to severe persecution
from white men for nearly four hundred years.
While this brought about a terrible reduction in
their numbers, it was surprising to see how many
thousands still maintained themselves here when
the coming into force of the Migratory Birds Con-
vention Act stopped the slaughter. Since that
time the nesting birds of Perroquet Island, in
particular, have increased markedly in numbers.
Owing to the unsatisfactory results of the
various attempts to estimate the great numbers
of the ever-changing multitudes of birds at Perro-
quet Island, it was determined to make a system-
atic count of the Puffin burrows on the island,
July 8 and 9, 1925, were spent by Game Officer
C. K. McLeod and the writer in making this
count. By means of little stakes the island was
marked off into strips of land of convenient size
and in one strip after another the occupied burrows
were counted carefully. Each burrow was con-
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
179
sidered to represent at least one pair of Puffins.
In support of this view it may be stated that each
of six burrows which were opened at random for
scientific purposes on June 30 contained a Puffin
incubating an egg, while old residents, who in years
gone by had excavated hundreds of burrows,
stated that each occupied burrow contained at
least one pair of Puffins, while occasionally a
burrow branches into two or three parts under-
ground and a pair made their home in each
branch. The total number of burrows counted
on Perroquet Island was 22,102, representing
44,204 Puffins. A considerable number of Puffins
nest on this island among boulders near the shore,
where their homes could not be counted, and these
are considered to be quite sufficient to bring the
total number of Puffins nesting on Perroquet
Island up to 45,000. This island is also the home
of about 4,000 Razor-billed Auks and 200 Common
Murres. It is an exciting experience for one who
visits Perroquet Island for the first time to see the
huge clouds of birds which sweep about the island
like swarms of giant gnats. Such displays are
especially striking towards evening or on stormy
days, for in fine weather many of the birds are
away in search of food during the greater part of
the day. Accommodation may be had at Bradore
Bay, which is about 775 miles from Quebec.
BIRD BANDING REPORT—SEPTEMBER 1924 TO MARCH 1925
‘‘Mavisburn’’ Banding Station. Mill Bay, Victoria Island, B.C.
By G. D. SPROT
HE description of my former station (see
report 1923-1924) now sold, applies like-
wise to my present one, as they adjoin.
The land is all ‘wild’, and up to date
has but one or two acres cleared. This clearing
is being laid out in garden. A small mountain
stream flows by the house, its somewhat steep
banks being clothed with Firs and Cedars, Maples
and Alders, ete., of about fifteen years growth.
The conifers only, on the south side, are being
cleared off to let in light and air to the stream.
The undergrowth of Salmon and Thimble berries
' are being encouraged in patches and other berry-
bearing trees and shrubs planted.
TRAPS
On account of the labour entailed in connection
with the clearing of my station, I have had little
time to devote to experimenting with traps, but
one little addition to the attractions for birds is a
small bird-bath placed beside each permanent trap
position. If desired, the trap may be set over it.
Its cost is from 5c. to 10c. A shovel full of earth
is removed, and a few pebbles stamped into the
hole, forming a saucer-shaped hollow. This is
then covered with an inch or so of cement. — Its
size is from 12 inches to sixteen inches diameter.
CALIFORNIAN PARTRIDGES
I have negative information only to offer on this
species, but it helps support my previous sugges-
tion (see report 1923-1924) that the species may
be found to be intensely local in their movements.
Although those previously taken on my old station
are seen there almost daily, and despite my efforts
to draw them, they have not as yet trespassed
on my new station. Their nearest feed table
here would be only some fifty yards away from
the spot they now frequent and where they get
little encouragement.
STELLER’S JAYS
Are becoming an increasingly interesting study.
260902, banded Sept. 27, 1923, is still present,
Although not exactly proved, it appears obvious
that this bird is a male, being larger and brighter
plumaged than two other birds caught with him
at different periods, early and late, throughout the
summer and to which he seemed obviously mated.
180
The worn plumage and poor condition of these
two females (?) with the immaculate appearance
of the male throughout the season, suggested
rather that the male does not assist in incubation,
and with the presence of the second female, that
he takes a different partner for the second sitting
- although, of course, but I do not think it, an
accident may have happened to the first female
in the interval. This male is known when at
large by a fringe of white or palest of blue to the
tips of the tail feathers. This was first noted in
September, 1924, when he was discovered croon-
ing to himself on a limb which held what was
apparently the past season’s nest. This pale
fringe is still present (March 26, 1925), and the
bird appears to be cleanly through the moult,
which in 1924 and 1925 took place in January.
Very noticeable also are the forehead stripes, now
appearing longer than formerly, and fading to a
very pale blue. The balance of the plumage
remains, however, as brilliant as always.
Another old friend, 260908, banded October 12,
1923, is likewise still present, and nested close by
in 1924.
The young Jays first came to the traps on May
27, in 1924.
GOLDEN and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS
Whilst my house was being built, I rented one
near by, and on September 4th, 1924, put out a
funnel trap. Although working away from my
rented home for the most part of the day, I was
able to band before 8 A.M., during the lunch hour,
and after 5 P.M., nine jays, ninety-five Golden-
crowned Sparrows, eleven Nuttalls’, three Juncos,
four Song Sparrows, six Towhees, and got two
hundred and twenty-seven “repeats” in about two
weeks.
Curiously enough, the first spring arrival of the
Zonotrichia, noted on the roadside March 31, 1925,
was a banded Nuttall’s Sparrow.
OREGON JUNCO
Several 1923 and 1924 birds have returned again,
but this species has been scarce this winter until
March 24, when two hundred to three hundred
suddenly dropped from the skies onto my freshly
seeded grass patch. It was impossible to keep
them off, as, like a plague of locusts, they settled
within a few feet of us. They appeared ravenous
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
[VoL. XX XTX
and feared nothing. This unusual spring shower
of Juncos extended, from my own observation,
from Victoria to North Cowichan, possibly over
the whole south-east portion of the Island, freshly
seeded grass fields being alive with them. They
did not, however, stay long, and well over a hund-
red were banded before they left, sixty being taken
the first day in one funnel trap, in a few hours,
not counting “‘repeats’’.
Ticks, as reported previously, were again found
on over twenty-five percent of this season’s winter
resident Juncos.
OREGON TOWHEES
My work with this species received a rude check,
when I was forced to give up banding them on
account of continually finding tightened bands.
Try what I would, nothing could be done to pre-
vent this. Amongst several of the repeats whose
bands were all right, were many old friends that
had wintered and nested in 1924, and are again
repeating the performance this year. They are
very local.
WEATHER
Records of weather are kept in connection with
banding, and I find it probable that on Vancouver
Island in spring, migration starts—as shown by
the movements of sea-birds—and residents mate
and start nesting, with the first northerly wind
after or about the lst of March. A few days
after this, should the wind “back” to west of
north, migration receives a check, and earlier than
usual, large numbers of “partial migrants” are
noted, as Goldfinches, Robins, Bluebirds, etce.,
being brought to earth by an unfavourable wind.
If, however, the wind swings round to east, re-
maining so for over twenty-four hours, the same
thing occurs, but in addition, a southerly, or return
movement may be looked for. It may also be.
found that the abundance or scarcity of many
species during migration, is, to a great extent,
governed by the direction and force of the wind.
During spring migration, storms from the south-
east may bring fairly common and even uncommon
species in fair abundance, whilst the more common
species may appear scarce. Anti-cyclonic weather
(which is usual here during both the spring and
autumn migrations), on the other hand, may mean
that birds will appear in their usual numbers on
their usual dates, it being a normal migration.
SQUIRRELS EATING AMANITA MUSCARIA
By W. S. ODELL, Ottawa, Ontario
N the 9th of October of this year, when one
expected to find only fall varieties of
mushrooms, three fine specimens of the
deadly Amanita muscaria, or Fly Agaric,
in a vigorous condition, were found growing in a
small wooded area at Green’s Creek, which crosses
the Montreal road about eight miles from the city
of Ottawa. On revisiting the place four days
later no trace of them could be found. This was
surprising, as the woods are a mile from the road
November, 1925]
on the banks of the Ottawa River, and unlikely
to be visited by passers-by. On the 19th, in an
open space of another small wood on the bank of
the same stream, but south of the Montreal road,
six specimens of Amanita muscaria were found in
all stages of growth, from the unexpanded “but-
ton” to one with a cap two inches diameter.
This was an unusual find, as two severe frosts had
occurred at this time, one going as low as 28° Fahr.
To protect the specimens from more frost, a pine
branch and some dried bracken were placed over
them. On the 21st, two of the large specimens
had disappeared, without the loose protecting
covering being disturbed. Careful search at the
base of a pine tree several yards away revealed
many fragments of cuticle, about one inch long
having the bright orange-red coloring and distine-
tive scale-like markings of Amaniia muscaria;
also many small broken fragments. On a limb of
the same pine, within reach and carefully placed
. was a portion of the cap, about one and one-half
inch square, having the same coloring and scales
with teeth-marks apparent at margins and under-
neath. These fragments were all collected, leav-
ing the base of tree clear. On the 23rd, another
large mushroom had disappeared, also without the
covering being disturbed. The base of the pine
tree was littered with fragments as before, some
of these from the cap, and two large pieces, one-
half inch to one inch, from the base of the stem.
This proved beyond a doubt that a rodent of some
kind had been making meals from a mushroom
that has been accounted deadly poisoncus to
human beings, but that apparently caused it no
injury.
A short distance from where the Amanitas were
found, a large colony of the beautiful coral-pink
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
181
mushroom, Hygrophorus pudorinus, or Blushing
Hygrophorus, was growing. Some were just
appearing through the leaves and pine needles
and others at their full size, two inches across.
Many of these showed signs of teeth-marks on
the caps. On the trees surrounding the mush-
rooms, five plants were placed in notches of limbs.
On returning to inspect the Amanitas, these five
had disappeared, and seven fresh specimens were
inserted in branches and crevices of a stump in
such a manner that wind would not blow them
away. On the third visit, seventeen fresh speci-
mens decorated the adjacent trees, causing them
to appear like Christmas trees. Fifteen of these
specimens were Hygrophorus pudorinus and two
Tricholoma equestre. On my next visit only a few
were on the trees, but the ground was littered with
small fragments and with many eaten on the
under side and margins of cap, leaving the stem
untouched.
Mushrooms are frequently found during the
summer showing teeth-marks on caps; and quite
often they may be seen securely fastened in the
limbs of trees. Squirrels have been known to eat
mushrooms, but the reason for temporarily storing
them on limbs of trees is not apparent, since these
mushrooms remained only a day or two in the
trees and not sufficiently long to be preserved for
winter use by drying. The fragments on the trees
rule out field mice as culprits; hence, as no chip-
munks were observed, but squirrels were many
times seen in the vicinity, it may be taken for
granted that squirrels ate from both patches of
mushrooms.
Possibly frost may have weakened the poisonous
properties of A. muscaria, or squirrels may be
immune to that specific poison. A
FIELD WORK IN THE LOWER ARCTIC ZONE
By JAMES C. CRITCHELL-BULLOCK
PON a return to civilization from any
enterprise in the less-frequented parts of
have led us to centres of big-game and
those regions appealing to the romantic sense of
the popular mind, friends, relations and interested
persons immediately clamour for some proof of
those journeys more concrete than the proffered
perusal of a journal, or the inspection of photo-
geaphs. Material is demanded that appeals each
to the individual or aesthetic sense.
No matter which it be, the civilised or the un-
civilised, average requests bear a decided resem-
blance. Pout
But considering the former instance. Generally
speaking, the nature and intensity of the interest
taken depends proportionately on two main fac-
tors. First, did the traveller gain any notoriety
or renown during his investigations? And
secondly, did he bring back with him specimens
or curiosities from the country in which he
voyaged.
In the first instance, the fact of notoriety will go
far to replace the prestige lost for his unseemly
lack of imaginative reasoning in not returning
with full evidence of his work.
But in the second, no matter how exact his
descriptions and replete his journal, the facts of
his failure to bring out representative collections,
or a claim to notoriety, will lower his standing
correspondingly with those who visit him for
‘enlightenment on various subjects.
182
I have seen this little tragedy enacted in no less
than twenty different countries. And in this
country more than any other, is it frequently
apparent.
No part of the continental world is as remote as
the interior of Arctic and sub-Arctic Canada,
principally on account of the scarcity of native
inhabitants. No regions can compare with these
for hazard of existence.
No tropical country, central Africa, Tibet,
Brazil, or Arabia present such difficulties to the
individual naturalist as the Barren Lands of
central northern Canada. Yet even in Canada
herself, how few appreciate that fact. Indeed, I
doubt not that the vast majority are but vaguely
aware that 550,000 square miles of continental
country lie north of us totally devoid of timber,
and except for certain water routes, unpenetrated
by man. In fact, to call for a discussion of this
vast tract in average European society would serve
but to herald a silence as complete as that follow-
ng some dumfounding declaration of war.
Notwithstanding that many biologists have con-
ducted researches in the lower Arctic Zone, except
for occasional gleanings from the stray inhabitants
of the country, few winter observations have been
undertaken at any time. Moreover, even to-day
much information is required on summer subjects.
Occasionally an amateur naturalist, or sports-
man, visits the country. During the summer he
proceeds apace, but in all probability makes no
unusual discovery. Winter draws close and if he
decides to remain, builds his camp somewhere in
the timber, probably in the neighbourhood of
Indians. Once again the results obtained do not
come up to expectations either because of in-
experience or the fact that he is working only
where observations have been previously made.
Expenses are high and unless he has unlimited
private means, or is supported by some wealthy
institution, a return necessitates the adoption of
commercial trapping or trading as a means of re-
imbursement, and thereafter his duties about camp
are so manifold that intensive study is rendered
impossible.
Various residents of the country, such as em-
ployees of the Hudson’s Bay Company have at
intervals contributed much to the advancement
of the science. MacFarlane is no doubt the most
noted of these, but generally speaking the duties
of their profession relegate them to life in the im-
mediate vicinity of their posts or the sleigh routes.
During the past year, I have resided entirely
within the confines of what is generally termed the
Barren Lands proper, and during the whole of the
winter of ’24-’25 on no occasion made a return to
the last woods. Whether I have succeeded in
accomplishing what has hitherto never been
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
[VoL. XXXIX
recorded I know not, but the experiences and the
extreme difficulties encountered have caused me
to conclude that I am justified in reproaching
those who belittle the endeavours of the individual
naturalist when he fails to contribute a certain
amount of information, or provide the collections
that would appear so simply amassed when
account is taken of the investigator’s seemingly
innumerable opportunities.
Empirical knowledge of Barren Land winter
life is essential before just conclusions may be
drawn.
Not as in lower latitudes, where porters, canoe-
men, and general coolies are to be obtained for a
few piastres or annas a day, assistance here is
practically, if not quite impossible, to obtain
unless it be imported at endless expense. Winter
life resolves itself into a struggle for existence no
matter how complete one’s equipment, or how well
stocked with supplies. Portages are numerous,
the summer season is limited, and with a minimum
of paid assistance only a certain proportion of
that stock can be brought up before the close of
navigation. Thereafter, exceptional weather dis-
turbances prevent but a very occasional return to
the main base (distant perhaps two hundred
miles), and that further governed by the success
met with in obtaining sufficient fuel, for the
number of sleigh dogs is kept rigidly at a minimum
on account of the difficulty of procuring feed, the
uncertainty of being able to do so, and the vast
amount of time and energy expended in such
attempts.
Of wood there is none for fuel, it is reasonably
certain that little enough can be obtained for
building a winter house, much less caches, etc.
Again, once the timber is left behind, and the
mossy tundra country passed, the nature of the
Laurentian Plateau is such that there are little or
no peat bogs, or sod banks from which to cut
bricks for constructional purposes. Dug-outs and
holes in the sand eskers have to be adapted to
these purposes. Subsidence is with difficulty
provided against, and on occasions does occur,
causing not only much labour, but often certain
losses. Igloos are out of the question, principally
because of unsatisfactory snow conditions, though
they are constructed when possible for the dogs.
It may be argued that during winter there is so
little movement in the animal world that field
work comes practically to a standstill. Such may
be the case, but Fall investigations must be pro-
gressed with to such a late date, and Spring so
soon brings with it a return of life that continued
residence is of great importance. In fact, I
consider it essential if satisfactory records are to
be compiled, and this applies equally to all
branches of science which it is desirable to conduct
November, 1925]
in a:zone where travelling is necessarily confined
to the few short months of Spring and Summer.
-The Barren Lands are in urgent need of atten-
tion. The establishment of trading posts along
the coast and northwards on Hudson Bay, splitting
up migrational movements, providing the natives
with modern firearms and the means of penetrat-
ing the interior further every year,is bound to
have its effect. Some of the Indians that I have
met tell me that they are at a loss to account for
the scarcity or lack of game in certain districts,
and my own observations lead me to believe that
the unnatural innovations of civilization are
steadily influencing conditions.
Only those who have learnt to appreciate the
country, vast inhospitable wilderness though it is,
ean realize the pity of it. To imagine the caribou
(Rangifer arcticus, R.) dispossessed of his magnifi-
cent range, reduced from the glory of his massed
grandeur to a few straggling bands, the sort of
THE CANADIAN FIRLD-NATURALIST
183
ravenous wolves; the noble musk-oxen (Ovibos
moschatus, Zm.) as a single vanguard standing
stolidly rump to rump fighting off a pack of dogs,
while some thoughtless sportsman hurries up to
seal their doom.
And the same with the other mammals. De-
prived of their heritage as scavengers to these
huge herds, they will mysteriously disappear, traps
and poison will claim their toll, starvation the
remainder.
A sad picture indeed, but one that I trust will
never find place on canvas.
Howbeit the Barren Lands would repay field
investigation, and I hope that sufficient interest
will be aroused permitting work to be carried out
on such a scale that that vast arena comprising
almost a sixth of the total area of our country
may be known and cherished by all Canadians as
the world’s greatest game sanctuary.
THE (BIRDS OF BIRD ISLANDS, NOVA SCOTIA
By IVAN A. BAYLEY
YING six miles off shore from Great Bras
| d’Or entrance, Cape Breton Island, Nova
Scotia, is a little group of islands with an
interesting bird population that seems to
have escaped the attention of ornithologists. An
houc’s journey by motor from Sydney will take us
to our point of embarkation and from there look-
ing to seaward and just northeast of frowning
Cape Dauphin we see the Bird Islands lying out
to sea in a long, narrow strip.
When we near the islands we find that the south
side is comparatively low, rising only some twenty
or thirty feet from sea level, and at this side the
island can be scaled at some points. On the other
hand, the north side of the islands presents a sheer
cliff of sixty to eighty feet, beneath which rises a
great talus of the large, thick slabs of millstone—
grit and soft sandstone—composing the islands.
These are piled criss-cross in all directions. We
land on Hertford Island.
It is easy to land in fine weather among these
' rocks and to scramble over and under them, or to
jump from ledge to ledge for a short distance.
It is not possible to travel far along the shore in
this way without again embarking to reach the
next cove for there is no continuous beach to
travel upon, but every here and there deep green
waves roll right up to the cliff base.
It is easier to watch all the performances in a
six-ring circus than to observe all the bird happen-
ings while we scramble along this rough shore line,
which is flanked with tall perpendicular cliffs of
sandstone that are whitewashed, in many places,
with the droppings of the nesting sea-birds.
The next or outer island is Hiboux, and on this
is the revolving light which marks these rocks.
It has an easier landing place than the first island
because this is kept up by the lightkeeper. Along
the cliffs of this island, conditions are similar to
those on Hertford Island, the sea being dotted
with flocks of feeding Puftins, Razor-bills, Murres
and Guillemots, which may be seen in companies
of from twelve to one hundred on the sea or flying
in a dizzy maze backward and forward from their
lofty little cliff dwellings. The large rock slabs
and detached rock islets along the low southeastern
side of the islands are used as a sunning ground for
Puffins, Razor-bills, Guillemots and Cormorants.
Here in the quiet sunny pools, the young birds
learn to swim and to fish, while in the glittering
summer sea, a few yards off shore, larger flocks of
the older birds love to disport themselves. Some-
times the low flat shelving rock, which here in
some parts has been washed clear of turf covering,
will appear like a patch of snow, being literally
eovered by Terns. Quite a number of Guillemots,
Puffins and Razor-bills nest along these low cliffs
also, though the Guillemots seem to predominate.
VEGETATION:
On Hertford Island there used to be a few fair-
sized spruce and fir trees with trunks about a foot
inthickness. These are now dvad, but some wind-
stunted spruce remain there, growing very thickly,
thus supporting themselves against the violent sea
184
winds, and on this island there is ‘also a consider-
able patch of a hardy, tough and thorny wild
plum. The slope of the islands generally is south-
easterly and consists of a regular grassy plain
which is carpeted throughout with a very soft fine
hay and in parts is thickly interspersed with straw-
berries. In several places the turf along the upper
edge of the cliff supports the thick, matted growth
of the Common Juniper, which is a curious-looking
creeping shrub, with a foliage closely resembling
cedar. The wild blue harebell clings to some of
the tiny rock crevices with a precarious foothold
and a small patch of crowberry and another of bay
laurel or waxberry about complete the vegetation
INSECTS:
A few potato beetles seem to find their way out
here by flying across from the mainland and occa-
sionally the brilliantly colored butterfly, Papilio
brevicauda, is met with here, it seeming to be con-
fined closely to sea islands along the coast. Mos-
quitoes and black flies are also in evidence.
BIRDS:
(1) Gavia stellata. RED-THROATED LOON.—Im-
mature birds, which are locally called “‘Corbrace’’,
are occasionally found from October to December.
There is no evidence that this species breeds here.
(2) Fratercula arctica arctica. Purrin.—The
Puffins are found roosting on ledges of the rock in
small companies, darting in and out of their bur-
rows or coming back from their sea fishing-grounds,
which are within a quarter of a mile or so of the
island. As they whirl in groups over our boat,
their curious over-balanced or top-heavy appear-
ance is noticeable and seems to be caused by the
very deep, compressed, and brilliantly coloured
bill. Their short tails and bright orange feet
spread far apart and, placed far back on the body,
give to this little bird an altogether unusual
appearance, which brings forth many exclamations
of mirth and interest. Once the young are
hatched it is a curious sight to see the Puffins
carrying in fish for them, for the fish hang cross-
wise in the absurd-looking bill and are all spaced
evenly apart. The Puffins and Razor-bills hollow
out similar little nesting caves in the cliffs but the
Puffins also occasionally excavate burrows along
the edge of the soft turf covering the top of the
islands. Puffins arrive at these islands during the
last week of April or in early May and leave to-
wards the last of August and, although the islands
are only six miles off from the mainland, these
birds rarely visit the main, but confine themselves
very closely to the island preserves during the
summer. There are certainly a thousand Puffins
nesting here at present and it is said that in former
years, say sixty years ago, they nested here in
veritable crowds, associated with Razor-bills,
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
(VoL. XXXIX
Murres, and Guillemots. That such a colony of
breeding Puffins has persisted in Nova Scotia is
unrecorded in the ornithological literature. Audu-
bon (1840) says it bred commonly on the islands
in the Bay of Fundy. H. F. Tufts (O. N. XXI,
1907, p. 94) records some few as breeding on Sea
Island, Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia. H. F.
Lewis, MS., states one pair used to breed on Sea
Island, but that it has disappeared as a breeding
bird and he knows of no record of its breeding
there since 1912. H. Bryant (Proceedings Boston
Society Natural History, VI, pp. 114-1238) visited
Green Island, Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia, in
the summer of 1856, and found oneegg. Hestates
the birds are still quite abundant on the islands
near Yarmouth. No doubt, as Dr. Charles W.
Townsend says (Life Histories of North American
Diving Birds, p. 89), “it is probable that a century
ago the coast swarmed with these interesting
birds.”
(3) Cepphus grylle. BLACK GUILLEMOT.—This
species nests commonly in the great jumble of
rock slabs at the base of the cliff, more particularly
towards the western half of each island, and on
the high table rock between the two main islands
The hundreds of them there make striking figures
with their jet black plumage, white wing patches
and scarlet feet. Some allow the boat to approach
within a few yards before taking flight, but others
leave their nesting ledges for the fishing grounds
continuously. There are probably four hundred
Guillemot nests on the islands each summer, but
it is really very hard to estimate them, as several
pairs nest in some of the crevices and many single
pairs nest in odd crevices around the islands.
Away from the most frequented breeding grounds
these birds do not confine themselves strictly to
the islands as do the Puffins, Murres and Razor-
bills, but may occasionally be found nesting on
the cliffs along the mainland coast. They remain
on this coast in considerable numbers during the
winter, being then in a garb of black or gray and
white. The summer plumage of black with white
wing patches is assumed in April and they repair
to the isands to nest in May. During early
April they are sometimes found with a peculiar
mixed plumage of the familiar speckled hen or
checkered appearance, which is caused by the
mature or summer black plumage growing out
through this light coloured winter plumage. At
this time the white feathers are very loose and
easily dropped.
H. F. Tufts (O. N. XXI, pp. 236-9) records
“Guillemots” nesting on Seal Island, Yarmouth
County, Nova Scotia; Bishop (O. & O., 1887,
XII—2, gives breeding dates for King’s County;
while Townsend (C. F.-N., XXXVI, 1922, p. 45)
cecords eight or ten pairs breeding in the cliffs of
November, 1925]
Isle Haute, Cumberland County. Thus this
appears to be far the most populous colony in
Nova Scotia to-day.
(4) Uria. MuRRE (Species ?).—The Murres
are not as numerous as the Puffins and Razor-
bills. Probably not more than a dozen pairs are
nesting here now, though they are said to have
been very plentiful in former years. They nest
on the higher ledges, some fifty feet above the
water.
(5) Alca iorda. RAZOR-BILLED AUK.—Rows of
Razor-billed Auks can be seen on the permanent
cliff ledges, usually about half-way up the cliffs
and mostly segregated towards the centre of each
island’s high north side cliff, though some pairs
also nest on the southeast side of Hiboux Island.
These Auks sit like soldiers on parade and present
gleaming white breasts, while the backs are black
and the wings strikingly barred. Another prom-
inent feature is the odd-shaped beak, which is
compressed so that the widest part of it is from
top to bottom, and there is a striking, clear-cut
line of white on the side of the head. The Auks
nest on the ledges, and hollow out small caves for
themselves in the soft rock by dint of diligent
pecking and scratching. As our boat comes up,
one lone bird, that might have been a sentinel, is
seen sitting on a ledge and then, springing with a
jack-in-the-box expression, a companion will pop
out beside him and the two will curiously gaze at
the visitors. The new-comer will be followed by
another until sometimes s2ven pop out of the little
hole and sitinarow. This interesting occurrence
can be observed in many other parts of the islands.
The Razor-bills, locally called ““Tinkers” and
“Turres’’, come to the islands in early May and
leave towards the last of August. There are
probably three hundred pairs nesting here.
There does not seem to be any recent published
record of this species breeding in Nova Scotia.
H. Bryant found two eggs at Green Island, Yar-
mouth County, Nova Scotia, and an adult female
was caught by a partner—Cabot. This was in
the summer of 1856.
(6) Stercorarius parasitious. PARASITIC JAEGER.
—An occasional visitor with the Kittiwake in
October and November.
(7) Rissa tridactyla tridactyla. KiTTIWAKE:.—
Of common occurrence in October and November.
(8) Larus marinus. GREAT RLACK-BACKED
GULL.—This species visits the islands occasionally
and if any are present these are usually to be
found on the smaller islets forming the connecting
chain between the two main islands. They do
not breed here.
(9) Larus argentatus. HERRING GULL.—Her-
ring Gulls may be occasionally met as visitors to
Tue CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
185
theislands. These breed in spruce trees at Morien
Head, some forty miles away.
(10) Sterna hirundo. COMMON TERN.
(11) Sterna paradisea. ARCTIC TERN.—The
graceful Terns nest by hundreds on Hertford
Island and also on the high table islet between
the two main islands, laying three to five beauti-
fully mottled eggs in soft hollows which they have
made in the fine dry grass. It is necessary to
walk carefully in going through the Tern colony
to avoid stepping on their eggs. One wonders
how each bird can pick out its own little set of
eggs from the array before us and from such a
sameness of grassy surface.
The Terns appear towards the last of May and
most of them scatter in a general manner along
the coast about the 10th to 20th of August, though
a few remain at Bird Islands till quite late, but
nearly all leave for the south during early October.
There are probably more than one thousand pairs
nesting at Hertford Island.
(12) Oceanodroma leucorhoa. LEACH’S PETREL.
—Leach’s Petrel breeds in large numbers on both
Hertford Island and Hiboux Island, the birds
making their burrows in the soft turf of the island
tops wherever there is a little irregularity to give
astart. For example, in an old stone wall made
of loose flat stones, which have been gathered near
the lighthouse on Hiboux Island, the burrows are
very numerous. They are often found under
stones generally, and particularly on the western
end of Hiboux Island, where there is a break or
fault in the rock formation. At this break the
face of the turf covering offers the birds a splendid
chance to burrow. They make a tunnel from one
to three feet long and a single egg of creamy white
appearance, generously spotted with small brown
marks at the larger end, is deposited there. When
a Petrel is taken from its burrow, it appears very
stupid and if it is put down it will not fly but will
crawl back into the hole again. The Petrels have
an unpleasant habit of spewing nasty, ill-smelling,
reddish fish oil over one’s hands. I am inclined
to think that both sexes take turns at incubation,
as I never found a burrow containing an egg or a
young one in which there was not also a parent
bird, and I have never found the two parents in a
burrow at the same time. The young Petrels,
covered with dark gray fluffy down, seem larger
than their parents and are grotesque little fellows,
for the down projects in tufts beyond the general
covering at various parts of their body. None of
the Petrels are to be seen in the daytime, but at
night one can hear the shrill eerie cries from the
islands and then their activities take the place of
those of the Puffins and the other birds of the day-
time. This species breeds in many suitable
localities in the Province.
186
(13) Moris bassana. GANNET.—A few Gannets
visit the islands occasionally.
(14) Phalacrocorax carbo. COMMON CORMOR-
ANT.—Common Cormorants nest on these ‘slands,
seeming to mingle freely with the Double-crested
Cormorants in matter of choice of nesting sites.
It is thought that the nesting of this species is
especially interesting, as it is believed that this is
the only recently recorded breeding occurrence in
the Province of Nova Scotia, and because careful —
search has now revealed several statlons in Canada
where this bird is still found breeding, recent
authors to the contrary notwithstanding. In this
connection, Macoun & Macoun, 1909, quote
Downs as follows: “It also breeds on the coast of
Nova Scotia’.
These Cormorants nest principally on the higher
ledges near the cliff top on the northern end of
Hertford Island, sixty to eighty feet above the sea.
Here the cliff is much whitewashed with the drop-
pings. The nests consist of a flimsy collection of
sea weeds placed on a narrow shelf and sometimes
two or three are crowded together on the same
small ledge. Here three to five long slim pale
green eggs, much encrusted with lime from the
droppings, are deposited. This limey coating is
very uneven and on some eggs almost hides the
real greenish color of the shell and gives the egg a
rough appearance. It is not easily washed off.
The Ravens often dash down and rob these nests
of their eggs when the Cormorants are disturbed.
These Common Cormorants are the most
numerous in this colony and are distinguished by
their whitish throats and white hip patches, and,
with specimens in hand, by having fourteen fea-
thers in the tail.
There are many immature birds present from
the year previous and at first these are somewhat
confusing, but they can be distinguished by the
greyish-white underparts.
There are probably one hundred pairs of adult
birds breeding here and as many immature roost-
ing on the ledges or fishing around the islets.
These birds scatter freely along the coast at the ©
various shag roosts after the breeding season is
over and some remain on the coast and among
the drift ice all winter.
(15) Phalacrocorax auritus auritus. DOUBLE-
CRESTED CORMORANT.—The Double-crested Cor- .
morants probably comprise about one-fifth of the
colony; the mature birds being distinguished on
the cliffs by the orange-green throat coloring and
the blackish crests on the sides of the head, and
also by the absence of white patches on the hip.
Specimens in hand show only twelve tail feathers.
It is not easy to distinguish the immature birds
of the previous season. In looking at these rows
of Cormorants sitting on the top of the cliff like
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST >
“‘~VoL. XXXIX
rows of soldiers it is.odd to notice how they hold
their mouths open as if panting for breath in the
hot sunshine, but on examination of the beak it
appears as if the nostril opening externally is very
narrow and they can doubtless breathe more easily
with the mouth open.
It is believed that this is the first breeding
record for the species in Nova Scotia and even
records of occurrence are scarce. Townsend
(C. F.-N., XXXVI, p. 44) found a few in summer
at Advocate, Cumberland County. Mr. H. F.
Lewis furnished me with a report which he con-
siders credible, of the nesting of this species in
Nova Scotia, although he has no personal testi-
mony in this connection. Mr. John Crowell, of
Seal Island, told Mr. Lewis in 1912, that the
species formerly nested on a ledge near that island,
and Mr. Wm. Archibald, of Antigonish, reported
to Lewis in 1913 that these birds still nested at
that time near the mouth of Antigonish Harbour.
(16) Mergus. MERGANSER (Species ?).—Nest-
ing on grassy slopes of the island. They lay ten
to twelve eggs, usually placed under the thick
scrubby spruce or ground yew bushes.
(17) Glaucionetia americana. GOLDEN-EYE.—
Common with the next species in mixed flocks
from October to February.
(18) Glaucionetta islandica. BARROW’S GOLDEN-
EYE.—Common with the previous species in mixed
flocks from October to February.
(19) Harelda hyemalis. OLD-SQUAW.—This
species, locally called ‘‘Cock-a-wee’’, is common
throughout the fall and winter, departing for the
north about the end of April.
(20) Histrionicus histrionicus hisirionicus. HAR-
LEQUIN DucKk.—Occasionally small flocks of from
four to six individuals are found during November
and December.
(21) Somateria mollissima dressert. AMERICAN
EmDER.—A common visitor in winter, remaining
until April or early May.
(22) Somateria spectabilis.
rare occurrence in winter.
(23) Oidemia americana. AMERICAN SCOTER.—
Common near the islands in fall.
(24) Oidemia deglandi. 'WHITE-WINGED SCOTER.
—Common near the islands in fall.
(25) Oidemia perspicillata. SuRF SCOTER.—
Common near the islands in fall.
(26) Erismatura jamaicensis. RupDY DucK.—
Of occasional occurrence in October
(27) Ardea herodias herodias. GREAT BLUE
Heron.—A few of this species occasionally visit
along the cliff base.
(28) Pisobia minutilla. LEAST SANDPIPER.—A
common migrant in August, occurring in flocks of
from ten to fifty individuals.
Kine EIpER—Of
November, 1925]
“ (29) Totanus melanoleucus. (GREATER YELLOW-
LEGS.—A common migrant, August to October.
(30) ‘Totanus flavipes. YELLOW-LEGS.—Com-
mon migrant, August to October.
(81) Actitis macularia. SPOTTED SANDPIPER.—
Nests in grass slopes—three pairs noted.
Hypothetical—Numenius ‘americanus. LONG-
BILLED CURLEW.—Mr. Daniel Campbell tells me
that occasionally they have seen on the island a
. few very large curlew having a large bill. He knew
them as ““Turkey Curlews’”. These large ‘‘Turkey
Curlews” are also observed occasionally at Scatari
Island, which is about fifty miles to the southeast
of Bird Island, so the fishermen of Scatari tell me.
They say that these long billed birds are not
plentiful, but that occasionally a few appear in
the early flocks of Hudsonian Curlew. The Long-
billed Curlew is believed to have been common at
Seatari in former years and I think that older
residents would readily recognize it if a few appear-
ed with the Hudsonian Curlew. If it should
prove correct that they occur at Scatari now, I
see no reason why they should not appear at Bird
Island as Mr. Campbell believes to be the case.
(32) Numenius hudsonicus. HUDSONIAN CUR-
LEW.—An occasional migrant in August, occurring
in flocks of from six to fifty individuals.
(38) Aegialitis semipalmaia. SEMIPALMATED
PLOVER.—A common migrant in August, occur-
ring in flocks of from ten to twenty individuals.
(84) Arenaria interpres morinella.: RUDDY
TURNSTONE.—A migrant, passing through in flocks
of from six to twenty in early August.
(85) Halixétus leucocephalus leucocephalus. BALD
EAGLE.—A lordly Bald Eagle can often be seen on
one of the crags of the islands.
(86) Corvus corax principalis. NORTHERN
RAVEN.—A few Ravens nest on the cliffs and
sometimes the birds become very bold, even steal-
ing fish from the lightkeeper’s boat while he is
tying the painter to the landing place.
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
187
(87) Ceryle alcyon. BELTED KINGFISHER.—A
few pairs nest here.
(88) Powcetes gramineus gramineus. VESPER
SPARROW.—Nesting on the grassy slopes—quite
numerous.
(39) Passerculus sandwichensis savanna. SAV-
ANNAH SPARROW.—Nesting on the grassy slopes—
quite numerous.
(40) Spizella passerina passerina. CHIPPING
SPARROW.— Nesting; quite numerous.
(41) Junco hyemalis hyemalis. SLATE-COLOURED
JUNCO.—Nesting on the grassy slopes—quite
numerous.
(42) Melospiza melodia melodia. SONG SPAR-
ROW.—Nesting in the low stunted spruce—one
pair noted.
(43) Hirundo erythrogaster.
Numerous.
(44) Irodoprocne bicolor.
Numerous.
(45) Riparia riparia. BANK SWALLOW.—Nest
burrows in the turf along top of cliffs—numerous.
(46) Dendroica aestiva aestiva. YELLOW
WARBLER.—Nests in the wild plum thicket—two
pairs noted.
(47) Dendroica magnolia. MAGNOLIA WARBLER.
Nests in the wild plum thicket—one pair noted.
Mr. Thomas Stevenson, the lightkeeper, is act-
ing as an Honorary Game Officer and he has a
pride in his birds, and I am sure will be glad to
help visitors see them. The boat-man is a former
lightkeeper, Mr. Daniel Campbell, of Great Bras
d’Or. A visit to these little sea-girt islands, the
home of hundreds of sea-birds, is well worth while
and a study of their home life at close range will
greatly increase interest in birds and their protec-
tion. It is believed that there is considerable
local demand to have this interesting bird life
protected fully, perhaps by having the islands
made a sanctuary.
BARN SWALLOW.—
TREE SWALLOW.—
OBSERVATIONS ON THE CHINESE STARLING
(ETHIOPSAR CRISTATELLUS)
By R. A. CUMMINS
RGENT demand for definite information
regarding the habits of the Chinese Star-
ing, so called, has prompted me to publish
the following data:
I had intended to leave this until a later date,
when the results of the examination of a series of
stomachs would show conclusively whether or not
their presence in British Columbia was desirable.
The results here shown are only to be taken as
such part of a series ending with the year 1924,
and the accompanying sketch indicates their
furthest distribution at that date.
The date of the arrival of this Starling (EF. cris-
tatellus) in Vancouver is generally accepted as
1897. No actual record of their introduction is
recorded, nor is the number liberated known. It
is supposed that no more than a few pairs are the
parents of the Vancouver colony. No trace of
inbreeding with its resultant albinism has left its
mark on the birds of to-day. About the time of
the founding of this colony, large numbers of this
188
species were being imported into Kuropean coun-
tries and sold by the trade name of ‘‘Hill Mynahs’’.
Those sold in Liverpool, England, bringing about
twelve shillings each. It is surmised, as there
would be no demand for this species as a cage
bird in Vancouver at that date, these birds had
escaped from some ship, touching at this port or
that some irate skipper had tired of his noisy
passengers and put them ashore at the first port
of call.
Brooks gives the date as 1897, Kermode agrees
with this; probably they are correct. It can
hardly be conceded that such a conspicuous and
noisy bird could live long in a city of a few thou-
sand people, without drawing undue attention.
One point I wish to note at this moment is the
absence of literature on this species from the time
of its introduction in 1897 until the year 1920,
when Kermode wrote a short but admirable report
on this Starling (Annual Museum Report, 1920—
Page 20). At that time the Museum only pos-
sessed three skins, and it was not until two years
later that the first clutch of eggs reached that
institution (Museum Report, 1922—page 11,
presented by the writer).
such a conspicuous bird, whose economic status is
so much questioned, should be allowed a span of
twenty-five years unprobed.
Spasmodie complaints of cherry stealing and
nest robbing were heard during that time, but the
majority of people having no fruit to lose, looked
on the new colonists as an acquisition. Possibly
had these birds been dwellers on the farm rather
than the city, more would have been noted of
their habits in the earlier days.
Arriving on the Vancouver waterfront, they
established the first roost on the relief work under
the cornice of the building at the corner of Cordova
and Carrol streets.
This roost is at this date the main resort. From
this point they spread out each spring breeding,
and for the main part returning with the advent
of the fall rains, but in the outlying districts,
smaller colonies have been founded. Dry roomy
shelters are much to their liking and from the
cornices, they serenade the assembled loggers and
other out-of-works, who usually frequent this part
of the city. This rabble of chatterings and
whistling usually starts at daylight and is some-
times carried into the night. The earliest starlings
spent much of their time about the old court
house grounds two blocks distant. The head of
the statue of justice on the dome was a favorite
perch so that any one viewing this could not but
notice the birds.
The movement of the invaders became as years
passed more south and east, noticeably along the
main highways. This one lot went to Marpole
THRE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
It is remarkable that
[VoL. XX XIX
via Granville street; one to South Vancouver
along Main and Fraser streets; and another to
New Westminster along the new Pacific Highway.
All nesting cavities along these routes were occu-
pied by the advancing host, probably it was the
younger birds that kept the lead. Birds collected
on the outposts were usually of the previous year. °
Outside the city limits, conditions were ‘perfect;
market gardens had sprung up on the flats;
Chinese gardeners deposited heaps of manure all
the year round, to which as offal feeders, they had
always access. Just enough dead trees were left
standing for them to nest in. Everything seemed
suitable towards their increase. It is to be noticed
that they followed the cleared land dependent of
the hand of man. The dense forests of Point
Grey and North Vancouver had no attraction for
them.
Their advance is certainly to the south. Those
that might go north or east will surely migrate -
before cold weather to the warmer coastal pro-
vinces. In near zero temperatures the birds
suffer and resort to the sheltered sides of manure
heaps, chimneys, etc., and on wet days much of
their time is spent under the eaves.
The nesting of (E. cristatellus) occupies parts of
the month of May, June and July, eggs being laid
in early May. Quite a long period is passed bet-
ween the arrival of the birds at the nesting site
and the actual nesting. At this time, the vocal
powers are stretched to the limit. Eggs are
usually four, clear blue, deposited on a rude nest
composed of coarse straw and feathers, a few
primaries from a goose or chicken are usually
added, and in most cases such things as blue bags,
paper wrappers from candies, and pieces of rubber
are to be found in and on the ground below the
nest. It is not believed that more than one brood
is raised ina season. Birds in the juvenile plum-
age are rarely collected in late August. Birds in
this stage have not the white tips on the tail
extremities.
The young on leaving the nest family groups are
maintained, families joining together till on about
the end of August, some of the flocks may number
as many as fifty. During the heat of August, the
warmer hours of the day are passed in the shade,
the foliage of the Elder trees providing them with
shelter, and the berries food.
Unfit for human consumption, and not suitable
as a sporting bird, it is seldom molested except in
the fruit season when small numbers are shot in
suburban gardens. A few birds are also taken by
sharp-shin hawks.
One interesting point in their nesting habits is
the fact that in many cases when a pair of birds
are taken from a nesting-hole, others will resort to
it immediately.
November, 1925]
The writer collected some sixty birds from two
stumps containing eight nesting holes in one sea-
son Much stress must be laid on the fact that
they do occupy the nesting sites of more useful
birds. We have witnessed them throwing young
tree swallows out of nesting boxes in the writer’s
garden.
The general habit seems to be to take and hold
the site for at least a month before the actual
nesting begins. It might be mentioned that they
now nest as low as ten feet from the ground. This
distance is considerably below that of the earlier
nesting birds of ten years ago.
An impression one gets is that there are more
birds in the district than is actually the case.
This is due to the fact that they are so noisy and
frequent highways and public grounds, and they
never feed long in one place. But should one put
himself to the task of collecting any number of
specimens, he will soon be convinced that instead
of-hundreds only tens exist.
From a few pairs in 1897, the colony now num-
bers some six or seven thousand, being most
numerous where they made their debut, and
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
189
perhaps spreading now at the rate of one mile
each year in the enlargement of their range. Out-
posts are now within three miles from the Inter-
national boundary to the south.
Evidently the starlings are omnivorous. Ex-
tended investigations over a number of years prove
conclusively that they are of no economic value to
this province. Taking up work, which has been
neglected in the earlier days, and which, in the
hope of the writer, may not now be too late to be
of value, arrangements were made with the Univer-
sity of California, that the writer prepare and
supply stomachs, and Dr. H. C. Bryant conduct
the analysis. An average of ten birds per month
for the last year have been investigated. The
writer has also examined some dozens of stomachs,
but owing to several deficiencies, it is not proposed
to include these in the scope of this paper.
The following is a brief review of the analysis to
date. The series not being complete, no effort is
made to arrive at the percentage on a quantity
basis, nor will this be done till the monthly quota
is materially enlarged. This is intended for 1925.
RESULTS STOMACH EXAMINATION Ethiopsar cristatellus
NUMBER OF CHINESE STARLINGS TAKING VARIOUS ITEMS OF FOOD.
Month Number of Birds Grain and Fruit Beetles, Etc.
Wirar chive ecaciets © sees sie cakan ac barnitee Meets wanes 3 costs What aoe A (Oatihulls) iis 4. cco ere Sees 1 (eaterpillar)
: 1 (earth worm)
PANU Meer ere. sisters aie Brees ac Sets a NO Fees Benda: «aan era Si(Gats) Poa se ey er er arene 5 (beetles or other insects)
5 (grass)
VEcieroperer ate tee sata ehe sc sraretare, «, ates ces MO Cy cette ane A eee A (OALS) aR tere rae eel aA ee 7 (beetles and other insects)
3 (earth worms)
RULER DS ecole aye veicicie. sie vaiareTeiaics LOR. seat heusinte aeleieca soe i (OATS) REI ee Cees eee 3 (beet.es and other insects)
RI eReeNS ESS Eyre on. oteiala, Dee wee SSR Aas aeons 8 (fruits and seeds)............. 2 (beetles and other insects)
CUP USt Rape Se oe Se NORA or Aiki heats aS 3 (Oats) eieptrnic seers ocr 6 (beetles) :
1 (fruit) 4 (Muscidae larvae)
3 (seeds)
September............. CTO ats Rc Rannoteian seers GEES nc ola b ES SOG Oe eS 2 (beetles)
8 (Muscidae larvae)
OCLOMETMyete eel niece te canoes ee AS ee eee 8 (oats and barley)............. 2 (beetles, etc.)
7 (Muscidae larvae)
INovembenctre ct cc's ssi cs oe cee sce Qo rere hele rece ie hace ors A: (Oats) Feciewer eerste ake herein
5 (grass)
DECEMBCT 5% resets seters 3 Div eal ofan (Ee sd OO ORO SDS ET COE RAPES OTT PEER 4 (beetles)
2 (Muscidae larvae)
Identification of the beetles shows most of them to be dung and staphylinid beetles (Aphedius Sp.) from manure piles.
Two species are common introduced forms.
In one instance sap beetles were taken by a bird and in another clover leaf beetles.
Of 86 birds, 38 had oats or barley hulls in the stomach; 12 had seeds; 20, grass and leaves; 14 fruit; 16, beetles; 26, insects of
some kind; 7, Acrididae; 4, spiders; 21, Muscidae larvae or pupae; and 4, small earthworms.
This part series of stomachs were taken in the
one locality, many of them from the one position,
in every case their known feeding grounds were
avoided, birds being taken when coming in to rest
or at the nesting sites. It being found that
stomachs taken during the first hour of the day
were invariably empty, no stomachs taken then
were used here.
Outstanding in the foregoing list is the number
of birds taking oats. All of this is undoubtedly
waste, as no oats or barley is cultivated within
range and must have come from manure piles or
around stables. Still, it should be remembeved
that grains would form a large part of their diet
when available, and that their colonising farm
lands must be looked upon with grave fears.
Not dwelling on the showings of fruit, it is well
known that the birds do great damage to cultivated
fruits; cherries, apples and black-berries suffer
most; whole crops of isolated cherry trees often
being taken.
It may also be noted.that they seldom partake
of the tent caterpillar nor the cut-worm in any of
the stages; these insects being most destructive
within their range.
Being at the present time wholly dependent on
190
the hand of man for food, there is no reason why
the Vancouver colony of starlings could not be
exterminated. The annual loss in the economic
value of the depleted native bicds must be great
in this district; a district in which, owing to the
depredations of insect pests, all fruit trees must be
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
[VoL. XXXIX
sprayed. We need all our insectivorous birds
and to these birds the starling is a factor, which is
curtailing the increase of those that use cavities
for nesting operations.
The writer is convinced that we can and ought
to get rid of this menace before it becomes too late.
INTERESTING PHOTOGRAPHS OF NESTING WOODCOCK
Natural Pose of Woodcock on Nest
March 29, 1925
We stroked the Woodcock on back and then raised
her head and she posed for a photograph. Note
image of photographer in bird’s eye.
Photographs supplied by W. T. Brown
Westmount, Que.
November, 1925]
OFFICIAL CANADIAN RECORD
In the following returns upon banded birds, it will be noted
that some returns may be thought to indicate, from the date of
capture, violations of the Migratory Bird Act cf Canada or the
United States. The great majority of returns, which seem to
indicate violations, are from birds accidentally caught in traps set
for fur-bearing mammals, from birds caught in fish nets, killed by
oil, or from birds found dead from unknown causes. Appropriate
action has been taken in connection with the few returns which
indicate illegal shooting.
(Continued from page 171)
RETURNS FROM BIRDS BANDED IN 1914
PINTAIL, No. 590, banded by Alexander Wet-
more, at the mouth of the Bear River, Utah, on
September 16. 1914, was recaptured near Expanse,
Saskatchewan, on April 18, 1916. Reported in
the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Bulletin No. 1145,
May 10, 1923.
RETURNS FROM BIRDS BANDED IN 1916
PINTAIL, No. 3748, banded by Alexander Wet-
more, at the mouth of the Bear River, Utah, on
August 20, 1916, was recovered at Estevan,
Saskatchewan, about December 5, 1917. Re-
ported in the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Bulletin
No. 1145, May 10, 1923.
RETURNS FROM BIRDS BANDED IN 1917
CROW, No. 23021 A.B.B.A., adult, banded by
B. S. Bowdish, at or near Tabusintac, North-
umberland County, New Brunswick, on June 22,
1917, was found dead at Paterson, New Jersey,
on October 21, 1924. Reported in Bird-Lore,
January-February, 1925.
RETURNS FROM BIRDS BANDED IN 1919
BLACK DUCK, No. 36997 A.B.B.A., banded
by H.S. Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on Sep-
tember 12, 1919, was shot at Deloraine, Manitoba,
on October 8, 1924.
RETURNS FROM BIRDS BANDED. IN 1921
HERRING GULL, No. 100.696, young, banded
by Ernest A. Joy, at Little Wood Island, Grand
Manan, New Brunswick, on August 18, 1921, was
found dead in the same place it was hatched, on
September 10, 1924.
MALLARD, No. 37254 A.B.B.A., male, bauded
by T. Brown, at a small lake near Whitefish, On-
tario, during the spring of 1921, was killed at
Whitefish Lake, Ontario, on October 6, 1921.
BLACK DUCK, No. 4777, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 20,
1921, was shot in the southern part of James Bay,
Quebec, about April 30, 1924. :
BLACK DUCK, No. 37327 A.B.B.A., banded
by H.S. Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on Octo-
ber .1, 1921, was shot on Hovey’s Lake in the
one southern part of Indiana, on December 9,
924.
BLUE-WINGED TEAL, No. 4724, banded by
H.S. Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on Septem-
ber 16, 1921, was killed on Lake Traverse, Whea-
ton, Minnesota, on September 16, 1924.
RETURNS FROM BIRDS BANDED IN 1922
COMMON TERN, No. 104,872, fledgling,
_ banded by Edwin Beaupré, at a place three miles
*Published by authority of the Canadian National Parks
Branch, Department of the Interior, Canada.
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
191
OF BIRD-BANDING RETURNS*
from Kingston, Ontario. on July 14, 1922, was
found alive at Stop 22, Manitou Line, near
Rochester, New York, on August 13, 1922. The
bird soon died. Reported in the Bulletin of the
Essex County Ornithological Club, 1922.
MALLARD, No. 102,505, banded by F. C.
Lincoln, at Browning, Illinois, on March 8, 1922,
was shot at a place twenty-five miles south-east of
Camrose, Alberta, about January 25, 1925.
MALLARD, No. 102,695, banded by F. C.
Lincoln, at Browning, Illinois, on March 11, 1922,
wesealed at Kennedy, Saskatchewan, on October
MALLARD, No. 228,491, female, banded by
H.S. Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October
8, 1922, was shot on Point Pelee Marsh, Ontario,
on November 5, 1924.
MALLARD, No. 230,298, banded by F. C.
Lincoln, at the Sanganois Club, Browning, Illinois,
on November 20, 1922, was shot in the vicinity of
Gull Rock Lake, Ontario, one hundred miles north
of McIntosh, Ontario, on April 23, 1924.
MALLARD, No. 230,410, banded by F. C.
Lincoln, at Browning, Illinois, on November 22,
1922, was shot near Saltcoats, Saskatchewan, on
October 9, 1924.
MALLARD, No. 230,418, banded by F. C.
Lincoln, at Browning, Illinois, on November 22,
1922, was shot at a place twenty-five miles south-
oe of Yorkton, Saskatchewan, on October 24,
1924.
MALLARD, No. 230,528, female, banded by
F. C. Lincoln, at Browning, Illinois, on November
22, 1922, was caught in a muskrat trap in a creek
near Lake Manitoba, Tautes Aides, Manitoba, on
April 21, 1925.
BLACK DUCK, No. 101,134, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on August 18,
1922, was re-caught at the same place on August
31, 1922, and was killed near Chicoutimi, in the
County of Chicoutimi, Quebec, on July 8, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 101,195, banded by H.S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on August 24,
1922, was killed by an Eagle at Dahlgren, Virginia,
during the months of January or February, 1924.
The Duck was in a crippled condition when
attacked.
BLACK DUCK, No. 101,290, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on August 31,
1922, was shot on Grand Island, Mason County,
Illinois, on October 380, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 207,549, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 12,
1922, was killed in the same locality during the
fall of 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 207,626, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 18,
1922, was killed on the Savannah River, Georgia,
about March 10, 1925.
BLACK DUCK, No. 207,642, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 19,
1922, was killed in Lakes District Marsh, Lower
Dorchester County, Maryland, on December 5,
1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 207,771, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 22,
1922, was caught in a trap on the shore of Ostobon-
ing Lake, Quebec, during the month of May, 1924.
192
BLACK DUCK, No. 207,938, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 29,
1922, was shot in the marsh of Eastern Branch,
Washington, District of Columbia, on January 5,
1925.
BLACK DUCK, No. 207,942, banded by H.S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on September 30,
1922, was shot in the Township of Ops, Victoria
County, Ontario, on September 2, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 228,432, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 7,
1922, was shot near Bloomfield, Ontario, on Sep-
tember 1, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 228,441, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 7,
1922, was killed on the Tennessee River, near
South Pittsburg, Tennessee, on January 27, 1925.
BLACK DUCK, No. 228,483, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 8,
1922, was killed in Dorchester County, Hollands
Island, Maryland, about January 25, 1925.
BLACK DUCK, No. 228,488, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 8,
1922, was killed near Scottsboro, Alabama, during
the month of January, 1925.
BLACK DUCK, No. 102,991, banded by H. K.
Job, at Amston, Connecticut, on October 10, 1922,
was captured in the woods several miles north of
Bergeronnes, Quebec, on May 6, 1925.
BLACK DUCK, No. 228,522, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 13,
1922, was shot on Deals Island, Somerset County,
Maryland, on January 19, 1925.
BLACK DUCK, No. 228,588, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 20,
1922, was killed at Lloyds, Maryland, on January
8, 1925. :
BLACK DUCK, No. 228,603, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 21,
1922, was killed in Westmoreland County, on the
Potomac River, near Popes Creek, Virginia, on
January 5, 1925.
BLACK DUCK, No. 228,687, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on November 11,
1922, was killed on the Sassafras River, Kent
County, Maryland, on January 27, 1925.
BLUE-WINGED TEAL, No. 207,575, banded
by H. S. Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on
September 14, 1922, was killed at Wakenda,
Missouri, on October 3, 1924.
BLUE-WINGED TEAL, No. 207,588, banded
by H. S. Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on
September 14, 1922, was killed near Reserve, St.
James Parish, Louisiana, on November 20, 1924.
PINTAIL, No. 228,650, banded by H. S. Osler,
at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 30, 1922, was
shot on Lake Maria, Murray County, Minnesota,
on September 30, 1924.
PINTAIL, No. 228,652, banded by H. S. Osler,
at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 31, 1922, was
killed at Churchill, Manitoba, during the month
of August, 19238.
RETURNS FROM BIRDS BANDED IN 1923
MALLARD, No. 102,132, female, banded by
Allen Green, at Oakville, lowa, on March 21,
1923, was found dead in a slough with a rat trap
on its foot in the north-east quarter of Section 28,
Township 27, Range 13, West of the Second
Meridian, Saskatchewan, during the first week of
April, 1925.
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
[VoL. XX XIX
MALLARD, No. 297,710, female, banded by
H.S. Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October
21, 1923, was shot on the Cumbahee River, South
Carolina, on November 27, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,375, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 6,
1923, was trapped in a muskrat trap on a river
running through the north half of Lot 4, Conces-
sion 6, Township of Bryce, Temiskaming, Ontario,
on April. 13, 1925.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,391, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 8,
1923, was killed on Lake Washington, Washington
County, Mississippi, on November 19, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,406, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 9,
1923, was shot on James Bay, near the Attawa-
pia River, Ontario, during the month of May,
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,415, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 9.
1923, was killed at a place ten miles east of
Guntersville, Alabama, about five miles from the
Tennessee River, on December 23, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,433, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 11,
1923, was killed at Highgate Springs, Vermont, on
October 8, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,444, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 11,
1923, was killed at Back Bay, Virginia, on Novem-
ber 18, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,445, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 11,
1923, was killed at Little Woods, Louisiana, on
November 20, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,681, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 13,
1923, was killed in Sandy Island Bay, about forty-
five miles north of Cape Charles, Virginia, on
November 20, 1924.
BLACK DUCK, No. 297,711, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 22,
1923, was killed at Oatka Creek, Wheatland,
Coy of Monroe, New York, on November 28,
1924.
PINTAIL (?), No. 297,377, banded by H. S.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, on October 6,
1923, was shot in Cedar Point Marsh, near San-
dusky, Ohio, on November 15, 1924.
BRONZED GRACKLE, No. 109,951, banded
by Reuben Lloyd, at Davidson, Saskatchewan, on
August 1, 1923, was caught in a granary at Kenas-
ton, Saskatchewan, on August 4, 1925. The band
was removed and the bird released.
RETURNS FROM BIRDS BANDED IN 1924
MALLARD, No. 203,854, male, banded by L. V.
Walton, at Cuivre Island, Missouri, on February
26, 1924, was shot at Hastings Lake, Alberta,
thirty-two miles east of Edmonton, on October 4,
1924.
MALLARD, No. 232,692, banded by John
Broeker, at Portage des Sioux, Missouri, on Feb-
ruary 26, 1924, was shot at McNutt, Saskat-
chewan, about October 16, 1924.
MALLARD, No. 231,950, female, banded by
Clarence E. Chapman, at Oakley, Berkeley
County, South Carolina, on February 29, 1924,
was found dead upon its nest in the north-east
quarter of Section 34, Township 47, Range 31,
November, 1925]
West of the Fourth Meridian. Alberta, on May 138,
1925.
_ MALLARD, No. 205,097, banded by L. V.
Walton, at Cuivre Island, Missouri, on March 3,
1923, was killed in Indian Reserve No. 29, Town-
ship 53, Range 6, West of the Second Meridian,
Saskatchewan, on October 18, 1924.
MALLARD, No. 296,789, banded by L. V.
Walton, at Cuivre Island, Missouri, on March 22,
1924, was shot at Middle Lake, Saskatchewan,
about November 20, 1924.
MALLARD, No. 296,848, female, banded by
L. V. Walton, at Cuivre Island, Missouri, on
March 26, 1924, was caught in a rat trap in Sec-
tion 1, Township 61, Range 26. West of the Third
Meridian, twenty miles east of the Fourth Meri-
dian, and one hundred miles north-east of Lloyd-
minster, Saskatchewan, on April 25, 1925.
MALLARD, No. 296,677, banded by L. V.
Walton, at Cuivre Island, Missouri, on March 30,
1924, was found unable to fly in Section 7, Town-
ship 40, Range 28, West of the Second Meridian,
Saskatchewan, on November 29, 192-.
MALLARD, No. 296,699, banded by L. V.
Walton, at Cuivre Island, Missouri, on March 30,
1924, was shot at Balgonie, Saskatchewan, on
September 17, 1924.
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
193
BALDPATE, No. 202,942, male, banded by
J. G. Cunningham, on Lulu Island, British Colum-
bia, on April 2, 1924, was killed on Lulu Island
Foreshore, British Columbia, on January 9, 1925.
PINTAIL, No. 208,103, female, banded by J. G.
Cunningham, on Lulu Island, British Columbia,
on March 16, 1924, was killed near Cordova.
Alaska, about October 23, 1924. Reported in
Bird-Banding Notes, No. 14, April 15, 1925.
CALIFORNIA QUAIL, No. 260,936, banded
by G. D. Sprot, at Mill Bay, Vancouver Island,
British Columbia, on January 8, 1924, repeated
on March 18, 1924, and was found dead near the
telephone line in the same locality on March 22,
24.
SCREECH OWL, No. 226,136, banded by D. A.
Matheson, at Leamington, Ontario, on March 15,
1924, was found dead at Belles Point, on Lake
rei short distance from Leamington, on June
, 1924.
BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE, No. 83,555,
banded by R. H. Carter Jr., at Muscow, Saskat-
chewan, on January 14, 1924, was accidentally
caught and froze to death on January 24, 1924, in
the same locality.
(To be continued)
NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS
NOTICE OF MOTION TO AMEND THE CONSTITU-
TION.—Notice is hereby given that the following
resolution respecting an amendment to the Con-
stitution of the Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club
will be presented to the Annual Meeting of the
Club, 1926, for such action as then may be
decided.
WHEREAS Article IV of the Constitution of
The Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club as amended,
provides that the annual membership fee shall be
one dollar and fifty cents, and
WHEREAS this fee has been found inadequate to
meet the expenses of the Club in publishing The
Canadian Field-Naturalist, the deficit having been
made up by donations of money, sale of back
Bepahers, and the use of interest on trust funds,
an
WHEREAS a slight increase in the annual fee
would allow needed improvement in our publica-
tion in the matter of quality of paper, illustra-
tions, and in other ways, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED that the words ‘one dollar
and fifty cents’’ be deleted from Article IV of the
Constitution, and that the words ““Two DOLLARS’”’
be substituted therefore.
Hoyres LLoyp R. E. DELURY.
Lymnexa (Bulimnxa) megasoma Say.—While at
Cobalt, on September 24th of the present year,
-an hour or two of leisure was utilized to visit
Sasaginaga Lake, north-west of the town, in the
hope that it would afford specimens of this re-
markable mollusc, which, twenty years ago, was
common in Cobalt Lake itself, but, unfortunately,
not collected in quantity before the waters became
defiled. :
My expectations were more than realized.
Large shells were to be seen on dense beds of a
small-leaved potomageton in a sheltered bay, and
several were easily secured. This, however, was
but a prelude. In old prospect trenches, south-
east of the lake, and parallel to the shore, the
shell appeared in hundreds.
They were not as large as those in the lake,
being apparently produced from eggs of the pre-
vious year, while the lake shells found were three
to four years old; but they were in most cases
more than 30 mm. in length, and in perfect condi-
tion. Large suites were easily collected and are
now available for distribution.
L. megasoma is unique in the lymnzan phylum.
No pond snail found anywhere resembles it in
shape or approaches it in lustre and richness of
colour. Its only rival in size and elegance of
form is L. stagnalis as found in autumn in Brown’s
Inlet, Ottawa, and elsewhere in the Rideau Canal.
The types of megasoma now in the museum of
the Academy of Sciences, Philadelphia, were pre-
sented in 1823 by Dr. John J. Bigsby to Thomas
Say, the naturalist attached to Long’s Expedition.
Say’s description appears on page 11 of the appen-
dix to Keating’s Narrative and his figure on plate
XV of the same work. The locality is stated to
be “Bois Blanc Lake, N.W.T.”’ This lake, as I
am informed by Mr. Douglas, of the Geographic
Board, is in the Rainy River District, and is now
known as Basswood Lake. While stagnalis is
found circum-boreally in Asia and Europe as well
as in America, megasoma ranges only from Central
Canada northerly and westerly as far as the Nelson
and through the Northern United States from
Lake Champlain to Minnesota, with a few outliers
194
southward in Ohio and Iowa. Near Ottawa it
has been found sparingly in but two localities—
in Meach Lake, north of the Tilley Cottage, and
in the McGoey pond, east of that lake. An im-
mature shell from Meach Lake, which I presented
to he U.S. National Museum at Washington is
remarkable for having a broad, spiral band on the
body whorl. Whiteaves has recorded the species
from a pond on Nuns’ Island, Montreal, and there
is an old record somewhere by Bell of its occur-
rence at Hawkesbury. I have found it in the
Georgian Bay, in Lake Temagami, and elsewhere
northward, but never until recently in quantity.
Its occurrence in waters so easily accessible as
the Cobalt Sasaginaga Lake (there are many lakes
so named in Canada), is of importance owing to
the rarity and beauty of this unique species.—
F. R. LATCHFORD.
ROBINS EATING SALMON FRY AT ANDERSON
LAKE, BRITISH COLUMBIA.—Salmon of several
species spawn along the shore of Anderson Lake in
certain gravelly reaches where seepage occurs,
while similar locations lacking this condition are
ignored. The eggs are deposited in nests, roughly
eighteen inches in diameter, which have been
scooped out by the male fish. After the eggs are
fertilized, these nests are covered level with the
surrounding lake bottom. Spawning takes place
in the late autumn when the lake level is relatively
high and later on, when the water recedes, portions
of the spawning beds are left high and dry as far
as surface water is concerned. But the seepage
through gravel and sand, which attcacted the fish
to that particular spot, keeps the eggs moist and
prevents freezing. It frequently happens that
when fry emerge the nests are some distance from
the water so there the small fish remain, heads
close to the surface of the gravel, until liberated
by the rising water. In early spring these nests
may easily be located through the actions of
Crows, Blackbirds, Robins and Varied Thrushes
in rolling aside the loose gravel to reach the fry
below. Some nests which have been thus des-
poiled are marked with bied droppings and so
made conspicuous.
The above information was submitted by Mr,
Aiexander Robertson, who was in charge of the
Dominion Fish Hatchery when I visited Anderson
Lake on May 11th, 1921.
It was then too late in the season to make exten-
sive observations, the bird migration being prac-
tically over and most of the salmon nests covered
by the rising water. At that late date, also, insect
life was sufficiently abundant to offer counter
attractions to the birds referred to. The only
salmon nest located contained approximately 200
Dog-salmon fry; this was partly uncovered and
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
[VoL. XX XIX
kept under observation for several hours. During
this time only one bird appeared—a Robin. He
hopped into the centre of the nest and fed eagerly
on the small fish, seizing them by the middle and
swallowing them head first.—J. A. MUNRO.
MEADOWLARK AT ENGLEHART, ONTARIO.—On
May 31, 1925, while travelling north on the T. &
N.O. Railway to Cochrane, a singing Meadowlark
was heard by L. L. Snyder and the writer at Engle-
hart, while the train was stopped there. Engle-
hart is about 120 miles north of North Bay.
This seems to be the most northerly record in
Ontario for Sturnella magna, although it will
probably be found as far north as Cochrane, where
suitable open country and farm-land occurs.—
JAS. L. BAILLIE JR., Royal Ontario Museum of
Zoology, Toronto, Ontario.
ABNORMALLY LARGE CLUTCHES OF EGGS OF
SHORT-EARED OWL (Asio flammens).—I have had
the pleasure, during the present breeding season,
of inspecting the nests of seven pairs of Short-eared
Owls. Each nest contained the unusually large
number of nine eggs. In past years, six eggs is
the largest number I have seen.
The present year has also witnessed a very large
increase in the number of Short-eared Owls nesting
in this district, and this increase has occurred at a
time when the Short-tailed Field Voles have been
unusually plentiful. Have readers of the C. F.-N.
in other parts of western Canada noticed a similar
increase in numbers of birds and eggs?—T. EH.
RENDALL.
HARRIS’S SPARROW IN CASTOR, ALBERTA, Dis-
TRICT.—On May 15th, 1925, while working in the
field, I saw a small bird skulking in a pile of brush.
Following my usual custom, I walked across to
investigate and found, to my surprise and delight
that it was a male Harris’s Sparrow (Zonotrichia
querula). I shot the bird and sent it to Prof.
Rowan, University of Alberta, for identification
and preservation. Unfortunately, the hot wea-
ther and the delay in the mail resulted in the bird
being spoiled—T. E. RENDALL.
NOTES OF INTEREST FROM CASTOR, ALBERTA,
DISTRICT.—LEWIS’S WOODPECKER (Asyndesmus
Lewist).—On May 7th, 1924, I observed two Crows
harassing a smaller bird which resembled very
much the European Jackdaw. Two days later I
again saw this bird. this time at close quarters,
and at once realized that it was a strange Wood-
pecker. I shot the bird, which was sent to Ed-
monton for identification and proved to be a
female Lewis’s Woodpecker.
LAZULA BUNTING (Passerinc amena).—On
November, 1925]
May 26th, 1924, I shot a male Lazula Bunting.
The bird was alone and feeding on the seeds of
Lamb’s Quarter, by a roadside.
PINE WARBLER (Dendroica vigorst)—On June
5th, 1925, accompanied by. Prof. Rowan, of the
University of Alberta, while searching a poplar
bluff, on my farm, for Warblers, our attention was
attracted by a strange song. The singer was
eventually shot by Prot. Rowan and proved to be
a male Pine Warbler.
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
195
VARIED THRUSH (Ixoreus nezvius nevius).—A
male in fine plumage was shot by..me on.Septem-
ber 11th, 19238. The bird was. hopping and
scratching on the ground under a small group of
Poplars.
ADDITIONAL NOTE ON LEWIS’S WOODPECKER.—
On May 9th, 1924, I saw two of these birds to-
gether and watched them for about an hour—T.
E. RENDALL.
Lectures and Demonstrations—Sixth Winter Session, 1925-6
Tas NATURAL HrsTory Socrery or MANITOBA.
Oct. 5th—General.......... Sectional Demonstrations and Social....................
Oct. 12th—Entomology...... How Insects are Controlled by Birds.................... W. D. Bird, B.Se.
Oet. 19th—Botany..... 0.8. s iprestrysine Manitobarmernycccte ae eee ee tee nee oe Prof. F. W. Broderick
Oct. 26th—Ornithology....... Further Light on the Crow and Magpie.................. V. W. Jackson, M.Se.
Nov. 2nd—Geology......... HVOluUbiOnian duGeology ater ia soe a Ree er ee Seen ears A. H.R. Buller, Se.D.
Nov. 16th—Entomology...... IBCeStan Ge Wasps ie Be ees cy Nace oie o eosne Tone ec chee Ferris Neave, B.Sc.
Nov. 23rd—General.......... Fur-Bearing Animals of Manitoba.....................- V. W. Jackson, M.Se.
Nov. 30th—Ornithology...... Five-Minute Sketches from Members’ Note Books........
TOE O Ad ase St i ake eee ret Natural History Survey of Vic. Beach................... By Members.
TO eye, TAF ae eae Sri eee a Natural History Survey of Vie: Beaeh’. 2.2.52. .225.0 506.
Jan. 4th—Geology.......... Mhe:LiurejofPrecious Stones... c.ssene cee eee esas R. M. Haultain.
RUearIep OMG Ves os Focic ova crete <ois «ares OPENED ACES reas cee rele t oreo eS SER eRe ac eS ce SaaS
Jan. 18th—Botany........... eas MOGI cations'<—, We sees ee acciie See tes flake ee Miss G. Cameron, B.A.
Jan. 25th—Ornithology....... Cormorant Islands of Lake Manitoba................... A.B. Gresham.
SomesNotesion: Mich tar mews sce the eee nl ar ee ne R. M. Thomas.
Feb. 1st—Geology.......... How; Mineralsiare"Wormed 3... eec.5e ce perce es ss eeeiens F. M. Oliver.
Feb. 8th—General.......... Marine Work on the Western Coast.................... C. H. O’Donoghue, D.Sc.
Hebe 15th—Botany..-:.:..-- Robber Plantsres esate ecw ect eater ie he Saad Se cete C. W. Lowe, M.Se.
Feb. 22nd—Ornithology...... MhesD clizhtsloiep ind stuGyansae eee oe eee ieee T. J. Porte.
OxriginvoMmBinds Names eter tee fe eee ee ceed cies eae romana B. W. Cartwright.
Mar. i1st—Geology.......... Structuresin- Rocks sedis ook eae AS Pee ee et J.S. DeLury, Ph.D.
Mar. 8th—Entomology...... The Greatests Wiavacue tcc cers ce see ohare heuer a ead Fac J.B. Wallis, B.A.
Mar. 15th—General.......... Somes VanitobayViammalsrere reer atic ie cater acres H. M. Speechly, M.D.
Mar. 22nd—Ornithology...... Birds of Northern Lake Winnipeg...................... L. BE. McCall.
Gleaninesifrompbirdelban dis a sera ieee is eaeee A. G. Lawrence.
Mar. 29th—General.......... Amid: South; Seaplslesi: os. cc. Wh ea Perslie ee ce Aes Seo is Lt.-Commander H. B. Weston, R.N.R
April 12tM—Entomology...... EVousehol GMinsectsiye es cr fe scan eee aaah cere aie succes G. Shirley Brooks.
PATO ths csens a ever a socievee Open) ater ee yn tree nie Nec ac TONNE Te cece Aeon
epriboothney. 2s nce ees fie os AnnualiGeneraleMecting sas | acne erect oie oti a sreceeiels
BOOK REVIEW
ROOSEVELT WILD LIFE BULLETIN, Volume 2, No.
4, Volume 3, Nos. 1 and 2.
These three bulletins, issued by the Roosevelt
Wild Life Forest Experiment Station of the New
York State College of Forestry, Syracuse, N.Y.,
maintain the high standard set by previous num-
bers, and the Director, Dr. Charles C. Adams, is
to be congratulated on the content and appearance
of these publications.
In Volume 2, No. 4, the following papers are
presented—The Relation of Wild Life to the Public,
by C.C. Adams; Big Game Animals of the Yellow-
stone, by Edmund Heller; and The Food of Trout
in Yellowstone National Park, by Dr. R. A. Mutt-
kowski. In the first paper, Dr. Adams discusses
matters which are of fundamental importance
not only for the administration of national parks
but for the conservation of many forms of wild
life in North America. He points out that a
definite and well-thought-out policy must be sub-
stituted for the present diverse and more or less
haphazard methods in the control of national
parks, and he sees the need of the permanent
employment of specially trained naturalists in
park work. “The time has come when we must
begin an educational campaign for large endow-
ments for the educational and scientific work in
our National and State Parks. Of course, much
can be done by co-operation with various indivi-
duals, the colleges, universities and scientific
societies. But it is likely to take some time for
these institutions to become acquainted with this
phase of work, as most of them, even to-day, have
but a faint realization of out-door biological
problems and their application to parks. For-
tunately, there are a few marked exceptions’’.
In the second paper of this number, Mr. Heller
gives an excellent account of the big game animals
of the Yellowstone Park and explicitly states what
is needed for their welfare. The spirit of this
paper may be summed up in his succinct state-
ment: ‘‘What a National Park should in general
196 : THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
aim to be is a balanced. piece of nature, where we
see nature as it was before the coming of the white
man, with no foreign species of animals inserted
and no native ones excluded’’.
The third paper by Dr. Muttkowski is a very
good discussion of the ecology of the cut-throat
trout in the Rocky Mountain streams.
Volume 3, No. 1, is a handbook of The Birds of
the Yellowstone National Park, by Milton P.
Skinner, in which the birds are grouped by their
habitats, and field identification notes of the
various species are given. It is excellently illus-
trated, both by photographs and by four very well
executed coloured plates by E. J. Sawyer.
Volume 3, No. 2, is a monograph on The Musk-
rat in New York, by Dr. C. E. Johnson, which
presents more information on this species than has
ever been brought together before, and is a valu-
able contribution to North American mammalog-
ical literature.—A. B. K.
PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED
Bulletin de la Ligue Francaise pour la Protection des Oiseaux
No. 4—Octobre 1925. Paris.
Le Gerfaut, Revue Belge L’Ornithologie. Bruxelles-Laeken.
The Flifht Activities of the Honeybee, by A. E. Lundie.
Bulletin No. 1328. United States Department of Agriculture
Washington, D.C.
The Audubon Bulletin. Summer, 1925. Published by the
Illinois Audubon Society.
Journal of Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society. Vol. 41.
September, 1925. Chapel Hill, N.C., U.S.A.
Observations on the Ethnology of the Sauk Indians, by Alan-
son Skinner. Bulletin of the Public Museum of the City of
Milwaukee.
Status of the Pronghorned Antelope, 1922-1924, by Edward W,
Nelson. Bulletin No. 1346, United States Department of
Agriculture.
A Review of the Cirripedia of the Coast of British Columbia,
veh Ghee and Key to Genera and Species. By Ira E. Corn-
wall, F.G.S.
Shell-Mounds and Changes in the Shells Composing Them
By Edward S. Morse. Salem Massachusetts.
Peg Museum Science Bulletins, Vol. 3, No. 3, and Vol. 3
o. 4.
Books and Periodicals on Zoology. Henry George Fiedler
New York.
Homes for Birds. Farmers’ Bulletin No. 1456, U.S. Depart-
ment of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.
Ford News. July. August, and September. Ford, Ontario.
Monthly Letter of the Royal Bank of Canuda. Montreal.
The Land of Afternoon
By GILBERT KNOX
What Some Reviewers Say:
But, for all his banter, Gilbert Knox’s sin-
cerity is as evident as his courage. The book
rings true with an integrity, an underlying se-
riousness that must command respect and ad-
miration—“‘Candide” in Toronto Saturday
Night.
. .. 1 am inclined to the opinion that it does
more than draw aside the curtain; it leaves the
political machine without a vestige of covering
to hide its ugly nakedness. . .—J.E.W. in The
Calgary Herald.
.. it will be talked about and alternately
denounced as a perverse and malicious carica-
ture and praised as a bold and revealing pic-
ture .. . there are revealing fiashes of character
delineation, and many passages of absorbingly
interesting description of persons and scenes,
and some shrewd philosophizing.—E.W.H. in
The Ottawa Citizen.
. . its graphic descriptions of the devious
ways of politicians will amuse men of every
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[Vou. XXXIX
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1925-26
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RP SAPIRG Satis cea kd ee wns Cie Anthropology - A. G. HUNTSMAN..... Ca Marine Biology ;
INO. UATUTES sees Pe AS arene Botany P. A. TAVERNER................Ornithology
FR ATCHFORD. (0. 5s i ae Conchology EK. M. KINDLE................Palaeontology
WE Vi OAV ILETAMS ho Can rn ee ek Geology R. M. ANDERSON...... Bio Vek. .....- Zoology
ARTHUR GIBSON................ Entomology - GLYDE L, PATCH 5. os 2 aoa Herpetology
CONTENTS can
ace : PAGE
‘Nesting of the Canada Goose in a Tree. By D. W. Davison.................. Pr
Bird-Banding in Townsend’s Labrador. By Harrison F. Lewis...... tiga tensa ele ee ‘inatats, OB tone
Changes in the Status of Certain Animals and Birds During the Past Fifty Years in Central Alberta. Evan)
By Frank L. Farley...... ete kas BAe cow scr S occa syns: TINE 55S a Le ee cee
Bird-Banding Report for May-June-July, 1925. “Mavisburn” Banding Station, Millbay, V.I.,
BC MBy GUD: Sprote ne ein Toe Bn PGR IR CUVEE At a ha 2 Wat ae eee
Fishes ane Marine Invertrebrates Collected During the Cruise of the ‘“‘Arctic”’ in 1923. By Frits
GWANSEN: 2s. r ose ens mane Renee Eat Se Ee Gatate bee Goais ety nee: wea NaS EIEN Liao ss
Some Notes on Canada’s So-called Wood Buffalo. By Fred. V. Seibert........ eke Fe eae ee 20am
Pennsylvanians Visit Jack Miner’s Sanctuary... 2.0.2.0 0 1. cece eee ees i ey FL)
Additional Returns from Birds Banded in 1924............0 0... e cece eee tence eee eee sees 206 —
Notes and Observations:—
Tufted Titmouse at Hamilton, Ontario. By R. Owen Merriman. .................. a On :
A Starling Nesting at Hamilton, Ontario. By R. Owen Merriman 1
Piditior’s Correction yet ses. nee cea eta ec ee oka a ie ee tI Me
The official publications of THE OTTAWA FIELD-NATURALISTS’ CLUB have been issued
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_ VOL. XXXIX
OTTAWA, ONTARIO, DECEMBER, 1925
No. 9
NESTING OF THE CANADA GOOSE IN A TREE
By D. W. DAVISON
HHILE I was on pa-
trol in the central
part of Buffalo Na-
tional Park, Wain- |
wright, Alberta, early in
May, I found a Canada
Goose sitting upon an old
Hawk’s nest in one of the
Aspen trees of a deep coulee.
The nest was about twelve
feet from the ground. A
. good photograph was taken
of the bird on the nest, but
when a closer approach was
attempted, the bird flew
away toa small pond about
a quarter of a mile off. It
was possible to get a look
into the nest by lashing two
ladders, and it was seen to
contain six eggs just peeking
through a lining of fluffy
down. I wondered how the
young goslings would get
down from the tree, and decided to watch as
closely as possible to learn what would
happen. The nest was visited on Sunday, May
31st, on which occasion the goose flew off honking
loudly, circled overhead and returned almost im-
mediately to the nest. She was followed by her
mate and together they made a terrible fuss, being
evidently much annoyed by the disturbance. The
ladder was put up again, and it was found that
two of the eggs were chipped and that all would
probably be hatched in the course of a few hours.
Early: on the morning of June 1st, I returned
and, using a stiff northwest wind as protection,
approached the nest from the southeast, lying in
wait all forenoon, but the Goose never stirred.
The Gander came flying to the nest several times,
and at about 11.30 A.M. he discovered the watcher
and immediately indulged in a most remarkable
exhibition, thought to be meant to warn his mate
of the presence of an enemy. He would sweep
down within a few feet of my head, honking
frantically. As it was seen that further attempts
to observe events in the Goose family were next
to useless, I returned to
camp and brought back
some visitors with me. As
| the party approached the
, nest, the mother Goose flew
off and the tiny heads of
the young birds that were
then looking over the edge
of the nest could be seen
from the ground. The par-
ent birds remained on a
knoll, about 150 yards off,
honking loudly, and finally
both of them flew back to
the nest. The mother
Goose landed on the
ground below the tree and
the other circled overhead,
sweeping down occasionally
on the watchers in an un-
friendly manner. The
mother Goose called softly
and a little bit of fluff
tumbled over the side of
the nest and fell lightly to the ground. The
youngster then scampered unhurt under her wing
for protection. She called again and the process
was repeated until the fifth, which proved to be
the last of the flock of fledglings, was safely
established under her wing. Then she started
heading the parade for the nearest water-hole,
which was a quarter of a mile off. She would
go ahead, calling quietly, and the little ones
toddled after her. The male did his part by
limping off in the opposite direction, apparently
carrying a lame wing. He finally returned -
to the. family and brought up the rear of
the procession. They reached the slough safely
and the family was reared there in due time.
More than two hundred visitors to the park saw
the mother bird sitting on its nest in the tree.
It is recognized that it is not always possible to
tell the male from the female Goose, but in record-
ing this story I have put down the male and
female according to what I felt was the truth, and
I feel sure there has been no error. When the
pair are together the male and female are easily
198
distinguishable, and especially so during the
hatching season. At this time the male bird’s
plumage is very sleek and orderly, while the female
has a rather bedraggled look, since she plucks
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
most of the down and feathers from her breast to
line the nest.
different that I usually have no difficulty in dis-
tinguishing one from the other, even at a distance.
The voice of the two birds is so
BIRD-BANDING IN TOWNSEND’S LABRADOR
By HARRISON F. LEWIS
A paper read at the 43rd Stated Meeting of the American Ornithologist Union, New York, Nov. 10-12, 1925
N 1915, that well-known and enthusiastic
bird-bander, Dr. Charles W. Townsend,
of Boston, sailed in a small schooner
along the southern shore of the Labrador
Peninsula from Natashquan to Bradore, investi-
gating the fauna and flora of that little-known
region, questioning and photographing the natives,
and bathing daily in the icy waters of the northern
Gulf of St. Lawrence. In attaining the objects of
his journey he did not hesitate to navigate the
narrow channels among the islands and to pene-
trate to the inner recesses of the bays, and he has
published a delightful and well-illustrated record
of his labors. From this we learn that he it was
who inaugurated bird-banding on this coast by
banding a number of young Great Black-backed
Gulls, from which at least one return record was
obtained. We consider that this alone—for it
was an epoch-making event, as all bird-banders
will agree—fully justifies the term, ‘““Townsend’s
Labrador’, which appears in the title of this
paper, and which may be expected to supplant
the older term, ‘‘Audubon’s Labrador’, because
Audubon failed to band any birds here and didn’t
like the place, anyway.
It has fallen to our lot to continue the work
which Dr. Townsend so nobly began, and some of
the most interesting features of it will be described
forthwith. This is partly because every bird-
bander writes a paper like this, and partly because
some of these experiences differ from any which
we have seen described elsewhere.
Picture to yourselves a large rock or small
island of smooth reddish-brown granite, peopled
by a thousand Double-crested Cormorants and
giving forth a vile odor, which only the naturalist
prefers to the smell of an automobile exhaust.
The sea being smooth, we are able to land and
walk among the basket-like nests, taking great
care not to slip and fall in the paste underfoot.
Crowds of black young raise their heads all about
us, their long necks and distended pinkish throat-
sacks giving them the appearance of snakes or of
beautiful flowers, according to your fancy. The
older, feathered ones edge away and may take to
the water, but the younger, woolly ones generally
"AS 5 5 ESR i a aE ata al ice atl
December, 1925]
hold their ground, screeching shrilly, and are fair
game for the bird-bander. Many of them, in an
excess of politeness, deposit their most rec: nt
meal before us. Disregarding this, we feint at the
nearest bird with our right, seize its head with our
left, and are soon engaged in putting a numbered
bracelet about its massive leg, while its great,
flabby webbed foot holds our left little finger in
friendly fashion. A large colony of these un-
lovely, though uninjurious, birds is a real test of
bird-banding enthusiasm.
Their relatives, the Common Cormorants, nest
on a dizzy cliff where most of their nests are in-
accessible. Three young were banded here in
1923 and, as one of these birds happened to be
shot during the following winter, this species has
the proud record of 333% of returns from the
birds banded. Few other birds can equal this.
Young Gulls of various species still form the
majority of the birds banded along this coast, as
in the days when Dr. Townsend first used them
for this purpose. They are very attractive and
interesting creatures, especially before they are
feathered, and they are comparatively easy to
catch, as they generally prefer hiding to running.
The species banded in Townsend’s Labrador
include the Herring Gull, Ring-billed Gull, Great
Black-backed Gull and Kittiwake. Imagine your-
selves on another rocky islet, enveloped in a soft,
damp fog, which shuts out all the great unfriendly
world beyond the islet and leaves you quite alone
with fifty young Great Black-backed Gulls and
one thousand million black flies and mosquitoes.
You do not have to search for the insects—they
will come to you at once and you are sure to
notice them—but to find the huge young Black-
backs you must look carefully among weeds and
tall grass and piles of boulders. When dragged
out to be banded, they may be gentle as lambs or
may bite and scratch like the Old Nick, according
to their several dispositions. Generally all the
young birds in one family act more or less alike.
If you leave them on their backs, with their feet
pointing skyward, they may remain there quietly
for a long time—perhaps till a fond parent des-
cends to invert them again. An ordinary island
covered with well-grown young Black-backs lying
in pairs and trios with their legs in the air and
their eyes all straining to keep the visitor in sight
presents a curious spectacle—and one not found
everywhere. :
Of the splendid Caspian Terns this region can
boast only one small colony of about thirty pairs.
It is delightful to band their trim children, while
the strong, sharp-billed parents hurl themselves
repeatedly at one’s head, like fire-tipped missiles
from the vault of heaven, and come within an ace,
apparently, of tearing one’s eyes out. Few can
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
199
regard their spirited onrush without flinching.
It is better to disregard them and keep one’s eyes
on the young bird in the hand, but one cannot help
hearing the unfriendly remarks they make, which
seem strangely harsh for so fine a bird.
These islands have another feathered inhabitant
whose appearance is equally pleasing and whose
voice is even more weirdly coarse, namely, the
Red-throated Loon. It is characteristic of most
lovers that they try to make their voices as
pleasant as possible, but the sounds which are
produced by Red-throated Loons at courting time
are such a medley of squawks and howls and un-
nameable noises as to give the impression that a
very dance of the devils must be in progress.
Soon after hatching, their young leave the nest
for the small pond beside which it is situated, and
there they must remain until they can fly. They
can be caught, however, by means of a net or
seine, which should be five or six feet wide and
forty to sixty feet long, with floats along the upper
edge and weights along the lower. This seine
must be operated by two persons, one on each
side of the pond.
The members of the Alcidae which nest along
this coast are particularly interesting subjects for
bird-banding, as the adult birds may often be
caught in their places of incubation. Let us go
for a few minutes on a bird-banding expedition to
St. Mary Islands Bird Sanctuary, which consists
of six rocky, moss-covered islands eight miles out
at sea. Here is the home of thousands of sea-
birds, including Guillemots, Auks, Puffins, and
Murres. Each one of us armed with a long
slender stick, selected from the driftwood, we sally
forth to where these birds have their homes, some
times under boulders, sometimes in large or small
clefts in the solid rock.
The Guillemots are delightful little birds, like
black and white butterflies; although they are of
gentle disposition, they sometimes peck harmlessly
at our hands when they are being banded. We
poke them out from their refuges and band partly
grown young more often than adults.
The Razor-billed Auks or Tinkers are creatures
of quite different mettle. When disturbed in their
homes, they display the ferocity of despair. Their
powerful, sharp-edged mandibles are capable of
inflicting painful wounds and are used with speed
and skill. Woe to the bird-bander who thrusts
a bare hand carelessly under a rock, thinking to
grasp a Guillemot or a Murre, and finds an old
Tinker there! When finally caught, these Auks
growl like angry dogs and never cease to watch
for a chance to strike a blow for freedom. Most
of the Auks banded are adults.
The Puffins may look like clowns, but they are
quite the most resourceful and attractive of the
200
Alcidae of this region, and the most dangerous
when attacked. They have long, sharp, curved
claws, with which they scratch like cats, and the
great power with which they can close their big
scarlet beaks enables them to cut a finger to the
bone when they get a fair chance. Unlike the
growling Auks, they seldom say anything when
cornered, but in silence make the most of their
opportunities for escape. with a self-reliance and
resourcefulness which command our admiration.
We do not destroy their burrows in order to band
them, but capture only those adult birds which
we find incubating like Auks, under boulders and
in crevices in the rock.
But far the most exciting bird-banding on these
favored islands is the banding of adult Common
Murres. These birds are gentle, with beaks too
weak to bite us, and they are confiding to the
point of foolishness. They are incubating in great
clefts in the bed-rock, where sometimes hundreds
are gathered in one place. The floor of their
cavern is covered with an inch or two of greasy
filth, with here and there shallow pools of water,
and on the rocky walls unpleasant little bird-ticks
lie in wait. Werush up to the entrances at top
speed, while the Murres ery nervously, “Arruhk!
arruhk!’’, and each one tries to shift away from
us without relinquishing its grasp on the single
great egg between its feet. Who will lie flat in
the rich ooze and crawl in to catch what Murres
he can and drive the others out? A hardy volun-
teer plunges in, and to him the world becomes a
wild confusion of whirring wings and flying mud,
while to us, without, he himself is nothing but two
upturned boot-soles and a series of muffled ejacula-
THE CANADIAN FIELD NATURALIST
[VoL. XXXIX
tions. But we have no time to look at him, for
the Murres, abandoning their precious eggs for
the moment, come pouring out from the rocks
everywhere. They are slow and awkward in
taking flight, and yet adept at dodging and.we
rush wildly about, seeking to accumulate an arm-
ful of them. Be careful not to get in the way of
those which do succeed in flying. Last summer
an assistant held out his hand to stop such a
Murre and was struck fairly in the back of the
hand. That long, pointed beak, with all the
speeding bird’s momentum behind it, made a
great round, red hole, and would have penetrated
quite through the hand if the bones had not been
too close together.
Five or six Murres make a comfortable armful,
as long as you do not let them stab your chin.
A bright assistant has been known to pile the
Murres like cordwood in a corner of the rocks and
try to hold 25 or so of them there with his two
hands until they were wanted. But the birds
objected and insurrection after insurrection caused
the escape of many, and the black flies came and
fed upon him while his hands were fully engaged
until he streamed with gore. O Science! What
sacrifices are made in thy name!
But all the discomforts are forgotten and we
receive the rich reward that sooner or later comes
to every bird-bander when we seize the last -
Murre’s leg to band it and find there a grimy ring
reading: ‘‘204713 notify Biol. Surv., Wash. D.C.”
Banded two years ago in this same crack in the
rocks! Let the welkin ring! And then let’s
move on to the next crack.
CHANGES IN FHE STATUS OF CERTAIN ANIMALS AND BIRDS DURING
THE PAST FIFTY YEARS IN CENTRAL ALBERTA
By FRANK. L. FARLEY
iT HAS been my fortune during thirty-
three years residence in Alberta, to gather
a considerable amount of information
regarding conditions relating to the fauna
of the partially wooded prairies of Central Alberta
as they existed half a century ago. In addition to
being of general interest from an historical view-
point, an element of scientific value should also be
attached to the information gained. The writer
cannot vouch for the absolute accuracy of all the
statements presented here, but he believes the
narrators who made this article possible, had no
object in being other than truthful in telling of
their experiences, and it is certain that their stories
are consistent. It is regrettable that so much
latitude as to dates of events has been necessary,
but under the circumstances this was inevitable.
Many of the famous hunters of the plains have
passed beyond, and only rarely is one of these old- —
timers to be found, who can tell of conditions as
they existed here over fifty years ago. There was
a vast difference between the ordinary buffalo
hunter and the native who was a keen observer of
nature in its varied forms. Had these latter been
privileged in their younger days to have associated
with present-day students of science, they would
have become naturalists in the truest sense of the
word. Matthew Cook and the Dumont brothers,
Peter and Pascal, were children of nature, all
natives of the west, and as such made the observa-
tion of wild life part of their every-day interests.
Matthew Cook was of Scotch origin with a slight
admixture of native blood in his veins. He was
born about the year 1840 and lived for many
4
December, 1925]
years on the shores of Buffalo Lake, forty miles
south of Camrose. The Dumonts were of French-
Canadian stock and they as well had a share of
the sturdy native blood. They were born between
1850 and 1860, and lived all their days along the
Battle River. All three carried on freighting as
their occupation, which took them many times
over the old trails, between Winnipeg and Edmon-
ton. Trading and trapping were included in their
activities. Fortunate indeed was the man who, in
the years when they had retired from a strenuous
life that required a stout heart and hard muscles,
could draw these men into a conversation about
their experiences along the trail, or on the hunting
ground. From them a valuable record has been
obtained by way of narrative, but it is significant
that the accounts of all three coincide, although
given at different times.
According to them, Buffalo were plentiful in all
the country on both sides of the Battle River until
1875, after which their numbers decreased rapidly.
The valley of Meeting Creek, now a prosperous
farming district, was a favorite hunting ground for
the shaggy monarch of the plains, and it was there
that the Blackfeet Indians from the south, and the
Crees from the north, met in their regular hunts.
The creek derived its name on that account. At
times when no buffalo were to be found in the
valley, the hunters would move on thirty miles to
the south-east, where they were always reasonably
sure of locating them along the Red Willow Creek.
Elk, or Wapiti, could be found in considerable
bands where there were large areas of wooded
country, and surrounding Little Beaver Lake there
are still evidences of such areas. The Dumonts
claimed that many elk were killed there until 1880.
At the present time, elk are not uncommon in a
strip of country near the old settlement of Victoria
north of the Saskatchewan River, but they have
disappeared from the south side of the river.
Black-tail Deer were everywhere numerous in the
woodlands. They have become very rare during
recent times in this territory, but with a closed
season for five years, the writer believes much of
the country would be re-stocked with this fine
animal. A hunter named Joe Monroe is said to
have killed fifty-five deer during the winter of
1893-94, along the Red Deer River, just south of
- Buffalo Lake.
The Dumonts killed moose in the vicinity of
Dried Meat Hill, twenty miles south-east of Cam-
rose. Moose were commonly taken in the timber-
ed country surrounding the Hay Lakes, where an
_ occasional one is still reported. Antelope ranged
the open country north of the Big Bend of the
Battle River about 1880, and the last of these
animals observed there were a male and female in
.1903, about four miles west of Flagstaff Hill.
THE CANADIAN FIELD NATURALIST
201
Prairie Dogs were fairly common in that same
territory at that time, but disappeared shortly
afterwards.
Timber Wolves were common when the buffalo
inhabited the country. The Dumonts tell of
poisoning seven wolves, three red foxes and five
coyotes in January, 1872, on Dried Meat Lake,
where the creek of the same name empties into
the lake. They used for their purpose the carcass
of a horse which had been treated with strychnine.
For the pelts of these animals they received the
following prices: wolves $3; foxes $1; and
coyotes, 50 cts. each, all in trade.
Grizzly Bears were occasionally met with in the
coulees along the rivers, before the country was
settled. Between 1870 and 1880, the Dumonts,
with their uncle, dug out a den of four two-year-
olds, and an aged Grizzly, all of which they killed.
This happened late in the fall at the junction of
the Beaverdam Creek and the Battle River. About
fifty miles north of this location there is a creek
known as Grizzly Bear Coulee, and this, without
doubt, received its name through some connection
with the Grizzly.
Caribou were not known so far south, but Pascal
Dumont saw them north of the present site of
St. Paul de Metis, about midway between Frog
Lake and Lac la Biche. The writer found caribou
antlers, apparently very old, some distance north
of that vicinity in 1919.
The appearance of the Magpie in large flocks in
this section of the province during the last ten
years has been the cause of much discussion.
Until 1907, they were unknown north of the Red
Deer River. In October of that year the writer
observed a pair about six miles north of the town
of Lacombe. The following year magpies were
reported from the vicinity of Bittern Lake, and
from then on, they have gradually become more
numerous, until at present they are our commonest
winter resident bird. Magpies were very numer-
ous during the buffalo days, when flocks would
follow the hunting parties and live on the refuse
of the hunt. The bird was considered a great pest
in those times on account of its habit of alighting
on horses, with saddle or harness galls, and per-
sistently pecking at the sores until the death of
the animal resulted. The only means of saving
the horses when thus attacked was to stable or
blanket them. With the extinction of the buffalo,
the magpies disappeared and the present incursion
is the first which has occurred since that time.
Passenger Pigeons were very common and
appeared in immense flocks up till about the year
1875, when they gradually disappeared. The Du-
monts often trapped them, as they were con-
sidered a great table delicacy. Pigeon Lake was
named due to the large numbers of these birds
202
which nested in the woods surrounding the lake.
Little wonder, then, that this country of rich
grasses and vetches, watered with many lakes,
rivers and springs, was known throughout the
world as a hunter’s paradise. All kinds and con-
ditions of men from every part of the world
struggled against terrible odds to gain admittance.
Some were successful, others, who could not sur-
mount the difficulties, turned back. With the
coming of the railroad, a change took place, and
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
[VoL. XX XIX
one of the most fruitful agricultural portions of
the American continent has replaced what is
generally accepted to have been the world’s
greatest hunting ground.
This transformation has been gradual and
perhaps unnoticed by many of the hardy settlers
who have earved comfortable prairie homes on its
rich surface. But the animals which were hunted,
partly for food, for their furs, or for sport, have
gone, and their passing has almost been complete.
BIRD-BANDING REPORT FOR MAY-JUNE-JULY, 1925
“‘Mavisburn’’ Banding Station, Millbay, V.I., B.C.
By G. D. SPROT
HAT I have good reason to believe that
Crows have cleaned my station of nest-
| lings for this season may be judged by
the following remarks.
Since first taking up banding, I have always
had one or two pairs of Steller’s Jays nesting on
the place, and, excepting on one occasion, I have
had no reason to suspect them of breaking up the
homes of other birds. The occasion I write of was
in 1924, when, on visiting a Band-tailed Pigeon’s
nest for the second time, I found the egg removed,
the Jay’s nest being close to it.
In 1924, excepting February, my record banding
months were June and July. This year, from the
numbers of old birds collecting nesting material,
it certainly promised to be an equally good season.
However, few birds were seen after the second
week in June, and until this was written, August
8th, only three young Juncos together with the
male parent, visited the traps. Californian Part-
ridges, which do not start incubation until the
end of June, a pair of Russet-backed Thrushes
almost as late, and such birds as Woodpeckers,
Chickadees, Seattle, and Western Winter Wrens
that build in holes, however, raised their broods
as usual.
From the above it will be seen that on account
of those only that build in holes, and those that
hatch late, having raised their young there is little
else for me to do but lay the blame of the scarcity
of other and more common species on the heads of
the Crows, especially also, after the experiences I
am about to relate. i
In September, 1923, I banded a Steller Jay,
260,902. Constantly repeating since, and nesting
close by in 1924, I considered his record sufh-
ciently interesting to warrant his preservation.
This year he selected a site for the nest about a
hundred yards from the house, and all went well
until the young were almost fully fledged—young
Crows were on the wing by the first week in May.
Late on the evening of the fourteenth of May a
terrific disturbance in Jay-land called for an in-
vestigation, but, being almost dark, only the
shadowy forms of two very agitated Jays could be
made out close by the nest. The nest was well
hidden in a thickly branched fir tree surrounded
by others equally thick, and over-shadowed by a
large maple, and this was the first knowledge I
had of its whereabouts, so that I could hardly be
accused of giving away its position, nor could a
Crow have located it except by a careful hunt
through the bushes. On visiting the spot-on the
morning of the fifteenth, a young Jay was found
dead not far from the nest. It was thought wise
to examine the nest, and on finding four young
still unhurt the opportunity was taken to band
them.
Within an hour, further shrieks from 260,902
and his mate sent us dashing off again in the
direction of the nest, where we arrived in time to
see a young Jay being carried off in the bill of a
Crow. Although closely pursued by the Jays as
well as ourselves, the Crow showed no signs of
labouring under the weight of the spoil, but the
density of the underbrush hindering its flight, the
Jay was dropped, falling into the stream, where it
was drowned.
No further attack was made that day, but on
the following day, May 16th, an 8.0.8. from
_ 260,902 got me out of bed at 5 A.M. and, armed
with a gun, I was soon in the thick of it. This
time the raid was made in force and two Crows
were secured before quiet was restored. It was
not thought advisable to visit the nest, but it was
watched from a distance and about 11 AM.,
260,902 then on guard on the top of the maple
tree, signalled down that the advance guard of
the Crow army was in sight, and he pluckily
sallied forth to meet them. Picking up the gun, I
was in time to keep off the marauders; one nose-
December, 1925]
dived, the remainder scattered back to the sea
shore.
On the 17th, I had made arrangements for a
mountain climb and did not return until late in
the evening, and as all seemed quiet around the
nest on the morning of the 18th, the nest was
examined and one dead Jay was all that was
found. The parents were still present, but being
kept on guard, probably this young bird was
starved. I hoped that the Crows would now leave
us in peace, but late on the same afternoon a Crow
was seen silently making its was towards the nest
but, seeing me approach, it broke covert, making
a fourth dead Crow.
On the 19th, Crows were constantly seen hunt-
ing through the underbrush, and one being seen
on the lawn, a Lutescent Warbler’s nest on the
edge of it was inspected, which had newly hatched
young the day before; it was empty.
I am well aware that the Jay wears no halo
when it comes to egg-lifting, but the damage done
by the Jays in this area is naught as compared to
the Crow, nor does the Jay make a business of
nest hunting as does the Crow. Whilst beating
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
208
up their “‘game’’, Crows are very stealthy in their
movements, flying low over the bushes, almost
“creeping” through the air. Settling every now
and then, they appear as if listening, when woe
betide the young that call for food. On the 20th
and 21st I watched Crows systematieally beating
up and down through the woods on a broad front,
and there was no doubting their intentions. So
silently did they move along, that despite the fact
that the Jays were very much on the alert, a
Crow would often reach the nest unperceived by
them.
One could not but admire the plucky efforts of
these Jays to protect their young, nor could one
but enjoy watching 260,902 as a Crow dropped to
the gun, show no sign of fear at the report, but
slip from his perch on the top of the maple tree
and, with wings closed, dart past like a Kingfisher
in an endeavour to strike its enemy before touch-
ing the ground.
It is very noticeable that Jays are taken little
notice of by small birds, all feed together amicably
at the traps, but the appearance, or even the
shadow or notes of the Crow has the same effect
as would those of a hawk. Sufficient proof surely.
FISHES AND MARINE INVERTEBRATES COLLECTED DURING THE
CRUISE OF THE “ARCTIC” IN 1923
By FRITS JOHANSEN
HFORE Mr. J. D. Soper, who, as natural-
ist, was attached to the staff on board
the C.G.S. Arctic on its cruise in the
eastern part of the Canadian Arctic in
1923, left on the trip, I supplied him with instruc-
tions and equipment for the collecting of fishes
and marine invertebrates, when opportunities
presented themselves. Considering that the main
purposes of the cruise were non-biological, he did
very well indeed; and besides a number of plants,
mammal and bird skins and Eskimo specimens, he
also brought back in the fall, some fishes and
marine invertebrates, secured by plankton-hauls
from the ship, and by shore-collecting. These
latter I received for the purpose of sorting them
out and having them identified by specialists,
determining the fishes myself. (A detailed des-
cription of the fishes will be found in my account
of the fishes of Arctic America, to be published in
Rep. Can. Arct. Exped. 1913-18, Vol. VI, Ottawa.)
Of the invertebrates, only the Crustacea and
Pteropods have so far been identified, and there-
fore, there will be further notes on the others.
The determinations follow:—
PTEROPODS
(Identified by Dr. W. H. Dall, U.S.N.M., Wash.,
D.C.)
jaa ee
eee col
(1) Strait of Belle Isle (off Point Norman,
Newfoundland), July 16th, 1923, Surface (water-
temperature 40°F.): 3 Clione borealis, Phipps.
(2) Davis Strait, 50 miles south of Disco Island,
W-Greenland (on the meridian of Disco), about
Lat. 68°N., July 29th, 1923, Surface (water-tem-
perature 42°F.): 1 Clione borealis.
(8) Melville Bay (Baffin Bay), about 35 miles
south of Cape York, N.W. Greenland, lat 75°N.,
long. 47°W., August 4th, 1923, Surface (water-
temperature 41°F.): 2 Clione borealis.
MARINE COPEPODS
(Identified by Prof. A. Willey, McGill University, ,
Montreal.)
(1) Point des Monts, N. side of Gulf St. Law-
rence, Que., July 11th, 1923, Surface (water-
temperature, 45°F., air 46.5°F.): 1 Psamathe
longicauda Phil. (immature).
(2) Attached to floating algae (Fucus and
- Ascopnyllum) in Davis Strait, lat. 68°N., long.
55°W., July 25-26, 1928, surface (water-tempera-
ture, 46°F.): Several Halithalestris cront (Kroyer)
(females with eggs).
(3) Attached to floating Fucus in Davis Strait,
about lat. 65°30’N., long. 55°W., July 27th, 1923,
surface (water temperature, 44°F.): Several Hali-
thalestris croni (females).
204
SCHIZOPODS
(Identified by W. L. Schmitt, U.S.N.M., Wash.,
D.C.)
(1) From stomachs of two Rock-Cods (Gadus
ogac Rich.), Godhavn, Disco Island, W. Green-
land, July 30th, 1923: Several Mysis oculata
(Fabr.).
AMPHIPODS
(Identified by C. R. Shoemaker, U.S.N.M., Wash.,
D.C.)
(1) Locality, etc., as Marine Copepods (2):
Two Euthemisto sp.
(2) Davis Strait, lat. 68°N., long. 55°W., July
26, 1923, surface: One Gammarus locusta (Linn.).
(8) From stomachs of Sculpins (Myoxocephalus
groenlandicus), Gready Island Harbour, east coast
of Labrador (lat. 54°N.), July 19th, 1923: Gam-
marus locusta and Pseudalibrotus litoralis (Kroyer).
(4) Locality, ete., as (3); but from stomach of
Gadus ogac: Caprella septentrionalis, (Kroyer),
Gamarellus homari (Fabr.), Pseudalibrotus litoralis,
Metopa sp.
(5) From stomach of seulpin (Oncocottus quadri-
cornis), Ponds Inlet, N.E. side of Baffin Island,
Sept. 1-2, 1923: Pseudalibrotus litoralis.
(6) Locality, ete., as Schizopods (1): Caprella
septentrionalis.
DECAPODS
(Identified by M. J. Rathbun and W. L. Schmitt,
U.S.N.M., Wash., D.C.).
(1) Locality, etc., as Pteropods (8): One Hymen-
THE CANADIAN FIELD NATURALIST
[VoL.: XX XIX
odora glacialis Buckh. (female with half a dozen,
deep-rosa eggs).
(2) Locality, ete., as Amphipods (8):
coarctatus Leach.
(8) Locality, etc., as Marine Copepods (2): One
zoea-larva of Decapod (crab?).
FISHES
(Identified by Frits Johansen, Ottawa, Can.)
(1) Antlered Sculpin (Gymnocanthus [Phobetor]|
ventralis Reinh.): a 22 mm. long post-larva from
stomach of Gadus ogac, Godhavn, Disco Island,
W. Greenland, July 30th, 1923.
(2) Four-horned Sculpin (Oncocotius quadri-
cornis, Linn.): a 20 cm. long female with eggs,
from Ponds Inlet, Baffin Island, September 1-2,
1923.
(8) Great Greenland Sculpin (Myoxocephalus
groenlandicus Cur. and Val.): two females, 31 and
29 cm. long, and two males, 27 and 29 cm. long,
all from Gready Island Harbour, Labrador, July
19th, 1923.
(4) Rock-Cod or Greenland Cod (Gadus ogac
Hyas
- Rich.): a 40 cm. long male from Gready Island
Harbour, Labrador, July 19th, 1923; and two 33
and 34 cm. long males from Godhayn, Disco
Island, W. Greenland, July 30th, 1923.
Mr. Soper went again north with the Arctic in
1924, and remained in Baffin Island, to return to
Ottawa in 1926. There is therefore every reason
to expect still more valuable collections, also in the
line of fishes and marine invertebrates, as a result
of his more prolonged stay in Arctic Canada.
SOME NOTES ON CANADA’S SO-CALLED WOOD BUFFALO
By FRED.
URING the summer of 1922, I had the
pleasure of exploring that area lying
between the Peace River, Lat. 59°N. and
Great Slave Lake, Lat. 61°N., from the
Slave River west as far as Buffalo Lake.
In this region are found to-day (1500 to 2000 or
more) the only remnants in a wild state of the
millions of buffalo (Bison Americanus) which a
few decades ago roamed over the great central
plains of North America. That these animals
have existed in these latitudes from early times
and in considerable numbers is evidenced by the
reports of practically all the early explorers:
Hearne, 1772, Mackenzie, 1789, Harmon, 1808,
Franklin, 1825, and many others. All bear wit-
ness to the fact that most of this northern country
was once inhabited by numerous herds of buffalo
as far north as Slave Point on the north shore of
Great Slave Lake.
The name “wood buffalo’ leads the observer to
expect a type of animal somewhat different from
V. SEIBERT
the plains buffalo. Nevertheless they have the
same conformation, the wood buffalo, however,
being larger and darker. They are without doubt
superior in size, weight and stamina to any other
herds now existing. These differences may be
accounted for by the fact that they have always
been wild, and also because of the shelter and
good feeding conditions within their range. A
specimen of wood buffalo, now mounted and in
the museum at Calgary, weighed, when killed,
2,402 pounds. Samuel Hearne’s notes of the
buffalo he encountered south of Great Slave Lake
and east of Slave River in 1772 are worthy of note
in this connection, ‘They are of such amazing
strength,” he writes, “that they frequently brush
down trees as thick as a man’s arm; and be the
snow ever so deep, such is their strength and agility
that they are enabled to plunge through it faster
than the swiftest Indian can run on snowshoes.’’
Even when walking with that deliberate and
apparently slow tread which is their peculiarity,
December, 1925]
the speed of these ponderous animals is most
deceiving. A man must run to overtake them.
Excepting during the rutting season, these
animals display a gentle, friendly and curious but
not particularly timorous nature. When roused,
however, to a fighting pitch, they become exceed-
ingly dangerous, rushing at the enemy with irre-
sistible force. Nevertheless, their first impulse on
being disturbed is to run, which they do with
remarkable rapidity. In some cases, they do not
stop until they are-at least out of hearing and
sight. Others will run merely for fifty or one
hundred yards and then stop at the edge of the
range of visibility. In these cases, their curiosity
overcomes their fear. They face in the direction
from which they came and sniff the air for a scent.
If they do not scent anything they will often circle
until they do, when they will go as fast as ever.
The wood buffalo’s sense of hearing does not
appear to be acute, neither is his eyesight good.
He depends for his protection on his keen scent
and on his superior size and corresponding ability
to defend himself when forced to doso. His sense
of smell is particularly keen. At different times
buffalo were observed taking notice of tracks of
man and horse a day or two old. On a couple of
trips in one locality in the range where the buffalo
were numerous, it was later observed that a num-
ber of the herds in that district left for a new area.
Many of these animals never saw man or horse on
these trips but had scented the tracks soon after
we had passed and, as a result, had moved to
other parts.
During the summer, they are found in herds,
usually of from twelve to fifty animals, and quite
often singly or in pairs. These herds are com-
posed of the females, calves and younger animals
and are accompanied by one particularly large
bull who appears to be the leader. This leader,
in every case observed, was a majestic, ferocious
looking animal, far exceeding the average in
height and size. Due, no doubt, to the presence
of the females and younger stock, the herds are of
a more timorous and restless nature than the
individual animals. The individual animals and
even pairs during midsummer are practically
_ always bulls and are seldom difficult to approach
unobserved. They frequently are found lying
down during the warm part of the day when it is
quite possible to get within twenty yards and in
some cases much closer. One animal was ap-
proached to within seven yards, while another
was met on an abrupt bend in the trail at five
yards and still another at three yards. The
general attitude of the individual animals and
pairs appears to be that they have little to fear,
which goes to show that they are seldom disturbed.
THE CANADIAN FIELD NATURALIST
205
The habits of these creatures are. remarkably
regular. They generally frequent the same places
at similar periods of the year and usually travel
the same trails in going from one place to the
other. Unquestionably the wood buffalo is with-
out a peer as a trailmaker. I have yet to see a
human trail locator who can surpass him in this
respect. As this is a quality he holds in common
with his brother of the prairies, there is little
wonder that many of our national highways follow
the paths first laid down by the buffalo.
In almost every respect, his habits are similar
to the buffalo of the plains. He delights to roll,
which he does in wallows similar to those of the
plains. These are places which he has cleared of
all sticks, roots and sod or leaves. He particu-
larly loves to roll during July and August, when
this gives him relief from the flies. Later, when
the flies have gone, he still takes his occasional
roll, but he uses these wallows quite extensively
for his daily sun-bath and momentary snoozes.
Most of these wallows are just large enough for a
buffalo to roll in, and yet not a few are large
enough to accommodate a whole herd. These
later resemble cattle-pens on our western ranches.
One such wallow was over six acres in extent.
It is perhaps unnecessary to state that the
buffalo’s main article of food is grass. He does,
however, at times browse on the leaves of the
willow and small poplar and occasionally during
the winter he will eat caribou moss and the moss
hanging from spruce trees. During the spring
and summer they seek the dry uplands while in
the late fall and winter they subsist on numerous
grassy sloughs in which the rank slough grass
grows to a remarkable length, often over six feet
long. When this is covered with snow, the wood
buffalo, like his brother on the plains, “noses” it
away even when it is four to six feet deep, as it
so often is in that latitude.
The habitat of these animals may be described
very briefly as of two kinds. One portion, the
summer feeding-ground, is a country of sub-surface
drainage, limestone overlying beds of gypsum.
In certain parts this sub-surface drainage is on
such a scale that it may truly be called a country
of underground rivers. The beautiful Nyarling
as its name in the native tongue implies, flows for
eight or ten miles underground. Numerous other
streams exhibit the same peculiarity. Many sink
holes, some of them sufficiently large to hold a
city block, scattered throughout indicate that this
sub-surface drainage extends over a wide area.
In sharp contrast to this type of country is
another type which covers a large area. In this
portion, drainage is conspicuous by its absence
206
Numerous grassy sloughs and swamps abound.
On the border line between these two types of
country are to be found many salt springs.
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
[VOL. XX XIX
Wood Buffalo Park, established December, 1922,
contains 10,500 square miles and includes all of
the known habitat of these animals.
PENNSYLVANIANS VISIT JACK MINER SANCTUAKY
OME fifteen years ago the conservationist
sportsmenofHssex County, Ontario, were
first advised by Dr. W. T. Hornaday, of
the steady progress being made by the
conservationists of Pennsylvania. On April 4,
1925, forty-two of Pennsylvania’s conservationists,
many of them grey-haired pioneers in the work,
arrived at Kingsville, Ontario, the chief attraction
being a visit to Jack Miner, and the Geese on the
Miner Sanctuary.
Mr. Manly Miner was master of ceremonies,
and Dr. R. D. Sloane, of Leamington, was official
photographer for the party.
The first event was a trip to the shores of Lake
Erie by motorbus. Unfortunately the two thou-
sand Whistling Swans that had lingered in the
vicinity for three weeks and more had left the day
previous, their signal for departure seeming to be
a northeast blow. The trip to the lake was not
in vain, for more than four thousand Canada Geese
occupied the sandbar which lies about four hund-
red yards off shore in Lake Erie.
The party then went to the Miner Sanctuary,
where it was estimated five thousand Geese were
feeding in the ponds at the rear and nearly three
hundred remained in the front pond. In carrying
on motion picture photography, the party found
that sixty people could stroll within fifty feet of
these Geese, and what was stranger still, that the
birds would not fly when cornless cobs were tossed
among them. After fifteen or twenty minutes of
such friendly intercourse, the Geese left for the
rear ponds.
Other points of interest included the tree planta-
tion, where Bob-white finds winter shelter, the
great Goose trap where the Geese are caught to
be banded, and the great flocks of Geese on the
rear ponds. The birds took flight, but did not go
away, merely hovering in the air two hundred feet
above their human friends. As soon as the people
withdrew the Geese alighted. The story was also
told of the six captive Whistling Swans that have
been brought back to health and strength after
their perilous trip over Niagara Falls two years ago.
As the Geese left to spend the night on Lake
Erie, according to their usual custom, the party of
visitors proceeded to dinner at Kingsville; and
there, Mr. Borland, of Franklin, Pennsylvania, on
behalf of the visitors, presented Mr. Jack Miner
with a purse of two hundred dollars to assist in
his work of feeding and protecting the Geese.
The Pennsylvanians visited the Miner Sanc-
tuary again the next morning at five o’clock, when
they viewed the flight of ten thousand Geese com-
ing in for breakfast.
At ten o’clock the party of visitors left Kings-
ville for home, having first been impressed by Mr.
Miner with the desirability for a winter Sanctuary
for these birds in North Carolina.
The Essex County conservationists were indeed
happy to have had these gentlemen visit them if
only for a day, for we have always felt a bond of
sympathy with Pennsylvania, especially along
conservation lines.
The visitors roundly applauded the work for
wild life conservation done in Essex County and
approved of the splendid co-operation with the
Dominion Advisory Board on Wild Life Protec-
tion, and the Dominion and Provincial Game
Departments. The advances made should aid in
bringing, for Canada and Essex County, improve-
ment in the supply of wild life, and consequently.
‘better sport for now and the future.
More power to our friends from Pennsylvania,
and may they long work with us for better wild
life protection on this continent.
ADDITIONAL RETURNS FROM BIRDS BANDED IN 1924
In the following returns upen banded birds, it will be noted
that some returns may be thought to indicate, from the date of
capture, violations of the Migratory Bird Act of Canada or the
United States. The great majority of returns, which seem to
indicate violations, are from birds accidentally caught in traps set
for fur-bearing mammals, from birds caught in fish nets, killed by
oil, or from birds found dead from unknown causes. Appropriate
action has been taken in connection with the few returns which
indicate illegal shooting.
(Continued from page 193)
HERRING GULL, No. 236,752, banded by
Geo. W. Luther, near DeTour, Michigan, on
*Published by authority of the Canadian National Parks
Branch, Department of the Interior, Canada.
July 4, 1924, was killed at the Great Whale River
Post, Hudson Bay, Quebec, during the fall of 1924.
HERRING GULL, No. 321,027, banded by
F. C. Lincoln, at St. James, Michigan, on July 18,
1924, was found dead on Bead Island, north shore
of Lake Superior, Ontario, on September 29, 1924.
COMMON TERN, No. 270,811, banded by
W. E. Hastings, in Huron County, Michigan, on
July 13, 1924, was killed at Sarnia, Ontario, on
September 8, 1924.
COMMON TERN, No. 265,931 banded by E.
Beaupré, on Salmon Island, Lake Ontario, Ontario,
December, 1925]
on July 19, 1924, was found dead on the same
island on August 19, 1924.
COMMON TERN, No. 265,944, banded by E.
Beaupré, on Salmon Island, Lake Ontario, Ontario,
on July 19, 1924, was found dead in Fire Island
Inlet, Long Island, New York, on August 27, 1924.
COMMON.TERN, No. 265,946, banded by E.
Beaupré, on Salmon Island, Lake Ontario, Ontario,
on July 19, 1924, was found dead on the shore of
Nest Lake, Prince Edward County, Ontario, about
September 1, Weal
COMMON TERN, No. 265,947, banded by E.
Beaupr*, on Salmon Island, Lake Ontario, Ontario,
on July 19, 1924, was found dead on the same
island, on August A: 1924.
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, No.
232,010, banded by Reuben Lloyd, at Last Moun-
tain Lake, Saskatchewan, on July 1, 1924, was
Killed in the same vicinity, on July 27. 1924.
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, No.
232.050, banded by Reuben Lloyd, at Last Moun-
tain Lake, Saskatchewan, on July 1, 1924, was
killed ata place five miles south-east of Van Buren,
on Flat Rock Creek, Arkansas, on November a
1924.
MALLARD, No. 313,101, female, banded by
Paul E. Page, at Lac Ste. “Anne, Alberta, on July 1,
1924, was shot near Gaston, Oregon, on Novem-
ber 9, 1924.
MALLARD, No. 313,104, banded by Paul E.
Page, at Lac Ste. Anne, Alberta, on July 12, 1924,
was shot at the same place, during the month of
October, 1924.
MALLARD, No. 309,006, juvenile, banded by
R. H. Carter Sr., at Muscow, Saskatchewan, on
July 13, 1924, was shot at Spirit Wood Lake,
North Dakota, on November 5, 1924.
MALLARD, No. 313,105, female, banded by ©
Paul E. Page, at Lac Ste. Anne, ’ Alberta, on
July 14, 1924, was shot in the same locality, during
the month of October, 1924.
MALLARD, No. 313,108, juvenile, banded by
Paul E. Page, at Lac Ste. Anne, Alberta, on
July 16, 1924, was shot at a place four miles north-
west of Onoway, Alberta, on September 24, 1924.
MALLARD, No. 313,109, juvenile, banded by
Paul E. Page, at Lac Ste. Anne, Alberta, on July
16, 1924, was killed at a place sixteen miles south
of Rosebud, South Dakota, on November 2, 1924.
MALLARD, No. 313,110, female, banded by
Paul E. Page, at Lac Ste. Anne, Alberta, on July
16, 1924, was shot in the same locality, during the
month of October, 1924.
MALLARD, No. 313,118, banded by Paul E.
Page, at Lac Sta. Anne, Alberta, on July 17, 1924,
was killed on the low lands near White River,
Gregory, Arkansas, on November 15, 1924.
MALLARD, No. 313,114, juvenile, banded by
Paul E. Page, at Lac Ste. Anne, Alberta, on July
17, 1924, was shot in the same locality, during the
month of October, 1924.
GREEN-WINGED TEAL, No. 208,336, band-
ed by E. Beaupré, at Cataraqui Marsh, Kingston,
Ontario, on April 13, 1924, was caught in a musk-
rat trap and found dead in the same locality, on
April 20, 1924.
BLUE-WINGED TEAL, No. 313,102, female,
banded by Paul E. Page, at Lac Ste. Anne, ’ Alberta,
on July 8, 1924, was Killed at a place six ‘and one- .
fee miles south of Donna, Texas, on December 20,
4.
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
207
PINTAIL, No. 202,945, female, banded by
Jie: Cunningham and J. A. Munro, on Lulu
Island, British Columbia, on April 4, 1924, was
oH at Burlington, Washington, about January
PINTAIL, No. 232,092, banded by Reuben Lloyd,
at Davidson, Saskatchewan, on July 6, 1924, was
found dead in the same locality, on J uly 15, 1924
—cause of death unknown.
PINTAIL, No. 232,110, banded by Reuben
Lloyd, at Davidson, Saskatchewan, on July 10,
1924, was killed at Howard, Kansas, on Novem-
ber 17, 1924.
PINTAIL, No. 232,124, banded by Reuben
Lloyd, at Davidson, Saskatchewan, on July 11,
1924, was found dead in the same locality, on
July ‘15, 1924—-cause of death unknown.
SCAUP DUCK, No. 297,766, banded by H. 8.
Osler, at Lake Scugog, Ontario, about April 15,
1924, was shot on Aquia Creek, Widewater,
Virginia, on January 15, 1925.
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, No.
311,165, banded by R. B. Harding, at Sandy Neck,
WN. Barnstable, Massachusetts, on June 15, 1924,
was shot at Sutton J unction, Quebec, on Septem-
ber 2, 1924.
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, No.
311,333, banded by L. B. Fletcher, at Barnstable,
Massachusetts, on June 15, 1924, was found dead
near a small lake about forty miles south of Lake
St. John and about four hundred miles from Barn-
ue near Van Bruyssel, Quebec, on August 26,
4
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, No.
311,605, banded by S. G. Emilio, at Barnstable,
Massachusetts, on June 16, 1924, was caught in a
trap at Ste. Hedwidge, ten miles from Roberval,
Lake St. John, Quebec, about November 3, 1924.
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, No.
311,647, banded by S. G. Emilio, at Barnstable,
Massachusetts, on June 16, 1924, was killed at St.
Justine, Bois Blane, Quebec, about half way,
between Quebec and Montreal, on September 16
24
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, No.
225,374, fledgling, banded by George Lang, at
Indian Head, Saskatchewan, on June 18, 1924, was
shot in Hidalgo County, Texas, on December 1,
1924.
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, No.
312,242, banded by Willis H. Ropes, at Ipswich,
Massachusetts, on June 22, 1924, was shot at
Valeourt Ely, Quebec, about August 15, 1924.
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, No.
301,301, fledgling, banded by George Lang, at
Indian ‘Head, Saskatchewan, on June 23, 1924,
was founded wounded at a place fifteen miles
south of Deerfield, Florida, on November 27, 1924.
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, No.
301,306, fledgling, banded by. George Lang, at
Indian Head, Saskatchewan, on July 4, 1924. was
killed at Valley City, North Dakota, on Septem-
ber 21, 1924.
SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, No. 3014,
banded by W. H. B. Hoare, at Pillage Point,
Yukon Territory, Arctic Coast, on July 19, 1924,
was found dead in the same locality, on July 21,
1924. The bird was too young to fly and was
probably chased to death by Eskimo children.
SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, No. 3084,
gbanded by W. H. B. Hoare, at Pillage Point,
Yukon Territory, Arctic Coast, on July 19, 1924,
208
was found dead in the same locality, on July 21,
1924. The bird was too young to fly and was
probably chased to death by Eskimo children.
MOURNING DOVE, No. 264,589, fledgling,
banded by George Lang, at Indian Head, Saskat-
chewan, on June 12, 1924, was killed by a cat in
the same vicinity, on June 30, 1924.
MARSH HAWK, No. 301,756, young, banded
by E. W. Calvert for H. S. Osler, at Port Perry,
Ontario, on June 20, 1924, was captured at Boon-
ville, North Carolina, on October 16, 1924.
FLICKER, No. 273,579, fledgling, banded by
D. A. Matheson, at Leamington, Ontario, on June
8, 1924, was killed by a cat, in the same vicinity,
on July 5, 1924.
FLICKER, No. 264,605, fledgling, banded by
George Lang, at Indian Head, Saskatchewan, on
June 16, 1924, was found dead at a place one-kalf
me west of where it was banded, on August 3,
NORTHERN FLICKER, No. 264,656, fledg-
ling, banded by George Lang, at Indian Head,
Saskatchewan, on June 27, 1924, was found
drowned in a horse trough at a place about two
miles south-east of where it was banded, on July
25, 1924.
STELLER’S JAY, No. 262,137, juvenile, band-
ed by G. D. Sprot, at Mill Bay, Vancouver Island,
British Columbia, on June 12, 1924, was killed in
a rat trap at a place one-half mile south of where
it was banded, on August 30, 1924.
STELLER’S JAY, No. 262,188, banded by
G. D. Sprot, at Mill Bay, Vancouver Island,
British Columbia, on June 12, 1924, repeated at
the same station on September 17, 1924, and was
killed in the act of egg stealing in a chicken house
at a place one-half mile north of where it was
banded, on October 17, 1924.
STELLER’S JAY, No. 262,139, juvenile, band-
ed by G. D. Sprot, at Mill Bay, Vancouver Island,
British Columbia, on June 14, 1924, repeated at
the same station on June 18, 1924, and was killed
in a poultry house at a place one-half mile north
of where it was banded, on November 28, 1924.
CROW, No. 225,388, fledgling, banded by
George Lang, at Indian Head, Saskatchewan, on
June 23, 1924, was killed at Lexington, Oklahoma,
on January 21, 1925.
BRONZED GRACKLE, No. 218,732, adult,
banded by G. W. Knechtel, at Kitchener, Ontario,
on April 19, 1924, was found dead at a place about
three-quarters of a mile from where it was banded,
on July 1, 1925. :
BRONZED GRACKLE, No. 19,444, adult
female, banded by Ralph KE. DeLury, at Dow’s
Lake, Ottawa, Ontario, on May 1, 1924, was shot
at a place about two thousand feet from where it
was banded, on May 17, 1924.
BRONZED GRACKLE, No. 113,354, male,
banded by Hoyes Lloyd, at 406 Queen Street,
Ottawa, Ontario, on May 2, 1924, was found dead
in the back yard of 407 Queen Street, Ottawa,
Ontario, during the month of October, 1924.
BRONZED GRACKLE, No. 268,586, adult
female, banded by G. W. Knechtel, at Kitchener,
Ontario, on May 8, 1924, was shot at a place
about one-half mile from where it was banded, on
May 20, 1924.
BRONZED GRACKLE, No. 268,587, adult
male, banded by G. W. Knechtel, at Kitchener,
Ontario, on May 8, 1924, was shot at a place
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
[VoL. XX XIX
about one-half mile from where it was banded, on
May 20, 1924.
BRONZED GRACKLE, No. 268,137, banded
by Reuben Lloyd, at Davidson, Saskatchewan, on
July 10, 1924, was killed in the same locality, on
July 27, 1924.
BRONZED GRACKLE, No. 293,468, banded
by Reuben Lloyd, at Davidson, Saskatchewan, on
July 12, 1924, repeated at the same station, on
August 8, 1924, and was killed by a cat, in the
same vicinity, on August 20, 1924.
TREE SPARROW, No. 88,205, banded by
Reuben Lloyd, at Davidson, Saskatchewan, on
April 21, 1924, was found dead at the same place,
on April 23, 1924.
CHIPPING SPARROW, No. 97,106, young,
banded by Nelson T. Jones, at Port Stanley,
Ontario, on June 25, 1924, was found dead at the
same place, on June 27, 1924.
ROBIN, No. 69,928, fledgiing, banded by W. E.
Hurlburt, at Toronto, Ontario, on May 24, 1924,
was found dead in its nest the next day.
ROBIN, No. 216,004, fledgling, banded by
George Lang, at Indian Head, Saskatchewan, on
June 7, 1924, was found dead at a place one mile
east of where it was banded, on July 24, 1924.
ROBIN, No. 216,005, fledgling, banded by
George Lang, at Indian Head, Saskatchewan, on
June 7, 1924, hit a telephone wire, and was found
dead, at a place about one-half mile from where it
was banded, on August 8, 1924.
ROBIN, No. 264566, fledgling, banded by
George Lang, at Indian Head, Saskatchewan, on
June 7, 1924, was found dead at a place about
one-half mile from where it was banded, on June
18, 1924.
ROBIN, No. 72,858, fledgling, banded by
Claude E. Johnson, at Ottawa, Ontario, on June 8,
1924, repeated at the same station on June 20,
1924, and was picked up dead in the same vicinity,
on July 2, 1924.
ROBIN, No. 72,859, adult, banded by Claude E.
Johnson, at 87 Cameron Street, Ottawa, Ontario,
on June 8, 1924, was found dead near No. 1 Os-
borne Street, Ottawa, Ontario, on September 23,
1924. The bird had apparently died some time
before its recovery.
ROBIN, No. 264,579, fledgling, banded by
George Lang, at Indian Head, Saskatchewan, on
June 9, 1924, was found dead at a place one-half
mile east of where it was banded, on June 20, 1924.
ROBIN, No. 72,863, juvenile, banded by
Claude E. Johnson, at Ottawa, Ontario, on June
13, 1924, was re-trapped at the same station, on
June 18, 1924. The bird was in a very weak
condition and appeared to be suffering from intes-
tinal trouble of some sort. It expired in the
evening.
ROBIN, No. 264,641, fledgling, banded by
George Lang, at Indian Head, Saskatchewan, on
June 24, 1924, was found dead at a place about
one-quarter mile from where it was banded, on
June 30, 1924.
ROBIN, No. 264,642, fledgling, banded by
George Lang, at Indian Head, Saskatchewan, on
June 24, 1924, was killed by a cat in the same
vicinity, on June 30, 1924.
ROBIN, No. 264,686, fledgling, banded by
George Lang, at Indian Head, Saskatchewan, on
July 5, 1924, was killed by hitting a telegraph wire
at a place about two miles south of where it was
banded, on July 28, 1924.
December, 1925]
ROBIN, No. 264,707, fledgling, banded by
George Lang, at Indian Head, Saskatchewan, on
July 12, 1924, was found dead at Kennedy, Sask-
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
209
atchewan, ninety miles south-east of where it was
banded, on July 26, 1924.
(To be continued)
NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS
TUFTED TITMOUSE AT HAMILTON, ONTARIO.—
On the afternoon of May 28, 1925, while watching
birds from the veranda of our home at 96 West
Second St., Hamilton, (on ‘‘the Mountain’’), I
noticed a movement among the leaves of a maple
tree about twenty feet away, and turned my 6x
prism binoculars on the spot, expecting to see a
Warbler. At first I could see only part of the
bird because of intervening leaves, and could note
only a light grey belly with a faint rusty streak
along the sides. Then the bird moved into plain
view, and I was delighted and surprised to see
that it was a Tufted Titmouse, (Bzolophus bi-
color). As the bird remained in that and another
maple tree for about two minutes, I had several
clear views of it with the glasses at distances of
from twenty to thirty feet, and noticed the grey
colour, lighter below, and saw the crest distinctly.
I had not previously seen the species in life; but
I had previously seen the specimens taken on
Point Pelee, which are in the possession of Mr.
W. E. Saunders. I know of no other record for
this species for this district, and, indeed, think
that this is only the second Canadian record.—
R. OWEN MERRIMAN.
A STARLING NESTING AT HAMILTON, ONTARIO.
—On May 5, 1925, Mr. W. M. Paterson and the
writer noticed a Starling, (Sturnus vulgaris) enter
a cavity in a willow tree with a dark coloured
object in its bill, and leave a moment later carry-
ing a light coloured object. We took up a closer
position, and waited for about half an hour; but
the bird did not again go to the tree, though it
circled about us at a distance, watched us for
some time from small willows on the banks of a
ereek twenty yards away, and alighted on and
pecked among a dump of hair which had been
carted from a distant slaughter house to the banks
of this creek. The offensive odour of this dump
was very noticeable at the nesting tree.
On May 18, Mr. Paterson and the writer re-
visited the tree. Knocks on the trunk brought
no sound or sight of the occupants, and Mr.
Paterson climbed to the entrance of the cavity.
As he began to probe the cavity with a stick to
determine its depth, a nestling Starling left the
nest and fluttered to the ground about ten feet
from the foot of the tree. It was captured unhurt,
and has been sent in the flesh to the Victoria
Memorial Museum, Ottawa. Its general colour
was brown, completely feathered, with a few traces
of dark down clinging to the feathers of the head-
Bill, feet, and iris were dark, the edges of the bil
and corners of the gape being bright yellow. The
wings were well developed; but the tail was less
than one inch long.
Further probing of the nesting cavity seemed to
show that one or more nestlings remained within;
but they could not be induced to leave the nest,
to show themselves, or to make a noise, and the
interior of the nest could not be reached. The
adult birds were not seen on this visit to the
nesting site.
The willow tree containing the nest stands by
itself in an old pasture field which has been sur-
veyed for building but in which few houses have
yet been erected and none within three hundred
yards of the tree. It is about half a mile south of
the edge of the ‘Mountain’, which is here the
limit of the city of Hamilton, and a few hundred
yards west of the much-travelled Caledonia Road.
The fork of the tree trunk containing the nest is
about five feet in circumference at the entrance
to the cavity. It leans to the north; and on the
side of the nesting cavity it has neither branches
nor leaves for twenty feet from the ground, but on
the other side there are small, leafy branches above
and below the nest. The entrance to the cavity
is a nearly circular knot-hole, two and a quarter
inches in diameter, eleven feet from the ground,
and about one-third the height of the tree. The
cavity, as probed with a stick, is fifteen inches
deep. Its entrance faces a little south of east.
On the occasion of our first visit to this nest,
we saw a flock of ten or more Starlings a few
hundred yards from the nesting site. Starlings
are reported to be nesting in several church and
school towers in Hamilton and in hollow tees
near the city; but the writer has not been able
to confirm these reports. At least one report
(which was not confirmed) was received of Star1-
ings nesting in this district in 1924. The fre-
quency with which the species has been met with
in and near the city during the past year makes it
probable that it bred here in 1924, and possibly,
but less probably, in 1923 also.—R. OWEN MERRI-
MAN.
CORRECTION.—In L. B. Potter’s article entitl-
ed ‘“‘Notes on Winter Birds”, which appeared in
the May issue, ‘“Rusty Black-birds” should have
read ‘“‘Redwings’”.—Editor.
INDEX
1 om
VOLUME No. XXXIX
‘The
Canadian Field-Naturalist —
1925
THE GRAPHIC PUBLISHERS
December, 1925]
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
NotEe:—The names of additional birds may be found under “‘Bird-Banding Returns’’.
Abies grandis.....: SOT 9S. Ole
102, 132, 138, 134, 136, 137
Acanthis linaria
LETCOP UG ie vee Byorenieleenaie
Accipiter velox....... 51, 53, 70
COOPEN. Mao. oe eats , 158
Acclimatization Experi-
MMOTIGS St. =. le dicen keh
Agerigiabrum. ©. . 0... 102
macrophyllum....... 98
Aeris gryllus Le Conte. . 92
Actitis macularia.50, 70, 89, 187
Admete couthouyi Jay... 141
Aegialitis semipalmata.. 187
Agelaius pheniceus cou-
PORUS: eee es 176
pheniceus pheniceus. 72
ATRE. SVG OS (ae 50
Alopex lagopus......... 34
Alauda arvensis........ 176
PCO MCOTO DE oe o's wns 185
AIRES LUT ee eee 71
Ambystoma tigrinum
(GAREY A) eee ae Sill
Amesia latifolia........ 37
Amphipods, Marine.... 204
Freshwater..,....... 138-9
An Eye for Movement. . 110
- Anas platyrhynchos...49, 52, 70
POLO DAS ee RE ee eee 49
Annual Meeting,
Ol aS Cer ee 26
Another Invasion of
Wanda oe. LDS
Anser albifrons......... 52, 87
Anthus rubescens....... 54, 74
Antrostomus vociferus vo-
CUCTUS Mi icge More. eG 51
Aplectrum hyemale..... 37
Aquila chrysaétos....... = HU
Archibuteo lagopus sancti-
OMOIUILTS teehee a 53
Archilochus colubris. . 51
Ardea herodias herodias . 50, 186
Arenaria interpres ma-
UESECL ese eee ere Ssh,
JAN RAID) Ce © ie se ee 139
Arrival of Birds in Rela-
tion to Sunspots. ... 47
Asellus communis..... 138, 189
Asto flammeus...... 51, 53, 194
Astarte alaskensis Dall.. 140
Astragalinus tristis tristis GZ.
Astur atricapillus atrica-
DLL SE eee Nee teeta 51, 158
Asyndesmus torquatus..174, 194
Auk, Razor-billed.. ...185, 199
Auk, Review by
PAT. 26. AMAR tele diez}
Bezolophus bicolor...... 141
Baillie, Jas. L., articles
* LEN Oe eee Te 149, 150, 194
Balanus rostratus var... 141
Baldpate, The....... Bal taza, WAL
Ballantyne, Jas., obit-
MLD EN sch eye 148
Barber, Robt. E., ob-
servations DY? ae 87
Bare Island, B.C....... 164
Bathyurellus flabellus
IBTadleyaee er ere
Bayley, Ivan A., article
Bait, 2 RUN TBI 181
Beart Blacks. -25 5 5.5 72
GIBZAY Ses ote oe ees 72, 201
Beaver, American...... 71
Betula glandulosa aa rtlnte 69
WeStNifeTU.....as.-.- 69
Bird-Banding in Town-
send’s Labrador..... ~ 198
on Vancouver Island 10
Report, Mavisburn
Banding Station. ..179, 202
Returns, 18, 19, 39, 54, 82,
169, 206
Returns |e 18, 19, 39
54, 82, 169, 206
Bird Notes from South-
ern Vancouver Island 156
Bird Sanctuaries in the
Gulf of St. Lawrence 177
Birds of Bird Islands. 181.
Hatley, P.Q.. ae 128
Lindsay District . - A9, 72
Ottawa Ne eae 16
Porcher Island...... 27
Wellington and Wa-
terloo Counties, Ont. 47
Bison Ae Its Relations,
AES We aha agit eee 111
Bison eee athabasce. . 45
BIGEETOPY. Ary tec thee 4, 50
IGEASE Sete ee 50
Blackbird, Brewer’s.22, 63, 176
Red-winged ina 4, 72
US yeas AN Pa
Blanchet, G. Lily articles
Dee ene. SROs 12, 30, 52
Bluebirds. lace aaee 4, 74
Blue Feathers. .... 2-5. PAL
BO OOWIAK cso aaskaaccos 4, 72
Bob=wiites . oe. 74, 206.
Bombycilla cedrorum.... 73
(HOTU. So oS oe Be oc 74
Bonasa umbellus umbel-
LOUD ESHA eee 70
umbellus togata...... 50
Book Review.......46, 87, 195
Botaurus lentiginosus. . . 50
Botrychium Lunaria var.
onondagenso........ 38
virginianum........ 37
Bradley, J. H., article by 5
Brant, Black, - ee 22
Branta canadensis cana-
CENSUS see cakes: 50
canadensis hutchinst. 70
Bubo virginianus....... 51
Buttalonsrrn gece sac 118, 201
Buffle-head...... 21, 25, 50, 70
Bufo americanus Hol-
ROOK See ceil sey: 91
fowleri Garman..... 91
Bulimnza megasoma.... 193
Bunting, Lazuli..:..... 194
Snow.. 4, 23, 24, 58, 72, 154
Buteo borealis borealis... 51
lineatus lineatus.. ... 51
PALI
Buteo platypterus ...... 51
swainsoni.......... 70
Butorides virescens vires-
CONS tenis crea aE ee 50
Bythinia tentaculata Linn. 4]
Calcarius lapponicus lap-
OHA: 2 ee 54
DUCLUS eee ee 54
Cave KE. T. W., article
LON ese praen A d a Aulice
Calypsom tee Lae ee on
Canachites canadensis ca-
VOC Cant ete ints obec ae ts 74
canadensis osgoodi.. . 70
Canadian Euphyllopoda 105
Canadian Fresh Water
Isopods and Amphi-
DOUSs ares ee ees 138
Canis tundrarum....... 34
Canvas-back......... 4,21, 74
Corabidae ee eee 67
Cardinalyir eho wi, melt ale
Cardium ciliatum Fab-
PUCIUSH Mes cee eee oe 140
corbis martyn....... 140
Caribou are ers moe ee (ial Ath
Carpodacus purpureus
(DUR DUTCUS ee ae 72
Carterocephalus palaemon 38
Castor canadensis....... el
Cathind season. one 4, 73
Catostomus............ 72
Cepphus columba....... 164
grylle..... Be wi te es 184
Ceratinella ornatula..... 140
Cerchneis sparveria spar-
DONO Reet ae a 51
Certhia familiaris ameri-
CONC sete sender 74
Ceryle alcyon alcyon.51, 70, 187
Chaetura pelagica...... 51
Chamberlain, Montagu,
Obituanye eee 20
Changes in the Status of
Certain Animals and
Birds in Central Al-
Denbaeen pete core ae 200
Charadrius semipalma-
MOLUS sre Oe 50, 53, 77
Charitonetta albeola..... 50, 70
Chasmosaurus belli... .. 108
Chelydra serpentina. . 93
Chickadee........... A, 95) 23,
24, 25, “TA, "154
Brown-capped...... 23
Chestnut-backed.... 176
Hudsonian......... 71
Chloralictus smilacina
Robi aera rae ee 37
Chimney Swift........ 4, 51
Chlidonias nigra suri-
Namensis........... 49
Chondestes g. grammacus 67
Chordeiles virginitanus
virginianus......... 51
Chrysemys m. marginata. 93
Christmas Bird Censuses 173
JACI STTOGE ey ere ae 153
212
Christmas Bird Censuses
Comox Valley, Van-
couver Island....... 21
Hamilton, Ont...... DP
Lake Cowichan, Van-
couver Island....... Zl
Lancaster, Ont... .. 24
London, Ont....... 22
Ottawa ne oerae sac 24
Snake River, Ont... 23
St. Stephen, N.B.. 24
Toronto.... 23
Victoria District,
B.
Chrysodomus liratus
IMitartiyalige sees 141
Circus hudsonius....50, 53, 70
Cistothorus stellaris.....
Citelluse ves as wee ae 71
columbianus........ 56, 79
OUICUCIUUE qn ee 144, 146
Clangula hyemalis...... 50, 52
Clemmys guttata........ 93
Coccyzus erythrophthal-
TUS nce ochre fe ede 51
Colaptes auratus borealis 51
cafer collaris........ 70
cafer saturatior...... 176
Colinus virginianus vir-
GURUS: 2206005506 74
Coluber c. constrictor. . 92
Columbian Ground
Squirrel, Hiberna-
GIONYOLS ce hese: 56
Colymbus auritus....... 49
Compsothlypis americana
MUSICS ce 63 Oina SBE 73
Conchoderma auritum. . 68
COOt Nate ere cen 21, 22, 50
Copepods. Marine...... 203
Coppermine River... .. 15
Corallorrhiza maculata
and Its Varieties in
Canadian cramer: 95
TACPUNTIO,. os ca000e¢ Or, Os)
maculata var. wnter-
MEOW. -.08) 2 Raa ql
var. punicea...... 37
ARO pee cheeks ere e 37
@onmorante 1474. 4 24, 67, 1138
Brand bse
Common. .:.-:..- 186, 198
Double-crested 186, 198
Pelaci Cr cease ceeen: 21
Violet-green..,...- 2.2 469
Cornus stolonifera...... 37
Coronula diadema...... we exsys
Corvus _brachyrhynchos
brachyrhynchos......
COUTINUS. ........-- 176
Cowbitde een
Creeper, Brown...... 4, 22, 23,
24, 74, 154
eee C. H., article
Be te Ra RR ROK 140
Cridale, Norman and
Stuart, article by... 142
Critchell-Bullock, James
Cy raruiclery vere 181
Crossbill ee
4, 72
White-winged. 4, 71, 72, 154
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
Croweaenatee 4, 22, 24, 25, 72
ANTNEMONG 650056866 4
North-Western..... 21, 176
Cryptogramma densa.. . . 38
Cryptoglaux acadica aca-
UCONN fone eed ae 51
funerea richardsoni. . 51
Cuckoo, Black-billed... 4, 51
Yellow-billed....... 4
Curlew, Hudsonian..... -187
Long-billed......... 187
Cyanocitia cristata cris-
UGED A he ee 72
Stellen: soso cane umes 176
Cybele pervetusta Bradley 8, 9
Cyclopterus lumpus..... 90
Cygnus buccinator...... 157
columbianus........ 157
Cypripedium acaule.... 37
passerinum......... 37
Dafila acuta tzitzthoa. 50, 52, 70
Danaus archippus...... 38
Davidson, D. W., article
LON ees Meee a eae te a 197
Decapods, Marine...... 204
De Lury, Ralph E.,
article by. 1... ..- 4: 1
Dendroctonus piceaperda. 162
Dendroica zstiva xstiva..73, 187
zstiva rubiginosa.... 71
cerulescens cerules-
CONS AR ee 73
COSIONCO = eee 73
coronata coronata.... 17, 73
RUSCH SR ee Say lion
WWOOUG Fis, Sons ucdanes 7
MOAGMOLLO | ae 13, UST
palmarum.........- 73
pensylvanica........ 73
SETUGED) sous ee 73, 78
GOSlsoocscccns 17, 73, 195
! DIRENS sie oa. 73
Destruction of Water-
fowl in the West.... 67
Dionne, Charles Eusebe,
Obituary, offsneaneeee 61
JOR) of eves eae ae eee ane iat ce 21
Dolichonyx oryzworus. . . 72
Dove, Mourning....... 50
Drepanposetta platessoides —
Dryobates pubescens
GUGM c oc 305050° 175
pubescens medianus.. 51
villosus harrist....... 175
pillosus villosus...... 51, 70
Duck, Black. 5:.:2... 4, 24, 49
ident are ene:
Harlequin. .21, 25, 70, 186.
Lesser Scaup....... 50
OldiSquaw-z ena 5s ae- 23, 25,
50, 52, "186
Ring-necked........ 50
IRWIN, a Sooo ce eee 74, 186
SGU Dano cloois sale 21, 50, 70
NWViOOd sear ce. men
Dumetella carolinensis. . 74
Duval, Wm. M., article
{VoL. XX XIX
Eagle, American....... 88
Bald ews .c oc owe poRE SG
Goldens.- eee 70
Ectopistes migratorius. . . 74.
Hditoriali.... (icc case 41
Hider, American. ...... 186
Elaphe o. obsoleta....... 93
DULUDUNG: | ea se eee Os
Woes So Gcatee: See 201
Emerton, J. H., article
DY «iu ee 139
Empidonas flaviventris. . 74
MAUNUMUS = eee 51
trailli alnorum...... 51
Emys blandingit........ 93
Enodia portlandia...... 38
Epeira hortorwm....... 139
iNSULOTIS ee 139
Epipactis pubescens... . . 37
lessclalGa ne eee 37
Erethizon epixanthum. . . rial
Ereunetes pusillus...... 53
Erismatura jamaicensis. 74, 186
Ethiopsar cristateilus.. 187
Eubranchipus gelidus . 105, 107
Eucrangonyx gracilis...138, 139
Eumecesfasciatus (Linne) 92
Euphagus carolinus. . 71, 72, 76
cyanocephalus Wagl.. 176
Euphydryas phaeton. . 38
European Grey Part-
ride: |... eee 163
Evening Grosbeak, Nest-
ing Of... :.2/ 22 eee Pall
Evoioniyse eee 145
Experimental Farm as a
Bird Sanctuary, The. 1
Exploration Into the
Northern Plains,
North and East of
Great Slave Lake.12, 30, 52
Falco columbarws...... 70
peregrinus anatum. 58, 70, 74
Falcon, Peregrine... .53, 7 0, 74
Farley, Frank L., articles
by 2). Sao eee 87, 200
Field. Studies of Growth
Forms of Native
Trees of Victoria,
B.C
Field Work in the Lower
Arctic Zone........ 181
Financial Statement of
O.F.-N.C
Finch, Hepburn’s Rosy. raul
Purple. 4, 22,24, 72,123, 154
Fishes, Freshwater Ha 54, 72
Marine........ 90, 2038, 204
Fishes and Marine In-
vertebrate collected
during the Cruise of
the Arctic in 1923. 2038
Fleck, Andrew Willis,
obituary of. keene 84
Blicker.. As f Sete meee 4,22
Boreal 2s. okie awe 51
Northwestern.......
Red-shafted........ 21, 70
Flycatcher, Alder. ..... 4, 51
Crested...... ERS 4,51
December, 1925]
Olive-sided.........
Seissor-tailed....... 86
Yellow-bellied. ..... 74
Forest Insect Conditions
in Northern Ontario. 162
HossilePlowers: - 2)... ¢ 64
HEGRaOCOSS, STL 72
Fox Squirrel, Acclimati-
ZOGONeOleeee aie i: 138
Fratercula arctica arctica 184
LRT! a rr a U2
ullltrogeaie ) 2005 0 92, 150
Cricket 6 eos
Greene wie! ites! 0): 92
HeOVALG 25S. 92
Spring-Peeper...... 92
ROCHA Ne See 2 Cre. 92
Fulica americana....... 50
Gallinago
delicaia. 50, 70, 75, 158, 175
-Gallinula chloropus
COCIINNANS =) 6215 105). 50
Gallinule, Florida...... 4, 50
Gammarus limneus.. . 139
GianneGrs 22 2 apse 16, 173, 186
Gavia adamsi.........-
OUR: Bie tee ate 49, 52
DOCUUC OMe ae aie 52, 69
SIZ Cia ena eee 52, 69, 184
Genus Debased, The. ZAll, Pas
Geothyl pis trichas trichas 73
GeOUOPISM ss sy. 4 1... 137
Glaucionetta americana... 186
clangula americana. . 50
islandica.......70, 74, 187
Golden-eye......... Pil Ze ase
24, 50, 74, 154, 186
BartOwesee ..... 24, 70, 186
Goldfinch .4, 22, 23, 24, 72, 154
Goose, Canada...... 4, 50, 206
Habehines= 2 ..5. 5: 70
White-fronted. ..... 52, 87
COMMER Een rats eis ral
Gorgonian, A large, from
SKAGGS bon abs oat: 5
Grackle, Bronzed... .4, 72, 154
Graptemys geographica. i 93
Creed DUKE eae (2
Grebe, Holboell’s. é 21
iEornedics 298 22.2 ¢.. be 21, 49
Pied-billed. .. . 4, 21) 24 49
Wester) 53 40... 21
Groh, Herbert, article by 84
Grosbeak, Evening...4, 72, 154
Rinee ee ah OAS, Wik. Ales Usa
Rose-breasted...... 73
Grouse. 3.8 oS sea nk 115
Gray Ruffed.. 5 70
_ Oregon Ruffed.. 21
Ruffed.4, 22, 28, 24, 50, 154
Sharp-tailed cy euaeae 70
Guillemote- see one 199
CLE bin bi 2 ie el 24, 184
PIS eONsi er. Gee ae 164, 184
Gull, Herring .4, 21, 23, 175, 185
Bonaparte’s. aes os ‘4, 49, 69
Californianne ee 52
Glaucous-winged....21, 24,
69, 164, 175
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
Gull, "Great Black-
backed...... 23, 185, 198
LVOnyee eae Oe 172
Ring-billed. .. ..23, 49, 199
Short-pilledeee os eis HTS)
Gulovluscusa) 4. 34
Habenaria Andrewsit. . . 38
VOECKOR ELIE... PEROT 38
DSUCOMCS Ha eae 38
Halizetus leucocephalus
Qlascaniuss eee 51
leucocephalus leucoce-
fOOMIS 55 bono sane 187
Hare, Dall Varying..... 71
IDNR OER. sc 4s 8d 6 < 159
Harelda hyemalis....... 186
Sees Francis, article re
Haw Broad-winged... 4, 50
Cooper’ Si ean es ae eee 23
Duckeexc. . 3s ie 53, 70, 74
Goshawk » oth, aig Bain
24, 50, 158
Marsh 4, 50, 53, 70
Pigeon sc py see ae 4,70
Red-shouldered..... 23, 50
Red-tailed......... 2, 50
Rough-legged....... 50, 53
SDALLOWAL A eee 4, 51
Swainson’s......... 70
Sharp-shinned....4, 21, 23,
50, 53, 70
Hedymeles ludovicianus.. 73
Henderson, A. D. article
LON atcbeee a a ee eee 44
Fler Ons 6 52ers: 22
Black-crowned Night 4, 50
Great Blue... ... 4, 50, 186
Greents.. 54-04, aeeee: , 50
Northwestern Coast. Pale
Herpetology of Point
Peleesiista a 91
Hesperiphona vespertina
DCSPCTEVILO ee nae 72
Heterodon contortrix..... 92
Heteroscelus incanus.... 70
Hibernation of the Col-
umbian Ground
Squinnele. Misses ee 56, 79
Hilaira brunnea........ 139
Hillgartner, Gordon, ar-
THEI lon Meacioinie emwicee = 112
Hirundo erythrogastra.. .73, 187
Histories of New Food- ©
ISWESM 4 Tada hace ne 90
Histrionicus histrionicus
histrionicus. . 187
Horned _ Lark, A Breed-
ing Station of the. 26, 45.
Howitt, Henry, articles
yi ehe fs LE 10, 158
Howell A. Brazier, com-
munication biychs. 118
Hummingbird, Ruby-
throatedss.2 4... ae A, 51
Hungarian Partridge... 115
Hyalella azteka (Saus.).. 188
Hajciia binges 28 ey Sys 139
Hyla crucifer, Wied..... 92
versicolor, Le Conte.. 92
213
Hiyloctehlana2t.3, 2 71
alicieg aliciz........ 74
fuscescens fuscescens. 74
guttata pallasi....... 74
AUS(CLING pe 74
ustula swainsoni... . 74
Icterus galbula......... 72
Iridoprocne bicolor... ... 73, 187
Isopods and Amphipods,
Canadian Freshwater 138
Ixobrychus exilis....... 50
Txoreus naevius........ TAG 95
Jaeger, Long-tailed... .. 52
Parasite nae. 52, 185
Jay, Blue.4, 22, 23, 24, 72, 154
Canada...... 4 70, 72, 154
Oregons ane PALS PAD
Steller’ Sao oP IS ey 200
Johansen, Frits, ‘articles
Dyas eee 90, 105, 138, 203
Junco hyemalis hyyemals. 72, 187
hyemalis oregonus. 176
JuNCcO.Oreconia sec a 2 2ile
22, 176, 180
Slate-coloured.. A. 225
23. 72, "187
Juniperus nana........ 69
Killdeer Plover.. .4, 22, 50, 112
Kingbird oes 5 GL IS
Kingfisher, Belted galls, PAe4p
51, 70, 187
Kan cle tees are Re hale ve (ada DAS
Golden-crowned...4, 22, 23,
"74,154
Ruby-crowned.. . .4, 71, 74
LGla <n Mel ames one ee 176
Western Golden-
crowned......... 21, 176
Kittiwakes2) ee 185, 199
Kuntz, Paul, articles by 113
Lacuna cf. porrecta Car-
DENCE aya sce 141
cf. unifasciata Car-
penter. 22. ae 141
Lagopus lagopus lagopus 53, 70
rupestris rupestris. . Gy 70
Lake-trout............ 54
Lampropeliis t. triangu-
UNAS Saeko eee 93
Lanius borealis......... 73
ludovicianus migrans. 73
Lanivireo flavifrons..... 73
solitarius solitarius. . 73
Lark, Horned.......... 23, 53
Pallid Horned. ..... (al
Prairie Horned... .. 53
Larix laricina.......... 69
Larus argentatus....... 185
argentatus smithson-
LONUSY FORE Ree 175
brachyrhynchus.... . 175
californicus......... 52
delawarensis........ 49
glaucescens glauces- -
cens... .69, 156, 164, 175
214
Larus marinus......... 185
philadelphia.....49, 69, 175
Latchford, F.R.., articles
41
by
Tescles
Lead Poisoning in Trum-
peter Swans........ 160
Leda fossa var. vaginala
sculpia Dall. oe: 140
Leiostegium quadratum
(Billings).......... 6,9
Lepthyphantes bihamalus 139
calcaratus dwplicatus. 140
dwuplicatus.......... 139
URCALUS) ee ore oe 140
Lepus americanus
Galt NHR Tas “late 144
Lepus arcticus canus. 34
Lesser Yellowlegs...... 48
Leucosticte tephracotis lit-
LOnAIS Hae ee 70
Lewis, Harrison F., ar-
ticles by.. .44, 113, N98
Life Along the Yukon-
Alaska Boundary. . . 69
Limax agrestis......... 42
Limnetis gouldii...... 107, 108
Linyphia limitanea..... 139
mearctica........--- 139
DGUGUONUG) are ene 139
Binypiiade. i... | 1388
Lizard—S2e Repliles.
Lloyd, Hoyes, articles by 16,
43, 63, 86, 138, 151, 172, 173
Lloydia amplimarginata
TRON ans boo eo 0 oS 58
‘obscura Bradley..... 8,9
pinquis Bradley..... 8,9
saffordi (Billingd)... 7,9
Lobipes lobatus........ 52
Local Names of Migra-
tory Birds.......... 67
Logier, E. B. Shelley,
article by. ........- 1
Longspur, Lapland..... 54
Smithis7a 3 een 54
Lonicera oblongifolia. . 37
Loon..... 21, 23, 25,. 49, SYA, (oli
IERIGUNGs 06 5 9 a0 08 21, 52. 69
Red-throated.21, 52. 69, 184
Yellow-billed....... 52
Lophodytes cucullatus. . . 49
Lophortyx californicus
californicus. ...11, 1738, 175
Lopocarenum quadricris-
LGU AR Se eee 139
Lora cf. fidiculaGould.. 141
Loxia curvirostra minor. (2
leucoptera.......... 10K,
Lunn, M.B.,articleby. 162
Lycosa albohastata...... 139
Deanit. (3. PaeRt Ae 139
DECHUULS =) Tenant ee 139
GY COSLAOE. ae 139, 140
Lymnezxa (Bulimnea) me-
gasoma Say......... 193
Lymnea stagnalis...... 193
MacNamara, Chas., ar-
ticle by
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
Macoma brota Dall.....
calcarea Gmelin..... 140
incongrua Martens.. 140
inquinata Deshayes.. 140°
Miaopie teh cee Wee 201
Mallard 7: Zl a2 SO ocO
Unusual Nest of. ... 44
Mareca americana...... 74
Manila ajiviss 3. 2: 50
americana.......... 50
collanis’s oe omen? 50
MOOPWUDs cece acanaice 50, 70
valisineria.......... 74
Marten, Alaska........ We
Martes ameridana actu-
OSG EAR ee 72
Martin, Purple. . Ae
Mascoutens............ 65
McGahey, Pearl, obser-
VALIONSHD Ym | eee ee 64
Meadowlark. ........ ANON cs
Western=.. 238 aes 21
Meadowlark at Engle-
AN GE ps esdecn 5:2 ee 94
Melanerpes erythrocepha-
DES tos Ae eamererey = 5 Dl
Melitza horrisi.........
Melospiza georgiana.... 72
melodia melodia.. ...72, 187
morphna........... 176
Meredith, Rex, observa-
(HONS ONS Neo og co 86 112
Merganser...... PALE PA De sels)
American. ......... , 49
Hooded....... 4, 23, 24, 49
Red-breasted....... Dil, Be.
49, 52, 70
Mergus americanus..... 49, 70
SCNTOLOT eee ee 49, 52, 70
Merriman, R. Owen, ar-
GICIES bye ae ee 209
Micropalama himantopus 53
Microtus drummondi1... 145
ANAN OTs =: Sci rsesclocs ee 145
xanthognathus....... gl
Migration Incidents... . 44
Mniotilta varia......... 73
Molothrus ater ater... .. 72
Moose, Alaska......... (al
Moris bassana......... 16, 186
Mountain Sheep, Dall. . viglt
Mourning Dove........ 27, 48
Mouse, Baird’s White-
footed
Mousley, Henry, articles
by
Mulletogncsek: ease 72
Munro, J. A., articles by 156,
160, 163, 164, 166, 194
Munrets (aes Rete 2A, 85, 200
Mareclets Marbled..... 21
Museum Guides....... 64
Miuskrateys evenere o fi 151
Mustela cicognaniv...... 142
longicauda.......... 142
TILOSOe. cine eA 142
Mya truncata Linne.... 140
M yadestes townsend. 71
Myiarchus crinitus..... 51
Myiochanes virens...... 51
153 # Mynah,; The.m: ..ci/2: 27
[VoL. XX XIX
~
140 je annus hiemalis hiemalis 74
-Natica (Cryptonatica)
SF clausa Brodorip and
“Sowerby. = aioe 141
Natrixz s. sipedon....... 93
Nesting of the Canada
Goose ina Tree..... 197
Nettion carolinense..... 49, 52
New Zealand Plants,
Cultivation of. ..... 65
Nighthawk. eae eee 4, 51
Notice of Motion to
Amend the Constitu-
tion) oo SS eee 193
Numenius americanus. . 187
hudsonicus.. .. 187
Nuthatch, Red-breasted AR Zl
23, 24, 25, 74, 154, "175
White-breasted. .... 4, 22
23, 24, 74, 154
Nuttallornis borealis... . 51
Nyctea nyctea.......... 51
Nycticorax nycticorax
NOCULUS- 1. 1e eee 50
Oak, Garry... 25 -eee 101
Observations on Cana-
dian Euphyllopoda.. 105
Oceanodroma leucorhoa. . 185
Odell, W.S., article by. 180
Oidemia americana..... 186
degland?=. 2 ae 50, 186
perspicillaia..... 52, 74, 186
Ondatra zibethica....... Ie
Oporornis philadelphia. . 73
Orchids, Ferns, and But-
terflies of Hatley,
Stansteda County,
P.Q:.5..c ie ae 37
Oreamnos montanus.. 151
Oregon Jays........... 29
Oriole, Baltimore... .4, 72, 118
Orobranche uniflora..... 37
Osprey....)°54 eee 51, 70
Otocoris alpesiris. ...... 53
alpestris praticola.. . . Tale
arcticola...........- 71
Otus asio asio.......... 51
asio kennicotti...... 166
Ovenbird............ 4, 39, 73
Ovibos moschatus....... 34
Owl, American Hawk... 70, 74
Barred... 2.45 3 Saaee 4, 51
Great Grey......... 51
Great Horned.4, 25, 51, 154
Kennicott’s Screech. 166
IPSTOIN 5 ooo cab oc 21
Richarduona on 51, 85, 118
Saw-whet......... 4, 5, 51
Screech.......... AN 22) Olle
66, 154, "167
Short-eared.. 25, 51, 53, 194
SNOWY: 250 0c: Be eene 4, 51
Oxyechus vociferus...... 50
Pagophila alba......... 172
Palaeontology of the Si-
lurian Rocks of Ari-
Saigy NES Renae
Pandion haliaétus caro-
LUNCUSIS MGs ene 51, 70
December, 1925]
Panomyaampla Dall... 141
Paphia (Pratothaca) sta-
minea var. ruderata
Deshayes.......... 140
Papilio brevicauda...... 184
Partridge, Alaska Spruce 70
Californian.11, 173, 175, 179
74
Canada Spruce.....
European Grey... .168, 172
Parus rufescens. ....... 176
Passer domesticus. ..... 72, 176
Passerculus sandwichen-
SUSha ul eet esas 54
sandwichensis savan-
TY ne a ak oe fa EE 12, 187
Passerella iliaca
WEGCO No oe 71, 73, 77, 158
Passerina amoena..... 194
CHONG ea. a2. NES 73
by.
Pier (Chlamys) hindsii
var. jordani arnold 140
hindsit var. kincatdi
Oldroyeee Ee = 140
Carpenter 2.2 0. os: 140
var. navarchus Dall.. 140
Pediecetes phasianellus
phasianellus........ 70
Pelidna alpina sakhalina 50
Pemberton, C.C., article
eee a Me Sak SS 96
Pennsylvanians Visit
Jack Miner Sanc-
ITA G Sete, cues: 206
Penthestes atricapillus
atricapillus....... 74
hudsonicus.........- 71
PPT AIGDETOIG..». -.. 2 114, 175
Perisoreus canadensis
canadensis.......... 1
Peromyscus maniculatus
DORON Meare sce
Petigurus subrectus Brad-
LCV ME es eis i ae
Peel each sesc.. scr: 185
Petrochelidon lunifrons
nefronss. 2. tenes 71, 73
Pewee, Wood.......... 4, 51
Phalacrocorax auritus
TMS. oe S0 36 oe 186
CUD). Aes ae eee 67
pelagicus robustus... 165
Phalarope, Northern... 52
Phasianus torquatus.. .. 175
heasant. ts pore ae 2
Chiheseesnset ses Bil 22
Ring-necked........ Hal Eel {AS
Philipp, P. B., article by 75
Phleotomus pileatus abie-
HCOLG ss) Mad Dee 16, 74
Bhoebe:. 2 3.2 Leela pee 4,51
SAY Sats. ose 51
Phoebe, Duplex Nest of. 150
Pholodromus alascensis.139, 150
Photoperiodism........ 1283}
Picea canadensis. ...... 69
Picoides americanus fas-
CVOLUS? . nee
OF CLICUSashe Pao 51
Pigeon, Passenger..74, 165, 201
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
Pinicola enucleator alas-
CONSIS Ao Rts Sits Sea 71
enucleator leucura.. Wz
Pitas 55 ete Zale 50, 52, 70
Pipilo erythrophthalmus
erythrophthalmus.... 17, 73
maculatus oregonus.158, 17
Biples 2 aera. Bie eee ac ke. 54, 74
Piranga erythromelas.... 73
IPisopta,Oaird.. ©. eae 53
MGCULELG etal At 2 he 53, 74
minutilla....... 74, 75, 186
Planesticus migratorius
migratorius....... (ky We!
migratorius propinqu-
SSS aE Ae ance ats 176
Pleistocene Fauna from
the South-western
Mainland of British
Columbiaese see 140
Plectrophenax nivalis ni-
DOLMS Se SO ee ass 53, 72
Plover, American Black-
belliedssws srs -
Goldene. 5 =. 53
Semipalmated...50, 77, 187
Pluvialis dominica dom-
OULU Ma Mines elon ese ROA ae 3
Podilymbus podiceps.... 49
Pododesmus (Monia) ma-
erochiasma Deshayes 140
Polynesian Fruit Pigeon 123
Powcetes gramineus gra-
TMUINCUS s. ho 2, 187
Populus balsamifera. ... 69
tremuloides........-- 69
Porzano carolina.
Oe ag Yellow-hair-
ee L. B., article by. 112
Preece, Ww. H. A., articles
172, 173, nee
Primnoa lepadifera... >». 2
Progne subis subis...... 73
Prosecutions... .......- Son lad
Province of Quebec Soci-
ety for the Protection
Of Birds sine? Pat wee 41
Pseudotsuga taxifolia.97, 98, 99,
100, 102, 133. 134, "135
Ptarmigan, Rock Wee ss ent 53, 70
VALU ON Zeno ier cs theo ove 53, 70
PLCLOPOUS -.acereee os ae 203
Publication Fund...... 44, 117,
152,173
Puncturella galeata Gould. 141
Quail, California....... 21
Quercus Garryana..97, 101, 104
Querquedula discors.. 49
Quiscalus quiscula eneus C2
Radio Lectures. ....... 168
Rails Sona ek sek een 50
Virvinias: ease sale 50
Rallus virginianus...... 50
215
RONG eas ee See. (es
catesbeiana Shaw.... . 92
clamitans Latreille. . 92
pipiens Schreiber.. 92
Rand, A. L., article by.. 114
Randall, 4. Eby articles
bye cae Cok es 45, 194, 195
Rangifer arcticus....... 32, 71
Raven, Northern....... 23, 71,
74, 187
Redheadaa. i... eee 5
Redpoll.4, 23, 24, 53, 71, 72, 154
RedStartaasee ene 4, 74
Redwing, Northwestern. 176
Regulus calendula calen-
GUOR Aa aS 2 71, 74
calendula greene hep
satrapa olivaceus.. .. 176
satrapa satrapa... . 74
Report of Council of the
O. F.-N. Club...... 25
Reptilesey eke ata 92
Black Racer........ 92
Blanding’s Turtle... 93
Blue-tailed Skink... 92
Brown Snake....... 93
Common Water-Snake 93
Fox Snake......... 93
Garter Snake....... Wi2 O38
Hog-nosed Snake. . . 92
Map Turtle.-......- 93
Milk Snake........ 93
Musk Turtle....... 93
Painted Turtle...... 93
Pilot Black Snake... 93
Rattlesnake........ 93
Snapping Turtle. ... 93
Spotted Turtle...... 93
Riparia riparia..... 71, 73, 187
Rissa tridactyla tridactyla 185
Robin. .4, 22, 28, 24, 25, 71, 74
Western Ee tg EE 21, 176
Hinya fee tee see 194
Roce tonieai Goat.. 151
Rowan, Wm., article by 114
Royal Society, Annual
Meeting..........- 112
Rubicola minor.......-- 50
Salamander, Tiger... .. 91
Salmongi ry... 22 5---ce 194
Sandipipetae:. mse as ae 48
Mleutian ssn ae are 21
Baind?s2 5225 sooner 53
Weast cucu aches 74, 75, 186
Rectoralaias 3 see 53, 74
Red-backed...... 21, 22, 50
Semipalmated...... 53
Solitary eraser 50, 70, 187
Spottedmass se eee 4, 88
Stilt. 2... = eee 53
Sapsucker, Red-breasted 22
Yellow-bellied. ..... 4, 51
Saunders, W. E., articles
DY . cgn eee 118, 149, 150
S Sekine giganteus Des-
hayess. 5 Se sa ea ieee 140
Sayornis phoebe........ 51
SC UUSeer ee eae 70
216
Schizothaerus capax
Gould.
Sciurus hudsonicus: .... 71
Scoter, American. . .22, 25, 186
“Surf. Pt S22: 25, 52. 74, 186
White-winged atime? Saeed 21, 22:
25, 50, 186
Scotiaptex nebulosa nebu-
lOSG REE A Re 51
Segmentina crassilabris
Walker. 85
Seibert, Fred., articleby 204
Seiurus aurocapillus.... 73
noveboracensis....... 73
Serapias Helleborine.... 37
Serripes gronlandicus
Ginrelin ieee tee ae 140
Setophaga ruticilla...... 74
Shaw, Wm. T., article BY 56, 79
Shepherdia canadensis. . 69
Shrike, Migrant. . Ae
Northern. WAL 93, 24, 73, 154
Sialia stalis sialis. eae e 74
Simpson, G. Buchanan,
article by: 245. -- 29
Singa variabilis........ 139
Siskin, Pine.... .4, 24, 72, 154
Sitta canadensis........ 74, 176
carolinensis carolin-
CNSISNM ELE: aie 74
Skylanki es, ocean 176
Snake—See Reptiles.
Snipe scyics eee ne er
Walson?s.s: 8 eee 21, 50,
70, 75, 158, 175
Snyder, L. L., articles by.63, 150
Somateria mollissima
OPROSSTP ba ho wes oe 32 186
spectabilis.......... 74, 186
Some Remarks on Birds 46
Sparrow, Chipping.. .4, 72, 187
Hnghishee ee 4, 22, Ue
European House. . 176
Hel ieee Wea eee A ALG
Golden- Seen .158, i80
EMarrisns ian e. aren 54, 194
imicolnysss een 4
INS ee 176, 180
Rusty Song..... PAL, Pry IG
Savannah....... 54, 72, 187
SONGAMty eek ee See 4,22, 23,
Bd. 73, 128, 154, 180, 187
Swam wis See 4, 72
Tree.4, Doi, 23, 24,54, 72, 154
Vespersy tases Anion UST,
Western Chipping... 176
Western Tree....... 71
White-crowned...4, 70, 180
White-throated...4, 72, 154
Spider Collections of F.
Wialich seen 139
Sphyrapicus varius
VUTTUS. 30 Hi ee 51
SUS PUSH eee 72
Spiranthes cernua...,.. 37, 38
(racist eae 37
Romanzoffiana. ..... 37
Spizella monticola monti-
COLD hk, Sree euo4, (2
monticola ochracea.. . 71
THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST
Spizella passerina passer-
ANG RARE Pe Te ee U2,
pusilla pusilla epee 17
socialis arizonae..... 176
Spring Bird Migration at
Antigonish, N.S.....
Sprot, G. D., article
by Se seer i aa 10, 179, 202
Squatarola squatarola
CYUNOSUTAC = 50
Squirrel, Hudson Bay
Red sys Ais ee a (Gk
Squirrels Eating Ama-
nita Musearia...... 180
Stachys germanica...... 84
Sarl. cae e WAZ ZR 2 3P
24, 48, 67, 87, "149
Chinese............ 87
Starling, Nesting of, at
Hamilton, Ont...... 209
Stelgidopteryx serripennis 73
Stercorarius longicaudus . 51
PATAStICUS i Gare 51, 185
Sterna caspia imperator . 49
hinindo a era 49, 185
paradisea.......... 52, 185
Sternberg, C. M., articles
| Ob Zee en agai aac sae: 108, 111
Sternotherus odoraius... . 93
Storeria dekayi (Hol-
brook). 0. ae se 93
Strix varia varia........ 51
Strongylocentrotus droba-
chilensise. 5 Abeer 140
Strotactinus salteri (Bill-
TGS) a eA 8,9
Sturnella magna........ 194
magna magna....... 72
magna neglecta...... 176
Sturnus vulgaris. ...17, 87, 149
Subscribers, List of..... 125
Summer Birds of the
Magdalen Islands... 75
Supplement to the A.O.-
U. Check List. ..... AT
Surnia ulula caparoch... 70, 74
Swallow, Bank....... 4,71, 73
Barn: a ieee 4, 73, 187
Chel SV Gt seue 4, 71, 73
Northern Violet-
greens ie eee 71
Rough-winged...... 73
bigeye rae ee andere 4, 73, 187
Swan, Trumpeter...... 157
Whistling......... 157, 206
Sylvilagus floridanus.... 159
Tachycineta thalassina le-
HONOR SS a beeen te oa 71
Tanager, Scarlet....... 4,73
Tattler, Wandering.. 70
Teal, Blue- winged...... 24, 50
Green-winged . Ne ZA® 50, 52
Telmatodytes palustris
OUISERES eee 74.
Terebratalia transversa
var. caurina Gould. . 140
Tetragnatha laboriosa... 139
Thamnophis s. sirtalis.. . 93
Theridion aurantium.... 140
dufferenss a ae 140
[Vou. XX XIX
Theridion montanum.... 140
sexpunctatum....... 140
eclotypunie ee 139
Thrasher, Brown....... 4,74
Thrush, Gray-cheeked. . 4, 74
Hermit........... 4, 22, 74
Olive-backed(y24 #7 4,7
Wo00d iran eae ne "4
Thymallus signifer...... 72
Tipularia discolor. ..... 37
Titmouse, Tufted...... 209
Toad, American....... 91
Rowler’s, #32 eee 91
Totanus flavipes. . ..50, 58, 187
melanoleucus..... 50, 187 -
Towhee............ 4, 73, 187
Oregon......... Liar 27.
158, 176, "180
Toxostoma rufum..... Bu) 74.
Trichotropis cancellatus
var. quadricarinata A.
Adamsie..- 558 eee 141
Trillium grandiflorum... 149
Trilobites of the Beek--
mantown inthe
Philipsburg Region of
Quebec: ©.) s4Saaee 5
Tringa solitarius cinna-
MOMEUS.......... 70
solitarius soliiarius. . 50
Troglodytes aédon aédon. 74
aédon parkmani.....74, 176
Tufts, R. W., articles
by 4h Seas 86, 115, 116
rary Vultures esse Pad
Turnstone, Black...... 21
Ruddy. RENE IN A0 5. ZAG
Turtle—See Reptiles.
Aywvinine His) 131
Tyrannus tyrannus..... 51
UTidi to Seer 185
WSUS casos cee oe 72
americana.......... We
richardsont......... 34, 72
Vanessa cardut......... 38
Veery... . 3 See eee 4,74
Vermivora peregrina. ... 73
ruficapilla ruficapilla. 73
Verrill, A. E., article by. 25
Victoria Museum, Dept.
of Mines, Field Pro-
gramme, 1925......
Vireo, Anthony’s....... 21
Blue-headed........ 4,73
Philadelphia........ 74
Red-eyed.......... 4, 73
Warbling..... Pe
Yellow-throated... . 73
Vireosylva gilva gilva.... 733
OliVAacea ee ae 73
philadelphica....... 74
Vole, Chestnut-cheeked. 71
Vulpes fulva sapere seh: 72
December, 1925] THE CANADIAN FIELD-NATURALIST 217
Wandering Tattler..... 88 Walsh, Wm., articleby. 165 Woodpecker,
Warbler, Alaska Yellow. GL Whale Barnacles....... 68 Northern Pileated.. .16, 23,
Bay-breasted....... ArT Whip-poor-will........ ANSE Ss 74, 154
Black and White.... 4, 73 White-fish............. 54 Red-headed.......4, 17, 51
Black-poll. -...... 4, 73, 78 Wilderness, The... .... Al Wren, House.......... 4,74
Black-throated Blue. 4, 73 Walle tara F3..'= Ei cia eas 116 Long-billed Marsh. . 7A
Black-throatedGreen 4, 73 Williams, M. Y., article Seattletes: cat set at PA Leta
@anadar yn oe. se 4, 74 lo ae teeta 8 SHAE h BERS Seve 69 Short-billed Marsh. . 74
CaperMay.- 2s... 4,73 Wilsonia canadensis. ... 74 Western House. .... 176
Chestnut-sided..... 4, 73 CUTTING: 2130 Ae 150 Western Winter..... 21
Hooded... 2 2 ae. 8A 150 pusilla pusilla...... 73 Wantersc-e ear 4,22, 74
IOOVER cose e val Winter Birds) ..78 5.5 112, 114
Lutescent.......... 203 Winter Crows......... 64
peeenolia cee ee oad ry 73 ee prpore eae = Sore ie
ourning.. 2... >. f: Sale ood, Mr. Rodney... .
Myrtle....... 4,17, 73, 154 Wood Buffalo......... 45 tat Paes Ea Ree 50, oe ie
Sigislonialll (Neen eee 4,73 Wood Buffalo, Canada’s Yell ashes i Morland: 78
Northern Parula.... 73, 89 So-Called. ......... 204 Coe Weare ey ary an
elie ee oe ree 73 Woodcock............ 50, 115
Periaitlcvas avs: ooo (ks 4, 39 Woodpecker, Alaska
pines... 2. At, eo LOS, Three-toed....... 70
iellow... 53: A, 39, 73, 187 American Three-toed 150 JZenaiduramacrouracaro-
Waxwing, Bohemian... 4, 74 Arctic Three-toed.4, 51, 154 linensise2 eee: 50
Wedare soe es. 4, 23, 154 Downy.4, 22, 23, 24,51,154 Zonotrichia albicollis.... 72
Weasel, Bonaparte’s.... 142 Gairdner:ses >... 21, 175 COTONCLO= ee 158
WUC tee Pc gl 142 - Hany. ee th Pes 8) leucophrys gambeli... 71
Long-tailed........ 142 24, 25, 51, 154 leucophrys leucophrys 72
Weasels of Southern Harris's). 121,22, (075 leucophrys nuttalli... 176
Manitoba, .224 2... 142 Lewis’s....... 175, 194, 195 QUETULG ea 54, 194
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MANITOBA
1925-26
_ Hen. President: NORMAN CRIDDLE; President: C. W. LOWE;
_ Vice-Presidents: Dr. H. M. SPEECHLY, DR. A.M. DAVIDSON,
A. G. LAWRENCE, J. B. WALLIS, B. W. CARTWRIGHT, A. A.
_ McCousrey; General Secretary: A. A. McCouBREy, Room
307, C.P.R. Depot; Evecutive Secretary: R. M. THOMAS;
Treasurer: J.J. Mott, P.O. Box 1562. ORNITHOLOGICAL
SECTION:—Chairman: C. L. BroLey; Secretary: L. E.
McCaLL. BOTANICAL SECTION:—Chairman: C. E.
Lowe; Secretary: Miss GRACE CAMERON. ENTOMO-
‘LOGICAL SECTION:—Chairman: G. SHIRLEY BROOKS;
Secretary: A. M. Davipson. GEOLOGICAL SECTION :—
Chairman: L. G. THOMPSON: Secretary. F. M. OLIVER.
-
THE HAMILTON BIRD PROTECTION
_ SOCIETY
(Incorporated)
Hon. President: MR. ADAM BROWN; President: Mr. R. O
| MERRIMAN; 1st Vice-President: Dr. H. G. ARNOTT; 2nd Vice-
__-*President: Mr. C. D. Cook; Secretary-Treasurer: Miss RUBY
RB. MILts, Public Library, Hamilton; Directors: Dr. H. G.
_ ArRnNotTT; C. D. Cook; Dr. J. A. Dickson; Miss M. E. GRa-
8AM; Miss RuBy R. MILLS; M. HoLTon; M. JOHNSTON;
Mrs. F. E. MACLOGHLIN; R. O. MERRIMAN.
\
COLUMBIA, VICTORIA, B.C.
The officers for the above Society for the year ending
_ March 3ist, 1925, are as follows:—
_ President: Rev. R. CoNNEIL, M.A.; ist Vice-President:
_ W.N. KELLY; 2nd Vice-President: Mrs. HUGH MACKENZIE;
_- Hon. Secretary: HAROLD T. NATION; Hon. Treasurer: Miss
_ §.M. THORNTON; Committee: G. A. HARDY, C. C. PEMBERTON,
Tra Cornwatt, F.G.S., A. R. SHERwoop, H. Boycr; Audi-
tors: Miss MOcKRIDGE, M.Sc., WILLIAM DowNES.
‘q : 3
ALBERTA NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY
#
k i
2 Hon. President: Mr. J. J. GAETZ, Red Deer, Alta.; Hon. Vice
_ President: Dr. Hy. GEoRGE, Victoria, B.C.; President:
Mr. C. H. SNELL, Red Deer, Alta.; 1st Vice-President: Mrs.
__W. A. CASSELS, Red Deer, Alta.; 2nd Vice-President: Mr. S.
_. PAMELY, Red Deer, Alta.; Directors: Mrs. G .F. Root, Weta-
_ skiwin, Alta.; Mrs. J. McMILLAN, Red Deer, Aita.; MIss E.
C. Irvine, Red Deer, Alta.; Mr. F. L. FARLeEy, Camrose,
_ Alta.; Mr. W. A. CASSELS, Red Deer, Alta.; Mr. B. LAWTON,
_ Edmonton, Alta.; Mr. K. BowMAN, Edmonton, Alta.; PRoF.
_ —W. Rowan, Univ. of Alta., Edmonton, Alta.; Mr. W. F.
_ Harris, Eed Deer, Alta.; Mr. T. E. RANDALL, Castor, Alta.;
Mr. A. C. BRETHOUR, Calgary, Alta.;
Mrs. S. PAMELY, Red Deer, Alta. __
‘The meetings of this Society are held in Red Deer on the
last Friday of each month except during July and August and
perhaps September. The annual meeting is held in Red Deer
on the last Friday in November.
_ McILWRAITH ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB,
a LONDON, ONT. |
_ McLeop. 355 Wortley Road; J. F. CALVERT, 461 Tecumseh
__ Ave.; E. M.S. Dats, 297 Hyman St. era?
age ee
_ VANCOUVER NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY
4 Hon. President: L. S. KLINCcK, L.L.D., Pres. University of B. C.;
_ President: JouN Davipson, F.L.S., University of B.C.; Vice-
_ President: FRED Perry; Hon. Secretary: C. F. CONNOR, M.A.,
M 3529-W. 2nd Ave., Vancouver, B.C.; Hon. Treasurer: A. H.
~‘Bain, 2302 York St., Vancouver, B.C.
__ Fortnightly meetings in the University Buildings: from
_ September to April (inclusive). _Semi-monthly excursions from
_ May to August (inclusive).
_ NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF BRITISH
Hon. Sec.-Treas.: |
' MAMMAL GROUP:—Chairman: J. R. DyMOND: Secretar
_.L. Snyper. REPTILE, FISH AND AMPHIBIAN: GROUP
ENS.
eH : Affiliated Societies
PROVINCE OF QUEBEC SOCIETY FOR THE
PROTECTION OF BIRDS
Hon. President: 1. GAMMEL; Hon. Vice-President: W. H. ROBB;
President: L. Mcl. TERRILL; 18st. Vice-President: NAPIER
SMITH; 2nd. Vice-President: E. ARNOLD; 3rd. Vice-President
and Curator: Miss E. G. LuKE; Recording Secretary: Miss H.
STONE; Corresponding Secretary: W. S. Hart, P.O. Box 1186,
Montreal, P.Q.; Treasurer: HENRY MOoUSLEY; Committee:
Miss M. ARMITAGE, Miss E. BENNET; MR. AND Mrs. C. F.
DaL_e; H. A. C. Jackson: Miss E. Morrow; Miss L. MURPRY; ©
A, MACSWEEN; G.S.MoonrEy; W. A. OswaLp; L. Mcl.
SPACKMAN; Mrs. W. W. WALKER; Dr. ARTHUR WILLEY;
Members qualified to answer questions: L. Mcl. TERRILL,
44 Stanley Ave., St. Lambert, Que.; NAPIER SMITH,
Bank of Montreal, Verdun. Que., E. ARNOLD, 64 Durocher St.,
Montreal; W. A. OSWALD. 801 Wilson Ave., N.D.G., Montreal;
C. N. ROBERTSON, c-o Ross Realty Co., Room 805, Lewis
Bldg., St. John St., Montreal, Que.; Dr. ARTHUR WILLEY,
McGill University, Montreal HENRY MOUSLEY 469 Harvard
Ave., N.D.G., Montreal, P.Q.; Miss EDITH MORROW AND
Miss EMILY LUKE, c-o Secretary.
SOCIETE PROVANCHER D’HISTOIRE
NATURELLE DU CANADA
Bureau de direction pour 1923
Président: DocTrEUR S. GAUDREAU; ler vice-président: ABBR
A. VACHON, M.A.; 2éme vice-président: A.-R.-M. BOULTON3;
Secrétaire-trésorier: Louis-B. Lavo1r; Chef de la section
scientifique: A.-A. GoDBOUT; Chef de la section de propaganda
educationelle: DocTEUR A. DERY; Chef de la section de pro-
tection: R. MEREDITH, N.P.; Chef de la section d'information
scuntifique et pratique: DocTEUR J.-E. BERNIER: Directeusa:
K.-F. LINDSAY; Jos. MATTE; G.-S. AHERN.. ; ‘
THE BRITISH COLUMBIA ORNITHOLO.-
GISTS’ UNION
Officers for 1923
Hon. President: HON. MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, Victoria;
President: FRANCIS KERMODE, Provincial Museum, Victoria;
Vice-President: T. L. THACKER, Hope; Secretary-Treasures:
J. W. WINSoN, Huntingdon; Directors: J. A. MUNRO, Okana-
gan Landing; Dr. KELso, Arrow Lakes; R. GLENDENING,
Agassiz; K. Racrey, Vancouver; T. PEARSE, Courtenay;
W. N. KELLY, Victoria.
THE TORONTO FIELD-NATURALISTS’
CLUB
President: PRoFEssOR R. B. THOMSON; Vice-Presidenta:
Proressor E. M. WALKER, Dr. A. CosEns, J. H. FLEMING:
Secretary: W. F. GREGORY, 151 Ellsworth Ave., Toronto;
Treasurer: F. H. BRIGDEN; Honorary Librarian: C, W. NASH;
Librarian:| Dr. LyMAN B. JacKEs. BIRD. GROUP:—
Chairman: STUART THOMPSON; Secretary: JAMES BAILLIE.
FLOWER GROUP:—Chairman: Dr. H. B.SIFTON; Secretary:
Miss J. G. WricHT, Pu.D.; INSECT GROUP:—Chairman:
PROFESSOR WALKER; Secretary: Miss NoRMA Forp, Pr.D.
—Chairman: SuHittey Locier; Secretary: T. B. KURATA.
PROGRAM COMMITTEE:—Chairman: Dr. W. A. CLEM-
WILD LIFE PRESERVATION COMMITTER:—
Chairman: RUSSELL G. DINGMAN. .EDUCATIONAL COM-
MITTEE:—Chairman: TAYLOR STATTEN. ‘ :
°
RSS Tg
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 5
make this magazine into one of the
leading Natural History publications -
- of America.
Sweet Canada
Eleven Bird Songs and a Round
by
Louise Murphy
Author of *‘A Little Book of Bird Songs, _
Rhymes and Tunes for Tiny Tots’’
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191 QUEEN ST., OTTAWA
Card Filing Systems 6
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As makers of the Library
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tions and notes
Lowe-Martin Ltd.
OTTAWA, CANADA
Printers of The Canadian Field-Naturalist
Publishers of the Autobiography of John Macoun, M.A
Kindly deniton The Canadian Fisla-Nanieaie to datileere
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