March, 1921.] 



The Canadl\.n Field-Naturalist. 



51 



westea-n village, there exi^;ed such free- 

 dom of movement, such ready accessibil- 

 ity to the open and its occupants, that 

 one seemed snrrounde-d always by pecu- 

 liar benefits. 



Aside from the singular chann and 

 seductiveness of the northern prairies in 

 autumn, birds and mammals abound, 

 making a visit there of very practical 

 interest. I would not venture to describe 

 the Islay region as inordinately rich in 

 species, nor, on the other hand, markedly 

 poor, remembering t/ie latitude. In point 

 of individuals, however, I will refrain, as 

 I might be induced to expatiate too free- 

 ly. I would say briefly in this connection, 

 though, tlhat it is my impression that one 

 must visit a favorable place in our Canad- 

 ian "West fully to realize tlie great flights 

 of waterfowl from the north which obtain 

 during the autumnal migrations. Liter- 

 ally t^iousands upon thousands pass over 

 a given locality in a single day, followed 

 day in and day out at times, over areas 

 of wonderful extent, wit^ increasing or 

 decreasing numbers. To be on hand there- 

 fore during these flights is a privilege 

 to be dherished to tihe full. 



I remained at or near Islay from 

 August 29, 1919, until November 30 

 following, about fourteen weeks in all. 

 My notes were collected under divers 

 - circumstances with no thought of pub- 

 lication at the time, and have since been 

 pilfered from a rather promiscuous jour- 

 nal. Any lack of co^iesion or consistenc}^ 

 may posisdbly be traced to these circum- 

 stiances. 



Of the fifty species of birds recorded 

 at Islay, a great many may be regarded 

 solely as migrants, especially among the 

 water-birds, although not all of these can 

 be considered such. Before the advent 

 of the settlertsi, most if not all of the 

 waterfowl mentioned would, I believe, be 

 found as breeding summer residents in 

 the immediatie vicinity. So many of the 

 sloughs throughout the country have of 

 late years dried up, that now numbers of 

 these waterfowl are forced to otiher parts 

 to rear their young. Tihie majority of the 

 smaller species will, in all probability, 

 be found as summer residentia. As con- 

 cerns the general status of a region's 

 Nbird life, an autumnal list certainly leaves 



a great deal to be desired. Nevertheless 

 there may be something of interest and 

 value even in an incomplete list like the 

 present. 



Autumn Birds op Islay and Vicinity. 



1. Horned Grebe {Colymhus auriUis). 

 A few believed to be this species noted 

 on Laurier and W]iitney Lakes, Sept. 1. 



2. Herring Gull {Larus argentatus). 

 The only indi^dduals seen were two rid- 

 ing the waves near shore on Laurier Lake, 

 September 1. 



3. Mallard {Anas platyrhytichos) . No- 

 ted on various occasions througlhout the 

 season. What were suppositionally iden- 

 tified as mallards passed south near sun- 

 down on October 18, in a fast flying 

 flock one hundred and fifty strong, 

 strung out in a long single imposing line 

 at right angles to the line of flight. 



4. Shoveller Duck (Spatula cyanop- 

 tera). Two individuals collected at W^iit- 

 ney Lake. 



5. Ruddy Duck (Erismatura jamaicen- 

 sis). Obi5erved on several occasions dur- 

 ing September. 



6. Canada Goose (Branta canaden- 

 sis). During migration very common. 

 On the night of September 16, a large 

 flock loudly "honking" passed over the 

 town. Large companies bore southward 

 all day September 18. 



7. Black Brant {Branta nigricans). 

 I make this a Ih^TJOthetieal entry. On 

 September 18 and 19, flocks named by 

 an old gunner as brant passed southward 

 calling regularly as they bore along. Ac- 

 cording to hiisi statements their notes were 

 easily distinguishable from otihers of t^eir 

 kin. The brant of any species, however, 

 are supposedly rarely if ever to migrate 

 inland. In Macoun's catalogue I find 

 a note by Turner for the present species 

 reading: "Few are seen in the fall as 

 they then pass tlhirough the interior go- 

 ing south." I take it from this that 

 tjtieir occurrence inland is not improbable. 



8. American Bittern {Botaurus lenti- 

 ginosns). One individual only observed 

 on September 5, as it rose with a hoarse 

 "squawk" from a mud-bar on the Ver- 

 milion river. 



9. Whooping Crane {Grus americana). 



^1 

 V 



