48 



The Canadian Field-Naturalist 



[Vol. XXXIV. 



16. Wood Duck, Aix sponsa. Very rare now. 

 Ocasionally one or two stop at Komoka eight 

 miles south. 



1 7. Redhead, Marila americana. Frequently one 

 is met with in fall along with the Teals. 



18. Scaup Duck, Marila marila. R. T. Hedley 

 has a specimen he tcok at Duncrief, which, the late 

 Robert Elliott of Plover Mills, Ont., identified as 

 M. marila. 



19. Lesser Scaup Duck, Marila affinis. Regu- 

 lar spring and fall visitor. The latest spring record 

 I have is May 10, 1916. 



20. Golden-eye, Clangula dangula. Nearly 

 always appears spring and fall. Ocassionally stavs 

 on the creek with the Mergansers. A flock of 20 

 came to the pond one fall. 



21. Barrow's Golden-eye, Clangula islandica, 

 I have a young male I shot here October 17, 1917. 

 The only Golden-eye seen with the cre?ent spot. 



22. BuFFLEHEAD, Chariioneila albeola. Our 

 commonest duck. They usually stay a day or two 

 il unmolested. 



23. Old Squaw, Harclda hxicmalis. A male 

 in full plumage was taken at the Duncrief pond by 

 R. T. Hedley. 



24. King Eider, Somelaria spectahilis. One 

 taken at Duncrief by R. T. Hedley, November 24, 

 1900; the first Middlesex record. The specimen is 

 in the collection of W. E. Saunders, of Lond jh. 



25. White-winged Scoter, Oidemia deglandi. 

 I have a specimen taken by R. T. Hedley, at Dun- 

 crief. 



26. Ruddy Duck, Erismatura jamaicensis. Rare 

 fall migrant. 



27. Canada Goose, Branla canadensis. Abun- 

 dant migrant. Sometimes feeding on the wheat fields 

 in spring. 



28. American Bittern, Botaurus Icnliginosus. 

 Always present during the breeding season. They 

 have their eggs laid by June 3. 



29. Least Bittern, Ixobr\)chiis exilis. Took one 

 September 13, 1917, the only individual I have 

 seen near Coldstream. 



30. Great Blue Heron, Ardea herodias. 

 There is a black ash swamp ZVz miles east, where 

 about 22 pairs have nested for years. The majority 

 of the nest-trees are very tall dead ashes standing 

 in water; in most cases next to impossible to reach. 

 A set of six was taken from there by Clifford Zavitz, 

 May 10, 1901 ; incubation was very far advanced, 

 as they are through laying the last week in April. 

 There is always a pair of Great Horned Owls 

 staying there, as well as in the heronry north of 

 here. A heron has spent the winter along the creek 

 several times. 



31. Green Heron, Butorides virescens. A pair 



nest here regularly. Four nests observed were two 

 in cedar, one in aspen and one in hawthorn, all 

 qui'e near the creek. Last year the crows destroyed 

 one set of five. Four more were laid in the same 

 nest. 



32. Virginia Rail, Rallus virginianus. Rather 

 scarce. Usually a pair breeds. I found the young 

 birds one season; have sets of nine and ten eggs. 



33. Sora, Porzana Carolina. At least one pair 

 seen each year. In one nest containing fifteen eggs, 

 they were piled up in two layers. 



34. Coot, FuUca americana. Occasionally breeds, 

 but much more frequently seen in the fall. 



35. Woodcock, Philohela minor. Scarce now 

 but a pair always breeds. Young birds seen quite 

 regularly. I saw a nest with four infertile eggs, 

 May 10, 1915. The bird allowed me to stroke 

 her head before leaving. Evidently just the female 

 was present that year, as during repeated waits in 

 early April, no notes were heard from the male. 

 Just the one bird was seen all season. 



36. Wilson's Snipe, Callinago delicata. Com- 

 mon spring and fall. 



37. Knot, Tringa canuius. Two birds were 

 found dead under telephone wires, about eight and 

 one-half miles south. They are mounted and in 

 the possession of Mr. Knolls, Delaware. 



38. Pectoral Sandpiper, Pisobia macAata. 

 One specimen in my collection taken by R. T. Hed- 

 ley, at Duncrief, Ont., October 18, 1901. 



39. Least Sandpiper, Pisobia minutella. Com- 

 monest in late July and early August. 



40. Red-backed Sandpiper, Pelidna alpina. 

 Two came to the pond, October 15, 1917. Secured 

 one specimen. These are the only ones noted. 



41. Semi-palmated Sandpiper, Ereuneies pusil- 

 lus. Frequently seen with Least Sandpiper. 



42. Greater Yellow-legs, Toianus melano- 

 leucus. A few each spring. Quite common in 

 the fall. 



43. Lesser Yellow-legs, Toianus flavipes. 

 Not so regular as mclanoleucus. 



44. Solitary Sandpiper, Melodramas solitarius. 

 Irregular in spring, but always a few in August. 



45. Upland Plo\er, Bariramia longicauda. 

 Several pairs nest regularly in the large grass fieic. 

 W. R. Campbell, of Lobo, has a set of four taken in 

 May, 1914. I have a set of four found on June 3, 

 1915. Both birds flushed hard from the nest; the 

 one in June, 1915, did not leave until grass-tufi 

 around the nest was touched (and these were fresh 

 eggs). While searching for the last mentioned nest, 

 two birds continually circled over the field giving 

 their odd rattling notes. We thought at the time they 

 were the pair from the nest but on finding a bud 

 setting, concluded, there must have been two t.ccu- 



