1916] The Ottawa Naturalist. 



THE MAGPIE IN WESTERN ONTARIO. 



The magpie has long been recognized as an erratic straggler, 

 but it has not happened to strike the eye of any observer in the 

 Western Peninsula of Ontario of late years; but on March 31st, 

 at 3.30 p.m., one flew over the farm of Mr. J. T. Miner, at Kings- 

 ville. He and his son were out, probably looking at the geese, 

 of which there were at that time between five hundred and one 

 thousand visiting him, and they noticed a bird crossing the 

 farm to the north of them, and took it for a blue jay, but the 

 tail was so long that they examined it with a field glass and 

 found that the wings had white patches on them, and "the tail 

 was as long as the body and dark." The flight was much like 

 that of a blue jay. 



Such a definite description from two good observers like 

 Mr. Miner and his son should make a valid record of the occur- 

 ence of this species. W. E. Saunoers. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



The Editor, Ottawa Naturalist: 



I should like to know, through the Ottawa Naturalist, 

 the largest beaver ever caught, and the largest specimen in any 

 museum. I am at present having one mounted which weighed 

 70 pounds. This was captured by Mr. Dan Patton, Midnapore, 

 Aha. Mr. Thompson-Seton mentions one of 68 pounds in his 

 "Northern Animals." 



N. B. SANSON, 

 Curator, Govt. Museum, Banff, Alta. 



UNUSUAL BIRD RECORDS AT MONTREAL DURING 

 THE FALL AND WINTER OF 1915-1916. . 



Larus marinus, Black-backed Gull. Nov. 3, I saw T a 

 female in the possession of Mr. Dumouchel, taxidermist. He 

 informed me that this was shot at Cedars Rapids (near Mont- 

 real) on Oct. 31. 



Larus Philadelphia, Bonapartes Gull. Nov. 1, I saw one 

 at Dumouchel's shop, shot near Montreal on Oct. 28. 



Branta canadensis canadensis, Canada Goose. On the 

 night of Jan. 21, a flock flew 7 over St. Lambert (opposite Mont- 

 real) in a south-westerly direction, and were heard honking for 



