February, 1919] 



The Ottawa Naturalist 



141 



10. ^Bonaparte's gull, Lotus ph'lcdelph'a 



Not identified by us in 1917 though a flock of 

 birds noted at a distance, Sept. 22, were probably 

 of this species, as Franklin's Gull seems to leave 

 before this date. In 1918, Young saw eleven on 

 May 25, taking specimens in verification. They 

 appeared again in some numbers on Aug. 16 and 

 remained without much diminution up to the date 

 of his leaving, Oct. 2. Though Sefon (Auf(, 1886, 

 p. 147) cites Gunn as the authority for its breeding 

 on Shoal Lake and repeats the statement in subse- 

 quent lists, including his Fauna of Manitoba, Brills'^ 

 Association Handbook, 1909, I cannot but regard 

 it as a mistake, and think that h ranklin's Gull has 

 been the basis of these records. The nearest well 

 authenticated records of the breeding of this bird is 

 on the lower Mackenzie. The more or less com- 

 mon occurrence of non-breedmg Bonaparte's Gull 

 in summer dates, as far east as the Atlantic coast, 

 has probably been to blame for many confusions 

 of breeding records between these similar birds. 



11. CASPIAN TERN, Sterna caspia. 



On the gravelly islands where the Common Tern 

 used to nest in immense numbers the Ward brothers 

 tell us that there were occasional sets of eggs that 

 were so much larger than the re^t as to attract im- 

 mediate attention. The parents of these seemed to 

 them to be exactly similar to the other tern flying 

 about but considerably larger. Though they re- 

 garded them at the time as only monstrosities there 

 can be but little question but that these were Caspian 

 Tern. The numerical ratio these eggs bore to those 

 of the Common Tern was about five to a thousand. 



12. '^FORSTEr's TERN, Sterna forsteri. 



Seton says that while he did not note the species, 

 Miller Christy found it common on May 1, 1887. 

 Arnold and Raine report colonies of hundreds of 

 nests, but it is suggestive that they make no mention 

 of the Common Tern. In 1917, we found Forster's 

 Tern in company with the Common Tern but gen- 

 erally scarce. In 1918, Young observed it from 

 the 8th to the end of May, but much more common 

 during the last week. He has one hypothetical 

 record for two individuals, namely Aug. 21. The 

 Wards say that it was once much more common 

 than now and that it used to nest singly on the 

 musk-rat houses in the marsh and not on the 

 gravelly islets with the Common Tern. 



13. '^COMMON TERN, Sterna hirundo. 



The Ward brothers tell us that when the water 

 was high the Common Tern nested in immense 

 numbers on the gravelly islets. On one such islet 

 of about three acres, they once estimated one thou- 

 sand nests. In some places the foot could not be 

 put down without treading on eggs. This statement 

 is largely confirmed by Seton. Such descriptions, 

 however, do not represent the species at Shoal Lake 



now and there is no indication of any nesting there. 

 The species was occasionally common during our 

 spring visit in 1917. In 1918, Young found them 

 more or less common during the latter half of May 

 snd noted a few individuals occasionally through 

 June, July and August and as late as Sept. 16, 

 when a flock of thirty was seen. The Common 

 Tern can be separated from Forster's in life by the 

 frayness of the white below. In Forster's Tern the 

 under parts look a dazzling, pure white in the sun, a 

 character that is obvious when both species are in 

 view together and, after a little experience, of value 

 when they are seen separately. 



14. "^BLACK TERN, Hydrocheledon nigra. 



A common breeding species nesting in the few 

 wet spots remaining back from the lake. None were 

 seen in September of 1917. Young reports heavy 

 migrations Aug. 1 lo 21, and the lai; seen, Sept. 3. 



15. DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, Phalcrocorax 



aurilus. 

 Said by Gunn, Seton, and the Ward brothers to 

 have been a common breeder on the islands, but 

 now, except for occasional stragglers and during 

 migrations, they have deserted the lake. None were 

 seen by us in 1917, but Young reports flocks of five 

 to sixty in late April and early May with straggling 

 singles on May 23 and Aug. 29. All seen were 

 flying over, mostly from east to west, towards Lake 

 Manitoba. Probably the growing alkalini'.v of the 

 lake has destroyed the fish and forced them to seek 

 other feeding grounds. 



16. WHITE PELICAN, Pelecanus erythrorhynchus. 

 Said by the Ward brothers to have been a very 



common breeder on the islands during high water, 

 and Raine speaks of an "Island white v^th them" 

 in 1894. Seton tells of seeing a flock of thirty-five 

 and finding a score of deserted nests, "the eggs 

 strewn about, in some cases evidently sucked, I 

 suppose by Herring Gulls". We are told that their 

 eggs used to be regularly gathered by Indians and 

 others. In one case a boat-load were boiled and fed 

 to the hens. At present only a few small flocks 

 appear in the spring, and occasional summer vis- 

 itors. Young reports thirty on May 6, which were 

 all we saw. 



17. *RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, Mergus serratoT. 

 Young found one dead on the beach near the 



Narrows in the spring of 1918. This is our only 

 definite record of the species. Though the Ward 

 brothers do not distinguish between the two big 

 saw-bills, they report them common in spring but do 

 not think they breed locally. 



18. ^HOODED MERGANSER, Laphodytes cuciAiaiu:,. 

 Young reports this species in early May, the 



middle of June, late July and the last of August. 

 The Wards state that it breeds in the neighbour- 

 hood and that young in flapper stage are often 



