1 88 



The Ottawa Naturalist. 



[December 



The shells of this species found at Duck Island are far more beau- 

 tiful than any shells of the kind found elsewhere. But to U. Occi- 

 dent, the prize of Paris must be given. Never probably in any 

 place were so many beautiful fresh water shells obtained in the 

 same brief time as were found on that September afternoon. 

 There were thousands of U. occidens to select from, and many of 

 those left to increase and multiply were abandoned w ith some- 

 thing of the regret one would feel who was compelled to leave fine 

 pearls behind because one could not carry more away. Red occi- 

 dens huitres rouges of our boatman, were very numerous, and 

 from this deep and prized tint the changeful species ran the chro- 

 matic scale through every shade of orange, yellow and lemon, 

 diversified always with deep green rays, now broad, now narrow, 

 sometimes sparsely, oftener closely set. 



The results for the day were upwards of six hundred selected 

 shells of the following species : 



Unio complanatus, Sol. 





U. borealis, A. F. Gray. 

 U. occidens, Lea. 

 U. ellipsis, Lea. 

 U. alatus, Say. 

 U. gracilis, Barnes. 

 U. rectus, Lamarck. 

 U. gibbosus, Barnes. 

 Margaraitana undulata, Say. 

 Anodonta undulata, Say. 

 A. Benedictii, Lea. 



No attempt was made to secure A. fluviatilis from the pond 

 on the island, nor were any of our smaller shells collected. 



F. R. L. 



THE FULVOUS TREE-DUCK. 



In September, 1905, Mr. J. S. Rollins saw eleven fulvous 

 tree-ducks, (Dendrocygna aufumnalis) on the fiats near New 

 Alberni, Vancouver Island and shot five of them. One specimen 

 is in the provincial museum at Victoria. This is the first record 

 for this bird in Caunda. W. Spreadborough. 



Victoria, B. C. 



