54 NORTH AMERICAN DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS. 



the eastern United States about the 1st of Ma\^ (Erie, Pa., May 18, 

 1900). The last were seen at Fort McMurraj^ Alberta, May 15, 1901. 

 On the Pacific coast, the first old-squaws were noted at Chilcat, 

 Alaska, March 11, 1882; off the mouth of the Yukon, stragglers usuall}^ 

 arrive early in April as soon as open water appears; the main migra- 

 tion is several weeks later, and the first arrivals appear at Point Bar- 

 row late in May (May 18, 1882; May 24, 1883; May 31, 1898). The 

 first reached the mouth of the Kowak River, Alaska, May 22, 1899. 



Eggs have been taken at St. Michael, May 18; on the Pribilof Islands, 

 June 12; near the Kowak River the last of June; Fort Anderson, 

 Mackenzie, June 7, 1861, June 11, 1865; northwestern Hudson Bay, 

 June 27; Ungava Bay, Labrador, June 16. 



Fall migration. — Fall migration had already begun and large flocks 

 had passed south to Great Bear Lake in 1903 by August 28, and were 

 still numerous there September 17. An unusually early migrant was 

 seen near Erie, Pa., September 13, 1876. Early dates are September 

 30, 1895, on the coast of Massachusetts, and October 8, 1885, on Long 

 Island. The average date of arrival for six years on the coast of Mas- 

 sachusetts is October 11, and for nine years on Long Island, October 16. 

 The birds are most abundant the first half of Noveml)er, after which 

 month the larger number pass on to more southern waters. The last 

 were seen near northern Greenland, latitude 82^, September 16, 1875. 

 Most leave Point Barrow in earlv October, but a straggler was seen 

 there December 9, 1882. They leave the coast of Alaska, off St. 

 Michael, from the 15th to the 20th of October. 



Histrionicus histrionicus (Linn.). Harlequin Duck. 



Breeding range. — The harlequin breeds commonh' in Newfoundland 

 and on the whole west coast of Greenland south of Upernavik, lati- 

 tude 72^, on the cast coast north to Scoresby Sound, and in Iceland; 

 also along the north coast of Labrador, at Ungava Bay, and Hudson 

 Strait. There is no reason for doubting that its breeding range is 

 continuous from northern Labrador west to the mouth of the Macken- 

 zie River, though breeding records from this region are wanting. 

 The species was noted by one of the parties of the Biological Survey 

 August 20 and 21, 1903, a short distance south of MacTavish Bay, 

 Great Bear Lake, in latitude 65*^ 30', where it was probably breeding. 

 It has been taken also at Fort Rae, at Fort Simpson, and on Bear Lake 

 River. It is known to breed from the mouth of the Mackenzie west 

 to Kotzebue Sound and to the Siberian coast. It occurs in summer on 

 most of the islands west of Alaska, south to the Shumagin Islands, 

 and in the Aleutian chain west to the Near Islands and to the Com- 

 mander Islands off' the coast of Asia. Most, if not all, of these birds, 

 however, are nonbreeders. It has been noted breeding at several 

 localities in the interior of Alaska, and breeds locally throughout the 



