MICHIGAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 59 



not studied in detail, a general description must suffice. The Shelldrake 

 River is the only large stream in the region. It is perhaps one hundred 

 feet wide at Shelldrake and has a little current. On the north side of the 

 point, there is a small stream that forms the outlet of Little Lake and flows 

 only a part of the smnmer; another, the outlet of East Vermilion Lake, 

 near Vermilion, is about one-fourth of a mile in length, swiftly flowing, and 

 clear and cold; east of Vermilion, there are two ditches that drain a system 

 of ponds into Lake Superior, and emptying into these ponds there is a small 

 stream that emerges from a cedar swamp. On the east side of the point 

 there are numerous small sluggish streams. 



The animals observed in the streams that serve as bird food are mink 

 frog, leopard frog and green frog, water snake, many kinds of small fish, 

 crawfish, snails and clams, but the faunas of the different streams vary 

 greatly. Practically no animals were found in the streams on the east side, 

 and many of those of the west side have a very meager fauna. 



The birds observed in this habitat are as follows: Merganser, Hooded 

 Merganser, Black Duck, Great Blue Heron, Sandhill Crane, Osprej' and 

 Kingfisher. 



ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. 



It is my pleasant duty to acknowledge the assistance of the late Mr. 

 John Clarke, of Vermilion, Mr. Robert Carlson and son, of the Whitefish 

 Point Lighthouse, Captain James Carpenter and ]Mr. Palmer Burrows of 

 the Life Saving Station, Mr. Frank Weatherhog and ]\Ir. Benjamin Butler, 

 mail carriers on the point, and Mr. Frank House, Mr. Alexander Barclay, 

 and Mr. William Hawkins, for notes, specimens and assistance in the field. 

 I must also acknowledge the very material assistance of my wife and daugh- 

 ter, who accompanied me in 1912, in cataloging and labeling specimens. 



LIST OF SPECIES. 



1. Colymbus auritus. Horned Grebe. — This bird was not noted in 1912, 

 but in 1914 two were seen by the writer near the beach at the end of the 

 point on May 23, and two again on May 27. 



2. Gavia immer. Loon. — While not abundant, this species was nearly 

 always to be seen on Lake Superior, generally about the fish nets. Pairs 

 were occasionally seen flying inland. It bred at Vermilion in 1914. 



3. Larus argentatus. Herring Gull. — This is one of the most abundant 

 species in the region. The birds seemed to make their headquarters at the 

 end of the point near the lighthouse, where hundreds came for the refuse 

 from the fisherj- , which was dumped on a vacant lot a quarter of a mile in- 

 land. Residents said that a colony nested on some rocky islands in White- 

 fish Bay, a few miles south of the point. 



4. Larus Philadelphia. Bonaparte's Gull. — This gull was seen but twice, 

 both times in 1914. On May 22 the writer found an adult male wounded 

 on the beach near the postoffice, and was told later that a flock had been 

 seen near Vermilion on the previous day by a member of the life saving 

 crew. On August 18 one was seen west of Vermilion. 



5. Sterna caspia. Caspian Tern. — On July 16, 1914, a Caspian tern was 

 seen on the beach at Vermilion by McCreary. It had been reported by 

 members of the life saving crew for two or three days previous to this date, 

 but was only seen once by members of the field party. 



6. Mergus americanus. Merganser. — This merganser is a surmner resident 



