84 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 



islands. (Xelson.) Rare. Two specimens, one taken near Vic- 

 toria, February 9th, 1899, and another near Saanich, Vancouver 

 island. (Kermode.) 



137. American Widgeon. Baldpate. 



Mareca americana (Gmel.) Stephens. 1824. 



Reported as a common migrant in Newfoundland (Reeks), and 

 southern Labrador. (Packard.) Rare migrant in Nova Scotia, 

 New Brunswick and Quebec; extending its range to Moose river, 

 where one was observed by Spreadborough in June, 1896, and the 

 west shore of Hudson bay at Fort Churchill. It is rather more 

 common in Ontario, but only as a migrant. This is a late duck to 

 arrive in the prairie region, and yet, according to Richardson, it 

 breeds abundantly as far north as lat. 68°. It breeds abundantly 

 in the marshes of the southern part of the prairie region, and is still 

 more abundant to the north. It is a common species in Manitoba, 

 and northwesterly. One pair was found breeding at Banff, Rocky 

 mountains, in May, 1891. 



Fannin and Brooks report it common in the Fraser valley and 

 interior of British Columbia, while Nelson and Turner say that it 

 is a comparatively rare-breeding duck in Alaska, though it breeds 

 as far north as Kotzebue sound, according to Nelson. Bishop saw 

 five ducks which he took to be baldpates above Fort Selkirk, Yukon 

 district. 



From the species coming late to Manitoba and yet breeding as far 

 north as lat. 68°, we are led to believe that the race which breeds in 

 Manitoba is different from that which is found in northern Alaska 

 and the Barren Grounds, and that the latter race has its winter 

 home on the Pacific side of the continent. 



Breeding Notes. — Breeding in the vicinity of Lake Manitoba, 

 1896. (Dippie.) This species also breeds throughout Manitoba 

 and Saskatchewan. The eggs are similar to those of the gadwell, 

 but average smaller in size. I have a clutch of ten eggs in my 

 collection which I took at Shoal lake, Manitoba, June i8th, 1894. 

 (Raine.) A few reached Edmonton, Alberta, by April 17th, 1897, 

 but not until May 5th were they common. On June ist found a 

 nest containing eleven eggs in a clump of willows about a quarter 

 of a mile from water. The nest was of the usual character, and, 

 like all other duck's nests, was lined with down. (S preadborough.) 



