CATALOGUE OF CANADIAN BIRDS. 8 1 



composed of dry grass and well lined with the down of the bird. 

 Incubation had commenced about a week, which would make the 

 time of commencing to lay about the first week in May in this 

 case. {Rev. C.J. Young.) A few pairs breed in the large marshes 

 in western Ontario. {W. Saunders) At Wolfville, Nova Scotia, 

 a nest of this species was found, in a slight hollow in the ground, 

 lined with dry rushes, and sheltered by a clump of briar bushes. 

 The nest contained two eggs which were only slightly incubated 

 on May 27th, 1897. These eggs were taken by Mr. H. F. Tufts 

 and are now in the museum at Ottawa. A nest of this species 

 was found at Brackley point. Prince Edward island, by the writer, 

 on June 21st, 1888, with nine young just hatched. The nest was 

 on a hummock in a small marsh near the sandhills. 



133a. Red-legged Black Duck. 



Anas obscura rubipes Brewst. 1902. 



To the red-legged race I can unhesitatingly refer only four of 

 the breeding black ducks which I have examined. One of these (a 

 female) was taken by Mr. L. M. Turner on July ist, 1884 at Ungava, 

 northern Labrador ; another by Mr. John McKenzie at Moose Fac- 

 tory on James bay; a third by Mr. C. Drexler, on June 19th, i860, 

 at Cape Hope, Severn river; the fourth (a male) by Mr. E. A. Preble, 

 on July 28th, 1900, at Fort Churchill, the two localities last 

 named being on the western shores of Hudson bay. The summer 

 range is not definitely known but breeding specimens have been 

 examined from northern Labrador, James bay and the west shore 

 of Hudson bay. {Brewster.) Common winter visitor in Nova 

 Scotia. {H. F. Tufts.) 



An adult male was collected at Fort Churchill, July 28th, and 

 another had been shot by an Indian a day or two previously. 

 Blakiston records a specimen received from York Factory. The 

 species is called throughout the region the ''black stock duck" to 

 distinguish it from the mallard. {Preble.) Common migrant at 

 Toronto, Ont. This rather doubtful form remains later than the 

 black duck and consequently more are taken in the fall than the 

 other. (/. H. Fleming.) Ducks exhibiting many of the character- 

 istics of this variety have been exposed for sale on the market at 

 Ottawa. These birds according to Mr. Eifrig {The Auk, Vol. XXIII, 

 6 



