78 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 



XLV. CASARCA Bonaparte. 1838. 

 131.1. Ruddy Sheldrake. 



Casarca casarca (Linn.) Allen. 1896. 



In 1892 the Geographical Society of Berlin sent an expedition 

 to west Greenland, which was accompanied by Dr. Vanhoffen as 

 naturalist. He reports seeing the skin of this species in a small 

 collection of birds' skins made at Augpalartok, in the district of 

 Uppernavik, which was collected in that vicinity in 1892. (/. A. 

 Alle?i in The Auk, Vol. XIII, 244, 1896.) 



XLVI. ANAS LiNN^us. 1758. 

 132. Mallard. 



A?ias boscJias Linn. 1758. 



Breeds in both inspectorates of Greenland and is not rare. {Arct. 

 Man.) A rather common bird ; most common in the winter 

 months; a few breed at Ivigtut, Greenland. {Hagerup.) On the 

 basis of a comparison of a large series of specimens of the mallard 

 from Greenland with specimens from Denmark Mr. Schiceler has 

 separated the Greenland form as a sub-species under the name 

 Anas boschasspilog aster. [The Auk, Vol. XXII, p. 331.) 



It is very rare in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, and only 

 occasional in New Brunswick. It becomes more common in Que- 

 bec, especially in the Montreal district, and in western .Ontario, 

 as a migrant; assembles in great flocks and feeds in the marshes 

 along Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair, where a few pairs remain to 

 breed. 



This is the most abundant duck in the Northwest Territories 

 and British Columbia, breeding near ponds and lakes from lat. 49° 

 to the borders of the Barren Lands. Preble saw one or two on ponds 

 in the Barren Grounds north of Seal river. It is not a bird of the 

 sea-coast, but prefers the ponds and lakes of the interior. It was 

 breeding in Vermilion lake at Banff, 1891, and in Eagle pass in 

 the Gold range, B.C., in May, 1890. It is quite common in the 

 interior of Alaska and breeds as far north as Kotzebue sound, 

 according to Nelson. On the Alaskan shores it is not common, 



