Interior of British North America. 41 



site for synonyms and reference to authorities, adopted that 

 of Professor S. F. Baird in his admirable ' Report on the Birds 

 of North America/ because that publication, being the result of 

 much labour, must hereafter be looked on as a standard synopsis 

 for reference on American ornithology ; and I will here mention 

 that I am indebted to its author for material assistance in the 

 identification of my collection, he having supplied me with 

 specimens from the Smithsonian Institution of those species 

 that were likely to be confounded together. 



Recurring to the geographical area to which the following 

 notes refer, a glance at a map is sufficient to show that, being 

 quite the heart of the northern part of the continent, its fauna 

 may be considered strictly American ; for, being well removed 

 from both the eastern and western sea-boards, it ought not to 

 include stragglers from either Europe or Asia. Some Pacific 

 forms, however, occur, as might be expected, in the north-western 

 corner, namely, on the Mackenzie River and its tributaries ; for 

 the configuration of the west coast north of the Columbia is such, 

 that birds taking a direct north flight would naturally strike the 

 upper waters of the Yukon River, flowing through the Russian 

 territory, between which and the Mackenzie the lowness of the 

 northward extension of the Rocky Mountain range is hardly a 

 barrier ; and consequently we find not only stragglers, but regular 

 visitants from the Pacific frequenting the north part of the valley 

 of the Mackenzie and adjacent Arctic shore. Such birds, there- 

 fore, are here included, at least so many as are known to us ; and 

 I have sometimes mentioned the occurrence on the Yukon of cer- 

 tain species (although that is beyond my bounds), in order to 

 draw attention to them. For like reason also, I have noticed 

 birds which have been found by American expeditions on the 

 Upper Missouri ; but, like the last, they have only been referred 

 to incidentally, and do not figure in the list in capitals, such 

 being applied only to those ascertained to inhabit some portion 

 of the " interior " as defined above ; and no species which have 

 been found only in Labrador and the north-east Arctic lands, 

 British Columbia, or any part of Canada have been admitted ; 

 but I have drawn up this paper with the sole intention of sup- 



