THE IBIS. 



No. XVIII. APRIL 1863. 



XII. — On the Birds of the Interior of British North America. 



By Captain Thomas Blakiston. 



(Concluded from p. 87). 



Order IV. RASORES. 



89. ECTOPISTES MIGRATORIA. 



The first Passenger Pigeon arrived at Fort Carlton in 1858, 

 on the 23rd of May ; and by the middle of June numerous flocks 

 were making their way northwards. They may be distinguished 

 at a long distance, from water-fowl or waders, by their flight 

 being in no particular order, but on the principle of " every one 

 for himself, and the devil take the hindermost.^^ On the Mac- 

 kenzie Mr, Ross observes that it reaches Fort Norman in 65°, 

 while Sir John Richardson has stated that on the coast of Hud- 

 son's Bay it is only found as far north as 58° in some summers. 



90. Tetrad obscurus (Say). 



richardsonii (Douglas). 



That one or both of these fine Grouse inhabits the " interior " 

 of British North America is certain from specimens collected by 

 Mr. Douglas, Mr. Drummond, Mr. Bernard Ross, and myself. 

 Mr. Ross considers his to be T. richardsonii — the black-tailed and 

 smaller species, to which also I refer the figure of the male in 

 the * Fauna Bor.-x\m.' The specimen which I brought home, 

 mentioned in my original list (' Ibis,' vol. iv. p. 8), measured 

 18| inches in length and 8 inches in the wing : another female, 

 shot a week later, differed only in being one inch shorter in the 



VOL. V. K 



