Interior of British North America. 129 



Ardea herodias. 



The Great Blue Heron^ mentioned in the 'Fauna Bor.-Am.' 

 only as accidental in the interior, was found breeding by 

 M. Bourgeau, in July 1858, near Battle River, a tributary of the 

 north branch of the Saskatchawan. There were several nests in 

 a poplar- wood, situated in a large ravine near a lake ; they were 

 about fifty feet from the ground. One was taken, which contained 

 six eggs of a greenish blue ; and a parent-bird was shot, which I 

 carefully compared with Wilson's description. The length of the 

 skin was 50 inches, wing 18g in., and bill, from the forehead, 

 6 in. For my own part, I never saw a Heron until I was 

 leaving the interior, when I observed what I took for an 

 individual of this species, in Northern Minnesota, near the 

 49th parallel, on the 2nd of May. 



BOTAURUS LENTIGINOSUS. 



The American Bittern is not an uncommon bird in the 

 interior, although I cannot boast of a specimen ; however, one 

 is recorded in the ' Fauna Bor.-Am.' from the Saskatchawan, and 

 there is a specimen in the Smithsonian Institution from Nelson 

 River. Mr. Murray notices it from the coast of Hudson's Bay; 

 and Mr. Ross gives the range on the Mackenzie to the Arctic 

 coast. 



95. Charadrius virginicus. 



The breeding-quarters of the American Golden Plover being 

 the '^ barren grounds" and coasts and islands of the Arctic Sea, 

 it is only a passing visitor in the more southern parts of British 

 America. It is numerous in autumn on the shores of Hudson's 

 Bay ; but I do not fancy it can be a common bird on the 

 western plains ; for I only shot a single individual {' Ibis,' vol. iv. 

 p. 8) in the fall of they ear, which I took to be a maimed bird, 

 and one again in the spring. Mr. Murray has received specimens 

 from Hudson's Bay ; and Mr. Ross notes it as abundant on the 

 Mackenzie. 



96. ^GIALITIS VOCIFERA. 



The Kildeer arrived in the neighbourhood of Fort Carlton on 

 the 19th of April in 1858. I found it a difficult bird to approach 

 within the range of small shot. Besides my own, M. Bourgeau 



