Interior of British North America. 135 



P. noveboracensis is also given in the ' Fauna Bor.-Am./ on the 

 authority of Hutchins. 



103. FULICA AMERICANA. 



The American Coot^ or, as it is called by the half-breeds and 

 fur-traders, the " Water-Hen,^' may be found in large numbers 

 on the reedy lakes of the Saskatchawan prairies, where it arrives 

 from the south to spend the summer at the end of April. It 

 has a habit of making a sharp rattling noise at night, and, 

 moreover, is said to migrate during darkness only, which the 

 Cree Indians account for by affirming that, if these birds were 

 to fly by day, the Ravens would chase them, taking the 

 white bill for a piece of fat. The eggs of the Coot are collected 

 in great numbers by the fur-traders. I went once in company 

 with one of them, and by having a bark canoe, which we could 

 push through the grass and reeds growing in the lake, we col- 

 lected a hundred and fifty during a few hours ; this, however, 

 was considered but a poor day^s work. My specimen {' Ibis,' 

 vol. iv. p. 9) was from Fort Carlton, and Mr. Ross records it 

 from the Mackenzie. It is considered that this bird is not found 

 near Hudson's Bay. 



Order VI. NATATORES. 



Cygnus americanus. 



The American Swan, under the name of C. bewickii, is given in 

 the ' Fauna Bor.-Am.' as breeding on the Arctic coast ; and on 

 the Saskatchawan I observed a species distinguishable from C. 

 buccinator by the harshness of its note, which approached more to 

 that of the Crane, migrating northward in flocks late in April. 

 I was told that the Crees, who notice it as a smaller bird, call it 

 the " bad-looking Swan," probably on account of many being 

 found in the rusty plumage. Mr. George Barnston mentions 

 {' Ibis,' vol. ii. p. 253) the hatching of a Swan near Norway 

 House, at the north extremity of Lake Winipeg, as rather ex- 

 ceptional; but gives the south end of Hudson's Bay as a 

 favourite locality, although most make their way to the far north 

 for this purpose. Mr. Ross mentions C. americayius as "not 

 common" on the Mackenzie. I have lately seen a specimen 

 from Hudson's Bay agreeing with C. americanus in the yellow 



