92 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 17-No. 6 



A Collecting Trip to Canada. 



On the morning of June 21.st, in conipnny 

 with my guide, I arrived in Lac Clair, Canada, 

 which is some twenty-live miles north of the 

 Kiver St. Lawrence and lifty miles north-west 

 of the city of Quebec. 



Lac Clair is a beautiful lake some live miles 

 long by three wide, surrounded by lofty 

 mountains that are covered with heavy forests, 

 which I found to be the home of a great many 

 of our migrant and native birds. On my 

 journey into camp, while passing through a 

 small swamp, I recognized the notes of the 

 Maryland Yellow-throat and Canadian War- 

 blers, Chipping, Swamp and the beautiful 

 White-throated Sparrows. Not having time 

 to do any collecting before the next day, being 

 busy pitching camp and other things necessary 

 on trips of this kind, I paid but little attention 

 to the feathered kingdom for the day. 



On the following day, after eating our 

 breakfast of fried pork, potatoes and trout, 

 which latter we found to be very plentiful in 

 the lake, I took my small collecting gun anil 

 started for a walk such as many of my readers 

 would like to have taken. 



My first lind was a handsome male Yellow- 

 bellied Woodpecker that was climbing up the 

 side of a large pine. lie was soon lying at my 

 feet in answer to the report of my gun and 

 after examining him and tinding him to be an 

 old bird of fine plumage, he went into the 

 collecting bag. A few steps farther and a 

 second one followed the first. 



Ah ! what song is that I hear off to my 

 right? the little Wood Wren, and such a 

 song — one that must be heard to be appre- 

 ciated ; and such a chase through under-brush 

 and thickets ! But at last he is perched upon 

 that stump to sing once more, but it is hi.s 

 last song, for now he adorns my case at home. 

 While putting him away I was very much 

 surprised to hear the note of a Scarlet Tanager, 

 which I was not long in locating in some 

 oak trees and a still shorter time in bringing 

 him to my feet. It is a beautiful specimen 

 and I prize it very much, as I have never 

 heard of this bird being so far north before. 

 While returning to camp, I saw several Blue 

 Jays and Black-throated Gi-een Warblers, but 

 left them for another day. 



On the following morning, with my guide, 

 I started on a trip in a small birch canoe for 

 two large lakes known as Lac Long and Lac 

 Mauntabaun. While passing down Lac Clair, 

 we passed several Loons jwliich were not 



inclined to be friendly, and it was impossible 

 to get within gun-shot of them. A short 

 distance farther along and mother Black Duck 

 with her little family was in a great hurry to 

 make room for us to pass. Arriving at the 

 lower end of the lake, we were obliged to 

 make a short portage to the waters of Lac 

 Long. 



While passing through some small birches, 

 severiil strange notes drew my attention, and 

 as the guide now wished for a short rest, I 

 went to investigate them. I was soon 

 rewarded by locating a pair of Juncos. 

 Knowing their nest must be somewhere near 

 at hand and after hunting for a short time I 

 located it in a white cedar tree about lifteen 

 feet from the ground, containing young, some 

 two weeks old. The nest I found to be made 

 of small spruce sticks without any liniugwhat- 

 ever. 



While returning to the guide I took a fine 

 specimen of Swainson's Thrush, but was unable 

 to locate its nest, and was very much disap- 

 pointed in finding that I was from one to three 

 weeks too late to obtain specimens of any eggs 

 in this locality. 



We soon arrived at Lac Long and while 

 going up the lake started several Gulls that I 

 could not identify. I located one of their nests, 

 which was made of dried grass, on a large 

 rock. The young birds took to the water on 

 our approach and as I had nothing but my 

 light gun with me they were perfectly safe. 

 While examining their nest my attention was 

 called to a large Canadian Jay which sat 

 watching us from a neighboring tree and a 

 little way beyond, Mr. Raven was questioning 

 our rights in his northern home. 



Soon afterwards we entered the River Black 

 which connects Lac Mauntabaun with Lac 

 Long and is some five or six miles in length. 

 As we entered the mouth of the river we 

 started several Sand Peeps and also found 

 King Birds, (Jhimney and White-bellied Swal- 

 lows quite plentiful of which I took several, 

 fine specimens. On our way up the river 

 we passed several Ducks with their young. It 

 is in this country, I think, where most of our 

 wild Ducks go during the breeding season. 

 My guide informed me that just as soon as the 

 young birds were able to fly, they left aiul it 

 was impossible to find any more during the 

 balance of the season. 



After about two hours paddling up the 

 river, we enteied the lake and found it to be a 

 large and beautiful sheet of water. Several 

 large Gulls and Ducks arose on our approach, 



