SECTION IV., 1882. DIZAO I 
VI.— Notes on the Birds of Hudson’s Bay. 
By Rogerr Bet, MD. LL.D., FGS. of the Geological Survey of Canada. 
(Read May 26, 1882.) 
Having collected upwards of one hundred species of the birds of Hudson’s Bay, and 
made some notes with regard to their plumage at different seasons, and also on their migra- 
tions, nidifications and other habits, I beg to offer a few observations on some of the more 
interesting points which have come under my notice, and which may be new facts in regard 
to some of the species. These notes have been made incidentally, in the course of the some- 
what extensive opportunities which I have enjoyed during several journeys on Hudson’s 
Bay and in the surrounding country ; still they have been sufficient to convince me that 
we have yet much to learn as to the range of many of the birds of this continent. For 
example, some rather rare species which are supposed to belong to the Arctic regions come 
far south; others, hitherto believed to inhabit only Mexico and Texas, are found on the 
shores of Hudson’s Bay and westward. Again, some birds, which are stated in the books 
to be of continental distribution and which we would naturally expect to find, have not 
yet been seen by any one in a great part of this region. This is probably due to the absence 
from Hudson’s bay and the region to northward of the food or other conditions necessary for 
their existence. In some cases, species are represented by straggling individuals which are 
regarded locally as curiosities and are only met with at long intervals. Most of the speci- 
mens which I brought home were not sufficiently good to be worth keeping, and they were 
destroyed after the species had been carefully determined. A considerable number of them 
are, however, deposited in the Government Museum and may be examined by the members 
of this society. As the object of this paper is to elicit, if possible, some discussion on the 
subject of the distribution of the birds of Canada, I shall proceed at once to give a few notes 
on some of the species observed and on others which were conspicuous from their absence 
in the region under consideration. 
Among the swimming birds, I have not noticed nor heard of any of the Arctic puffins, 
garnets, etc., which are common in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The black guillemot is found 
everywhere, but always singly or in small numbers. Of the grebes, the horned species 
(Podiceps cornutus, Lath.) was collected at Fort George on the east side of James’ Bay, and at 
Fort Severn and York Factory on. the west coast of Hudson’s Bay. The divers are well 
represented, the Arctic loon (Colymbus Arcticus, Linn.) was, however, found only on the 
Eastmain coast. The red-throated diver is found in spring and autumn on both sides of 
the bay. A specimen was shot a few years ago at the north end of Lake Winnipeg. The 
great northern diver is at home in and all around Hudson’s Bay. In the spring, as 
soon as the water opens at the mouths of the rivers, they sometimes assemble in incredible 
numbers, as if by a previous understanding about a common meeting-place. At such time 
they may be much more easily shot than usual. These birds are said to spear their fish 
with the bill closed and to bring them to the surface so that they may turn them endwise 
; Sec. IV., 1882. 7 
