54 ROBERT BELL ON THE BIRDS OF HUDSONS BAY. 
gadwall or “ minik,” and the brant belong to the eastern group, while the blue- and green- 
winged teals, the spoon-bill or “long-neck,” and the mallard are essentially western or 
prairie ducks, and in winter are found in the direction of the Gulf of Mexico. While it is 
possible that the same birds follow the same track year after year, their course is influenced 
and modified by the natural features of the country. In parts they follow coast lines, large 
rivers, etc. On Hudson’s Bay in autumn, the geese, ducks, plover, etc, come from the 
north, and also gather from either side, and fly southward along each line of shore, congre- 
gating in large numbers where these two meet at the head of James’ Bay, from which they 
fly so as to pass eastward of Lake Superior. In the western part of the continent the same 
species of geese, ducks, etc., appear to arrive in spring in the far north as early as they do 
at their more southern destinations further east. This would imply either that they start 
earlier or fly more quickly, or persevere more steadily on their journey in the west, where 
the distance covered is so much greater. In the latter the birds are probably aided in the 
spring by the southerly winds, and in going south by the north-westerly winds of the 
autumn. The continuity of the land, of the supply of food, the gradual change, and the 
fact of having no mountain ranges to cross along the course from the Gulf of Mexico to the 
Arctic Sea at the mouth of the McKenzie, all tend to aid migration along that line. The 
greatest breeding ground on the continent is said to be about the mouth of the McKenzie, 
and thence eastward along the coast of the Arctic Sea towards the Coppermine River. It 
was in this region that Mr. McFarlane collected the enormous number of rare eggs which 
he formerly sent to the Smithsonian Institution. 
The foregoing observations are, no doubt, incomplete and imperfect, and the opinions 
may be somewhat erroneous, but I have neverthless been induced to give them, in order to 
endeayor to elicit some discussion of the subject, with the view of arriving at the true 
facts. 
