In North- West Canada. 155 



a male buffle-headed duck, no doubt the female was sitting on 

 her eggs in some hollow tree in the bluffs around the lake. 



A clutch of ten eggs in my possession were collected at this 

 lake, May 25th, 1890. The nest was found in a hole of a 

 decayed tree fifteen feet from the ground, and the hole was 

 lined with feathers and down. The eggs are greyish-buff' and 

 average 2.00x1.45. 



I again tied the horse to a fence and went and examined a 

 bluff' in hopes of finding some hollow tree containing a nest of 

 the buffle-head, hooded merganser or summer duck, but with 

 the exception of a few crows' nests and grackles, I found noth- 

 ing worthy of note. A pair of double-crested cormorants fiew 

 across the lake. They nest on some of the larger lakes of 

 Manitoba. Hundreds breed at Elk Island, in Lake Winnipeg : 

 some make their nests on low trees, and others nest on the 

 ground. The nests are made of sticks and rushes, and usually 

 contain three or four eggs, bluish-green in colour, with the 

 usual chalky surface ; the size averages 2.50x1.55. 



Thirty miles south-east of Oak Lake is Whitewater Lake, at 

 the foot of Turtle Mountain, a good place for the sportsman 

 in the fall of the year, when this fine sheet of water is covered 

 with thousands of ducks and geese. A number of skiffs are 

 kept for hire at Boissevain station. Near Whitewater are the 

 Tiger Hills, haunted by moose, black-tailed deer, and black 

 and brown bears, it also being a good locality for Canada 

 grouse. Camp outfit must be taken, but the sport is said to 

 repay all trouble, as ample occupation can be found for both 

 rod, rifle and shot-gun. This lake, as well as most of the larger 

 lakes in Manitoba, is plentifully stocked with fine fish, includ- 

 ing heavy maskinonge, pike, pickerel, etc., and they furnish a 

 pleasant change of occupation during weather too warm for 

 game to keep, or when it is desirable to give gun and rifle 

 a rest. 



As the horse was getting rather restless, and it was four 

 o'clock, I drove away from the lake, and afterwards found I 

 had left a basket with some eggs in it on the shore of the lake, 

 so I went back, but could not find it ; fortunately the basket 

 only contained common eggs. 



