80 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 
visitor only. As it has never been seen to the north I am in- 
clined to believe that it breeds on some secluded island of the 
Aleutian Islands. (/Ve/son.) 
137. American Widgeon. Baldpate. 
Mareca americana (GMEL.) STEPHENS. 1824. 
Reported as a common migrant in Newfoundland (Aeefs) and 
southern Labrador. (Packard.) Rare migrant in Nova Scotia, 
New Brunswick and Quebec; extending its range to Moose River, 
where one was observed by Spreadborough in June, 1896, and 
the south shore of Hudson Bay at Fort Churchill. It is rather 
more common in Ontario, but only as a migrant. 
This is a late duck to arrive in the prairie region, and yet, 
according to Richardson, it breeds abundantly as far north as 
Lat. 68°. It breeds abundantly in the marshes of the southern 
part of the prairie region, and is still more abundant to the north. 
It isa common species in Manitoba, and northwesterly. One pair 
was found breeding at Banff, Rocky Mountains, in May, 1894. 
Fannin and Brooks report it common in the Fraser valley and 
interior of British Columbia, while Nelson and Turner say that 
it is a comparatively rare-breeding duck in Alaska, though it 
breeds as far north as Kotzebue Sound, according to Nelson. 
From the species coming late to Manitoba and yet breeding 
as far north as Lat. 68°, I am led to believe that the race which 
breeds in Manitoba is different from that which is found in 
northern Alaska and the Barren Grounds, and that the latter 
race has its winter home on the Pacific side of the continent. 
BREEDING Notes.—Breeding in the vicinity of Lake Manitoba, 
1896. (Dippie.) This species also breeds throughout Manitoba 
and Assiniboia. The eggs are similar to the Gadwell, but average 
smaller in size. I haveaclutch of teneggsin my collection which 
I took at Shoal Lake, Manitoba, June 18th, 1894. (Razne.) A few 
reached Edmonton, Alberta, by April 17th, 1897, but not until 
May 5th were they common. On June Ist found a nest contain- 
ing eleven eggs ina clump of willows about a quarter of a mile 
from water. The nest was of the usual character, and, like all 
other ducks’ nests, was lined with down. (Spreadborough.) 
