254 Natural History Bulletin. 



terns. I did not see a single instance in which the black tern 

 was diving for fish, as all other terns do. On the contrary, it 

 was constantly circling around in the air in pursuit of insects, 

 which it caught with great dexterity. Its position in flight 

 was more like that of a gull than a tern, the bill usually being 

 pointed out in front of the bird, rather than directly down- 

 ward, as is characteristic with terns in general, especially 

 when feeding. This latter position would be assumed when 

 they circled with angry cries around the collectors, but not, 

 so far as I saw, when engaged in their ordinary pursuits. 



Found from Hudson's Bay to Chili. Breeds in Northern 

 United States and northward. 



Fifteen species secured; 9 ^, i ?, SJuv. 



Order STEGANOPODES. Totipalmate Swimmers. 



Family phalacrocoracid.e. Cormorants. 



Phalacrocorax DiLOPHUs. (Sw. &Rich.). Double-crested 

 Cormorant. Called " Crozv-Duck'''' by the natives. Not seen 

 in large numbers at any one place, but a few were always 

 about Grand Rapids, their favorite resting place being on 

 some rocks in the middle of the river above the fort. We 

 were assured that they formerly bred in great numbers in 

 Crow-Duck Lake, which we visited without seeing any 

 considerable number of these birds. If they ever bred there, 

 I can see no reason for their leaving, as the place is seldom 

 visited even by the Indians, and it is unlikely that they have 

 been seriously molested by man, although ^^'^ collectors may 

 have invaded even this spot. The Indians seem acquainted 

 with their breeding habits, which indicates that there are, or 

 have recently been, rookeries not far distant. The two speci- 

 mens secured were shot while perching on a tree near the 

 portage just above the Rapids. 



Family pelecanid.e. Pelicans. 



Pelecanus erythrorhynciius. Gmel. White Pelican. 

 Common on and near Lake Winnipeg and Cross Lake. Not 



