^°''i9i6^"'] MousLEY, Birds of Hatley, Que. 63 



to the breeding grounds in the far north by waj- of the eastern side of the 

 Mississippi valley, belong to this species and not to the Lesser Snow Goose. 



4. Branta canadensis (Linnaeus). Canada Goose. — Common tran- 

 sient; April 25 to May 2; Oct. 16 to "Nov. 25. Flocks of from 20 to 30 of 

 these geese can usually be seen both during the day and night, heading 

 either north or south as the case may be, and generally spread out in a well 

 defined V shape. 



5. Botaurus lentiginosus (Montagu). American Bittern.^ Fairly 

 common summer visitant; April 24 to Sept. 29. Average date of arrival 

 (for four years) April 27; of departure (for three years) Sept. 28. Eggs: 

 May 29 to June 14. A pair of bitterns visit the marsh every year, but I 

 have only succeeded in finding their nest on two occasions, the eggs on 

 June 14 being heavily incubated, and hatching out some few days later. 

 Of all the ugly little spitfires young bitterns beat anj^thing I have ever seen. 

 I suppose I must consider myself lucky in having been able to watch a male 

 bittern boom for nearly half an hour, although the spectacle was not very 

 edifying, reminding one somewhat of a person in the throes of seasickness. 

 However, I suppose his lady love thought otherwise, and no doubt was duly 

 impressed by the ceremony. 



6. Ardea herodias (Linnaeus). Great Blue Heron. — Fairly com- 

 mon transient; April 19 to May 31; July 25 to Nov. 13. Average date of 

 arrival (for four years) April 26; of departure (for three years) Nov. 8. 

 One or two of these handsome birds can be found at most times on the 

 marsh during the above dates. 



7. Rallus virginianus (Linnaeus). Virginia Rail.— Rare transient 

 visitor; July 22 to 24. On the first of the above dates in the present year 

 (1915), I saw (and shot for identification) my first example of this rail, and 

 on the latter date saw another in about the same place, on the edge of the 

 reeds, which no doubt was its mate. 



8. Porzana Carolina (Linnaeus). Carolina Rail or Sora. — Rare 

 summer visitant; May 23 to Oct. 12. Eggs: July 22. Up to July of the 

 present year (1915) I had only seen two examples of this rail in October, 

 and it was with much surprise therefore, whilst walking through a bed of 

 cat-tails in the marsh on the above date in July, that I came across a nest 

 containing six young birds which had just hatched and two addled eggs, 

 which latter I was able to preserve as cabinet specimens. The nest was 

 composed entirely of old dry cat-tail leaves, and when found the top was 

 five and one half inches above the surface of the ground, upon which it 

 rested, the water in the marsh being nearly all dried up at this date. 

 There was a well defined approach from the gi'ound to the summit of the 

 nest, but apparently no canopy. 



9. Philohela minor (Gmelin). American Woodcock. — Rare tran- 

 sient; May 7 to 10. After three years repeated failure to find any traces 

 of this bird, I flushed one on the first of the above dates in 1914, from under- 

 neath a cedar tree, and came upon it again three days later, whilst it was 

 standing dozing at the edge of a little alder run, not far from the spot 

 where I first put it up. 



