278 Brooks, Birds of the Cariboo District, B. C. [ -^ " 



k 



July 



The whole district has a very cold winter climate and a moder- 

 ately warm summer. Mosquitoes and blackflies swarm, and bird- 

 nesting in the swamps and woods is generally anything but a 

 pleasure. 



1. Colymbus holboellii. Holboell's Grebe. 



2. Colymbus auritus. Horned Grebe. 



Both these grebes were abundant, breeding on nearly every pond and 

 lake. The larger species wages incessant war upon the smaller one, the 

 larger birds diving and coming up beneath the smaller ones time and 

 again to the terror of the poor little fellows, who often desert their nests 

 in consequence. 



3. Podilymbus podiceps. .Pied-billed Grebe. — Rare. 



I kept a good lookout for the Western Grebe {^^chinophorus occi- 

 de?ifalis), but never saw one, not even during migrations. Their line of 

 migration is probably straight eastward from southern British Columbia, 

 where thev are common. 



4. Gavia imber. Loox. — -Abundant; the only species of loon 

 observed. 



5. Larus Philadelphia. Bonaparte'.s Gull. — The onlv gull observed 

 during the breeding season. Breeds in the nerghborhood of Q^iiesnelle 

 Lake. 



6. Merganser americanus. American Mergan.ser. — Breeding 

 on the streams and the larger lakes but absent from the smaller lakes 

 that are devoid of fish. 



7. Lophodytes cucullatus. Hooded Merganser. — Scarce. 



8. Anas boschas. Mallard. 



9. Mareca americana. Baldpate. 



10. Nettion carolinensis. Green-winged Teal. 

 These three species are all abundant breeders. 



11. Querquedula discors. Blue-winged Teal. 



12. Spatula clypeata. Shoveller. 



13. Dafila acuta. Pintail. 



These three ducks are rather scarce breeders in the neighborhood of 

 i5S-Mile House. 



I did not observe the Gadwall, the Cinnamon Teal, nor the Redhead, 

 which are probably not found north of Lac la Ilache. 



14. Aythya vallisneria. Canvas-back. — Common breeder. The 

 nests are bulky platforms of reeds, similar to a Coot's, found generally 

 on small swampy ponds, away from the larger lakes, where the males 

 associate in flocks. Eggs were taken from 21st of May to 6th June. 



15. Aythya marila. Scaup Duck. — Observed only during its 

 migrations. 



16. Aythya affinis. Lesser Scaup Duck. — i\.bundant, breeding 

 much later than the Canvas-back or Ring-necked. The nests were 



