V ° 1 i907' iy ] Fleming, Birds of Toronto, Canada. 71 



BIRDS OF TORONTO, CANADA. 



BY JAMES H. FLEMING. 



Part II, Land Birds. 1 



114. Colinus virginianus. Bob-white. — The Quail was at one time 

 found along the north shore of Lake Ontario, certainly as far east as Port 

 Hope (62 miles east of Toronto). Of this species the late Hon. G. W. Allen 

 said, in 1853, "The Quail is still occasionally heard uttering its plaintive 

 cry in autumn and winter, about our woods and fields. In former days 

 large coveys used to remain in the stubble fields and about our barnyards, 

 from October to March." 2 I doubt if any Quail of pure blood are left 

 east of Lake Erie; those I have examined recently from Oakville (19 

 miles east of Toronto), are the descendents of imported birds and differ 

 from the indigenous species. 



115. Bonasa umbellus togata. Canadian Ruffed Grouse. — Resi- 

 dent; formerly abundant, now not common; nest May 23, 1893. I have 

 put our bird under this somewhat unsatisfactory form; the bird occurring 

 north at least to Lake Nipissing is the same. 



116. Lagopus lagopus. Willow Ptarmigan. — A specimen taken 

 May 15, 1897, about four miles from Whitby (29 miles east of Toronto), 

 is in the collection of Mr. J. H. Ames; 3 there is no question about the 

 locality being authentic. An unusually southern migration of Willow 

 Ptarmigan took place in the winter of 1896-97, and I recorded them as 

 far south as Lake Nipissing. 4 Dr. Wm. Brodie remembers a specimen 

 that was taken many years ago in the township of Whitchurch. Ptarmigan 

 are referred to as frequent migrants into the townships back of Darlington 

 (about 40 miles east of Toronto). 5 



117. Ectopistes migratorius. Passenger Pigeon. — Once a regular 

 summer resident, breeding in the country between Toronto and Lake 

 Simcoe. The disappearance of the great flocks dates back at least forty 

 years, and by 1880 the bird was rare here; the records for 1890 are May 12, 

 adult male; September 20 and October 11, young females; earliest record, 

 April 13, 1891, male; birds were seen on May 16 and July 6, 1900. 6 These 

 are the last and are reliable; there is no question that the Wild Pigeon 

 is extinct in a wild state in America to-day. 



1 For Part I, Water Birds, see Vol. XXIII, Oct., 1905, pp. 437-453. 



2 Canadian Journal, 1853, I, 171. 



3 Auk, XIV, 1897, 411. 



* Auk, XVIII, 1901, 37. 



6 Early Settlers of Bowmanville, etc. J. T. Coleman, Bowmanville, 1875, 35. 



e Auk, XX, 1903, 66. 



