422 Bent, Summer Birds of Southwestern Saskatchewan. [oct 



though my failure to collect either specimen renders the record doubtful. 

 None were seen in 1906. 



21. Spatula clypeata. Shoveller. — Abundant. This and the Blue- 

 winged Teal rank next to the Gadwall in abundance. We found Shovellers 

 breeding on all of the islands, on the meadows near the lakes and on the 

 prairies at considerable distances from any water. Twelve nests were 

 recorded at various dates all through the month of June. The birds were 

 constantly in evidence on all the lakes and small pond holes. 



Downy young were found on August 1, 1906, and eggs as late as July 9, 

 1906. 



22. Dafila acuta. Pintail. — Common. Found breeding on the 

 islands, on the meadows and on the prairies. One nest was found under 

 a rose bush in the sand hills, one mile from the nearest creek and two 

 miles from the nearest lake. Nests with eggs were found, 11 in all, from 

 June 2 to 17, 1905, and broods of young were found on June 13, 1905, and 

 on June 14 and 21, 1906. This duck is one of the earliest breeders. Pin- 

 tails were more frequently seen on the larger lakes than elsewhere. 



23. Aythya americana. Redhead. — Very common, about the larger 

 lakes. Found breeding in all the sloughs. Nests were found on June 7, 

 1905, and on June 18, 1906. A few eggs of this species were generally 

 to be found in all of the Canvasback's nests. These two species have a 

 peculiar habit of building what we called dumping nests in which large 

 numbers of eggs are deposited but apparently not incubated; we found two 

 such nests, one of which contained 19 eggs, 9 of the Redhead and 10 of 

 the Canvasback, piled up indiscriminately and some of them had rolled 

 out of the nest which was partially broken down and evidently deserted. 



24. Aythya vallisneria. Canvasback. — Very common. Large flocks 

 of males were seen at Crane Lake and at Hay Lake, bedded way out from 

 shore or flying about. We found them breeding in the Crane Lake sloughs. 

 Nests were found on June 7, 1905, and on June 26, 1906. The nests were 

 generally well concealed in the thick clumps of bulrushes and were hard to 

 find. No birds were taken. 



25. Aythya marila. Scaup Duck. — Of doubtful occurrence. This 

 species was recorded by Prof. Macoun as breeding at Crane Lake, but, 

 though we saw several that looked large enough to be of this species, none 

 were collected or positively identified. No eggs were found which were 

 referable to this species. 



26. Aythya affinis. Lesser Scaup Duck. — Common. Found breed- 

 ing at Crane and Hay Lakes; 6 nests were recorded, 3 on June 17, 1905, 

 and one each on June 28 and 29 and July 3, 1906. These ducks were fre- 

 quently seen swimming in pairs in the small pond holes and in the grassy, 

 shallow places in the creeks, where they were quite tame. All of the 

 Scaup Ducks that we collected were of this species. Downy young were 

 found on August 2, 1906. 



27. Charitonetta albeola. Buffle-head. — Very rare or doubtful. 

 A small duck was seen at Crane Lake in 1905 which was apparently a 



