1918.] Buffalo Lake, and Red Deer Districts. 481 



Ardea herodias herodias. Great Blue Heron. Another 

 farmer brought me a fine male specimen of the Great Blue 

 Heron on 4 May, 1915, which he had shot at dusk, pre- 

 sumably for a Goose, near Alix. Length taped, 45 inches ; 

 wing spread, 70 inches. Gullet contained several large 

 newts. An immature specimen was sent me on 30 May 

 from south of Alix. I observed a single bird at Buffalo 

 Lake on 15 August. 



Grus mexicana. Sandhill Crane ? I noticed a bird 

 which I suspect to have been a Sandhill Crane flying over 

 myhouse at Alix on 4 May, 1915, but it was too distant to 

 determine the exact species. 



Porzana Carolina. Sora. Like my similar experience tlie 

 previous year, I picked up a Sora, killed by the telegraph- 

 wires near Alix, on 29 July, 1915. 



Steganopus tricolor. Wilson's Phalarope. Opposite my 

 house 1 saw several pairs of Wilson's Phalarope on the 

 slough on 19 May, 1915, and after three days' careful 

 hunting discovered a nest with four eggs close by. I flushed 

 the male bird off the nest several times; it was joined on 

 each occasion by its male, and both became noisy but fairly 

 tame. This species seemed rare the following year, as I 

 only saw a single bird (female) at Buffalo Lake although 

 I hunted diligently. I shot a male near Red Deer on 

 6 July, 1916, with plumage much worn. A female was 

 also observed as she pursued the former round a large 

 slough. 



Recurvirostra americana. Avocet. Whilst travelling 

 with Cook to his house at Buffalo Lake on 24 May, 1915, 

 we found an Avocet's nest containing eight eggs. This was 

 placed on a small sandy promontory jutting out into a 

 large pond. On the edge of a lake near Bashaw, we dis- 

 covered another nest with five eggs on 27 May. Cook has 

 several times in past seasons found more than the average 

 clutch in one nest. 



