84 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 
islands. (Nelson.) Rare. Two specimens, one taken near Vic- 
toria, February 9th, 1899, and another near Saanich, Vancouver 
island. (Kermode.) 
137. American Widgeon. Baldpate, 
Mareca americana (GMEL.) STEPHENS. 1824. 
Reported as a common migrant in Newfoundland (Reeks), and 
southern Labrador. (Packard.) Rare migrant in Nova Scotia, 
New Brunswick and Quebec; extending its range to Moose river, 
where one was observed by Spreadborough in June, 1896, and the 
west shore of Hudson bay at Fort Churchill. It is rather more 
common in Ontario, but only as a migrant. This is a late duck to 
arrive in the prairie region, and yet, according to Richardson, it 
breeds abundantly as far north as lat. 68°. It breeds abundantly 
in the marshes of the southern part of the prairie region, and is still 
more abundant to the north. It is a common species in Manitoba, 
and northwesterly. One pair was found breeding at Banff, Rocky 
mountains, in May, 1891. 
Fannin and Brooks report it common in the Fraser valley and 
interior of British Columbia, while Nelson and Turner say that it 
is a comparatively rare-breeding duck in Alaska, though it breeds 
as far north as Kotzebue sound, according to Nelson. Bishop saw 
five ducks which he took to be baldpates above Fort Selkirk, Yukon 
district. 
From the species coming late to Manitoba and yet breeding as far 
north as lat. 68°, we are led to believe that the race which breeds in 
Manitoba is different from that which is found in northern Alaska 
and the Barren Grounds, and that the latter race has its winter 
home on the Pacific side of the continent. 
BREEDING NotTes.—Breeding in the vicinity of Lake Manitoba, 
1896. (Dippie.) This species also breeds throughout Manitoba 
and Saskatchewan. The eggs are similar to those of the gadwell, 
but average smaller in size. I have a clutch of ten eggs in my 
collection which I took at Shoal lake, Manitoba, June 18th, 1894. 
(Raine.) A few reached Edmonton, Alberta, by April 17th, 1897, 
but not until May 5th were they common. On June 1st found a 
nest containing eleven eggs in a clump of willows about a quarter 
of a mile from water. The nest was of the usual character, and, 
like all other duck’s nests, was lined with down. (Spreadborough.) 
