344 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [anNO i?72. 



mention made of it is in the faunula Americae septentrionalis, or catalogue of 

 North American animals. It is called wee-kee-me-nase-su, by the natives; 

 feeds on swamps, worms, grubs, &c. visits Albany fort in April or beginning of 

 May; breeds to the northward of it, returns in August, and goes away south- 

 ward again the latter end of September. 



19. Tringa, Sand-piper. 42. Interpres. 248. 4. Turnstone. Edward 141. 

 Faun. Am. Sept. 14. Severn river, N° 31 and 32. This species is well described 

 by the ornithologists; its weight is 34. ounces, the length 8f inches, and the 

 breadth 17 inches; it has 4 young at a time; its eyes are black, and the feet of 

 a bright orange : this bird frequents the sides of the river. 



43. Helvetica. 250. 12. Brisson. Av. v. p. 106, t. 10, f, 2. 



The number was lost, perhaps it is N° 17, from fort Albany; on that supposi- 

 tion the account is as follows: " the natives call it waw-pusk-abrea-shish, or 

 white bear bird ; it feeds on berries, insects, grubs, worms, and small shell fish ; 

 visits and leaves Albany fort at the same time with the scolopax totanus, and 

 borealis." 



This bird answers very well to its description ; the throat, breast, and upper 

 part of the belly are blackish, as in the descriptions, but mixed with white 

 lunulated spots, which are neither described nor expressed in M. Brisson's figure, 

 and may be owing to the difference of sex, or climate. 



7. Anseres, webbed-footed. Faun. Am. Sept. 



29. Anas, Duck, 44. Marila. 196. 8. Scaup Duck. Br. Zool. Faun. Am. 

 Sept. 17. Severn river, N° 44 and 45. Fishing Ducks. 



Linnaeus's description, and the figure in the Br. Zoology, folio, plate q, p. 153, 

 agree perfectly well with the specimens. The female, as Linnaeus observes, is 

 quite brown, the breast and upper part of the back being of a glossy reddish 

 brown; the speculum of the wing and the belly are white. The eyes of the 

 male have very bright yellow irides; those of the female are of a faint dirty 

 yellow. The female is 2 ounces heavier than the male, which weighs 1 pound 

 and a half, is 164- inches long, and 20 inches broad. 



Anas. 45. Nivalis. Snow Groose. Faun. Am. Sept. p. 16. Lawson's 

 Carolina. Anser niveus Briss. vi. 288. Klein. Anser nivis. Schwenkfeld, 

 Marsigli. Danub. p. 802. t. 49. Severn river, N° 40, and a young one, 

 N''41, white Goose. 



These white geese are very numerous at Hudson's Bay, many thousands being 

 annually killed with the gun, for the use of the settlements. They are usually 

 shot while on the wing, the Indians being very expert at that exercise, which 

 they learn from their youth; they weigh 5 or 6 pounds, are2f feet long, and 3-i- 

 broad; their eyes are black, the irides small and red, the legs likewise red; they 

 feed along the sea, and are fine eating; their young are bluish grey, and do not 



