1908.] BIRDS. 319 



numerous there." Hanbury noted one on the upper part of Dease 

 River on August 14, 1902. B II. W. Jones heard the notes of this 

 species near Fort Providence May 1, 1005. 



Macrorhamphus griseus (Gmel.). Dowitcher. 



A dowitcher in the U. S. National Museum collection (No. 31591), 

 taken at Fort Rae June 0. 1863, is apparently a typical example of 

 this species. 



Macrorhamphus scolopaceus (Say). Long-billed Dowitcher. 



Judging by the records, dowitchers migrate in large numbers 

 through the Mackenzie Valley, but probably do not breed south of 

 the Barren Grounds. In accordance with the generally accepted idea 

 of the distribution of these two forms, some of the following records, 

 published under the name griseus, have been presumed to refer to the 

 western form, though, in spite of various attempts which have been 

 made to determine the relationship and distribution of the American 

 species of this genus, the matter is apparently not yet fully under- 

 stood, owing to lack of sufficient data. 



Richardson describes a female taken at Fort Franklin May 25, 

 18 w 2(':.'' Specimens have been recorded by various authors from Big 

 Island, Fort Rae, Fort Simpson, Fort Norman, and La Pierre House. 

 MacFarlane states that nests of HI. scolopaceus were found in the 

 Anderson River region from June 21 to July 1." Macoun records 

 specimens of scolopaceus from Edmonton and Banff, Alberta.** 



Micropalama himantopus (Bonap.). Stilt Sandpiper. 



This notable species is a rather late spring migrant through the 

 southern portion of the region, and apparently is a fairly abundant 

 breeder on the Barren Grounds. I did not observe it during my 

 investigations, but found a mounted specimen, taken some years since 

 at Fort Rae, in the Hudson's Bay Company museum at Fort Simpson. 



Ross recorded this bird as having been taken at Fort Simpson. 

 Kennicott took it at Fort Resolution May 19, 1860/ Baird, Brewer, 

 and Ridgway state that MacFarlane found it breeding at Rendezvous 

 Lake, Franklin Bay, and Laugton Harbor, and record specimens 

 from Fort Resolution, Fort Simpson, and Big Islands Russell took 

 specimens at Fort Chipewyan June 6 and 12, 1893, and states that 



aProc. T\ S. Xal. Mus., XIV, p. 426, 1891. 



& Sport and Travel in Northland of Canada, p. 233, 1904. 



c Fauna Boreali-Americana, II. p. 399, 1831. 



*Cat. Canadian Birds, Part I. p. 154, 1900. 



' Nat. Hist. Rev., II (second ser.), p. 285, 1862. 



'Trans. Chicago Acad. ScL, I. p. 171, 1S69. 



o Water Birds N. A., I, p, 204, 1884. 



