August, 1885.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



121 



Notes on the Zoology of Manitoba. 



BY THE LATE T. B. WOOD. 



(Communicated by T. H. Nelson to The Zvologiitt ) 



Conchided from pat/c 103. 



August 11th. — Last week I got five Shovellers, 

 two Black Terns, and an unknown Duck ; also 

 [laid another visit to the Terns' colony. The 

 Black Tern is first seen in great numbers about the 

 30th or 21st of June, and is then in full Summer 

 dress, with black breast, head and throat, and 

 dark-grey back. The greatest numbers were 

 found fifteen miles southwest of Brandon, round 

 some large swamps, one of which is about a mile 

 long and half a mile broad. The birds there are 

 as "thick" and noisy as those we saw at the Fame 

 Isles ; hundreds were flying over every small 

 l)ond or slough, had several pairs hovering about, 

 and the air was filled with their cries. I paid a 

 second visit to this place in July, and again on 

 August (ith, when 1 found great numbers still 

 there, and shot two specimens ; they were chang- 

 ing plumage and losing the black on the head 

 and breast. The feet of this Tern are only par- 

 tially webbed. I never noticed them taking 

 food as other Terns do, but the swamps are full 

 of long grass and reeds, choking up the place, so 

 that even if the birds are feeding it is impossible 

 to observe what they are taking. Ducks, Cur- 

 lews, Cranes, and other birds are now constantly 

 jiassing over, showing that the migratory season 

 lias commenced. 



August 18th. — About the middle of the month 

 I drove out about fifteen miles southwest, and 

 had a good time amongst the wild fowl ; my bag 

 was made up of seven Blue-winged Teal, one 

 Green-winged Teal, four Shovellers, two Pintails, 

 one Mallard, one nondescript, tvvo Bitterns, four 

 Yellowshanks, one Coot, one large Hawk, one 

 Grebe, two Black Terns, and a Grey Shrike. 

 One of the Terns was in full plumage, with coal 

 black head and breast, back and tail grey, under 

 tail-coverts and thighs white. We got a Duck in 

 a rather curious manner. I saw a Falcon sud- 

 denly drop into a bed of reeds, so walked up until 

 I got within a few yards of the spot, when he 

 rose and I knocked him over ; he had struck a 

 Shoveller, which I picked up, more frightened 

 than hurt. 1 could have killed any number of 

 Sandpipers, Yellowshanks, and Snipe, but as 

 cartridges are precious here, I am obliged to be 

 rather careful of my ammunition. 



September 1st. — Late in August I was out at 

 Badger Hill for two days, and had fair sport with 

 the Ducks and Prairie Chickens, getting eighteen 

 brace of the latter. I also shot two large Hawks, 



a Woodpecker, a Grackle, and a Thrush. One 

 day we drove within thirty yards of two Deer, 

 but did not get a shot; on the same day we saw 

 a two-year old Bear. The heat is still very 

 oppressive, nearly as bad as it has been all 

 through the Summer ; for the last fortnight it has 

 been 114° in the shade. I saw the first flight of 

 Geese this week (end of August) going south. 



September 25th.— In the middle of this month 

 I was again at Badger Hill, and added to my col- 

 lection two Peregrines, a Bittern, several small 

 Hawks, and three kinds of Woodpeckers, and 

 saw many other birds too numerous to mention. 

 Bitterns were very common, and are capital eat- 

 ing. We had a few days' fishing, and caught 

 some good sized pike, ten pounds to twelve 

 pounds in weight. The weather has changed 

 considerably, and Winter is fast coming on ; the 

 nights are bitterly cold, with hard frosts. Large 

 flocks of Shore Larks are flying about Brandon, 

 and small birds something like a Black Redstart. 

 Of the two Peregrines I shot, one was when I 

 was out looking for my ponies : I was watching 

 a flock of Sandpipers when the Falcon made a 

 dash at one of them ; the Sandpiper at once ran 

 into a pool close by and ducked under ; of course 

 the Peregrine missed his aim, but I did not miss 

 mine. The other Peregrine 1 caught asleep on a 

 tree! I got within 100 yards of a magnificent 

 Eagle one day, but had not my rifle near ; on the 

 same day I drove close to a Prairie Wolf, which 

 calmly looked at me and then galloped ofi'. 



October 8th.— There has not been much shoot- 

 ing during the early part of October. I generally 

 have a drive along the river, which swarms with 

 Ducks. I have secured an American Wigeon, 

 and fired at an Eagle on the 4th, but lost it. 



November 4th.— Ducks are beginning to leave 

 us now, and are going south, but there is still 

 pretty good shooting. I got a Short-eared Owl 

 one morning on going out before breakfast ; there 

 was evidently a migration of these birds going on, 

 for they rose at every few yards from out of the 

 long grass, just as they do on the sand hills at 

 Redcar. The country is now covered with snow, 

 but the days are very delightful, and more enjoy- 

 able than during the heat of Summer with mos- 

 quito plagues. I hear Moose are to be had down 

 at the Souris, so am going there soon. Snow 

 Buntings mingle with the Shore Larks in the 

 streets, and are as tame as our English Sparrows. 



November 16th.— The weather is still very cold, 

 and the thermometer registers 20' below zero. I 

 saw a very fine Ermine to-day. Fo.xes and 

 Wolves are increasing in numbers and boldness. 

 We get an animal like a Mountain Hare here, 

 wliich turns white in Winter {Lepus americanus). 



