NOTES ON THE ZOOLOGY OF MANITOBA. 225 
until we were about eighteen miles in a southerly direction from 
Brandon. Itis about the finest country you could imagine in 
the wildest flights of fancy; Ducks getting up under your feet 
at every yard; Hawks, Goatsuckers, Prairie Chickens, and 
small birds in all directions; and, what do you think ? the Black 
Tern breeding in hundreds; over a space of six miles I saw 
them in countless numbers. The Ducks were principally Blue- 
winged Teal, Pintails, Shovellers, and a black-looking Duck 
which I could not identify. I shot a Teal and a splendid 
Shoveller drake for the pot. I can fancy I hear you exclaiming 
against the barbarism of eating such a bird; but I am getting 
daily accustomed to birds which are considered rare in England, 
and regard them now from a more utilitarian point of view. I also 
saw a splendid pair of [Wilson’s] Phalarope swimming on a pool 
only a few yards away; one of them kept rising and flying round, and 
I could distinguish the beautiful red and black neck quite plainly. 
We camped for the second night on the prairie, and the mosquitoes 
were very troublesome to my companion, but fortunately, they did 
not attack me; and we returned to Brandon next day. 
July 2nd.—About the end of June we paid another short 
visit to the swamp and brought home a few more Shovellers. 
I have a Goatsucker sitting on two eggs just in front of my 
tent; and there are any number of Prairie Chickens’ nests all 
round, most of them now containing young ones. Brandon 
looks lovely at night with fireflies flashing about like diamonds 
all over the prairie. I killed a Badger, a Goatsucker, and a 
Pintail, near here yesterday. 
July 19th.— Early this month I was staying with a friend twelve 
miles away, at Badger Hill, close to the Assiniboine River, and 
surrounded by immense forests of oak, pine, and tamarac. The 
first evening of my arrival my friend and I salled forth in search 
of game. I spied something moving along in the grass, and 
immediately firing at it with my rifle, had the satisfaction of 
seeing the beast roll over. On a nearer approach, however, we 
were unpleasantly apprised of the nature of the animal, for the 
odour which greeted our nostrils proclaimed the everlast- 
ing Skunk. Needless to say, we beat a hasty retreat. Next 
day we were busy cutting down trees, fencing and digging; 
now and then rushing with the gun after some rara avis 
passing near. I shot half-a-dozen large Hawks and Owls, and 
skinned two; one, I think, the Hawk Owl (Surnia funerea), 
