October, 1920. 



The Canadian Field-Naturalist 



133 



original suggestion and an admirable model. 



In the case of each species of which a change in 

 status is hereinafter noted, I have given, following 

 the English name, a translation of Mr. Dionne's 

 statement concerning his observations on its occur- 

 rence here, as found in his boo!:, such translation 

 being terminated by Mr. Dicnnc's name in paren- 

 theses. Then I h?.^c summarized my own observa- 

 tions of the species under discussion. In order to 

 ensure that my translations should render the mean- 

 ing of Mr. Dionne's French sentences as accurately 

 as possible, I have submitted them all to Mr. Dionne, 

 who has mcsL kindly verified them. I am much in- 

 debted to Mr. Dionne, net only for this aid, but also 

 for his ever-ready assistance and encouragement in 

 all the work of an ornithological character which I 

 have done at and near Quebec. 



The changes of status described in this paper 

 may be divided into the following fcur classes: 



(A) The increase in abundance of many small 

 Warblers, Finches, Vireos, etc., normally of more or 

 less northern breeding range. The chief known fac- 

 tors which may have assisted in causing these birds 

 to increase seem to be their protection by law here 

 and in the United States, the creation of many clear- 

 ings in the forests of the north, and the absence or 

 rarity of the domestic cat over large parts of their 

 breeding range. 



(B) The northeastward advance of five species 

 (Crested Flycatcher, Meadowlark, Vesper Spar- 

 row, Migrant Shrike, and House Wren), originally 

 of more southern or southwestern breeding range. 

 While this may represent the continuation of the 

 northward advance of many species following the 

 close of the last Glacial Period, there is no doubt 

 that it has been greatly accelerated by the cutting 

 of the forests and the settlement of the country by 

 the white race. 



(C) The diminution of two species (Eskimo Cur- 

 lew and Purple Martin), due to very obscure causes. 



(D) The accidental occurrence of one species 

 (Blue-gray Gnatcatcher). 



The Zone Map of North America, as published 

 inside the front cover of F. M. Chapman's "Hand- 

 book of Birds of Eastern North America", 1912 

 edition, indicates the vicinity of Quebec City to be 

 in the Canadian Zone. The Transition Zone is 

 represented as reaching northeastward along the 

 south bank of the St. Lawrence River about as far 

 as to Levis, P.Q., but as not extending northeast 

 of the Ottawa River on the north bank of the St. 

 Lawrence. The dividing line between the two 

 zones between Montreal and Levis, which is di- 

 rectly opposite Quebec, is thus made to coincide 

 with the St. Lawrence River. There can be little 

 doubt that this is not exactly correct, for the Tran- 



sition Zone certainly cresses the Ottawa and extends 

 northeastward along the north bank of the St. Law- 

 rence for some distance. Whether or not it should 

 be considered as reaching to Quebec City is a matter 

 on which opinions may differ. It appears to me, 

 however, that the most nearly correct position for 

 this portion of the necessarily arbitrary dividing line 

 between the Transition and Canadian zones is at 

 the southern foot of the Laurentian Mountains, in 

 general seme miles north of the St. Lawrence. This 

 would mean that a strip of the Transition zone ex- 

 tends along the north shore of the St. Lawrence as 

 far as Cap Tourmente, about twenty-five miles be- 

 low Quebec, where the Laurentians finally front 

 directly on the river. A person standing on the 

 Citadel, or even on Dufferin Terrace, at Quebec, 

 can distinguish at a glance the low-lying cultivated. 

 Transition (?) country immediately around the 

 city and along the St. Lawrence in either direction 

 from the elevated, wooded, undoubtedly Canadian 

 mcuntaincus country behind. The following data 

 concerning the status of certain species of birds about 

 Quebec may be of assistance to those interested in 

 this question: 



1. Transition species which are summer residents 

 at Quebec: Virginia Rail (not common), Sora Rail 

 (fairly common). Black-billed Cuckoo (irregular). 

 Kingbird (common). Crested Flycatcher (uncom- 

 mon), Prairie Horned Lark (fairly common), Bobo- 

 link (uncommon), Cowbird (uncommon). Red- 

 winged Blackbird (uncommon), Meadowlark (fair- 

 ly common). Vesper Sparrow (fairly common). 

 Chipping Sparrow (very common). Purple Martin 

 (rare). Blue-headed Vireo (rare). Catbird (fairly 

 common). House Wren (uncommon), Veery (com- 

 mon), and Bluebird (uncommon). 



2. Canadian species which are summer residents 

 at Quebec: Pine Siskin (common). White-throated 

 Sparrow (common). Slate-colored Junco (rare), 

 Lincoln's Sparrow (rare), Philadelphia Vireo (not 

 common), Tennessee Warbler (rare). Myrtle 

 Warbler (rare), Magnolia Warbler (fairly com- 

 mon). Bay-breasted Warbler (rare), Blackburnian 

 Warbler (fairly common), Water-Thrush (fairly 

 common). Mourning Warbler (not common), 

 Canadian Warbler (common). Winter Wren 

 (rare). Red-breasted Nuthatch (rare). Olive- 

 backed Thrush (uncommon), and Hermit Thrush 

 (rare). 



266. Numenius borcalis (Forst.). Eskimo Curlew. 



This Curlew is mere common than the preceding 

 species [A^. hudsonicus] and frequently occurs on 

 the beaches and in the fields not far from Quebec 

 (Dionne). 



No recent record of this species near Quebec is 

 known to Mr. Dionne or myself. 



