March, 1921. 



The C'axadiax Field-Naturalist. 



51 



western village, there exbited such free- 

 dom of movement, such ready accessibil- 

 ity to the open and its occupants, that 

 one seemed surrounded always by pecu- 

 liar benefits. 



Aside from tlh,e singular charm and 

 seductiveness of the nortbem prairies in 

 autumn, birds and mammalB abound, 

 making a visit there of very practical 

 interest. I would not venture to describe 

 the Islay region as inordinately rich in 

 species, nor, on the other hand, markedly 

 poor, remembering t;ie latitude. In point 

 of individuals, however, I will refrain, as 

 I might be induced to expatiate too free- 

 ly. I would say briefly in tlhis connection, 

 though, that it is my impression that one 

 must visit a favorable place in our Canad- 

 ian "West fully to realize the great flights 

 of waterfowl from the north which obtain 

 during the autumnal migrations. Liter- 

 ally t^iousands upon thousands pass over 

 a given locality in a single day, followed 

 day in and day out at times, over areas 

 of wonderful extent, wit^ increasing or 

 decreasing numbers. To be on hand there- 

 fore during these flights is a privilege 

 to be dherished to tihe full. 



I remained at or near Islay from 

 August 29, 1919, until November 30 

 followang, about fourteen weeks in all. 

 My notes were collected under divers 

 circumstances with no tihought of pub- 

 lication at the time, and have since been 

 pilfered from a rather promiscuous jour- 

 nal. Any lack of co;iesion or consistency 

 may postsibly be traced to these circum- 

 stiances. 



Of the fifty species of birds recorded 

 at Islay, a great many may be regarded 

 solely as migrants, especially among the 

 water-birds, although not all of these can 

 be considered such. Before tihe advent 

 of the settlerts, most if not all of the 

 waterfowl menltioned would, I believe, be 

 found as breeding summer residents in 

 the immediatie vicinity. So many of the 

 sloughs throughout the country have of 

 late years dried up, that now numbers of 

 these waterfowl are forced to otlier parts 

 to rear tlieir young. Tihie majority of the 

 smaller species will, in all probability, 

 be found as summer residents. As con- 

 cerns the general status of a region's 

 bird life, an autumnal list certainly leaves 



a great deal to be desired. Nevertheles.'s 



there may be something of interest and 



value even in an incomplete li.st like the 



present. 



AuTLTMx Birds of Islay and Vicinity. 



1. Horned Grebe {Coli/mhus auritus). 

 A few believed to be Uhls species noted 

 on Laurier and Wjriitney Lakes, Sept. 1. 



2. Herring Gull (Lanis argentatiis). 

 The only individuals seen were two rid- 

 ing the waves near shore on Laurier Lake, 

 September 1. 



3. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) . No- 

 ted on various occasions throughout the 

 season. Wliat were suppositionally iden- 

 tified as mallards passed south near .sun- 

 down on October 18, in a fast flying 

 flock one hundred and fifty strong, 

 strung out in a long single imposing line 

 at right angles to the line of flight. 



4. Shoveller Duck (Spatula cyanop- 

 tera). Two individuals collected at TV;iit- 

 ney Lake. 



5. Ruddy Duck (Erismatura jamaicen- 

 sis). Ob(sei*\'ed on several occasions dur- 

 ing September. 



6. Canada Goose {Brania canaden- 

 sis). During migration verj^ common. 

 On the night of September 16, a large 

 flock loudly "honking" passed over the 

 town. Large companies bore southward 

 all day September 18. 



7. Black Brant {Brania nigricans). 

 I make tihis a Ihypothetical entry. On 

 September 18 and 19, flocks named by 

 an old gunner as brant passed southward 

 calling regularly as they bore along. Ac- 

 cording to his .statements their notes were 

 easily distinguishable from others of t;ieir 

 kin. The brant of any species, however, 

 are supposedly rarely if ever to migrate 

 inland. In Macoun's catalogue I find 

 a note by Turner for the present species 

 reading: "Few are seen in the fall as 

 they then pass tlhirough the interior go- 

 ing south." I take it from this that 

 t^eir occurrence inland is not improbable. 



8. American Bittern {Botaurus lenti- 

 ginosus). One individual only observed 

 on September 5, as it rose with a hoarse 

 "squawk" from a mud-bar on the Ver- 

 milion river. 



9. Whooping Crane {Grus americana). 



