September, 1922. 



The Canadian Field-Naturalist 



119 



elsewhere. Mention is made of the Migratory- 

 Birds Convention in force on this continent. 



"The effect of changing environment on the 

 habits of birds" is of special interest with reference 

 to the Australian fauana. Finally we have a 

 discussion of the question of Introduced Species, 

 surely an interesting problem from the Australian 

 stand-point. 



Under the groups: 



"Birds of the Garden, Orchard and Field," 



"Birds of the Forests and Brushes," 



"Birds of the Inland Plains, Swamps, Open 

 Forests and Scrubs," our author gives an interesting 

 account of the sixty-five species treated. The text 

 does not give descriptions of these, but does furnLsh 

 attractive life history notes, anecdotes and points 

 concerning distribution. 



The book should serve its purpose admirably — 

 namely, to teach about birds and thereby encourage 

 their protection. It will give a good idea of the 

 avifauna of this distant continent to those whose 

 interest in birds is wider than our own confines. — 

 H.L. 



NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 



Mutilated Tails. — Mr. Johnson's remarks in 

 the March Naturalist on the Red Squirrel that 

 had lost a leg recall another interesting fact noted 

 at the same Kapuskasing camp. There were a 

 rather unusual number of Chipmunks (Eulamias) 

 on the rocky little peninsula in the river where 

 the camp was situated. A remarkable number of 

 them had lost more or less of their tails. At the 

 time we wondered what might be the cause of this 

 but could arrive at no very satisfactory explana- 

 tion. Traps seemed the most likely cause, but 

 we could think of no fur trapping in the neigh- 

 bourhood likely to cut off chipmunks' tails. 



The summer of 1920, however, at Last Mountain 

 Lake, Sask., produced evidence that may have a 

 bearing on the subject. A number of Bush 

 Gophers, Franklin's Ground Squirrels (Citellus) 

 inhabited the vicinity of our camp and soon be- 

 came very tame, running around about our feet 

 under the table, over our persons, and up on the 

 table itself. Though perfectly familiar with us, 

 they showed the utmost atagonism towards each 

 other and fought whenever they met. The 

 largest and oldest buck of the community bad- 

 gered the smaller ones unmercifully. Mr. C. H. 

 Young, one of the party, describes an episode 

 wherein this big fellow crept up on an unsuspecting 

 victim from behind and, suddenly pouncing upon 

 his tail, bit the end clean off. After the fracas, 

 Mr. Young picked up the piece of amputated tail 

 from the ground where the victor had dropped his 

 trophy. 



I have seen a number of other stub-tailed Bush 

 Gophers since then and it seems to be a not 

 uncommon result of these struggles for territorial 

 supr&macy. Such competition would be more 

 intense in thickly populated «tations and probably 

 as great between Chipmunks as between Bush 

 Gophers. Probably the mutilated Chipmunks at 

 Kapuskasing were the vanquished of similar 

 interspecific fighting. — P. A. Taverner. 



Arctic Three-toed Woodpecker (Picoides 

 ardicus) In Ottawa In Summer. — On August 28. 

 1922, while I was crossing Carling Avenue where it 

 lies between the city and the Experimental Farm 

 at the head of Fairmont Avenue, an Arctic Three- 

 toed Woodpecker flew over into the sixty-foot 

 border of high trees just within the Farm, ha\ing 

 come, probably, from the woods still remaining 

 within the city just across Carling Avenue from the 

 grounds of the Dominion Observatory. As it flew 

 into the border it uttered a harsh K-r-r-e-k. In a 

 few seconds it was inspecting the limbs and trunks 

 of some tall young pines, pecking energetically at 

 the flakes of bark in search for the enemies of the 

 trees. I observed it closely with and without bino- 

 culars, at one time within fifteen feet. The un- 

 broken blue-black back, the bars at the sides, the 

 long white streak under the eye and down the sides 

 of the neck, the small narrow white streak back 

 from the eye, the white under parts and even the 

 three toes were carefully noted, while the absence of 

 yellow on the crown indicated a female. In five 

 minutes, again giving the harsh call, it flew back 

 into the city towards the woods down GwjTine 

 Avenue. I was astounded on seeing the bird, and 

 am delighted to record herewith a summer ap- 

 pearance of this Woodpecker in Ottawa. — Ralph 

 E. DeLury. 



Addition to the Canadian Flora Cephalanthera 

 oregana Reich. — One lone specimen of this species 

 was found, July, 1918, one mile north of Agassiz. 

 B.C. It was growing in shade on a low hill covered 

 with birch and bracken, southern exposure, in 

 Humid Transition formation. Identified by Dr. C. 

 V. Piper, Washington, D.C. — R. Glendenning. 



Tom— The Tame Lynx.— Some eight or ten 

 years ago, I was in St. Flavais, Quebec, and hap- 

 pened to visit the barber shop. One of the two 

 chairs seemed to be vacant, but on my going over 

 to it, a Lynx was found curled up in it. 



