OBSERVATIONS ON CANADIAN BIRDS. 9 
most complete synopsis of North American birds which has yet 
appeared, is the 9th volume of a report of explorations fora route for 
a railroad from the Mississippi to the Pacific. The work is got up at 
the expense of the Government, and the volume referred to, which 
treats exclusively of Birds, has been prepared under the able superin- 
tendence of Dr. S. F. Baird, of the Smithsonian Institution. The new 
western species are therein minutely described, and for the sake of com- 
parison, those already known on the eastern side of the continent, have 
also been introduced, which makes the work a complete exposition of 
all that is at present known of the birds of America north of Mexico. 
The total number of species described in this work is 716, and it is 
highly probable that many additions will yet be made of scarce 
species, which have escaped the notice of travellers. From the Hudson 
Bay territories we have yet much information to obtain, regarding 
many species which are familiar to us at certain seasons of the year, 
but spend the most interesting period of their lives in these remote 
regions. During the last year Mr. R. Kennicot, a Naturalist of consi- 
derable experience, has been sent out under the auspices of the Smith- 
sonian Institution, for the special purpose of supplying the information 
wanted from ‘this quarter, the result of his researches with the 
amount of new material already on hand, will be ample for a 
comprehensive work on this subject, which will, no doubt, appear in 
due time. 
As regards the birds which frequent the vicinity of Hamilton, I 
would remark, that the changes consequent on the settlement of the 
country, have produced corresponding changes in the Fauna of this 
district, many species being now wanting, which were common 30 
years ago, and others, which at that time were unknown, having now 
become quite plentiful. 
The older settlers tell us that when Hamilton was but a village, 
and the farm houses but thinly set along the lake shore, the flocks of 
waterfowl, which frequented Burlington Bay, were so great as frequently 
to darken the light of the sun by day, and make the night hideous 
with their discordant cries. In those days, they say, when money 
was scarce, the speculative farmer, who wished to add a few waterfowl 
to the stock of produce he was making up for the Saturday’s market, 
counted the cost of the ammunition before throwing it away ; if sure 
of securing half a dozen ducks at a single discharge, the gun went 
off, but if only a less number could be got within range, it was taken 
