second specimen in the Northwest 

 Territories. As this species is a bird of 

 powerful and long-sustained flight, 

 breeds in the Arties and winters in the 

 Gulf of Mexico, it is easily.understood 

 how these two birds might have wan- 

 dered overland with migrating gulls 

 though authorities unite in stating that 

 they seldom travel overland, usually 

 following the seacoasts. 



I know of nothing of striking inter- 

 est in the Jaeger save that they are 

 an overbearing group of the gull fam- 

 ily and wherever found try to act the 

 boss of the gull colony. . 



ANAS OBSCURA. 



Black Duck. 



"During the first few years of my 

 residence in Manitoba I was given to 

 understand by sportsmen and others 

 familiar with the birds that the black 

 mallard as they are called it was not 

 found in Manitoba at all. I failed to 

 note its presence anywhere I was col- 

 lecting. Winnipeg taxidermists stated 

 that the bird was extremely rare in 

 the west, and my first authentic rec- 

 ord is that made by Mr. F. G. Simp- 

 son of this city, who collected a fine 



Anas Obscura, Black Duck. 



male bird at Clandeboye marsh, south 

 of Lake Manitoba on Oct. 28, 1900. 

 The bird when brought to me had 

 been very poorly preserved, and being 

 left in this condition for nearly two 

 years it was impossible to make any- 

 thing but a record of it. Early in 

 September, 1902, a female bird was 

 received from Delta, where it was col- 

 lected by W. Burr on Sept. 4. In Oct. 

 of the same year John Atkinson, of 

 St. Mark's, collected two specimens, 

 one of which, a very fine male bird, 

 was received by myself. While a flock 

 of five birds were seen on the same 

 marsh by several parties that fall. In 

 September, 1903, I received another 



specimen from Mr. Burr, of Delta, and 

 heard of several other records that fall 

 and from it conclude that the black 

 duck has now % gained a footing in the 

 Manitoba marshes, and finding con- 

 ditions favorable will increase and 

 become one of our most abundant and 

 not the least acceptable game birds in 

 the future. 



CLANGULA HYEMALIS. 

 Coween, Long Tailed Duck. 



On Oct. 19, 1899, the only specimen 

 of this species I have heard recorded 

 for Manitoba was collected a„ White- 

 head lake, southern Manitoba, by 



Coween. 



Mr„ H. W. O. Boger, of Brandon. The 

 bird was sent me for identification 

 and preservation, and proved to be a 

 young male with a very poorly de- 

 veloped plumage and a single long 

 tail feather. It was travelling with a 

 flock of lesser scaup ducks when noted 

 as a stranger and taken in for k°eps. 

 This species is a very common salt- 

 water bird, moving south in the early 

 winter and remaining in Immense 

 numbers in the open water of the 

 great lakes all winter. They feed upon 

 small fish, mollusks and crustaceons. 

 They are expert divers and frequently 

 descend considerable distances below 

 the surface to secure food. The flesh 

 is coarse, black and fishy, and is 

 therefore seldom accepted as an edible 

 species. The chief line of migration 

 is the sea-coast, while the principal 

 overland route is directly from James 

 bay to the Great lakes where they 

 winter and remain until late in April. 

 How this specimen had managed to 

 wander so far out of the course is 

 difficult to say, except that he left his 

 own species long before they had 



