162 BIEDS OF THE GRAND PRfi REGION. — TUFTS. 



166. Oidemia perspicillata (Linn.). Surf Scoter. — A male 

 of this species, in transition plumage (no white 

 crown patch, otherwise tj^pical) was taken on the 

 mud-flats at Starr's Point, Cornwallis, May 21st, 

 1917, and brought to me alive. Though unhurt, 

 it was not able to rise and seemed to be starving 

 in the midst of plenty. The following day a female 

 was taken about the same place and was in a similar 

 emaciated condition. Both were mounted and are 

 now in the Provincial Museum at Halifax. 



172. Branta canadensis canadensis (Linn.). Canada Goose; 



"Wild Goose." — Common spring and fall migrant. 

 While seen on the marshes as early as Feb. 21, 

 ('97), the average date for spring arrivals is the 

 latter part of March. Some seasons they linger 

 on well into April, while other years they remain 

 but a few days. About the middle of December, 

 and almost any day thereafter until the end of 

 that month, these living wedges may be seen by 

 day or heard by night, "honking" high over head 

 on apparently tireless wings. They rarely stop on 

 our marshes in the fall. 



173. Branta hernicla glaucogastra (Brehm) . Brant. — Rare 



spring and fall migrant. Sometimes seen in the 

 late fall after a severe storm. In the spring of 

 1870, the year following the very extraordinary 

 "Saxby tide" of Oct., 1869, I have been told that 

 these birds were seen in unusually large numbers, 

 and many specimens were taken. Since that 

 time their occurrence has been rare and irregular, 

 and I have no records since the spring (April) of 

 1903. 



190. Botaurus lentiginosus (Montag.). American Bitti rn; 

 "Stake Driver;" "Marsh Hen." — Fairly common 



