Ornithology of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. 299 
those of the Harlequin Duck. On the contrary, I was assured 
by an experienced gunner, who accompanied Mr. Audubon 
in his excursions that year, not only that they found none of 
these birds, but that in all his experience he never met with 
any in the breeding season in that part of the country. In 
this, his.statement was confirmed by all the answers to my 
inquiries upon this point. In some cases the experience of 
my informers went back sixty years, and in all the answer 
was, that instances of these birds, called there “lord and 
lady," — remaining to breed, were entirely unknown. Beside 
the Eider, the only birds of this kind known to breed among 
these islands, are the Dusky Duck (Anas obscura) and the 
Red-breasted Merganser. It is probable that a nest of one 
of the last was mistaken for that of the Harlequin Duck. It 
is also doubtful whether the Harlequin breeds in the localities 
indicated. All my inquiries met with assurances contradictory 
of this, and go to show that they breed in the vicinity of 
inland ponds and rivers, and never in the neighborhood of 
the ocean, and only in high northern latitudes. 
FORKED-TAILED PETREL (Thalassidroma Leachii Temm.) 
So little is known of the manner of breeding and the 
habits of this interesting bird at the period of incubation, that 
I trust I may be excused if I am somewhat minute in rega 
to it. Along the extreme eastern coast of Maine, and in the | 
Bay of Fundy I found it extremely abundant. In the violent 
storm which attended my passage to Eastport, they. were 
flying about in great numbers, and always by pairs. 
flew with great rapidity, apparently but just above the surface 
of the waves, — which were running very high, — and seemed 
at times to be skimming their tops for food. I was gravely 
assured by the sailors that these birds were only to be seen 
in storms, but that in bright sunshiny weather they disap- 
peared, no one knew whither, and that how they raised their 
Young, or where, was also a thing unknown. A few days, 
