CATALOGUE OF CANADIAN BIRDS. 97 



More numerous than the preceding species, breeding through- 

 out northwestern Canada. In Saskatchewan it usually nests on the 

 small islands in the lakes. On June 15th, 1893, I found three nests 

 on a small island where a colony of avocets was nesting. The nests 

 were built on the grass in hollows, lined with down. The eggs, hke those 

 of the preceding species, are dark drab, but of course much smaller in 

 size. (Raine.) Breeds generally throughout Manitoba and the west. 

 When the young are hatched the males forsake the females and flock 

 together in large numbers on the open water, leaving the entire 

 charge of the young to the mother. (Geo. Atkinson.) 



Over a dozen nests of this species were secured. They were usually 

 found in the midst of a swamp, a mere hole or depression in the 

 centre of a tuft of turf or tussock of grass, lined with more or less 

 down, feathers and hay. Nine was the general number of eggs in a 

 nest, though a few contained not more than six or seven. (Mac- 

 farlane.) 



On the 29th June, 1895, this species was found breeding in com- 

 pany with the pintail and gadwell on an island in Cypress lake, on 

 the south side of Cypress hills, Sask. Of three sets taken, two 

 contained eight and one nine eggs. 



150. Ring-necked Duck. 



Aythya collaris (DoNOV.) Ridgw. 1885. 



Five seen by R. Boutelier on Sable island, in 1901. Reported to 

 be rare in Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. It 

 becomes more common in Quebec and still more so in southwestern 

 Ontario. It seems to be only a migrant in all the eastern provinces. 

 Manitoba and the ponds, lakes and marshes to the north of it seem 

 to be its summer home. We have never observed it in the prairie 

 regions and only know of one breeding haunt — the marshes around 

 Waterhen lake, Manitoba. Raine says it appeared to be more numer- 

 ous in northern Alberta than in Manitoba. Owing to its eastern 

 migration I believe it to breed in great numbers both north and east 

 of Lake Winnipeg. Ross has noticed it occasionally as far north 

 on the Mackenzie as lat. 62° 30'. Turner says this bird is not com- 

 mon in the vicinity of St. Michael. In this locality he never found 

 nest or eggs, but it undoubtedly breeds there. It is rarely seen 

 about the Aleutian islands. 

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