298 THEOUGH THE MACKENZIE BASIE" 



however, answering to the night in southern latitudes, we 

 often observed, while traversing the ' Barrens ' and on the 

 sea-coast, as many as twenty and thirty birds of the genus 

 Stercorarius sitting or standing on the ground, each bird at 

 a distance of a few feet from its fellow. They probably 

 reposed at such times, as they never moved except when 

 closely approached, while no eggs were ever discovered in 

 the vicinity of these resting places. During the day, also, 

 two or more birds (males) were frequently noticed quietly 

 reposing or moving very slowly along the ground, and this, 

 too, where no nest actually existed." The nest of a jaeger 

 is a mere depression in the soil, scantily lined with a few 

 withered leaves and grasses, etc., and as the eggs greatly 

 resemble their surroundings, the nest is frequently very dif- 

 ficult to discover. The eggs are indistinguishable from those 

 of other species. Mr. Ross has four or five different jaegers 

 in his " List of Mackenzie River Birds," and he also secured 

 several eggs of S. parasiticus. There is not, however, a 

 single specimen skin or egg thereof in the Museum at Ottawa ! 



51. Heeki'Ng Gull — Larus argentatus (Brunn). 



In the spring of 1890, a female gull was shot near Cum- 

 berland House. This and several other species of Laridw 

 no doubt nest at various points throughout the District. A 

 similar remark will apply in reference to its presence in 

 Athabasca and British Columbia, while we ascertained that 

 it was quite common on the ISTorthern coast, the lower An- 

 derson River, on the Wilmot Horton River, and in the 

 Barren Grounds, from each of which localities eggs were 

 obtained. It may be mentioned that the L. argentatus smith- 

 sonianus, 51a variety of the Herring Gull, does not appear 

 in the revised Check List of the Ornithological Union for 

 1906 ; and the American bird is now believed to be identical 

 with the European herring gull. Mr. Ross states that some 

 of its eggs had been secured by him in 1860 and 1861. 



Professor Macoun found this gull breeding in abundance 



