302 THEOUGH THE MACKElfZIE BASIN 



consist of but one skin, taken on Lake Winnipeg, July, 1884, 

 by Mr. Thomas Weston, and four eggs, found on a small 

 island at tbe western end of Lake Winnipegosis, Manitoba, 

 by Mr. J. B. Tyrrell, in June, 1889 ! 



129. Ameeicak" Meegansee — Mergus americanus (Cassin). 



In the 1891 paper on "Arctic Birds and Eggs," I expressed 

 my belief that this merganser bred in small numbers in the 

 country to the south of Fort Anderson, where we received 

 the eggs of one or two nests, which were afterwards lost. In 

 1890 an example was shot near Cumberland House, and it 

 was duly forwarded to Washington. 



Is not entered in Mr. Boss's list. Breeds in British 

 Columbia. 



The Ottawa Museum contains one skin, taken ^by Mr. S. 

 Herring in the Toronto marsh, and another in the harbour of 

 Victoria, B.C., by Mr. W. Spreadborough. Mr. A. P. Low 

 took a nest of this species from under low-spreading spruce 

 trees on the upper Hamilton Kiver, Labrador, in June, 1894. 

 The eggs are in the Dominion collection and are usually of a 

 creamy colour. 



130. Ked-beeasted Meegansee — Mergus serrator (Linn.). 



I again quote from the aforesaid paper : " Several nests 

 of this not particularly numerous merganser were obtained 

 in the vicinity of Eort Anderson, and also in the wooded 

 parts on both sides of the river north and south of the post. 

 One was found on the border of the ' Barrens ' to the east, 

 under a fallen tree, close to a small lake. It was a scooped- 

 out hole lined with feathers and down, and it contained six 

 eggs with their contents in a partially embryo-formed condi- 

 tion; the female was snared on her nest. Ten was the 

 maximum number of eggs found among the obtained speci- 

 mens." A couple of skins of this species were procured in 

 ISTew Caledonia, summer 1889, and it no doubt breeds in 



