OCTOBEB,1902.] BIEDS OF KEEWATIN. • 93 



by Andrew Murray/' from Fort Churchill by Clarke,* and from York 

 Factory by Bell. '•' Macoun records it from Moose Factory, James 

 Bay, where Spreadborough found it breeding.'' It undoubtedly breeds 

 throughout the region. 



Porzana noveboracensis (Gmel.). Yellow Rail. 



During the afternoon of July 13, while collecting on the marsh at 

 Beacon Point, near York Factory, I flushed five yellow rails, securing 

 three, two males and a female. The males were discovered by follow- 

 ing up the source of their notes, which, though rather low, have a 

 penetrating quality that makes them distinctl}' audible at a distance of 

 several hundred yards. A metallic cluck, five or six times repeated, 

 constituted their call. It was given thus: First two notes uttered with 

 scarcely an interval between them, then a pause of about a second, 

 then three, or occasionally four, notes exactly like the first two. The 

 birds flushed were in open, grassy places where I was usually able to 

 approach near and, guided by the note, to start them almost from 

 beneath my feet. I heard about a dozen, but was unable to flush more 

 than five, for the others, which were in bushy portions of the marsh, 

 seemed to hear me and take alarm before I could get near, and would 

 cease calling. 



Hatchins wrote a short account of the habits of the yellow rail as 

 observed by him at the mouth of Severn River, '^ and Bell has recorded 

 the species fi'om Fort George, on the east coast of the Bay.'' 



Fulica americana Gmel. Coot. 



Abundant in the marsh at the mouth of Red River June 15, and 

 not again noted until we reached the same marsh on our return Sep- 

 tember 21, when many were seen. We were told it occurs about 

 some of the marshy lakes north of Lake Winnipeg. 



Crymophilus fulicarius (Linn.). Red Phalarope. 



The red phalarope was fairly common on the shallow ponds below 

 Cape Eskimo August 3 to 8, at which time they were feeding downy 

 young. An adult male and a young bird in the down were collected 

 August 6. 



Edwards figured a specimen brougit from Hudson Bay by Mr. 

 Isham.-^ His figure formed a partial basis for Linnseus's description of 

 Tringa fuUcaria. Clarke records an adult pair in summer plumage 



oEdin. New Phil. Jour., (new ser.), IX, p. 225, 1859. 



6 Auk, VII, p. .821, 1890. 



cProc. Royal Soc. Canada, 1882, I, Sec. IV, p. 51 (1883). 



<2 Catalogue Canadian Birds, Part I, p. 140, 1900. 



^MS. quoted by Richardson, Swainson, Thompson, Jlacoun, and others. 



/Nat. Hist., Ill, pi. 142, 1750. 



