22 



TttE CANADIAN SPORTSMAN AND NATURALIST. 



their'eggs. During the first week of June we 

 found the eggs fresh and the ducks in good 

 condition. 



On walking round a pond, say an acre in 

 area, it would be no uncommon thing to find 

 between thirty and forty duck nests, each nest 

 containing from six to ten eggs. 



The distance between the Little Saskatche- 

 wan and Bird's Tail Creek is about seventy- 

 five miles, and the breeding country about 

 fifty miles wide, and the whole covered with 

 these duck ponds; so one can imagine the 

 number of ducks hatched in this region. 



But Oh ! ye sportsmen who go to Le Grand 

 Nord and Lancaster, if you could have one 

 day's shooting in the North-West Territory 

 during the month of Septem'ber„and see the 

 ducks, prairie chicken, snipe and yellow leg 

 plover which abound in these ponds and their 

 neighbourhoods, you would never again con- 

 sider a dozen ducks a bag for a day. 

 Yours truly, 



Bird's Tail. 



ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 

 The 81st meeting of the Montreal Branch of 

 the Ontario Entomological Society was held at 

 the residence of the president, G. J. Bowles, on 

 the 8th inst. Mr. II. H. Lyman read a letter 

 from W. H. Edwards, of Coalburgh, West 

 Virginia, who is the author of that beautiful 

 work called " The Butterflies of N. America," 

 asking information in regard to the Pieridce 

 of Canada, and comparisons of forms from the 

 cabinets of ihe members were carefully made 

 for that purpose. Mr. Canlfield read notes on 

 the genus Calimorpha found in Canada. Mr. 

 G. H. Bowles, the secretary, having lately 

 gone west to reside, a vote of (hanks was 

 carried for his useful services to the Branch. 



(Our $ame. 



REPOBT ON NOMENCLATURE. 

 In these seven genera we find only two that 

 possess any marked characteristics not com- 

 mon in a greater or less degree to all others. 

 The ruffed grouse lias a well developed ruff, 

 yet others have indications of the same, and 

 feathers over the eye replacing pectinated pro- 



cesses, which, however, are present in rudi- 

 mentary form. The Canada grouse has two 

 less feathers in its tail. Not one of these 

 species noted as being without gular sacs, but 

 show them in rudimentary form, even to the 

 ruffed variety. We find nothing here that 

 does not properly belong to specific instead of 

 generic description ; it is merely multiplying 

 genera without cause. If any one species is 

 entitled to special generic classification, it is 

 the ruffed grouse alone. The sub-division of 

 species which has taken place is factitious, 

 and violates the rule of classification and no- 

 menclature before mentioned, being based 

 solely on changes due to climate and habitat, 

 and even then oftentimes only on the abnormal 

 peculiarities of a single individual. 



Now as to the nomenclature : Teirao means 

 simply grouse, and is applicable to all grouse 

 as a generic distinction. It does not mean 

 capercdlzie, as some of our ambitious natural- 

 ists would make us believe, but grouse gene- 

 rically; and when taken in connection with 

 the specific title, amply and sufficiently ex- 

 plains the individual species. American gene- 

 ra are not recognized abroad. Teirao being 

 now universally adopted by all solid natural- 

 ists, and by the Royal Zoological Society, 

 though for a time, and, indeed, until quite re- 

 cently, they were inclined to run after false 

 gods. When Teirao obscurus, T. pedicecetes, 

 T. cupido (though phmatus would lie the bet- 

 ter word), or T. ceniroeercus are mentioned, 

 no one can mistake them to mean other than 

 dusky, Canada or spruce, ruffed (or drum- 

 ming grouse of the shades), Plains or sharp- 

 failed, pinnated, and sage grouse (inhabiting 

 the centre of the continent). But instead we 

 have Dendragapus obscurus, literally the 

 " dusky tree percher ;" Canace ( anadensis, the 

 "Canadian songster," so called probably be- 

 cause its voice is almost unbearable;" Bonasa 

 umbellus, or the " drummer of the shades;" 

 Pedicecetes pTiasianellus, or " the pheasant that 

 builds in the plain ;" Oupidonia cupido, or the 

 " cupid-like-cupid," (how appropriate), and 



