THE CANADIAN SPOKTS.MAX AND NATURALIST. 



r.'A 



itd i;u i w are frequently in ignorance, claiming 



that they constitute tWO distinct species, while 

 they are actually the same animal ; the fur 

 merely forms the variety, as is seen in the 

 Ground Hog, Muskrat and other native 

 quadrupeds. — C. 



THE CANADA LYNX. 



Sin. — I notice in your number for June, 

 1882, that a subscriber corrects the assertion 

 of Dr. (iarnier, that the Canada Lynx, (Jjynx 

 Canadensis,) " has never been seen south ol 

 t lie Ottawa River" in Ontario. Why Sir, the 

 Canada Lynx, notwithstanding the cutting 

 away of much, Oi our native forests, is still 

 quite, common even within live and ten miles 

 ot the city of Ottawa. Not more than four 

 years ago, two of these animals were killed 

 within two miles of the western limits of the 

 city. Wherever there are large forests in 

 Ontario, the Canada Lynx may still be found, 

 and will, doubtless continue to abound in its 

 old haunts until the forests shall have dis- 

 appeared. 



Yours truly, 



Wm. P. Lett. 

 Ottawa, April 27th, 1883. 



NEW BRUNSWICK NOTES. 

 loon. (Colymbus torquatus.) 



In my catalogue of the birds of New Bruns- 

 wick it is stated, " Two races of Loon spend 

 the summer in New Brunswick and breed 

 here. They have plumage ot similar colors 

 and markings, but one is smaller that the 

 other, being some six inches less in length. 

 The larger bird is common on the lakes and 

 rivers in all sections of the Province, seldom 

 seeking the salt water until the rivers freeze 

 over, while the smaller is rarely found away 

 from the sea-shore, and, though only seen 

 occassional^ in the Bay of Fundy, is quite 

 abundant on the Gulf of St. Lawrence." 



A correspondent has asked me to send a 

 further account of these birds to the Canadian 

 Sportsman and Naturalist, but I have as yet 

 discovered nothing additional concerning them 

 though observations made since the above 

 was first written have confirmed the opinion 

 then advanced. 



It has long been well known that Loons 

 vary very considerably in size. In Baird's 

 report of 1859 the length is given as thirty to 

 thirty-six inches, and Allen in " Mammals 



and Winter Birds of Florida," (1871) giv< 

 long lisl of varying measurements, but, I 

 believe ii had not been previously Doted thai 

 the smaller bird- display a preference \>>v the 

 salt water while the larger race i- usually 

 found during the breeding season on the lakes 

 and streams. I have i;ol -ecu a nest of the 

 salt water or Sea Loon but the fishermen on 

 the Bay ol Chaleur, who are familiar with the 

 appearance of the two races, and readily dis- 

 tinguish them, told me that the Sea L 

 build in the marshy spot- along the coast. 



These fishermen have good reason for 

 remembering the smaller bird.- as they de- 

 stroy numbers of li-di after they have been 

 caught in nets or weirs, though the Loons 

 themselves sometimes caught in the net- 

 while thus poachingj 1 remember en .me oc- 

 casion seeing six brought on shore in one 

 boat. A correspondent inquires if the smaller 



of these tWO races may not be the black- 

 throated or Arctic Diver, but such is not the 

 case, in immature plumage the two ,-j 

 bear considerable resemblance but the mature 

 birds are easily distinguished by the difference 

 in coloration and in size. 



The Black-throated Arctic Diver was well 

 named Arcticus for they have been seldom 

 seen south of Hudson's Bay, though a lew 

 examples, in immature plumage only, have 

 been taken along the Atlantic Coast adjacent 

 to the mouth of the Bay of Fund v. 



St. John, N. B. 



Montagce Chamber la ix. 



THE WILD OK PASSENGER PIGEON. 



Ectopistes ndgratorius. 



Dear Slu. — Would you allow me, through 

 the medium ot your columns, to ask whether 

 it is a fact that this bird which until 1850, in 

 the spring, was seen in swarms all round 

 Quebec, lighting occasionally on the glacis — 

 was also abundant in the woods of Ohateau- 

 guay, not lar from Montreal. 1 was told by a 

 credible person that as late' as 1851 . there was 

 a pigeon roost, at a place called the Four 

 Comers, in the mountains back of Chateau- 

 guay, where their numbers and flight quite 

 realised the description Audubon has left us 

 of the wild pigeon roosts of Kentucky. We 

 scarcely see one in a year round Quebec at 

 present. 



J. M. LeMoixe. 

 Quebec, April, 1SS3. 



