46 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



through the head, it was quite lively an hour after receiving the 

 injury. 



Loon, Urinator imber. — A solitary Great Northern Diver 

 appeared one evening early in September on the Nameless Lake, 

 and there remained, swimming cautiously in the centre of the 

 water. 



Black Tern, Hydrochelidon nigra surinamensis. — Many pairs 

 of Black Terns breed at Moose Creek, where dragon-flies form a 

 large portion of their dietary ; but the birds were often to be seen 

 diving into the water in pursuit of fish or of aquatic larvse. 

 Their cry is a short scream, repeated again and again if the birds 

 are alarmed by an intruder. About the beginning of August 

 these Terns began to skim around the prairie sloughs. The last 

 that I saw of them was on the 29th of August, the majority 

 having commenced migration prior to that date. 



Double-crested Cormorant, Phalacrocorax dilophus. — The 

 only Cormorant that I fell in with was shot on a creek eighty 

 miles west of the Souris coal-fields. I saw it alight on a distant 

 pool made by a beaver's dam, and, after two unsuccessful shots, 

 bagged the bird as it emerged after a long dive. 



American White Pelican, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos. — Great 

 numbers of Pelicans frequented the Nameless Lake ; others were 

 met with on the Souris River and on Moose Creek. There were 

 many young ones in the flocks which we came across. This 

 species has a slow graceful flight. On some evenings the whole 

 army of Pelicans, assembled on the above-mentioned lake, would 

 take flight, and circle leisurely round and round until the soaring 

 birds appeared no larger than small gulls. They never journeyed 

 any distance for their evening flight, but were content to gyrate 

 slowly, gradually ascending or descending without any apparent 

 effort. 



Hooded Merganser, Lophodytes cucullatus. — Chiefly met 

 with on Moose Creek, where it appeared to be breeding in con- 

 siderable numbers. I saw three or four broods of young Hooded 

 Mergansers in company with the old females, nine or ten young 

 ones in a brood. This species appears to linger in N.W. Canada 

 long after the majority of wild ducks have departed ; I shot an 

 old drake on Moose Creek as late as December 1st. 



Mallard, Anas boscas. — Common on the Souris River, but 

 comparatively scarce on Moose Creek ; the numbers of breeding 



