BIRDS OF NORTH-WESTERN CANADA. 4 9 



American Bittern, Botaurus lentiginosus. — This bird proved 

 to be common along the Souris, and in the adjoining swamps, 

 but I never heard the bird " pumping." The only note which I 

 heard uttered was the croak which it always emitted when flushed. 

 It offers very poor sport, its slow flight and soft feathers rendering 

 it an easy bird to secure. Its dietary is very varied ; a bird, whose 

 toilette I unfortunately interrupted, had swallowed twenty small 

 fish, one large black beetle, several grasshoppers, a mouse, and a 

 shellfish about the size of a mussel. When shot it was in a 

 very wet condition ; in fact, it was hardly able to fly, and 

 appeared to be dusting itself with powder. I have, personally, 

 no doubt that this species — and such others as possess powder- 

 tracts — employ the powder to dust over and dry their plumage 

 after partial immersion. 



Great Blue Heron, Arclea herodias. — We met with a few 

 Great Blue Herons on Long Creek. 



Black- crowned Night-Heron, Nycticorax nycticorax ncevius. 

 — A single adult, which I shot on Long Creek, was the only one 

 met with. 



Whooping Crane, Grus americana. — A number of Whooping 

 Cranes made their appearance upon the stubble on the 7th of 

 October. These appeared to be uniformly adults; but I saw a 

 young one fishing on the banks of the creek in company with two 

 old birds, and stalked them unsuccessfully. 



Sandhill- Crane, Grus mexicana. — These birds were numerous 

 on the stubble-fields at Dalesbro' early in September, and their 

 loud trumpeting could be heard at a great distance. They were 

 excessively wary ; I crawled many miles over the prairie in 

 pursuit of them without getting a shot, but eventually shot one 

 from my bedroom window with my rifle. 



King Bail, Rallus elegans. — I wounded a bird of this species 

 (which is rare in the region) upon an alkaline lake 75 miles west 

 of the Souris coal-fields, but not having a retriever, I eventually 

 lost the specimen. 



Sora Rail, Porzana Carolina. — We saw a few Common Rails 

 on the swamps near the Nameless Lake. 



American Coot, Fidica americana. — This bird proved to be 

 very common in the Souris district. 



Red-necked Phalarope, Phalaropus lobatus. — This species 

 was very abundant on the Nameless Lake in September, but the 



