April 19, 1888,] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



223 



After dark the Waterhen crept ashore and went to his 

 grandmother'-- wigwam, where- be procured two gun Hints, 

 which lie tied fcq Ills webbed feel ; then weal io the edge of 

 the lake and waited for morning. At daybreak the hunters 

 came tosettle the Waterhen. who, waiting until all hands 

 were well out into lie: bosom of the lake, trod sharply On 

 the fungi (which were lying full of water around' the 

 lake) with his flint-shod feet, and let the water free and 

 drowned all his pursuers. (The flints cut I he webs of the 

 bird's feel, which can be seen still,) The lake soon filled 

 with water up to its old level, but no living thing floated 

 up, and nothing was alive near to it excepting only the 



Waterhen himself, who was swimming Efbot Its calm 



Surface, au'l the widows of the drowned, wailing and kick- 

 nig up a racket on the edge of the lake, 



Afo-r onlj 6 shpjt while, however, first a Bear. Iheu a 

 Beavel . imi i ul of the water and ran ashore. These beasts 

 and also many others who had been turned into watei Ei in I 

 and remained swimming about in the lake, were the re- 

 vived bodies of those whom the Waterhen had flooded, 

 tunied now into the shapes aud size-, of the different 

 beasts and birds of the present day. 



:\ T ear by was a smaller lake tilled with grease, into which 

 some beasts, as the Bear and Beaver, dived: others, as the 

 Deer, only dipped their backs, some more some less, as the 

 Babf.it, who contented himself with dipping in a paw and 

 oiling under his forelegs and between his shoulders. This 

 accounts for the greater or less amount of fat on the dill'er- 

 eru animals. The last animal who came to the lake of 

 grease was the Squirrel, who was so grieved to see most of 

 the others so huge, compared with himself, that he cried so 

 i. i '. as to make the striped appearance round his eves we 

 yet can notice. 



r^While they were standing in a row after the process of 

 bathing- or greasing was over, confused with all they had 

 undergone and not knowing what to do with themselves, 

 the Great Spirit appeared to them and told them that they 

 would, have to serve as food for the human race, by whom 

 they have been hunted ever since. Nistaskesi. 



Hods i- Factory, Hudson's Buy, British America. 

 [TO BE COXTTNCED.] 



BAIE DES CHALEURS. 



HEALTH and pleasure 

 excellent ar.commod 



<ek< 



I be glad to learn that 

 r being prepared to re- 

 ceive a number of visitors who may wish to enjoy the fine 



sea air, beautiful scenery, splendid tishiug. shooting, boating 

 and bathing at (ark-ton, Baie des Chaleurs, one of the most 

 delightful spots in the Province of Quebec. 



Carletou, as I found it last summer, is a remarkably pretty 

 sea-shore village, with good stores, good roads, daily mail, 

 telegraph communication, and connected with Camphelllon 

 (a station of the Intercolonial Railroad about thirty miles 

 off) by steamer three limes a week, or can be reached daily 

 by the road, and is, therefore, easy of access. The majestic 

 Tragadicash MouuUuu completely shelters it from northern 

 winds so disagreeable at other watering places. Opposite 

 the village is Carletou Point, projecting one and a half 

 miles out, on each side of which is a beautiful sandy-bot- 

 tomed bay, also sheltered from winds from either one or 

 other direction, aud consequently affording safe and pleasant 

 bathing and boating. 



The Baie des Chaleurs. or. in English. "Warm Bay," is 

 not remarkable for the heat of its climate, but iris sufficient tv 

 warm to be enjoyable, and not so cold as many other locali- 

 ties where one shivers in July; the climate during the sum- 

 mer months is simply delightful. This grand bay divides 

 the Province of Quebec tiom thai of New Brunswick; it is 

 said to be about twenty-five miles wide at its entrance and 

 100 miles long, and gradually narrows till it reaches its end, 

 where the celebrated Restigo'uchc Bivcr meets it. Ou both 

 sides there ate over sixty rivers running into the bay, nearly 

 all of which, abound in salmon and trout; ithas always been 

 noted for its large-sized salmon, ten or twelve often tilling a 

 barrel with SOOlhs. of cleaned fish. 



Among the spe. l^ens pmrared by me for the London ex- 

 hibition are the salmon from the Cascapedia River, near 

 Carleton, weighing respectively 47, 14 and 41 pounds; the 

 sea trout are large in proportion and in immense numbers. 

 The bay is also the resort of codfish, mackerel, herring, 

 smelts, lobsters, and the monstrous white porpoise, and the 

 adjacent mountains are renowned for caribou, moose aud 

 bear hunting, especially the caribou, which are very numer- 

 ous. Along the shores and rivers may often be found thou- 

 sands of wild geese, brant, ducks and plovers. Experienced 

 guides and boats or canoes are to be procured at very reason- 

 able rates and there are few places can boast of 'so many 

 attractions for the disciple of the rod and gun as Carletou 

 The great drawback heretofore to one's availing himself of 

 these advantages has been the want of accommodation ; this, i 

 understand, will now be furnished by our respected towns- 

 man. Mr. Joseph E. Michaud, passenger agent, of the Pas- 

 sumpsic Railroad at Quebec, who has secured the necessary 

 property to do so to a limited extent this season, and will 

 probably build a large hotel for future wants, and I am 

 sure the visitor will be treated in such a manneras to greatly 

 enhance the pleasures of the trip. 



Being frequently asked, where can one go for sea sir and 

 bathing or tishing and .shooting below Quebec from what 1 

 saw on my visit last summer. I would say t n ( arletou 



-J. XT. Gkeookv. 



'ocluec, April i, IS83. 



AGiiocselx Towx.— Newton, Mass.. April 10. — Robins 

 aud song birds are quite plentiful wilh us now. On Thurs- 

 day, 5th inst.. our Past Day, the writer saw a largo QoCk of 

 _e. r and heard of another flock, as well as a" few stray 

 dueks being seen. Something happened yesterday entirely 

 out of the usual course. Quite a large bird was reported a"s 

 being seen sitting on the ridge-pole of a newly built house in 

 a thickly settled part of our ward. Curious' to know what 

 the bird was, 1 went over to the place, and to inv surprise 

 found the bird to be a full sized partridge. On'inquiry I 

 learned he bad been there about half an hour, and as he was 



not disturbed, seemed to he quite contented with his perch. 

 He remained in all ttbojjl three hours on his elevated place, 

 before taking wing: Is this not something very unusual ? 

 and how dfl you BCGOUnl for the occurrence ■;— Tow At, ley. 



Illinois Bret Snoorixc,.— April 10.— Fowling has not 

 been near so good ou the Illinois River as ukuT.I The 

 flight has not been heavy and OI short duration. So far as 

 1 ■ - - "tir quail are pretty well used up— at least I 

 have never seeu them so .scarce at this time of year. Jack 

 snipe ..■■- ... i nth arush, but I am happy to .a"; tl . 

 but very few shoot them here in the spring. — Byune. ' 



tntttml Wistow. 



THE BIRDS OF MAINE. 



With Annotations of their Comparative Abundance, 



Dates of Mieration, Breeding Habits, etc. 



BY KVEttETT SMITH 



Family Procei,i..\rit).t, : Petrels. 

 287. lee Eulmar— Pulmarus ghd/da Aud. : Ridg. 705, 



Cs. SI-}. — This great petrel of the northern seas undoubtedly 

 occurs -Off the Maine coast, although as yet 1 have failed to 

 obtain a specimen, either through my own efforts or others'. 

 The species has been taken near (he 'coast of Massachusetts, 

 as well as at Nova Scotia, Dr. T. M. Brewer recorded the 

 Capture of n specimen which was caught alive "on a cod- 

 hook, on the eastern part of George's Bank," oil the coast of 

 Massachusetts, October 38, 1878. (Bull. N. O. C, Jan., 

 1879). 



888. Leach's Petrel^ZftaZafwjanww Z«wM And ; Gym- 

 oclam-u leurarrl>o<i Ridg. 723, Cs. 823.— Abundant aioug'the 

 coast. Breeds commonly upon the islands along the entire 

 coast of Maine, Nests in holes, excavated by itself in the 

 ground; and deposits its single egg in June. The egg is 

 white with a faint ring of tine pink spots about oue'eiid. 

 The fwoends are nearly equally rounded. This is the only 

 species of petrel known to breed in Maine. The birds are 

 very active at night about their breeding places, but remain 

 in their holes usually throughout the day. Their cry is not 

 very often heard during the dav, but in the evening it is 

 uttered rapidly and incessantly, 'while the birds are On the 

 Wing. This cry may lie expressed by the following sylia - 

 tiles'; ",..,' — iiriiitr — meet — xoeet— \oeet — imel — tr-r-meet," the 

 first notes uttered very rapidly, but The last three with a 

 perceptible pause between them. 



289. Wilson's Petrel — T/iulnssitlmma irl/nnni Aud. ; 

 " ".."-• owmtco Ridg. 722, Cs; 828.— This species is of not 

 uncommon occurrence off lite coast, but rarely comes to I in- 

 shore, and none breed here. 



290. Greater Shearwater or ' 'Hagden"— Pitfiitm dmnus 

 Aud.; Puffin tin major Ridg. 709. Cs. 832.— Common at the 

 offshore fishing resorts; generally known as the common 

 ■■hagden." 



291. Sooty Shearwater. "Black Hagden"— Puffinw fut- 

 tf/iii'j.iiig Ridg. 714, Cs. 837.— Common at the off shore fishing 

 resorts: generally known by fishermen as the •■black hag- 

 den." Probably every species of Biffin US of occurence along 

 the New England coast, might properly be named for Maine, 

 but I have included only the species whose capture here I 

 can vouch for. 



Family CoitTmbid,b: HrvERs. 



292. Greal Northern Diver or Loon— Coli/mbux nlocialu 

 Aud. : G'otymbw torquattit Ridg. 736. Cs. 84b.— Abunttaut, 

 Breeds about the lakes throughout the State. Nests upon 

 the ground near the water, and in June lays two or three 

 dark, olive-brown eggs, which are usually' marked with a 

 number of blotches or spots. A few loons of this species 

 are found on the coast throughout the winter. The spring 

 migration occurs in April and Mav. This largest of our 

 divers is locally well known as the common "loon." 



293. Black-throated Diver or Loon— Ootyvibus arcikus 

 And., Ridg. 738. Cs. 842.— An arctic species aud not known 

 to occur here in the black-throated plumage of perfect ma- 

 turity. Audubon wrote (Birds of America) that the young 

 birds" extended their wanderings soul h ward beyond the'limits 

 oftheUnitedStat.es. This loon is a little larger (ban the 

 species next named, and smaller than the great northern 

 diver or loon, which it most resembles in form. This re- 



immature birds, but the adults are 

 t. An immature male bhiek- 

 the coast of Washington county, 

 'kin was preserved by Mr. 

 specimen to me for ex- 

 collections. 



81, and ils 



iblauce is very clo. 

 easily distinguished 

 throated lpou was sh 

 Maine, December 6, : 



N. A. Eddy, who ki 



animation. Skins of this species are so rare in 

 that but little material is available upon whi 

 diagnosis of the characteristic features of immature birds. 

 Audubon names the number of tail feathers as sixteen for 

 this species, and eighteen for the great northern loon, al- 

 though twenty is a more common number for the latter. 

 But this feature (number of reefrices! of waterfowl is so 

 variable as to be, by itself, of little if any value for diag- 

 nosis of species. 



_ In maturity the coloration of plumage is sufficient to dis- 

 tinguish either of the two species named, but not. so with 

 young birds. Nor is a comparison of the general size of 

 immature birds of especial value in this case, as individual 

 loons vary greatly iu size. 

 The bill of the black-throated loon is relatively as well as 



onth.- 



-tually somewhat 



to be the prime dh 

 connection with tl 

 two features, bill I 

 Mr Eddy's specimen, which 1 

 a black-throated li 

 at about .seventeen 

 In tie ornithol 

 History Society at Bos 



specimens labeled C. a 

 a label that appears to 

 examined these fl ve spt 

 merits of them in eoinp 

 urements of Mr. Eddy' 

 mounted when I examine' 

 mounted many years, and the 



ape 



slender than that of the great 



— ards depth, and this appears 



re of the species, taken in 



surement. It is upon these 



it I base the identification of 



im constrained to regard as 



rctieus) killed in its second year 



of age. 



olleetion of the Boston Natural 



. Mass,, there are four mounted 



«s, and one specimen without a 



me of the same species. I have 



tens, and here give some measure- 



,oii with the corresponding tUeas 



imen. The latter was freshly 



The others have been 



_. lours of Iheu- bills may 



have become slightly changed by long drying. 



I do not give the "length of bill along the" ridge," which 

 may be differently measured by collectors, and "which is a 

 measurement that varies in dried specimens from the same 

 taken from freshly killed ones. My measurement to i i.i -- 

 nostril is less open to variations. The term "nostril." as 

 thus used, refers to the anterior limit of the nasal aperture 

 and not the nasal fassa. 



This is a well-defined point upon all specimens, whether 

 fresh or dried, and hence 1 measure the "width" and 

 "depth" of the bill at this point, whieh is a constant one. 

 The ordinary measurements of the depth and width "at base 



,.f Vvill'' ni.n ....Ki.^/.i ^.-, .-.., ,.^..;~,:- f .] .,iii» majii 



tis, since the exact point 

 iously determined, auda 

 dug such measurements 

 s. The "wing" meas- 

 by peanfi of a tape line 



of bill" are subject to g; 

 mens in the hands of different I 

 defined as the "base" is likely to Ij 

 slight longitudinal difference m 

 - ■■:-,.- very appreciable dlserep 



urements below given were ta 



passed under toe wing and drawn taut from the "bend" to 

 the "tip" of the wing. This method of measuring the wing- 



is objectionable, but sufficient for comparisons in this con 

 nection, as all the specimens were thus measured. My usual 

 method is to measure the wing of a large bird on its curve or 

 hi Ldt dge, and not it- chord below. The measurement 

 from bill "tip to eye" is to the anterior angle of the eyelids. 

 Following are measurements of the black-throated' diver 

 or loon (Cots/nibw ttretiew), given iu inches and decimals of 

 inches. The .specimens Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 are those 

 named above ns being in the Boston Natural History Society's 

 collection. Nos. 1 (labeled 8148), 2 (labeled 81491. aud 3 

 (labeled 8150), being in the Presnaye collection; No. 4 in the 

 Theodore Lyman collection; and' I^o. 5 without a label 

 No. G is the specimen iu the collection of Mr. N. A. Eddy, 

 Bangor. Me. ; No. 1 from the North Seas." is an adult in 

 perfect summer plumage; rjo. 2. "N. Europe." is immature ; 

 No. 3, "N, America," is immature; No. 4. adult; No. 5 

 immature; No. 6, Maine, au immature male; 



Bill- No. 1. No. 2. No. 3. No. 4. No. 6. No. I). 



Tip to eye Be) 3.33 8.02 3.70 2,i)3 3.85 



Tft to nostril f.SO l.tifl l.J-i 1.80 1.38 1.85 



Width at nostril -to 



Depth at nostril 0+ 



flonys 1.13 



Wing 1L7S 



Number of reetriees 18 17 18 17 17 20 



Edge ol upper mandible: No. 1, decurved; No. 2, slightly 



decurved; No. 3, decurved; No. 4, straight, except tip" No. 



tl, recurved. Edge of lower mandible: No. 1, decurved, 



lightly decurved; No. 3, decurved; No. 4. slightly 



recurved; No. G, recurved. 



294. Red-throated Diver, or Loon— ColymllUi septi ntrion- 

 ulix And., Ridg. 740, Cs. 844.— Abundant during migra 



u 



_ 



.44 



.67 



.83 



.90 



.73 



1.18 



11.3 



12.U 



11.2 



is.a 



turns, pa 



the species is al 



flocks of a doze 

 loons known U 



.rth late 



Ap 



Th 



1 fish. 



v in May, when 

 coast, often flying iu small 

 I the smallest of the three 

 I is locally termed "tape 

 . Occasionally adult speei 

 mens iu the perfect plumage of the breeding season are shot 

 here iu May, yet it is uncommon to procure them with the 

 red of the throat perfectly developed. The greater number 

 killed along this coast have the throat white without any 

 trace of red. 



Fa^ijlv PoDictpiD.F.: Queues. 



295. Ked-necked Grebe— Podieeps rubricolUs Aud. ; Pmli 

 ,•</>* h»im; Ridg. 731, PQi'^p^lirh c i ; / (l ,ahoBmimOs, 847. 

 Common on the coast, during migrations, and a few remain 

 herein winter. Spring migration occurs in April. Speei 

 mens in the plumage of the breeding season are obtained 

 here iu spring. This large grebe is sometimes mistaken for 

 the red-throated loou or "cape racer" when on the wing. It 

 appears to he a marine bird almost, exclusively, and is not 

 found on the lakes here, although occasionally frequenting 

 the mouths of rivers as well as estuaries. 



296. Horned Grebe— PoiJh-epn carrmtm And.. Cs. 848; 

 l)i/t,s auritu* Ridg. 732.— Abundant during migrations. 

 The most common grebe known here. The spring migra 

 lion occurs early in April, and during this month I have shot 

 specimens of this species and of the red-necked grebe in the 

 perfect, plumage of the breeding season. At such ti mes there 

 were considerable quantities of fine feathers in the stomachs 

 of the birds of both these species, which apparently had 

 been plucked by the birds from themselves during the'moull 

 just being completed. Possibly a few horned grebes breed 

 in Maine, at least occasionally, as specimens are sometimes 

 found in the lakes (luring the summer. 



297. Pied-billed Grebe, Dobokick— /Vfty ,» oardtmensit 

 And.; P<j<2%wiJj/sjwd&»ps Ridg. 735; Po&Uymbui poMcipts 

 Cs. 852. Not uncommon in sutmner about the lakes aud 

 streams, and probably it breeds here reqularly. 



Faiiily Alold-E: Acks, Guillemots. 



•298. Razor-billed Auk— Aim fordo Aud. -, Utamtanin tarda 

 Ridg. 742. Cs. 877. — Common along the coast in winter. A 

 few breed off the coast of Eastern Maine. A single egg, 

 white, with reddish brown blotches, is laid early in June. 

 The spring migration occurs late in March and early in 

 April. The food of this species consists of marine alga?, 

 crustacea, etc.. and the flesh, as compared to that of other 

 scafowl, is of line texture and palatable. 



The flight of the razor-billed auk is usually swift and 

 straight, the wings beating rapidly; but occasionally tin- 

 bird performs a. succession of singularly long beats' with 

 their wings, without diminishing the speed of flight how 

 ever. 



299 Puffin— Mormon arrtirm Aud. . Fraterrulo ardiai Ridg. 

 743. Cs. 854.— Common along the coast, in winter. Locally 

 known to fishermen as "sea parrot." A, few breed here. A 

 single white egg is laid in June, iu holes in the ground or 

 under the rocks. The food of this species consists chiefly 

 of small shrimps aud other crustaceans. 



300. Little Guillemot, Dovekie—Mtrt/idm alk Aud.._47/ f 

 nigricans Ridg. 152. Cs. 863.— Abundant ou the coast in 

 winter. None breed here, nor is the plumage of the breed- 

 ing season acquired before departure for the north iu early 

 spring. This diminutive guillemot is locally termed "ice- 

 bird" by the fishermen. It is entirely marine' in its habits, 

 but occasionally is driven upon land by severe storms. 1 

 have the skin of a little guillemot picked up alive from the 

 i'1-otind iu Gorham, Cumberland county, Me., immediately 

 after a great gale, in September, 1869. This was unusuall'v 

 early in the autumn for the species to arrive on the Maine 

 Coast, Mr. Harry Merrill informs me that, one was taken at 

 Pushaw Lake, near Bangor, Me., in November, 1879. I 

 have known of the occurrence of this species in abundance 

 in the harbor at Portland. Me., during a severe winter. 



301. Black Guillemot— Vria ./ri/ll, '"Aud.. Ridg. 760. Cs, 

 871.— Abundant. Locally termed "sen pigeon" bv fisher- 

 men. The most, common species of guillemot on the Maine 

 coast. Breeds commonly eastward of the Kennebec Rive, 

 Two white eggs, blotched with dark brown, are laid in June, 

 usually in crevices of the eliffs, but also various other places 

 are selected. I once found a bud sitting upon its two eggs 

 tar within a hollow log that was lying upon a rocky beach 

 where it mid been Washed up by waves during some great 

 storm. This bird ! ' ptureu ud kept alive for some time, 

 feeding it upon "rock eels." etc. ft had become very tarne 

 wheu finally liberated. Mr. Harry Merril iulorms liie that 

 a guillemot of this species was shot at Sebec Lake iu 1878. 

 The black guillemots are handsome birds, both in the green 



ish black meat plumage aud the nearly all white phi 



mage of winter, and would form au attractive addition to 



itioit of plumage occurs very earlv in 

 inian informs me that he has obtained 

 a specimen in the middle of February, changed to black, 

 and one the last of January two-thirds changed." But usually 

 the plumage does not acquire its summer appearance before 

 April. In the month of March the black gudlemots are 



the spt 



Mr. Boar 



