Bulletin of the Michigan Ornithological Club. 



17 



The Birds of Neebish Island, St. Mary's 

 River, MiGh. 



BY MAJ. A. H. BOIES. 



THIS list of the birds of Neebish 

 Island is the result of observations 

 made by me during the spring, 

 summer and fall of 1892-94, while in the 

 employ of the U. S. Government as an in- 

 spector on the St. Mary's River channel. 

 I am under very great obligations to 

 Assistant Engineer, Mr. Joseph Ripely, for 

 favors shown me by very materially help- 

 ing in the prosecution of this work, which 

 otherwise could not have been carried out. 

 There are, no 



dou 1 >t, many birds ^HHHHH^^HHi 

 which I have not 

 listed that fre- 

 quent the island; 

 but it has been 

 my desire to be 

 as accurate as 

 possible, and I 

 have therefore 

 noted only those 

 species actually 

 observed by my- 

 self, or given me 

 from most relia- 

 ble sources. 



Neebish Island 

 is located in the 

 St. Mary's River 

 about sixteen 

 miles below Sault 

 Ste. Marie, and 

 and is about nine 

 miles in length, 

 with a breadth of 

 five miles at its widest point. It forms 

 the southern boundary of Hay Lake, a 

 part of whose water passes on the west 

 side, and a part on the east ; and is called 

 the "West Neebish," and "Middle 

 Neebish," neebish being the Chippewa for 

 rapids. 



The island is quite densely wooded with 

 spruce and cedar, some pine, and occa- 

 sional patches of maple and birch. There 

 is considerable low, wet land in the 

 southern part, covered with dense swamp- 

 cedars, and along the borders are marshes 

 of considerable extent where Snipe and 

 water-fowl abound in great numbers in 

 their season. 



This island, which lies on the northern 



boundary of the State of Michigan, as also 

 of the United States, is but sparsely settled 

 by squatters, half-breeds and Indians, who 

 hunt and fish most of their time, getting 

 out a few cedar posts and ties in the 

 winter. They are, as a general thing, 

 poorly clad, and make as poor a living. 



[The first number is the serial number, the 

 second, that of the Nomenclature of the American 

 Ornithologists' Union.] 



1-2. Oolymbus holbcellii (Beinh.). 

 Red-necked Geebe. Observed about 

 Mud Lake, on the east side of Neebish 

 Island, in the summer of 1893. I did not 

 discover any nests of this bird, nor see 



any young. 



2-3. C. auri- 

 tus Linn. 

 Horned Grebe. 

 I saw a number 

 of this species, 

 both in Mud Lake 

 and Monosco 

 Bay, on the west 

 side of the island. 

 Neither nests nor 

 young were 

 found. 



3-6. Podilym- 

 bus podiceps 

 {Linn.). Pied- 

 billed Grebe. 

 Quite common in 

 all the waters ad- 

 jacent to Neebish 

 Island. I have 

 no doubt that it 

 nests in this 

 locality, as it was 

 noted in all the 

 summer months. 



4—7. Urinator imber (Gunn.). Loon. 

 Common from spring till late in the fall in 

 all waters adjacent to the Island. I found 

 no nests nor young birds, but no doubt it 

 breeds in this locality, as Mr. Howard 

 Johnson reported that he had found eggs 

 at the west end of the Island, which, from 

 his description, I think I am safe in pro- 

 nouncing those of this species. 



5-11. U. lumme (Gunn,). Red- 

 throated Loon. This bird also is quite 

 common in Mud Lake, Hay Lake and 

 Monosco Bay, and appeared more plenti- 

 ful than imber. No nests nor eggs were 

 discovered. 

 6-50. Rissa tridactyla (Linn.). 



