Alaska is north of the Arctic Circle it has a dearth of bird life, point- 
ing out that the reverse of this idea is more nearly correct and that 
Alaska is probably the chief breeding ground for the waterfowl of the 
Pacific Flyway. 
The assignment of Luther J. Goldman, biologist of this flyway, to 
important work in western Mexico precluded a study of the breeding grounds 
in British Columbia by a Service naturalist. Through the cooperation of the 
National Parks Bureau of Canada, however, a copy of the report of J. A. 
Munro, Chief Federal Migratory Bird Officer for that Province, was made 
available. Since Munro and Goldman have worked together in the past and 
have used similar methods, this report has well supplied the gap. 
The winter of 1940-41 in that region was one of the mildest on record. 
A precipitation below normal, with no snow on the lower levels after the | 
end of January, had the effect of drying up many shallow lakes and sloughs 
during the summer, but many deep lakes, while somewhat lowered, still main- 
tained adequate water. Munro studied conditions in the Kamloops, Nocola, 
Okanagan, and Cariboo regions in British Columbia, and his report indicated 
that while there were no important changes in the status of nesting ducks 
and geese, the general population trends in that Province were upward. 
Central and Mississippi Flyways 
George B. Saunders, biologist of the Central Flyway, continued his 
studies of the white-winged dove in the lower Rio Grande Valley, in Texas, 
so Biologist Robert C. McClanahan Yor the Washington office, was again 
assigned to the Prairie Provinces of Canada, where he covered the southern 
parts of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta and visited the Athabaska Delta 
country. He reported that most areas in Manitoba had plenty of water, but 
that the situation in Saskatchewan was spotty, the levels in some lakes being 
higher than in 1940 and much lower in others. In Alberta conditions were 
generally better and waterfowl habitat suffered little damage. In the in- 
portant Athabaska Delta country, however, water levels were most unsatisfactory. 
Food was abundant, but through recession of water the margins of many lakes and 
sloughs were lacking in adequate cover. 
Throughout the summer marsh fires undoubtedly did considerable damage. 
There were a few outbreaks of botulism, and on Stobart Lake these were com- 
plicated by attacks of leeches. McClanahan reached the conclusion that in 
the Prairie Provinces most species of waterfowl have experienced little if 
any increase since 1940. The gadwall, baldpate, and Canada goose made the 
best showing, and though the redhead and canvasback had increased in some 
areas they had decreased in others. Such gains as were apparent in some 
sections were so offset by losses in others that McClanahan hesitated to 
predict either an increase or a decrease for the season. 
Atlantic Flyway 
The biologist of the Atlantic Flyway, Harold S. Peters, again covered 
important breeding grounds in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward 
Island. Previous work in this region permitted reasonable accurate comparisons, 
1/ 1st. Lt. McClanahan, F.A., is now on duty with the armed forces, 
3 
