190S.] 



BIEDS. 



261 



Stercorarius parasiticus (Linn.). Parasitic Jaeger. 



This freebooter breeds rather commonly abont the eastern and 

 northern parts of Great Slave Lake, abundantly on the Barren 

 Grounds, and probably to some extent on the lakes in the intermediate 

 region. 



In 1901 Tve first saw this species about some semibarren islands in 

 Great Slave Lake, a few miles north of Stone Island, July 10. when 

 several melanistic individuals were observed. During the evening of 

 the same day a male and female, evidently a pair, were shot on Loon 

 Island. Both were in the dark sooty plumage, the male being slightly 

 lighter in color beneath, the female nearly uniform sooty throughout. 

 Several, including one in the normal white-breasted plumage, were 

 >een about Loon Island. July 11 to 11. While we Avere crossing from 

 Loon Island to the north shore of the lake during the night of July 

 11. a number were >een and two females were collected. One of these 

 is of a nearly uniform sooty color throughout. The other is Avhite 

 beneath, slightly barred with du>ky: lower tail coverts conspicuously 

 barred with black and brownish; upj^er tail coverts slightly barred 

 with dull faAvn. The stomach of one of tlie-e contained various in- 

 sects and the bones of a small bird, evidently a young tern; the other 

 had eaten a dragon fly. variou- l)eetle<. and a -mall fish. Several 

 individuals were seen July 10 near the mouth of the Xorthern Arm of 

 Great Slave Lake, but the >piM-i('- was not afterwards noted. 



In 1903 I observed numl)ers of this sjxH'ies on the Xorthern Arm 

 between Gros Cape and Trout Rock. July 23 and 21, and noted it 

 near Fort Rae. July -2^. 



In the summer uf 1901, while descending the Mackenzie. I saw 

 three individuals, exhibiting both the normal and melanistic plum- 

 ages, near Roche Trempe-Teau, June S. and one near Fort Xorman, 

 June 10. A specimen taken at Fort Providence is in the museum 

 at Fort Simpson. 



Swain-on and Richardson, under the name Lestris richardsnni. 

 described a ^p('(•inlen killed at Fort Franklin." Fisher recorded fonr 

 seen June 10. on Melville Island.'^ McCormick noted the species 



on AVellington Channel August 30. 1852.^ King rejoorted the para- 

 sitic jaeger from (/linton-Colden Lake.'^ Armstrong records the ar- 

 rival of this species at ^Nlercy Bay, Banks Land, May 31, 1852.^ 

 Baird. Brewer, and Ridgv ay recorded specimens from Fort Resolu- 

 tion. Fort Rae, Fort Simpson, and Fort Anderson.^ MacFarlane 



Fauna Boreali-Amerieana. II. p. 483, 1S81. 



.Jonrn. Voy. of Discovery. i». 217. 1S21. 



:McCormick's A'oyages, II, p. 141. 1SS4. 



Xarrative .Joiu'Liey to Arctic Ocean. I. p. 242, 1836. 

 ''Narrative I)isco\ery Xortliwest I'assa^re. p. 521. 18.57. 

 ^ Water Birds N. A., IT, p. 338. 1884. 



