274 



NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA. 



[NO. 27. 



Hydrochelidon nigra siirinameusis (Gmel.). Black Tern. 



The black tern occurs commonly in suitable places north to Great 

 Slave Lake. The marshes at the delta of Slave River appear to 

 mark its northern limit of abundance in this region. 



In the spring of 1901 it was first met with on the lower part of 

 Athabaska River May IT, when we saw large numbers flying to and 

 from the numerous marshes which cover the face of the country back 

 of the fringe of trees which borders the river. We next noted the 

 species about 50 miles below Fort Smith July 30, and during the 

 next three daj^s found it numerous along the lower part of Slave 

 River, where the many outlying marshes afford a congenial habitat. 



In 1903 we found this species common on the lower Athabaska, 

 May 31 to June 2 ; and noted it on Slave River near the mouth of the 

 Peace, June 9 ; and between there and Smith Landing, June 10. 



Ross listed this tern as rare on Great Slave Lake.« Baird, Brewer, 

 and Ridgway recorded specimens from Fort Resolution.^ A skin 

 collected there by Kennicott is still in the National Museum. 



Fulmarus glacialis (Linn.). Fulmar. 



Armstrong noted the fulmar petrel near the southern extremity 

 of Baring Land, where it was observed September T, 1850.^ M'Clin- 

 tock observed it at Brentford Bay August 10, 1859.^ McCormick 

 noted the species in Wellington Channel, September 2, 1852.^ 



Phalacrocorax auritus (Lesson). Double-crested Cormorant. 



This cormorant breeds commonly on some of the lakes in the >. 

 Saskatchewan and upper Churchill basins, and a few stragglers have \ 

 been taken about Great Slave Lake. Ross recorded it as being rare ' 

 on Great Slave Lake ; f and the catalogue of the birds in the National 

 Museum contains the record of a specimen (No. 20139) taken at Big- 

 Island by John Reid. Macoun, on the authority of Dippie, records 

 it as breeding on Buffalo Lake, Alberta.^ Seton records it as breed- i 

 ing in large numbers at Isle a la Crosse.'' 



Capt. J. W. Mills informed me that one was shot at Willow 

 River, near Fort Providence, about October 10, 1901. This was the 

 only instance of the occurrence of the species known to the natives 

 who saw the specimen. 



«Nat. Hist. Rev., II (second ser.), p. 289, 1862. i 

 » Water Birds N. A., II, p. 320, 1884. i 

 Narrative Discovery Northwest Passage, p. 213, 1857. . 

 •'^Voyage of tlae Fox, p. 300, 1860. 

 e Mccormick's Voyages, II, p. 146, 1884. 

 ^ Nat. Hist. Rev., II (second ser.), p. 288, 1862. 

 ^ Cat. Canadian Birds, Part I, p. 66, 1900. 



'^Auk, XXV, p. 69, 1908. ^ 



