310 



NORTH AMEEICAN FAUNA. 



[NO. 27. 



1889 Athabasca traded but 33, as against 251 skius in 1853. In 1889 and 1890 

 Isle a la Crosse, headquarters of English River district, sent out two slvins for 

 each outfit.^ 



The rapid decrease in numbers of this magnificent bird is well 

 illustrated by these figures. 



Under the name Anas cygnus, Sabine, probably referring to the 

 whistling swan, says : " Breeds in the North Georgia Islands, but 

 is by no means numerous, and a single specimen only was obtained." ^ 

 Ross listed the species as occurring in the Mackenzie River region 

 north to the Arctic coast and as having been collected at Fort Simp- 

 son.^ Baird, Brewer, and RidgA\^ay state that MacFarlane found it 

 breeding in considerable numbers in the vicinity of Fort Anderson, 

 where eggs were found from the middle of June to the last of July. 

 Nests were found also on islands in Franklin Bay and in other parts 

 of the Arctic Sea. The above authors also record specimens taken at 

 Big Island, and on Porcupine, Anderson, and Swan rivers, and 

 islands in Franklin Bay.'' Hanbury noted the first swan of the sea- 

 son on June 5, 1902, near the base of Kent Peninsula.^ Reed records 

 a nest found on an island near the mouth of the Mackenzie by 1. O. 

 Stringer.^ Oates records an egg taken by Collinson at Cambridge 

 Bay.^ 



Olor buccinator (Rich.). Trumpeter Swan. 



A more southern breeder than 0, columhianus^ this species also 

 nests far to the north. Richardson states that Rae shot one on Frank- 

 lin Bay in the summer of 1848.'' Ross listed it as having been col- 

 lected at Fort Simpson ; ^ Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway record speci- 

 mens from Fort Rae and Big Island, and state that MacFarlane found 

 it breeding on the lower Anderson River, in the Barren Grounds, and 

 on islands in Franklin Bay.' The bird catalogue of the National 

 Museum shows that the species was received also from Fort Resolu- 

 tion; Kennicott took it at that place on May 23, 1860.-' Oates lists an 

 egg in the collection of the British Museum from Fort Rae.'' 



^ Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., XXVIII, p. 754, 1905. Both species of swans are prob- 

 ably included in these statements. 



^ Suppl. to Appendix Parry's First Voyage, p. ccvii, 1824. 



^Nat. Hist. Rev., II (second ser.), p. 286, 1862. 



^ Water Birds N. A., I, pp. 429, 430, 1884. 



f Sport and Travel in Northland of Canada, p. 158, 1904. 



f X. A. Birds' Eggs, p. 88, 1904. 



s Cat. Birds' Eggs Brit. Mus., II. p. 139, 1902. 



Arctic Searching Expedition, I, p. 275, 1851. 

 * Water Birds X. A., I, p. 433, 1884. 

 i Trans. Chicago Acad. Sci., I, p. 172, 1869. 

 ^'Cat. Birds' Eggs Brit. Mus., II, p. 140, 1902. 



