190S.] 



BIRDS. 



327 



Farlane. Xests were taken at Fort Anderson as early as June 1." A 

 male (Xo. 19946), taken *' with foiir eggs " at Fort Resolution June 1, 

 1S60. by Kennicott. and labeled as having been " shot sitting on nest," 

 is now in the Xational Museum. In the Anderson River region Mac- 

 Farlane found it one of the earliest and probably the most abundant 

 of the waders, and discovered upward of 30 nests.^ In notes sent to 

 the Smithsonian he records its arrival at Fort Anderson on May 27, 

 1865. Macoun states that Spreadborough found it at Edmonton, Al- 

 berta, in June, 1897, and that Dippie found it apparently breeding at 

 Buffalo Lake, Alberta, in July, 1896.^ Seton records the bird from 

 Casba Lake, where it was observed August 8, 1907.^ 



Helodromas solitarius cinnamomeus (Brewst.). Western Solitary 

 Sandpiper. 



This sandpiper occurs rather commonly in the Athabaska and 

 Mackenzie region, where its breeding range is probably nearly coex- 

 tensive with the forest, though its eggs are still practically unknown. 

 Since our specimens from the Athabaska and Mackenzie region are 

 referable to the western form, I have assumed that the various 

 references to II. solitarius in this region belong here. It is likely 

 that the eastern form occurs in eastern Saskatchewan and Mac- 

 kenzie, but definite records from this region are lacking. 



In the spring of 1901, a single individual was seen at a deserted 

 beaver pond near AthajDaska Landing May 5. The species was next 

 noted at a marsh near Slave River, 25 miles below the mouth of the 

 Peace, where we saw a pair daily June 11 to 13, and we saw another 

 pair while crossing Smith Portage June 18. We saw one bird at 

 Fort Smith June 19, and several on Slave River a few miles below 

 there June 29. 



In 1903 we first noted this species at Edmonton on May 10. Sev- 

 eral were seen near Sturgeon River May 12, and 50 miles north of 

 Edmonton May 14, one being taken on the latter occasion. Next 

 observed at Fort Resolution June 22, when I saw a pair on a small 

 marsh near the post. My brother and Gary saw a pair in a tamarack 

 muskeg at Fort Providence July 6 and took the male. On their 

 return trip they heard solitary sandpipers on the night of August 11 

 at Fort McMurray. During my trip northward from Fort Rae, I 

 saw one on Grandin River August 3. 



On May 10, in the spring of 1904, I observed two at Fort Simpson, 

 securing one, and while descending the Mackenzie saw one near the 

 mouth of Xahanni River June 3. On May 14, 1905, H. W. Jones 

 took a male at Willow River, near Fort Providence. 



« Water Birds N. A., II, pp. 276, 277, 1884. 

 ^ Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., XIY, p. 428, 1891. 



Cat. CaDadian Birds, Part I, pp. 173, 174, 1900. 

 ^ Auk, XXV, p. 70, 1908. 



