458 



NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA. 



Fno. 27. 



a mistake for 1826] , on the "Athabasca River, near the Bocky Moun- 

 tains." ^ Richardson, referring in part to the same circumstance, 

 says: 



This elegant bird lias only lately been detected in America, having been 

 discovered, in the spring of 1826, near the sources of the Athabasca, or Elk 

 River, by Mr. Drummond, and by myself the same season at Great Bear Lake, 

 in latitude 65°. Specimens, procured at the former place, and transmitted 

 to England by the servants of the Hudson's Bay Company, were communicated 

 by Mr. Leadbeater to the Prince of Musignano, who has introduced the species 

 Into his great work on the birds of the United States. * * * it appears 

 in flocks at Great Bear Lake about the 24th of ^Nlay, when the spring thaw 

 has exposed the berries of the alpine arbutus, marsh vaccinium, &c. 



He gives also a description of a male taken at Great Bear Lake.^ 

 King speaks of the bird as abundant at Fort Reliance in the spring 

 of 1834.^ Ross records the species as having been taken at Fort 

 Simpson and at Fort Liard in February, and states that he had been 

 informed by Mr. J ohn Hope, a missionary residing at Fort Franklin, 

 Great Bear Lake, that it nests in considerable numbers in that vicin- 

 ity Baird records specimens from Fort Rae, Big Island, Fort 

 Halkett, Great Bear Lake, and Fort Anderson, and an egg taken 

 on Anderson River.« This egg, together with the skin of the parent 

 (No. 27307), and a specimen from Fort Simpson, are still in the 

 National Museum. MacFarlane, in notes sent to the Smithsonian, 

 mentions a flock seen at Fort Anderson on May 27, 1865. Macoun 

 states that Spreadborough saw three near the summit of the Rocky 

 Mountains, in the Athabaska Pass, July 11, 1898. 



J. Alden Loring reported that a flock was seen at Henry House in 

 the autumn of 1895. In 1896 he noted several small flocks on the 

 trail between Smoky River and Jasper House in the early autumn, 

 and reported seeing large flocks almost daily along the trail between 

 Jasper House and Edmonton during the latter part of October and 

 the early part of November. He took a specimen at Henry House 

 October 12; two 15 miles west of that place, October 19; and three 

 at Jasper House, October 23. H. W. Jones reports taking this species 

 at Hay River, Great Slave Lake. 



Bombycilla cedrorum Vieill. Cedar Waxwing. 



The cedar waxwing occurs regularly in the Athabaska and Peace 

 River valleys, and sparingly as far north as the upper Mackenzie. 

 In 1901 it was observed only at Grand Rapid, where a number were 

 seen August 21. 



« American Ornithology, III, pp. 14, 15, pi. 16, fig. 2, 1828. 



* Fauna Boreali-Americana, II, pp. 237, 238, 1831. 



^ Narrative Journey to Arctic Ocean, II, p. 279, 1836. 



^Nat. Hist. Rev., II (second ser.), p. 280, 1862. 



« Rev. Am. Birds, p. 407, May, 1866. 



f Gat. Canadian Birds, Part III, p. 557, 1904. 



