85 
Two miles southwest of lac La Nonne and across a ridge divide is lake 
Majeau about the same size as La Nonne, but of entirely different character. 
It is shallow, with considerable more tule and pbragmite growth about its 
edges and its wafer is clouded and muddy. There are considerably more 
water fowl breeding about lake Majeau than on La Nonne, in fact it seems 
a paradise for grebe, ducks, coots, and similar birds. It was noted that 
the many little lakelets, ponds, and pot-holes surrounding La Nonne were 
much more attractive to these birds than the lake itself, and especially 
that the broods raised in them were more successful. A fair number 
nested in the marshes of La Nonne, but the broods seen were few and 
small. On the contrary, Majeau and the small ponds fairly swarmed with 
fowl and later large broods were seen following their parents all over the 
surface, or paddling alone in mid-lake in perfect ease and apparent safety. 
On some of the smaller waters young and old gathered together in their 
centres in solid black rafts. One factor seemed to be the fish. Lac La 
Nonne swarms with pike (jackfish) that undoubtedly take heavy toll of 
downy young. The small lakes contain no such fish, and Majeau, in 
which pike are said to be common, is so muddy and opaque as to raise the 
safety factor very considerably in favour of prey pursued by sight. 
This was a low year for rabbits, mice, and grouse. It is yet to be 
determined whether there is a connexion between these different species 
or not. It is to be noted that the last low year in rabbits on Red Deer 
river, 1917, was accompanied by a like scarcity of grouse. Almost no 
rabbits were seen throughout the season, though information was given 
that they were abundant the year before. The party had strings of traps 
out for small mammals much of the time, but the returns from them were 
small indeed. Grouse, both Huffed and Sharp-tails, were scarce and at 
a low ebb in numbers. 
The following is a briefly annotated list of the birds observed. All 
the material has not as yet been closely studied and some of the subspecific 
identifications are left open or are tentative until the various species can 
be worked over as a whole or a detailed study of the whole region is 
undertaken. 
The nomenclature used follows the A.O.U. check-list of 1910 and its 
various supplements. 
JEchmophorus occidentalis Western Grebe 
Common on lac La Nonne in spring where a few are seen through the 
summer and may occasionally breed. Breeding on lake Majeau in large 
colonies, associated with Eared Grebe and (formerly) Franklin’s gulls. 
Not seen on any of the smaller lakes. 
Colymbus holboelli Holboell’s Grebe 
Common breeder on all the larger lakes and many of the smaller ones. 
Colymbus auritus Horned Grebe 
Common breeder on many small ponds and sink-holes. 
Colymbus nigricollis Eared Grebe 
Fairly common on lac La Nonne in spring, but found nesting only on 
lake Majeau where large colonies were examined. One of these colonies 
was far out in the open lake. Nests without cover on piles of floating weed 
dredged from the bottom. 
