88 
The first old-squaws of the 1926 season were seen on June 9 at cape 
Dorset, frequenting an upland pond. On June 19, about fifty were noted 
a few miles east of cape Dorset. Many of these were in pairs, but a flock 
of thirty or more was observed at close range. In the latter part of June, 
numerous pairs were seen among Fox islands, Gordon bay. They were 
no longer seen in flocks and the mated pairs were solitary in habit, fre- 
quenting ice-enclosed bays, the open sea among the shifting floes, or small 
upland ponds on the islands. The male possessed a very pleasant, dis- 
tinctive call resembling with variations, oo-oo-ung-ah-ung-ah. Sometimes 
at a little distance the call was like the mellowed, somewhat petulant 
barking of a tiny dog. At all times it was soft, deep-toned, and with good 
carrying quality. 
On July 17, several birds were seen at Aitken lakes, west of cape 
Dorset, and a female was observed with downy young only a few days 
old, one of which was secured. Two examples were collected at Amadjuak 
bay on August 3. 
The species was noted by J. C. Ross (1826, p. 106) at port Bowen, 
where it arrived early in June, 1825. Kumlien (1879, p. 89) stated that 
the birds arrived at the head of Cumberland sound in the latter days of 
May and that they nest there, on rocky islands, in pairs and not in colonies. 
Hantzsch (1914, p. 162) saw a flock of several hundred on May 25, 1910, 
in Cumberland sound, flying westward. The species was several times 
observed by Hantzsch during June while he was travelling to Nettilling 
lake. At the latter place during June he repeatedly saw detached pairs 
and small flocks and in July he found the species breeding at Tikerakdjuak 
point, Nettilling lake. The first young were noted by him on August 5, 
and on September 17 he saw some travelling along Koukjuak river. Low 
(1906, p. 316) states that the species is very common in the northern part 
of Hudson bay and on the Arctic islands. Six specimens were taken in 
1922 by the MacMillan expedition in the region of Bowdoin harbour, 
near cape Dorset. The species is recorded as not being common in the 
vicinity of Bylot island (Lloyd, 1922, p, 50). Corporal F. Mclnnes states 
that the species is common on the lakes in the region of Ponds inlet. 
Seventeen specimens were collected and all are in more or less complete 
summer plumage. Two males (No. 20847, taken at Nettilling lake on 
June 29, 1925; and No. 21140, collected at Amadjuak bay, August 3, 1926) 
show a few flecks of winter plumage on the crown of the head; the plumage 
of none of the specimens even suggests a state of eclipse. 
32. Histrionicus histrionicus (Linnaeus), harlequin duck. 
The species was observed by the writer only once, when on August 
26, 1924, in Bear sound, southeast of Blacklead island, an adult female 
and six juveniles were collected. The young were about two-thirds grown, 
and averaged 11^ inches long. The species is rare in that region. 
Kumlien (1879, p. 89) records having seen three, and collected one, 
of this species near Bon Accord, Cumberland sound. Hantzsch’s journal 
makes no mention of this species, but his collection contained the skin of 
an adult male dated, Blacklead island, June 15, 1910, and evidently taken 
by Eskimo while Hantzsch was in the interior (Hesse, 1915, p. 155). 
