ring-necked duck, 4 pair; lesser scaup duck,
1; buffle-head, 11; American coot, 10;
10; Holboell grebe, pied=

teal. 2; shoveller, 5;
7 pair; Barrow golden-eye,
greater yellowlegs, 2 pair; black tern,
billed grebe and sora were heard

This is a large population for the region. Probably the abun-
dant animal food compensates for the scarcity of plant food, the lack
of first-class nesting cover, and the marl bottom that usually is re-

pellent to waterfowl

Migration, waterfowl: On Puntchesakut Lake a small raft of waterfowl,
changing in the number and variety of its members from day to day, was
present during the entire time of my stay in the spring (May 6 - June 4)
and had commenced to reassemble when I visited the lake again on

August 30. This association of birds frequented a relatively shallow
portion, 20 to 30 feet deep, in the centre of the lake near its north
end; unless disturbed they remained within an area probably not larger
than 300 yards by 200 yards. Surf scoters usually were in the majority
and the basis of the flock that appeared to attract many other transi-
ent waterfowl. The scoters could be seen diving for food, and undoubt—
edly this portion of the lake,which was frequented constantly, provided
an adequate food supply, possibly in the form of gastropods. However,
as I was not successful in collecting any of the ducks, this assumption
was not verified. From shore it was not practicable to identify all

of the various species that made up the flock but on several occasions
this was done at close range on the lake. Thus on May 11,with wind and
light favourable, I succeeded in coming within 75 yards of the nearest
ducks before any took alarm. The flock, spread out over a space of per-
haps 200 yards by 20 yards, consisted of the following species in the
numbers indicated: Holboell grebe, 6; horned grebe, 17; western grebe,
2; canvas-back, 4; greater scaup duck, 8; buffle-head, 4; white-winged
scoter, 30, surf scoter, 78; herring gull, 3; short-billed gull, 7.
Herring gulls were the first to rise, followed shortly after by small
lots of scoters The grebe dived. The short:-billed gulls permitted

an approach as close as 30 yards

The peak of this migration was reached on May 24. On the morming
of that day. with light favourable, and only a slight ripple on the
water, I again approached close to the birds. Scoters were congrega-
ted in two flocks about 50 yards apart, one composed of 23 white-winged
scoters and 12 surf scoters, the other of 87 surf scoters. Most of the
surf scoters were in pairs. Strung along the flanks of both flocks
were 31 western grebe and, slightly apart from them, 12 Holboell grebe.
The grebe rose as I drew near and, after some preliminary awkwardness
in rising, ascended steeply--some to circle in swift flight as ducks
do, then alight again not far off. Shor ly afterward the ducks began
to rise, first the white-winged scoters, then the paired surf scoters.
At 4:00 p.m. the main flock was assembed in a short line two to six
abreast, and all but a few of the ducks were asleep. When I drew near

= Ors