'^l""'] proceedings of the national museum. 441 



534 Plectrophenax nivalis (Linn.). Snowflake. 



The only authenticated nest and eggs (No. 10433) in the Smithsonian 

 Museum in 1874 was that discovered by us on 8th July, 18G4, in a small 

 hole large enough to admit of the female, and it was placed at a dis- 

 tance of nearly 2 feet from the entrance, in a sand bank along the 

 shores of Franklin Bay. "The nest is deeply saucer-shaped, and com- 

 posed of wiry grass stems, with a few feathers in the lining. External 

 diameter 3.75 inches, internal about 3, depth 2.50 externally and 1.50 

 internally. The eggs, five in number, are of a dull white, with per- 

 haps a faint bluish cast, sprinkled and spattered with a dilute yellowish 

 rofous, the markings most numerous towards the larger end. They 

 measure 0.95 of an inch in length, by 0.64 in breadth." The parent bird 

 was snared on the nest. In 1865 we observed a number of P. nivalis on 

 the same coast, but failed to find another nest. 



536. Calcarius lapponicus (Linn.)- Lapland Longepur. 



Altogether eighty-three nests of this species were obtained in the 

 Barren Grounds, as well as on the shores of Franklin Bay. One from 

 the latter, found on 27th June, 1864, was like all the others, built oii 

 the ground, "and is deeply saucer shaped, measuring 3.75 inches ex- 

 ternal and 2.30 inches internal diameter ; the depth 2.75 exteriorly and 

 1.50 interiorly. It is composed of coarse wirj^ grass stems and softly 

 lined with feathers of Lngopus. The eggs, five in number, have the 

 ground color light umber drab, faintly blotched with deeper livid slate, 

 and with a few straggling black lines, much as in certain Icteridw and in 

 Chondestes. They measured 0.86 of an inch in length by 0.63 in breadth.' 



537. Calcarius pictus (Swains.)- Smitbs's Lougspur. 



Very abundant in the country to the eastward of Fort Anderson, in 

 the Barren Grounds and on the Lower Anderson River. These sev- 

 eral localities yielded an aggregate of one hundred and fifty nests. 

 They were all on the ground, and usually in open spaces or plains, but 

 some were also placed in the vicinity of trees. The average number of 

 eggs was four ; occasionally as many as five. " The nests were con- 

 structed of fine dry grasses, carefully arranged and lined with down, 

 feathers or finer materials similar to those of the outer portions. In a 

 few there were no feathers, in others feathers in varying proportions, 

 and in several the down and feathers composed the chief portion of the 

 nest, with only a few leaves and a little hay as a base for the nest.'' 



540 Poocaetes graniineus (Gmel.). Vesper Sparrow. 



On 26th June, 1864, we found a nest of this species containing six 

 eggs, in a sparsely wooded tract of country east of Fort Anderson. The 

 female was snared. The bird, as well as the nest and eggs, all strongly 



