464 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 



the nest. This was fifteen feet from the ground, hidden in the dense 

 spruce top, as before. There was but one fresh egg. This measures 

 .77 X .58. It is almost white (before blown, pinkish) with scattering, 

 abruptly-defined spots and lines of bay and fawn colour, most 

 numerous at the larger end. The three nests are just alike in every 

 way. They consist externally of short dry spruce twigs ; and inter- 

 nally of a black wool-like lichen, closely felted, and with a scanty 

 admixture of feathers and bits of grasses. The nests are nearly 

 black, and thus present an odd appearance as compared with those 

 of the usual consistency of other birds. The nest measurements 

 are: internal diameter 2.20, depth 1.20; external diameter 4.00, 

 depth 2.50. {Grinnell.) I have a set of four eggs taken at Sand- 

 wich bay, Labrador, April 9th, 1894, by L. Dicks. The nest is made 

 of fine roots and twigs, lined with moss and animals' fur, and the 

 four eggs are pale bluish-white, spotted at the larger ends with 

 brown of various shades, black and lilac grey. The eggs of the two 

 species of crossbill are seldom obtained, for like the Canada jay 

 they have eggs while the snow is on the ground very early in the 

 spring and at a time when it is difficult to get into the woods on 

 account of the snow. {W. Raine.) Mr. H. F. Tufts published in 

 The Auk, Vol. XXIII., p. 339, an account of the finding of several 

 nests of this species. Nests with young were found January 31, 

 1906, and they were still nesting in May. He records the finding 

 of a nest with young on August 4, All the nests were found in 

 spruce, some as high as 70 feet up, others in small trees and placed 

 near the ground. 



CCXIII. LEUCOSTICTE Swainson. 1831. 



523. Aleutian Leucosticte. 



Leucosticte griseonucha (Brandt) Bonap. 1850. 



East and west of the Coast range ; tolerably common. (Fannin.) 

 On the Aleutian islands, from one extremity to the other, is found 

 this large and beautiful finch, extending its habitat thence north 

 to include the Pribilof islands and the small island of St. Matthew 

 still further to the north. East of the Aleutian chain it reaches 

 Kadiak island. On all these islands, except one or two exceptions, 

 it is a permanent resident. (Nelson.) This species is common on 

 all the Aleutian islands, including the Pribilof islands, and has also 



