694 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 



along small streams near the 49th parallel in the summer of 1 902 ; 

 a common species at Kamloops and Spence Bridge, B.C. , building in 

 the thickets along the Thompson river, in June, 1889; only one in- 

 dividual seen at Chilliwack, B.C., in June, 1901, and one in the Chil- 

 liwack valley in 1906. (Spreadborough.) Uncommon at Prince 

 Albert, Sask., several times heard in the thickets but only once seen. 

 (Coubeaux.) This species was not observed further north than lati- 

 tude 54°. It was abundant around Carlton, on the Saskatchewan, 

 and bred in the willow thickets. (Richardson.) Very common 

 summer resident of the interior of British Columbia, reaching the 

 coast in reduced numbers. (Streator.) Common east and west of 

 the Coast range; rare on Vancouver Island; summer resident. 

 (Fannin.) Not abundant an}^where, but very local in its distribu- 

 tion in British Columbia. (Rhoads.) Tolerably common summer 

 resident at Chilliwack, B.C. ; and breeding as far north up the Fraser 

 river as Soda creek, B.C. (Brooks.) 



Breeding Notes. — Nests, in bushes, vines and trees of every kind ; 

 never high up; made of branches, dry leaves, bits of paper, bark and 

 grasses; always lined with black rootlets. At Ottawa, the catbird 

 begins to lay in the latter part of May. (Garneaii.) Nest, built in 

 a tree at Ottawa, from five to twenty feet from the ground ; composed 

 of twigs, leaves, bark, rootlets and bits of twine, lined with black 

 rootlets. Eggs, four to five, dark bluish-green. (G. R. White.) 

 Breeds in June, at Scotch Lake, N.B. ; the nest is a roughly con- 

 structed affair of weed-stalks, grasses and other material, lined with 

 rootlets and resembles a bunch of drift stuff lodged in a bush. The 

 female keeps good watch over the nest and the male sings at some 

 distance away to attract enemies to himself. (W. H. Moore.) This 

 species builds its nest on the prairies in the densest thickets and is 

 difficult to find ; nests in willows and Elazagnus argentea. The base 

 consists of leaves of thistles and Artemisia, then of bark of dead 

 A^illow, lined on the inside with small black root fibres; three nests 

 of the same character were taken on Frenchman river, Sask., June 

 22nd, 1895. (Macoun.) 



CCLXVI. TOXOSTOMA. Wagler. 1831. 

 705. Brown Thrasher. 



Toxostoma rufum (Linn.) Cab. 1847. 

 A common summer resident around Montreal; observed in the 

 5 p ;rg of tte year, April 30th, and a nest found on the spur of Mount 



