CATALOGUE OF CANADIAN BIRDS. 431 



the shore. I saw the female leave the nest, so that the identifica- 

 tion is good. The male did not put in an appearance at all. The 

 nest is very deep, neat and strong; it is suspended from about a 

 dozen upright twigs and is built much like that of a Baltimore 

 oriole, but entirely of grass. The eggs, four in number, were all 

 fresh; one was i by f^, pale blue, and scrawled over with most 

 curious hieroglyphics in brown-black ink; the others were similar. 

 {E. T. Seton.) Breeding abundantly in all pools throughout eastern 

 Saskatchewan, but becoming scarcer to the west. They always 

 bred in communities. At Brandon, Man., nests were found in 

 willows {Salix longifolia) and at Crane lake the same species was 

 nesting in Scirpus lacustris or bullnishes. In 1895 the same species 

 was breeding in a thick growth of snowberry (Symphoricarpus 

 occidentalis) on dry ground, at the forks of Old Wives creek, Sask. 

 Nest of leaves and stems of grasses, lined with the dried stems of 

 Eleocharis palustris. At 12-Mile lake, near Wood mountain, Sask., 

 they were nesting in " cat-tails," and at Sucker creek, south of the 

 Cypress hills in an old growth of Carex aristaia. (Macoun.) On 

 June 1 8th, 1892, at Indian Head, Sask., I waded out into a large 

 slough that had a lot of rushes {Scirpus lacustris) growing in it 

 near the middle. In a few minutes I saw ten nests. Three of them 

 had young, half-grown, and others young just hatched. Two nests 

 with four eggs each I took. This was at 9 a.m., and at 8 p.m. I 

 prepared to blow the eggs. On opening the box I found one bird 

 hatched out and one just coming from the shell. Both chicks were 

 Uvely and seemed quite strong. (Spreadborough.) 



498b. Northwestern Redwing. 



Agelaius phceniceus caurinus Ridgway. 1901. 



This species was first taken in the marshes near Agassiz, B.C., 

 May loth, 1889, a few pairs were breeding at that time; abundant 

 in the marshes at Chilliwack, B.C., in the summer of 1901. (Spread- 

 borough). Taken at Chilliwack, B.C., in 1891, and identified by 

 Mr. W. Brewster ; a few of these birds remain throughout the winter 

 at Lake Okanagan, B.C. {Brooks.) Chiefly west of the Coast 

 range; breeds on Vancouver island; common. {Fannin.) One 

 female shot in the marsh at Comox, April 30th, 1887. Rather 

 common around Copeland lake. Salt Spring island, Gulf of Georgia, 



