554 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA 



588. Arctic Towhee. 



Pipilo maculatus arcticus (Swains.) Coues. 1872. 



Along the 49th parallel this form becomes established at least 

 as far east as the Mouse (Souris) river, where I secured a speci- 

 men in September. On the boundary they were not met with 

 again until the Rocky mountains were reached. {Coues.) First 

 saw one at Medicine Hat, Sask., May 3rd, 1894; by the 12th they 

 were common in low scrub along the Saskatchewan and the creeks 

 leading into it. They were also common on the east end of the 

 Cypress hills at the end of June. This species was met with in 

 brush from Old Wives creek, Sask., to Wood mountain and south 

 to Rocky creek, and Medicine Lodge; it was found to be quite 

 common in all the wooded ravines of the Cypress hills; a nest was 

 taken at Farwell creek, June 28th, 1895; it was common in Milk 

 river valley and along the St. Mary river (Macoun.) Fairly 

 common species from the 49th parallel nearly to Calgary, becoming 

 rare further north. (W. E. Saunders.) Uncommon in the Skull 

 creek and Maple creek, Sask. timber. {A. C. Bent.) This hand- 

 some ground finch was observed only on the plains of the Saskatch- 

 ewan, where it no doubt breeds, as one specimen was killed late in 

 July; it arrives in the end of May and frequents shady and moist 

 clumps of wood, being generally seen near the ground. {Richard- 

 son.) 



Breeding Notes. — Breeds sparingly in central Saskatchewan 

 and northern Alberta; two sets of four eggs were taken at Fort 

 Saskatchewan, Alta., by Mr. J. Callaghan, on June 12th, 1898; 

 nests made of roots and grass and built in a low shrub a few inches 

 above the ground at the side of a coulee. {W. Raine.) This species 

 always builds on the ground or close to it; one nest was taken at 

 Farwell creek. Cypress hills, Sask., June 26th, 1895, on the slope of 

 the bank, under a willow root in a thicket; another was taken the 

 next day. also from the ground in the open, but this was under the 

 roots of Symphoricarpus occidentalis; the nests were chiefly built 

 of bark and grass and lined inside with hair; each nest contained 

 four eggs. {Macoun.) 



