562 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 



599. Lazuli Bunting. 



Cyanospiza avioena (Say) Baird. 1858. 



This species was found in the Bow valley from the foothills at 

 Morley up to Banff in the Rocky mountains, but although often 

 seen was not common in the summer of 1891 ; common at Trail on 

 the Columbia and at Cascade in low bushes on the hillsides in June 

 and July, 1902; three seen at Osoyoos lake, B.C., May 28th, 1905 

 and common along the trail from Osoyoos to Princeton; found at 

 Kamloops and Spence Bridge, B.C., in abundance in June, 1889; 

 two pairs were seen at Agassiz on May 13th, the same year; one 

 specimen seen at Chilhwack, B.C., May 23rd, 1901; and one there 

 in 1906; shot a female at Comox, Vancouver island, June 23rd, 

 1893, the only one seen ; one seen at a lake near Victoria, Vancouver 

 island, May 15th, 1887. (Spreadborough.) This beautiful bird is 

 abundant between the Coast range and the Rockies, but does not 

 extend further north than Bonaparte river which is north of Ash- 

 croft in British Columbia. (Rhoads.) 



CCXXXVI. SPIZA Bonaparte. 1824. 

 604. Dickcissel. 



Spiza americana (Gmel.) Ridgw. 1880. 



Since the irruption of this species into eastern and central Ontario 

 in 1895, recorded in the Ottawa Naturalist of that year none have 

 been observed near London; this species, however, is a steadily 

 common breeder in t4ae west, all over the country south of Lake 

 St. Clair and becomes less numerous and more southern as one 

 comes east; the three nests so far recorded in Ontario were all on 

 the ground, though they are often placed higher in the prairie states; 

 the four or five blue eggs have a striking resemblance to those of the 

 bluebird. {W. E. Saunders.) Mr. Saunders writes that since the 

 publication of the first edition of this catalogue this species has 

 apparently vanished from western Ontario and that no positive 

 information of its occurrence has been received in recent years 

 though the customary localities have been investigated. (Macoun.) 

 On June 14th, 1897, while doing some miscellaneous collecting near 

 the big slough at Portage la Prairie, Man., a strange bird flushed 



