SMITH'S LONGSPUR 1629 



According to Laurence Irving (1960) they reach their breeding 

 grounds in northern Alaska two to three weeks later than the Lapland 

 longspurs. He estimated them to be "* * * about a twentieth as 

 numerous as Alaskan [Lapland] longspurs which would rank them as 

 about the second species in abundance over the open wet grassy part 

 of the tundra at the level of the floor of Anaktuvuk Valley. 



"They did not frequent the dry places, but were often seen in wet 

 grassy places." He also notes that the testes of the males "showed 

 all to be at breeding size at the time of arrival. In this they were 

 unlike the Alaska longspurs which had been reported two weeks before 

 the time all males were at breeding size." 



Nesting. — Irving (1960) continues: 



In four females examined between May 27 and June 1, eggs were recorded at 

 2 mm. in length (that is, to have undergone a little growth), but on June 5, a 

 bird contained a fully formed egg. 



The nests collected * * * in 1949 were located on hummocks in the grassy 

 tundra, slightly raised above the wet or damp surroundings and not concealed. 

 They were rather bulky and were constructed of grass lined with fine round 

 grass, some caribou hair, and a few ptarmigan feathers. The sets of eggs were 

 observed for two or three days before being taken and were complete in number 

 by about June 15. This places the nesting date about 10 days later than that of 

 Alaskan longspurs. 



S. F. Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway (1874) write of what were 

 probably the first nests of this species discovered: 



These birds were observed in large numbers at Fort Anderson, and on the 

 Lower Anderson River, by Mr. MacFarlane, and a large number of their nests 

 obtained. These were all on the ground, and usually in open spaces, but also 

 in the vicinity of trees. The usual number of eggs found in a nest appears to 

 have been four. The nests, for the most part, were constructed of fine dry grasses, 

 carefully arranged, and lined with down, feathers, or finer materials similar to 

 those of the outer portions. In a few there were no feathers; in others, feathers in 

 different proportions; and in a few the down and feathers composed the chief 

 portion of the nest, with only a few leaves as a base to the nest. They were 

 sometimes sunk in excavations made by the birds, or placed in a tussock of grass, 

 and, in one instance, placed in the midst of a bed of Labrador tea. 



******* 



When their nests are approached, the female quietly slips off, while the male 

 bird may be seen hopping or flying from tree to tree in the neighborhood of the 

 nest, and will at times do all he can to induce intruders to withdraw from the 

 neighborhood. 



On his experiences with the nominate race in the Hudson Bay region 

 in 1931, Olin S. Pettingill, Jr., has sent me the following notes from 

 his field journal: 



June 29. I accidently flushed a female from her nest this afternoon at Mosquito 

 Point. She flushed almost at my feet and alighted 5 feet away. I recognized 

 her woodeny rattle at once. The nest contained four eggs. 



