140 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 
{Winge.) A summer migrant in Newfoundland, rare in Nova 
Scotia, breeding in Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Que- 
bec and Ontario, apparently increasing in numbers to the west. 
Stragglers are found on Hudson Bay and Spreadborough found 
them breeding at Moose Factory, James Bay, June oth, 1896. 
This is a common species, breeding from Manitoba westward 
through the prairie region, Rocky Mountains at Banff, and north 
to Lat. 55°. British Columbia, from Kamloops to the Pacific Coast. 
Sir John Richardson places its northern limit at Lat. 62°, and 
Bernard Ross places it en the Mackenzie River at Big Island in 
nearly the same latitude. This species is unknown in Alaska. 
BREEDING Nores.—Nesting in clumps of rushes and grass 
growing in water. Nest rather compact consisting of grass placed 
from six inches to one foot above the water. Young leave the 
nest as soon as hatched. A nest was taken at Deep Lake, Indian 
Head, Assa., on June 29th, 1892, which contained three eggs and 
one young one just hatched, the young one was dark slate on the 
back, below rather lighter, a chin patch of bright orange, almost 
red, bill light horn-colour, except the base which was red. 
(Spreadborough.) A well-known species in Ontario and more gen- 
erally distributed than the Virginian Rail, though apparently not 
breeding so plentifully in the St. Lawrence district. I met with 
the bird on the Magdalen Islands in June, 1897, when on the 
22nd of that month I found among bullrushes a nest containing 
six eggs and young ones just hatched. The nest was a neat affair 
constructed of last year’s reeds and fastened to the stalks, in 
water that was knee-deep and only a short distance from a sandy 
bar, that divided a large pond from the sea. The first nest I 
found in 1895, near the St. Lawrence, was built of grass stalks 
in a tussock, where there was not much water. We have therefore 
three species, the two Rails and the American Bittern that vary 
their nesting location as well as the material they use, thus 
showing that one must have considerable experience before lay- 
ing down as hard and fast facts, the site and construction of nests. 
(Rev, C.J. Young.) Found breeding at Reaburn, Manitoba, and 
Buffalo Lake, Alberta. (Dzppie.) This species, like the Virginia 
Rail, breeds in all marshes of sufficient size throughout Western 
Ontario. (W. Saunders.) 
Ina marshy lake grown up with Carex aristata, within a couple 
of miles of Crane Lake, Assa., the writer took a number of nests 
