174 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 
tree near a peat bog close to Seal Lake; none were seen after 
this. Bernard Ross says that it extends as far north as Fort 
Simpson on the Mackenzie River. Macfarline does not mention 
it, but Sir John Richardson says it has been shot as far north as 
eatvo4 30’; 
Nelson, in his Birds of Alaska, says that a few skins of this 
species were brought to him from Anvik and Nulato, both on the 
Lower Yukon, and their occurrence here involves their occurrence 
on the Upper Yukon. Fannin and Brooks record it as being 
tolerably common in British Columbia. 
BREEDING Notres.—We have very little actual knowledge of 
the breeding habits of this bird other than that it is solitary in 
its habits and has a tendency to take to trees when in proximity 
to its nest. Hutchins found the nest on the shores of Hudson 
Bay ; and according to Richardson its eggs were deposited on 
the beach and no nest formed. This tallies exactly with the con- 
ditions under which its nest was found near Castleton, Vermont, 
by Mr. J. Richardson, in May, 1878. In the latter case, the single 
egg was placed in a small depression in the ground, without any 
attempt at a nest, 
In July, 1881, the writer, when leading an exploring expedition 
up the Red Deer River, which empties into the head of Lake 
Winnepegoosis, came upon a pair of these birds on a point of 
bare rocks which jutted into the stream, and shot one. On the 
report of the gun,a young bird —still in the down—jumped up and 
ran, but was soon caught. On July 6th, 1896, while collecting 
plants in a swamp near Prince Albert, on the Saskatchewan, I 
saw a bird of this species sitting on a small birch, but could 
neither raise the other bird nor find the nest, The next day I 
visited the same place and found two birds sitting on trees, but 
failed to find the nest. 
On July 1gth, 1895, I came across a pair near Calgary, Alberta, 
which undoubtedly had young in the grass, one bird kept flying 
within a few yards of me as long as I stayed in a certain locality. 
I also observed this species in summer at Buffalo Lake, Alta. It 
was also seen at Manitoba House, Man., at the end of June, 1895. 
(Dippe.) 
Dr. Clarke of Kingston, Ont., in Ze Auk, Oct. 1898, and the Rev. 
C.J. Young in Zhe Ottawa Naturalist, Dec. 1899, give detailed 
accounts of the finding of a nest of this species. Mr. Young thus 
