CATALOGUE OF CANADIAN BIRDS. 459 
two at Crane Lake, Assa., June, 1894, all by Mr. Spread- 
borough. 
Numerous nests were taken at Crane Lake in June, 1894, but 
nearly all contained young or eggs nearly hatched. In June, 1893, 
many nests were found south of the Cypress Hills and in all the 
nests the sets ranged from 3-—5. The sets in the collection were 
taken at Crane Lake June 8th and gth, 1894, by Prof. Macoun. 
CXCV. RHYNCHOPHANES Bairp. 1858. 
539. McCown’s Longspur. 
Rhynchophanes mecownit (LAwR.) RipGw. 1877. 
A specimen of this bird was taken just west of Manitoba by Mr. 
Thorpe near Dalesboro. (7hompson-Seton.) This species was never 
seen in the Red River region and I do not think it occurs on that 
watershed which is so thickly populated in summer with C. ornatus. 
It seems to be one of the many birds that mark the natural divi- 
sion between that region and the Missouri Basin. The first speci- 
men taken was near Fort Buford. As we progressed towards the 
Milk River the bird became more and more abundant and it occur- 
red throughout the country thence to the Rocky Mountains. 
McCown’s longspur was very abundant in the country about 
Frenchman’s River where both species were breeding, but further 
west C. orvnatus, diminished in numbers while McCown’s longspur 
increased and extended to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. 
(Coues.) First seen at Indian Head, Assa., May 23rd, 1892; by 
the first June they were abundant on burnt prairie and land that 
had been broken and let run to weeds. Numbers remained to 
breed ; two individuals were seen at Medicine Hat, Assa., April 
21st, 1894, after which time they became common both there and 
at Crane Lake 100 miles further east. By May 2nd they were in 
thousands at Medicine Hat and numbers of males were in full song. 
Common at Crane Lake in June; amongst other nests one was 
found containing five eggs, one of which belonged to a cowbird. 
The nest was a rather deep hole in the prairie, lined with a little 
dried grass ; in 1895 they were common at Moose Jaw, at Old 
Wives’ Creek, Wood Mountain, Frenchman’s River up to the 
Cypress Hills, Assa., but not in the hills, and westerly from there 
to Milk River, where they decreased in numbers and only a few 
extended to the foothills near Waterton. Lake ; observed a num- 
