460 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 
ber at Calgary, Alta., June 19th, 1897; one seen on the shore of an 
island in Lesser Slave Lake, Atha., May 31st, 1903. This species 
and C. ornatus were always found together and are true prairie 
species. (Spreadborough.) I secured an adult male on June 3rd, 
1887, and on the same day three years later, shot two females at 
the same place ; these are all I have seen at Chilliwack, B.C. 
(Brooks.) 
BreepDinG Notes.—This bird is a great favorite of mine. I 
love its sweet song, for the male bird has the habit of soaring into 
the air for some distance and then descending with outstretched 
wings, with a parachute-like descent sliding down on the scale 
of its own delicious music. During June, 1891 and 1893, I found 
this species abundant on the hilly prairie north of Rush Lake, 
Assa. Here it builds its nest on the ground at the side of a sod 
and lays four or five eggs. The female is a close sitter, not leav- 
ing the nest until the intruder has stepped close up to it. The 
eggs are like those of Smith’s longspur in colour and markings, 
but average smaller in size. (W. Raine.) This is a very common 
species in many parts of the prairie region. Many nests were 
seen in 1894 and 1895 and all were ina hole in the ground with 
slight elevation on one side. Nest of dried grass and _ indis- 
tinguishable from that of the chestnut-collared bunting. (JZacoun.) 
MUSEUM SPECIMENS. 
Fourteen ; two taken at Indian Head, Assa., May, 1892, one 
at Old Wives’ Creek, Assa., May 25th, 1895, two at Crane Lake, 
Assa., April 25th, 1894, eight at Medicine Hat, Assa., in April 
and May, 1894, all by Mr. Spreadborough ; one taken at Rush 
Lake, Assa., May 29th, 1893, by Mr. W. Raine. 
Two sets of four eggs each, one taken at Crane Lake, June 11th, 
1894 and the other south of Wood Mountain, Assa., June 14th, 
1895, both by Prof. Macoun. 
CXCVI. POOCAETES Bairp. 1858. 
540. Vesper Sparrow. 
Poocetes gramineus (GMEL.) BAIRD. 1858. 
A common resident in fields in Nova Scotia. (Dowmns.) Com- 
mon in King’s Co., N.S. from the middle of April to October. 
(77. Tufts.) Not uncommon at Baddeck and Margaree, Cape 
