462 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 
MUSEUM SPECIMENS. 
Six ; two taken at Ottawa, Ont., in July and October, 1890, by 
F. A. Saunders ; one at London, Ont., taken April 15th, 1881 ; 
two taken at Toronto, by S. Herring. 
One set of four eggs taken at Ottawa, June 2nd, 1898; nest on 
the ground made of dried grass. 
540a. Western Vesper Sparrow. 
Poocetes gramineus confinis BAIRD. 1858. 
This species breeds from Pembina on the east to the base of the 
Rocky Mountains on the west along the 4gth parallel. (Cowes.) 
A very abundant summer resident on the prairies of Manitoba. 
(Thompson-Seton.) This species arrives on the Saskatchewan 
plains early in May, and frequents the withered grass which 
makes an excellent cover. It was not seen by us beyond Lat. 
57°. (Richardson.) On 26th June, 1864, we found a nest of this 
species containing six eggs in a sparsely wooded tract of country 
to the east of Fort Anderson. (Macfarlane.) Quite a common 
summer resident throughout the country around Prince Albert, 
Sask., and to be seen running ahead on every trail; breeding in 
great numbers in the region. (Coubeaux.) In 1895 this species 
was common from Winnipeg to the Rocky Mountains on or 
about the 4gth parallel. It always nested on the ground, but 
seemed to prefer being where there is more or less brush. It was 
first found nesting on June 2nd. First seen at Indian Head, Assa., 
on May goth, 1892; common by the 13th; found two nests on the 
ground, June 7th, with four eggs in each; first seen at Medicine 
Hat, Assa., April 30th, 1894, two individuals, both males; next 
day five were seen and by May 4th they were common and the 
same at Crane Lake on the 7th ; common in the east end of the 
Cypress Hills in the latter end of June; in 1891 it was found to be 
common and breeding around Banff, Rocky Mountains, in the 
direction of Devil’s Lake; at Edmonton, Alta., May Ist, 1897, 
they very soon became common and began to pair. They were 
common in the foothills from Calgary to Crow’s Nest Pass. 
Common on all the small prairies throughout the Peace River 
country between Lat. 55°-57°; common along the trail on all the 
dry grass land from Edmonton to Jasper House in 1898; this 
species was common at Kamloops, Spence’s Bridge, Enderby and 
