490 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 
fledged young and moulting adults were found in the latter part 
of July. (Grznnell.) This species is very common, especially 
along the coast of Behring Sea, and of all the birds that frequent 
bushes this is the most common to the north. (Welson.) This 
species arrives at St. Michael and remains about two and one- 
half months. It breeds in the alder thickets that skirt the small 
lakes and low grounds. It is quite common. (Zurner.) One speci- 
men taken at Homer, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, September 8th, 
1901. (Chapman.) 
BREEDING NoteEs.—In the Kowak delta on the 14th and 15th 
of June I took a set of five and one of six slightly incubated eggs, 
respectively. The two nests were similarly placed in the tops of 
clumps of grass at the edge of a marsh about six inches above the 
water. The nest proper consists of closely-matted broad dry 
grass blades and stems, while the lining is entirely of white 
ptarmigan feathers, though not one shows above the rim. The 
deeply cup-shaped cavity is thus pure white, though when the bird 
was sitting she entirely concealed it. The internal diameter of 
the nest is 2°00, depth, 1°90; external diameter, 4°80, depth, 
2°60. The ground colour of the egg is very pale blue. The 
set of six is quite uniformly and thickly spotted with liver- 
brown and vinaceous tints. One egg of the set of five is like 
them, but the others are wreathed at the large ends with confluent 
markings of the same colours, while the rest of the surface is very 
finely dotted and blurred with a pale brown tint; so as to nearly 
obscure the ground colour. The eleven eggs average °74 x °57. 
( Joseph Grinnell.) I have several sets of eggs from the Mackenzie 
delta ; a nest and five eggs was found by Rev. C.E. Whittaker on 
June 18th, 1900 at Peel River; another nest with five eggs was 
found at the foothills of the Black Mountains by Mr. Stringer on 
June 13th, 1899; another clutch of four eggs was found, west side 
of Mackenzie delta by Mr. Stringer on June 8th, 1899 ; the nests 
are made of dried grass warmly lined with feathers and were built 
on mossy knolls on the ground. (W. Raine.) 
MUSEUM SPECIMENS. 
Fifteen ; five taken at Indian Head, Assa., in April, 1892, and 
September, 1891 ; four at Medicine Hat, Assa., in April, 1894; 
four at Revelstoke, B.C., in April, 1890, and two at Penticton, 
B.C., April gth, 1903 ; all by Mr. Spreadborough. 
