498 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 
Ontario. (Rev. C. J. Young.) Mr. Kay took one specimen at 
Port Sydney, Muskoka district in the summer of 1890. (/. H. 
Fleming.) \ have found this bird fairly plentiful in suitable 
places around Toronto; and have met with it as early as April 
12th. Took twoon April 22nd, 1899. They usually haunt waste 
ground in which occasional clusters of bushes are found. I know 
of one spot of waste ground interspersed with small patches of 
witch hazel and scrub oak, which is never without a few repre- 
sentatives of this pretty little sparrow. Breeds here. Can easily 
be identified at a considerable distance by its cinnamon-tipped 
beak. (J. Hughes-Samuel.) Locally distributed, but generally 
common near London, Ont. Easily found by its song, but not 
conspicuous otherwise. It nests both on the ground and in small 
shrubs one to four feet from the ground. In my trips to the 
Bruce Peninsula have seen but few of these birds. While at 
Kazabazua, 40 miles north of Ottawa, it has been fairly common 
at every visit. Arrives at London about April 20th and departs 
about October 2nd. (W. &. Saunders.) 
Very rare summer resident, Red River settlement; breeding, 
(D. Gunn.) Winnipeg; summer resident ; tolerably common. 
(Hine.) Have seen it west of Winnipeg. (A. H. Hunter.) Qu’- 
Appelle; common summer resident; breeds; arrives about April 
15th. (Guernsey.) All the above references are taken from Thomp- 
son-Seton’s “ Birds of Manitoba” and it may be noted that none 
are his own observations. My opinion from many years’ obser- 
vation and correlation of other statements is that nearly all,if not 
all the above refere..ces are erroneous, and that they apply to the 
clay-coloured sparrow (Spzzella pallida) which we know ts abund- 
ant, at least in western Manitoba. The latter, though abundant, : 
was not recorded by Guernsey, R. H. Hunter, nor Mr. Hine so 
that in these three cases] am quite sure that the identification is 
wrong, I doubt very much the occurrence of this bird at Win- 
nipeg. (MWacoun.) 
BREEDING Notes.—I have found the nest several times by the 
roadside in a small bush. It appears to be a late breeder as the 
nests I found had fresh eggs in them in July. If closely observed 
this bird is unmistakable, being easily recognized by its waxen- 
coloured bill. (Rev. C.J. Young.) 
