a 
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CATALOGUE OF CANADIAN BIRDS. 663 
BREEDING Nores.—Nests, in bushes, vines, and trees of every 
kind, never high up, made of branches, dry leaves, bits of paper, 
bark and grasses, always lined with black rootlets. At Ottawa 
the catbird begins to lay in the latter part of May. (Garneau.) 
Nest, built in a tree at Ottawa from 5 to 20 feet from the ground, 
composed of, twigs, leaves, bark, rootlets and bits of twine, lined 
with black rootlets. Eggs 4to5, dark bluish green. (G.R. White.) 
Breeds in June at Scotch Lake, N.B.; the nest is a roughly con- 
structed affair of weed-stalks, grasses and other material, lined 
with rootlets and resembles a bunch of drift stuff lodged in a bush. 
The female keeps good watch over the nest and the male sings 
at some distance away to attract enemies to himself. (IV. H. Moore.) 
This species builds its nest on the prairies in the densest thickets 
and is difficult to find; nest in willows and Alg@agnus argentea. The 
base consists of leaves of thistles and Avfemzisia, then of bark of 
dead willow, lined on the inside with small black root fibres ; three 
nests of the same character were taken on Frenchman’s River, 
Assa., June 22nd, 1895. (MJacoun.) 
MUSEUM SPECIMENS. 
Eleven; two taken at Ottawa, May, 1888, by the writer; one at 
London, ‘Ont.;) July; 2nd,: 1880; ,by, Mr. .W:) EH. Saunders; one\at 
Indian Head, Assa., June 2nd, 1892, two at Medicine Hat, Assa., 
in May, 1894, one at Edmonton, Alta., May 25th, 1897, one at 
Robson, Columbia River, B.C., June 21st, 1890, one at Trail, B.C., 
June 5, 1902, and two at Spence’s Bridge, B.C., in June, 1889, all 
by Mr. W. Spreadborough. 
One set of four eggs taken at Ottawa, and presented to the 
museum by Dr. James Fletcher. 
CCXL. TOXOSTOMA Wac ter. 1831. 
705. Brown Thrasher. 
Toxostoma rufum (LINN.) CaB. 1847. 
A common summer resident around Montreal; observed in the 
spring of the year, April 30th, and a nest found on the spur of 
Mount Royal, containing three eggs, May 24th, 1890; not observ- 
ed in the autumn, and think it must be an early migrant in the 
fall. (Wintle.) A moderately common summer resident around 
Ottawa. (Ottawa Naturalist, Vol. V.) Common in suitable places 
