Yel abel Luoyp, Ontario Bird Notes. 459 
the top and attached to the smaller branches, a short distance out from 
the main stem of the tree. It was a compact cup, almost spherical below, 
and was built with twigs as a foundation and the upper part and lining 
were made of plant fibre. On this date it contained two newly hatched 
birds and one bird just emerging from the shell. The ground color of this 
egg was bluish and it was spotted and streaked with dark brown. 
I returned to the nesting site on April 23 and the nest had disappeared; 
perhaps the work of crows, which were numerous. I thought it might 
have blown down, but could find no trace of it either in the tree or on the 
ground beneath it. 
This nest was located about one mile north of the section of the city 
known as East Toronto. 
On May 20 of the same year, and about a quarter of a mile from the 
site of this nest, I watched an old Siskin feeding a fully fledged young bird. 
Their combined notes were something like whet-ee, whée-you, whée-you, 
tuck, tuck, whéu-ee, the whole often repeated. 
Siskins are reported to have bred in Wellington County, Ontario, in 
April and May, 1905 (Auk, XXII, 1905, 415), but I believe this is the first 
nest discovered in this part of the province. As Siskins were seen in this 
neighborhood quite regularly, from January 28 until May 21, it is 
probable that several pairs were nesting. 
Melospiza melodia melodia. Sona Sparrow.— There is, in my col- 
lection, No. 1265, a female Song Sparrow which shows partial albinism 
I collected this specimen near Toronto on May 17, 1916. In general. 
appearance it resembles closely a specimen of the Desert Song Sparrow, 
Melospiza melodia fallax, in Mr. J. H. Fleming’s collection, with which it 
was compared. It differs in having the markings uniformly lighter, in 
having practically white tail-feathers and primaries and in having the 
beak and feet very light in color. 
Song Sparrows were found at Toronto during the present winter, 1916-17. 
On December 30, 1916, I found a small flock of half a dozen individuals 
in the rushes on Ashbridge’s Marsh. On January 1, 1917, I found another 
in a marsh at West Hill, near Toronto. 
Piranga erythromelas. ScartetT TaNnacrer.—In the Don Valley, 
near Toronto, on May 22, 1915, I took a very peculiar specimen of the 
Searlet Tanager. It proved to be a female and its plumage is so odd that I 
have endeavoured to describe the specimen. Dr. Jonathan Dwight stated, 
after seeing it, that it was unique, and examination of a large series in Mr. 
J. H. Fleming’s collection showed nothing like it. 
It is in my collection, No. 1293. 
Ridgway’s color standards, 1912, are used in the following description: 
The under parts are diffused capucine yellow, pinard yellow and buffy 
olive. The throat, breast and belly are chiefly a mixture of the two yel- 
lows, becoming buffy olive on the flanks. The under tail coverts are clear 
eapucine yellow, becoming pinard yellow at the tips. The under wing 
coverts are white. 
