^°'l9l^'"] MousLEY, Birds of Hatley, Quebec. 173 



very unusual number, and one I am not likely to duplicate, and this remark 

 applies also to one of three eggs, which to all intents and purposes are all 

 immaculate. In addition to these out of 43 nests examined I have found 

 three sets of five, which are uncommon, four and three being the most 

 general number and about equally divided. 



74. Junco hyemalis hyemalis (Linnaeus). Slate-colored Junco. — 

 Common summer visitant; abundant transient; April 1 to Nov. 13. Aver- 

 age date of arrival (for four years) April 6; of departure (for four years) 

 Nov. 11. Eggs: May 20 to July 17. If only one tenth of the birds seen 

 at the spring migration stayed behind to breed they would more than equal 

 the Song Sparrow in abundance. As it is, only a limited number of pairs 

 remain as a rule, but during the present season (1915) quite a change has 

 taken place, more pairs being noted and nests located than ever before. 

 Out of a total of 21 nests examined only three contained a set of five 

 eggs, and all were on the ground with the exception of one which was ten 

 inches up in a cedar bush. 



75. Melospiza melodia melodia (Wilson). Song Sparrow. — 

 Abundant summer visitant; April 1 to Nov. 8. Average date of arrival 

 (for five years) April 8; of departm-e (for four years) Nov. 1. Eggs: 

 May 17 to July 29. This is certainly the most abundant sparrow here. 

 Their nests are invariably placed on the ground in this locality, only four 

 having been found in low bushes from two to six feet above the ground, 

 one in May and the others in June and July, these latter evidently being 

 second or third broods. This sparrow would appear to lay five eggs in a 

 set more generally than four , as out of sixty-two nests examined, 32 con- 

 tained sets of five as against 20 of four. 



76. Melospiza georgiana (Latham). Swamp Sparrow. — Fairly 

 common summer visitant; April 9 to Oct. 25. Average date of arrival 

 (for four years) April 20; of departure (for four years) Oct. 23. Eggs: 

 May 23 to June 14. This sparrow although it can generally be found in a 

 few favoured localities is not by any means very plentiful (except at the 

 fall migration) and during 1914 was really scarce, careful searching only 

 revealing one nest as against three or four of previous years. In the case 

 of the Song Sparrow the number of nests containing five eggs was just over 

 fifty per cent, with this species it is just a little under, as out of twelve nests 

 examined five contained the full complement only. 



77. Passerella iliaca iliaca (Merrem). Fox Sparrow. — Rare 

 transient; Oct. 16, Nov. 5. The above dates in 1914 are the only ones 

 on which I have observed this large and handsome sparrow, and then only 

 one example was seen on each occasion. 



78. Zamelodia ludoviciana (Linnajus). Rose-breasted Gros- 

 beak. — Rare summer visitant; May 24 to Sept. 2. Eggs: May 31. 

 The Rose-breasted Grosbeak is decidedly a rare breeding bird about here, 

 only one nest and eggs having been so far located in five years. This was 

 a frail affair placed in a small tree about six feet above the gi'ound at the 

 side of a much frequented road, and contained three eggs upon which the 



