238 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 
ereasing in numbers in Manitoba and the west with the inerease 
of settlement. Very abundant along the Assiniboine river, and in 
1906 noted regularly and in considerable numbers as far west as 
Yorkton, Sask., but not beyond that point. (Atkinson.) A few 
stragglers, males, seen at Indian Head, Sask., in the spring of 1892. 
One seen on the trail between Lesser Slave lake and the Peace river 
in 1903. (Spreadborough.) Common, breeding in the timber on 
Maple creek and Skull creek, Sask. (A. C. Bent.) Maple creek, 
Cypress hills and Big Stick lake, Sask., and MacKay creek, Alta. 
(Bishop.) This bird is increasing rapidly in Manitoba and the 
Northwest. 
Never seen in large flocks in British Columbia. (Lord.) Not 
uncommon in the interior; more were seen near the coast. (Streator.) 
Saw one at Chilliwack lake, B.C., a few at Trail, Columbia river, B.C., 
two at Osovoos lake and several on the Similkameen river. (Spread- 
borough.) Mainland and Vancouver island; nowhere common. 
(Fannin.) Tolerably common summer resident in the lower Fraser 
valley; scarce in southern parts of Cariboo district. (Brooks.) 
The writer has found this bird numerous at only two points, between 
Manitoba and the Pacific coast. These were Medicine Hat, Sask., 
and Spence Bridge, B.C. In both places they were evidently breed- 
ing but no nests were taken. 
BREEDING NotTes.—A tolerably common summer resident near 
Portage la Prairie, Man., breeding in small wild plum trees. It 
arrives about the first of May. Nest found containing two eggs, 
on which the bird was sitting, June 7th, 1885. (Nash vide Seton.) 
On July 1st, 1899, Mr. Robert Fraser, of Plover Mills, Ont., found 
a nest of this species in the middle of his clover meadow. This 
is the first that has come under my notice of this bird nesting on 
the ground. I examined the nest and saw the shells of two eggs. 
Nest a poor affair of a few small twigs. (R. Elliott.) These birds 
have two or three broods in a season, usually building a frail nest 
of sticks in a bush or tree, three or four feet from the ground, in 
which they lay two white eggs. Nests late in the season are 
much more compactly built and are lined more or less with the 
inner bark of aspens. These birds are very fond of salt. (Criddle.) 
