430 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 
at Indian Head, Sask., in 1892; at Medicine Hat, Crane lake and 
Cypress hills in 1894; in 1895 it was abundant at Moose Jaw and 
Old Wives creek in eastern Saskatchewan; southward they were 
breeding at the forks of that creek; also in a marsh at 30-Mile lake 
and at 12-Mile lake; after this they became scarcer and only a few 
were seen at Wood mountain at the police post and at Medicine 
Lodge 16 miles south. After this none were seen for 50 miles to the 
west as the country was without water. A few were seen along 
Frenchman river and at East. End Post and in the marshes of the 
creeks flowing south out of the Cypress hills; a few were observed in 
the Milk river valley, above Kennedy crossing. It is comnion in 
northern Alberta and was quite common at Edmonton in 1897. 
(Spreadborough.) Common in the Red river valley and abundant 
about the marshes below Robinson portage, where two specimens. 
were collected June 27th, r901. A number was seen near Oxford 
House, Keewatin, July 4th, in the marsh between Oxford and Back 
lakes. (Preble.) Common at the Grand rapids of the Saskatchewan. 
(Nutting.) Common summer resident between the forks of the 
Saskatchewan, frequenting the willows and poplar-edged sloughs 
and marshes where it breeds in numbers. (Coubeaux.) Common 
at Methye Portage, lat. 56° 30’ in the spring; very common at the 
discharge of Methye lake in July, 1888; not seen elsewhere. (J. M. 
Macoun.) This species reaches the Saskatchewan about the begin- 
ning of May and does not pass beyond lat. 57°. It associates itself 
with the other blackbirds and does great injury to sprouting grain. 
(Richardson.) North to Fort Simpson, on the Mackenzie river, 
common. (Ross.) 
If Mr. Oberholser is right in segregating A. pheniceus arctolegus 
from fortis, practically all the above references would go to arctolegus, 
but for the present the redwings of the Canadian prairies and the far 
north are all referred to fortis. 
BREEDING NoTES.—Jtine 11th, 1882: Went in the morning with 
two brothers to the lake in the sand-hills east of De Winton; saw 
there large numbers of marsh terns and various kinds of black- 
birds. I was unable, from the depth of the water, to reach the 
place where the terns seemed to be nesting, but found the nest of 
the red winged blackbird in a few twigs that projected about a 
foot above the water, here three feet deep, and some ten feet from 
