440 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 
not rare at Methye portage; abundant between Methye lake and 
Isle 4 la Crosse in 1888. (J. M. Macoun.) This sombre-coloured 
bird is the most northern of the American Sturnide, its summer 
range reaching to the 68th parallel, or as far north as the woods 
extend. It reaches the Saskatchewan about the end of April, and 
is at Great Bear lake, lat. 65°, by the 3rd of May, generally in pairs, 
(Richardson.) North on the Mackenzie river to Fort Good Hope; 
common. .(Ross.) This bird is fairly abundant in the neighbour- 
hood of Fort Anderson, and they were frequently observed as far 
as the eastern limits of the forest, as well as near the ‘‘crossing”’ 
of the Horton river in about lat. 69°. The twenty-five nests dis- 
covered were built in trees from five to eight feet from the ground. 
(Macfarlane.) One specimen shot at Metlakatla, B. C., by Rev: 
J. H. Keen, Nov. 21st, 1901. (Kermode.) This species is a regular 
summer resident in northern Alaska wherever trees and bushes are 
found, reaching the vicinity of the sea coast; in northern Alaska it 
reaches lat. 70°. (Nelson.) One specimen taken on Sheep creek, 
near Homer, Alaska, was the only specimen observed. (Figgins.) 
This was a fairly common bird along the Kowak, Kotzebue sound, 
from the delta eastward. They were seen in small flocks until 
September 8th, and the following spring returned in flocks, May 
22nd, after which they separated into smaller groups. (Grinnell.) 
Taken at several localities near Bristol bay, Alaska. (Osgood.) 
This bird is one of the earliest land birds to arrive at St. Michael. 
It is not common there and does not breed in the vicinity to my 
knowledge. (Turner.) Saw two specimens at Log Cabin, in the 
White pass, on June 15th, 1899. Osgood took a specimen near 
Fort Yukon, Alaska, and a small flock was seen near St. Michael. 
(Bishop.) Two males were shot at Tyonek, Cook inlet, Alaska, in 
September, 1899. (Osgood.) 
BREEDING Notes.—Met with at London as a rare migrant in 
spring and more common in the fall, but in North Bruce it breeds 
sparingly on the inland lakes where I found a nest on June oth, 
1887. The nest was placed in a maple shrub, two feet over the 
water and was made of tamarac and other twigs lined with green 
grass, with mud between it and the exterior twigs. It contained 
three eggs whose spots are more rufous and ground colour more 
greenish than those of Brewer’s blackbird. (W. E. Saunders.) 
