CATALOGUE OF CANADIAN BIRDS. 455 
tall trees; observed one at Lake St. Anne, sixty miles from Edmon- 
ton, Alta., June 8th, 1898; a few were observed from the mouth of 
Lesser Slave river to Peace River Landing, Alta.) in lat. 56° 15/, 
June, 1903; taken at Canmore, Alta., but not rare at Banff on the 
Bow river within the Rocky mountains, May 27th, 1891, where 
they were breeding; one seen in the Crow Nest pass in August, 
1897. (Spreadborough.) This bird was seen by us only on the 
banks of the Saskatchewan where it feeds on willow buds. It isa 
summer visitor, arriving in the month of May. (Richardson.) The 
single male, secured at the Grand rapids of the Saskatchewan, agrees 
perfectly with this species. (Nutting.) Not rare at Athabaska 
Landing and up the Athabaska to Lesser Slave river; a few birds 
at Fort McMurray, but none seen up the Clearwater river, lat. 56°; 
not rare but local between Methye portage and Isle a la Crosse, 
Sask. (J. M. Macoun.) I>saw this beautiful finch for the first 
time at Prince Albert, Sask., last April (1900) and beginning of 
May in company with juncos and tree sparrows. (Coubeaux.) 
BREEDING NoTes.—Nest, built on a horizontal bough, composed 
of vegetable matter, fibre and rootlets, lined with hair. Eggs, 
four, pale dull greenish, almost white, sparsely sprinkled with 
blackish and lilac. (G. R. White.) On June 8th, 1893, at Banff, 
Alta., I found a nest and eggs of this species built in a willow bush 
five feet from the ground. (W. Raine.) A bird that is hardly as 
plentiful, apparently, in Ontario, as in former years. I have found 
the nest three times in Ontario, twice in a small spruce tree and once 
inacedar. I also saw a nest at Lansdowne, Ont., in a small maple. 
This is a late breeder, all the eggs I have seen were laid in June. 
(Rev. C. J. Young.) Breeds in May and June around Ottawa, Ont., 
also at Lake Nominingue, 100 miles north of it. The nest is built 
in coniferous trees from five to fifteen feet from the ground and is 
composed of twigs, rootlets, vegetable down and wool with a lining 
of hairs. Eggs, four to five in the set. (Garneau.) 
517a. California Purple Finch. 
Carpodacus purpureus californicus BAIRD. 1874. 
Abundant summer resident on both sides of the Coast range. 
(Lord.) Common in the coast region; few specimens were taken 
in purple plumage. (Streator.) An abundant summer resident 
