464 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 
the nest. This was fifteen feet from the ground, hidden in the dense 
spruce top, as before. There was but one fresh egg. This measures 
.77 X.58. It is almost white (before blown, pinkish) with scattering, 
abruptly-defined spots and lines of bay and fawn colour, most 
numerous at the larger end. The three nests are just alike in every 
way. They consist externally of short dry spruce twigs; and inter- 
nally of a black wool-like lichen, closely felted, and with a scanty 
admixture of feathers and bits of grasses. The nests are nearly 
black, and thus present an odd appearance as compared with those 
of the usual consistency of other birds. The nest measurements 
are: internal diameter 2.20, depth 1.20; external diameter 4.00, 
depth 2.50. (Grinnell.) I have a set of four eggs taken at Sand- 
wich bay, Labrador, April 9th, 1894, by L. Dicks. The nest is made 
of fine roots and twigs, lined with moss and animals’ fur, and the 
four eggs are pale bluish-white, spotted at the larger ends with 
brown of various shades, black and lilac grey. The eggs of the two 
species of crossbill are seldom obtained, for like the Canada jay 
they have eggs while the snow is on the ground very early in the 
spring and at a time when it is difficult to get into the woods on 
account of the snow. (W. Raine.) Mr. H. F. Tufts published in 
The Auk, Vol. XXIII., p. 339, an account of the finding of several 
nests of this species. Nests with young were found January 31, 
1906, and they were still nesting in May. He records the finding 
of a nest with young on August 4, All the nests were found in 
spruce, some as high as 7o feet up, others in small trees and placed 
near the ground. 
CCXIII. LEUCOSTICTE Swainson. 1831. 
523. Aleutian Leucosticte. 
Leucosticte griseonucha (BRANDT) BONAP. 1850. 
East and west of the Coast range; tolerably common. (Fannin.) 
On the Aleutian islands, from one extremity to the other, is found 
this large and beautiful finch, extending its habitat thence north 
to include the Pribilof islands and the small island of St. Matthew 
still further to the north. East of the Aleutian chain it reaches 
Kadiak island. On all these islands, except one or two exceptions, 
it is a permanent resident. (Nelson.) This species is common on 
all the Aleutian islands, including the Pribilof islands, and has also 
