CATALOGUE OF CANADIAN BIRDS. 491 
end of August ; I should say that certainly two, and probably 
three, broods are reared, as a rule. The result of all this is that 
from the end of June until the end of August young birds in every 
state of plumage, and the parents in various degrees of wear and 
tear, are all found together. ‘The nest, of course, is placed on the 
ground, usually beneath some little tuft of grass or weeds, which 
effectually conceals it. Like that of other ground-building sparrows, 
it is sunk flush with the surface of the ground, thin at the bottom, 
but with thicker and tolerably firm brim; it consists simply of a few 
grasses and weed-stems for the most part circularly disposed. In 
size, the cup is about 34 inches across the brim and nearly 2 in depth. 
During the first season, I only found four eggs or young in a nest; 
but I afterward took one containing six eggs. These measure about 
+ long by 3 broad, of an ordinary shape. They are difficult to des- 
cribe as to colour, for the marking is intricate as well as very variable 
here. as elsewhere in the genus. I have called them “‘grayish-white’’, 
more or less clouded and mottled with pale purplish gray which 
confers the prevailing tone; this is overlaid with numerous surface 
markings of points, scratches and small spots of dark brown, wholly 
indeterminate in distribution and number, but always conspicuous, 
being sharply displayed upon the subdued ground colour. On those 
occasions when I approached a nest containing eggs, the female 
usually walked off quietly, after a little flutter, to some distance, and 
then took wing; at other times, however, when there were young in 
the nest, both parents hovered close overhead, with continuous 
cries. (Cowes.) . 
CCXIX. RHYNCHOPHANES Barrp. 1858. 
539. McCown Longspur. 
Rhynchophanes mccownit (LAWR.) RipGw. 1877. 
A specimen of this bird was taken just west of Manitoba by Mr. 
Thorpe near Dalesboro. (E£. T. Seton.) This species was never 
seen in the Red river region and I do not think it occurs on that 
watershed which is so thickly populated in summer with C. ornatus. 
It seems to be one of the many birds that mark the natural division 
between that region and the Missouri basin. The first specimen 
taken was near Fort Buford. As we progressed towards the Milk 
river the bird became more and more abundant and it occurred 
