492 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 
throughout the country thence to the Rocky mountains. McCown’s 
longspur was very abundant in the country about Frenchman river 
where both species were breeding but further west C. ornatus, 
diminished in numbers while McCown’s longspur increased and 
extended to the foothills of the Rocky mountains. (Couwes.) Very 
common on the prairies in 1906, particularly on the barren hills 
north of Maple creek, Sask. (A. C. Bent.) First seen at Indian 
Head, Sask., May 23rd, 1892; by the first June they were abundant 
on burnt prairie and land that had been broken and let run to weeds; 
numbers remained to breed; two individuals were seen at Medicine 
Hat, Sask., April 21st, 1894, after which time they became common 
both there and at Crane lake 100 miles further east. By May 2nd 
they were in thousands at Medicine Hat and numbers of males were 
in full song ; common at Crane lake in June; amongst other nests 
one was found containing five eggs, one of which belonged to a cow- 
bird. The nest was a rather deep hole in the prairie, lined with a 
little dried grass; in 1895 they were common at Moose Jaw, at Old 
Wives creek, Wood mountain, Frenchman river up to the Cypress 
hills, Sask., but not in the hills, and westerly from there to Milk 
river, where they decreased in numbers and only a few extended to 
the foothills near Waterton lake; observed a number at Calgary, 
Alta., June 19th, 1897; one seen on the shore of an island in Lesser 
Slave lake, Alta., May 31st, 1903. This species and C. ornatus were 
always found together and are true prairie species. (Spreadborough.) 
I secured an adult male on June 3rd, 1887, and on the same day 
three years later, shot two females at the same place; these are all I 
have seen at Chilliwack, B.C. (Brooks.) 
BREEDING Notes.—During June, 1891 and 1893, I found this 
species abundant on the hilly prairie north of Rush lake, Sask. 
Here it builds its nest on the ground at the side of a sod and lays 
four or five eggs. The female is a close sitter, not leaving the nest 
until the intruder has stepped close up to it. The eggs are like 
those of Smith’s longspur in colour and markings, but average 
smaller in size. (W. Raine.) This is a very common species in 
many parts of the prairie region. Many nests were seen in 1894 
and 1895 and all were in a hole in the ground with slight elevation 
on one side. Nest of dried grass and indistinguishable from that 
of the chestnut-collared bunting. (Macoun.) 
