550 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF .CANADA. 
tained young by the 21st June; these nests were built in stunted 
spruce, one as much as five feet above the ground; they occasion- 
ally make their nest on the ground like the song sparrow, and I 
have seen a nest found in such a locality; a most interesting species, 
it perches on the topmost branches of a young spruce, and sings 
incessantly in its breeding habitat. (Rev. C. J. Young.) 
Tolerably common on both banks of the Anderson, and two or 
three nests were also discovered in the vicinity of a small stream 
named Swan river, in the ‘“‘barren grounds;”’ most of the nests were 
built on trees, and they resembled those of Turdus alicie, but a 
few found on the ground, however, were composed of coarse dry 
grass, lined with some of a finer quality, a few deer hairs, and a 
sprinkling of fresh moss; the complement of eggs varies from four 
to five. (Macfarlane.) I have several sets from the Mackenzie 
delta; on June roth, 1900, a nest and three eggs were found by Mr. 
_C. E. Whittaker at Peel river, the nest was built in the root of a 
shrub near the ground; on June 1st, 1898, another nest and 4 eggs 
were found at Peel river by the Rev. I. O. Stringer, through whose 
kindness I have been able to describe the nests and eggs of many 
Arctic birds found by this gentleman in the far north during his 
eight years sojourn amongst the Eskimos of that region, and it is 
to be regretted that owing to failing health Mr. Stringer had to 
abandon his work amongst the natives of the Arctic coast, as he 
has proved himself to be a keen observer and careful, painstaking 
ornithologist; many of the specimens collected by Mr. Stringer 
were taken while he was travelling up or down the Mackenzie delta 
or along Arctic coast with bands of Eskimos and often at night 
when the natives had lain down to sleep, Mr. Stringer had to skin 
the birds and blow the eggs and make his notes, and by the time 
this work was done the Eskimos were astir again and making ready 
to proceed on their journey. (W. Razne.) 
585a. Shumagin Fox Sparrow. 
Passerella tliaca unalaschensts (GMELIN) RIDGW. 1900. 
Shumagin Islands and Aliaska peninsula, Alaska; Unalaska 
island. (Ridgway.) An adult female taken by Figgins at Homer, 
Kenai peninsula, June 5th, 1901, agrees with Shumagin island speci- 
mens. Collected by Stone in 1903 at Miiller bay and Seldovia. 
(Chapman.) 
