t 



204 



LONG-WINGED SWIMMKUS — LONGIPKNNES. 



on spruce-trees. One nest wliieh he exaniined eontaineil three youiifj birds of a dirty 

 yeUowish eoh)r, thickly sjHjtted with thirk brown. lie saw In'tween twenty-live and 

 fifty (julls about tliat breed ing-phice, but he found oidy a few of tlieir nests. These 

 birds were said by the Indians always to breed in similar situations. 



In regard to twenty -two other nests deseril>ed by Mr. M;u'Farlane, we gather that 

 the usual maxinuun nundierof eggs in a nest is three — very rarely four; that all aic 

 jilaeed in elevated situation.s, on high stuniiis, or bushes, or trees; that the nests arc 

 made of sticks, and lined with hay and other soft substances; and that the ])areiit.s 

 are fearless when they have young, Hying about in tdose ])ro.\imity, and screamint,' 

 vehemently. The ne.sts were found with eggs from .lune 10 to the lOthoftlu. ; 

 and in sonu; eases mosses and lichens from the jtines and spruces had been largely 

 used in their construction. They were usually i)laced flat on horizontal branches at 

 sonu! distance from the trunk. The eggs procured by Mr. MacKarlane vary in length 

 from 1.90 to li.O') inches, and in breadth from l..'C» to l.lo. Their ground-<:olor is a 

 grayish olive, pjvssing into a greenish tint; while the markings consist of small siMits 

 of dove-brown, and are chiefly gathered around the larger end of the egg. 



Speciujens of this (Jull and of its eggs were also j»rocured at Fort Jtcsolution, en 

 the Yukon; at Fort Simpsctn, at llig Island, at Fort l!ae, and at IVel's Hiver Koit; 

 at F«)rt (.lood 1Ioir>, Fort Anderson, on the Lower Ander.son ; and at various other 

 j)uints. 



LaniB minntuB. 



LITTUt OUIX. 



lAtrux athtx. Scop. Ann. I. HUt. Niit. 17<!i», led (in>t of (Icnn., 17<i7). 



Laru» viiiiuliis, r.vi.i.. Itciw, Uiiss. licidis, III. Apii. no. a.'! (irTti) ; /ooj;. Konso-Ah. II. 18'Jti, 



— (iMKi.. S. N. 1. ii. 17S8. .1!t.-i. SArM.iiis, 1>. Z. .S. I87,s, 2ii(l. 

 ChroiciH-ijthiihi.H minnhis, Kyton, Cat. Itiil. I(. iMSiti, III. 



jMri(iiiilricilhi,/,:i, Fai.K, Itiii. III. |i. .'!.';'., t. '-'» (liii.' (iMF.I,. S. N. I. il. 1788, fiOl). 

 Litrttii iCOrhiijiii/i, Airnocix, 111^1. Nut. tie rKgypti', 182.1, i>l. U, li>{. 3, Kxpl. |>. 271. 

 Liirui niijrotiH, Lkhs. Ti'itito, II. 18:S1, (JIU. 



Sp. Char. Adult, in mmmrr: Hcml and cxtrcnu' upper jmit of the neck uiiirorm ili'oi> Mi 

 iniihllc luiil lower piirt ot'tlif neck (all ronml), entire lower parts npjier tuil-inverlx, tail, ami 

 of llu rumigtis (hroiully) unow-while. Mantlu, ii;chi(ling reuiij-eH, except llit-ir endn, dulicule 



X!l. 



ack ; 

 liali' 



ir«n<«r ttitult. 



pearl-bluo. "Bill lilai'kiHJi nnl, ga]H' dark red : lejjn bright vermilion or rond ; IriM deep brown" 

 (SuAiiPK & DRt:HrtFi(). Ailiill, III winhr : ."^Iniiiap, lail head and neck while, the iMcipnt wu^Im'! 

 with lirowninh gray, and the anriiular region marked liy a spot ol'.hi^Kv hlaik. " Feel yello»i-li 

 red" (SiiARPK Si Drkssku). Yiihiiij, jirst plitmvji' : loiihead, lorex, eheekn, enlh-n lower puis 



