146 The Ottawa Naturalist. [November 



rootlet in her beak, and after watching her for sometime, located 

 the nest in a small spruce about eighteen inches from the ground, 

 but not by any means finished. During my stay on the Islands 

 I lound four of these nests, all built in spruce trees, the location 

 varying from one to four feet from the ground. After reaching 

 the beach I soon became aware of the presence of a small plover, 

 and observing it through a good pair of field-glasses, which I 

 usually carjy on such expeditions, I identified it as the piping- 

 plover. Tnese birds were not uncommon ; I saw about ten 

 pairs, and there must have been many more ; and during my 

 stay found four nests. The first was found on the i6th by 

 watching the birds. It was arranged much after the mannei of 

 the British ringed-plover, and contained four eggs, laid on the 

 bare sand, but surrounded with a few pieces of broken shells, 

 placed around the eggs, on a bank of sand and pebbles. These 

 had been laid about a week, so it is evident the time to look for 

 fresh eggs is from the 2nd to the 9th day of June, according to 

 the season. Savannah sparrows were numerous here, but besides 

 robins, a kingfisher, a warbler I could not identify, and the com- 

 man tern, there were few other birds. 



On the following day, June 17th, I observed three or four 

 pine-grosbeaks amongst the spruce trees ; they were apparently 

 young birds of the year, and were quite tame. I also saw in the 

 same locality five white-winged cross-bills in green plumage, and 

 heard the hermit thrush, and saw a whet-owl, but found no nests 

 to-day. 



June 1 8th I walked to the summit of one of the highest 

 hills on Grindstone Island — about 500 feet above sea-level, — 

 where I obtained a fine view of the Magdalen group, of 

 Grosse Isle and Bryon Island about 30 miles north, the view 

 extending S.-E. as far as the Cape Breton coast. On the way I 

 observed a warbler, probably golden-winged, the black snow- 

 bird, and several others. Walking thence to the sea shore, while 



