Nov., 1908 NESTING OF THE PINE SISKIN AT GREAT SEAVE TAKE 235 



and we were compelled to run on the lee side of Moose Island, and wait for the 

 wind to subside. Moose Island is a high, rocky, stony island, about one and one- 

 half miles long and three-fourths of a mile wide, a few miles from Fort Resolution 

 at the south-west corner of Great Slave lyake. The island is fringed with white 

 spruce of good size; but the interior is high and rocky, covered with a tangle of 

 burned and fallen spruce timber and sprinkled over with a sparse growth of young 

 poplars. 



A few Pine Siskins were seen in the spruce trees as we landed, and a few Chip- 

 ping Sparrows {Spizclla ■passerna) along the shores. The interior of the island 

 revealed many Slate-colored Juncos ijunco hyemalis) and Intermediate Sparrows 

 (^Zonotrichial. gamheli) , one Black-poll Warbler's (^Doidroica striata) nest with 

 four eggs, one Sparrow Hawk, one Canada Jay {^Perisoreiis canadensis), ■Sind a small 

 Flycatcher {Empidonax). White-throated Sparrows were fairly common, and a 

 Spotted Sandpiper's {Actitis niacularia) nest with four eggs was observed on the 

 north shore of the island. Half a dozen Pine Siskins were observed at one time in 

 the tops of spruce along the south shore. 



After lunch I was resting under a white spruce, about one foot in diameter 

 near our campfire on the lake shore, when I saw a Pine Siskin fly into the tree 

 directly above my head. Examining'the tree carefully I soon saw the nest among the 

 lower limbs of the tree, about fifteen feet from the ground, near the end of a small 

 horizontal branch about two feet from the trunk of the tree. Both parent birds 

 were about, and I shot the nearest, which proved to be the male. The other bird 

 was unfortunately lost in the brush. 



The nest contained three eggs, advanced in incubation; very pale blue in color, 

 sparsely spotted at the larger end with light reddish brown. One of the eggs had 

 on one side, near the smaller end a heavy comma-shaped streak about one-fourth of 

 an inch long, and one other egg had a heavy, irregular line about the same size in 

 a similar position; these streaks were deep umber-colored. The other egg had no 

 large marks. The eggs also showed a very few minute black pin point marks at 

 their larger ends. 



The nest was very neatly built, well-cupped and well-concealed by the very 

 thick terminal twigs of the white spruce branch. Depth (outside), two and one- 

 half inches; (inside) one and one-half inches. Diameter (external) two and one- 

 half inches; (internal) one and one-half inches; composed of small dead spruce 

 twigs, a few grasses, fibrous bark shreds, and a few shreds of cottony substance; 

 lined with fine grass fibers and hair, mixed with a few bunches of moss fibers. 



Herschellsland, N. W. T. 



MR. ROCKWEIvL'S SUGGESTION OF COOPERATION IN ORNI- 

 THOEOGICAE STUDIES 



By WIELIAM E. RITTER 



I WAS interested in Mr. Rockwell's "Plan for Cooperative Ornithology" 

 printed in the September Condor. A word should be spoken on this subject 

 from the standpoint of general biology as well as from that of ornithology. 

 That there are more observers of the natural habits of birds than of any other 

 group of animals is, I suppose, beyond question. As a result there is more accur- 



