398 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 



and Escott, and around Kingston, they nest every year. I have 

 found the nest with eggs, in which incubation has begun, as early 

 as March 29th, and just hatching on April 23rd, 1895. The usual 

 time for laying is the first week in April, before the snow has all 

 melted in the spring. I have a record cUpped from a newspaper, 

 of a nest on Wolfe island with four eggs, on March 8th, and fre- 

 quently the young birds are hatched by the middle of April. Three 

 eggs is the commo"nest number, but I have found four three times, 

 and five once, April 13th, 1899. A comparatively few years ago 

 this bird was unknown as breeding in eastern Ontario. (Rev. C. J. 

 Young.) On May 12, 1882, at camp, eight miles south of Brandon, 

 midway between our tent and the fire ten feet away, I started a 

 small bird from its nest. It ran away very reluctantly, and con- 

 tinued wistfully close at hand, running about among the tufts of 

 grass in the glare of the fire, returning each time as soon as it dared. 

 At gray dawn I found her on the nest again; she slowly walked 

 away when I approached to rekindle the fire, but returned almost 

 immediately with her mate ; and now, for the first time, I saw them 

 plainly. They were a pair of shore larks. Encouraged ,no doubt, 

 by the presence of her mate, she once more crept to her nest and 

 took up her position on the eggs, although I was but five feet 

 off. Frying our bacon over a brisk fire, I was very careful to avoid 

 hurting the birds or their home ; and breakfast being over, travellers, 

 tent, fire and horses all went off and left them to discharge their 

 duties in peace. The nest contained three brown eggs; it was 

 sunken in the ground, and was made of grass and fibre, and lined 

 with two or three large feathers. (E. T. Seton.) Common resident 

 from January to October ; usually rare in November and December ; 

 an exceedingly early breeder, eggs having been taken in March, 

 and on April 25, 1900, a brood of young left the nest able to fly. 

 Raises two or probably three broods in a season. I have once 

 found the young actually hatched in March. {W. E. Saunders.) 

 The nest is found in the fields and is placed in a hole dug in the ground 

 by the bird. It is made of dry grass, the brim level with the groundr 

 and lined with plant down. Sometimes it is hidden under coarse 

 grasses. External diameter, 3 or 4 inches; height, 2.50 and 3 

 inches. Internal diameter, 2 . 50 inches by a depth of i . 50 and 2 

 inches. I have found around Ottawa hatched eggs on the 6th April, 

 and fresh eggs on the 7th, and only younglets at the end of that 



