5l8 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 



landing, Alta., lat 56° 15', in June, 1903; observed from Edmonton 

 to the Pembina river in June, 1898. (Spreadborough.) One of the 

 most abundant birds at Grand Rapids, Saskatchewan jiver; it breeds 

 there in great numbers. (Nutting.) First noticed at Prince Albert, 

 Sask., in company with other sparrows on September 2, 1900. 

 (Coubeaux.) This species reaches the Saskatchewan about the mid- 

 dle of May, and spreads throughout the Northwest Territories up 

 to lat. 66° to breed. (Richardson.) North to Fort Simpson on 

 the Mackenzie river; rare. (Ross.) First seen May 7th, 1888, 

 near Calgary; common from there to Edmonton and Athabaska 

 Landing and up to Lesser Slave river, down the Athabaska to Clear- 

 water river, and up that river to Methye portage and thence to 

 Isle h. la Crosse; it is the chief bird of the whole reigon. (/. M. 

 Macoun.) 



Breeding Notes. — Nest on ground among bushes, composed 

 of grass, weed stems and moss, Uned with rootlets and fine g^ass. 

 Eggs 4,fdull white, spots and splashes of brown and lavender. ,(G. 

 R. White.) I have observed that this bird is sparingly distributed 

 throughout eastern Ontario through the summer. In June, 1888, 

 I foundftwo nests on the rocky ground, two miles west of the village 

 of Renfrew, Ont., one in a small thick bush, the other among grass, 

 etc.,^on|the ground. During ten years I observed one pair close to 

 Lansdowne, Ont., that by their manner had young, though I did not 

 succeedfin finding the nest. I saw one bird on the Magdalen islands 

 and^have seen two nests taken in 1899 near Mingan, Que., where 

 it commonly breeds; breeds abundantly in North Frontenac and 

 North Hastings, Ont. (Rev. C. J. Young.) I found a nest of this 

 bird May 24th, 1886, in the park, built in the roots of an up-turned 

 tree stump, containing four eggs, and another nest May 30th, 1891, 

 at Hochelaga woods containing three eggs, built on the ground in 

 a tussock of grass. (Wintle.) I took a nest near Sand lake on 

 May 25th, 1897. It was placed under some dead ferns on the flat, 

 grassy bank of a stream, and was lined with moose hair; there 

 were four eggs in the set. I took a nest some years ago at Rosseau^ 

 built about three feet up in a raspberry bush. (J. H. Fleming.) 

 On June 8th, 1893, I found a nest and eggs at Long lake, Manitoba; 

 June 19th, 1901, I found two nests at Carleton Junction, 40 miles 

 west of Ottawa, one nest was on the ground, the other in a brush 

 heap some distance above the ground. (W. Raine.) The nesting 



