550 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 



tained young by the 21st June; these nests were built in stunted 

 spruce, one as much as five feet above the ground; they occasion- 

 ally make their nest on the ground like the song sparrow, and I 

 have seen a nest found in such a locality; a most interesting species, 

 it perches on the topmost branches of a young spruce, and sings 

 incessantly in its breeding habitat. (Rev. C. J. Young.) 



Tolerably common on both banks of the Anderson, and two or 

 three nests were also discovered in the vicinity of a small stream 

 named Swan river, in the "barren grounds;" most of the nests were 

 built on trees, and they resembled those of Turdus cUicicB, but a 

 few found on the ground, however, were composed of coarse dry 

 grass, lined with some of a finer quality, a few (^er hairs, and a 

 sprinkling of fresh moss; the complement of eggs varies from four 

 to five. (Macfarlane.) I have several sets from the Mackenzie 

 delta; on June loth, 1900, a nest and three eggs were found by Mr. 

 C. E. Whittaker at Peel river, the nest was built in the root of a 

 shrub near the ground; on June ist, 1898, another nest and 4 eggs 

 were found at Peel river by the Rev. I. O. Stringer, through whose 

 kindness I have been able to describe the nests and eggs of many 

 Arctic birds found by this gentleman in the far north during his 

 eight years sojourn amongst the Eskimos of that region, and it is 

 to be regretted that owing to failing health Mr. Stringer had to 

 abandon his work amongst the natives of the Arctic coast, as he 

 has proved himself to be a keen observer and careful, painstaking 

 ornithologist; many of the specimens collected by Mr. Stringer 

 were taken while he was travelling up or down the Mackenzie delta 

 or along Arctic coast with bands of Eskimos aad often at night 

 when the natives had lain down to sleep, Mr. Stringer had to skin 

 the birds and blow the eggs and make his notes, and by the time 

 this work was done the Eskimos were astir again and making ready 

 to proceed on their jotumey. (W. Raine.) 



685a. Shumagin Pox Sparrow. 



Passer ella iliaca unalaschensis (Gmelin) Ridgw. 1900. 



Shumagin Islands and Aliaska peninsula, Alaska; Unalaska 

 island. {Ridgway.) An adtdt female taken by Figgins at Homer, 

 Kenai peninsula, June 5th, 1901, agrees with Shumagin island speci- 

 mens. Collected by Stone in 1903 at MuUer bay and Sddovia. 

 {Chapman.) 



