CATALOGUE OF CANADIAN BIRDS. 7 



widely distributed in Ontario, but most common in the autumn. 

 Breeding from the St. Lawrence and the Great Lakes to Hudson 

 Bay, and west to Great Slave Lake. Abundant in all parts of 

 Manitoba, and specially numerous in August and September on 

 the head-waters of Swan River and the surrounding lakes and 

 marshes. Although so common in the wooded portions of Mani- 

 toba it has seldom been observed in the prairie region. One 

 individual was seen near the Dirt Hills, Assa., in October, i88l, by 

 Mr. W. Spreadborough, and Dr. Coues saw it at Turtle Mountain, 

 Assa. Lord, Fannin and Brooks report it as common in British 

 Columbia. Spreadborough reports seeing three in Victoria harbour 

 in April, 1893. It is evidently a forest bird as it is seldom seen on 

 the prairies. 



Breeding Notes. — I have found this bird breeding at Long 

 Lake, Manitoba, and, like the Eared and Horned Grebes, it often 

 lays as many as seven or eight eggs. I find that all the Grebes 

 cover their eggs with weeds during the day, and the weeds are 

 removed at dark by the bird, which incubates the eggs until the 

 morning sun relieves her of her task. {Raine.) 



This species commences to build its nest near Ottawa, Ontario, 

 about the first week in May. The nest is built on the edge of a 

 marsh and is about the size of a bushel basket. It is composed 

 of moss, grass, roots and mud. Eggs, five or more in number, 

 are whitish, clouded with green. The nest is very difficult to 

 find, as the old birds cover it over when they leave. {G. R. White.) 



The Pied-billed Grebe is very common in the River St. Law- 

 rence between Kingston and Brockville. I have seen a number 

 of nests. The nest of this species is a more substantial structure 

 and better concealed than that of the Horned Grebe. In one 

 instance I have known a colony breeding together ; this was on 

 June 1st, 1897, where, in a space less than a quarter of an acre, 

 in a retired bay off the River St. Lawrence below Rockport, I 

 found four nests close together — one with seven eggs, one with 

 eight, and two with nine eggs each. These nests, though floating 

 structures, were quite substantial, and were in about three feet of 

 water ; all the eggs were covered with weeds and were incu- 

 bated from a week to ten days. Nowhere else have I found more 

 than eight eggs in the nest, and that number only once. The 

 usual number is seven. (^Rev. C.J. Young.) 



