CATALOGUE OF CANADIAN BIRDS. 187 



full number had not been deposited four eggs were always met 

 with. In one case there were five and in another only one. 

 (Macfarlane.^ 



This species arrives on the shores of Norton Sound, Alaska^ 

 about the end of May. They soon pair and disperse, so that a 

 few days after the main arrival their nests may be looked for. 

 The nests are generally in small depressions which may be found 

 among the moss and dried grass of a small knoll, and at times a 

 slight structure is made of dried grass. The grass, and perhaps, 

 a few dead leaves of the dwarf willow are arranged in a circular, 

 saucer-shaped form, about four or five inches across,and contain four 

 eggs, which have a pale, yellowish ground colour, with very dark 

 well-defined umber-brown spots scattered rather profusely over 

 the shell, especially about the larger end. (Nelson.) The Golden 

 Plover arrives at Point Barrow about the end of May. It was 

 nesting before June 20th, both seasons I was at Point Barrow, 

 though I was unable to find its nest before the 22nd. The nest 

 is exceedingly hard to find although it is not concealed at all, 

 but is simply a depression in the bare black clayey tundra, lined 

 with a little dried moss. The only vegetation on this part of the 

 tundra is white and grayish moss, which harmonize so extraor- 

 dinarily with the peculiar blotching of the eggs that it is almost 

 impossible to see them unless one knows exactly where to look. 

 A favourite nesting place is on the high banks of the gullies or 

 small streams. No nests were found in the grass or in swampjr 

 ground. (Murdoch.) 



MUSEUM SPECIMENS. 



Eight fine specimens ; one purchased with the Holman collec- 

 tion ; one from the Yukon River, presented by Dr. Bell ; four 

 taken at Indian Head, Assa, in May, 1892, and two at Edmonton,. 

 Alberta, in May, 1897, all by Mr. Wm. Spreadborough. 



272^. Pacific Golden Plover. 



Charadrius domimcus fulvus (Gmel.) Ridgw. 1880. 



This form and the eastern one seem to grade into each other 

 on the northern Alaskan coast, but C. fulvus is the commoner 

 toward Behring Strait, and breeds along the coasts of both con- 

 tinents around the northern shores of Behring Sea. No speci- 

 mens of this form have been taken on the American coast south 



