392 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 



was not uncommon in August about Chief Mountain Lake. 

 {Coues.) A very common species throughout the prairie portions 

 of Manitoba. {Thompson-Seton.) Quite common at Indian Head 

 in eastern Assiniboia, in the fall of 1891, as well as in May of the 

 next year ; west of that it must be rare as only a few specimens 

 were noted at the east end of the Cypress Hills in June, 1894 ; 

 none were seen in 1895 until Lee's, Creek was reached in southern 

 Alberta. {Spreadborough.) Uncommon and seen just now only 

 about Duck Lake and Carlton between the forks of the Sas- 

 katchewan. {Coubeaux.) This bird reaches its northern limit 

 about Lat. 54° and does not seem to go very far north of the Sas- 

 katchewan. {Richardson.) Rare at Chilliwack, B.C.; occasional 

 both east and west of Coast Range. {Brooks.) 



Breeding Notes. — Nest near stone quarry at Ottawa, Ont., 

 built on the ground, composed of grass and lined with fine grass. 

 Eggs four, bluish white spotted with dark chocolate. {G. R. 

 White) Very common about Kingston, Ont. Breeds abundantly 

 on Wolfe, Simcoe and Amherst islands, as well as on the main 

 shore. Is a late breeder; I have found eggs as late as July ist, 

 but these, of course, would be a second laying. After the 

 middle of August none are seen. {Rev. C. J. Young.) Breeds 

 commonly in Manitoba where I have found several nests contain- 

 ing five eggs each: {W.Raine.) 



MUSEUM SPECIMENS. 



Twenty-three ; three taken at Ottawa, two by F. A. Saunders 

 and one by Prof. Macoun; pne taken at London, Ont., by Mr. W. E. 

 Saunders ; fourteen taken at Indian Head, Assa., in the autumn 

 of 1891 and spring of 1892, most of them young of the year, and 

 two in the Cypress Hills, Assa., all by Mr. Spreadborough ; 

 another specimen was taken at Battle River, Alta., by Mr 

 Dowling in July, 1886. ' 



One set of ^ix eggs taken at Wolfville, N.S., by Mr. H. Tufts 

 June 14th, 1894, nest on the ground in tall grass. 



CLXXVI. MOLOTHRUS Swainson. 183 i. 



495. Cowbird. 



Molothrus ater (Bodd.) Gray. 1870. 



Apparently not noticed in Nova Scotia. A*rare summer resi- 

 dent in New Brunswick. {Chamberlain.\ Taken at Beauport ; 



