CATALOGUE OF CANADIAN BIRDS. 437 



1899. This was in every way similar to the other two, and con- 

 tained four slightly incubated eggs. As the month of May 

 advanced the flocks of redpolls began to break up though the 

 pairs were prone to stay within call of each other, a sociable trait. 

 The first nest was found on June 4th and contained five badly 

 incubated eggs. This indicates that nesting begins soon after 

 the middle of May. Another nest, containing five slightly in- 

 cubated eggs, was taken on the 5th ; the nest was saddled in the 

 forks of a leafless willow above water at the margin of an ice- 

 covered lake. This nest may be described as typical of the ones 

 found in the Kowak valley. It is a very compact and well pro- 

 portioned structure of fine dry rootlets, grasses and slender plant 

 stems lined with soft white willow down and a few ptarmigan 

 feathers. The diameter of the nest cavity is 170, and the depth 

 i"25. External diameter, 400; depth, 210. A nest of five fresh 

 eggs, taken on June 6th, was nine feet above the ground in the top 

 of a small spruce at the edge of a dense strip of timber. The 

 eggs of the hoary redpoll are pale Nile blue, with spots, lines, 

 dots and scrawls of vinaceous, lavender, chocolate and so dark a 

 brown as to appear black in some cases. These markings tend to 

 form wreaths about the larger ends of many eggs. The eggs vary 

 in shape from ovate to short-ovate. {Grinnell.) I have six nests 

 with sets of eggs of this species. They were collected at Peel 

 River, Mackenzie Delta, by the Rev. I. O. Stringer, who has just 

 returned from that far away northern region after spending eight 

 years amongst the Eskimos. The nests are beautiful structures of 

 fine twigs and roots felted together with vegetable down and 

 snugly lined with down and feathers. One nest, taken July 19th, 

 1898, was built in a willow only two feet from the ground, and 

 contained four eggs. Another nest was built in a small shrub less 

 than one foot from the ground, and contained five eggs, averaging 

 in size "68 x '52. The Eskimo name for this bird is " Pedgwak." 

 {W. Raine.) 



MUSEUM SPECIMENS. 



Two taken at Indian Head, Assa., April 17th, 1892, by Mr. W. 

 Spreadborough. A large series of eggs taken at Nachvak, Lab- 

 rador, in 1895. One set of five eggs and nest taken at Nachvak 

 by G. Ford in 1897; also two eggs taken at Fort Chimo, Ungava, 

 June 13th, 1896. 



