478 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 



at Fort Churchill, Hudson Bay, where the birds were common. 

 They frequent the scattered patches of dwarfed spruce that grow 

 in the small valleys and ravines intersecting the extensive ex- 

 panse of precipitous ledges along the Churchill River in the 

 vicinity of the post. They undoubtedly nest among these spruces 

 but no nests attributable to this species were found. Several were 

 seen on our return on the upper Hayes River, near the Robinson 

 Portage and at the Echimamish, Keewatin. (Prebles.) A fine 

 series of specimens of this handsome and interesting bird was 

 secured at our Mouse River Depot, during the latter half of 

 September and beginning of October. Its breeding grounds areas 

 yet unknown. {Coues.) -Abundant spring and fall migrant, frequent- 

 ing thickets in Manitoba. {Thompson- Seton^ Specimen shot at 

 Fort Pelly, August 29th, 1881; in flocks 50 miles west of Brandon 

 on the road to Fort EUice, Man. {Macoun.) Only three were seen 

 at Indian Head, Assa., during three months residence in the spring 

 of 1892, these were seen May 12th and 13th. (Spreadborough.) I 

 took two individuals at Sumas, B.C., lOth January, 1895, ''"^ ^^w a 

 third at Chilliwack, B.C. {Brooks.) Taken at Cadboro Bay near 

 Victoria by A. H.Maynard, October, 1894; and another individual 

 shot at Comox, November, 1894, by W. B. Anderson. {Fannin.) 



Breeding Notes. — I have pleasure in recording the first auth- 

 entic nest and eggs of this species. On June nth, 1901, at Cres- 

 cent Lake, Assa., I was fortunate in finding the nest in the root 

 of a small willow at the edge of a bluff. The nest was made of 

 grass and fine bark, lined with dry grass. The eggs are unlike 

 those of any other sparrow. They are large for sparrows, averag- 

 ing ■88x'68 inches, and are creamy white, spotted chiefly at the 

 larger end with rusty brown and lilac and have a high polish. 

 The parent bird was secured. This is the third species of sparrow 

 found by me breeding in northwest Canada whose nest and eggs 

 were previously unknown to science. {W. Raine.) 



museum specimen. 



One specimen taken at Indian Head, Assa., May 12th, 1892, by 

 Mr. Spreadborough. 



554 . White-crowned Sparrow. 



Zonotrichialeucophrys (Forst.) Swains. 1831. 

 Seems to be confined to southern Greenland ; not numerous 

 but certainly a breeding bird, though its nest has not yet beeh 



