BIEDS OF NOETI-IEEN CANADA 291 



Yale, in the spring and autumn migrations ; and Mr. Eannin 

 says it is a common winter resident along the Pacific Coast. 



As above mentioned, the late Major Eendire's volume on 

 the Water Birds of North America is not yet published. I 

 will, therefore, have to fall back almost entirely on Professor 

 Macoun's interesting Catalogue of Canadian Birds, in mak- 

 ing some brief, necessary and desirable additions to these 

 Notes. There is no record therein, however, of this species 

 nesting west of the Eocky Mountains ; but the Professor's 

 own relative observations are of much value, and are here 

 quoted: "Early in June, 1894, a large colony of these 

 birds was found breeding in Crane Lake, Saskatchewan, 

 about one hundred miles east of Medicine flat. The colony 

 was located in a large patch of bulrushes (Scirpus lacus- 

 tris) about one hundred yards from the shore and in about 

 three feet of water. The eggs were placed on nests made of 

 mud and the old and broken reeds of the last season; these 

 nests were very rudimentary in form, but in all cases there 

 was a slight depression in the centre where the eggs rested, 

 about six inches above the water. None of the nests had 

 more than five eggs, most of them but four, which seemed 

 to be the usual number. The nests were so placed that they 

 would rise and fall with the water, as indeed is the case 

 with all grebes. No other birds were breeding in the vicin- 

 ity, and the water around the breeding-ground was swarming 

 with individuals which dived, swam, or sunk themselves in 

 the water so that nothing but their curving necks and long 

 sharp bills protruded above it. They doubtless breed in 

 many other lakes in Saskatchewan and Alberta, but no other 

 breeding-grounds are known to the writer." 



There are a male and female, taken at Indian Head, 

 Assiniboia (now Saskatchewan), May 16th, 1892, by Mr. W. 

 Spreadborough, in the National Museum Collection at Ot- 

 tawa, the Dominion Capital; also two sets of eggs, four 

 each, taken at Crane Lake, on June 18th, 1894, by Professor 

 John Macoun. 



