300 THEOUGH THE MACKENZIE BASIN 



Mr. Spreadboroiigh states that he " found hundreds of 

 nests on June 13th, 1894, in a marshy lake about three miles 

 south-east of Crane Lake. The nests were very bulky, made 

 of reeds placed on the marsh, and floating in about two and 

 a half feet of water. Eggs in each case three. Incubation 

 was far advanced." There are five bird specimens, taken 

 at Indian Head, in June, 1892, and at Crane Lake, in June, 

 1894, — also twenty-two eggs from the above marshy lake 

 near Crane Lake, — in the Dominion Museum at Ottawa. 



60. Bonapaete's Gull — Larus Philadelphia (Ord). 



On June 1st, 1885, the late Chief Trader John Reid 

 shot a male bird at Fort Providence, Mackenzie River, and 

 it was thereafter forwarded to Dr. Bell at Ottawa. On 13th 

 June, 1889, an Indian brought in four eggs and the head 

 of a tern, which he said was one of their parents, which I 

 more than doubted, while on receipt of same. Major Bendire 

 classed the eggs as L. Philadelphia. The nest was found 

 along the shores of a fairly large lake, thirty miles or so to 

 the eastward of Eort St. James, B.C. Mr. Raine, of To- 

 ronto, states that " this species usually makes its nest in 

 bushes and willows near the water; but in localities where 

 these conditions are absent, it nests on the ground." In the 

 Anderson Kiver region, however, where we obtained thirty- 

 seven nests between the dates of 10th June and 10th July 

 (during five seasons' residence), all of them were found built 

 on spruce or other trees, at heights varying from fifteen to 

 twenty feet, and with one exception, which was composed 

 of velvety leaves held together by stringy turf, they were 

 constructed of small sticks and twigs, lined with hay and 

 dry moss. They seldom lay more than three ^gs. The 

 parent birds vehemently object to the robbery of their nests, 

 even in the interests of Science. 



The eggs of this species are similar to those of No. 59, 

 but are smaller in size. The Ottawa Museum contains six 

 specimens, one of which was taken iby the late Dr. G. M. 



