392 THEOUG-H THE MACKENZIE BASIN 



ents were shot, and tlie specimens were forwarded to, and 

 receipted at, Washington. The raven and crow both appear 

 in Mr. B. K. Ross's List of Northern Birds, as do some 

 other species noted herein. Major Bendire remarks that 

 " the American, or common, crow is widely but irregularly 

 distributed over a large portion of the northern continent, 

 and is knovni to breed even within the Arctic Circle. Mr. 

 R. MacEaflane obtained two sets of its eggs on the lower 

 Anderson Eiver, in about latitude 68° 30' north. One set of 

 five eggs was taken on 5th May, 1866, and contained large 

 embryos when found, an unusually early breeding record 

 for that region." Farther on he states that among a col- 

 lection of eggs made by me in the vicinity of Fort St. James, 

 British Columbia, is a set of four unmistakable crow's eggs, 

 brought in by an Indian for those of Franklin's grouse on 

 3nd May, 1889, from a nest placed on the ground under the 

 spreading limbs of a small spruce bush. The usual nesting 

 place, however, is on a tall growing tree, amid fork branches, 

 the nest being well constructed and composed of a large mass 

 of dry twigs, roots and stalks outwardly, while the interior 

 is lined with dried grasses, moss and feathers. I should 

 imagine that 69° north, beyond which no trees grow, is the 

 breeding limit of this crow. The Major also stated that 

 incubation lasts about eighteen days, and both parents assist 

 in this duty. The young are born blind and naked, and 

 remain in the nest about three weeks. The old nests are re- 

 sorted to for several seasons in succession where not molested. 

 " Only one brood is raised in a season — if the first eggs are 

 taken they usually lay a second set, but rarely in the same 

 nest. Crows' eggs are rather handsome, and vary greatly 

 in shape, size, colour and markings; the majority may be 

 called ovate, but both short and rounded ovate and elliptical 

 and elongated ovate are also found in good series. The 

 ground colour varies from malachite and pale bluish 

 green to olive green, and occasionally to an olive buff. 

 The markings usually consist of irregularly shaped 

 blotches and spots of different shades of browns and grays. 



