414: THEOUGH THE MACKENZIE BASIIT 



to say, make any reference whatever to this common and 

 widely distributed sparrow, yet I feel satisfied that it breeds 

 throughout those immense sections of north-western Can- 

 ada, while it is probably replaced in Alaska and British 

 Columbia by one or more of its sub-species. In Arctic 

 America, however, we found it fairly abundant along both 

 banks of the Anderson River, and several nests were also 

 discovered in the Barren Grounds. Most of the nests found 

 by us were built on trees, and they resembled those of 

 Turdus aliciw; but several of those obtained on the ground 

 were composed of coarse dry grasses, lined with some 

 of a finer quality, a few deer hair and a sprinkling of 

 fresh moss. Eour or five eggs formed the full set. I 

 would here quote from Professor Macoun's interesting work 

 the following appreciatory note by Mr. W. Raine, of Toronto : 

 " I have several sets of eggs from the Mackenzie delta. 

 On June 10th, 1900, a nest and three eggs were found 

 by Mr. C. E. Whittaker at Peel's River; the nest was 

 built in the root of a shrub near the ground. On June 1st, 

 1900, another nest and four eggs were found at Peel's River 

 by the Rev. (now Bishop) I. O. Stringer, through whose 

 kindness I have been able to describe the nests and eggs of 

 many Arctic birds found by this gentleman in the far north 

 during his eight years' sojourn amongst the Eskimos of that 

 region, and it is to be regretted that owing to failing health 

 Mr. Stringer had to abandon his work amongst the natives 

 of the Arctic coast, as he has proved himself to be a keen 

 observer and careful, painstaking ornithologist. Many of 

 the specimens collected by Mr. Stringer were taken while 

 he was travelling up and down the Mackenzie delta, or along 

 the Arctic coast, with bands of Eskimos. Often at night, 

 when the natives had laid down to sleep, Mr. Stringer had 

 to skin the birds and blow the eggs and make his notes, and 

 by the time this work was done the Eskimos were astir again 

 and making ready to proceed on their journey." Both 

 Richardson and Ross mention this handsome and interesting 



