422 THEOUGH THE MACKENZIE BASIN 



Mr. G. R. White states that " a nest taken by him was 

 a neat cup suspended by the brim in the embrace of a forked 

 twig. It was built of strips of bark, pine needles, pieces of 

 wasps' nests and paper. Apparently agglutinated with the 

 saliva of the bird, and lined with fine grass. Eggs three to 

 five, pure white, marked with fine dark reddish-brown spots 

 toward the larger end." There are seventeen specimens 

 and three sets of eggs, including one of three eggs taken at 

 before the third week in June. There are thirty specimens, 

 but no eggs, in the Dominion Museum at Ottawa ! 



636. Black and White Waeblek — Mniotilta varia (Linn.). 



At Fort St. James, B.C., on 26th June, 1889, a nest 

 containing four eggs was taken from a willow bush, and the 

 mother bird shot in the immediate vicinity thereof. The 

 eggs had been well incubated. Common throughout British 

 Columbia, but rather rare in the north at Fort Simpson, 

 where Mr. Ross secured a few specimens some forty-six 

 years ago. Dr. Coues remarks that even in the latitude of 

 49° north few of the small insectivorous birds appear to lay 

 before the third week in June. There are thirty specimens, 

 but no eggs, in the Dominion Museum at Ottawa ! 



636. Black and White Waeblee — Mniotilta varia (Linn.). 



We never came across any birds of this species during 

 our long residence in northern and western Canada. Mr. 

 Ross has done so, however, as his List of Mackenzie River 

 Birds includes this warbler as a very rare summer resident 

 at Fort Simpson. Mr. G. R. White states that it nests on 

 the ground, the same being composed of bark, grass and 

 leaves, lined with plant down and hair. They lay from four 

 to six eggs, creamy white, spotted and sprinkled with reddish- 

 brown. There are but nine skin specimens and no eggs in 

 the Ottawa Museum. 



