BIEDS OF XOETIiEEX CANADA 429 



GST. AiiEEicAK Eedstaet — Setophaga ruticilla (Linn.). 



This species is fairly abundant in the neighbourhood of 

 Eort St. James, Stuart's Lake, where six nests were taken 

 between 3rd June and 2nd July, 1889. Five of them were 

 built on trees and bushes, at a height of several feet from 

 the ground. They were composed of dry grasses, etc., and 

 all but one — the sixth — ^was in a small cavity thereon ; con- 

 tained four eggs each, the contents of which were but slightly 

 incubated, while the nest found on 14th June contained, 

 among the others, one freshly laid egg. At Fort George, 

 Fraser Eiver, Mr. Ogden, on 16th June, secured a nest hold- 

 ing two eggs, on a bush, and on the 15th another with four 

 whose parent was snared on the nest. An example was 

 taken at Eupert House, Hudson Bay, on September 3rd, 

 1860, by Mr. James Mackenzie, of the Company's service. 

 Mr. B. E. Eoss also reports them as common on the Mac- 

 kenzie Eiver to Fort Good Hope. In certain sections the 

 redstart appears to build more elegant nests and on taller 

 trees than those herein referred to. iNot uncommon through- 

 out British Columbia. The National Collection at Ottawa 

 contains nineteen specimens and a series of seven eggs taken 

 at Ottawa and presented to the Museum. 



697. Ameeican Pipit — Anthus pensilvanicus (Latham). 



This species is common in British Columbia and through- 

 out Alaska. On June 25th, 1900, Mr. Eaine states that the 

 Eev. (now Bishop) I. O. Stringer took a nest and five eggs 

 at Peel's Eiver; the nest was built of dried grass on the 

 ground. We have reason to believe that the pipit is also 

 among the birds which annually resort to the valley of the 

 Anderson Eiver during the season of nidification. The eggs 

 of this species probably resemble those of A. spragneii, which 

 are somewhat like those of the prairie horned lark, but are 

 smaller. " Some have a pale buff ground, others grayish- 

 white ground minutely speckled with buff and purplish-gray, 

 with fine dark brown hair lines at the larger end of the eggs." 



