I 1908.] 



BIRDS. 



431 



the last one of the season, was seen and taken. During their return 

 trip in the fall Alfred E. Preble and Merritt Car}^ saw one near 

 Athabaska Landing. Alberta, September 14: another at the same 

 place. September 21 ; and three in a willow thicket near Lily Lake, 

 September 24. 



Seton records the hooded sparrow as nesting abundantly from the 

 islands in the eastern part of Great Slave Lake to the last woods on 

 Artillery Lake. At the latter locality he found a nest containing 

 three young nearly ready to fly on August 5, 1907." 



H. VT. Jones took a male, the only one observed, at Willow River, 

 near Fort Providence, on May 21, 1901. He also reports the species 

 from Hay River, where a large flock was observed to linger about 

 from May 26 to June 15, when they disappeared. 



Zonotrichia leucophrys (Forst.). White-crowned Sparrow. 



A specimen in the collection of the National Museum (No. 

 19725, male), taken at Fort Resolution, June 11, 1860, by Kennicott, 

 seems referable to typical Z. leucophrys. It is probable that the 

 birds of eastern Mackenzie and Saskatchewan are mainly referable 

 to this form. 



Zonotrichia leucophrys gambeli (Xutt.). Intermediate Sparrow. 



This is the connnon form of white-crowned sparrow tliroughout 

 the Mackenzie and Anderson River valleys. It is especially abun- 

 dant and familiar at all the trading posts north of Great Slave Lake, 

 chanting its simple song at all hours from the palings of the stock- 

 ades and rearing its young in the post clearings. It arrives early in 

 May and remains in autunm until forced to depart by the severity of 

 the weather. According to Ross, the Crees call this sparrow "IF^A- 

 siph-chan-tillee, tilJee — that is, little river murmuring tillee^ 

 tillee:' 



In the spring of 1901 we observed a few white-crowned sparroAvs 

 of this form on the road about 60 miles north of Edmonton, May 1. 

 We next noted the species at Fort Resolution, where I found it com- 

 mon July 5 to 8, and where Alfred E. Preble observed it almost daily 

 during the remainder of the month. While crossing from Fort Reso- 

 lution to Fort Rae, July 9 to 18, I found it rather common on the 

 islands in Great Slave Lake, and collected a pair on Loon Island, 

 July 12. A nest found on the north shore of the lake near the mouth 

 of the Northern Arm, July 15, held eggs just hatching. At Fort 

 Rae I observed the bird daily, July 19 to 29. 



In the spring of 1903 we first observed this species at Edmonton, 

 May 8, noting a single bird. A few more were seen May 10, and the 

 species was observed nearly every day during our trip to Athabaska 



«Auk, XXV, p. 72, 1908, 



