438 



NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA. 



[NO. 27. I 



descending Slave River to Great Slave Lake, June 30 to July 2, we 

 noted a number. I saw the species at Fort Resolution, June G, 7, and 

 8, and Alfred E. Preble noted several July 9 to 12. While crossing 

 Great Slave Lake I saw it on Stone Island, July 10, and found it 

 rather common on Loon' Island, 50 miles north of Fort Resolution, 

 July 11 to 14, taking one specimen on July 12. I saw a few at Fort 

 Rae, July 20 to 29, collecting one on the latter date, and on our re- 

 turn trip noted the species at Smith Landing, August G. 



In the spring of 1903 this bird av as first noted at Grand Rapid, 

 May 22. It was next observed at Fort Chipewyan, June 3 and 4, and 

 one was seen building on the former date. Several were seen near 

 the outlet of Athabaska Lake, June 5 ; on Rocher River, June 8 ; and 

 at Smith Landing, June 11. The first nest with eggs w^as found on 

 Smith Portage, June 13. The species was noted also at Fort Smith, 

 June 14 ; on the river below there, June 15 ; and below Limestone Point, 

 June IT. Several birds were seen at Fort Resolution, June 22 and 23. 

 At Fort Providence my brother and Gary found the species common, 

 July 2 to 8, observing numbers daily. They noted it also at Fort 

 Simpson, July 10, and found it common on Mount Tha-on/-tha, July 

 13 to 18, where it was breeding in dwarfed spruce {Picea canadensis) 

 and mountain alder {Alniis alnohetula). Ki an altitude of about 

 1,500 feet, on July 13, they noted a pair with young about to leave 

 the nest. On their return trip, on the Athabaska near House River, 

 they saw two, August 22, one of which they collected. 



In the spring of 1904 this sparrow arrived at Fort Simpson in con- 

 siderable numbers on May 18, and was common during the remainder 

 of the month. During my trip down the Mackenzie I noted it on 

 but two occasions, finding migrants common on an island below Fort 

 Wrigley, June 8, and taking a breeding pair in a shrubby tract at 

 Fort Good Llope, June 21. On my return trip I saw the species at 

 Fort Simpson, July 27; at Smith Landing, August 5; at Fort Chip- 

 ewyan, August 7 ; and near Edmonton, September 4. 



Richardson first recorded this bird as Fringilla socialis from Fort 

 Simpson.^ The catalogue of the National Museum records specimens 

 from Fort Resolution, Fort Rae, Fort Simpson (May 23, 1860; May 

 24, 1861), Fort Liard, and Fort Good Hope; and these localities, 

 with the exception of the last, are now represented in the collection. 

 Macoun includes the following records, which undoubtedly refer to 

 the western form, under S. socialis. On the authority of Spread- 

 borough, he gives it as a common [summer] resident at Edmonton, as 

 seen at the crossing of McLeod River, June 19, and as common at 

 Jasper Lake, July 2, 1898 ; also common from Lesser Slave Lake to 



«Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., XI, p. 484, 1843. 



