Some Winter Birds of 'Nova ; cotia. 
By C, H. Morrell. 
21. Spinus pinus. Pine Siskin. — Small flocks were occasionally 
seen at Shulee and River Hebert in December. None were seen at Parr s- 
boro. When I returned to River Hebert in March I found them by far 
the most abundant bird. There were thousands scattered throughout 
the spruces all along the shore, not in large flocks, but quite evenly dis- 
tributed over many square miles of woodland. They were in full son« 
and from sunrise until sunset their lisping notes were constantly heard. 
On the 16th of March while at Christie’s camp I saw a bird gathering 
material and by watching her soon located the nest. The female alone 
carried material, the male accompanying her to and from the nest, sing- 
ing constantly. A very short stop was made at the nest. Evidently 
some material was accumulated before it was arranged. A day or two 
after finding the nest I went to Shulee, so had no opportunity to again 
visit the nest until the 29th, when I left Shulee early in the morning, 
going to Two Rivers and thence through ’the woods to the camp. At 
this date the ground was mostly covered with snow in the woods, though 
it was rapidly melting. I found the nest completed. The bird refused 
to leave the nest until I was nearly within reach; she remained near, 
several times returning to the eggs for a moment. The nest was placed 
well out toward the end of a limb of a spruce tree, 27 feet above the 
ground. It was saddled on the limb and radiating twigs but not attached 
to them. Considering the size of the bird, it is quite large, rather flat 
and bears no resemblance to nests of Spinus tristis , measuring as follows : 
height, 1.63 inches; depth, .75 ; outside top diameter, 4 inches; inside top 
diameter 2 inches. It is constructed mainly of dark pendulous tree-moss, 
with some fulvous bark from weed-stalks, plant-down, usnea, and other 
mosses. About the bottom of the nest is woven a few spruce twigs. The 
lining is entirely the pendulous moss. It contained four eggs but 
slightly incubated. These have a pale blue ground color, slightly 
darker than eggs of Spinus tristis, somewhat sparingly marked about 
the larger end with pale purplish and a few dots of brownish black. The 
eggs measure respectively, .66 X .50, .66 X .46, .63 X .49, .63 X 48, inches. 
Auk, XVI, July, 1899, pp.XS'Z- 3. 
Newfoundland Notes. A Trip up tie 
Humber l iver, Aug, 10 - Sept, 24, 1889. 
j 6 . Spinus pinus. Pine Siskin. — Large flocks seen commonly. 
Houis H, Porter, New Cork Ci 
Auk, XVII, Jan., 1900, p. ?Z, 
Birds of N.E. coast of Labrador 
by Henry B. Bigelow. 
65. Spinus pinus. Pine Siskin.— Rather rare. Occasionally I 
noticed a few with the Redpolls before we passed the tree line. 
Auk, XIX, Jan., 1902, p.29. 
W". hi^J-ntrU- e- 
• ' •' ‘.ay' ... .cr; , ; rS 
Spinus pinus. Pine Finch. — This species, like the Redpolls, is so 
erratic in movements, that one can never know whether or not it will 
occur during the winter season, yet it is during the winter that we are 
most sure of its presence. They feed largely upon the fruit of the yellow 
birch and cedar. 
Auk, XIX, April., 1902, p. 
