FLYCATCHER. 147 



birds know they are sure to come ; their instincts 

 are true, and so they patiently await the change 

 from bleak winter to genial spring, as joyous as 

 if they had not quitted the sunny south. 



The nest is made, in a very careless manner, on 

 the open prairie: a hollow is selected (the foot- 

 print of a deer generally), in a sloping bank or 

 knoll, and filled with dry grass-stalks, not woven 

 together but laid one on another, like hens' nests 

 are made with straw ; sometimes, though not 

 invariably, a few hairs are laid on the grass- 

 stalks, but with no attempt at definite arrange- 

 ment. Five or six eggs are laid early in June ; 

 after nesting, young and old flock together, until 

 their departure in September. They are generally 

 distributed throughout British Columbia, extend- 

 ing north to Sitka, and farther for aught I know ; 

 they are plentiful also on Vancouver Island, and 

 on all the islands in the Gulf of Georgia. 



TOWNSEND'S FLYCATCHER (Myiadestes Town- 

 sendii, Cabanis). I met with these rare birds 

 once only, and then at Colville. It was towards the 

 end of November ; deep snow was on the ground, 

 all the leaves had fallen, and the cold was intense. 

 My attention was first attracted by hearing a low 

 sweet song, not unlike that of our English song-- 



<_>' O O 



thrush, which at this time of year was a most 



L 2 



