— 53— 



lies into the air from the tops of tall dead trees in quest of 

 passing insects, were taken as a tribute to our curiosity in 

 regard to this peculiar woodpecker. Upon our return to the 

 Station, in the iirst week of August, Lewis's woodpecker was 

 abundantly represented by specimens along the road leading 

 toward Holt, where they would sit on the rail fences like crows 

 or robins, each sitting quite upright and bunched together like 

 an owl a-perch. On August IG a specimen was taken that had 

 one inner toe missing, which had apparently been severed close 

 to the place of insertion. Around Daphnia Pond this wood- 

 pecker was also abundant, as well as at other stations in the 

 neighborhood. 



413. EED-SHAFTED FLICKER, Colaptes cafer (Gmel.) 



This flicker is common everywhere in localities visited where 

 trees of any size can be found. On one occasion at Sin-yale- 

 a-min Lake, three red-shafted flickers were obser^'ed flirting and 

 coquetting at the top of a tall denuded stub. In our ascent 

 of a ridge of Mt. McDonald, this flicker was noted at an alti- 

 tude of 7,700 feet. It is the most common woodpecker in the 

 vicinity of McDonald Lake. In the wooded localities in the 

 open regions of the Eeservation, the red-shafted flicker ap- 

 pears to be less numerously represented than the Lewis wood- 

 pecker. 



420 a. WESTERN NIGHTHAWK, Chordeiles virginianus 



henryi (Cass.) 



The western nighthawk was not common at Sin-yale-a-min 

 Lake, tbough specimens were noted occasionally in twilight 

 flight. No specimens were taken. 



It was commonly seen flying about at niglitfall at McDonald 

 Lake. One specimen was taken as it was flying to and fro 

 over the water at early dusk. 



Abundant in the vicinity of Crow Creek. A small butte near 

 our camp was a favorite haunt of the nighthawk, and from 

 its top we secured several specimens at nightfall. We also 

 found it abundant at the foot of Flathead Lake, and at the 

 upper end as well, where it was found breeding. 



