278 BULLETIN UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA 



haunt, and do not choose a perch out in the bright sunshine from which 

 to render their measure. Again, they do not sit and sing simply for the 

 sake of singing, like many of our songsters; their singing is incidental, 

 uttered as they appear to be busy in gleaning their daily bread from the 

 foliage of the trees. The female of the warbling vireo is equally gifted 

 with song-powers with her mate, and she has a pretty habit of singing 

 in response to her spouse while she is sitting on her nest. 



In respect to song, the cedar waxwing is one of the most peculiar 

 birds we have, for it has no real song. The only utterance of which the 

 waxwing is capable is a soft lisping call. Even in the mating and nest- 

 ing time the waxwing can voice its emotions only in these feeble lispings, 

 which are scarcely forcible enough to be described by our idea of the 

 word chirp. 



A voice of considerable importance in the bird music of this region 

 is that of the Louisiana tanager. This songster frequents the conifer- 

 ous trees of larger size, where its bright yellow attire, ornamented with 

 black wings and crimson head, seems in strange contrast to the dark 

 evergreen of its environment. The song of the tanager is much like that 

 of the robin, so much like it in fact that the listener must discriminate 

 very closely to distinguish the difference. The tanager's singing is more 

 nervous, and more sharply uttered, lacking the full treble of the robin's 

 performance. This splendid gem of the coniferous woodlands is not 

 sparing of its music, and continues in song well into July. Its frequent 

 recitals serve to apprise us of its presence near the Station; even from 

 the Station door we may hear its characteristic song from the tall conifers 

 that line the river's bank. 



Another songster of late summer is the lazuli bunting. It frequents 

 the roadsides, singing a-perch of telephone wire or in the top of some 

 tall tree. Its song is a pleasing little ditty, uttered with great persist- 

 ency and considerable spirit, though with little variation. The per- 

 former may be known by his coat of indigo blue, his orange-tinted breast, 

 and light underparts. He is a little fellow, scarcely larger than our 

 chipping sparrow. His continued ditty is probably prompted by a cozy 

 cot of dried grass in the bushes below or in the near neighborhood, in 

 which his more demurely attired spouse is nestling her pale light-blue 



eggs. 



The black-headed grosbeak contributes a generous share toward the 

 bird music of this region This songster has a rich, full voice, and its 

 song is somewhat like that of the robin or that of the oriole, what might 

 result by a medley of the songs of the two lyrists mentioned. The gros- 

 beak frequents the deciduous trees, perferably the dwarf trees in low 

 situations, in company with the vireos, redstart, and cedar waxwing. It 

 is also a songster of late spring and early summer, and consequently we 

 hear its mellow music In the early part of July. Like some others we 

 have mentioned, the black-headed grosbeak is well at home on the shores 

 of Daphnia pond, where it rears its brood in the low trees. The male 

 is a model husband, for he is noted for his care of the household. He it 

 Is who sits at home brooding the eggs, while his spouse visits about the 

 neighborhood with other grosbeak dames. When the youngsters are 



