SUMMER BIRDS OF FLATHEAD LAKE. 297 



in diameter, depth one and one-half inches. The depression was on the 

 shady and darlvest side of the grass tuft. There were four eggs, fresh. 

 The eggs of this sparrow are pale greenish-white, irregularly marked with 

 spots of reddish-brown. On May 30, a nest of the western vesper sparrow 

 was found in a depression at the base of a little bush, beside a path be- 

 tween the meadow and the lake. It contained three eggs, which were 

 somewhat incubated. Another nest noted on May 31 with three eggs, 

 on June 2, contained only two eggs. Another examined on June 2, con- 

 tained one youngling just hatched, one egg breaking for the strug- 

 ling occupant, and two eggs. Another nest noted on June 2, held 

 four fresh eggs; another held four fresh eggs, and still another con- 

 tained three eggs far advanced in incubation. All of these nests 

 were made after a common plan of structure, and were on the 

 darkest side of the tufts under which they were placed, a characteristic 

 not usually noticeable in the sites of most of the ground-nesting species, 

 and indeed not generally characteristic of the vesper sparrow. 



Brewer's blackbird, Scoleophagus cyanocephalus, was commonly nest- 

 ing in the low bushes near the lake shore at Poison. On May 31, a nest 

 of this species was taken from a bush in a clump. The site was twelve 

 inches from the ground, among upright stems. The nest was made of 

 coarse weed-stems and tv/igs, with muddy material in the walls, and a 

 bedding of horsehair. The cavity was three and three-fourths inches 

 across, and two and three-fourths inches deep. This nest contained six 

 eggs, partially incubated. A second nest contained three eggs of the 

 owner and one of the cowbird. The eggs of Brewer's blackbird are dark 

 greenish-white, variously marked with blotches of dark brown. 



At Selish, a nest of the western meadowlark, Sturnella magna neg- 

 lecta, was observed on the hillside back of the hotel. It was made in 

 typical manner, of coarse dried grass, in a tuft of tangled dead and green 

 grass, well arched at the top. There were five eggs, partially incubated. 

 They were very handsomely marked, having large, bold blotches of red- 

 dish brown on a snowy background. 



Traill's flycatcher, Empidonax traillii, has been mentioned as nesting 

 throughout this region. On July 8, a nest of this flycatcher was found 

 in a small fir in the edge of the Station grounds, within arm's reach of a 

 path leading down into the swampy area. It was placed upright on hori- 

 zontal twigs beside the main stem, six feet from the ground. When first 

 noticed it contained three younglings about ready to leave the nest. In 

 structure the nest is much like that of the yellow warbler, Dendroica 

 aestiva, or that of Wright's flycatcher, Empidonax wrightii, being made 

 pf strippings of weed-stems, grass stems, and bits of gossamer. On July 

 6, after a cold rain of a week's duration, a nest of Traill's flycatcher was 

 noticed containing three young birds about half fledged, dead, doubtless 

 from exposure. 



A nest of the western wood pewee, Contopus richardsonii, was noticed 

 near the Station on July 8. It was in an aspen on the lake shore, saddled 

 upon a dead branch at a fork about three feet from the main stem, and 

 about fifteen feet from the water below. In attempting to examine it, I 

 accidentally spilled the four eggs, and the nest dropped into the water 



