84 SIXTEENTH REPORT. 



the twenty-fourth. Young birds out of the uest but still fed by the adults 

 were seen on July 28. 



37. Empidonax minimus. Least Flycatcher. — This species was common 

 during July among the thickets by the water courses and more rareh^ in 

 the burned lands far from water. It reached its maximum abundance the 

 last week in Juty. and after that time was rarely recorded. A very few 

 individuals remained up to the time of our departure. Nests were often 

 found along the river during the first part of July. The first was found on 

 July 5, and contained three birds about to fly — in fact two did fly as the 

 nest was approached. This nest was situated in a dead white birch at a 

 height of fifteen feet. On the following day a pair of birds was observed 

 building a nest near camp. On July 12, in a small grove of standing dead 

 hardwoods in the burned lands, a family of these little flycatchers was found. 

 The 3^oung were barely able to fly. The empty nest was found in a low 

 dead birch, and was fully a thousand yards from water. On July 29, a family 

 of four well fledged birds and one adult were seen near Brown Lake. 



38. Cyanocitta cristata cristata. Blue Jay. — While this species was fre- 

 quently noted in July, it l)ecame much more abundant in August. It was 

 most commonly seen at the edge of the hardwood forest, but was not re- 

 stricted to that area, as it was observed along the rivers, in poplar growths 

 and in the swamps. Very rarely a single bird would be found in the burned 

 lands far from cover. A family of young birds just able to fly from branch 

 to branch was found near the hardwood forest not far from Jackson Lake 

 on August 3. 



39. Corvus brachyrhynchos brachyrhynchos. Crow. — This species was seen 

 occasionally all summer, usually in small flocks of from three to seven, fly- 

 ing over the burned lands. In numbers it remained constant during the 

 period of observation. Three 3'Oung birds that were still fed by the ac- 

 companying adults were seen on July 27 near the beaver meadows. 



40. Molothrus ater ater. Cowbird. — Several flocks of this species were 

 seen while the party was enroute to camp. All were in the burned pine lands, 

 feeding along the road where the sparse dry grass supported a few insects. 

 During July a few individuals were seen daily in the burn, and a small flock 

 staj'ed about the beaver meadows. In August the species was rarely re- 

 corded, not at all after the eighteenth. On July 12, in an ash and alder 

 thicket along the Sturgeon River, a male redstart was observed feeding a 

 nearly mature cowbird. The two were watched some six minutes, during 

 which period the impostor was fed a like number of times. Neither a female 

 redstart nor any young were seen. A red-ej^ed vireo nest found on July 20 

 contained one young vireo, two vireo eggs and a cowbird egg. 



41. Agelaius phceniceus phoeniceus. Red-winged Blackbird. — After July 

 8, small flocks of these birds were frequently observed in the marshes by the 

 lakes. A large colony inhabited the large marsh at the northwest side of 

 Brown Lake, but during the last week of July and the first in August this 

 colony broke up. During these two weeks the species was most abundant 

 of any time and the most widely distributed in the various habitats. After 

 August 9 the numbers rapidly decreased, altho a few individuals were still 

 to be seen about Brown Lake on the twentj'-fourth. The birds bred in the 

 marshes mentioned above, numbers of young birds were seen and about 

 the first of August the young outnumbered the adults. 



42. Sturnella magna magna. Meadowlark. — Several meadowlarks were 

 seen at Holmes farm while the party was enroute to camp on June 29. At 

 Bro\\Ti Lake but a single bird was noted — a young male in the clearing about 



