INTRODUCTION 



THE ORNITHOLOGY of Montana, as compared with that of most other 

 western states, is still in a primitive condition. While the earliest explor- 

 ations and reports were made at about the same time as those of other 

 western states, ornithological work since that time has not kept pace witli 

 what has been done elsewhere. Settlement of the state, until recently, has been 

 slow, and there have been comparatively few resident ornithologists. Little 

 collecting has been done. Series of specimens are almost unknown. Most of 

 the sj)ecimens that have been collected are scattered through private collec- 

 tions. The results of much of this field work have never been published, and 

 when they have, identifications have often been rather loosely made. For these 

 reasons the present list cannot compare in either completeness or detailed ac- 

 curacy with other recently published state lists. There is much of importance 

 3^et to be learned of the local distribution of even the commoner species. Sub- 

 specific status is in many cases unsettled. The future will probably see many 

 changes and additions on the basis of the present list, and it is hoped that its 

 publication will stimulate work that will sooner bring these changes to accom- 

 plishment. 



The portion of this paper which is based on my own field studies is the re- 

 sult of five years of almost continuous work in various parts of the state, from 

 1908 to 1913, as well as two additional summers, at Flathead Lake and in the 

 Glacier Park, in 1914 and 1915. I have supplemented the results of this field 

 work with a careful study of all the published records that I have been able to 

 find. The bibliography published with this list is the result of eight years of 

 compilation. I have examined nearly all of the publications listed, and have 

 used all of the records in them which have proven of value in working out dis- 

 tribution, or times of nesting and migration. References to these various 

 sources of information are given in the text. Where records are without refer- 

 ence, they are from my own, hitherto unpublished, notes. 



In addition to these sources of information I have been fortunate in secur- 

 ing from a number of other ornithologists manuscript lists of birds observed 

 by them in various parts of the state. Without these lists, mj' work would have 

 been so far from complete that it would, perhaps, not have been worth printing. 

 I have referred to these lists in the text with the surnames of the contributors. 

 The full names of the latter, with acknowledgements, arc given in the para- 

 graphs immediately following. 



