\ 



134 PACIFIC COAST AVIFAUNA No. 14 



Nesting takes place in June. A nest in Custer County contained five eggs 

 June 20, 1898 (Cameron, 1908a, p. 4.'}). Jn the Big Horn ]\Iountains nests were 

 found from the middh' of May to late July (Merrill, 1881, p. 206). 



253. Oreospiza chlorura (Audul)on) 



(tkekn-tailed Towhee 



A rather rare summer resident of southwestern .Montana. lireeds in tlic 

 Transition zone, in thickets of wild rose antl similar small shrubs that grow 

 along the foothills of the mountains. Recorded from only a few localities, as 

 follows: Gallatin County (Richmond and Knowlton, 1894, p. ^^06; Saunders, 

 1911a, p. 44) ; noted in this same locality August 11, 1900 (Jones and Dawson, 

 1900, p. 29) ; Fish Creek, Silver Bow County, July 21, 1910, one seen (Saun- 

 ders, 1912a, p. 29). I have also seen this species in Park County, on Eight Mile 

 Creek, August 22, 1908, and believe that it probably occurs also in Madison and 

 Beaverhead counties along the southern border of the state. 



The only migration dates are from Bozeman, ^lay 27, 1909, and May 28, 

 1911. Thei-e is no record of the nest having been found in the state, though the 

 species undoubtedly ln*eeds. 



254. Zamelodia ludoviciana (Linnaeus) 



Rose-breasted Grosbeak 

 Two records only. A male bird was observed twice, in June and July. 1909, 

 at Bozeman by G. B. Thomas (Saunders, 1911a, p. 44), and anothei- at Billings, 

 June 4, 1918 (Thomas, MS). While these records are })ased on sight identifica- 

 tion, the appearance of the s])ecies is such that a mah' bird could not easily be 

 mistaken for anything else, and knowing pei-sonally that Mi'. Thomas is well 

 acquainted with birds, 1 do not hesitate to include the record. 



255. Zamelodia melanocephala (Swainson) 



Black-headed Grosbeak 



A common sunnner resident throughout the state. Breeds in the Transition 

 zone, in willow thickets and cottonwood groves bordering streams, on the prairies 

 and in the mountain valleys, but not found in the mountains. Recorded b.v 

 nearly all observers from all parts of the state. 



Migrations take place in late May and August. Dates are as follows: Fori 

 Custer, I\Iay 14, 1885 ; Great Falls, average of four years May 23, earliest May 

 20, 1891; Columbia Falls, average of two years May 26, earliest May 25, 1895 

 (Cooke, 1912, p. 158) ; Bozeman, IMay 27, 1909; Bitterroot Vallpy. :\Iay 30, 1910, 

 :\ray 21, 1911, and May 22, 1913 (Bailey, MS). Fall dates: Bo/cnuin. August 

 12, 1909; Gold Creek, Powell County, August 27, 1910. 



Nesting begins soon after the arrival in early June Xcsts containing foui 

 eggs advanced in incubation were foun(i .0 Flathead Lake. June 14 and 19. 1900 

 (Silloway, 1901a, p. 25). A nest with foiii- eggs, one of them a Cowhird's, was 

 found at Choteau, July 7, 1912. 



