\ 



1921 BIRDS OF MONTANA 149 



^Ir. Vislier has written me that it pertains to a locality across the border in 

 Montana. 



290. Seiurus noveboracensis notabilis Ridgway 



Grinnell Water-tiir[:sii 



A summer resident in the western half of the state, chiefly along mountain 

 streams in the upper Transition zone. Evidently breeds in dense willow and 

 alder thickets, bordering streams that are swampy in character. Rare in most 

 places. Occurs as a migrant, very rarely in eastern Montana. 



Records in migration: Columbia Falls, average of five years. May 20, earli- 

 est ]May 18, 1895 (Cooke, 1904a, p. 106) ; one juvenile taken at Fort Keogh, Sep- 

 tember 12, 1889 (Thorne, 1895, p. 218); Custer County, May 24, 1905 (Came- 

 ron, 1908a, p. 50) ; Bozeman, May 30, 1909; German Gulch, May 16, 1910; Gold 

 Creek, August 20, 1910; Chief ^fountain Lake, and west of Sweet Grass Hills, 

 obtained August 12, 1874 (Coues, 1874b, p. 567) ; Billings, August 12, 1900 

 (Jones and Dawson, 1900, p. 30). 



Records in breeding season: Rare summer resident. Gallatin County (Saun- 

 ders, 1911a, p. 46) ; one taken at Swan Lake, July 10, 1903 (Silloway, 1903b, p. 

 303) ; seen on the Boulder River near Bernice, Jefferson County, in June, 1911 ; 

 rare but regular breeder in the Bitterroot Valley, feeding young eJuly 12, 1910 

 V Bailey, MS). 



291. Oporornis tolmiei (J. K. Townsend) 



MacGillivray AVarbler 



A common summer resident of the western half of the state, ranging east to 

 tlie easternmost mountains, and occurring occasionally in migrations to the more 

 eastern parts of the state. Breeds in the Transition zone in clumps of willow 

 and alder, wild rose or other shrubs, mainly in moist situations along the foot- 

 iiills or lower mountain canyons. The easternmost points where it is known to 

 breed are Fergus County (Silloway, 1903a, p. 64) and the Musselshell River 

 (Allen, 1874, p. 52). The easternmost records in migrations are from Fort 

 Keogh, May 25, 1902 (Hedges, coll. Univ. Montana) and Miles City, August 17 

 and 22, 1919 (Hedges, MS). 



The migrations take place during the latter half of .May and in August. The 

 average date of arrival at Great Falls is ^lay 28, and an early arrival at Colum- 

 bia Falls is May 19, 1885 (Cooke, 1904a, p. 115^. Other dates are as follows: 

 l^ozeman, May 27, 1909, and May 29, 1911 ; Choteau, May 23, 1912 ; Corvallis, 

 May 19, 1913 (Bailey, MS). Fall dates are: Rocky Mountains, August 23, 1871 

 (Coues, 1874b, p. 569) ; Belton, August 30, 1915 (DuBois, MS^ 



This species nests in June and July, evidently sometimes raising two broods. 

 A nest and five eggs, advanced in incubation, were found at Flathead Lake, June 

 14, 1900 (Silloway, 1901a, p. 14), and young were seen flying June 30, 1901 

 (ibid., p. 34). A nest and four eggs were found at Belton, June 30, 1914, and 

 another with fresh eggs July 6, 1915 ; young were noted on the wing July 8, 1916 

 i DuBois, MS). 



