‘FLYCATCHER. 147 
birds know they are sure to come; their instincts 
are true, and so they patiently await the change 
from bleak winter to genial spring, as joyous as 
if they had not quitted the sunny south. 
The nest is made, in a very careless manner, on 
the open prairie: a hollow is selected (the foot- 
print of a deer generally), in a sloping bank or 
knoll, and filled with dry grass-stalks, not woven 
together but laid one on another, like hens’ nests 
are made with straw; sometimes, though not 
invariably, a few hairs are laid on the grass- 
stalks, but with no attempt at definite arrange- 
‘ment. Five or six eggs are laid early in June; 
after nesting, young and old flock together, until 
their departure in September. They are generally 
distributed throughout British Columbia, extend- 
ing north to Sitka, and farther for aught I know; 
they are plentiful also on Vancouver Island, and 
on all the islands in the Gulf of Georgia. 
Townsenv’s Frycatcuer (Myiadestes Town- 
sendii, Cabanis).—I met with these rare birds 
once only, and then at Colville. It was towards the 
end of November; deep snow was on the ground, 
all the leaves had fallen, and the cold was intense. 
My attention was first attracted by hearing a low 
sweet song, not unlike that of our English song- 
thrush, which at this time of year was a most 
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