BIRDS. 145 



Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse: Pedioecetes pkasianeZlus co- 

 lumhlonus. — Birds of the- plains and the willowy ravines of the foot- 

 hills, the Columbian sharp-tails though rarely, if ever, breeding in 

 the park, are sometimes very plentiful along the eastern boundary, 

 Mr. Stevenson says, in the winter months coming up the open ridges 

 well into the park, and being especially numerous between the two 

 Kennedy Creeks and below Chief Mountain. The heavy rain and 

 flood of the year 1908 killed off the greater part of them, but in Jan- 

 uary, 1912, between the two Kennedy Creeks, Mr. Stevenson saw 

 flocks of literally thousands feeding on the low flower buds of the 

 water birch. That year they were common all along the park line 

 from Cut Bank County to the Canadian line. They used to be in the 

 Flathead Valle}' and the small prairies on the North Fork, Mr. 

 Bryant says, but now are practically gone. Three flocks wintered 

 in the o\)^\\ country near the Adair ranch just south of Logging 

 Creek in 1915-16, but they left in the spring and no others have 

 been seen. 



Order COLUMBiE: Pigeons. 



Family COLUMBID^: Pigeons. 



Western Mourning Dove: Zenmdura macroura Tnarginella — 

 The familiar mourning or turtle dove, with the graduated tail, is a 

 bird of the lower levels rarely seen in the park. Mr. Stevenson has 

 seen only two in 17 years. On October 30, 1887, Dr. Grinnell saw one 

 on the Lower St. Mary Lake, and in 1895 Messrs. Bailey and Kowell 

 saw a pair at St. Mary River, and two near Midvale. Mr. Gibb has 

 seen the dove around Adair near the North Fork of the Flathead in 

 summer, and Mr. Lewis speaks of seeing it at Lake McDonald. 



Order RAPTORES: Birds of Prey. 



Family CATHARTID^: Vultures. 



Turkey Vulture : Cathurtes aura septentrionalis. — In the fall of 

 1885 Dr. Grinnell found the turkey vulture with the bare red head 

 and neck of a turkey gobbler common over the prairies of the St. 

 Mary Lake region, and in 1895 Messrs. Bailey and Howell saw 

 two over the St. Mary River ; but Mr. Gird says that, like the eagles, 

 they have been getting caught in fur traps and so done away with. 

 In a fifteen-year residence Mr. Lewis says he has seen only two, and 

 those outside the park. INIr. Bryant has seen the vulture about the 

 prairie patches on the west side and has mounted some killed less 

 than ten miles from the park, but says that the bird is almost un- 

 known now, especially on the west side. 



