Bird Life of North Dakota 55 



Union on June 12. 184.^. he saw a wolf drive four ravens awa^^ froui n smd-liar : 

 p. 80: July 7, he shot one near the Fort. Thwaites, 1906, p. 212; November 2, 1833, 

 below Fort Union, Maximilian saw ravens along the Missouri River. Judd, 1917, p. 

 21; very rare, if it occurs at all. Freeman, 1919, P- 13; has been reported at Fargo. 



There is a mounted specimen in the museum of Fargo College. Mr. 

 Henry Williams saw one at Grafton, June 15, 1921, and Mr. Alfred East- 

 gate in a recent letter tells of a raven killed in the Turtle Mountains, Novem- 

 ber, 1883. 



Apparently, this is an extremely rare species in North Dakota at the 

 present time. 



190. Corvus brachyrhynchos hrachyrhynchos Brehm. Crow. 



CouES, 1878, p. 606 ; not very common in the region, though there were a good 

 many along the Mouse River. CouES, 1897, p. 36; June 15, Audubon says both the 

 common crow and raven are found at Fort Union. (This is the only North Dakota 

 record noted by Audubon, and it may have been the western species, hesperis, as it 

 occurs in Montana.) Thwaites, 1004, p. 141 ; H. M. Breckenridge reports seeing 

 crows on the Upper Missouri in the summer of 1811. Judd, 1917, p. 21 ; a tolerably 

 common summer resident. 



The species was found to be quite common at Devils Lake and in all 

 parts of the state visited. The status of this bird is in much dispute, for 

 wliile it no doubt does much damage to nesting birds, it also eats many 

 injurious insects and mammals. I consider it on the whole injurious. 



191. Connis hrachyrhynchos hesperis Ridgway. Western Crow. 

 Hoffman, 18821, p. 400; found singly and in small flocks the early part of Sep- 

 tember, but about the 20th large flocks were seen flying over the village and down 

 the river. Ridgway, 1904, p. 271; breeding; specimens from Souris River. 



The crows seen in western North Dakota are no doubt referable to this 

 subspecies, as it is common in Montana. 



192. Nucifraga columbiana (Wilson). Clarke's Nutcracker. 



The Williams Collection contains a mounted specimen taken at Bottineau 

 September 17, 1919, by W. R. Mcintosh. I heard of one in the Bad Lands 

 along the Little Missouri River near Medora. This species must be con- 

 sidered as a rare straggler in North Dakota, although common in the moun- 

 tains of Montana. 



193. Dolichonyx orysivorus (Linnaeus). Bobolink. 



CouES, 1878, pp. 599, 600; at Pembina in June bobolinks were breeding in large 

 numbers on the open prairie adjoining the river. The species was traced westward 

 quite to the Rocky Mountains. Specimens were taken at Pembina, June S to July 8, 

 and Mouse River, August 16, 1873. OouES, 1897, p. 86; July 13, Audubon saw a 

 flock of fifteen or twenty bobolinks and shot a male near Fort Union. Judd, 1917, 

 p. 21 ; common summer resident. 



This species was rather common throughout the region studied, except 

 at Medora and the Turtle Mountains. 



194. Molothrns ater atcr (Boddaert). Cowbird. 



CouES, 1878, p. 600; nowhere found the cowbird more abundant than it is in 

 summer throughout the region surveyed. Specimens were taken at Pembina, June 4 



