730 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. - 
768. Mountain Bluebird. 
Stala arcticus SWAINS. 1831. 
On October roth, 1898, I received a fine male mountain bluebird 
from E. H. Patterson of Brandon, Man. It had been collected two 
days before about two miles west of that city, and was in com- 
pany with another individual of the same species. (George E. 
Atkinson.) A few individuals of this species were observed in 
the Rocky Mountains at Chief Mountain Lake, but no specimens 
were preserved. (Coues.) Tolerably common summer resident 
at Aweme, Manitoba. It breeds in the more hilly country; arrives 
about May 7th and leaves about October 15th. ;(Vorman Criddle.) 
First seen at Medicine Hat, Assa., April 6th, 1894, after that a 
few were seen every day until May oth, when the last one disap- 
peared, they appeared to follow along the scattered timber in the 
valley of the South Saskatchewan as they passed to the north; 
a pair were found breeding June 15th, 1895, at Medicine Lodge, 
south of Wood Mountain, Assa., and another pair in aclay bank 
along Frenchman’s River at Stony Creek Crossing; they were 
also breeding in numbers along Milk River, especially at Castel- 
lated Rocks in July, 1895; observed afew about the end of July, 
1903, at Dunvegan, Peace River; observed nesting at Lacombe, 
near Edmonton, Alta., June 18th, 1897; common at Calgary and 
southward in the foothills to Crow’s Nest Pass; common from 
the upper crossing of the Lob-stick River to Camp River, B.C., 
west of the Athabasca Pass; also seen in large flocks at the Henry 
House, Athabasca Pass, September 2nd, 1898; last seen Septem- 
ber 25th ; quite common and breeding early at Banff, Rocky 
Mountains, it built its nest chiefly under the eaves of houses at 
Banff; shot at Revelstoke, B.C., April 1oth, 1890; quite common 
along the mountain slopes ; breeding in Eagle Pass near Revels- 
toke in May, 1890; numbers of young birds were seen in the trees 
along Pass Creek at Robson, B.C., June 20th, 1890, the birds had 
nested in the cliffs about 700 feet above the water; common on 
the International Boundary between Trail and Cascade, B.C., 
breeding in holes in houses and trees ; abundant at Penticton, 
south of Lake Okanagan, B.C., in April, 1903 ; they were in 
flocks of from ten to fifty; abundant in open places around 
Fernie and Elko, B.C., in April and May, 1904. (Spreadborough.) 
Local and not uncommon and breeding in suitable places at 
