1921 BIRDS OF MONTANA 87 



tlii'ongliout the state, nearly all agreeing that it is common or a'ouudant in the 

 proper localities. It is reported not common in the Bitterroot Valley, but com- 

 mon on the lower mountain slopes (Bailey, ^IS). I did not note it in Silvei" Bow 

 County, i)robably becaiise the elevations are too high there for it. hut it is com- 

 mon in the lower valleys of the surrounding counties, Jefferson and hei'r Lodge 

 Cameron records it as rare in Custer and Dawson counties (1007, p. liDlM, hut 

 Thorne states that it is common and breeds at Foi-t Keogh (1805. |). 21:")), and 

 the latter statement is corroborated by a series of specimens from .Mih^s ('it\', in- 

 cluding young of the year\ taken l)y ( '. 1^'. Hedges and in the I'oHection of the 

 University of ilontaua. Furthei- than this, the March, April and early May 

 dates given by Mi-. Cameron for the occurrence of this species ari .so contrary to 

 the experience of other observers, that it is evident that he mistook some other 

 bird for this one, ».od c v': rhtoked the real Wood i'ewee. 



This bird ■< oi.e of the latest of common breeding species to arrive. At 

 C'olumbia Palls, five years give I\Iay 21 for an average, and .May 2(1 (1S07). for 

 the earliest date (Cooke, lOOS, p. 170). Other dates of arrival ari': Kast (ialla- 

 tin River, June 10, 1909: Bozeman, May I'O, 1011 : Clioteau. -lunc fi. 1012; .Miles 

 City, May 28, 1902 (Hedgesl ; Bitterroot Valley, May 21, lOlo. .May :10. 1011, 

 May 22, 1912, and June 1. 101:-; (Bailey, :\lSl. F;dl dates aiv: Cdlumbia Kails. 

 September 9, 1895 (Cooke, lOOS, p. 170) : iiozemau, September 4, 1008, and Sep- 

 tember 5, 1910; Missoula, Septend)er 10 (Kittredge, MS). 



This species probably nests commonly enough, but notes on the nesting are 

 rare. A set of four eggs, advanced in incubation, was taken at Flathead Lake, 

 Julys, 1902 (Silloway, lOOlib, p. 207). I have seen nests of this siiecies in late 

 June or Jul.v both at Bozeman and ('hoteaii. but not having determiued whethi'r 

 they contained eggs or young, haxc not recorded thi- exact dates. 



175. Empidonax difficilis difficilis J!aird 



Westp;rn Flyc.\tchkk 

 A very rare sunnner I'esident, known oidy liy a few records from the western 

 half of the state. Evidently nests in the lower |)arts of the mountains. F'ound 

 nesting in the Belt River Canyon, Cascade ('ount.\', by R. S. Williams,, and a set 

 of eggs taken July 6, 1889 (Bendire, 1805. p. 200). On page 301 of this same 

 jiublication a nest is mentioned from the sami' locality on Jul.v (>, ISOl, ])crliaps 

 two different nests, or possibly the same with a mistake in the date of one. Two 

 of these birds were seen at Lake Como, Ravalli County, .\ugnst 2. 1911 (Bailey, 

 iMS). The species has been seen at Gunsight ami at L:d<c .MacDonald in Glacier 

 Park (P. ]\r. Bailey, 1918. |>. 59), I am quite certain that I saw it once on Wolf 

 Creek, Lewis and Clark County, July 14, 1011. The records from Terry (Cooke, 

 1908, p. 77) are evidently errors. Cameron. \\ ho made the oliservations, records 

 these dates for E. traiUi, and does not list the pi-eseiit sjiccies at all in his Custer 

 and Dawson counties list (1907, ji. :^92). .Mr. ( tlierholser has written me re- 

 cently that he believes this an error, due to re<'ording species by check-list number 

 only. It is therefor e\'ident that tlj(^ Western Flycatcher has not been found in 

 the eastern part of the state. 



