BIRDS OF MINNESOTA. 121 



They come in small parties that resort to the ponds, and are 

 found in the meadows late in May, more frequently in pairs 

 than in these small flocks of half a dozen. A few are occasion- 

 ally seen as late as the 15th of May, but the most have disap- 

 peared by the end of the last week of April, or the first of May. 



Sportsmen insist that they belong in Kandiyohi county, but 

 I do not fully credit the statement, although the lateness of 

 the date on which they have come under my own observation 

 here, make such a fact possible, especially in the northwestern 

 portions of our territory. No nests have yet been reported 

 within our borders. They return here in flocks of twenty to 

 thirty, or even more sometimes, about the 25th of August. 

 These flocks are gradually augmented until hundreds may be 

 flushed on their favorite feeding grounds by the 25th of Sep- 

 tember. Mr. Washburn found them abundantly represented 

 everywhere in favorable localities in the Red river valley, from 

 October 10th till the 25th, (when he left there), and Dr. Hvoslef 

 reports them in Fillmore county, November 8, (1885). Mr. 

 Lewis was always confident that a few remain in the south- 

 western section of the State all winter. The latest that any 

 have been seen in Hennepin county (latitude 45), is November 

 12th, 1868. Their habits while here are too well known to 

 need any description. 



Since writing the above, many circumstantial proofs have 

 reached me that this species does breed considerably within our 

 limits, and I shall hope that before this report is finally closed, 

 I shall be fully assured that such is the case, for everybody in 

 general believes so. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



Bill long, compressed, flattened, and slightly expanded 

 towards the tip, pustulated in its terminal half; wings rather 

 long; legs moderate; tail short; entire upper parts brownish- 

 black, every feather spotted and widely edged with light 

 rufous, yellowish, or ashy-white; back and rump transversely 

 barred and spotted with the same; a line from the base of the 

 bill over the top of the head, throat and neck before, dull 

 reddish-ashy; wing feathers marked with dull brownish-black; 

 other under parts w^iite, with transverse bars of brownish- 

 black on the sides, axillary feathers, under wing coverts, and 

 under tail coverts; quills brownish-black; outer edge of first 

 primary white; tail glossy brownish-black, widely tipped with 

 bright rufous, paler at the tip, and with a subterminal 

 narrow band of black; outer tail feathers paler, frequently 



