558 THE BIRDS OF xMANITOBA THOMPSON. 



chiefly ou borders of prairies or opeuiugs (.Vlacouu). Carberry : Abun- 

 dant summer resident; breeding; Duck Mountain (Thompson). Two 

 Eivers: 1885, first seen, one, on May 21; next seen, May 23, when it 

 became common; is common here (Griddle). Dalton : 1889, first seen, 

 one, on May 24; next seen on May 25; breeds here (Youmans). Shell 

 Eiver: 1885, first seen, one, on May 21; next seen, five, on May 24; is 

 common all summer and breeds here (Calcutt). Qu'Appelle : Common 

 summer resident; breeds; arrives May 24 (Guernsey). 



On June 21, 1882, down by the slough in a low bush, found a King- 

 bird's nest. It was just comi)leted and contained no eggs yet. The 

 king and his wife made more fuss over my intrusion than most birds 

 would have done had the nest been full of young ones. 



Further on I found another nest of this species. It was placed on the 

 top of a stub, about 8 leet high. The bird flew off. The nest was made 

 of roots and fine fibers, and contained four eggs. One of them measured 

 1^ by I ; it was creamy white, with a i'ew clear s^jots of brown and lav- 

 ender, inclined to form a wreath about the large end ; the others were 

 similar; all were quite fresh. 



On August 20, 1883, shot a young Kingbird; male; G.8i; extent, 

 14; stomach full of insects; no crown patch of bright color. The spe- 

 cies may now be seen far out on the oi)en prairie, a mile or two from 

 timber, catching insects on the wing or on the ground, availing itself 

 of the tallest weeds as perches, or failing these it settles on the prairie. 

 I believe it never runs when on the ground, but takes wing each time 

 it changes its location. It is common to see the species in small parties 

 of four or five; these are doubtless the fami'y of the season. They 

 continue together under the guidance of the old ones till they migrate. 

 This took place last year about the first week in September. 



On June 17, 1884, at Duck Mountains, heard the blackbirds scream- 

 ing in the distance, while above their noise was heard the shrill twitter 

 of the Kingbird. These grackles had ventured too near the king's home 

 and he was showing them their mistake. 



July 24, while climbing to a hawk's nest, the old birds came flying 

 about my head uttering their piercing whistles ; these attracted the at- 

 tention and roused the indignation of a Kingbird, who immediately gave 

 chase and soon had the satisfaction of knowing that he was making him- 

 self consummately obnoxious to the hawks, for they could not keep 

 him oft" and they would not fly away, so that he worked his tyrannical 

 little will on them much as he pleased. As well as I could make out he 

 took several rides of over a hundred yards on one of the hawks, and 

 no doubt when perched on its back he was not idle. 



It has been (piestioned whether the Kingbird really exerts physical 

 violence with beak, etc., in the aerial combats for which it is noted, the 

 counter proi)osition being that the i)redaceous birds have a dislike of a 

 scene and know that an uproar is fatal to their designs, ;i,nd therefore 

 they beat a retreat as soon as their vituperative little adversary appears. 



