562 THE BIRDS OF MANITOBA THOMPSON. 



catcher in scrub along the river. It was flitting among the brushwood 

 and the branches of the new-leafing poplar trees, uttering a note 

 which I found I could as well — or as ill— express by the totally different 

 syllables "^-c/ir," •'p-chr," or "■ se-wick,^'^ or "■ s plit,^' ^^ s-plit,''^ or '■'■ che- 

 hec,^^ " chibec,''^ or ^^slick ! " Each of these is sn[)posed to represent the 

 same note, and each comes as near it as such descriptions can. This 

 flycatcher was extremely busy perforce to keep himself alive in this 

 inclement weather, when insects, his only fare, are so scarce. 



By June 20, the Least Flycatcher is very common in the trees along 

 the slough side woods and on the edges of every grove. Its constant 

 occupation while perching is to reiterate its peculiar note '■'• chehec:'' 

 What the "naturally selective" object achieved by this may be, I can 

 not say, unless it has the effect of notifying the various birds of this 

 species of each other's presence, and thereby facilitating and expediting 

 the duties of finding and choosing a mate. 



On June 8, 1883, shot a pair of Least Flycatchers. One measures : 

 Length, 5^; extent, 8J; it answers to Jordan's description, but the 

 lower mandible is yellowish. The other is similar; it is to be seen 

 darting about after insects in every thicket and grove ; its usual habit 

 is to sit on a prominent lookout twig, pumping its tail, and " chebec^^- 

 ing until some hapless insect passes near, when he ceases his too mo- 

 notonous tricks, launches forth, seizes his prey with an audible siiap 

 of his mandibles, and dashes again to his perch to take up the "67i/?6ec"- 

 ing where he left off". This is a very abundant species here, on the 

 plain. It is also a very lively bird, and has several different notes; 

 one of these almost approaches a song. 



May 30, 1884: Who ever would credit the chebec, a flycatcher, a 

 clamatore, with singing a song — yet to-day I saw one that, m the ex- 

 uberance of his spring exhilaration, soared up in the air and hovered 

 in true flycatcher style to vociferate for over half a minute a song like 

 ^^ chebectooralooral, chebec-tooralooral,^^ etc., and having finished gave 

 a loud snap with his bill — a smack of delight — and glanced downwards 

 aslant into a bush. 



157. Otocoria alpestris praticola. Prairie Horned Lark, or Prairie Shore Lark. 



Abundant resident of the prairies except in winter. Breeding speci- 

 mens from Carberry and Pembina are identified by Mr. Dwight as 

 praticola, also fall specimen from Rat Portage : from Ked Kiver west- 

 ward, along the boundary to the Rockies, it breeds in profusion (Coues).* 

 Shore Lark arrived before April 15 (Dawson). Winnipeg: Summer resi- 

 dent; abundant (Hine). Oak Point: 1885, first seen, four, on March 28; 

 next seen on 29th; is common, and breeds here (Small). Portage la 

 Prairie: 1884; common spring and fall visitant; stays nearly all the 

 winter; disappears and reappears at intervals; arrives about March 20; 

 reappears in August, and departs in October (Nash). Very abundant 



* Specimens from the plains proper are 0. a. arenicola.—R. R. 



