570 THE BIRDS OF MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 



its upper mandible was bent in the middle at right angles nearly and 

 pointed downward, crossing the other, which was straight at one side. 

 1 kept it alive to see how it fed ; it was able to i)ick up bread from the 

 floor, but at each bite it had to turn its head, with the crown to the 

 ground; when killed it proved to be quite fat. 



On June 6, 1884, at Binscarth, on the Upper Assiniboine, I found a 

 crow's nest in a bluff of poplar trees. It was in a crotch of a large 

 poplar, about 8 feet from the ground, and was one of the most beauti- 

 ful specimens of bird architecture I ever examined, excluding, of course, 

 all pensile nests. It was a large structure of sticks, twigs, and bark 

 strips, with a very deep cavity lined with fine fibers and beautifully 

 finished off with a coating of cow's hair. It contained four eggs. 



Ha ha sen : The crow. These birds are plenty inland but seldom appear on the 

 coast. * *■ » This bird is migratory. (Hutchins MSS., Observations on Hud- 

 sou's Bay, 1782.) 



163. Dolichonyx oryzivorus albinucha. Western Bobolink. White-naped Bob- 

 olink. 



Carberry : Specimens are referred by Mr. Eidgway to the form 

 albinucha, therefore I assume this to be the form throughout. Com- 

 mon summer resident on the prairies; at Pembina, breeding in large 

 numbers, and westward along the boundary to the mountains (Cones). 

 J^orth to Selkirk Settlement (Kidgway). Winnipeg: Summer resi- 

 ident; abundant (Hine). Stony Mountain: In every little bluff of 

 aspen or willow the beautiful rice bird {Dolichonyx oryzivorus) was 

 seen or heard (Hine). Ossowa: Breeding (Wagner). Oak Point: 

 1884, arrived May 23 (Small). Portage la Prairie: Common sum- 

 mer resident ; arrives about the 20th of May ; departs the end of Sep. 

 tember ; in 1884, first seen, June 1 ; last seen, July 22 ; at this date they 

 were changing their plumage and gathering into flocks (Nash). Car- 

 berry : Common summer resident near Turtle Mountain; near Long 

 Kiver (Thompson). Dalton : 1889, first seen, five, on May 22; breeds 

 here (You mans). Quite common on the prairies in Manitoba, from 

 Grand Valley to Cypress Hills (Macoun). Shell River: 1885, first 

 seen, one, male, on May 18; next seen, ten, on May 24; is common all 

 summer and breeds here; nest with six eggs found (Calcutt). Qu'Ap- 

 pelle: Tolerably common summer resident; breeds; arrives May 15 

 (Guernsey). 



July 25, 1884: Bobolinks still in breeding plumage at Carberry, 

 although at Portage la Prairie I noted them changing three days ago, 

 but early in August the change takes place, and Bob discards his mot- 

 ley aiul bells. The play is over, the clown of the pantomime lays aside 

 his license and livery, and, like many real clowns out of dress, he is a 

 very serious character. He is now silent, or only utters a metallic 

 " JclinTc^^ and goes very intently about the very prosaic business of 

 finding out where, with least trouble, he can get the largest meals. 



