592 "THE BIRDS OF MANITOBA TH0MP80N. 



sing sweetly for a miuute or so; tlieu, baviug let off the ebullitiou of feel- 

 iug that prompted the action, they drop to the ground to chase their 

 mates, or to resume the more humble vocation of foraging, mouse-like, 

 among the bunch grass. There seemed to be a vast colouy of them 

 breeding at this particular place, but after moving a few miles further 

 on none at all were to be seen. 



On June 2, 1884, on a barren ridge of the rolling prairie between Bog- 

 gy Creek and Petrel, I found a colony of over a dozen pairs of Black- 

 breasted Longspurs. I did not succeed in finding the nest, as my visit 

 to the place was merely in passing through "per cart," but I was able 

 to make a number of observations on their song and habits, I found 

 them rather shy of allowing approach, but quite indisposed to cease 

 whistling on account of the intrusion. 1 was surprised to see them fre- 

 quently perch on low bushes and sing there, also on the ground; so that 

 some ecstatic singer would perhaps start his song as he squatted on 

 terra firma, then spring up, singing in the air, and finish the perform- 

 ance on some willow bush. The song was somewhat like that of a bay- 

 wing, but with a more mellow warble and witliout the slurred notes. 

 The accentuation 1 noted down from the bird's dictation, as follows: 

 " Weeo-weechupe'we-chipity-tr-r-r-r-r-r-r.'" 



Specimens shot had their gizzards full of grass seed and small in- 

 sects of all sorts, but chiefly coleoptera. 



When sprung they had a iiabit of rising abruptly and flying with 

 deep undulations for about 100 yards, when they would pitch down 

 again. On going to the place they would be found to have run some 

 distance, and would again spring from a totally unexpected quarter. 



186. Poocaetes granaineiis confinis. Western Vesper Sparrow. Baywiug. 



Very abundant summer resident on the prairies. Breeds in abundance 

 from Pembina westward along the boundary to the Rockies (Coues). 

 A specimen from lied Eiver Settlement in Smithsonian Institution (Blak- 

 iston). Winnipeg: Common summer resident (Mine). Portage la Prai- 

 rie: Common summer resident; arrivesabout May lO(Nash). Common 

 on the prairies, from Brandon westward (Macoun). Carberry: Abun- 

 dant summer resident; breeding also along all the trails in the prairie 

 region towards Brandon and Fort EUice. Shell River: Breeding 

 (Thompson). Shell River: 1885, first seen, two, on April 29; is common 

 all summer, and breeds here (Calcutt). 



May 11, 1882: Traveling today on the old Brandon Trail. As we 

 follow its windings over the sterile prairie about Fairview, large num- 

 bers of Vesper Sparrows are to be seen, running and hopping in and 

 out among the tufts of bunch grass, or flitting just ahead of the horses, 

 which they seem to think are pursuing them. This is the first time I 

 have observed them, but they are in extraordinary numbers here. 



On May 9, 1883, shot aVesper Sparrow, singing at dusk; a male; 

 length 04, extent 11 ; gizzard full of grass. In the evening, after 



