598 THE BIRDS OF MANITOBA — THOMPSON. 



May 24 : Black-hoodcMl sparrows are here now in force. Many lieard 



singing a bar like p ifr^-<=^--'=^°-^ one individual to this added a 



warble somewhat like that of a bluebird. The performance was dis- 

 a]>pointingly short, but the general impression gathered was, that who- 

 ever liappens to hear the full song ot the Hooded Sparrow will know 

 one of the sweetest of bird un-lodies. During their spring visit the 

 Blackhoods often uttered three clear whistling notes, and on cue 

 occasion a soft bluebird-like warble was added to this. 



Soonafter this date, May 24, they all disappeared as far north as 

 the Duck Mountain ; not one was to be seen in June. In the middle 

 of October they once more return and abound for a few days. The 

 young are now with theui, but where hatched and under what cir- 

 cumstances is as yet entirely unknown. 



192. Zonotrichia leucophrys. Whitc-crowncd Sparrow. 



Migrant; probably breeding in the northeastern region. Winnipeg: 

 Transient visitor ; abundant (Hine). Oak Point : 1884; arrived May 5 

 (Small). Portage la Prairie : Tolerably common ; spring and autumn 

 visitor; arriving early in May ; reai)pears about the 20th September; 

 departs early in October ; first seen, in 1884, May 15 (Nash). Carberry : 

 Rare; spring and fall migrant (Thompson). It breeds in all parts of 

 the fur countries, arriving in the middle of May and departing early 

 in September to the northern parts of the United States, where it 

 winters (Richardson). Common near Leaf River (Minnesota), where 

 it breeds (Trippe). Severn House (Murray). 



Cusaba ta shisb : White-crowned Buutiiig. * * * These birds appear in May 

 and retire southward before the cold be'j;in8 ; make a nestof jfrass and feathers in a 

 bunch of willow or grass; lay four eggs and sometimes five, of a dusky cast ; the 

 young fly about the beginning of July ; their flights are short. When on the wing 

 they are silent, but when perched on an elevated spot set forth a most melodious 

 song. They feed on insects and seeds of grass, etc. (Hutchins MSS.,.Observatioua 

 on Hudson's Bay, 1782.) 



193, Zonotrichia intermedia. Intermediate Sparrow. 



Abundant at Mouse River, at the boundary, in middle of Septem- 

 ber (Cones). 



194. Zonotrichia albicollis. White throated Sparrow. 



Common summer resident of woodlands. Winnipeg: Transient vis- 

 itor; abundant (Hine). English River and Cumberland House: Nest- 

 ing near Lake of the Woods, May 29 (Kennicott). Portage la Prairie: 

 Abundant; spring and autumn visitor; arrives about May 15; re- 

 appears in great numbers early in September and remains until late in 

 October; the last were seen by me October ol, 1884 (Nash). Very 

 common around Lake Manitoba; breeding at Manitoba House June 15 

 (Macoun). Carberry: Common summer resident; breeding; Shell 



