612 THE BIRDS OF MANITOBA— THOMPSON. 



ago la Prairie : Regular but not a common winter visitor here ; usually 

 in April (Nasb). Carberry : Winter visitant once noted (Thompson). 

 On November 23, 1886, saw a flock of about twenty Bohemian Chat- 

 terers, the only ones I have seen in the country. By a marvellous 

 chance, I brought down one with the rifle without seriously injuring it, 

 as the ball. simply broke its back. 



216. Ampelis cedroium. Cedar Wax-wing. Cherry Bird. 



Common summer resident of woodlands 3 Mouse Elver, near the 

 Boundary (Coues). Winnipeg: Summer resident; abundant (Hine). 

 Ked Kiver settlement (Blakiston). As far north as Lake Winnipeg 

 (liidgway). May 31, on an island on Winnipeg River, saw a large 

 flock of fifty or more (Kennicott). Pennawa River (Hind., September, 

 1857). Ossowa: Common breeding; 1885, first seen one on May 15; 

 next seen May 17 ; became common on May 19 (Wagner). Oak Point: 

 1884, arrived May 5 ; scarce (Small). Portage la Prairie : Abundant 

 summer resident; in 1884, first seen June 2 ; arrives June 1, departs 

 early in September (Nash). Abundant Manitoba (Macouu). Carberry : 

 Tolerably common summer resident; Dnck ]\£ountaiu. Portage la 

 Prairie (Thompson). Shell River: 1885, first seen five on June 5; is 

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

 arrives May 22 (Guernsey). 



On July 22, 1884, at Portage la Prairie, found the nest of a Cedar- 

 bird in the woods near the river. It was placed on the branch of a low 

 oak, and was much the same as specimen taken in the eastern prov- 

 inces. It contained two fresh eggs, from which I infer that the species 

 is a very late nester here. I do not think it arrives early enough in 

 the season to raise two broods. 



Its favorite haunts are the tops of the trees along the river banks, 

 and from these it may be seen to launch out into the air every few 

 seconds to capture some passing insect, returning to the perch each 

 time to devour the dainty morsel. 



This bird is ti most exjiert ily catcher, hawking about over the rivers after a species 

 of Ephemera that appears in July. When engaged in this pursuit they will remain 

 on the wing for half an hoar or more at a time, hovering and. working to and fro over 

 a space of 100 yards of water. Generally a good many of the birds are in the air at 

 the same time, when the sight is a very pretty one (Nash in MSS). 



217. Lanius borealis. Northern Shrike. 



Tolerably common spring and fall visitant. Duflerin : Arrived be- 

 fore April 15 (Dawson). Winnipeg: Tolerably common (Hine). Por- 

 tage la Prairie : Regular spring and fall migrant; in 1884, first seen 

 April 11 ; heard of it two weeks before ; arriving about April 10, re- 

 maining a short tijue, and returning about October 1 ; departing at the 

 end of the month (Nash). Carberry : Tolerably common spring and 

 fall visitant (Thompson). Arrives at Carberry April 7 (W. G. A. 



