'''l8irt»'."'] PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 021 



239. Seiurus iioveboracensis. Water-tbrush or Wagtail. 



Summer resident along water-courses. Winnipeg: Summer resi- 

 dent; abundant (Hlne). Eed Kiver Valley: Summer resident; toler- 

 ably common (Hunter). Around the lakes of the Northwest Territory 

 (Macoun). Carberry: August, 1884 (Thompson). Severn House (Mur. 

 ray). 



On August 9, 1884, at Humphreys Lake, I found the Water-wagtail 

 very numerous for the first time, so that evidently the species is migrat- 

 ing. They were to be seen all along the margin skipping about over 

 the floating; rushes and bladderwort (utricularia), bobbing their tails 

 and uttering their " chit chit " in a tone very like that of a Myrtlebird or 

 Least Flycatcher. They are, however, even more noisy when in the 

 trees. One specimen which I shot seemed as much annoyed by my in- 

 trusion as though it had a nest close at hand : this one was 6 inches 

 long ; stomach full of small insects. 



240. Geothlypis agilis. Connecticut Warbler. 



Somewhat common summer resident of tamarac swami)s. Winnipeg: 

 Kare (Hine). Carberry: Tolerably common; summer resident; nest 

 found June 21, 1883. Duck Mountain: Tolerably common; probably 

 breeding (Thompson). 



On June 21, 1883, 1 found the nest and eggs of the Connecticut War- 

 bler. On June 29, in the spruce bush, I shot a Connecticut Warbler, 

 a male; length, 6 inches; stomach filled with insects; it haunted the 

 tops of the low tamaracs and sang a song like " Beecher-beechcr-beecher- 

 beeclierJ'' 



June 11, 1884, Duck Mountain: One or two pairs of Connecticut 

 Warblers are breeding in the tamarac swamp near here. Besides the 

 song already recorded I have noted another type ; it nearly resembled 

 the syllables ^'- Fru-cliappU fru-chapple fru-chapple whoit,^'' and is uttered 

 in a loud, ringing voice, quite unlike the weak, hurried lisping of the 

 Wood Warblers, which are nesting abundantly in the adjoining dry 

 spruce woods. 



The life history of this graceful species has so long continued involved 

 in obscurity that it is with exceptional pleasure I find myself enabled 

 to cast light upon several of the most important of its habits. I had 

 the good luck to find its nest, the first of the kind known to science. 

 (This was subsequently sent with the bird to the Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion, where the identification was confirmed and the nest finally de- 

 posited.) The find was announced in the "Auk" (April, 1884, p. 192). 

 I re])roduce the article : 



A few miles soutli of Carberry is a large spnice busb, and iu the njiddle of ita wide 

 tamarac swamp. This latter is a gray mossy bog, luxuriant only with pitcher plants 

 and drosera^. Over its surface at regular intervals, as though planted by the hand of 

 man, grow the slim, straight tamaracs, grizzled with moss, but not dense nor at all 



