1SS5.) Seton on Manitoba)! Birds. 2X 



excessively exaggerated undulations ; squeaking like a Snipe as 

 he rises, and dashing down silently. When at the highest point 

 he frequently turns a somersault. I have seen this many times, 

 and shot the bird in the act. 



It may surprise some to learn that the Lapland Longspur 

 ( Plectrophanes lapponicus) is very abundant here in the spring 

 and fall. 



Our Plectrophanes are : — 



P. nivalis, abundant in winter — a few staying to breed. 



P. lappom'cus, enormously abundant in May and September. 



P. pictus, very abundant, accompanying the last-named. 



P. ornatus, abundant, breeding. 



During the months of July and August the Bay-winged Bunting 

 (Pocecetes gramincus) ceases its usual vesper song, and vents his 

 feelings in a loud, wild, Lark-like chant, which is poured forth as 

 the bird rises high in the air; he begins to sing as he leaves the 

 prairie, and sings and soars till he has reached a height of fifty or 

 sixty feet, when he again returns to earth. 



This air-song is not heard nearly as frequently as the common 

 perching-song is in its proper season, nor have I heard both at 

 the same time of year. The perching-song alone is heard during 

 May and June, and again after the fall moult there is a renewal 

 of the spring chantings — an aftermath of song, for the bird ceases 

 his soaring lay, and once more sings for the setting of the sun. 



Another peculiar effusion of the Bay-wings is a prolonged 

 twittering, uttered after dusk, as the bird runs on the ground. It 

 is like a soft, continuous whispering of extracts from his various 

 other musical performances. 



As little seems to be known about Leconte's Sparrow ( Cotnr- 

 niculus lecontii) I may describe some of its habits. This bird 

 frequents the damp meadows which are a mixture of red-willows 

 and sedgy grass. It is commonly found in the willows at all 

 seasons, uttering its peculiar ventriloqual tweete tiveete, whence 

 I knew it as the ' Willow-tweete,' long before I ever heard of 

 Leconte or of any name for this bird. But in spring the male 

 may be seen perched on some low twig in the meadow, pouring 

 out his little soul in a tiny, husky double note, like reese reese. 

 This is so thin and weak as to be inaudible at thirty yards, yet in 

 uttering it he seems to labor hard, his beak being wide open and 

 pointed straight up to the zenith ; he delivers it with such unction 



