2 I 8 General Notes. [April 



it bred three times a year. He answered that it always ran, and that 

 he had seen young birds in April, June, and August. I told him that it 

 undoubtedly was the Horned Lark, which was getting to be quite common 

 in this vicinity, and also added, "Have you ever found its nest?" He did 

 not know with certainty, but thought he knew where there was one, and 

 took me to it. The nest was built in the side of a manure heap in 

 the field, and contained four fresh eggs. I secured the male bird only, 

 not having time to secure the female. But I was content to get what I 

 did; and I know that I am safe in saying it is the first nest and eggs of 

 E. alpestris secured in Niagara County, and think I might also include 

 Orleans County. A week later the young man sent me a young bird alive, 

 just from a nest, which I killed and sent to Dr. A. K. Fisher, who pro- 

 nounced it 'a jewel.' I secured a number of young birds in July, but did 

 not succeed in finding any August broods; and but for the assertion of 

 my young friend that he had seen them in that month, I should not 

 have expected to find them; but I am quite certain that I saw birds after 

 the 5th of July that were breeding. — J. L. Davison, Lockfort, N. T. 



The Swallow-tailed Flycatcher in Manitoba and at York Factory. — The 

 Swallow-tailed Flycatcher (Milvtdus forjicatus) is such a characteristically 

 southern bird, that its accidental occurrence in Manitoba is worthy, of 

 note. Last January I was shown a splendid specimen taken at Portage 

 la Prairie by Mr. Nash. He found it lying dead on the prairie in the 

 October of 18S4. In addition to this record I quote the following rather 

 startling statement from the 'Report' on the Hudson's Bay by Professor 

 Bell of the Canadian Geological Survey, 1882. "But the most singular 

 discovery in regard to geographical distribution is the finding of the Scis- 

 sors-tail or Swallow-tailed Flycatcher (Milz'idus forjicatus Sw.) at York 

 Factory .... The specimen in the Government Museum was shot at York 

 Factory in the summer of 1SS0 and I have learned since that these remark- 

 able birds were occasionally seen at the posts of the Hudson's Bay Com- 

 pany, all the way west to the Valley of the Mackenzie River." 



The once surprising New Jersey record is now somewhat eclipsed. — 

 Ernest E. T. Seton, Toronto, Canada. 



Food of the Hummingbird (Trockilus colubris). — Somewhere it has 

 been stated, that the Hummingbird derives the most of its nourishment 

 from the minute insects which adhere to the nectar of flowers, and 

 which are taken with the honey. Undoubtedly' many insects are thus 

 secured, and furnish their share of nutriment to the species, but in 

 the following account of a Hummer in confinement, kindly furnished 

 to me by Miss Hattie Brubaker, it will be seen that insects are not 

 wholly essential to the maintenance of life, in Trochiluscolubris at 

 least. 



The bird, she writes, was taken September 1, near De Pere, Wis., and 

 throve nicely until October 28, when it met an untimely death. After 



