Vol. xviir 



igoi 



Gary, Birds of the Black Hills. 235 



black tail is very prominent. But one nest was found, containing two eggs, 

 on June 11, 1899, which was situated on a small ledge in a recess of the 

 canon wall. This nest, which was composed almost entirely of moss, was 

 remarkably shallow, the center being not more than two thirds of an 

 inch lower than the edges. 



36. Contopus richardsonii. Westerx Wood Pewee. — Frequently 

 seen, but no nests were found. The monotonous fe-a-ivee of this bird 

 was heard almost every morning and evening dviring my stay in 1900. 

 The species frequents the heavy timber in the canons. 



37. Empidonax traillii. Traill's Flycatcher. — Partial to the 

 'wait-a-bit' brush in the rocky heads of canons. Here this sly little fly- 

 catcher is frequently seen catching insects around the rim-rock on a hot 

 day, uttering at short intervals its sharp ke-xvick, ke-wick. 



38. Empidonax virescens. Acadian Flycatcher. — I took an adult 

 male on Pine Ridge, Sioux County, Neb., about fifteen miles from the 

 northwestern corner of the state, on May 26, 1900. The species is proba- 

 bly occasionally found within the Hills. 



39. Empidonax minimus. Least Fly'CATCHER. — A common breeder 

 in chokecherry thickets in the canons. The nests were very thick-walled 

 and compact, averaging four inches in height, and two and a half inches 

 inside diameter. The nesting material used was coarse grass and weed- 

 leaves ; the lining of fine grass, horse hair, fibers and plant down. An 

 incomplete set of two pure white eggs was taken on June 15 from a nest 

 in Hop Canon. 



40. Otocoris alpestris arenicola. Desert Horned Lark. — Occa- 

 sionally seen on the tablelands. 



41. Pica pica hudsonica. American Magpie. — Plenty of old nests 

 were seen in 1899, but although common before my arrival, I did not see 

 one during my stay of two weeks in 1900. 



42. Perisoreus canadensis capitalis. Rocky Mountain Jay'. — A com- 

 mon bird in the higher parts of the Hills, especially so in the Reserve. 

 The deer hunters claim they can nearly always locate a deer by a certain 

 note which this jay utters, greatly resembling the words ' Here-it-is,' 

 ' Here-it-is.' I myself did not hear this note, but it is quite probable 

 that the birds are noisier than usual when a deer is near, just as is the 

 case with crows when a flock of ducks is feeding near them. Troops of 

 fully grown young of this species were seen on June 12, 1899, and June 

 12 and 13, 1900. 



43. Corvus americanus. American Crow. — A small flock at L. A. 

 K. Ranch, on Beaver Creek, in 1900. 



44. Nucifraga Columbiana. Clarke's Nutcracker. — Two of these 

 noisy birds were seen on Elk Mountain at an elevation of 5500 feet, on 

 June 9, 1S99, in company with a troop of Rocky Mountain Jays. Their 

 notes are very harsh and discordant, something like k-r-r-aiv. 



45. Cyanocephalus cyanocephalus. PinonJay. — This bird is univer- 

 sally disliked by ranchmen on account of the damage it does to growing 



