•28 Currier, Summer Birds of Leech Lake, Minn. I Jan 



abruptly contrasting colors, and the noise made by a colony of them, 

 when intruded upon, is rather exciting. The cries are rather unpleasant, 

 being harsh and grating, yet after one has been with them a little time 

 tliey do not seem out of tune with the wind's whistling over the grass and 

 through the canes. Many beautiful nests were seen, one in particular I 

 would have liked to have taken, but it contained young at the time. This 

 was in a patch of canes at the edge of open water and was unusually large. 

 What made it so handsome was that the bird had woven into the nest from 

 the top several long stalks of a species of fox-tail grass, leaving the heads 

 on, and five or six of these stood erect, plume like, around the edge of 

 the cup. The usual number of eggs in a nest was three or lour, but we 

 saw one containing live. 



61. Agelaius phceniceus. Red-winged Blackbird. — Abundant 

 throughout that country. Every suitable place had its pair or colony. A 

 great man^' nests were examined. They usually contained four eggs or 

 young, often only three, and frequently five. In 1902 I saw one nest con- 

 taining six eggs, and this year two nests with the same number. 



62. Icterus galbula. Baltimore Oriole. — Common about the lake, 

 but not as many were seen in 1903 as in 1902. All the nests seen were 

 in birch trees. 



63. Quiscalus quiscula aeneus. Bronzed Crackle. — Abundant in 

 the village of Walker and along the lake shores and in the marshes. 

 During the two years many nests were seen and they seem to vary consid- 

 erably in situation in that country. While the majfyrity were open nests 

 placed in forks or crotches of limbs or trees, several seen in 1902 were in 

 cavities of trees and stubs. I found one nest in 1903 out on the open 

 marsh, with a colony of redwings. This nest was woven together in the 

 top of a clump of flags, and its weight had lowered it to within a few 

 inches of the water. Its greater size than the near by redwings' nests 

 attracted my attention, and I went to it. The nest contained two young, 

 and two eggs on the point of hatching, and both grackles were there. 



64. Carpodacus purpureas. Purple Finch. — Common in 1902, hut 

 not so many were seen in 1903. Only one nest was seen in the two 

 years. This was placed near the extreme top of a very tall balsam, and 

 was found by Mr. Smith's seeing the female flj- directly to the spot. 

 We then saw that she was building, and we watched her at work for some 

 time. This was on the 22d of May. On May 30, after a hard climb, 

 Mr. Smith reached the nest, but it contained hut one egg. 



65. Loxia curvirostra minor. American Crossbill. — May 29, 1903, 

 while on a pine covered ridge on the Indian Reservation, near Kabakona 

 Bay, a new note attracted our attention to the top of a tall Norway pine. 

 Looking it up we found a party of three or four Crossbills industriously 

 at work amongst the cones at the ends of the branches. We watched them 

 for quite a while, they apparently giving us no thought. They were still 

 in this tree when we left them. 



66. Astragalinus tristis. American Goldfinch. — Common in all 

 places suited to the bird. 



