Vol 'l9i9 XVI J Munro, Birds of the Okanagan Valley. 65 



feeding Loons, swimming beside them and when left behind by the faster 

 moving Loons, rising from the water and flying to the centre of the flock 

 again. It seems hardly possible that they would be able to steal fish from 

 such a strong, active bird as the Loon. 



Larus Philadelphia. Bonaparte's Gull. — Common migrant, much 

 more numerous in the spring, when they arrive in a body and remain only 

 two or three days. Stragglers during the spring migration are unusual. 

 In 1912, 1913 and 1914, they arrived at Okanagan Landing on May 4; 

 in 1915 on May 5, and in 1916, twenty appeared on April 29, and the large 

 flock arrived again on May 4. May 12 is the latest spring record. The 

 fall migration is more irregular; juvenals arriving about the middle of 

 August and adults a little later. They are seen until the middle of Septem- 

 ber, September 20 being the latest record. There are occasional strag- 

 glers in the summer; an adult in breeding dress and two juvenals being 

 noted on July 20, 1915, and on July 22, 1917, an adult in breeding dress 

 was collected. 



Usually they are quite fearless; and on a still spring day I paddled into 

 a flock of about one hundred, on Okanagan Lake. They rode buoyantly 

 on the surface, wing-tips and tail touching, and held high above the body. 

 Their method of feeding suggested the Northern Phalarope, swimming 

 in a jerky fashion from side to side and picking minute objects off the 

 water. Their voices were soft and resonant, like a note struck with the 

 fingers, on the muted string of a violin. 



Grus mexicana. Sandhill Crane. — Common migrant, occasion- 

 ally breeds. The large flocks seldom stop in the spring but sometimes do 

 so in the fall. October 4, 1917 was a violently windy day and a large 

 number of Cranes both G. mexicana and canadensis were forced to alight 

 on some open range-land near Okanagan Landing, where they remained 

 until shot at. 



In the evening of May 20, 1915, a flock of fifty-seven flew north over 

 Okanagan Lake. They moved for a time in a compact flock, and then 

 strung out in single file. Sometimes they flew in the form of the letter U, 

 a half circle, and again the flock took the form of the letter S. 



Dendragopus obscurus richardsoni. Richardson's Grouse. — 

 Abundant resident in normal years. Their numbers were greatly reduced 

 during the past two years, by cold, wet springs and the ravages of an 

 intestinal parasite. 



The Blue Grouse begin to mate about the end of March, when the snow 

 has melted from the lower hills. The males are then quite fearless and one 

 can walk to within a few feet of the hooting birds. While calling, the body 

 is flattened and held close to the ground, the wings are dropped, the head 

 is sunk between the shoulders and the widely spread tail is held at right 

 angles to the body. When they are in this position the fan-like tail en- 

 tirely conceals the body from one standing behind the bird. The feathers 

 on the neck are folded back, showing the white underparts in vivid contrast 

 to the naked, orange-red, palpitating skin of the air-sacs. The sacs can 



