Vol. XXXIIIj g^^^^^i ^^^^^ 77 



species is at times a common fall visitor, Mr. D. E. Brown seeing a flock of 

 forty-eight on Aug. 16, 1913. The earliest arrival of which I have a 

 record is one that I collected on July 25, 1913. 



The study of the LimicoloE has been sadly neglected in the State of 

 Washington, partly because of adverse laws. It may be for this reason 

 that literature on the subject is occasionally in error, but it also seems 

 possible to me that the shore birds may have to some extent changed their 

 route of migration. — J. H. Bowles, Tacoma, Wash. 



Barn Owl in Massachusetts. — On Oct. 21, 1915, a fine full plum- 

 aged male Barn Owl {Aluco pratincola) was taken in a trap on my place 

 at Wenham, Mass. — John C. Phillips, Wenham, Mass. 



Display of the Purple Finch. — On May 20, while at the path between 

 the Flume House and the Flume, Crawford Notch, White Mts., N. H., I 

 watched an interesting display of a male Purple Finch. There were two 

 pairs of these bu'ds. Close by me were two males and a female feeding on 

 the ground, and perhaps twenty-five yards away a single female, also 

 hopping about on the ground. Very suddenly one of the males jumped 

 up and after a short rapid flight lit about six inches from the lone female, 

 and stood bolt upright, and facing her with extended wings. He then 

 began to vibrate his wings rapidly, but kept them extended all the while. 

 The motion was so fast that the wings were blurred to the eye. I have 

 seen a cock silver pheasant display in a somewhat similar way, sitting on a 

 perch, only the vibration of the wings did not extend over so wide an arc. 



The male finch kept this up for ten seconds, with perhaps only one or two 

 brief intervals of arrested motion. Then the second male bird charged 

 him and put him to flight. Evidently it was a case of trespass. — John C. 

 Phillips, Wenham, Mass. / 



Late Nesting of the Montana Junco. — On Sept. 1, 1912, while 

 working on the western slope of the Teton Mountains of western Wyoming, 

 I found the nest of a Junco, apparently belonging to the above species. 

 The nest was on the ground among flowers and grass in a straggling gi-ove 

 of spruce trees and at an elevation of 9700 feet above sea. It contained 

 four newly hatched young birds. As this level is only 200 feet below the 

 average elevation of timber-line for the range, winter sets in much earUer 

 than in the valleys of the same region. In that particular year a soft snow 

 feU on the night of September 1 to a depth of over three inches, and at 

 the end of twenty-four hours some of it was still left. Another snow- 

 storm followed about five days later. I did not see the nest after the 

 snow, but under such unfavorable circuinstances it seems unlikely that the 

 pair of Juncos was able to rear its brood to maturity. No doubt this was a 

 case of abnormally late nesting, probably to be explained by some accident 

 that prevented the birds from rearing broods that they may have had 

 •earlier in the summer. — ■ Eliot B.lackwelder, Madison, Wis. 



