[Auk 

 Jan. 



itoban. My thanks are due to Mr. Thorpe for the privilege of examining 

 this and other specimens in his collection. 



Myiarchus crinitus. Crested Flycatcher. 'Tyrant Flycatcher.' 

 — Three specimens of this, to us, scarce bird, are in the Manitoba Mu- 

 seum ; all were taken near Winnipeg. While at Carberry I several times 

 met with it; and it is to be considered much less rare than I formerly 

 supposed. 



Leucosticte tephrocotis. Gray-crowned Finch. 'Pink Snowbird.' — 

 I have in my collection an adult of this species taken near Birtle, Mani- 

 toba, in January, 1S91, by Mr. George Copeland. Also in the Manitoba 

 Museum are two specimens taken in the Province by Mr. Hine. These 

 give a considerable eastward extension to the range of the species. 



Rhynchophanesmccowni. McCown's Longspur. — A specimen of this 

 bird taken by Mr. Thorpe near Dalesbro, just west of our borders, justifies 

 its inclusion as a probable straggler. 



Ammodramus caudacutus nelsoni. Sharp-tailed Sparrow. — On 

 my arrival at Winnipeg Mr. Hine surprised me by producing a specimen 

 of the above, shot at Winnipeg on May 25, 1S92. On June 30, at Carberry, 

 while out in pursuit of Leconte's Sparrow, I heard a curious note, unlike 

 that of the species I .was after. On going over the slough to the spot I 

 put up two small, dark-colored Sparrows. I got one with the right, but 

 the left barrel missed fire. The new species was also caudacutus, and I 

 several times heard its notes afterwards in this and other similar regions 

 about. On September 1, while out Duck- shooting in a new locality, I 

 came on a large straggling flock of Sparrows in a slough; for the sake of 

 identification I shot one,, and again found it caudacutus. The same day 

 at a point four miles west, I met with another flock, and again secured a 

 true Sharptail. These two birds, though much injured by the duck shot, 

 are now in my collection. They have been submitted to Mr. F. M. 

 Chapman, who pronounces all to be of the subspecies nelsoni. 



Stelgidopteryx serripennis. Saw-winged Swallow. — A specimen of 

 this bird, taken near Winnipeg by Mr. Hine, is in the Manitoba Museum. 



Anthus spraguei. Missouri Skylark. — This bird was very abundant on 

 the Big Plain in 1S82, but in 1S92 I failed to see or hear a single individual 

 in the country. They appear to have totally disappeared. This is un- 

 questionably owing to the breaking up of the virgin prairie. The progress 

 of agriculture has apparently affected this more than any other species, 

 but has also wrought marked changes in the distribution of several. 

 The Pinnated Grouse, as well as the Sharp-tailed Grouse, the Dove, the 

 Shore Lark, the Meadowlark, and the Vesper Sparrow have all increased 

 remarkably within the last ten years. The same may be said of all the 

 Blackbirds excepting the Cowbird. The Passenger Pigeon, Swainson's 

 Hawk and several of the Ducks have suffered, but the Missouri Skylark 

 alone seems to have found itself quite unable to cope with the surround- 

 ings of the new order of things. 



Sialia sialis. Bluebird. — It is gratifying to note that this species, 

 instead of very rare, has become quite common in the country along the 

 Assiniboine; and nearly every grove of oak of any extent is found to have 

 a pair making their home in it along with the Purple Martins. 



