Sgo.] General Notes. 213 



Shrikes of Minnesota. — Not exactly knowing the true position held by 

 he Shrikes of Minnesota, I submitted a small series of four to Mr. Ridg- 

 way for identification, two from Minneapolis, which were dark colored spec- 

 imens, and two, which were much lighter, from Lanesboro in the southern 

 part of the State. 



The following was the result of the examination. He says : "None of 

 your Shrikes are typical of either ludovicianus or excubitorides, all being 

 intermediate between the two forms. The specimen I have marked 'A' 

 [one of those from Minneapolis] comes nearest the former, but is not 

 dark enough in the coloration of the upper parts; the others come deci- 

 dedly nearer exctibitorides than ludovicianus, but are not pale enough to 

 be typical." — Geo. G. Cantwell, Lake Mills, Wis. 



Notes on some Minnesota Birds. — It is thought that sufficient interest 

 attaches to the occurrence in Minnesota of the five species of birds men- 

 tioned below to justify the publication at this time of the following notes 

 in regard to them. Two of the five — the Burrowing Owl and Henslow's 

 Sparrow — are here reported from the State for the first time, so far as the 

 writer can discover. The published statements in regard to the others 

 have been in such general terms as to give no very definite idea of the 

 real manner of their occurrence. 



Colymbus holbcelii. Holboell's Grebe. — This bird is found in limited 

 numbers during the summer season in the west-central part of the State. 

 It may, and doubtless does, occur in other portions of the prairie region 

 of the State, but as yet no positive evidence of its presence has been ob- 

 tained. Birds supposed to be of this species were seen in Elbow Lake, 

 Grant Co., in June, 1879, by Mr. Franklin Benner and the writer, but np 

 positive identification could be then made. Its eggs, taken in the vicinity, 

 were seen at that time in the collection of Mr. Jasper N. Sanford of the 

 town of Elbow Lake. Subsequently, in the fall of 1881, in response to nu- 

 merous inquiries, Mr. Sanford kindly sent to me the skin of a male of 

 this species together with several eggs taken early in the preceding sum- 

 mer near Elbow Lake. These specimens are now in my collection. This 

 affords satisfactory assurance of the breeding of this Grebe in Minnesota. 



Speotyto cunicularia hypogaea. Burrowing Owl. — On July 19, 1881, 

 while passing through the southwestern part of Swift County, which lies 

 in the western part of Minnesota, I came upon a small colony of these 

 Owls living in fox or badger dens in a prairie hillside. There were ap- 

 parently not more than two pairs of old birds with the young of the year. 

 One of the young birds was shot, and the skin preserved. Many weeks 

 spent in travelling through the prairie portions of the State failed to dis- 

 close the presence of this bird in any other locality. 



Ammodramus henslowii. Henslow's Sparrow. — A male bird in full 

 song was taken by the writer on June 16, 18S0, near Minneapolis, and the 

 species was evidently breeding in the wet marsh where it was shot. In 

 February, 1881, I was shown a specimen by Mr. W. W. Eager which he 



