* 0l i907 IV ] Cameron, Birds of Custer & Davenport Counties, Mont. 251 



partially covered up the nest. The average date for the spring arrival of 

 the Canada Goose at Terry is March 27. 



29. Branta canadensis hutchinsii. Hutchins's Goose. — Rare. On 

 October 4, 1903, twenty of these small geese flew low over me as I waited 

 on the north bank of the Yellowstone for my wife who was being conveyed 

 across by the ferryman. All obtained a good view. 



30. Olor buccinator. Trumpeter Swan. — Rare. About May 1, 

 1884, Mr. Dan Bowman saw ten or twelve swans resting on the Powder 

 River just after sunrise. On October 27, 1905, an adult male Trumpeter 

 Swan was shot by a boy on the Yellowstone at Tusler, near Miles City. 



31. Botaurus lentiginosus. American Bittern. — Not common. Oc- 

 curs regularly on migration. 



32. Ardea herodias. Great Blue Heron. — Common in both coun- 

 ties. 1 (Plate VIII, Fig. 1.) 



33. Grus canadensis. Little Brown Crane. — An irregular fall mi- 

 grant occurring in flocks of from ten to one hundred and fifty. This is 

 the common Sandhill Crane of this region, Grus mexicana being much 

 rarer. On September 24, 1894, a large flock hovered for some time above 

 my ranch house in Custer County, with the intention of alighting, when 

 I could not afford time to watch them. In September, 1898, a regular 

 invasion of southward bound flocks took place at Terry. The inhabitants 

 pursued them with every description of weapon but only one was shot — 

 by J. C. Braley, with a rifle at three hundred yards. When fired at with 

 a rifle the birds would fly only about half a mile and again alight, so that 

 the fusillade could be continued at intervals. The only possible way of 

 obtaining specimens is from concealment in the corn fields which they 

 frequent. The cranes always flew low, generally within shot from the 

 ground of a heavy shoulder gun, and in a straggling manner, although 

 during migration they rise to a great height. They continued to arrive 

 in the neighborhood of Terry for three weeks (until October 10) when all 

 had left excepting a small flock. If undisturbed the cranes fed in the 

 morning and evening, strongly recalling turkeys in general behavior; their 

 stately manner of walking and drooping tertiary plumes causing them to 

 present a striking appearance. 



34. Grus mexicana. Sandhill Crane. — Rare. May, 1892, one caught 

 with a fish hook, baited with a frog, by Oliver Van on Fallon Creek, as 

 he informed me. At that time Sandhill Cranes were reported numerous 

 in that locality. September 22, 1893, flocks were seen on Powder River, 

 which ran dry and the birds were attracted by the stranded fish. Mr. 

 Dan Bowman, who was familiar with these birds in Missouri and Nebraska, 

 has only seen them twice in Montana. 



35. Rallus virginianus. Virginia Rail. — Captain Thome records 

 a male killed August 10, 1888. 



i See Cameron, Nesting of Great Blue Heron in Montana. Auk, Vol. XXIII, 252. 



