408 Bent, Summer Birds of Southwestern Saskatchewan. [oct*" 



Lake on the west to Lake of the Narrows on the east and explored 

 most of the intervening creeks running northward into these lakes 

 from the Cypress Hills region, particularly Maple Creek, Skull 

 Creek, Mackaye Creek and Bear Creek. 



In 1906 our party consisted of Rev. Herbert K. Job, of Kent, 

 Conn., Mr. Chester S. Day of Boston, Mass., and the writer. I 

 arrived on May 29 and left on June 17. The others arrived a few 

 days earlier and Mr. Job remained a week after I had left. 



In 1906 Dr. Louis B. Bishop of New Haven, Conn., and I reached 

 Maple Creek on June 5; I was obliged to leave for home on July 

 1, but he remained until August. Mr. Alfred Eastgate of North 

 Dakota joined us two weeks later, as taxidermist and general 

 assistant. And Dr. Jonathan Dwight, Jr., of New York, joined 

 the party after I left. Thus we were able to observe the last week 

 of the spring migration in 1905 and a large part of the adult shore 

 bird fall migration in 1906. I am indebted to all of these gentlemen 

 for the use of their notes and particularly to Dr. Bishop for much 

 valuable assistance in the comparison of material and the deter- 

 mination of subspecies. I also wish to acknowledge the kind 

 assistance of Mr. William Brewster and Mr. H. C. Oberholser in 

 identifying material. Specimens were collected of nearly all the 

 birds on the list and where none were taken this fact is mentioned. 

 Birds seen by others than the writer are entered on the authority 

 of the observer. The only published list of the birds of this region 

 that I have seen is contained in Prof. John Macoun's 'Catalogue 

 of Canadian Birds,' to which I shall make occasional reference 

 and endeavor to point out a few cases where our observations were 

 at variance with this list. I am indebted to Prof. Macoun also 

 for much valuable information regarding this region and for assis- 

 tance in obtaining permits to collect. 



The general topography of the region under consideration was 

 rather uninteresting; the first impression of it was disappointing 

 and it was not until we had made a more intimate acquaintance 

 with its more highly favored sections that we began to realize its 

 wonderful possibilities as a collecting ground. The contrast 

 between the level, fertile prairies of western Manitoba and the 

 desolate rolling plains of Saskatchewan was well marked. These 

 plains were nowhere extensively level and were often quite hilly. 



