412 Bent, Summer Birds of Southwestern Saskatchewan. [act 



common and excavated their nest holes in any of the larger trees. 

 Nighthawks were frequently seen flying overhead or perched 

 lengthwise on the horizontal branches. Brewer's Blackbirds were 

 exceedingly numerous and noisy, protesting vigorously at our 

 intrusion but their nests were usually too well concealed in the 

 low thick underbrush for us to find them. Arkansas and common 

 Kingbirds were much in evidence and clamorous, as usual, both 

 species being about equally abundant. Clay-colored Sparrows 

 were abundant in the underbrush, particularly along the outer 

 edges, where Yellow-throats and Yellow Warblers were also very 

 common. Robins, Catbirds, Song Sparrows and Least Fly- 

 catchers were all fairly common, an occasional Arctic Towhee 

 was seen and the voice of the Willow Thrush was frequently heard 

 in the depths of the shady thickets near the stream, though the 

 birds themselves were seldom seen. Many other less prominent 

 species were noted, as well as a number of rarities which will be 

 found in the list, but the foregoing will give a fair idea of the char- 

 acteristic birds most frequently seen. 



From 15 to 20 miles south of the railroad lay the Cypress Hills, 

 extending for approximately 50 miles east and west, nearly parallel 

 with the railroad and visible at a long distance, their irregular out- 

 line forming the southern boundary of our view, like a distant 

 chain of mountains. They were, however, rather low-lying hills, 

 probably not over 300 or 400 feet above the general level of the 

 plains. All of the creeks that we explored had their sources in 

 these hills and flowed in a general northerly direction to the lakes, 

 Mackaye Creek running into Many Island Lake, Hay Creek into 

 Hay Lake, Maple Creek into Big Stick Lake, Piapot and Bear 

 Creeks into Crane Lake, and Skull Creek into Lake of the Nar- 

 rows. We were unable to explore more than a limited portion of 

 the Cypress Hills but found them full of interesting material and 

 well worthy of more extended investigation. The approaches to 

 the hills and the outlying spurs, or what might be called the 

 foothills, were merely continuations of the prairies, but the higher 

 portions were extensively wooded with a low growth of poplars, 

 balms, aspens, willows and various shrubs. The interior valleys 

 contained several small lakes or ponds and were watered by small 

 creeks or brooks, supporting dense thickets of alders and willows. 



