iSSS.] Williams on Upper Missouri River Birds. I ^ 



keeping up a constant noisy piping, A few birds, at least, re- 

 main about alkali ponds on the prairies during the summer, A 

 little farther up the river a flock of Shoveler Ducks fly past. 

 Their every note and action is full of vigor, as they drop sud. 

 dcnly to within a few feet of the water, or as quickly rise up- 

 ward, or wheel to one side, as if flight to them were only play. 

 Farther on and the mellow, piping notes of some Green-winged 

 Teal are heard from a bit of quiet water. The birds are so busy 

 feeding that they do not notice my approach till within a few rods 

 of them, when they quickly rise from the water and are ofl". 

 Flocks of the males axe to be found here commonly throughout 

 the winter. As compared with this species, the Blue-winged 

 Teal is quite rare, ami is never found here in winter, I believe. 



During the morning several pairs of Canada Geese are seen 

 flying low over the prairies, to or from their feeding grounds. 

 Small numbers of them remain throughout the year, and these 

 apparenth- breed very early, beginning to lay even toward the 

 latter part of March. Where the cotton-wood timber is heavy, 

 the nest is doubtless sometimes placed in trees. I have seen the 

 birds alight on large limbs thirty or forty feet above ground, 

 although I never observed the nest in such places. The Mallard 

 is another winter bird, many males, at least, remaining during 

 the coldest weather. I have obtained their nest, with mostly 

 fresh eggs, as late as May 24, though probably they sometimes 

 breed much earlier. 



As one of the small islands in this part of the river is passed, the 

 cooing of many Turtle Doves comes across the water. Some- 

 times two birds begin and continue their notes in unison to the 

 close, producing a curious sort of duet. The Doves arrived this 

 year about May 5. They arc common in nearly all the valleys, 

 but I have never seen them in flocks of any size. Among Spar- 

 rows that inhabit timber and brush, the Intermediate White- 

 crowned is abundant now. A week or so later none are found 

 outside the mountains, where they breed commonly. The 

 White-throated Sparrow, so like this in many of its habits, I have 

 never seen in Montana except on one occasion. September 18, 

 1886, I observed a few along with the preceding species, 

 in brush on lower Sun River. The only specimen shot was so 

 badly torn by the. charge that I w^as unable to preserve the skin. 

 Song Sparrows are occasionally heard singing from some brush 



