— 3o— 



of the black-billed cuckoo were taken, or seen in the region around 

 Flathead, a fact which makes the note of even less value; 

 however, subsequent observation may give additional light upon 

 the question here raised regarding this species as a summer 

 resident of the Flathead region. 



On July 3 the writer picked up an egg in a path through 

 the swamp-woods at the right of Swan Eiver. In size and ap- 

 pearance, the specimen closely corresponds to the egg of the 

 black-billed cuckoo, or the western representative of the yellow- 

 billed cuckoo. It had evidently been dropped in the path, 

 and was fractured somewhat on the side on which it rested, 

 but it made a fair specimen awaiting identification. 



AMERICAN OSPREY, Pandion haliaetus carolinensis (Ginel.) 



The American osprey is the most noticeable bird of prey in 

 the vicinity of the Station. One of the regular noises of the 

 day was the peculiar whistle of the osprey, which has some- 

 what of a ventriloquial effect, as it seems to issue from a point 

 nearby when the author is much farther from the hearer. The 

 cry is uttered most frequently when the birds are approach- 

 ing or leaving the nest, or wheeling in the neighborhood of 

 their home. 



On the bank of the river opposite to the Station, in the 

 Helena Club grounds, a pair of ospreys had established a 

 home at the top of a lofty pine stub. The site had been used 

 by ospreys in previous seasons, and was evidently a regular 

 tenement. At our advent to the neighborhood, on June 14, 

 the nest contained well-fledged young, which kept the elders 

 industriously engaged in supplying the demand for fresh meat 

 in the form of fish. We left the place on July 6, but upon our 

 return on August 6, the nest was still used as a place of re- 

 sort and as head-quarters for the parent birds in providing 

 for the wants of the dependent youngsters. The nest is shown 

 in Plate VIII. 



SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, Accipiter velox (Wils.) 



Owinw to the retiring habits of this little Accipiter in the 

 breeding season, few notes were made upon its occurrence near 

 the Station. The thickets of the low swamp at the right of 

 Swan River doubtless formed congenial resorts for this hawk, 



