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The pine siskin is commoner up the mountain slopes than 

 near the lake shore. We noted it at all elevations up to 9,200 

 feet. Its call is so much like the plaintive "pee" of the gold- 

 finch, which it also closely resembles in appearance except when 

 the latter is in nuptial plumage, that one unacquainted with 

 the pine siskin might fail to notice it as a different species. 

 The young of the year appear to show brighter yellow in their 

 plumage than the elders, which further adds to its likeness to 

 the goldfinch. 



In August the pine siskins were observed clinging to the 

 heads of the giant hyssop, which grew extensively along the 

 roadsides near the Station. A small flock would thus congre- 

 gate in a patch of the hyssop, feeding from the heads in the 

 manner of goldfinches, the resemblance being increased by the 

 bright colors of some of the young of the year and by the gold- 

 finch-like chirps of the pine siskins. The horse mint, Monarda 

 fistulosa, was also a favorite food of this species. 



540 a. WESTERN VESPER SPARROW, Poocaetes gramineus 



conpZnis Baird. 



This vesper sparrow occurs abundantly throughout the prairie 

 regions of the Reservation. It frequents the grainfields and 

 margins of the ranches in numbers, and is especially noticeable 

 near the lake shore, where it visits the water's edge to refresh 

 itself from the heat of the summer afternoons. Near the lake 

 it appeared to be almost as numerous as Brewer's blackbird, 

 at the time of our visit. 



546 a. WESTERN GRASSHOPPER SPARROW, Ammod- 

 ramus savannarum perpallidus (Coues.) 



This sparrow was found to be common on the prairie local- 

 ities of the Reservation, and several specimens were taken for 

 identification. The males would frequently sit on a post of the 

 rail fences and utter their queer songs, and also emit a sharp 

 stridulating chirp or call, scarcely regarding our presence. 



560 a. WESTERN CHIPPING SPARROW, Spizella socialis 



arizonae Coues. 



The western chipping sparrow was found abundantly every- 

 where throughout our travels in the Flathead Reservation. 



