itla. 



< IIA1TKK VII. 



I. XT morning I W as awake early and out before 



breakfast. I crossed tin- bridge which spans 

 Moosejaw creek ami followed the stivam v. 

 ward. Marbled godwits were plentiful, but their 

 nests were hard to ti ml. A pair ceedingly 



noisy and began to fly round in circles, screaming ; as I 

 knew tln-y hal a ii-st near. I searched the spot, but 

 without success, so I went away some distance and lay d.wn 

 i>n the grass. Waiting ten minutes to allow tin- birds. t<> settle, 

 I advanced suddenly t> th- spot where I expected the nest 

 would lit- found, and this thin- the bird got up and ran along 

 the ground for twenty yards, ami then rose into the air 

 lining. I took no notice of the bird, but kept my e\w ,,n 

 the sj.ot from which it rose, and advancing there I found the 

 and four eggs. Th- n.-st was simply a depression in tin- 

 ground, about the size of a saucer, and lined with grass and 

 bits of rushes. The eggs were olive drab, spotted with vari- 

 ous shades of brown and purple grey umlernmrkings, and are 

 similar to those of the Kun>j>ean black-tailed godwit in size 

 and colour. 



Along th- banks of Moosejaw creek grow short shrub- 

 here I (lushed several sharp-tailed grouse; one tlew up sud- 

 denly b.-fof- my f.-.-t with a whir-whir, and I came near - 



_ 011 ita nest and ten eggs. The nest was a hollow in the 

 ground lined with I and the eggs Were tawny butt'. 



speckled with tine spots of brown. The sharp-tailed gi 



vry close sitter, and will almost suffer herself to be trod 

 on lefore she will leave her in-^t. This species is resident in 

 Assiniboia and Manitoba throughout the winter, when they 

 n -tire to the bluffs and feed on the buds of the trees, and at 

 lit they dive down into the soft snow drifts for warmth 

 and shelter. Many are killed b\ 



