1884.] Cooke on Harris's Finch. 337 



the extreme northern part of the vState. Its summer home is yet 

 shrouded in obscurity, but it is likely that the persistent eft'orts of 

 collectors will soon put us in possession of the material for com- 

 pleting its life history. As has already been remarked, its nest 

 and eggs i-emain unknown, but several notes are in hand bearing 

 on its summer abode. 



Professor Aughey in his 'Notes on the Nature of the Food of 

 the Birds of Nebraska,' p. 29, says : "•Common in Eastern Nebraska 

 along the Missoui'i, Have not noticed it in winter, but have fre- 

 quently seen the young in the northern part of the State." If by 

 this he means that these young were reared in the state, he is 

 undoubtedly in error. As negative testimony against it, the ex- 

 cellent and reliable observer, Mr. G. S. Agersborg of Vermillion, 

 Dak., writes me, that during seventeen years he has scoured the 

 country for fifty miles around and has never seen a specimen in 

 summer, though common in spring and fall. Dr. Coues is une- 

 quivocal in his statement that none spend the summer south of 

 lat. 49°. This is probably correct for the Mouse River region 

 in Dakota, about which he was writing, but may require some 

 modification when applied to Minnesota. It will not be surprising 

 if its summer home shall yet be found in Northern Minnesota, in 

 the Lake of the Woods region, since Dr. Hatch, the authority on 

 the birds of that State, writes me as follows : "^. querula is not 

 so often met with here in spring as in fall migration, and then 

 mostly in the Big Woods ; sometimes along the belts of timber 

 of the prairie sections. I have not personalh^ seen it at any point 

 beyond these woods, but I am satisfied that it is a summer resident 

 in the northeastern portions of the State." Upon asking the 

 grounds of this belief, he answered: "^. querula has come un- 

 der my notice under circumstances which led me to believe that 

 their nests were made within the boundaries of the State, perhaps 

 not far removed from those of albicollis^ but I have never seen a 

 nest, nor do I personally know any one who has. The lateness 

 of the date at which they have sometimes come here, together 

 with the advanced state of ovulation, is the principal basis of my 

 conjecture, as well as their association with birds, such as albicollis, 

 known to breed about two hundred miles north of Minneapolis." 



