^"s9s'*'] Merrill, Birds of Fort S/irnnan, Idaho. jc) 



*Dendroica townsendi. — Durinic the sprin;,' of 1S95 I frequently 

 heard the note of a Dendroica that I could not identify, though much 

 time was de\oted to tiiis end. Two or three males were to be heard 

 dail}' in their respective ranges, which were among large firs growing on 

 the hillside across the river. They seemed to haunt exclusively the tops 

 of these trees, flitting from one to another at such a height as to make 

 their identification by sight impossible, and their capture a very difficult 

 matter. They were active and restless, passing rapidly from tree to tree 

 along the hillside for a few hundred'yards and returning over the same 

 route, this habit lieing observed at all houi-s of the daw The few shots 

 obtained were at such distances as to be ineffectual. The birds were 

 evidently nesting, the song gradually diminishing in frequenc\- until 

 the end of June when it ceased. 



On May 21, iSy6, it was again heard and almost daily subsequentl\-. 

 At last, on June 2, a lucky shot brought down a line male D. to-vnseiidt 

 which, although not in the act of singing when shot, is, I have little 

 doubt the author of the song. This usually consists of five notes — 

 dee dee, dee, — de, de all, especially the first three, uttered in the peculiar 

 harsh drawl of D. virens. Later in the season this song changes some- 

 what at times — at least I think that both are uttered hy the same species 

 — and on June 29, I shot a male in the act of singing this later song, and 

 a few minutes later his mate. Their nest was evidently near as they 

 scolded me with the usual Dendroica chip of alarm, and the abdomen of 

 the female was denuded. These two birds were among a low growth of 

 firs and pines and were shot without difficulty. 



Geothlypis macgillivrayi. — Arrives about the middle of May and 

 breeds rather commonly. 



Geothlypis trichas occidentalis. — Arrives in May, and breeds spar- 

 ingly. Common in the marshes in September. 



Sylvania pusilla pileolata. — -Taken occasionally in spring and autumn. 



Setophaga ruticilla. ^ Abmidant summer visitor, arriving about the 

 last of May. 



Anthus pensilvanicus. — -Decidedly rare in spring, a few passing 

 through about the middle of May. In the autumn they are very abundant, 

 returning about the first of September, and a few lingering until earlv 

 in November. At this season they frequent the dry, open prairies as well 

 as the marshes about the lake, where they gather in large flocks. 



Cinclus mexicanus. — Fairly common along suitable streams flowing 

 into the lake. 



Galeoscoptes carolinensis. — Common summer visitor. 



Salpinctes obsoletus. — A pair found July 2, among the rocks on the 

 summit of Mica Peak, where they were evidently nesting. 



* Troglodytes aedon parkmanii. — Breeds rather commonly. Mr^ 

 Brewster informs me that Fort Sherman birds are nearer to parkmanii 

 than to aztecus. 



Troglodytes hyemalis pacificus. — Rather common resident : found in 



