BIRDS OF MINNESOTA. oy 
They come in small parties that resort to the ponds, and are 
found in the meadows late in May, more frequently in pairs 
than in these small flocks of half adozen. <A few are occasion- 
ally seen as late as the 15th of May, but the most have disap- 
peared by the end of the last week of April, or the first of May. 
Sportsmen insist that they belong in Kandiyohi county, but 
Ido not fully credit the statement, although the lateness of 
the date on which they have come under my own observation 
here, make such a fact possible, especially in the northwestern 
portions of our territory. No nests have yet been reported 
within our borders. ‘They return here in flocks of twenty to 
thirty, or even more sometimes, about the 25th of August. 
These flocks are gradually augmented until hundreds may be 
flushed on their favorite feeding grounds by the 25th of Sep- 
tember. Mr. Washburn found them abundantly represented 
everywhere in favorable localities in the Red river valley, from 
October 10th till the 25th, (when he left there), and Dr. Hvoslef 
reports them in Fillmore county, November 8, (1885). Mr. 
Lewis was always confident that a few remain in the south- 
western section of the State all winter. The latest that any 
have been seen in Hennepin county (latitude 45), is November 
12th, 1868. Their habits while here are too well known to 
need any description. 
Since writing the above, many circumstantial proofs have 
reached me that this species does breed considerably within our 
limits, and I shall hope that before this report is finally closed, 
I shall be fully assured that such is the case, for everybody in 
general believes so. 
SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 
Bill long, compressed, flattened, and slightly expanded 
towards the tip, pustulated in its terminal half; wings rather 
long; legs moderate; tail short; entire upper parts brownish- 
black, every feather spotted and widely edged with light 
rufous, yellowish, or ashy-white; back and rump transversely 
barred and spotted with the same; a line from the base of the 
bill over the top of the head, throat and neck before, dull 
reddish-ashy; wing feathers marked with dull brownish-black; 
other under parts white, with transverse bars of brownish- 
black on the sides, axillary feathers, under wing coverts, and 
under tail coverts; quills brownish-black; outer edge of first 
primary white; tail glossy brownish-black, widely tipped with 
bright rufous. paler at the tip, and with a subterminal 
narrow band of black; outer tail feathers paler, frequently 
