COIJES ON BIRDS OF DAKOTA AND MONTANA, 615 



CERYLE ALCYON, Boie. 

 Belted Kingfishee. 



Of general distribution along the waters of this region as elsewhere 

 in North America. I saw it on the Eed, Mouse, Milk, and Missouri 

 Elvers, and some of the affluents of the two. last, as well as on the 

 headwaters of the Saskatchewan, 



List of specimens. 



COOCYGUS ERYTHROPHTHALMUS, {Wils.) Bp. 



Black-billed Cuckoo. 



Somewhat to my surprise, this Cuckoo was ascertained to breed in the 

 Pembina Mountains. I had not previously observed it along the Red 

 River, nor did I meet with G. americmms anywhere during the survey. 

 The nest was discovered July 12, at which date it contained a single 

 young one, scarcely able to fly, the older ones of the same brood having 

 doubtless already made off. The nest was in what I suppose to be an 

 unusual situation, namely, an oak scrub less than two feet from the 

 ground, in a dense thicket on the mountain-side. A large basement of 

 loosely interlaced twigs rested in a crotch of the bush, supporting the 

 nest proper, which consisted of a flat matting of withered leaves and 

 catkins of the poplar. After a chase and a headlong plunge into an 

 uncomfortable brier-patcb, I managed to catch the little fellow, who, 

 encouraged by the constant exhortations of his anxious mother, was 

 scrambling off in a very creditable style for one so young. 



List of specimens. 



PICUS VILLOSUS, Linn, 



Hairy Woodpecker. 



Observed in heavy timber on Turtle Mountain. As a species of gen- 

 eral dispersion in Eastern I^orth America, it doubtless occurs in other 

 wooded portions of the Red and Missouri region. Exactly at what point 

 it is modified into var. harrisi may not have been ascertained j but the 



