78 BULLETIN UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. [Voir. 



GoNiAPHEA LUDOYiciANA, (L.) Bowdicli — Eose-J)reasted Grosbeak. 



Usually arrives by tlie lOtli of May, and is seen in small numbers, 

 sometimes around the buildings at the post, but generally in the woods, 

 until the first week in June, when it retires to the more hea^dly wooded 

 ravines on the slopes of the coteaus. Departs dui^iug the early part of 

 September. It is quite familiar during the early i)art of its stay here, 

 and although I have observed it closely, I have never heard it sing at 

 this season. 



The specimen measures as follows : 



No. 691, 13.00 X 8.10 ; wiug 3.95 ; tail 3.35. 

 Ctanospiza cyanea, (L.) Bd. — Indigo-Urd. \ 



The Indigo-bird is not common in this vicinity ; a few are seen during 

 the migrations each May, generally about the 25th, but the bird does not 

 remain in this region during summer. 



Oaedinalis vircmnianus, (Briss.) Bp. — Cardinal Grosbeak. 



The Cardinal Eedbird is only of casual occurrence in this region. On 

 May 25, 1877, while out collecting in the vicinity of Fort Sisseton, I saw 

 a pair in the scattered trees on the outside of a thick growth of timber 

 to the east of the post ; they were in plain ^dew, and as the more bril- 

 liantly plumaged birds are rare in this vicinity, the appearance of the male 

 bird was the more striking, as it sat watching me from the highest tree- 

 top ; the female was perched upon a tree near by, intensely interested 

 in my movements, but not more so than I was in theirs. Despite aU my 

 endeavors, I could not succeed in securing either bird ; two or three 

 times they took to wing and alighted in trees a httle further from me each 

 time, not seeking the thick woods, but keeping me in plain view all the 

 while ; they finally took to flight in a southerly direction, and were soon 

 out of sight. 



A male bird of this species was seen several times during the summer of 

 1877, in a deep ravine at the head of the Coteau. It would come in the 

 early morning, and sit on the same tree, outside of the cabin, morning- 

 after morning, and if undisturbed would sing for ten or fifteen minutes, 

 but Avould fly away on the slightest noise being made. I doubt not the 

 female was well concealed in the woods near by. Many endeavors were 

 made to capture it, but it eluded them all. 



ICTEEID^. 

 DoLiCHONYX OEYZIVORUS, (L.) ^w.—BoboUnk; Eeed'bird; Bice-bird. 



Sexes are entirely different in color. 



J'iu spring: black, . usually more intense beneatli; back of neck buff; sboulders, 

 rumj), and upper tail-coverts asliy-wMte; space between the shoulders streaked with 

 black, buff, and ashy; outer quills edged with yellowisb; bill blackish bom; feet 

 brown. 



$ in fall, $, and young: yellowish-brown above, brownish-yelloAV below; crown 

 and back conspicuously, upper part of neck, rump, and sides of body less byoadly 



