170 JOURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS. 



satisfied that its whistle is in tune. It seems to possess five or six 

 notes and cannot whistle any others. It sounds more like a flute 

 than a bird. When it is satisfied that its voice is all right it starts to 

 play a soft sweet tune, not very fast. Its lowest note is rather low, 

 and its highest rather high. I have never heard a name, for this 

 bird. 



The cow birds are the tamest of the lot. They like to roost on 

 the backs of cattle and on their horns. The female is a brown slate 

 color ; the male a fine" glossy peacock blue, and has a very sweet 

 musical voice, but the only sound it makes is a very sweet " clink- 

 clink." It half expands its glossy wings and rulHes its feathers up. 

 They will follow at the very heels of a person plowing ; I have had 

 them within two feet of me. They pick insects out of the freshly- 

 plowed earth ; we have no earth worms out here. 



Our best singer is a dark bird about the size of the canary. It 

 is a dark brown, a dirty looking color. When it is going to sing it 

 rises almost straight up for about twenty-five feet, then starts its song 

 and soars down to the earth_, singing as it goes, and lights about 100 

 feet from the spot it rose from, finishing its song a few seconds after 

 lighting. I think it can excel anything I have heard. 



The last bird I shall mention is one of the most interesting. 

 During spring, early in the morning from daylight till seven o'clock, 

 their sound is heard. It always seems to come from a point near 

 the horizon, and as there are scores of them it makes a continual 

 noise. 



Their noise is a '' boo - woo - 00." The " boo " is a low soft 

 sound, the " woo " is a note or two higher, and the " 00 " is higher 

 still. As each bird keeps its song up, it sounds as if the prairie was 

 coming back to life. It is a strange thing that the sound always 

 seems to come from a point several miles off, but as each bird has 

 different notes it is a pleasant sound, it is so soft and travels so far, 



ATMOSPHERIC PHENOMENA. 



This is a very interesting subject, as our atmosphere is, in my 

 estimation, the most wonderful part of Manitoba. 



As you know, our atmosphere is a very dry one, especially dur- 

 ing the winter, when the thermometers may go down to 60° below 

 zero and the cold not be felt any more than it is in Ontario at 15° 



