54 THE CONDOR Vol,. IX 



June 9. — The red-breasted nuthatch (Sit/a caiiadois/s) at times acts like a real 

 flycatcher. Just now one alighted on a tree-trunk near me, and while investigat- 

 ing the bark crevices, twice he flew out from the trunk, captured a flying insect 

 dexteroush' in the air, and returned to his gleaning on the bole. 



Today I saw a chipmunk despoiling the home of an olive-backed thrush. The 

 marauder was sitting on the brim of the nest, and was hastily munching a fresh 

 egg, with a portion of the broken shell lying on the rim of the nest in front of 

 him: A clear case against Mr. Chipmunk. 



On this day also, June 9, another white-crowned sparrow w^as heard singing 

 in a different locality from that where the first was heard, and to determine his 

 real identitv this song,ster was collected. The author of the song was the true 

 white-crowned sparrow, with loral area as black as possible, and it is fair to assume 

 that this species is making its summer home on the shores of Flathead Lake. 



Junk 11. — A nest of the orange-crowned w^rhXer iHcli)iijiihophi/a rc/ata) was 

 found in a little mountain park, in a small ravine directly at the foot of a perpen- 

 dicular rock-face. The nest was at the foot of a thornbush sprout, sunken in a depres- 

 .sion among dried gras,ses and kinnikinic or moss, so that it was securely hidden unless 

 discovered by mere chance. The chance was mine, however, and as I brushed against 

 the sprout, out fluttered the sitting female, revealing the nest. She flitted away 

 into the low bushes nearb}' and there lurked around, uttered an occasional sharp 

 chirp, and finally disappeared without giving me an opportunity of seeing her so 

 as to secure her. I waited near the place until noon, when habit overcame ray 

 scientific zeal and I descended the hillside to camp for dinner. In the afternoon 

 I returned to the place, and again the sitting bird flitted away so hurriedly that I 

 could not shoot her. Again I waited and watched as she lurked hidden in the 

 underbrush; but she seemed to know how to keep out of sight; and it was nearly 

 sunset before I secured her for identification. 



The nest was made of dried , grass stems and weed-bark strippings, and was 

 lined with white horsehair and reddish brown moss stems. The cavity was about 

 2.60 inches across and 1.40 inches deep. When the nest was removed it was found 

 to be quite loosely constructed, and it fell apart somewhat, losing much of its well 

 rounded and firmly brimmed appearance /;/ situ . There were five eggs, perfecth^ 

 fresh, quite typical of the usually described eggs of this warbler. The male bird 

 was not seen nor heard near the place during the entire day, and no males were 

 singing nearer than a half-mile from the place. 



June 12. — A troop of Cassin purple finches {Carpodaciis cass'nii) was active 

 on a hillside in a small mountain park. There were both males and females, the 

 former in song. The birds were working mostly on the ground and among the 

 bushes. There were so many individuals in the flock, and the occurrence seemed 

 so unusual, that I took it to be a part of a migration movement. As I wandered 

 over the mountain slope the birds kept flying up at my feet in away that led me to 

 fancy that the brush was full of nesting birds. 



June 15. — A ne.st of Richardson grouse {Deudra^'cipus ohsciinis richardsoni) 

 was found on a bushy hillside, a rocky slope that had been burned over in former 

 years. The site was quite near a road that was not in very general use. The nest 

 was in thick dried grass, near a clump of bushes, and was made entirely of the 

 surrounding material. It was unusually open and exposed. The ne.st was evi- 

 dently' deserted, for the eggs were cold and beginning to fade from continued ex- 

 posure to the sunshine. There were seven eggs, in which incubation had just begun. 



Lewisiown, Moiitana. 



