/. 



230 GEOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY 



X. 



ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES. 



By C. L. Herrich. 



Mii^N"EAPOLis, Dec, 1876. 

 Prof. Winchell : 



The work represented by the following list of birds was, of 

 course, much impeded by the difficulties incident to the season 

 during which it was prosecuted; for not only are there compara- 

 tively few birds, and those of the commonest species to be found 

 during the heated term, but those actually collected are often unfit, 

 on account of the summer moult, for preservation or study. 



Yet though the field work was over before the fall migration was 

 fairly commenced, a few facts of some interest were noticed. 



From observations made during the summer it would seem that 

 the Brotherly-Love Vireo {Vireo pMladelphicus) is not as rare as 

 until recently supposed, and, indeed, it may be found to be quite 

 as common in this locality as the Vireo gilvus. The vireos col- 

 lected were shot without discrimination, yet two were quite typi- 

 cal specimens of philadelphicus. 



The results obtained from the study of the few shrikes as yet 

 collected at Minneapolis are so unexpected and withal so contra- 

 dictory, that the following remarks are given with some hesitancy, 

 especially as they are at variance with what has been written upon 

 these birds by others who have collected in this State. 



The Great Northern Shrike, or CoUurio horealis, is as yet only 

 noted as occurring during Spring and Fall. I have never heard of 

 the nest in this vicinity. I am led to believe that the bird is some- 

 what rare, even during the migrations, for in the Spring it is very 

 conspicuous from the habit it has of perching on a high tree and 

 uttering at intervals its peculiar metallic cry on its arrival in any 



J' 





