— 24 — 



fe«t from the ground, placed near the extremity of a drooping 

 horizontal branch. The style of architecture was similar to 

 that of the grosbeak, rootlets being the principal niateria], 

 which were woven into a loose basket; the surrounding ma- 

 terial, however, afforded additional service in the nature of 

 nest walls. 



LAZULI BUNTING, Passerina amoena (Say) 



The beautiful lazuli bunting is a bird of the bushes, clear- 

 ings or burnt areas overgrown with shrubbery being its favorite 

 resorts. In song and habits it is the counterpart of its eastern 

 congener, the indigo bunting, Passerina cyanea (Linn.) 

 Mounted in the top of a tall tree, it will chant at frequent 

 intervals its monotonous song, seemingly in happy enjoyment 

 of the sunshine. v. 



Though the lazuli bunting is very common in the region 

 under consideration, but one nest was found; however, no 

 particular effort was made to find this one or another, chance 

 leading the collector upon it while diligently searching for the 

 nest of a less common species. It was in a growth of young 

 tamaracks on a ridge along Swan Eiver. The ridge had been 

 iire-swept in a preceding season, and over the fallen trunks had 

 grown the tamaracks and bushes. The nest was two and one- 

 fourth feet from the ground, slightly suspended among up- 

 right stems of sprouts growing among the tamaracks. The 

 female was flushed from the nest, and while her home was 

 being despoiled she manifested considerable anxiety, flitting 

 here and there with her mate and chirping apprehensively. 



The nest is figured in the accompanying illustration, Plate X. 

 It is a rounded basket-like cup made of long dried grasses and 

 weed fibers. The lining is made of fine grasses and scanty 

 horsehair. The cavity averages two and one-fourth inches in 

 diameter, and is two inches deep. The complement consisted 

 of three fresh eggs, which are pale greenish-blue in color, 

 almost white, unspotted. 



BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK, Haiia melanocephala (Swains) 



This beautiful western congener of the rose-breasted grosbeak, 

 Habia ludoviciana (Linn.), is a common summer resident of 

 the Flathead region. Its charming song is so nearly like that of 



