730 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 



768. Mountain Bluebird. 



Sialia arciicus SwAiTHS. 1831. 



On October loth, 1^98, 1 received a fine male mountain bluebird 

 from E. H. Patterson of Brandon, Man. It had been collected two 

 days before about two miles west of that city, and was in com- 

 pany with another individual of the same species. {George E. 

 Atkinson^ A few individuals of this species were observed in 

 the Rocky Mountains at Chief Mountain Lake, but no specimens 

 were preserved. (Coues.) Tolerably common summer resident 

 at Aweme, Manitoba. It breeds in the more hilly country; arrives 

 about May 7th and leaves about October isth. [(Norman Crtdd/e.) 

 First seen at Medicine Hat, Assa., April 6th, 1894, after that a 

 few were seen every day until May 9th, when the last one disap- 

 peared, they appeared to follow along the scattered timber in the 

 valley of the South Saskatchewan as they passed to the north; 

 a pair were found breeding June iSth, 1895, at Medicine Lodge, 

 south of Wood Mountain, Assa., and another pair in a clay bank 

 along Frenchman's River at Stony Creek Crossing; they were 

 also breeding in numbers along Milk River, especially at Castel- 

 lated Rocks in July, 1895; observed a few about the end of July, 

 1903, at Dunvegan, Peace River; observed nesting at Lacombe, 

 near Edmonton, Alta,, June i8th, 1897 ; common at Calgary and 

 southward in the foothills to Crow's Nest Pass ; common from 

 the upper crossing of the Lob-stick River to Camp River, B.C., 

 west of the Athabasca Pass; also seen in large flocks at the Henry 

 House, Athabasca Pass, September 2nd, 1898; last seen Septem- 

 ber 25th ; quite common and breeding early at Banff, Rocky 

 Mountains, it built its nest chiefly under the eaves of houses at 

 Banff; shot at Revelstoke, B.C., April loth, 1890 ; quite common 

 along the mountain slopes ; breeding in Eagle Pass near Revels- 

 toke in May, 1890; numbers of young birds were seen in the trees 

 along Pass Creek at Robson, B.C., June 20th, 1890, the birds had 

 nested in the cliffs about 700 feet above the water; common on 

 the International Boundary between Trail and Cascade, B.C., 

 breeding in holes in houses and trees ; abundant at Penticton, 

 south of Lake Okanagan, B.C., in April, 1903 ; they were in 

 flocks of from ten to fifty ; abundant in open places around 

 Fernie and Elko, B.C., in April and May, 1904. (Spreadborough^ 

 Local and hot uncommon and breeding in suitable places at 



