50 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



young considerably outnumbered the adults. They seemed to 

 spend most of their time in floating gracefully on the water, 

 always congregating in flocks composed exclusively of their own 

 species. 



Wilson's Phalarope, Phalaropus tricolor, — We did not find 

 the nest of this bird, but as I shot two young ones as early as 

 July 21st, it is probable that they breed somewhere near. The 

 birds in question, like one shot in September, contained the 

 remains of numerous small beetles. They consorted freely with 

 other species of waders. 



American Avocet, Recurvirostra americana. — When shooting 

 on an alkaline slough eighty miles west of the Souris coal-fields, 

 on the 10th of September, we fell in with three of these graceful 

 birds, wading in the shallows, daintily probing the mud with their 

 recurved bills, so little apprehensive of danger that they allowed 

 me to approach within thirty-five yards of them. These were the 

 only examples noticed. 



Wilson's Snipe, Gallinago delicata. — In September Snipe 

 were plentiful on marshy land near the Nameless Lake, but we 

 never met with them in "wisps." Those which I flushed in- 

 variably rose singly or in couples ; their flight appeared to be less 

 irregular than that of the European bird. 



Long-billed Dowitcher, Macrorhamphus scolopaceus. — A 

 few Red-breasted Snipe arrived on the sloughs near Dalesbro' on 

 July 6th ; they remained until the end of the month, and I shot 

 several of them, all adult males. 



Pectoral Sandpiper, Tringa metadata. — The only speci- 

 mens met with were adult males, shot in July on a slough near 

 Dalesbro'. 



Least Sandpiper, Tringa minutilla. — Large numbers of 

 American Little Stints frequented the shores of an alkaline lake 

 in the Souris district in September. All those brought home 

 are in first dress. 



Marbled Godwit, Limosa fedoa. — This bird breeds sparingly 

 near Dalesbro' ; I found four highly incubated eggs in nido on 

 the 28th June. Several large flocks of this Godwit made their 

 appearance on the 29th of August. Their loud shrill whistle is 

 audible at a great distance. 



Greater Yellow-legs, Totanus melanoleucas. — Large num- 

 bers of the Greater Yellowshanks frequented the alkaline lakes 



