52 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Spotted Sandpiper, Actitis macularia. — This picturesque 

 little Sandpiper builds its slight nest on the banks of most of the 

 creeks and rivers. The eggs vary in number from three to four. 

 We never met with this Sandpiper on the sloughs or alkaline 

 lakes ; from which I infer that it prefers running water to stag- 

 nant pools. 



Killdeer Plover, Mgialitis vocifera. — This charming Plover 

 of the prairie proved to be nesting numerously in all the district. 

 Many are the ruses employed to attract a stranger away from its 

 young. Sometimes it lies on the ground with one wing extended 

 and the tail expanded like a fan, as if endeavouring to draw 

 attention to the bright feathers of the rump and tail-coverts. 

 The pattern of the markings of the young in down correspond to 

 the feathering of the adults. 



Pinnated Grouse, Tympanuchus americanus. — This bird 

 appears to be rare in the region. The only example that we 

 came across was an old cock, which I shot near Moose Creek 

 in July. 



Prairie Chicken, Pedioccetes phasianellus campestris. — The 

 Common Sharp-tailed Grouse breeds generally in this region. Dr. 

 Coues states that thirteen was. the largest number of eggs which 

 he found in a clutch ; their number ranges from ten to fourteen, 

 but I only found the latter number on two occasions. It has 

 been stated that this bird does not feed on grain, but this is a 

 mistake. Its chief food is the seed-vessel of a wild rose ; but it 

 resorts to the stubbles in autumn, and feeds on grain greedily. 

 Some of those which I shot in the stubble contained nothing else 

 but grain ; others had a few small grasshoppers in their crops. 



Passenger-Pigeon, Ectopistes migratorius. — A few Passenger- 

 Pigeons were observed on the wooded banks of the Souris at 

 Oxbow in June ; presumably they breed there, but we did not 

 find a nest. 



Turkey-Buzzard, Cathartes aura. — The only Turkey-Buzzard 

 that I met with in this district was shot on Sept. 13th, near the 

 Souris River. It was feeding on the carcase of an antelope. 



Swallow-tailed Kite, Elanoides forficatus. — My attention 

 was drawn to a bird of this species by the hubbub created by a 

 party of King-birds, which mobbed the rare stranger with the 

 utmost temerity. The hawk struck one of the boldest of its 

 persecutors, which fell to the ground near me with a fractured 



