128 
THE CONDOR 
I Vol. IV 
to say the least, and perhaps were en- 
tered through misidentification. The 
statement is made that “near the mouth 
(of the river), where a sage-brush can- 
yon extends to the river bottom. Sage 
Thrashers {Oroscoptes montamis) were 
abundant, and in the low scrubby wil- 
lows were the nests made of twigs and 
lined with rootlets.” Ray does not 
mention the California thrasher which 
is abundant in the brushy parts of the 
same region. Further he states that 
“at the head of these arid canyons the 
merry little Canyon Wren {Catlierpes 
mexicanns conspersiis) shares its lonely 
habitat with the rattlesnake.” (!) The 
rock wren does not receive mention and 
is a species characteristic of such locali- 
ties as described. The student of dis- 
tribution would possibly feel more at 
ease if the specimen of '' Ammodramiis 
savannariim perpallidus" were also re- 
identified. Extreme care in identifica- 
tion of species and subspecies is becom- 
ing more and more requisite, as the 
study of chorology advances. A few 
false stations are liable to confuse the 
.student and cause erroneous deduc- 
tions, as has been already emphasized 
elsewhere. 
The Holboell Grebe in Montana. 
liV I‘. M. SII.I.OW.W. 
S WAN LAKE, the center of my 
activities during the oological 
season of 1902, lies nearly east of 
the head of Flathead Lake, and proper- 
ly comes within the Flathead Lake 
region. It is separated from the larger 
lake by the northern end of the Mission 
range, and as Flathead Lake follows 
the base of the western slopes of the 
Mission Mountains, so Swan I,ake lies 
along their eastern slopes. For about 
twelve miles Swan Lake parallels the 
larger lake, both being in sight from 
the crests of the intervening heights. 
The lake is apparently the result of 
glacial action, whereby a slightly sinu- 
ous furrow averaging at least a half 
mile wide was worn in the depression 
between the Mission and Swan ranges, 
leaving a t3"pical mountain lake, 
through which Swan River glides on its 
way to Flathead I^ake. The foot of 
Swan Lake is about eight miles from 
the University of Montana Biological 
Station, from which I had previously 
made collecting trips to the lake. Here- 
tofore, however, the head of Swan Lake 
had been an enchanted region quite un- 
known to the “bug-house” people, and 
I had long looked forward to the oppor- 
tunity of the present season. 
At its head the lake spreads out into 
a nearl}^ circular area at least two miles 
in diameter, be3^ond which la3" a sub- 
merged region of a square mile or more, 
overgrown thickly with old reeds and 
similar water weeds, the haunt of in- 
numerable water-fowl, as I had been 
informed b3^ the veracious natives. 
Here was a scene for a naturalist, the 
surroundings being rugged, pine-clad 
or fire-swept mountains, whose shoul- 
ders bore the accumulations of the 
snows of centuries. This was the forest 
primeval, the heart of the Lewis and 
Clarke forest reserve, an area including 
4,572 square miles. It is needle.ss to 
say that the familiar signs, “Keep out,” 
and “No hunting with dogs or guns,” 
are not to be seen at the place 1 had 
selected for my summer’s o])erations. 
M3’ headquarters was the cabin of 
Mr. Erne.st Bond, the forest-ranger who 
has charge of the immediate district. 
Among the various wildwood decora- 
tions of his cabin, one of the first that 
