May, 1914 
BIRDS OF NORTHERxV MONTANA 
137 
Spinus pinus. Pine Siskin. Abundant summer resident in the moun- 
tains, nesting in lodgepole pine and Douglas fir forests, in the Canadian zone. 
Also found to a lesser extent in the Transition zone, nesting in cottonwoods 
along the foothills of the mountains. 
Plectrophenax nivalis nivalis. Snow Bunting. Winter visitor on the 
prairies. Occurs in large flocks with the Pallid Horned Lark and Alaska 
Longspur. 
Galcarius lapponieus alascensis. Alaska L ^gspur. Migrant and winter 
visitor, occuring on the prairies with the above species and the Pallid Horned 
Lark. Migration date : October 31, 1912. 
Galcarius ornatus. Chestnut-collared Longspur. Summer resident on the 
prairies. Eather local in 
distribution, as I have ob- 
served it only in the neigh- 
borhood of Priest Butte, 
where it was first noted May 
8, 1912. In this same local- 
ity I found a young bird 
just out of the nest, and a 
nest containing eggs, on 
June 23, 1912. 
Rhynchophanes mccow- 
ni, MeCown Longspur. 
Abundant summer resident 
on the prairies. In some 
places on the flat-topped 
prairie benches, this is the 
only bird to be found. Mi- 
gration dates : October 16, 
1911, and April 17, 1912. I 
believe that there are either 
two broods, or else the birds 
nest irregularly from the 
time of their arrival until 
late July. The evidence col- 
lected is as follows: The ear- Fig. 45. Nest and eggs of Thick-billed Redwing. 
Hest nest I have record of 
was found May 22, 1912, when it contained two half-grown young, that left 
the nest on May 27. A second nest contained three fresh eggs on May 26, 
1912. In 1911 I found a nest containing eggs on June 25. These eggs had not 
hatched on July 4, when I found another nest with eggs. On July 3, 1911, 
and again on July 17, I observed young birds out of the nest and barely able 
to fly. (See fig. 47.) 
Pooecetes gramineus confinis. Western Vesper Sparrow. Abundant 
summer resident in the prairie region, and in mountain meadows up to 6000 
feet. Nesting begins early in June, and the first young are on the wing early 
in Jidy. Migration dates: September 18, 1911, and April 29, 1912. 
Passerculus sandwichensis alaudinus. Western Savannah Sparrow. 
Abundant summer resident of the prairie region, nesting in rather wet mea- 
dows. Migration date: April 30, 1912. 
