140 
TIIIv CONDOR 
Vol. XVI 
Piranga ludoviciana. Western Tanager. Common summer resident in 
the mountains. Nests in fir forests. Migration dates: August 28, 1911, on 
the Sun River, and June 4, 1912, on Birch Creek. 
Petrochelidon lunifrons lunifrons. Cliff Swallow. Abundant summer 
resident of the prairies. Nests commonly both on buildings and on the steep 
sides of buttes. People in Choteau destroy their nests as fast as they are built, 
believing that the birds carry bed-bugs, kly observations seem to show that 
the birds will not nest on wooden buildings that are kept painted, jjrefering 
either stone buildings or unpainted wooden ones. Migration date : June 7, 
1912. 
Hirundo erythrogastra. Barn Swallow. Summer resident on the j^rai- 
ries. Occurs regularly in small numbers but is not common. Migration date : 
June 7, 1912. 
Tachycineta thalassina lepida. Northern Violet-green Swallow. Summer 
resident in the mountain canyons. Most common in the southern part of the 
region and rare northward. These birds are known as “Rock SAvalloAvs” in 
this region. 
Riparia riparia. Bank SAvalloAV. Common summer resident in the prai- 
rie region. Colonies are very common along the steep clay banks of the rivers. 
Migration date: May 26, 1912. 
Stelgidopteryx serripennis. Rough-winged SAvalloAv. Common summer 
resident. Nests in clay banks along the rivers, usually as single, scattered 
jiairs. but I haA'e seen several pairs nesting in a colony Avith the above species. 
IMigration date : May 22, 1912. This SAvalloAv Avas fairly abundant for several 
days before the other species arrived. 
Bombycilla gaxrula. Bohemian WaxAving. Common Avinter Ausitor both 
on the prairies and in the mountains, being most abundant along the foothills 
of the mountains. Occurs in the mountains rarely in summer and probably 
breeds (see Condor, xiv, 1912, p. 224). Migration date: March 30, 1912. 
Bombycilla cedrorum. Cedar WaxAAung. Common siimmer resident on 
the prairies and in the loAver mountain canyons, beloAV 5000 feet. Migration 
date: June 23, 1912. Nesting generally begins the middle of July, but I found 
one nest at Choteau that Avas half built on June 28, and in AA'hich the four eggs 
Avere laid July 5 to 8. 
Lanius borealis. Northern Shrike. Winter visitant. I found it rare 
in the Avinter of 1911-12, and saAv none at all in 1912-13. Prom a feAV observa- 
tions in other parts of the state I am inclined to think that these birds Avere 
rare all over the state in these tAVO years. Migration date: October 16, 1911. 
Lanius ludoAdcianus excubitorides. White-rumped Shrike. Summer resi- 
dent of the prairie region. Quite common in the summer of 1911, but seen 
only once in 1912. This occurrence Avas at Choteau on April 9, AA’^hen the bird 
had evidently just arrived. My migration dates for this species in Montana 
are quite Amriable, and lead me to believe that this is due to a Avide difference 
in the migration dates of the two subspecies occurring in the state. L. 1. 
CTCulntorifles eAudently breeds only in valleys of the Transition zone, beloAv 
4500 feet elevation, arriving early in April, as shoAvn by the above date, and by 
another record, April 9, 1911, at Helena, at an eleAmfion of about 4000 feet. 
The other subspecies L. 1. migrans, is evidently a migrant only, occurring in 
the upper Transition zone, about 5000 feet elevation, in May. The CAudence 
to shoAv this is certain only in the case of a bird taken at Anaconda, May 14, 
