Nov., 1910 BIRD NOTES FROM SOUTHWESTERN MONTANA 199 Juncos evidently had a nest or young and where I past several evenings in suc- cession. I searcht this spot for three evenings before I finally found a single young bird. This bird was well leathered but unable to fly and I almost stept on it before I found it. When I caught it and it called in distress the parents be- came fairly frantic and flew at my bed, and fluttered in front of me almost within reach. As it was late in the evening and the light very poor I did not get a sue- cessful picture of this bird. Western Chipping Sparrows (?izella ?. arizon?e) were very abundant in this region and I found their nests most commonly of all. One of these nests, situated about two feet from the ground on a low limb of a lodgepole pine, was owned by one of the tamest birds I have met with. When I found the nest I almost toucht her before she would leave it, and the day I secured her picture I had to actually shake the limb before she would leave and allow me to see the contents of the nest. Then I found the reason why she sat newly-hatcht young and a single egg. On June 17, we moved camp from Pipestone Basin to the vicinity of Homestake, about six miles south. The country which we crost, and in which our next camp was situated is very rough and rocky. Clusters of great granit boulders are scattered thru the hills and along the ridge tops, many of them standing up on end in a curious and fantastic manner. This country was once well timbered, but the greater part of the timber, except in the least accessible places, was cut off for the Butte market some twenty years ago. A poor scattered second growth of fir has sprung up, but a large amount of it was recently winter- killed. There are a great many old fir stumps on this area, most of them containing old woodpecker holes. As we moved I walkt along behind the wagons,tap- so closely, for the nest then contained three Fig. 67. ADULT FEMALE WESTERN CHIPPING SPARRO? r ON NEST ping at these old stumps and keeping my eye out for birds and nests. About the clusters of boulders I saw several pairs of Townsend Solitaires (A/jryadesles lown- sendi), a bird for whose nest I have sought many times in vain. One male Solitaire was in the midst of his flight song. The flight-song of this species is something I have never seen mentioned by other writers, yet, to my mind it is the best flight-singer of any bird with which I am acquainted. The bird soars high above the rocky peaks and ridges till almost invisible; and the glorious loud and ringing song descends to the listener, each note as clear and pure and full of life and vigor as the mountain air itself. The bird seems tireless and the song continues for many minutes. Surely he can rival the Skylark. What a pity that this song is only rendered in the solitude of the moun- tains where few of us can ever know it ! And yet half the charm of the song lies in its harmony with its surroundings. A Solitaire away from the wild mountain crags would hardly seem the same bird.
