May, 1914 BIRDS OF NORTHERN MONTANA 133 1

in the prairies, nesting in cottonwood groves. I observed young near Choteau, well able to fly, in late 3ay, 191g. Nyotea nyotea. Snowy Owl. Occasional winter visitor on the prairies. Iturnia nlnla oaparoeh. 1tawk Owl. One seen near Summit, in fire-killed pine timber, November 8, 191g. (]landdim gnoma pinioola. Rocky 3ountain Pygmy Owl. Permanent resident. Observed frequently in different parts of the mountains, but most commonly in fir timber on Beaver Creek, a tributary of the Sun River. Ceryle aleyon alston. Belted Kingfisher. Common summer resident along streams, both in the prairies and mountains. Migration dates: April 9, 1912} and September 27, 191g. I)ryobatea viiloans montioola. Rocky 3ountain 1tairy Woodpecker. Per- manent resident. Found in winter and migrations in cottonwood groves along streams in the prairies. Breeds in pine and fir forests in the mountains. It is possible that the bird of this region is referable to leucomelas. I secured no specimens, but found a dead bird near Choteau, late in 3areh, 1912, from which I saved a wing. From the markings on this wing, I believe that this bird was intermediate between nwnti- cola and leucoelas. Dryobates pubescens (subspecies ?). D o w n y Woodpecker. One bird seen near Choteau, January 5, 1913. Since this bird oc- curred in winter, and this species is certainly not com- mon in this region in the breeding season, I believe that it may belong to D. p. nelson[ In this connection I wish to call attention to a note of Bendire's (Life Itist. N. Amer. Birds, vol. II, p. Fig. 43. NEST AND EOOS OF AVOCET. 56) made before this subspecies was described, but which undoubtedly proves the occurrence of nelsoni in lIontana in winter. Picoides arcticus. Arctic Three-toed Woodpecker. Observed in consid- erable numbers in fire-killed timber, on the South Fork of the Two ledicine River, January 15, 1912. Picoide americanus dorsalis. Alpine Three-toed Woodpecker. Ob- served in considerable numbers with the above species at the same time and place. A single bird seen in the same place 3arch 30, 1912, and one observed on Birch Creek June 2, 1912. A large area on the Two ledicine River was burned over in the summer of 1910. The next year the bark of the fire-killed trees was infested by a small beetle. The presence of this beetle evidently accounted for the abundance of three-toed woodpeckers on this area in Janu- ary. No birds were seen there the following winter. Melanerpea erythrocephalus. Red-headed Woodpecker. Rare summer resident. One bird seen near Choteau, July 16, 1911, and a pair near Strabane, June 5, 1912.