EARLY MONTANA NATURALISTS AND OOLOGISTS*

MARC J. BECHARD, Department of Biology, Boise State University, Boise, Idaho, U.S.A. 83725 and C. STUART HOUSTON, 863 University Drive, Saskatoon, Saskat¬ chewan, Canada. S7N OJ8

Many eminent naturalists studied birds Verendrye had visited the Mandan on the plains of northern Montana. villages in December 1738 and that Beginning with Lewis and Clark in 1805, Spanish fur traders already had ascend¬ naturalists initially crossed the state us¬ ed the Missouri, Lewis mistakenly wrote ing the two major "water highways," the on 7 April 1805, just before leaving Fort Missouri and Yellowstone rivers, which Mandan, (north of present day Bismarck), joined a few miles east of the present that he was "about to penetrate a coun¬ North Dakota-Montana boundary. In the try ... on which the foot of civilized man 1860s, army surgeons, trained in natural had never trodden."21 Although they sciences, began to accompany U.S. Ar¬ were not the first to visit this stretch of my expeditions which surveyed railroad river, they made the earliest observations routes through hostile Indian territory. concerning its wildlife. Lewis, for in¬ Each surgeon made collections of plants stance, was the first to report Canada and animals. Two of them, George Geese nesting in hawk and eagle nests, Suckley and Elliott Coues, briefly cross¬ of a previous year, high in cottonwoods, ed the 49th parallel, north into what is and Clark's description of the "whistle- now southern Saskatchewan. Records of ing" note of the swan led George Ord to these early visitors provide a valuable give the common name of "Whistling historic perspective concerning the nor¬ Swan" to Anas columbianus in 1815. By thern great plains, which then contain¬ 26 April the expedition left the mouth of ed vast herds of bison, elk, and pro¬ the Yellowstone and entered into what nghorn. Nowhere, except perhaps In the is now Montana. Lewis described nor¬ pioneering days on the African veldt, had thern Montana as "truly a desert barren there been comparable numbers of large country," leading early cartographers mammals.21 and later explorers to label it "the Great American Desert".21 On 29 April, they Meriwether Lewis and William Clark shot their first Grizzly Bear just above the were commissioned by President Thomas mouth of the Poplar River. Lewis' Jefferson to map the Missouri River and description of this bear, then common on continue to the Pacific Ocean. Clark was the plains, was the first with anatomical the cartographer. Lewis, though much detail and it was later used by Ord as the less knowledgeable than later naturalists, "type specimen" for Ursus horribilis in and quite unaware of the need to 1815.37 describe and name new species, was to collect the plants and animals. As Unfortunately, specimens Lewis col¬ McKelvey says, "Lewis and Clark were lected between Fort Mandan and Great to all intents and purposes untrained in Falls, which they reached on 22 June, any science and had as their major were destroyed by flood waters at Great responsibility the safety of some fifty per¬ Falls during the next winter. Without sons."34 Unaware that the senior La them, most of Lewis' observations do not * Fifth in a series on oologists of the Northern Great Plains.

20 Blue Jay allow confident identification as to Latin names and thus failed to be species. Nevertheless, Lewis wrote of the recognized as "type specimens." Swift Fox and was the first to recognize that the Western and Eastern Lewis' list of botanical "firsts" is more meadowlarks were different. While ex¬ impressive, because a German botanist, ploring the Marias River, he recorded suf¬ Frederick Pursh, gave Latin names to 77 ficient detail to receive credit for the first of Lewis' specimens. Many of these were sight record of the Sage Grouse, 22 years collected along the Marias River during before Bonaparte gave it a scientific Lewis' return trip through Montana in Ju¬ name. Before crossing the Rocky Moun¬ ly and early August of 1806.21 tains into Idaho, Lewis collected a Bushy- tailed Wood Rat, which became the type Reports of unlimited wildlife, par¬ specimen when described by Ord in ticularly fur-bearers, soon attracted the 1815.37 interest of trading companies. By 1831, steamboats of the American Fur Com¬ Lewis' most lasting contributions to or¬ pany went up the Missouri regularly as nithology were not made until the ex¬ far as Pierre and once a year as far as Fort pedition's return trip in 1806. Near the Union, built in 1829 near the junctions present site of Kamiah, Idaho, he col¬ of the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers. lected specimens later named by Alex¬ Ornithologists soon followed. ander Wilson as the Lewis' Woodpecker, Clark's Nutcracker and Western In 1833, Alexander Maximilian, Prince Tanager.2 Other "firsts" credited to Lewis of Wied-Neuwied, spent 2 weeks at Fort by Cutright and Coues were not given Union, and then followed up the

March 1986. 44(1) 21 Missouri the full width of the plains to who travelled overland and did not rely Fort McKenzie on the Marias River, 11 on the river for transportation.42 Led by miles northeast of present Fort Benton. Governor l.l. Stevens of the new Maximilian shot and prepared many Washington Territory, the party left Sauk birds, but most were lost when the steam¬ Rapids, Minnesota, on 6 June. Before boat carrying them went up in flames.32 reaching Fort Union, Suckley led a side A Pinyon Jay specimen was nevertheless trip on 28 July to visit the pierced rock saved and described by Maximilian as a (Roche Percee), in "British Territory."41 species new to science. Suckley collected bird specimens in North Dakota and Saskatchewan and In 1843, John James Audubon, accom¬ preserved them in alcohol, but unfor¬ panied by Edward Harris, Isaac Sprague tunately they were lost in the Ohio River and John G. Bell, all of whom thereby en route to Washington.31 Suckley left contributed their names to new bird Fort Union on 9 August, travelling with species, ascended the Missouri and resid¬ horses and wagons alongside the ed at Fort Union for over 2 months, 12 Missouri River across the Northern Great June to 16 August. Once or twice they Plains. He reached Fort Benton on 8 followed buffalo hunts southwest into September and continuing west reached what is now Montana. On 24 June Fort Colville on 13 November and the Sprague killed a new species, the mouth of the Columbia River on 9 Sprague's Pipit, and discovered its nest December. At Shoalwater Bay, with five eggs. As Audubon remarked to Washington, he collected the type Harris, "it had very rarely happened to specimen of the dark subspecies of the him to discover a new bird and to ascer¬ Merlin, named Falco columbarius tain all its habits and to procure its nest suckleyi by Ridgway. With J.G. Cooper and eggs in the course of a few days."33 he wrote A Report on the Birds Collected on the Route Near the 47th and 49th At Fort Union, Audubon also collected Parallels, which was later reprinted with a new sparrow, which he named for a a different title.16 17 42 20-year-old student, Spencer Fullerton Baird, who had been unable to accom¬ In 1854 and 1855, Ferdinand Van- pany the expedition.23 The Western diveer Hayden accompanied Colonel Meadowlark, long overlooked in spite of Alfred Vaughan, an Indian agent, to Mon¬ a very different song from the well-known tana. They explored the Yellowstone Eastern Meadowlark, was recognized by River and the Missouri River west to Fort Audubon and Harris as the "New Benton. Hayden returned for further ex¬ Meadowlark" as they ascended the plorations of both rivers in 1856, this time Missouri.3 The "type specimen" was not under Lieutenant G.K. Warren. Flayden's collected until they reached Fort Union,2 greatest contributions were to Geology, then in "Nebraska Territory" though the but he published notes on 183 species of territory was not formally promulgated birds. His accounts are disappointingly until 1854. Such listings for "Fort Union, vague as to locality and date. However, Nebraska" have confused many an or¬ he reported the Turkey Vulture as "very nithologist because, although just 67 abundant," and the Merlin as "one of the miles south of the 49th parallel, the ad¬ most common and abundant birds in the dress did not change to "Dakota Ter¬ Northwest ... usually along the woody ritory" until 1867. bottoms of streams." The Common Raven was "very abundant ... in the Dr. George Suckley, who accom¬ vicinity of large herds of buffalo," and the panied the Northern Pacific Railroad Ex¬ Black-billed Magpie was observed pedition of 1853, was the first naturalist feeding on the meat of the "buffalo and

22 Blue Jay other game." Hayden collected some sets he collected, 5 contained Brown¬ bird skins, including specimens of the headed Cowbird eggs, whereas 29 nests Eskimo Curlew taken in migration near of other ground-nesting birds had no Fort Union.29 cowbird eggs.1 On 10 July, they crossed the Little Missouri River and by 13 July In 1860 Dr. James Graham Cooper (for they reached Beaver Creek, near present whom the Cooper Ornithological Socie¬ Wibaux, Montana. ty was named, and the son of William Cooper, for whom Bonaparte named Upland Sandpipers were common on Cooper's Hawk) was attached to a the prairies and an occasional Fer¬ military expedition under Major G.M. ruginous Hawk nest contained "coarse Blake, to follow the overland route along sticks mixed with the ribs of antelopes the new military road constructed by and buffalos." On 16 July they reached Captain John Mullan through the Rocky the Yellowstone River near present Glen¬ Mountains west of present Helena.15 dive. Here they found Mountain Leaving Fort Union in mid-June, Cooper Bluebirds and Sage Grouse, but only a collected "numerous specimens of small few Barn Swallows nesting under projec¬ mammals, birds and eggs," which were ting rocks. They ascended the sent to the Smithsonian Institution but Yellowstone to Pompey's Pillar, crossed "were never received there."19 Cooper's overland to the Musselshell River west of bird observations in five instalments in present Roundup, and then cut back the American Naturalist were not across the Yellowstone near Little Por¬ published until 1868 and 1869.18 19 cupine Creek, returning much the way Cooper was on the first steamboat to as¬ they had come. Allen reported that the cend the Missouri to Fort Benton.15 On Black-billed Magpie was seen only at 'dis¬ this trip the Lark Bunting, "the pretty and tant intervals."1 musical bird of the high plains," was everywhere. The Passenger Pigeon, he Dr. Elliott Coues, whose lifetime said, "breeds here," though the only nest publications totalled over 600, spent his of a Columbid found was that of a Mour¬ second summer surveying birds with the ning Dove with two eggs. Black-billed United States Northern Boundary Com¬ Magpies were not encountered until he mission in 1874.22 His first survey had reached Fort Benton.19 begun the previous summer at Pembina on 1 July; "in some particular spots" bet¬ In 1873, Joel Asaph Allen, later to be ween there and the Souris River, Baird's first president of the American Or¬ Sparrow surprisingly had "outnumbered nithologists' Union and editor of The Auk all the other birds together."20 for 28 years, was naturalist with the se¬ cond Northern Pacific Railroad Expedi¬ Coues began his 1874 survey on 21 tion under General D.S. Stanley. They left June at Fort Buford, just 3 miles east of the Missouri at Fort Rice, south of pre¬ Fort Union.22 Following the north bank sent Bismarck, crossed the Heart River of the Missouri and then the Frenchman near its Big Bend on 26 June, and follow¬ River, where American Bison were first ed the north bank of Big Muddy Creek encountered, they found the Mountain for 20 miles, where they were detained Plover common, locating a nest with from 28 June to 1 July. Here within pre¬ three eggs on 15 July. Other characteristic sent North Dakota, Allen, a keen nest species in the Missouri drainage in 1874 finder, found the first nest ever found of were Sage Grouse, Burrowing Owl, the Baird's Sparrow, and collected Horned Lark, Western Kingbird, Le Con¬ several new species of butterflies for te's Sparrow, and McCown's Longspur. Samuel Scudder. Of 18 Lark Bunting egg At that time the Swift Fox was common,

March 1986. 44(1) 23 but Black-billed Magpies were en¬ River Lake, 49° 01' N 110° 12' W, on 22 countered only west of the Milk River. July. Coues then moved slightly south of Baird's Sparrows, Sprague's Pipits and west to the “Three Buttes" in the Chestnut-collared Longspurs were, sur¬ Sweetgrass Hills of Montana where he prisingly, less common than they had found Mountain Sheep for the first time. been the previous summer. Upland Sandpipers were not seen after leaving In the 1880s, two keen oologists were the Missouri, but the Long-billed Curlew successively stationed at Fort Custer, was “found in profusion over the prairie" where the mountains of southern Mon¬ along the Milk River. The Mountain tana meet the Northern Great Plains. The Plover was common near the Frenchman first was Dr. James Cushing Merrill, who River and a nest with three eggs was in 1881 published "Oological notes from found on 9 July. Coues collected five sets Montana" in which he claimed to have of Swainson's Hawk eggs, (none with found the first-ever sets of the "Pink-sided more than two eggs), all from nests on Junco" and “Red-naped Sapsucker."31 36 a projecting shelf of ground, generally He also took sets of the Ruby-crowned near the top of a creek embankment.20 Kinglet, Mountain Chickadee, Audubon's This is one of the first records of Swain¬ Warbler, and Arctic Towhee, very few of son's Hawk nesting in structures other which had been obtained previously.36 than trees — a necessity in this nearly The earliest Montana egg sets in the treeless country. Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology (WFVZ) collections are two sets Coues reached the 49th parallel at Bat¬ of Vesper Sparrow eggs collected at Fort tle River on 15 July. John E. Parson's 1963 Custer, one in 1881 by Merrill and book, West on the 49th Parallel, allows another in 1885 by the second oologist, identification of the sites of two of Coues' Major Charles Emil Bendire, a hospital most important raptor nests, with a map steward in the U.S.Army. Bendire was showing the location of the astronomical one of the most indefatigable egg collec¬ station on the 49th parallel at Lodge tors of all time; he published two magnifi¬ Creek.39 This is almost exactly where the cent volumes of Life Histories, famous for Willow Creek customs entry post is now their colour plates of birds' eggs.6 Coues located on Saskatchewan Highway 21. arranged for Bendire's collection to form Within “a few hundred yards" of the the basis of the oological cabinet at the astronomical station, Coues located one Smithsonian and for Bendire to be its nest each of the Swainson's Hawk, Fer¬ honorary curator until his death.31 Fort ruginous Hawk and Prairie Falcon. Custer was also visited for 3 days in 1889 Upstream to the northwest “a few by a third Army surgeon, Dr. Edgar Alex¬ miles," (later rendered as “ten miles") ander Mearns, who published a short list was an active Peregrine Falcon nest with of birds in the area.35 three young, on a slight shelf 12 feet below the top of a 90-foot perpendicular From July 1888 through September “cut-bank" of Lodge Creek. This was un¬ 1892, Captain Platte M. Thorne of the doubtedly the first Peregrine Falcon nest 22nd Infantry, U.S. Army, was stationed ever recorded in Saskatchewan and was at Fort Keogh, just a few miles above pre¬ only one vailey west of Battle Creek sent Miles City. He published a list of 137 where J.E. Bowman found one Peregrine species of birds identified there. He listed pair nesting in 1914, one in 1916, and the Upland Sandpiper, Long-billed two in 1917.4 5 Although misrepresented Curlew and Sage Grouse as common. on the Cutright- Brodhead map22, Coues Raptors, with the exception of the continued within Canada, across what is American Kestrel and Great Horned Owl, now the Alberta boundary, to reach Milk had already become scarce.43

24 Blue Jay a rule "never to kill wild birds on his ranch." Though he made detailed obser¬ vations of the nesting behaviour of the Golden Eagle,7 11 Ferruginous Hawk,14 Swainson's Hawk,12 13 and Great Blue Heron,8 he seems to have collected on¬ ly an occasional addled egg.12 His long, well-written articles on the above species, illustrated with excellent photographs, appeared in The Auk, together with detailed notes on 192 species.9 10 Like most birdwatchers of his day, he did not identify birds by their songs, so had fewer records of the smaller species.

Cameron provides details of the almost universal persecution suffered by raptors in the early ranching days, mirroring the philosophy evident at that time across the border in Saskatchewan: "...all large hawks, lumped together under the name of hen-hawk, have their nests destroyed, and their young ruthlessly stoned at sight, even if the parent birds escape being E.S. Cameron shot."12 As a result, Swainson's Hawks Photo courtesy Ray Quigley were greatly reduced in numbers by 1913, and the Ferruginous Hawk, once The first serious resident student of "abundant" had become "very scarce," breeding birds in Montana was Ewen although nesting pairs had the protection Somerled Cameron, who had been born of the rancher at two localities.14 and raised in the Western Isles of Scotland. Before he came to ranch in Cameron tells how the Golden Eagle Montana in 1889 at the age of 34, he had was "very common" during his first years attended Oxford University and had in Montana until high bounties were been elected a Fellow of the Zoological placed on wolves. During 1897, 22,082 Society of London and a Member of the coyotes and 6,112 wolves were killed as British Ornithologists' Union.38 "eastern Montana swarmed with profes¬ sional wolfers ... their average catch was Cameron and his wife lived briefly at three to six eagles apiece each winter." a ranch on the west side of the Powder Fifty to 60 Golden Eagles were trapped River south of Terry, before moving to and poisoned each year near Terry, their own ranch closer to Terry. In 1902 together with many migrating and winter¬ they moved to another ranch four miles ing Rough-legged Hawks.7 "Magpies north of Fallon on the north side of the were entirely exterminated on the south Yellowstone. These ranches were near side of the Yellowstone," evidence that the boundary between Dawson and non-raptorial species suffered as well.7 Custer counties. An enthusiastic hunter, Cameron took long trips as far as the Until the last bison had been killed in Missouri Brakes south of Jordan (now oc¬ 1893, Turkey Vultures were "incredibly cupied by the Fort Peck Reservoir), numerous" and roosted "in the where he hunted Grizzly Bear. He had thousands" near Dan Bowman's ranch

March 1986. 44(1) 25 on the Powder River south of Terry. A "colony" of 75 persisted until 1887, but they rapidly declined; Cameron himself had only six sightings of up to six in¬ dividuals and no nesting reports between 1889 and 1906.9

Pinyon Jays were common permanent residents in the pine hills. Cameron described in detail the first two nests found in Montana, and told of flocks of 100 of these interesting jays.9

Cameron's dedication is evident from the fact that he and his wife moved 40 miles to a friend's ranch for 9 months in 1907, simply to study the Golden Eagles that nested there in a tall pine on a steep hillside. These eagles were unusual because they lived almost exclusively on Black-tailed Prairie Dogs. They took no notice of a man mounted on a horse. Cameron could ride beneath the branch George Willett, Alaska, 1912 on which the adults perched and Photo courtesy Ray Quigley photograph them without disturbance.11 Unfortunately, in early 1915 horses fell on Cameron twice; he died that May after North Dakota, on 28 May 1899.44 He a four-month illness.38 took a set of four Long-billed Curlew eggs from the Bearpaw Mountains south of In 1903, George Willett, later of the Los Havre on 13 May 1902, the year after Ed Angeles County Museum, spent the sum¬ Boyer had taken a similar set from the mer near Malta.30 He published an im¬ same area for E.S. Bryant. Thereafter portant article about the birds on two Bowman seems to have restricted his col¬ nesting islands in Bowdoin Lake, where lecting entirely to raptors. He took a set there were hundreds of Great Blue of three Golden Eagle eggs from a pine Herons and a small colony of White 60 feet from the ground in the Bearpaw Pelicans. Willett swam to the island with Mountains on 27 April 1902 and the a ten-pound wooden pickle bucket to same day a set of five Prairie Falcon eggs bring back the eggs.45 On the prairies he from a cliff hole. He returned to this cliff found 50 nests of the Sage Grouse, with and took a second set the following year. clutches of 8 to 15 eggs.44 His sets of eight Presumably the N.R. Bowman who took species, including a single Golden Eagle a Ferruginous Hawk set in 1903 was a egg, are in the collections of the Western relative, if not a mis-reading for W.A. Loundation of Vertebrate Zoology Bowman. (WLVZ). For the next few years William Near Chinook, William A. Bowman Bowman took a special interest in Buteo and John E. Bowman collected raptor eggs. In 1904, his most active year, he eggs with great enthusiasm. William is collected at least eight sets of Ferruginous known to have collected a set of four Hawk and one set of Swainson's Hawk Western Grebe eggs at Sweetwater Lake, eggs plus a set of Prairie Falcon eggs. His

26 Blue Jay Peregrine Falcon sets collected in 1905 E.J. Darlington and R.M. Barnes and are and 1906 are important records for now in the Field Museum of Natural Choteau County; one nest was 20 feet History in Chicago. In 1914, John began from the top of a 40-foot face and the se¬ annual trips along the tributaries of the cond was 6 feet from the top of a 31 -foot Milk River in Hill, Choteau and Blaine face. counties and into southwestern Saskat¬ chewan. Presumably he travelled on In 1904 and 1907 William Bowman horseback, along Lodge Creek, then call¬ made trips into Saskatchewan, each year ed "West Fork Creek" or "Willow collecting one set each of Prairie Falcon Creek," along the east fork of Battle eggs and of Ferruginous Hawk eggs. His Creek called "East Fork," and along Bat¬ last set of Ferruginous Hawk eggs was tle Creek, then called "North Fork taken in 1909 near Chinook. He remain¬ Creek." In Saskatchewan alone he took ed in Chinook for several years, various¬ 17 Ferruginous sets, all on Battle Creek ly listed as a restaurant owner, a saloon or Lodge Creek, and all on cutbanks, owner, a homesteader, and a painter. In never in trees. John also took nine Prairie 1914 the Chinook Opinion reported he Falcon sets in Saskatchewan and six sets had shot a deer in the Rockies that in Montana. Important for the historical season. record are the eight sets of Peregrine Falcon eggs, four along Battle Creek in John E. Bowman began collecting eggs Saskatchewan and four in Montana, bet¬ in 1911, after William had stopped. Since ween 1914 and 191 7. the Chinook Opinion reported instances of John visiting William, one suspects that John Bowman did not collect eggs after John was either a son or a younger 1917. In addition to sets in the WFVZ and brother of William's. In 1911, John took Field Museum, other eggs are in the col¬ 14 sets of Ferruginous Hawk and five sets lections of the Carnegie Museum (Pitt¬ of Swainson's Hawk eggs in Choteau sburgh), American Museum of Natural County between 23 April and 1 May; two History (New York), Agassiz Museum of of the Swainson's sets found their way to Harvard University (Cambridge), and the

Bowman residence, Chinook, Montana (corner of Illinois and Third; one of the oldest houses standing in Chinook) Keith C. Abel

March 1986. 44(1) 27 A.D. Du Bois taking bird photographs Photo courtesy Ray Quigley

Richter Collection of the University of habits of prairie birds.27 28 Du Bois was Wisconsin (Green Bay). a pioneer in life history studies who deserves to be remembered. The other oologist of consequence in Montana was Alexander Dawes Du Bois, Interest in oology declined early.There who worked for the Forest Service in have been no resident oologists on the Flatland National Forest in 1914 and then Montana plains since 1917, when L.L. homesteaded for several years near Dut¬ Walters took a set of Sage Grouse eggs ton in Teton County. Seven of his sets are near Jordan. Visiting oologists since then in the WFVZ: four of McCown's have included W.J. Sheffler, A. Walker Longspur, two of Chestnut-collared and Ed N. Flarrison. Longspur, and one of the Sora. Fie con¬ tributed two minor notes to The Condor Montana thus has a rich historical at the time, and then in the 1930s he legacy, largely forgotten by modern or¬ published exemplary life-history studies nithologists. As regards oology, we might of the Baird's Sparrow, Chestnut-collared wish the Bowmans had shown a little Longspur and FHorned Lark, based on restraint, yet their records provide our careful, detailed observations years only evidence that the Peregrine Falcon earlier in Montana.24 26 25 More popular once nested in southwestern Saskat¬ accounts were published posthumously chewan. Ewen Cameron's writings offer in book form, Birds and their Ways in¬ corroborating evidence to that provided cluding his Montana accounts of the in adjacent Saskatchewan by Spencer

28 Blue Jay Pearse and Laurence Potter and in 6 BENDIRE, C. 1892 Life histories of North Manitoba by Ernest Thompson Seton, American birds. 2 vols. Smithsonian Contribu¬ regarding the disastrous effects of raptor tions to knowledge #28. Washington: persecution in the early years of Smithsonian Inst. settlement. 7 CAMERON, E.S. 1905. Nesting of the Golden Eagle in Montana. Auk 22:158-167. Acknowledgements: 8 CAMERON, E.S. 1906. Nesting of the Great We wish to thank Lloyd Kiff of the Blue Heron in Montana. Auk 23:252-262. Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology; David Willard of the Field 9 CAMERON, E.S. 1907. The birds of Custer and Museum of Natural History; Thomas Erd- Dawson counties, Montana. Auk 24:241-270, man of the Richter Collection of Natural 389-406. History; John Bull of the American 10 CAMERON, E.S. 1908. The birds of Custer and Museum of Natural History; and the staff Dawson counties, Montana. Auk 25:39-56. of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, for data on egg and bird collec¬ 11 CAMERON, E.S. 1908. Observations on the tions. Dale Walter of the Montana Golden Eagle in Montana. Auk 25:251-268. Historical Society; Mrs. Ruby J. Shields of the Minnesota Historical Society, Mrs. 12 CAMERON, E.S. 1908. Changes in plumage in Ruth Oveson of Chinook, Montana; and Buteo swainsoni. Auk 25:468-471. Keith C. Abel, editor of the Chinook Opi¬ nion, for information and advice. Ray 13 CAMERON, E.S. 1913. Notes on Swainson's Hawk in Montana. Auk 30:167-176, 381-194. Quigley of Hemet, California, provided a number of photographs of Montana 14 CAMERON, E.S. 1914. The Ferruginous Hawk oologists. Mrs. Joan Matlock typed the in Montana. Auk 31:159-167. bibliography and an early version of the manuscript, while Mary I. Houston 15 COAN, E. 1981. James Graham Cooper, helped throughout the study. pioneer western naturalist. Moscow: Univer¬ sity Press of Idaho. 255pp.

1 ALLEN, J.A. 1874. Notes on the natural history 16 COOPER, J.G. 1859. Land birds. In: Zoological of portions of Dakota and Montana Ter¬ report of explorations and surveys, Mississippi ritories, being the substance of a report to the River to the Atlantic Ocean, 1853-55. Vol. 12, Secretary of War on the collections made by Book 2 (pp. 140-226). 36th Congress, 1st Ses¬ the North Pacific Railroad Expediton of 1873. sion. Washington: Thomas H. Ford. Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. History 17:38-86. 17 COOPER, J.G. and G. SUCKLEY. 1860. The 2 AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION. natural history of Washington Territory, with 1983. Check-list of North American birds, 6th much relating to Minnesota, Nebraska, Kan¬ edition. Washington: American Or¬ sas, Oregon and California. New York: nithologists' Union. 877 pp. Balliere Brothers. 399 pp.

3 AUDUBON, J.J. 1840-44, reprinted 1967. The 18 COOPER, J.G. 1868-69. The fauna of Montana birds of America. New York: Dover. 7 vols. Territory. American Naturalist 2:595-600; 3:31-35, 73-84, 124-127. 4 BECHARD, M.J. 1981. Historic nest records of the Peregrine Falcon in southern Saskat¬ 19 COOPER, J.G. 1869. Notes on the fauna of the chewan and southern Manitoba. Blue Jay upper Missouri. American Naturalist 39(3): 1 82-1 83. 3:294-299.

5 BECHARD, M.J. 1982. Further evidence for a 20 COUES, E. 1878. Field-notes on birds observ¬ historic population of Peregrine Falcons in ed in Dakota and Montana along the 49th southern Saskatchewan. Blue Jay 40(2): 125. parallel during the seasons of 1873 and 1874.

March 1986. 44(1) 29 Bull. U.S. Ceol. and Geog. Survey Terr. 34 MCKELVEY, S.D. 1955. Botanical exploration 4:545-661. of the trans-Mississippi west, 1790-1850. Jamaica Plain: Arnold Arboretum of Harvard 21 CUTRIGHT, P.R. 1969. Lewis and Clark, Univ. 1144 pp. pioneering naturalists. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. 606 pp. 35 MEARNS, E.A. 1904. Birds of Fort Custer, Mon¬ tana. Condor 6:20-21. 22 CUTRIGHT, P.R. and M.J. BRODHEAD. 1981. Elliot Coues, naturalist and frontier historian. 36 MERRILL, J.C. 1881. Oological notes from Mon¬ Urbana: University of Illinois Press. 509 pp. tana. Bull. Nuttall Ornlth. Club 6:203-207.

23 DALL, W.H. 1915. Spencer Fullerton Baird: a 37 ORD, G. 1815. North American zoology. In: biography. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott. 462 GUTHRIE, W. A geographical, historical and pp. commercial grammar. Philadelphia: Johnson and Warner. [Reprinted 1894 by Samuel N. 24 DUBOIS, A.D. 1931. Songs of the Baird Spar¬ Rhoads, Haddonfield, N.J.] Pp. 290-361. row. Condor 33:202-203. 38 PALMER, T.S. and others. 1954. Biographies 25 DUBOIS, A.D. 1935. Nests of horned larks and of members of the American Ornithologists' longspurs on a Montana prairie. Condor Union. Washington: American Ornith. Union. 37:56-72. 630 pp.

26 DUBOIS, A.D. 1937. Notes on coloration and 39 PARSONS, J.E. 1963. West on the 49th Parallel: habits of the Chestnut-collared Longspur. Red River to the Rockies, 1872-1876. New Condor 39:104-107. York: William Morrow. 208 pp.

27 DUBOIS, A.D. 1974. Glimpses of bird life. Min¬ 40 REED, C.A. 1904. North American birds eggs. neapolis: T.S. Denison. 100 pp. New York: Doubleday. 356 pp.

28 DUBOIS, A.D. 1976. Birds and their ways. Min¬ 41 STEVENS, l.l. 1860. Report of explorations and neapolis: T.S. Denison. 184 pp. surveys ... Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, 1853-5. Vol. 13, Book 1, pp. 76-99. 29 HAYDEN, F.M. 1863. On the geology and 36th Congress, 1st Session. Washington: natural history of the Upper Missouri. Trans. Thomas H. Ford. Am. Philosophical Soc. n.s., 12(12), Part 3. 42 SUCKLEY, G. 1859. Water birds. In: Zoological 30 HOWARD, H. 1946. George Willett, May 28, report of explorations and surveys, Mississippi 1879 - August 2, 1945. Condor 48:49-71. River to the Atlantic Ocean, 1853-55. Vol. 12, Book 2, pp. 227-291.36th Congress, 1 st Ses¬ 31 HUME, E.E. 1942. Ornithologists of the United sion. Washington: Thomas H. Ford. States Army Medical Corps. Baltimore: John Hopkins Press. 583 pp. 43 THORNE, P.M. 1895. Lists of birds observed in the vicinity of Fort Keogh, Montana from 32 MAXIMILIAN, PRINCE OF WIED. 1843. Travels July 1888 to September 1892. Auk in the interior of North America. In: Early 12:211-219. western travels, 1748-1846. Volumes 22, 23. R.G. THWAITES, Editor. Cleveland: Arthur H. 44 WILLETT, G. 1906. Eggs of the Sage Grouse. Clark. Condor 8:75.

33 MCDERMOTT, J.F., Ed. 1951. Up the Missouri 45 WILLETT, C. 1907. Summer birds of a prairie with Audubon. The journal of Edward Har¬ lake. Condor 9:105-106. ris. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. 222 pp.

30 Blue Jay