THE CONDOR I Vol. IV to say the least, and perhaps were en- tered through misidentification. The statement is made that "near the mouth (of the river), where a sage-brush can- yon extends to the river bottom, Sage Thrashers ( Oroscofites mootanus) were abundant, and in the low scrubby wil- lows were the nests made of twigs and lined with rootlets." Ray does not mention the California thrasher which is abundant in the brushy parts of the same region. Further he states that ."at the head of these arid canyons the merry little ?Canyon Wren (Catherpes mexicanus conspersus) shares its lonely habitat with the rattlesnake." (!) The rock wren does not receive mention and is a species characteristic of such locali- ties as described. The student of dis- tribution would possibly feel more at ease if the specimen of 'Vtmmodramus savannarum fierfiallidus" were also re- identified. Extreme care in identifica- tion of species and subspecies is becom- ing more and more requisite, as the study of chorology advances. A few false stations are liable to confuse the student and cause erroneous deduc- tions, as has been already emphasized elsewhere. The Holbcell Grebe in Montana. BY P. M. SILLOWA. WAN LAKE, the center of my activities during the' oological season of i9o2, lies nearly east of the head of Flathead Lake, and proper- ly comes Within the Flathead Lake region. It is separated from the larger lake by the northern end of the Mission range, and as Flathead Lake follows the base of the western slopes of the Mission Mountains, so Swan Lake lies along their eastern slopes. For about twelve miles Swan Lake parallels the larger lake, both being in sight from the crests of the intervening heights. The lake is apparently the result of glacial action, whereby a slightly sinu- ous furrow averaging at least a half mile wide was worn in the depression between the Mission and Swan ranges, leaving a typical mountain lake, through which Swan River glides on its way to Flathead Lake. The foot of Swan.Lake is about eight miles from the University of Montana Biological Station, from which I had previously made collecting trips to the lake. Here- tofore, however, the head of Swan Lake had been' an enchanted region quite un- known to the "bug-house" people, and I had long looked forward to the oppor- tunity of the present season. At its head the lake spreads out into a nearly circular area at least t?vo miles in diameter, beyond which lay a sub- merged region of a square mile or more, overgrown thickly with old reeds and similar water weeds, the haunt of in- numerable water-fowl, as I had been informed by the veracious natives. Here was a scene for a naturalist, the surroundings being rugged, pine-clad or fire-swept mountains, whose shoul- ders bore the accumulations of the snows of centuries. This was tt?e forest primeval, the heart of the Lewis and Clarke forest reserve, an area including 4,572 square miles. It is needless to say that the familiar signs, "Keep out,"
and "No hunting with dr?gs or guns,"
are not to be seen at the place I had selected for my summer's operations. My headquarters was the cabin-of Mr. Ernest Bond, the forest-ranger who has charge of the immediate district. Among the various wildwood decora- tions of his cabin, one of the first that
