88 . TI-IE CONDOR VoL. XlI and disclosed five fresh eggs lying in a grass lined hollow; while a little farther on in an alfalfa field which was being almost flooded by irrigation I found a nest of the Mountain Song Sparrow (?/[elosI?za rnelodia rnonlana) with the large com- plement of six eggs. The nest, of grasses and weed stems with a lining of horse- hair, was placed on slightly hi'gher ground, and was well concealed by the thick alfalfa. The eggs were in a state of advanced incubation. A short journey from Franktown, on the train, brought us to Carson City, the State Capital, a very pretty little town with countless shade trees lining every road and lane and tempering the torrid heat of the Nevada summer sun. The altitude of Carson is 4,675 feet being about 350 feet lower than Washoe Lake, and the bird-life noted was about what we expected to find. The following were the most common species: Western Wood Pewee (J?ry[ochanes richardsoni), Western Meadow- lark ( Slu?nella neg?lecta ), Bullock Oriole ( [cterus bullocki), House Finch ( C?r15od- acus mexicanus fronlalis), English Sparrow (Passer domestikus), Western Yellow Warbler ( g)endroica aesttk'a brewsteri), Western Robin ( Planeslzkus mt?ralorius The following morning we made the trip by rail to Virginia City. After traveling thru the mountains of California, this region, like that between Frank- town and Carson, must impress everyone by its lack of timber. Rocky, brush- covered ridges rolled by in unvarying succession. In some places there were small, scattered trees but the highest of these did not appear to be over fifteen feet. The only exceptions were the thickets of willow, cottonwood and other trees along the muddy Carson River, which the train followed for a considerable distance. Here we noted from the car-windows three birds as being especially common, the Mourning Dove (Zenaidura mac?oura carolinenstk), the Arkansas Kingbird ( Tyrannus verticah?) and the American Magpie (Pica budsonia). After a long, slow, up-grade grind the train pulled into historic Virginia, once a great city but now in ruins. Located at an elevation of about 6,000 feet on the side of a steep mountain and not far from its summit, it is hardly the place where one would expect to compile an extensive check-list. We found bird-life not entirely wanting however. Two characteristic birds were the Slate-colored Sparrow (Passerella ih?ca schistacea?) and the Rock Wren (SallSinctes obsoletus). The rich song of the former came wandering down from the brushy brookless gullies, while in the town itself we heard the wren's wild sweet melody. In one of the many deserted buildings, where uneven stones cemented in '49 style formed the wall, we found the pebbled pathway which led to an unseen nest. Among the few scattered trees in the town the Bullock Oriole ?and the House Finch were noted, and, in an empty frame building, a pair of Mountain BlUebirds (Sialia currucoides). On our return to Carson, altho it was late in the. afteinoon, 'we still had time to tramp quite a way on the Tahoe Road, and nightfall found us well up in the foot- hills, encampt in the hay-barn of a friendly farmer. The ingenious architect of the structure we occupied had saved considerable lufnbe'r in its construction by leaving a generous space between each of the sidelb0ards, thru which the nigh? winds entered with remarkable freedom. This, coupled with the fact that we were able to find but little hay to soften the b0a?:d floor on which we unrolled our sleeping bags, caused us to arise at a very early hour. We'arranged our pack beneath the paling stars, and, at the first faint streak of dawn were on the road. King's Canyon Road, the route by which we were traveling, while not possessing the scenic attractions of the Marlette Lake Road still leads thru much pleasant scenery of the lower altitudes. Spooner, at the end of the road is at its
