Page:Condor3(6).djvu/34

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Nov., ?9o?. I THE CONDOR ?7 ? times, apparently breeding.--W. W. P.] Spinus pinus. Pine Siskin. On June ?o, ?899 Mr. Carriger observed a flock flying about in the pines near the Fourteen-mile House. On June 9, ?9 at the base of Pyramid Peak a number were flying about the barn and corral of a dairy and seemed quite tame. Later in the day they were found in numbers feeding along the edge of the snow in company with the Cassin purple finches on tlle lower slopes of Pyramid Peak. [Breeds commonly in a heavy forest of alpine hemlock at the head of Glen Alpine gorge. While no nests have been taken, the birds were heard at each visit, their shrill notes averv characteristic sound in the alpine woodland. Young have been taken in July and August. They were heard commonly on the slope of Pyramid Peak April 23, ?897 , where snow covered the ground to a depth of ten or fifteen feet.--W. W. P.] Chondestes grammacus strigatus. Western Lark Sparrow. Quite a common species at Fyffe in summer and observed as far up as the Fourteen-mile' House. It frequents the clearings and mountain orchards, seldom entering the timber. Several nests were found in small cedars growing beside pasture fences. Zonotrichia leucophrys. White-crowned Sparrow. A summer resident of the Sierras, being seldom found below 7,000 feet in this region. We first met it at the Fornimeadow west of Pyramid Peak, where they were commonJuue ?o, x9oo. The meadow, traversed by numerous little streams along which willows grew in thickets, offered an agreeable nesting site for the species but the bushes were just coming iuto lea t ?on this d?te, which probably delayed nest-building a week or more. Early in the morning the song of this sparrow came from all sides of the meadow, a pleasant though somewhat dolorous note. At a meadow west of Phil- lips Station, white-crowned sparrows were common, and indeed [ have seldom found aplace where mountain bird lifeof all kinds was so abundant. When we stopped ft,r a few moments a medley of songs was in progress, to particularize up- on any of which would be an invidious comparison. On June ?[, ?9oo while tra- velling over the ridge down to Echo postoffice I flushed a white-crowned sparrow from its nest and singl? egg in a patch of Cea?ot/?us cordulat?s. The nest was c(>mposed of very fine twigs with a lining of grasses and fine rootlets. The nest measured outside4?x3? inches; depth one inch. The egg was of alight green- ish-white color, softly marked with lavender. This species is one of the most in- teresting birds of its zone and my regret is that [ have not heen permitted to spend more time in its habitat. Zoao'?richia leucophrys gainbell. Intermediate Sparrow.. [ have in my collec- tion four specimeus of this race, collected by Mr. L. E. Taylor as follows: 9 Glen Alpine Springs, Sept. x7; c? Grass Lake, Sept. ?7; c? Glen Alpine Springs, Sept. ?8; 9 Meyers Station, Sept. 29, i9?1[. The taking of these intermediate sparrows in the breeding habitat of the preceding species would indicate that the latter had nilgrated before the middle of September, their places being in turn taken by 7.. l. gainbell iu its migration from the north. Spizella socialis arizon?e. Western Chipping Sparrow. One of the commonest species, being abundaut at Fyffe and observed up to the summit. In this region it seems to possess notes which are not ordinarily heard in the valley and in con- sequence it is sometimes collected with the idea that it may be other than a chipping sparrow. Its well-known trill is by far the commoner note and the species is found in almost every locatiou. At Fyffe nest-building commences iu May but fresh eggs have beeu found through June, perhaps second layings. My first nest was in the top of a very brushy black oak thirty feet up. No birds be-