Nov., t9o?. [ THE CONDOR t73 then mounting some branch to pour forth its liquid soug. At Fyffe I watched one on a cedar tree fifteen feet up and approached to the foot of the tree but the bird continued singing, unmindful of my presence, quite in contrast to the usual timid and secretive nature of this species. I have never discovered a nest of this bird although I have searched carefully a considerable area in which they were common. An old nest a foot up in a deer brush I ascribed to this species. On June 8, t899 Mr. Carriger flushed a thick-billed sparrow from beneath a fallen tree at Fyffe. The bird ran quietly along the ground and disappeared, while the nest was found under the log, being a depression liued with grass and con- taining two eggs. No more were added to the set, which was collected with the parent a few days later. The thick-billed sparrow is one of the representative birds of the region, and withal one of its sweetest songsters. Pipilo maculatus megalonyx. Spurred Towhee. A common bird of the re- gion, occurring as far up at least as Echo. About Fyffe it seenled impossible to go into the deep woods, where bird life is usually scarce, without having a spurredtowhee appear close at hand, uttering its catcall. On June 8, 1897 I found a nest containing three unfeathered young and one egg on a hillside under a bush. By far tile prettiest nest found was on June t t of the same year. The sit- uation was a small clearing in the forest grown up to cedar saplings about two feet high. Beneath one of these reposed the nest aud its three eggs, the lining of light grasses setting them off to good advantage. As in the valley this towbee does not nest on the ground entirely, for Mr. Taylor found a nest on June t2, ?897 containing two eggs, placed six feet up in a bush beside a ditch. It was com- posed of pine and spruce bark and lined ?vith light yellowish grass. On June 6, 1899 Mr. Cartiger collected a nest and four fresh eggs at Fyffe. The birds, de- spite their commonne:s, are very interesting to watch, and soon become neighborly if the observer will sit quietly in one place. 0re0spizachl0rura. Green-tailed Towhee. A very interesting species, oc- curring from Fyffe to the stunmir and also about Lake Valley. At Fyffe it was seen and heard occasionally in a large burnt area, keeping close to the dense growth ofdeerbtush. On June t2, t897 at Fyffe I found a nest t? feet up in a Ceano-. thus bush, containing five fully fledged young, which scattered at my approach. Observed very commonly at Echo and Mr. Taylor sent me two specimens taken in September at (;len Alpine Springs. Pipi10 fuscus crissalis. California Towhee. t)n June 4? t9oo we observed this towhee at about 2,5oo feet altitude in the manzanita brush on a hillside. This particular portion of the regitm resembles the Upper Sonoran more than the Transition zone and probably the species occurs commonly up to about this alti- tude. Zamelodia melanocephala. Black-headed Grosbeak. A common summer resident up to at least 4,5oo feet altitude. It probably extends higher up in suit- able locations. The spedes is one of the most pleasing and constant songsters of the region, its rich whistle resounding through the woods from day-break to dusk. In the mountain orchards they pr'ey upon certain fruits such as cherries and it re- quires vigilance to secure ever/ a portion of the crop. The black-headed grosbeak nests almost entirely in the thick deer-brush, the average height of its nests being ten feet and the usual complement of eggs four. When the nest is disturbed the male bird appears almost instantly and much screeching follows, especially if the nest contains young. Numerous nests with young or fresh eggs have been found at Fyffe from June ? to to. [I have never noticed this grosbeak in the Glen Alpine region, nor on the
