VOL. 11. ] Nesting Time of Birds. 167 
the roads leading out of the valley or on the heights above. The 
small-flowered Fritillaria (7. parviflora) is not uncommon, and 
Tofieldia glutinosa is occasionally found in the high wet meadows. 
Calochortus has four species, the small white C mudus of the 
heights ; C. Maweanus, usually pale lilac and very hairy within, not 
often collected ; C. Nuttalliz, the common yellowish species of the 
valley proper, and various forms of C. venustus, from yellow to 
purple, which approach closely if they do not enter the valley. 
The last two species are called ‘‘ Mariposa lilies.”” Mariposa means 
butterfly and the abundance of these flowers gave their name to the 
county. ' 
A list of the ferns and fern allies of Yo Semite, prepared by Mr. 
and Mrs. Lemmon, is given in Mr. Hutchings’ ‘‘ Heart of the 
Sierras.” It is, however, probably rather a list of what might be 
expected than a record of plants actually observed. The limits 
would have to be somewhat elastic to include all of them. 
THE NESTING TIME OF BIRDS ABOUT SAN FRAN- 
CisCO BAY. 
BY CHAS. A. KEELER. 
The present paper is based principally upon the data derived 
from the collection of eggs made by Mr. Walter E. Bryant between 
the years 1876 and 1882, mostly in the vicinity of Oakland, Cal., 
together with what material my own collecting during the past few 
years in the vicinity of Berkeley has furnished. 
Strangely enough the hummingbirds are among the first to — 
breed, and often begin nest building before even the hawks and owls. 
The rufous hummingbird ( 7rochilus rufus) arrives about Oakland 
and Berkeley somewhere near the middle of February, generally 
contemporaneous with the blossoming of the wild currant ( Rzbes 
sanguineum), which bush it frequents for at least a month, or as 
long as the profusion of blossoms lasts, after which the task of 
nest building is undertaken. The earliest set of eggs is recorded 
by Mr. Bryant, March 16, 1881. The rainfall during that month 
was exceptionally light, only .88 inches having fallen, while the 
average for the month was 3.409 inches. We find also that the 
temperature was higher than the average during the spring of 
1881, and these favorable circumstances may have hastened the 
