1918] The Ottawa Naturalist. 119 



were eaten extensively by Bullock's Oriole (Icterus bullocki), Western 

 Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana) , Cassin's Purple Finch (Carpodacus 

 cassini), Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) and Western Robin 

 (Merula migratorius propinquus). The largest and ripest fruits 

 were attacked first; generally, only a small portion of each fruit was 

 eaten and in some cases they were only slightly punctured but rendered 

 unfit for marketing. About seventy-five per cent, of the cherries and 

 forty per cent, of the prunes and plums were destroyed. 



Of the wild fruits, the Service berry (Amelanchier alnifolia) was 

 the most freely eaten; even such species as Tree Swallow (Iridoprocne 

 bicolor), Rocky Mountain Hairy Woodpecker (Dryobates villosus 

 monticola), Red-naped Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius nuchalis), 

 and Red-shafted Flicker (Colaptes cafer collaris) were seen eating 

 them. Kingbird (Tyrannus tyr annus), Northern Pileated Wood- 

 pecker (Phloeotomus pileatus abieticola), and Red-eyed Vireo 

 (Vireosylva olivacea) were partial to the white berries of the Red 

 dogwood (Cornus stolonijera). 



Mountain breeding birds such as Western Tanager, Townsend's 

 Solitaire (Myadestes townsendi), Willow Thrush (Hylocichla 

 fuscescens salicicola) and Cassin's Purple Finch came down from 

 the hills as soon a? the vdune were able to flv, and remained in the 

 orchard and the brushy thickets in the vicinity, for the remainder of 

 the summer, or until such as were migratory, departed for the south. 

 During the latter part of July and early August the hills were almost 

 destitute of bird life. 



The following species bred commonly in the orchard and in the 

 trees and brush along the lake shore. 



Red-shafted Flicker; Western Meadowlark, (Sturnella magna 

 neglecta) ; Western Chipping Sparrow, (Spizella socialis arizonae); 

 Western Vesper Sparrow, (Poocaetes gramineus confinis) ; Spurred 

 Towhee, (PipUo megalonyx montanus) ; Kingbird; Arkansas King- 

 bird, (Tyrannus verticalis); Alaska Yellow Warbler, (Dendroica 

 aestiva rubiginosa); Cedar Waxwing, (BombycUla cedrorum); West- 

 ern Wood Pewee, (Myiochanes richardsoni richardsoni) ; Bullock's 

 Oriole; Tree Swallow; Mountain Bluebird. 



During the past seven years, there has been a noticeable increase 

 in the number of birds breeding in the orchard and vicinity. During 

 that time much of the sheltering brush has been cut down and a 

 number of houses have been built. The increase is no doubt largely 

 due to the merciless warfare that has been waged against such 

 enemies as crows, magpies, squirrels and chipmunks. These are the 

 chief enemies of orchard breeding birds, but the white-footed mouse 

 (Peromyscus) is suspected of being an egg thief. Nests containing 

 eggs, that had been under close observation for several days, were 

 found rifled of their contents, and with the lining of the nest pulled 



