PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 243 



western birds (except of course the water-loving species), nests being 

 both far more numerous and more easily found than in the thickly 

 wooded regions of the mountains and northern coast. I have myself 

 found more in one spring in the vicinity of Haywood, than during three 

 seasons near the Columbia River. A similar abundance of nests has 

 been noted by me along the sparsely wooded shores of the Upi)er 

 jMissouri River, and similar streams crossing the "Great Plains" on 

 both sides of the Rocky Mountains. The scattered tree-growth of those 

 regions, like that of an old cultivated country, is therefore most favor- 

 able for the increase of most land-birds, and if moderate protection in- 

 stead of persecution is granted to them, they may always continue 

 abundant even when the country is cultivated. The little fertile valleys 

 scattered through the desert regions west of the Rocky Mountains are 

 always found to contain most of the birds, and being also attractive to 

 settlers, the abundance of birds has been wrongly attributed to their 

 presence. The only way in which settlements aid in the increase of 

 birds is by driving off or killing the rapacious kinds, and thus protect- 

 ing such of the small species as do not injure the crops. 



There is no doubt of the increase in numbers of many species about 

 the settlements of California-, from this cause, since' 1840, but others, 

 especially game-birds and birds of prey, have very much diininished 

 under the effect of persecution by the gun, and poisoning, through the 

 use of poisoned grain intended to kill vermin. 



The influence of the more local attachments of the west-coast birds, 

 which are so generally constant residents instead of migratory, is also 

 very soon observed in the disappearance of a species from a neighbor- 

 hood like ITaywood, where they have been robbed of their nests and 

 eggs for several seasons. The same thing seems to keep away migra- 

 tory species to some extent, though other reasons may be found for their 

 absence. As instances, the Blue-birds {Sialia) entirely disappeared in 

 1878, not returning even in winter ; though I knew of several of their 

 nests that were not molested in 1877. The migratory Lawrence's Gold- 

 finch and Blue Linnet {Oyanospiza) also failed to appear in the breeding 

 season of 1878, perhaps from former persecutions, and perhaps from 

 taking another route northward, or from causes yet unknown. 



As a rule scarcely any of the birds of California, south of latitude 

 SS'^', raise two broods in a season. When late broods are fouud tliey 

 seem either to be replacements of lost broods, or are perhaps hatclied 

 by one parent while the other still takes care of a first brood, as ob- 

 served by me in the case of a pair of House Wrens. This is tiie effe(3t 

 of the rapidity with which the breeding season passes, corresponding 

 to the rapid but short growing season of vegetation after the frosts 

 cease and before it becomes too dry. Caterpillars and other soft insects 

 suitable for the young become scarce when the vegetation gets dry. 

 Even swallows, which feed in the air, are obliged to catch young grass- 

 hoppers in some localities near the coast in June, so that they can raise 



