2"J.S KOTES ON CALIFORNIA ANIMALS. 



Sitta canadensis Linn. JUd-brcu^lvil ytithaldi. 



A intlu'i' aluiiidaiit losideiit of tlie vast pineries around Mount Las- 

 sen, but apparently nt>t so coiniiion in similar country about Mount- 

 Shasta. A few were obtained on the Shasta timber-line. On June 1, 

 1884, a nest was found in a dead pine in western Lassen County. A 

 hole had been drilled in the trunk about ten feet from the .ground, but 

 the wood was so hard that it effectually resisted my huntinj>- knife. The 

 cavity, which had a depth of 8 inches, had evidently cost the exca- 

 vator consi<lerable hard work, whether it was its ju-esent occupant or 

 the downy woodiiecker. 



Sitta pygmaea N'i;;. I'ligimj Xuthahh. 



Although I was constantly on the alert for this bird I did not meet 

 with it, which was contrary to my expectations, as it was found by Dr. 

 Newberry, Captain Feiluer, Lieutenant Tarkinson, and Mr. Heushaw 

 in the respective locabties of Northern California explored by them,* 



Parus inoniatus Giunb. I'lain Titmouse. 



Though not observed in the high mountains, it was not uncommon in 

 the foothills and valleys. A nest containing seven eggs was found 

 April 4, 1884, in a poultry-house at Ked Bluff, It was composed of the 

 stalks of weeds and grasses, and a considerable amount of tow or oakum, 

 with a lining of wool and Huffy bird feathers, and occupied a cavity 

 between the Joists, <piite near the roosting place of the chickens. The 

 sitting female made no effort to escape as I gently lifted her from the 

 nest. 



Jn the latter part of May this Titmouse was rather common in the 

 scattered oak timber on Battle Creek, 20 miles east of lied Bluff'. 



It is not mentioned by other observers in Nothern California. 



Parus atricapillus cccidentalis (liaiid). Om/ow Cliichadre. 



A common winter visitant from the north, a(;cor(ling to the accounts 

 of Newberry and Cooper. I did not meet with it myself. , 



Parus gambeli Ridgw. Moutiiuin Chickadee. 



An abundant resident of the mountains, out of which I have not seen 

 it; breeding everywhere on the slopes of IMouiits Shasta and Lassen, 

 even uj) to the highest timber line. Late in June, 1881, a nest was dis- 

 covered in the pine forest at the western base of Mount Lassen. It 

 occupied a crack in the end of a i^rostrate ])ine log by the loadside, and 

 contained young birds nearly^rown. 



* Mr. Townseml apparently overlooked two specimens of this species which he col- 

 lected on Mount Lassen July 4, lr<84, one of them bcinj? an adult, the other a youn.u; 

 hird. His remarks under the head of S. canadensis would therefore appear to apply 

 111 part to .S. i))i(im(va, if not entirely so far as Mount Lassen is concerned, the three 

 examples of iS. canadensis collected by him bein<» all from Mount Shasta, from which 

 locality his collection contains no example of .S' p>if/ni(ea — R. RiD(JWav. 



