J^ehraskcb Ornithologists' Union 85 



8i. Astra galimis tristis paUidits (Mearns) — Pale Goldfinch. 



Goldfinches were plentiful in the thickets along the river 

 and at the base of the hills, as well as in the planted groves 

 in the valley, and occasionally I would meet with them out 

 in the hills, especially in autumn when the sunflowers filled 

 the hollows and covered the southern hill slopes in masses 

 acres in extent. On the yellow heads of the sunflowers the 

 birds were often found devouring the seeds, and so well 

 did they harmonize with their surroundings when in such 

 situations that it was often difficult to see them even when 

 I heard their plaintive "swec-ee-eet" and knew that they 

 were in the neighborhood. Several specimens which were 

 taken all seem to belong to the pale western form which is 

 the resident breeder in the Pine Ridge region, also. Two 

 birds were noted near the Keserve buildings October 28, 

 1910, by M. H. Swenk. 



82. Spinus pinus (Wilson) — Pine Siskin, 



A specimen was taken by M. H. Swenk October 28, 1910, 

 and was the only individual noted. Probably it occurs 

 regularly if not commonly at the Reserve. 



83. Poocce'tes gramineus confinis Baird — "Western Vesper 



SparroAV. 



One of the common, although not abundant, birds to be 

 seen on the Reserve was the Western Vesper Sparrow. It 

 was met with during early summer in the open valley and 

 in the hills, on the grassland or among the planted pines 

 and thickets whether of choke-cherry and plum or the 

 lower-growing Symphoricarpos and Ccanothus. As the 

 summer advanced it was seen more frequently in the open 

 hills and less in the other habitats. I hunted through the 

 whole of May and June for nests of the species but without 

 success and had given up thoughts of finding any by the 

 end of the latter month, but on July 8 I was surprised to 

 discover two nests, one Avith three eggs, the other with 

 four. These eggs were elongate-oval, in color a pale green- 

 ish white, splotched, very heavily in one set and less so in 

 the other, with reddish-brown and lilac and marked spar- 

 ingly with black lines and dots. Both sets were heavily 

 incubated at this time. The nests were built of grasses and 

 lined with rootlets and horse-hair and were placed in sim- 

 ilar situations — a tnft of bunch-grass in the hills — with the 

 opening to the cavity so inconspicuous that I never would 



