THE OSPREY. 



117 



June, flooding hundreds of nests of this bird. 

 Many were deserted, some contained i'^k> and 

 others drowned young'. Here, strange to say. 

 Brewer's blackbird [Scolci ophagu s cyanocephalus) 

 nests on the ground usually in a depression, 

 although pine trees, one of their favorite lust- 

 ing sites on the coast, fritige the marsh on all 

 sides. In Nevada, between Reno and Carson, 

 thousands of these birds were nesting in the 

 sage brush owing to the lack of trees. 



It was on June 20th, near the Nevada summit 

 that, with regrets we took our last look at the 

 lake where the time had been so pleasantly 



large young. These are both common birds in 

 Nevada. 



< in leaving Beckwith, Plumas County, next 

 day, we again entered the timber lands, the road 

 following the head-waters of the Feather River. 

 i in account of the numerous mines in this sec- 

 tion most of the water is extremely muddy and 

 American water Ouzels (Cinclus mexicanus) 

 were rare. Along a stream of crystal clearness, 

 however, about In miles from < Jnincy we noticed 

 ,i ii. -1 of tlii- bird on a large boulder. This 

 nest contained four young with rather prom- 

 inent appetites. 



NESTS i IP BLACK TERNS. 



spent. Far below was clear, coo], placid Tahoe 

 stretching far away to the north and on all 

 sides, the noble f< iresi s, extending from the lake 

 well up to the snow capped peaks. ( >n the east 

 was Nevada, the last state in the Union, as 

 barren, and bare as the moon ! It was a change! 

 three days of travel under the broiling sun 

 through a monotonous succession of sagebrush, 

 hills and plains. 



On the 24th of June, we again passed over the 

 state line in Lassen County. Here between 

 Chat and Beckwith Pass I noticed Woodhouse's 

 Jay (Aphelocoma woodkouseii) and in a willow 

 along- the road I observed a nest of the American 

 Magpie (Pica pica hudsonica) containing four 



A short stay was made at Buck's Ranch, 

 (Plumas County), at an altitude of 5,000 feet, 

 and although late in the season a set of four 

 eggs of Traill's Flycatcher I Empidonax /rail li) 

 was taken June 29th, from a nest in a willow 

 along a small brook. This bird is less common 

 than its cousin, the Western Wood Pewee (Con- 

 lopus richardsoni] which is one of the most 

 abundant birds in these mountains. 



I may mention that the following species were 

 shot, making identity positive. Wilson's Phala- 

 rope. Thurber's Junco. White-crowned Sparrow. 

 Red-winged Blackbird. Forster's Tern and 

 Traill's Flycatcher. 



