THE OOLOGIST 



107 



frozen and there are few signs of 

 spring. 



In a pile of slide-rock at the base of 

 a tall cliff, we heard Pikas (Ochotona 

 cuppes) squeaking and we examined, 

 their depleted stores of dry hay. Kin- 

 nikinnic (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) and 

 various grasses were the principal 

 plants stored. The shrill whistle of 

 the Yellow-bellied Marmot (Marmota 

 fiaviventra avarus) came to us from 

 the higher ledges along the road. A 

 small flock of Hepburnis Rosy Finch 

 (Leucosticte tephrocotes littoralis) 

 alighted on the road in front of the 

 car, but we were not out quick enough 

 to secure any. 



We camped beside a small stream, 

 at the junction of two narrow valleys. 

 The mountains were steep and high, 

 covered deep in snow near the sum- 

 mits. 



Bands of Jays frequented the camp 

 and the alder thickets along the mar- 

 gin of the stream. They appeared to 

 be intermediate between (stilleri) and 

 (annectens); the white superciliary 

 was indistinct and wanting in one 

 specimen. 



The insistent, monotonous call of a 

 Saw-whet came from the alders at the 

 creek's edge, a single note repeated at 

 regular intervals. This is the only note 

 I have heard; there is a bell-like qual- 

 ity in the tone that is distinctive. I 

 have been asked the name of the "bell- 

 bird that calls in the night." 



April 25. Broke camp after skin- 

 ning the birds and mammals collected 

 yesterday. A run of a little more than 

 an hour, over a good road brought us 

 to the valley of the Similkameen 

 River. This valley is remarkably level 

 and in its natural state, covered with 

 tall sage-brush. The mountains in 

 places rise almost sheer and some of 

 them reach above timber-line. From 

 Keremeos to Hedley, the road runs 

 along the river and skirts mile after 

 mile of slide-rock at the base of the 



mountains. The river is narrow and 

 rapid, and is now at high water. There 

 has originally been a heavy forest of 

 cottonwoods along the banks but 

 much of it has been cleared. 



The migration has barely started 

 and bird life is not abundant. Shufeldts 

 Junco (Junco hyemalis shufeldt), 

 Western Meadowlark (Sturnella mag- 

 na neglecta), Black-headed Jay (Cyan- 

 ocetta stelleri annectens), and West- 

 ern Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gram- 

 ineus confinis) are the commonest 

 species. No raptores were seen with 

 the exception of one Desert Sparrow 

 Hawk (Falco sparverius phalaena). 



While passing through a sage brush 

 flat an enormous flock of Rosy Finches 

 appeared, like a column of smoke and 

 alighted on the road in front of the 

 car. The flock was m two sections 

 and there were probably eight hun- 

 dred in all. When they flrst alighted 

 they were packed so closely that one 

 could not see the ground. Almost at 

 once they spread out and began to 

 feed. I collected several birds on the 

 outside of the flock and at the report 

 of the gun the birds rose and circled 

 around us, fluttering down to the dead 

 birds. The majority of them were 

 typical (lettorales) a few were typical 

 tephocotiis and several others were 

 intermediates. They were in breeding 

 dress ; this plumage is gained by the 

 wearing off of the silvery edging on 

 the ends of the brown feathers. The 

 irides in both sexes are hazel, the tarsi 

 are black; the bill of the male is black; 

 that of the female is dark, olivaceous- 

 brown with a dusky yellow base. 

 These birds were evidently working 

 up the mountains to their breeding 

 ground above timber line. From the 

 valley we could see the snow clad 

 peaks up Ashenola Creek, one of their 

 summer ranges, and the deep snow 

 there showed clearly why they were 

 staying so late in the valley. 



(To be continued in tho July Oologist) 



