WESTERN TAN AGE B 497 



berries of several kinds which are usually abundant on the floor of Yosemite 

 Valley in that season. Mr. Joseph Mailliard (1918, p. 14) says of the 

 Western Tanagers seen in the Valley in 1917 : 



They were occasionally seen in Au^ist, but grew more and more numerous, evidently 

 gathering from far and wide, as the berries of the 'cascara sagrada' [■=Ehamnus 

 californims] became ripe, upon which they regaled themselves seemingly almost to the 

 point of bursting. At the foot of a cedar tree close to the writer 's tent in Camp Curry 

 was one of these bushes covered with fruit, near which many people passed in the 

 course of the day along one of the camp avenues. Almost touching the bush was a 

 round table three or four feet in diameter, and beside it a rustic rocking chair. In 

 spite of people passing, tanagers would drop down from the cedar tree, even when 

 the chair was occupied, and if the occupant kept still and was apparently indifferent 

 to their actions, would go so far as to alight on the table. 



Western Martin. Progne subis hesperia Brewster 



Field characters. — General appearance that of our other swallows, but size much 

 greater ; tail forked, though not deeply so, as in the Barn Swallow. Male : Solidly black 

 with purplish sheen to plumage of body. Female and young: Brownish black above, 

 with little or no gloss on feathers; breast dull brown; belly grayish white. Voice: Loud, 

 and usually mellow; male gives a series of full 'burbling' notes, constituting a sort 

 of song. 



Occurrence. — Not seen by us. Eeported in Yosemite Valley June 20 to 25, 1893, 

 and in foothills along Coulterville road. Lives in open, nesting in cavities in dead trees. 

 In pairs. 



Mr. W. 0. Emerson (1893, p. 181) records that between June 20 and 

 June 25, 1893, he heard the notes of the "Purple" Martin from some old 

 oaks near the Stoneman house in Yosemite Valley, and that at two of 

 his camping places on the way into the Valley (doubtless along the Coulter- 

 \'ille road) he had noticed young martins. Mr. Donald D. McLean reports 

 it as appearing occasionally, in spring, in the vicinity of his home east 

 of Coulterville. We, ourselves, however, failed to see anything of this 

 ordinarily conspicuous bird. 



It is strange that it should be so rare in the Yosemite region, where 

 the great range of conditions afforded would surely meet its needs in 

 one place or another. 



Cliff Swallow. Petrochelidon lunifrons lunifrons (Say) 



Field character.s. — Body size about that of Linnet or Junco; wings long and narrow; 

 tail short, practically square-ended. (See pi. 46d.) Forehead creamy white; back, 

 wings, and tail black-appearing; rump yellowish brown; cheeks and chin dark reddish 

 brown, with a blackish patch on throat. Voice: A weak chuckle. 



Occurrence. — Common summer visitant locally at the lower altitudes on both sides 

 of Sierra Nevada. Eecorded from Snelling and near Lagrange eastward to Bower 

 Cave. Also, east of mountains, near Williams Butte and on Eush Creek. Local distri- 

 bution controlled largely by availability of rough rock walls or of weathered buildings 

 upon which to place nests. In colonies of few to many pairs. Forages over open fields 

 or smooth water. 



