BLACE-THEOATED GBAY WABBLER 531 



common to so many species. Then she perched on a nearby limb and 

 fluttered her wings, chit-ing every second or so in remonstrance at our 

 intrusion. 



The same day, in the forest on the hill above and immediately east 

 of Coulterville, one of our party interrupted an attack by a California 

 Striped Racer upon a brood of Black-throated Gray Warblers. The female 

 parent was much excited, flying from twig to twig, calling, and fluttering 

 her wings. Near by, on the ground, was one of the young warblers. There 

 was good evidence that the snake had already swallowed another member 

 of the brood. 



The records of two broods given in the preceding paragraphs indicate 

 that the beginning of nesting was, in one case at least, close to the first 

 of May. A pair of these birds intent upon nesting duties was seen in the 

 oaks near Yosemite Falls on May 23, 1919 ; their nest, however, was not 

 seen. A family group, with the young birds out of the nest and uttering 

 food calls, was observed in the Valley on July 27, 1915. Nesting is prob- 

 ably mostly over by mid-July, as the song season ends about the first of 

 that month. 



TowNSEND Warbler. Dendroica townsendi (Townsend) 



Field characters. — Half bulk of Junco. Head, chin, and throat black (mixed with 

 yellow in females and young), with a line of yellow over eye and another from bill 

 down side of throat; sides of body streaked with black; fore half of belly yellow, the 

 rest white; upper surface black and dull yellow; two white bars on wing; tail white 

 margined. Voice: Song not heard; call note a sharp tsip. 



Occurrence. — Transient along west slope and east base of Sierra Nevada. Observed 

 by us west of Pleasant Valley, May 24, 1915, near Coulterville, May 10, 1919, and at 

 Mono Lake Post Office, May 24 and 31, 1916. Likely to be seen in oak trees or chapar- 

 ral. To some degree gregarious. 



An observer stationed in the western foothills at the appropriate season 

 would probably see much more of the Townsend Warbler than we did. 

 We encountered it upon only two occasions, as a spring transient; but 

 numbers of the birds undoubtedly pass through the foothills in both spring 

 and fall. On one occasion a scattering band of at least a dozen warblers 

 was seen moving northward, some Townsends being distinguished among 

 them. The others could not be recognized because the glimpses obtained 

 of them as they passed through the mnd-rocked foliage of some oaks were 

 too fleeting. 



