Proceedings 43 
the cock had taken his place upon the eggs. The Black- 
headed Grosbeak has rather a good song. 
The Cliff Swallows build under the eaves of the barns. 
The nests are of mud and are shaped like a bottle with a 
neck, 
The Barn Swallow is another abundant summer visitor. 
Our Sand Martin also occurs in California. It is the only 
land-bird, except the intruding Sparrow, that is common 
to Europe and the Western States. 
The Western Kingbird is a noisy, pugnacious bird of 
the Tyrant Flycatcher group. It has the flight of a Fly- 
catcher, but is about the size of a Thrush. 
Another bird I found nesting near Redlands is the Cali- 
fornian Thrasher, an inhabitant of the hillsides and bushy 
deserts. It is thrush-like, with a long curved bill. In the 
winter I saw it eating the fruit of the Christmas-berry Bush 
or Toyon, a rosaceous shrub, which does duty for Holly in 
California. 
I must mention two other common birds which winter 
in Southern California and breed amongst the mountains 
‘or in the north, namely the Western Blue-bird and Audu- 
bon’s Warbler. I met with both these birds in the autumn 
in the northermost county of the State, flocking in readi- 
ness to migrate. 
Hitherto I have been describing the inhabitants of 
Orange and Lemon and Olive Groves, of Avenues of Pepper 
and Eucalyptus, of the brushwood and hillsides of the 
South. It is time I took you to wilder scenes. 
At the end of May, half a night and half a day’s jour- 
ney by rail northward took us to Raymond, whence a drive 
of sixty miles brought us to the Yosemite Valley, over a 
ridge 7,o0oft. about sea level. On the way we stopped at 
Wawond to visit the celebrated Mariposa Grove of big 
trees, Seguoia gigantea. This grove stands on a mountain 
ridge at an elevation of 6,000 to 7,000 feet, and consists 
of about 620 giant trees, 260ft. in height or under. The 
Sequoia belt runs south from Mariposa Grove, over many 
mountain spurs to Deer Creek, 260 miles distant. 
These giants of the forest are surrounded by other trees 
