DESCillPTlON OF CAMPS. 343 



Besides the land-birds uuuked as abundant in the above hst, the other 

 more characteristic winter residents were Anqtlmpi^a nevadensis, Melospiza 

 heermatini, and Piinlo oregonus. Turdus migratorius, Troglodytes parhnanni, 

 Ccnjk akgon, Nettion carolincnsis, and Marcca amcricana were also amon^ 

 the winter residents. 



7. Islands of Pyramid Lale (August, 1HG7, and May, 18G8).— The two 

 islands investigated ornithologically are the main island and the one known 

 as "The Pyramid," from the latter of which tlie lake receives its name. 

 The former is about ten miles distant from the mouth of the Truckee River 

 and about two miles from the nearest point on the eastern shore. Its shores 

 are, for the most part, abrupt and precipitous, though not high, there being 

 but two convenient landing-places, each a pointed beach of sand extending 

 far out into the water. The island is about three miles in circuit, while in the 

 middle it rises into two bold peaks, each about five hundred feet in height. 

 In Mav, 1868, we found the limited shore near the southern beach thickly 

 covered with remarkably large grease- wood bushes, on the top of each of 

 which, at the height of about five feet from the ground, was the immense, 

 elaborate nest of a pair of Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias). Not a 

 hundred yards distant, in an oven-like recess in the face of the precipitous 

 rock forming the shore, and inaccessible, w\as the deserted eyrie of a Bald 

 Eagle {Ilaliaetus Iciicoc.cphalm); on the elevated portion of the northern 

 beach several hundreds of Pelicans (P. erythrorhynchus) were breeding; 

 on a rocky plateau between the northern peak and the shore an immense 

 colony of Gulls {Larus californicus) had their nests, while swarms of 

 Violet-green Swallows {Tachycincta thalassina) were passing into and out 

 of the crevices of the high cliffs near by. "The Pyramid" is close to the 

 eastern shore, and appears as a huge rock of very regular pyramidal shape, 

 rising about three hundred feet above the surfiice of the lake. Its base 

 is a nearly perfect triangle, each side being a sheer precipice from the 

 water to the height of a hundred and fifty feet, while only one of the three 

 corners was found to be easily accessible from the boat. Tempted by the 

 sight of numerous nests near the top, among them being one belonging to a 

 psdr of Falcons (F. nocvius), which flew, clamoring, around, we ascended this 

 corner, and, after a careful climb without looking about, reached the almost 



