334 ORNITHOLOGY. 



b. The western slope. 

 At an altitude of about 5,000 feet, all the species characteristic of the 

 foot-hills were lost sight of, the Louisiana Tanager {Pyranga ludoviciand) 

 and Audubon's "Warbler {Denclrceca auduhoni) made their first appearance, 

 the Mountain Jay and Nutcracker and the Woodpeckers above mentioned 

 became more numerous, while the dark ravines below the road echoed with 

 the carols of Townsend's Solitaire {Myiadestes fownsendi) and the Oregon 

 Thrush 'Tardus ustulatus), and the chattering of the Dippers [Cinclus mex- 

 icaniis). 



c. The summit (July 9). 



At an altitude of about 7,000 feet snow lay, even at this season of the 

 year, in situations protected from the sun. The pine forests continued, but 

 were more interrupted, with occasional park -like openings, in one of which, 

 known as the "Summit Meadows," we established our camp. Snow-capped 

 peaks were in sight on every hand, while around the borders of the broad 

 meadow snow-banks lay, protected by the shade of the majestic pines; and 

 a strange sight it was to see, almost touching the snow, beds of flowers 

 which, in variety of form and splendor of coloring, might vie with the 

 choicest to be seen in our gardens or conservatories; while the park itself 

 was so overspread by a plant bearing bright-yellow blossoms, that this was 

 the prevailing color of the surface. Scattered over this meadow were clumps 

 of low spreading dwarf-willow bushes, from the tops of which numerous 

 White-crowned Sparrows (ZonotricJiia intermedia) were singing beau- 

 tifully during the evening, and now and then throughout the night. The 

 other more conspicuous birds of this charming spot were the Common 

 Robin {Turdus migratorius), the California Bluebird [Sialia mexicana), and 

 the Oregon Snow-bird (Junco oregonus)} 



' Owing to the unsatisfactory nature of our opportunities for studying the 

 avifauna of this interesting and exceedingly rich district, our notes are necessarily 

 meager. It is therefore with great pleasure that we avail ourself of the experience of 

 Mr. E. W. Nelson, of Chicago, who made collections on the western slope of the Sierra 

 Nevada, chiefly in the vicinity of Nevada City. We quote from Mr. Nelson what is of 

 direct interest in this connection : [See Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. XVII, Jan. 20, 

 187.J, i)p. 3.').j-305. "Notes on Birds observed in portions of Utah, Nevada, and Cali- 

 fornia." "IV. Notes on Birds observed in the vicinity of Nevada City, Cal., between 



