344 ORNIXnOLOGY. 



ixtinted summit. The view toward the water was a friyhtful one. In no 

 direction could he seen more than the upper third of the rock, and tluis 

 the only one possible path by which we had ascended was lost to view. 

 Looking- down into the depths of the deep-blue water, three hundred feet 

 below, we could see the pointed ends of similar pyramidal rocks submerged 

 many feet below the surface, and only visible from this height. The 

 descent was finally accomplished by exercising the utmost caution in 

 selecting the path, in which indispensable aid was furnished by our boat- 

 men, who, having watched us ascend, often directed us when we were at a 

 loss which Avay to proceed. The only species breeding on this isolated 

 cliff were the Great Blue Heron and Peregrine Falcon, there being of the 

 latter but one pair in the vicinity. 



Along the neighboring shore were many rocks of peculiar foma and 

 strm-ture, styled by our geologists " tufa-domes;" these usually had rounded 

 or domed tops, and were thickly incrusted with calcareous-tufa, while beneath 

 they were honey-combed with winding passages and deep grottoes. Among 

 these rocks several birds were nesting, conspicuous among which were the 

 Barn Swallow, Say's Pewee, and the "House Finch" {Carpodacns frontalis), 

 the nests of the latter, placed on shelves of projecting rock inside of 

 caverns, affording another, and very remarkable, instance of the ease with 

 which this species accommodates itself to circumstances in selecting a site 

 for its nest. 



8. CoDisfork or Virginia Mountains, near Pi/ram id Lake (December 2-i-21, 

 lf^67). — From the south end of Pyramid Lake a wide canon leads up into 

 these mountains, and this was ascended for a considerable distance on 

 three occasions — twice in Uecend)er and once in June. The slopes of this 

 canon were dotted with scattered cedar and pinon groves, and in many 

 places were covered with bunch-grass meudows, while along the stream was 

 the fringe of shrubbery usual to the banks of mountain-streams in the Great 

 Iksin. In December, Myiadestes totvnsendi was found, in the cedar groves, 

 while Oreortifx ]iiitiis was conniion in the open portions. 



9. Washoe VaUcij (April 2r)-May !), 1S(;S).— This valley is one of the 

 most beautiful in Nevada. Its form is that of an amphitheater inclosed 



