404 ORNITHOLOGY. 



mountain mahogany. In tliese elevated regions it is abundant during 

 summer, and even remains iu winter, except when violent storms or severe 

 cold drive it to the more clement valleys, where it may be seen, either 

 singly or in considerable but scattered flocks, whenever a snow-storm 

 prevails on the mountains. At such times we have seen both this species 

 and the other one {8. mexicana) together in the fields around Carson 

 City, and remarked the striking difference in their manners; the S. mexi- 

 cana being often observed perched upon a fence-post or a willow-bush, 

 descending to the ground only to pick up some insect, and immediately 

 returning to its post of observation, while the individuals of S. arctica were 

 usually seen flitting restlessly over the ground, now and then, but rarely, 

 an individual alighting for a moment on some prominent object, as a fence- 

 post or telegraph-wire. The visits of this species to the lower valleys are 

 only occasional, however, for as soon as a storm in the upper regions 

 subsides, they return to their own haunts; and when spring has fairly set 

 in they are seen no more, while the "Valley Blue-bird" remains during the 

 summer. In June, the "Mountain Blue-bird" was observed to be common 

 in Virginia City, Nevada, where it nested in the manner of the Eastern 

 species, in suitable places about buildings in the town, the old mills and 

 abandoned shafts of the mines being its favorite haunts, which it shared 

 with the House Finch {Carimlaeus frontalis) and the Rock Wren (Salpindes 

 obsoletus). But while it thus commended itself to the hospitality of the 

 people by its familiarity, it was never heard to utter any note except a 

 weak chirp, when startled from its perch. It was also common under similar 

 circumstances at Austin, in the Toyabe Mountains, while on the higher 

 portions of the West Humboldt, Ruby, and East Humboldt Mountains it 

 was still more abundant. On the Ruby Mountains it was found in July 

 and August only in the upper portion of the timber-belt, or at an altitude 

 of 9,000 to 11,000 feet, where it nested both among the rocks and in the 

 deserted holes of woodpeckers among the stunted pines, cedar, or mahogany 

 trees. In the West Humboldt Mountains it was observed that they seldom 

 if ever alighted on the bushes in the bottom of the canon, although they 

 constantly frequented the adobe houses of the deserted town near by. 



This species is usually much more shy than either the eastern Blue- 



