THE MOUNTAINEER. 



17 



the seeds of the pine and fir cones. 

 It is to him we must attribute the 

 hoarse rrarrk, rrarrk which some- 

 times fills the air to the momentary 

 exclusion of all other interests. 



Juncoes, whether Oregon (Junco 

 oreganus), or Shufeldt's (J. o. shu- 

 feldti), nest in Washington from 

 tidewater to the limit of trees, and 

 the flash of Junco 's "banner mark," 

 as the white outer feather of the tail 

 are called, is an integral part of any 

 mountain bird picture. 



Wherever flowers are found bees 

 will gather, and likewise the Hum- 

 mingbirds. The Rufus Hummer 

 (Selasphorus rufus) is the abundant 

 species throughout the Northern Cas- 

 cades and he rises to drain the re- 

 motest nectar cup, but Allen's Hum- 

 mer (Selasphorus alleni) and Calli- 

 ope) (Stellula calliope) may also be 

 found upon the middle levels. 



While encamped upon the summit 

 of Cascade Pass in June of last year 

 we were amazed to see not only 

 Black Cloud Swifts (Cypseloides 

 niger borealis) but White-throated 

 Swifts (Aeronautes melanoleucus) 

 passing and repassing. The latter 

 species, swifter in motion than a 

 hurled scimetar, has been previously 

 reported in Washington only from 

 the Grand Coulee and the Columbia 

 River gorge, but it begins to look 

 as though it might be found breed- 

 ing about the high cliffs of the high 

 Cascades. The evidence is inconclu- 

 sive, however, for a hundred mile 

 flight before breakfast would be a 

 mere appetizer for these birds. 



Sooty Grouse (Dendgagapus ob- 

 scurus fuliginosus) and the Frank- 

 lin's Grouse (Canachites franklinii) 

 may be found up to the limit of trees, 

 the latter so unaccustomed to the 

 ways of men as to merit the name of 

 "fool hen" which the prospectors 

 apply. Both species nest at lower 

 levels, but having an eye on the 

 ripening berries, migrate skyward 



with the advancing season. 



Indeed, this habit of taking sum- 

 mer vacations in the mountains is 

 more prevalent among the birds than 

 is generally supposed. The following 

 species are more characteristic of the 

 foothills or mountain valleys during 

 the nesting season ; but they also oc- 

 cur up to the tree line and are certain 

 to appear there in numbers during 

 the mid-summer ' ' vacation ' ' : Moun- 

 tain Bluebird (Sialia arctica). Va- 

 ried Thrush (Ixoreus naevius) (com- 

 monly called Winter Robin, Oregon 

 Robin or Mountain Robin), Western 

 Winter Wren (Olbiorchilus hiemalis 

 pacificus) and Red-shafted Flicker 

 (Colaptes cafer collaris). The bird 

 "horizon," the total number of spe- 

 cies to be seen at a given place and 

 time, thus increases steadily from 

 June to August. For example, while 

 encamped upon the Cascade Summit 

 during the last week in June at an 

 altitude of from 5.000 to 6.000 feet. 

 Mr. Bowles and I listed only seven- 

 teen species of birds. On Wright's 

 Peak during the third week of July. 

 1900 and at an altitude of 8.000 feet 

 Professor Jones and I listed twenty- 

 five species in three days. 



And it was to laugh to find amoricr 

 these last a Brewer's Sparrow (Spiz- 

 ella breweri). a nondescript morsel 

 of brown feathers, the scion of an un- 

 distinguished race, a prosy plains- 

 man, a helot of the prostrate soil. 

 What! This peasant a Mazama too! 

 You were begotten, reared and 

 mated in the level sage, and but for 

 this, T wot, vou would have died 

 there. But for this! Why. then, 

 your pardon. Little Brother. We had 

 misjudged you. And you are very 

 welcome too. Aspiration is the proof 

 of worth. Not the Leucostiete wins 

 more praise. — for that he started 

 higher. Together then! Excelsior! 

 The Peak! The Peak! And here's 

 to all who love the mountains I 



