308 LAND BIRDS 
California Breeding Range: Breeds sparingly and locally in the Boreal 
zone of the Sierra Nevada, from Mt. Shasta south to Owen’s Lake. 
Breeding Season: May and June. 
Nest: Composed of twigs, straws, rootlets, coarse grass, and moss; 
placed in bushes. 
Eggs: Usually 4; greenish blue. Size 0.86 X 0.64. 
Or the Sierra Hermit Thrush, Mr. Lyman Belding, 
who first discovered the subspecies and named it, writes : 
“Tt is the finest song bird of the Pacific Coast, breed- 
ing in many localities in the sierras on both slopes, 
usually choosing damp, densely wooded localities for a 
summer home. It begins to sing about the middle of 
May at 5,000 feet altitude, below which it is seldom 
found in summer, and sings until about the first of Sep- 
tember, when it leaves for warmer regions. Altogether 
I have found seven nests of this bird ; all of them were 
within a few feet of paths. They were mostly well 
concealed, but one was the reverse, having been saddled 
on a fallen, dead, barkless fir sapling, with nothing to 
hide it except a few dead and leafless twigs. This nest 
contained four young, which were quite fit to leave the 
nest about the middle of June. Three of the nests were 
in yew trees, one was ina hazel bush, and two were in 
deer brush. The highest was about ten feet from the 
ground and the lowest about three feet. There was 
more or less moss used in all, though the materials 
used in them varied considerably.” 
