A Day on the Bay Shore, 



tails. Bryant's sparrow is a local vari- 

 ety inhabiting the salt marshes of San 

 Francisco Bay, and distinguished from 

 other forms by its very dark, pro- 

 nounced tone of coloration. We may 

 even be favored with the song of this 

 little bird as it sits on a fence rail — a 

 queer, wheezy attempt, sounding as if 

 the bird had a cold. 



The tule-wren is another inhabitant 

 of the bay shore marshes, but we must 

 be on the qui vive if we are to have 

 even a passing glimpse of the little fel- 

 low. Let us walk into the midst of 

 the dense tangle of low marsh-grass and 

 try to flush one from its hiding-place. 

 It will allow us to almost tread upon it 

 before arising, and then flit away to 

 another hiding-place, to disappear as 

 effectually as the proverbial needle in a 

 haystack. 



The short-eared owl lives in these 



same marsh-grasses, and far above, the 



graceful, white-tailed kite, with snowy 



breast, is soaring in circles through the 



104 



