Vol. XXII 

 1905 



Ray, A Third Trip to the High Sierras. 3^3 



Sparrow (Passer domesticus). On San Clemente Island, Cal., 

 they make free use of the sheep sheds. In others parts of Cali- 

 fornia nests are commonly placed in the flowering vines over the 

 doorway or in some choice flowering shrub, the birds amassing an 

 unsightly bunch of rags, twine and hair. In Phoenix. Ariz., they 

 are persistent in using the arc lights in various parts of the city. 

 This species adapts itself admirably to changed conditions, adopt- 

 ing these by choice, not by need. 



A THIRD TRIP TO THE HIGH SIERRAS. 



BY MILTON S. RAY. 



My brother, William R. Ray, and I, with our double team and 

 camping rig, which has seen a thousand miles of service, departed 

 at noon June 6, 1903, on the steamer which takes one as far as 

 Eagle Point on the Sacramento River. The wealth of lower zone 

 bird life here, in the lowlands along the river, must be seen to be 

 appreciated, and the morning chorus from the willow thickets and 

 marshy meadows is a revelation, imparting to the region a certain 

 attractiveness which it lacks in most other respects. 



June 7. — We arrived at Eagle Point at 5 o'clock a. m. and 

 started immediately on going ashore. The weather had been 

 extremely warm and the temperature was 106 in the shade at 8 

 o'clock this morning. We followed the level valley road through 

 Sacramento to Folsom, which lies in the foothills on the American 

 River, and halted five miles east of the latter town. 



June 8. — In order to avoid the scorching heat we resumed our 

 journey in the early hours this morning and traveled by the light 

 of a full moon. Several miles from the starting place we dis- 

 covered what appeared, in the uncertain light, to be a coiled rattle- 

 snake. On nearer approach, however, the object took flight dis- 

 closing two small young, and proved to be a Dusky Poor-will 



