Vol. XXII 

 1905 



Grinnell, Slimmer Birds of Mount Piuos, Cal. 18 I 



In the most exposed places, especially on the west and south sides 

 above 8000 feet, extremely dense mats of a dwarf lilac {Ceanothus 

 cordulatus), two feet deep or so, practically prohibit progress 

 through them. Acres of a low composite shrub (Chrysothamnus 

 tortifolius) cover the otherwise bare rolling area about the summit. 



It is obvious, from a consideration of the most conspicuous 

 plants in conjunction with the animal life studied, that three life 

 zones may be here conveniently recognized: — The Upper 

 Sonoran, characterized by the pinon and sage ; the Lower Tran- 

 sition, characterized by the Jeffrey pine ; and the Upper Transi- 

 tion, characterized by the white fir. The boundaries are in some 

 places remarkably abrupt; in others a broad interval of inter- 

 mingling marks the mergence of zones. Some of the birds 

 ranged through two of the zones; and a very few, the Parkman 

 Wren, Lazuli Bunting and Sparrow Hawk, for instance, occurred 

 through all three. And then there were many species which 

 separately characterized each of the zones. Birds typical of 

 Upper Sonoran were : Southern Wren-tit, Pasadena Thrasher, 

 California Bush-tit, San Diego Wren, Brewer Sparrow, Black- 

 chinned Sparrow. Western Gnatcatcher, Swainson Hawk, etc. 

 Birds characteristic of Lower Transition were: Pygmy Nuthatch, 

 Cassin Purple Finch, Audubon Warbler, Black-throated Gray 

 Warbler, Western Chipping Sparrow, Mountain Chickadee, etc. 

 Birds of Upper Transition were : Sierra Grouse, Stephens Fox 

 Sparrow, Green-tailed Towhee, Band-tailed Pigeon, Clark Nut- 

 cracker, etc. 



In the annotated list which follows, special attention is paid to 

 the zonal distribution of each of the birds enumerated. I have to 

 thank Miss Alice Eastwood, of the California Academy of Sciences, 

 for naming for me the plants mentioned. 



1. Oreortyx pictus plumiferus (Gould). Mountain Partridge. — 

 Mountain Quail were plentiful from 5500 feet elevation to the summit, 

 and many broods of young were met with, particularly around the cien- 

 egas. Almost every one of the grassy pockets in the north slope of 

 Mount Pinos held its family of quail. On the approach of an intruder 

 these would nutter into the adjacent gooseberry thickets, where thev 

 would remain completely lost to observation for the time being. 



2. Lophortyx californicus vallicolus (Ridgway). Valley Partridge. 



