° 1920 J Fisher, In Memoriam: Lyman B elding. 41 



" The pleasantest days I have spent since 1876 have been in the 

 mountains of Central California. Since that time I have been in 

 these mountains the most of each summer. I couple deer, grouse 

 and quail hunting with bird study. At first I tried to connect 

 botany with ornithology, but I could not look on the ground for 

 plants and in the trees for birds at the same time. The ornitholo- 

 gist should, however, know the prominent plants at least. During 

 my rambles I have noticed the hardiness of some of our mountain 

 annual plants. I have seen the mercury down to 22 degrees on two 

 successive mornings and no trace of frost afterward, except that a 

 few of the tenderest ferns were killed. I suppose this may be owing 

 to dry air and cool nights, the latter preventing the rapid growth 

 and consequent tenderness of kindred plants grown where both days 

 and nights are warm. 



" The first eggs I collected were about on a par with my first 

 bird skins. I picked a hole in each end with a pin, never having 

 seen or heard of egg drills and blow-pipes. Eggs of Townsend's 

 Solitaire and others quite as choice were thus punctured. I believe 

 I took the first eggs of the Solitaire, which were sent to the National 

 Museum. The nest is composed almost wholly of pine needles 

 and can readily be distinguished from any other nest of the Sierras. 

 It is usually on the ground, but I have seen one in a hole in a stump 

 about a foot from the ground. Perhaps there is no part of the world 

 more interesting than the high Sierras of Central California. 

 Neither Heermann, Gambel, or Xantus explored them. Mr. Bell 

 got the Round-headed Woodpecker in Calaveras or Tuolumne 

 county, but this he could have done at an altitude of 2500 feet or 

 less in winter. Prior to 1876 these mountains had hardly been 

 touched by the ornithologist, the route immediately along the 

 Central Pacific Railroad and about Lake Tahoe being the only 

 part that had been visited. Considerable work had been done 

 south of Tehachapi; Newberry had followed the Sacramento 

 River to the Klamath Lakes and northward, and Capt. Feilner 

 had collected at Fort Crook and about Mount Shasta, but the 

 mountains in the central part of the State had been neglected. 



" If any of the young ornithologists of this State have not visited 

 these mountains in summer they should miss no opportunity to do 

 so. My most interesting observations have been those of evenings 



