262 Mearns, Arizona Mountain Birds. [July 



little bird was flushed from its nest upon the side of the bank, close to the 

 trunk of a large spruce. Alighting in a young spruce tree, it uttered a 

 sharp, hard chip. It was the first Red-faced Warbler I had ever seen; 

 and its red face, black cap, gray back, and white rump suggested to my 

 mind a miniature of the European Bulfinch. The bird was so fearless, 

 and the place so confined, that I had some difficulty in securing the speci- 

 men in good condition. The male was not seen. After a close search 

 an old nest was discovered on the ground; and I was about to conclude 

 that it belonged to my bird and was as yet unfinished, when I 

 descried a small opening close beside it among the stones and pine 

 needles; on parting some blooming honeysuckles ( Lonicera ciliosa) 

 and moss, I discovered the nest, — most artfully concealed. In it were 

 four eggs, containing small embryos which were easily extracted, the 

 shells being thick and hard. The nest rested on a mass of dry leaves and 

 spruce needles, and was entirely covered up and concealed by the honey- 

 suckles. It is well built, being composed of a neatly felted mass of plant- 

 stems and strips of fine bark, lined with soft vegetable fibres and cow- 

 hairs. Its outside diameter is 130 mm. ; depth outside, 55 mm. ; inside 

 diameter, 45 mm. ; depth inside, 30 mm. The eggs are spotted with red- 

 dish brown upon a white ground, the spots being aggregated and heavier 

 about the larger extremity, and those markings underlying the shell 

 having a purplish color. They measure, 16 X 13, 15.5 X 13, 16 X 13, 

 16 X 135 mm. 



Salpinctes obsoletus. Rock Wren. — A permanent resident from the 

 lower pine region downwards. In summer it ranges to the highest peaks. 

 It was one of the birds noted on the summit of Mount Humphreys in 

 June, 1SS7. at which time the hollows thereabouts were filled with enor- 

 mous masses of ice and snow, and fierce storms and high winds were 

 prevalent. 



Troglodytes aedon aztecus. Western House Wren. — A summer 

 resident throughout the forested areas, ranging almost to timber line. It 

 appeared to be fond of woods of mingled spruces, firs, and aspens on the 

 mountain slopes. In the pine-forested tablelands almosteveiy pile of rocks 

 or fallen tree was inhabited by a pair of these Wrens. In the lumbering 

 region about Flagstaff the finest pines had been felled and left on the 

 ground, in preparation for the saw-mill. Among their branches these 

 little Wrens were skipping merrily about; they were abundant and full 

 of song. 



Certhia familiaris montana. Rocky Mountain Creeper. — An abun- 

 dant summer resident of the spruce, fir and aspen woods of high altitude, 

 ranging to the timber line; much less common in the pines, to which it 

 descends, however, in winter, when it is also occasionally seen in the 

 cedars and pifions of the foot-hills, or in the deciduous timber along 

 the streams in the valleys. In summer I have seen it no lower than 6500 

 feet, at which altitude it was only observed after the breeding season. 



Sitta carolinensis aculeata. Slender-billed Nuthatch. — A common 

 summer resident in the pine and spruce belts throughout this region. It 



