GEEEN-T AILED TOWHEE 483 



and the other two. The nesting season must be somewhat protracted, for 

 on June 21 (1915) at Mono Meadow a bird was observed with nesting 

 material in her bill, although she was seen to fluff her feathers and shake 

 herself as though she had already been engaged in the confining duty of 

 incubation. East of the Sierras, at Mono Lake Post Office, on June 30, 

 1916, an adult was seen carrying food to young. The young, which are 

 narrowly streaked like the young of the White-crowned Sparrow, but 

 which have greenish wings and tail, are much in evidence toward the 

 end of July, when the up-mountain scattering which follows the breeding 

 season begins. 



In 1919 three Green-tailed Towhees were seen in Yosemite Valley 

 between May 15 and 23, and two of these (males, for they were singing) 

 acted as if they were located for the season. The headquarters of these 

 two were in chokecherry thickets near Redwood Lane, while the third 

 individual was seen on two occasions near Stoneman Bridge. The species 

 was reported by residents of the Valley to have nested there in 1918, 

 but of this there was no conclusive proof. A singing male was present 

 in Sequoia Lane in the Valley on June 23, 1920. 



A typical nest found near Tamarack Flat on May 25, 1919, wa.s 620 

 millimeters above the ground at the rim, and was situated in a nearly 

 upright spray of snow bush (Ceanothus corclulatus) which stood out in 

 the center of a large patch of the same plant. (See pi. 49o.) The nest 

 was thick walled and the cavity measured 67 millimeters across by 40 

 millimeters deep. The basal portion was of long slender branching fir 

 t.Avigs, well interlaced. Then came a middle layer of weathered pine needles 

 and fine plant stems, and inside of this was a smooth lining of long horse 

 tail or mane hairs and fine rootlets. The one fresh e^g was pale greenish 

 white in ground color and was marked, chiefly at the larger end, with 

 minute spots of reddish brown. Four eggs is the usual complement. The 

 other nest found was similar in all respects, save that its height above the 

 ground was greater, 700 millimeters to the rim. The nest of this species 

 is much more compactly formed than that of the Mariposa Fox Sparrow. 



During the courting season the male Green-tailed Towhee sings at 

 frequent intervals, although on the whole somewhat less often than the 

 male fox sparrow. For singing the bird mounts to the topmost t^^^g of his 

 selected thicket and there says in rapid wheezy sequence, sup-se-tew' -si-se, 

 or eet-ter-te-te-te-d-si-si-seur (according to the transcriptions of two differ- 

 ent observers). Individual syllables may 'be added or dropped, but the 

 general plan of the song remains about the same. The song is buzzy, 

 distinctly like that of the Western Lark Sparrow, and not so much like 

 the impressively clear lay of the fox sparrow. Between songs the cat-call 

 is given at irregular intervals, and it is frequently uttered when the bird 



