542 ANIMAL LIFE IN THE YOSEMITE 



about as rapidly as a person can pronounce them, but with the intervals 

 shortening and the emphasis decreasing toward the end of the series: 

 tshup, tshup, tshup-tshup-tshup-tshup. The call note is not nearly so 

 sharp as that of other warblers, but, on occasion, appeals to one as sur- 

 prisingly loud for the size of the bird. It has an unmistakable quality 

 of its own. Singing is done largely within the cover of the shrubbery; 

 in other words this species does not, as do so many brush dwellers, seek 

 out prominent song perches. 



A nest of the Golden Pileolated Warbler was discovered on Indian 

 Creek, below Chinquapin, at about 5800 feet altitude, on June 11, 1915. 

 The nest was discovered through the observer's seeing the female flush as 

 he stepped within a few feet of the site. The bird made off 40 feet or so 

 and then stayed at about that distance, uttering her call note, tchep. The 

 ravine bottom 20 feet away was filled with creek dogwood, Sierran currant, 

 and rank growths of monkey flower and grasses. The slopes adjacent bore 

 incense cedars and sugar pines. The nest was in a depression in an earth 

 bank at the bases of two azalea stems. It was overhung by these stems 

 and also by a mat of dead brakes, which concealed the eggs from view 

 above. The foundation of the nest was of loosely laid dead leaves and 

 this graded into the rest of the structure which was composed of leaves 

 and grass blades. The fine lining was chiefly of deer hair. The structure 

 measured about 31/^ inches in diameter outside, and the cavity was 2 inches 

 across and I14 inches deep. The 5 eggs were fresh. 



A family comprising 4 birds was seen near Merced Lake on August 23, 

 1915. This would suggest a later nesting date than that in the instance 

 just described. 



American Pipit. Anthus rubescens (Tunstall) 



Field characters. — About size of Junco; body and bill both slender. Upper surface 

 of body plain dark brown; under surface pale brown or buffy, narrowly streaked with 

 dusky on breast and sides; white margin on tail, shomng well in flight. On ground 

 bird walks with fore-and-aft movement of head in unison with tread of feet; tail moves 

 up and down, but not in time with feet. Voice: Call note a shrill see, see, seep, given 

 3 to 5 times, usually just as bird takes to wing; song rarely heard in our latitudes. 



Occurrence. — Common winter visitant along west base of Sierra Nevada. Observed 

 at Snelling and Lagrange and reported from Smith Creek, east of Coulterville, and from 

 Yosemite Valley. Observed near crest of mountains and on east slope during fall 

 months. Keeps to open lands or sparsely grassed fields, especially moist ones; never 

 seeks thick or high vegetation of any sort. In scattering flocks of up to 50 individuals. 



The American Pipit is a well-known winter visitor to the lowlands of 

 the west and as such is to be found on the plains and open foothills at 

 the western end of the Yosemite section. There, from October until March, 

 it may be sought wherever the grass is scant enough for the birds to run 



