Vol. X.] MA1LLIARD— BIRDS, MAMMALS OF SISKIYOU COUNTY 87 



they had suddenly appeared, as it seemed, or whether, for some 

 reason, we merely had not come across them before, I do not 

 know, but they certainly were plentiful for the next two or 

 three days. The weather had been cloudy and threatening on 

 the day of our coming and perhaps it was the later sunshine that 

 brought them out of their holes, but the situation had all the 

 appearance of a sudden immigration. Porcupines, probably the 

 Yellow-haired {Erethizon epixanthiim epixanthum), were quite 

 common in this neighborhood, and it was no rare sight to see 

 the head of one sticking out of some concrete culvert along the 

 road. As a place of shelter during the daytime at least, these 

 culverts seem to have a special attraction for this animal. For 

 certain reasons no attempt was made on this expedition to 

 secure animals larger than a squirrel, so we did not take ad- 

 vantage of such opportunities as offered for its capture. 



From the top of Forest House Mountain the view across 

 Scott Valley to the Salmon Mountains was most enticing, and 

 on June 12 we accepted the offer of a truck freighter to take 

 us over to that range, as he claimed to know just the place 

 where we could get nearly everything we wanted. We found, 

 however, that the road we had intended to follow was in such 

 condition that we could not get as far into the range as we 

 wished, and had to content ourselves with making camp in a 

 deserted building at the "Old Pinery Mine," some four miles 

 southwest of Greenview and at an elevation of only about 3300 

 feet. We were in the Transition Zone here, on the edge of a 

 national forest of Douglas fir and yellow pine with many oak 

 trees in places. Unfortunately the weather turned against us, 

 and became dark and drizzly. In the immediate vicinity of the 

 old placer mine only common birds were found, the one excep- 

 tion being what I believed to be a Northern Spotted Owl, which 

 was perched on a dead sapling in the wash of the old mine. 

 It was about 100 yards away when seen, but unfortunately there 

 was little cover about, and it was impossible to avoid making 

 a good deal of noise scrambling over the loose stones and coarse 

 gravel in the bed of the old wash. The bird was wary and un- 

 easy, so that a long chase ended in failure to get any nearer, 

 and it finally took to the woods nearby. It was too large for 

 a Saw-whet and I can think of nothing that would fit the case 



