FKl.N(ilI-Ml)-l';— TlIK ^'I^•(•I1I•;^^. 75 



si'vvccl ill (lio <,'roatest miinliors, in ^lny, in tlic rirli viillcy n[' llu; Tiiickco, in 

 c(ini|i;iny witli JUillork'.s Oriole, tlie Lonisiaiiii 'I'ana.LiVi', ami oliicr sjccics, 

 iut'ilin^- U|i(in tiie lauls ul' tiii! " "iioasc-wdnd.'' It ]irinci|ially inhabits the 

 wiliowH alon.u liic rivers, ami the sliiuMiery skirting the streams ni' llie 

 iMiiuntain canons. In its nianm^rs ami notes IVlr. IJidgway iv^ards this 

 bird as an exaet eonnterpart of tlii! eastern species, the I/ii/i/iii(/(s /in/ariri- 

 oiiiia, its song being liy no means sniierioi'. The ]iecnliai' and viay odd (•//'/■ 

 ol' the hi</tiriri((niis is saiil to be eiiually characteristic ol this iiird. Mr. 

 liidgway met witii its nests in willows, abont ten I'eet I'rom lliu ground, llo 

 had evidence that ihe male liird assi.sts the I'emale in the duties of incu- 

 bation. 



Tiiis liird, though a common snmnu'r resident in the i.reat Sail Lake Val- 

 ley, had all migrated, according to .Mr. Allen, by the 1st of Sepli lulier. It 

 is well known tiie.re as the I'eabird, from its fondness for green ]ieas, of 

 which it is very desti'uctive. 



According t(» Dr. ('oo]ier, this (Sroslieak arrives in California, near Sail 

 Diego, about April lli. It is numerous during the summer throughout the 

 mountains both of the coast and of the Sierra Nevada, and extends its mi- 

 grations at least as far as I'liget Sound. It is bfti'ii kejit in coiilinement 

 on ac(.'(aiiit of its loud, sweet song. In tlie Coast Moiinlaiiis, in May, its 

 music is said to be delightful, the males vying with each other from the lops 

 of tie trees, and making the hills fairly ring with their melody. 



Dr. Cooper found a nest of this bird, May lli, at the easlern base of the 

 Coast li'ange. It was built in a low horizontal braiadi of an alder, ami con- 

 sisted of a, few sticks and weeds, Ncry loosely ]ait together, with a lining of 

 grass and roots. The eggs, tliri'e in numlier, he di'scrilies as of a jiale bluish- 

 wliito gruund, thickly sjjotted with brown, more densely near the laigcr end. 

 Their size he gives as .1)5 by .70 ol' an iiicli. 



Dr. Cooper also states that they freciuent the ground in search of food, but 

 also live much on trees, feeding on their buds. They are not givgaiioiis, 

 assembling only in family groups in the fall. They do not tly high, nor tlo 

 they make any noise in Hying 



He has oi 'served these birds at Santa Cruz Ajiril I L', or as early as he .saw 

 them at San Diego, three hundred and lifly miles farlher .south, ami has 

 found a young I'ird !! 'dged as early as M;iy '2.'<. 



Dr. Cones speaks of this bird as an aluiiidant snmnier resident of .\ii/oiia, 

 where it arrives liy the lir.st of May, :iiid remains until the latter ]iart of 

 September. He speaks of it as fi\'(iuentiiig the thick brush of the ravines 

 and tl.e coltonwood and willow copses of the riNcr-iiotloms, Its call-iiole 

 resembles that of Lnji/ior/i/r i/iiiiiln/i. Its song, he says, is superli, — a 

 powerful, but melodious suc<'essioii of clear, rich, rolling notes, reminding 

 one somewhat of the Icterus hii/fiinorr. 



Dr. Sm'kley speaks of this bird being s|iaringly found in the vicinity of 

 Fort Stcilucooui, I'uget SimiiuI, where he obi; ined two specimens. 



