1889. ] JEFFRIES, Western North Carolina Birds. 119 
Geothlypis trichas. MARYLAND YELLOW-THROAT.—Rare. 
Sylvania canadensis. CANADIAN WaArBLER.—Occurring occasionally. 
Setophaga ruticilla. RepDsTART.—Common. 
Troglodytes hiemalis. WinrerR WreN. Abundant locally. 
Sitta canadensis. REp-BREASTED NUTHATCH.—Quite common, with 
young just on wing. 
Parus atricapillus. BLAck-cAppED CHICKADEE.—Not uncommon. 
Parus hudsonicus. HupsonrAN CuHICKADEE.—Not uncommon. 
Turdus aonalaschke pallasii. Hermir THrusu.—Observed every- 
where. 
Merula migratoria. Rosin.—Very common. 
NOTES ON WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA BIRDS. 
BY W. A. JEFFRIES AND J. A. JEFFRIES. 
On the 14th of May, 1888, with the prospect of two weeks to 
ourselves, we arrived at Sylva in Jackson County, North Carolina. 
Sylva is a small settlement on Scott’s Creek, about three miles 
above its junction with the Tuckasseegee, a tributary of the Ten- 
nessee, at an elevation of 2000 feet. The Plott Balsams on the 
north and northeast, rise to 5000 and 6000 feet. King’s Mount- 
ain, due south, is 3000 feet high. 
The valleys in the neighborhood are all cleared and planted, 
usually to corn; grass is a rarity. Heavy timber covers the hill- 
sides, dotted here and there with clearings, or patches of tall 
charred trunks affording good feeding grounds for Colaptes 
auratus and Ceophleus pileatus. The life of a hillside farm is 
short, owing to the crude methods of the farmer. The surface of 
the soil is little more than scratched with a ‘bull tongue’ plough ; 
a heavy plough suitable for such work is unknown. This results 
in bad washing of the soil, which soon becomes too much gullied 
for service. 
On the 14th, immediately after our first futile attempt to make 
a meal off native fare, we hired horses and rode for twenty miles, 
going towards the northeast. On this ride we saw two Robins; 
three Robins only were seen by us below Franklin. We saw also 
several flocks of from six to twenty SAzzus tréstis; similar flocks 
