1912] Swarth: Birds and Mammals from Vancouver Island 77 



time to time at the edge of the woods along the beach. At 

 Errington in September, they were evidently migrating, and in 

 increasing numbers toward the end of the month. Usually seen 

 in mixed flocks of chickadees, nuthatches and kinglets, the whole 

 assemblage keeping together and moving rather rapidly through 

 the forest. 



Thirteen specimens were taken (nos. 16522—16534), four sum- 

 mer adults, five juvenals, and four immatures in freshly acquired 

 winter plumage. 



Sitta canadensis Linnaeus 

 Red-breasted Nuthatch 



A fairly common summer resident of the western side of the 

 island at least; possibly of general distribution, but from its 

 habits as observed by us, very difficult to secure, or even to see. 

 At Beaver Creek during June, the familiar nasal note was fre- 

 quently heard, but always from the tops of the tallest fir trees, 

 far out of gun range, and it was long before I had so much 

 as a glimpse of one flitting from tree to tree. They were not 

 observed in the dense woods at the head of China Creek, but on 

 July 14-16, on the summit of the neighboring Mount Douglas, 

 several were met with in the open woods along the ridge. 



At Friendly Cove they were again heard calling in the tree 

 tops, but only one or two were seen and none secured. They were 

 fairly abundant at Errington in September, but under the same 

 disadvantageous circumstances as elsewhere, and though seen or 

 heard nearly every day I was able to secure only three specimens. 

 These are two males and a female, all adults in fresh winter 

 plumage (nos. 16535-16537). 



Penthestes rufescens rufescens (Townsend) 

 Chestnut-backed Chickadee 

 About the most abundant and most generally distributed 

 species of bird encountered. Met with at every point visited, 

 sometimes in considerable numbers. A female taken at Parks- 

 ville, April 28, contained eggs nearly ready to be laid. The 

 first young out of the nest was taken at Beaver Creek, May 31, 

 and thereafter the broods of young were seen everywhere in the 



