1912] Taylor: Birds and Reptiles of Northern Nevada. 389 



the English sparroAV is common the linnet comes to be almost 

 displaced. 



Astragalinus psaltria hesperophilus Oberholser 



Green-backed Goldfinch 



Notably rare. On June 9 one was heard near Big Creek 



Ranch. The clear call-note of a second individual was heard the 



next afternoon, as the bird was flying overhead. Finally one 



(no. 8606) was secured in the willow thicket below the ranch. 



Spinus pinus (Wilson) 

 Pine Siskin 



Distrihutiou. — Heard at Quinn River Crossing, Big Creek 

 Ranch, in the higher parts of the mountains, and in Virgin 

 Valley. 



Hahits. — The shyness of the species in this region is indi- 

 cated by the fact that although several individuals were heard, 

 no specimens were secured by our immediate party, and only 

 one (no. 9280) by the palaeontoloo'ical division in Virgin Valley. 

 The usual thing was to note them flying high overhead, their 

 presence being indicated merely by their clear-voiced call-note. 

 On June 2 one individual was observed at 6 a.m. flying west- 

 ward. Later in the day a pair was seen and shortly afterward 

 an individual bird flying in the same direction. 



At Big Creek Ranch and in the mountains siskins were noted 

 perching on willows along the stream and in the brush on the 

 hillsides. 



Several individuals* were observed feeding in a warbler-like 

 manner, picking insects from the foliage of a limber pine. 



Pocecetes gramineus confinis Baird 

 Western Vesper Sparrow 

 Distribution. — Noted at Big Creek Ranch and locally on the 

 sagebrush flats of the mountains rarely above 7000 feet altitude ; 

 zonally in Upper Sonoran and Lower Transition. 



Habits. — Vesper sparrows were not abundant. They were 

 unusually shy and difficult of approach, as they flew over long 



