418 University of Calif ontia Publications in Zoology. [Vol. 



Sitta canadensis Linnaeus 

 Red-breasted Nuthatch 



Occurred rather rarely in the region. The first was noted on 

 a barbed wire fence near Quinn River Crossing on May 24. 

 First it flew to a post, down which it worked in a typical nut- 

 hatch fashion. Then it flew to the sagebrush, and perched, 

 sometimes with head up, sometimes with head down. It caught 

 and ate some sort of insect, and was not shy. It certainly gave 

 one a feeling of surprise to find this bird, which is ordinarily so 

 characteristic of the coniferous forest of the Boreal zone, in the 

 midst of an arid waste far from trees of any kind. Our notes 

 on habits bear out those of Ridgway (1877, p. 416), who states 

 that apparently this species makes more or less of a vertical 

 migration. We found the bird in Upper Sonoran and Transition. 



Two nuthatches were seen on Wheeler Creek, one bird in the 

 sagebrush and the other in the willows along the stream. Two 

 were seen at Big Creek Ranch, both in the trees near the creek. 

 Three other individuals were observed in limber pines at 

 higher points in the mountains. The last specimen taken (no. 

 8969), secured on July 4, had its plumage much abraded. One 

 of the call-notes of the nuthatch may be rendered "wha! wha ! 

 wha!" Five specimens (nos. 8965-8969) were preserved. 



Penthestes gambeli gambeli (Ridgway) 

 Mountain Chickadee 



Work was carried on in the limber pine area of the higher 

 portions of the mountains for some time before Penthestes was 

 recorded. The first one noted was seen near the shores of Alder 

 Creek Lake (7800 feet). The species was confined to that por- 

 tion of the Transition having a Boreal infusion. 



The numbers of such pinicoline birds as chickadees, nut- 

 hatches and juncos were far smaller than one would expect, even 

 considering the extremely limited pine-covered area. 



Most of the chickadees noted were heard July 11 to August 1 

 in the vicinity of Duffer Peak. 



On July 30 and August 1, respectively, two broods of juvenal 



