Mar., 1908 OBSERVATIONS ON THE NESTING HABITS OF THE PHAINOPEPLA 75 



then the one in the nest once more. When she had left, the nestling in the tree 

 flew down on the edge of the nest beside his mate. The male came and fed him 

 once but did not feed the bird in the nest. When he had left, both young flew up 

 into the tree. There I left them. That night they were not in the tree nor did I 

 see them again. 



Los Angeles, California. 



SOME DATA AND RECORDS FROM THE WHETSTONE MOUNTAINS, 



ARIZONA ^ 



By AUSTIN PAUL SMITH 



OBSERVATION by contemporaries, ascribes Junco phceonotus pallialns 

 almost exclusively to the pine zone of such regions as it inhabits. Yet it 

 was the first Junco I recorded from this range — a single individual, ? 

 adult, altitude 4800 feet. This happened on the 26th of September. Next day 

 I flushed a flock of perhaps fifteen, a very few feet from the original location. 

 They were then feeding in and about a growth of Ceanothus and poison oak, for 

 which at most times they showed a preference. Thereafter the Arizona Junco 

 could be noted regularly in the Transition zone, during my stay. 



The Gray-headed Junco (Junco caniceps) became noticeable several days 

 later, generally associated with the Arizona variety. However, one might chance 

 at any time upon small flocks in the same general locality, but composed entirely 

 of the one species. 



Here is a record that strikes me as unusual, when altitude be considered: 

 Piranga rubra coopo'i, enjoying certain caterpillars that were defoliating the few 

 trees of western walnut that had managed to gain a foothold in a canyon, a little 

 above 4000 feet on September 27; a male in full plumage, and the third of its 

 kind that had been noted that high during the season. Paradoxically, this date 

 also stands for my last Western Tanager (P'/rrtw^fl ludoviciana^ , with an added 

 1000 feet in elevation. Of the Hepatic Tanager {Piranga hepatica) nothing was 

 recorded after July. 



As Swarth in his "Birds of the Huachuca Mountains," lays stress on the early 

 departure from that group of Icterus parisorum, its persistence in remaining a 

 resident of the Whetstones up to the day of my departure (October 5) is worth set- 

 ting down. During August the adult birds were but seldom in evidence. Un- 

 doubtedly this was due to that month covering their molt period, as the few birds 

 (five or six) I chanced upon, were all in such condition. September brought them 

 forth again, the male birds to my mind, boasting quite as regal plumage as in 

 the spring, the scaly appearance, caused by the gray edgings (occasionally 

 white) of the feathers of the back, detracting in nowise from their splendor. 

 Opuntia fruit ripened during September, and I imagine the Scott Oriole was care- 

 free then, for they seem to feed on little else when these juicy cacti are available. 

 Their sharp clear whistle gains a second life after the molt, and is super-enjoyable 

 because of its solitariness in the forests of this range at such time. 



I This range lies thirty-five miles due north of the Huachuca Mountains. — A. P. S. 



