HEERMANN'S NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF CALIFORNIA. 263 



Trichas Tolmcei, Townsend, Sylvia Macgillivrayi, Aud. Rather rare, and 

 frequenting the dense thickets in the vicinity of water. 



Trichas Delafieldii, Aud. Common, and found in the thick underwood on the 

 river banks, or in low swampy grounds, where it remains hidden during the day, 

 showing itself only for a short time, towards evening. It incubates in the country, 

 and is a quiet, shy bird, rather difficult to obtain, on account of its retiring habits 



Helinaia celata, (Say,) is also abundant in California, but is migratory, as are 

 the larger number of the warblers. 



Certhia familiaris, Linn. Common in California, in the mountainous districts. 



Troglodytes obsoletus, Say. Abundant in the mountainous districts, where it 

 is seen searching for its food between the crevices of the rocks. For one of this genus, 

 it is an unusually silent bird, uttering at intervals a very weak, thrilling note. 



Troglodytes mexicanus, Swains. I first met with this bird in the fall of 1851, on 

 the Cosumnes river: In the spring of 1852 I procured three specimens on the Cale- 

 veras river. It is an active bird, having a loud sprightly song, that is heard at a oreat 

 distance, and which it repeats at short intervals. I found it occupied searchino- for 

 insects, between and under the large boulders of rock which, in some portions of this 

 river, are thrown together in confused masses, as if by some terrific convulsion of 

 nature. 



Troglodytes Bewickii, Aud. Abundant. 



Troglodytes americanus, Aud., and T. aedon, Vieill., are not rare. 



Troglodytes palustris, Wils. Very abundant in the marshes which cover the 

 low lands of the Sacramento valley. 



PicoLAPTEs brdnneicapillus, Lafresuaye. I found this bird in the arid country 

 back of Guymas, on the Gulf of California. The country itself is the picture of 

 desolation, presenting a broken surface, and a confused mass of volcanic rocks, 

 covered by a scanty vegetation of thorny bushes and cactus. In this desert I found 

 several interesting species, which enter into our fauna as birds of Texas, and this 

 species was one of the number. It appeared to be a lively, sprightly bird, uttering, 

 at intervals, a clear loud ringing note. The nest, composed of grasses and lined with 

 feathers, was in the shape of a long purse, laid flat between the forks, or on the 

 branches of a cactus. The entrance was a covered passage, varying from six to ten 

 inches in length. The eggs, six in number, are of a delicate salmon color, very pale, 

 and often so thickly speckled with ash and darker salmon colored spots, as to give a ■ 

 rich cast to the whole surface of the egg. 



LoPHOPHANES inornatus, Gambel. This bird is one of the mo.st common species 

 in the country, residing there the whole year. Its notes are endless in their variety, 

 and I have often followed it a long time, thinking that it might be some new bird 

 with which I was not acquainted. I found one nest, in a deserted wood-pecker's hole, 

 but it contained young. 



