YELLOW OR ORANGE CONSPICUOUS 533 



the immediate vicinity when we stumbled into it, but long 

 and patient search revealed only one of the young birds. 

 He was sitting on a low bush, looking as solemn as a 

 young owl, and allowed us to go close to him. Except 

 for size he looked like a goldfinch nestling and was no 

 more timid than the latter. The adults moved anxiously 

 through the branches over our heads uttering plaintive 

 calls of fear and low purring notes of remonstrance with 

 us or of reassurance to the young. I am convinced that 

 but for their excitement he would have known no fear. 



Later, in August, small flocks of young Tanagers were 

 seen, in company with vireos, feeding among the pine 

 trees and evidently gathering for the fall migration. 

 They were following the flycatcher fashion of catching 

 insects on the wing, beginning when the sun touched 

 the tops of the trees and moving downward as the day 

 advanced and the insect life nearer the ground awoke to 

 activity. In like manner they retreated to the tree tops 

 as the shadows fell in the afternoon. 



645 a. CALAVERAS WARBLER. — Hdmintkojjkila 

 rubricapilla gutturalis. 



Family : The Wood Warblers. 



Length: 4.75. 



Adult Male : Top of head gray, with chestnut crown patch ; white eye- 

 ring; hack olive-green, more yellowish on rump and upper tail- 

 coverts ; under parts rich bright yellow. 



Adult Female : Similar, but duller ; little or no chestnut on crown. 



Young : Upper parts brownish gray ; rump greenish gray ; under parts 

 dull yellow, becoming buffy brown on belly. 



Geographical Distribution: Western United States from Pacific coast 

 to Kocky Mountains ; south in winter to Mexico. 



