The Oregon Juncoes 



locality betrays them into a belief that they are high enough for happi- 

 ness. So we have chance nestings at Stanford University 1 or Cazadero. 2 

 But the bulk of the species ascends until the upper Transition levels of 

 the higher mountains are reached. A pause is made here for nesting, 

 while the hardier individuals push on for the higher levels. Not im- 

 possibly, nesting is conducted at two levels by the same pair of birds, 

 6000-8000 in May, 8000-1 1000 in June or July. And when the last 

 brood of babies is raised, the whole family goes climbing in good earnest. 

 It is a heartening sight to one sitting on the crest of a radiating ridge, 

 as at timberline on Shasta, to see the happy Juncoes go trouping by, 

 brood after brood, for forage on the upper levels, or wherever the least 

 green thing will grow. 



Juncoes are rigeopathic, or cold-loving, by the same token that 

 they are photophobic. I had a curious illustration of this in an experi- 

 ment conducted at the Simpson Meadows on the Middle Fork of the 

 King's River (alt. 6500). A nest had been found in an unusually exposed 

 situation; viz., on the level ground with only the protection of scattered 



' W. K. Fisher, Condor, Vol. VI., 1904, p. 108. 

 2 Joseph Mailliard. Condor, Vol. X., 1908, p. 133. 



Taken in Inyo County 

 Photo by the Author 



NESTING SITE OF SIERRA JUNCO, 



NEAR "BUGHUNTERS' CAMP" 



(Alt. 10,000). 



?PJ 



