94 Californian Garden Birds. [ February, 
Swainson’s greenlets (Vireosylvia gilvus var. Swainsonit) ar- 
rive about March 30th, and some keep about gardens, where I 
have found their old nests. None of the characters distinguish- 
ing the western and eastern races seem to be invariable, while 
their songs and habits do not serve to distinguish them specific- 
ally. Their arrival at San Diego, April 10, 1862, as published 
by me, must have been two weeks later than usual. 
The western mocking-wren (Thryothorus Bewickii var. spilu- 
rus) is a constant resident, but commonest in winter. A pair 
built in a small box in a stable, and had young when discovered 
in April. The open nest in a bush described by me in the Or- 
nithology of California, i. 69, is evidence of an unusual depart- 
ure from their common habits, and was very probably an old nest 
built by some other bird, this species generally building in dark 
cavities of trees, brush-heaps, ete., but now apparently growing 
more familiar. It shows variations in building similar to 7. Lu- 
dovicianus. 
The American goldfinch ( Chrysomitris tristis) is less common 
here in summer than the western species, immense numbers go- 
ing north of this State in April, while the others are not known 
to occur in Oregon, and most of C. Lawrencii go south of this 
latitude in winter, being then replaced in numbers by this species. 
On this coast they seem to breed earlier than eastward, as I found 
several undoubted nests in Ventura County about April 18th, in 
willows where none of the other species ever appeared. The 
eggs described by me from Santa Cruz may, however, have been 
those of C. Lawrencii, as they were smaller than usual, perhaps, 
however, from belonging to a second brood. 
I may note here, in connection with this genus of birds, that I 
killed one of C. pinus as late as April 15th, and that they built 
in the tall pines near Monterey, where I saw them in J une, 1874. 
This most southern locality recorded is accounted for by the 
cool winds, fogs, and pines of the place. 
The California song sparrow (Melospiza melodia vars. Samu- 
elis, Heermanni), like all species of birds which run into many 
local varieties, is little if at all migratory. Where cats are not 
too troublesome it becomes the most familiar of birds. The great 
variations in the size of these birds in California, from which the 
varieties above named and also M. Gouldii have been de- 
scribed (and even placed in other genera), are not confined to 
any latitude, unless the last (and smallest) was from the penin- 
sula, the middle-sized (Samuelis) being found about San Fran- 
