Mat, 1893.] BIRDS OF THE DEATH VALLEY EXPEDITION. Ill 



common all through Salt Wells and Owens valleys, and the writer 

 found it common in the latter valley at Keeler, near Owens Lake, and 

 at Lone Pine, in June. At Keeler a male was noticed every day during 

 our stay. He sat for hours on a wire in front of the signal station and 

 produced a series of notes which were well worth the title of a song. 

 The sounds were more or less disconnected, but the writer does not 

 remember hearing so perfect a song from any swallow, and as Mr. Bick- 

 nell states (Auk, Vol. I, 1884, p. 325) the notes suggest those produced 

 by the marsh wren. 



Tachycineta bicolor. Tree Swallow. 



White bellied swallows were seen in a few places during migration. 

 Several vrere seen at Ash Meadows, Nevada, March 12, and a number 

 near the Colorado River, March 10-13. At Furnace Creek, Death Val- 

 ley, it was common about the reservoir, March 23-24, and again the 

 middle of April. A few were seen in Johnson Canon in the Panamint 

 Eange, April 4, and Mr. Nelson observed stragglers at the head of 

 Willow Creek in the same range, the last of May. 



Tachycineta thalassina. Violet-green Swallow. 



The violet-green swallow is a common summer resident among the 

 mountains and was frequently seen in the neighboring valleys while 

 searching for food. Two or three were seen near the upper end of 

 Vegas Wash, Nevada, March 10, and many were observed in Death 

 Valley, at Purnace Creek, April 10, and at Saratoga Springs, near the 

 south end, April 26. In Nevada, Dr. Merriam found it common in 

 Pahranagat Valley, May 22-26, saw it on Mount Magruder, June 8, and 

 in Oasis Valley, June 1. In Utah it was common in the Lower Santa 

 Clara Valley, May 11-15. Mr. Nelson found it a common species in 

 the Panamint and Grapevine mountains, where it bred in the crevices 

 of the lofty cliffs, from the summits down to the border of the sur- 

 rounding valleys. In the former range violet-green swallows were 

 common, and a specimen was secured on the summit of Telescope Peak, 

 June 23. In the Argus Eange it was common about the summit above 

 Maturango Spring, May 12-14, and at Coso, four or five came about 

 camp, May 28. 



Mr. Nelson saw the species from the lower part of Saline Valley to 

 the summit of the Inyo Mountains, in June; up to timber line in the 

 White Mountains, in July, and at the heads of Owens and Merced 

 rivers, in the Sierra Nevada, in July and August. In Owens Valley 

 this swallow was' common about the lake at Keeler and at Lone Pine 

 during the first half of June. At the latter place it was seen flying 

 about in company with the cliff swallows, white-throated and cloud 

 swifts, at the mouth of the canon, and with the barn swallows over the 

 meadows and marshes. Mr. Stephens found it more or less common in 

 other parts of the valley. It was common along the valley of Kern 



