

478 NATURALIST IN CALIFORNIA. 
25th, found the eggs of Common Doves. 26th, shot a new 
species of. Owl (Micrathene Whitney) in a dark thicket. 
28th, Summer Red-bird (Pyranga estiva). 29th, found a 
nest and two eggs of the Shining Flycateher. In this month 
I saw an unknown species of Oriole in the high trees, like 
Jcterus Parisorum Bonap. 
On April 6th I trapped a squirrel, of a species which I 
had not before observed, a third larger than Harris’, and 
dark-brown instead of gray, but with proportions and mark- 
ings so exactly like the desert species, that, remembering 
the varieties of the Four-striped Tamias, I did not dare to 
consider this distinct. It was all I saw of the kind, which 
may be common in the wooded mountains of Arizona. On 
the 13th I obtained the first Pale Bat, before noted. 
Reptiles had now become common in the valley, and were 
mostly distinct species from those of the deserts. Besides 
those mentioned, a large Fence Lizard (Sceloporus ma- 
gister?), eight inches long, began to frequent the trees 
March 20th, and on the 23d, three young of my new Land 
Tortoise (Xerobates Agassizii) were brought from the moun- 
tains by Indians. The Thirsty Lizard (Dipsosawrus dor- 
salis) became common in the ravines near by, far from 
water. On the 30th I caught Graham’s Salvadora (S. Gra- 
hamii), a pretty harmless snake living in the grassy valley. 
April 15th, Woodhouse’s Toad* first appeared on the drier 
banks; 17th, Churchill’s Bull-snake ( Pituophis bellona) ; 
26th, Boyle’s Milk-snake (Lampropeltis Boylii); 29th, the 
Coppery Whip-snake (Masticophis testaceus), and some very 
swift lizards ( Crotaphytus sp.) which I did not succeed in 
catching, appeared on the desert plains. 
On May 1st I shot the Little Flycatcher ( Empidonax pu- 
=~ Sillus), which I then mistook for E. Traillii, but find by my 
. .motes that this one differed from a true specimen of the lat- 
. fer, shot on May 20th, in having the lower mandible brown- 
2 ish instead of yellowish and in proportions. lt was lost, with 



*Dr. Kennerley found toads at William's Fork, February 18th, 1854. 


