1875.] 155 [Bendire. 



into the nest and broke two of the eggs. The nest is not such a 

 bulky affair as wrens' nests usually are, no doubt on account of want 

 of room under the rock. It was about a foot and a half from the 

 opening under the rock, on a steep hillside covered with boulders. 

 The nest was composed externally of sticks and bark, and lined with 

 fine rootlets and a little hair. The inner diameter of the nest was 

 two and one-half inches, and the cavity not more than one inch deep. 

 — May 19th. I find the Rock Wren rather common on looking closer 

 for it; have seen more than a dozen in an afternoon's tramp, but not 

 more than two in any one place. Their nests, however, can only be 

 found by accident, they find so many nice places to hide them in." 



13. Oreoscoptes montanus Baird. " May 29th. On the way 

 to the lake I took a fine set of the mountain mocking-bird's eggs." 



14. Myiadestes Townsendi Cab. "December 5th, 1874. 

 Since I wrote you last (November 14th), I have seen a number of 

 individuals of this species, and have taken several. In their habits 

 they remind me very much of Phainopepla nitens. Like that species, 

 they prefer to perch on dry limbs, and as high as they can get on the 

 juniper trees, which they seem to frequent exclusively. At this sea- 

 son of the year they seem to feed on juniper berries entirely. I can 

 bear witness to the excellence of their song. I find it very varied, 

 soft and flute-like at times, strong and powerful at others, and it re- 

 minds me, in many respects, of that of the European sky-lark. I 

 most certainly consider it fully equal, if not superior, to the song of 

 our mocking-bird. Its usual call note is peculiar, and hard to de- 

 scribe. I took it down at the time of hearing it, and do not give it 

 from memory. It comes as near as possible to the occasional sound 

 produced by an axle of a wagon just about commencing to need 

 greasing — like hit-it, and sometimes like loa-ip, with quite an interval 

 between each syllable. Generally the bird is seen singly, rarely in 

 flocks. It prefers isolated patches of juniper to the dense timber, 

 and so I have only noticed it in junipers, or on rocks on the edges of 

 bluffs. — May 19th. This bird does not breed about here. I have 

 not seen one for a month." 



15. Collurio excubitoroides Baird. This species is referred 

 to as having first made its appearance a little prior to April 3d. 



16. Carpodacus Cassiili Baird. This species is referred to 

 as having been taken between November 14th and December 5th, 

 1874. 



