May, 1893.] BIRDS OF THE DEATH VALLEY EXPEDITION. 113 



Record of specimens collected of Stelyidopteryx sevripennis. 



Col- 

 lector's 

 No. 



176 

 340 



Sex. 



d im. 

 $ im. 



Locality, 



Panamint Valley, Calif 



Deatli Valley, Calif 



do 



Date. 



Apr. 22, 1891 

 June 19, 1891 

 ....do 



Collector. 



A. K. Fisher 



.-..do 



V. Bailey 



Kern arks. 



Hot Springs. 

 Furnace Creek. 

 Do. 



Ampelis cedrorum. Cedar Waxvving. 



The only cedar birds observed during the entire trip were two seen 

 at Lone Pine, in Owens Valley, June 14, and a flock of five, at Three 

 Rivers, Tulare County, September 15. At the former place they were 

 feeding on mulberries, which were cultivated along one of the irrigating 

 ditches of a fruit ranch. This berry, when it can be obtained, seems 

 to be their favorite food, and one which they will take in preference to 

 any other. Among the Creoles of Louisiana the knowledge of this fact 

 has given rise to the name of murier for the cedar bird in that locality. 



At Three Rivers the specimens secured were gorged with a small 

 wild grape (Vitis ealifomica), which was ripening in abundance in the 

 low thickets along the streams. 



Phainopepla nitens. Pliainopepla. 



This species is a characteristic bird of the Lower Sonoran zone, where 

 it remains throughout the year. Several were seen among the mes- 

 quite at Hot Springs in Panamint Valley, in January, and a fine male 

 was secured at the mouth of Surprise Canon, not far from the above 

 place, April 23. Its stomach was filled with the berries of the mistle- 

 toe, which is a parasite on the mesquite. Several were seen at Besting 

 Spring in the Amargosa Desert, about the middle of February, feeding 

 on the same berries, which appear to be their principal food. 



An adult male was seen at Maturango Spring in the Argus Bange, 

 May 10, and one or two were observed at Coso the latter part of May. 

 Mr. Nelson found it rather common in the lower part of Vegas Valley 

 and upper part of Vegas Wash and very abundant in the lower part 

 of the Wash, near the Colorado Biver, in March. It was seen by Dr. 

 Merriam at Mountain Spring in the Charleston Mountains, April 30, 

 and was common in the Lower Santa Clara Valley, Utah, June 11-15, 

 where several pairs were breeding in the village of St. George. An 

 adult female was seen by Mr. Stephens at Morans, in Owens Valley, 

 July 4-7, and Mr. Nelson found it rather common in the western foot- 

 hills of the Sierra Nevada, between the San Joaquin and Merced rivers 

 in August. One was seen in the chaparral above Kaweah, July 25, 

 and another July 30. 



At Kernville the species was abundant in canons above the village 

 July 11-13, where as many as a dozen were seen at once, some sitting 

 on the tree tops, while others were busily engaged in capturing winged 

 insects after the manner of the cedar bird.. 

 127.31— No. 7 a 



