THE CONDOR 
Vol. XIY 
1 64 
ceased and we proceeded on our way, but soon the deep snow made the road im- 
passable. and we were compelled to unharness the horses, packing only the ne- 
cessities on their backs, in order to continue. In places small streams had under- 
mined the snow, in which the horses would sink deep, shifting the pack in their 
efforts to right themselves. Half a mile of this disheartened us and we turned 
back ; but when we reached our wagon we found we were unahle to turn it on 
the narrow road-bed. Not having eaten since breakfast, and being wet and cold, 
we were indeed in a sorry plight. After unloading the wagon we finally suc- 
ceeded, inch by inch, in turning it around, and a mad ride down the grade brought 
us again to Georgetowm Junction; and a few miles farther on we reached Ech:', 
where we built a roaring camp fire and dried our outfit.” 
From June 11 to 13 (1903) was spent in fieldwork at Phillips’ Station, but 
without noting any Pine Grosbeaks; nor were any seen in the vicinity of Star 
Lake where we camped on June 26 and 27. 
In 1906 the Lake Tahoe region was visited in August and September, a 
mucb later time than on any previous trip, and when one would rather expect 
to find juvenile Piiiicola in evidence. Fieldwork was done in the higher altitude'^, 
at Phillips' Station August 12 and September 6. and at Star Lake August 24 and 
25 ; but none of the birds in c|uestion were recorded. 
During 1909 a trip waS taken to Cold Creek ^Meadows on June 3, while from 
June 11 to 13 was spent at Deerington’s, a mile east of Phillips’ Station. At 
both places owing to the lateness of the summer the ground still lay hidden be- 
neath deep snow. Although all of the commoner alpine species were met with in 
their usual numbers, 1 failed to find any Pine Grosbeaks. On June 24, at Mar- 
lette Lake. Nevada, 8000 feet altitude, the Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Sierra Gr_use, 
Clarke Nutcracker, Sierra Hermit Thrush and other boreal birds were found, 
but none of the much-sought Grosbeaks. On June 28 Heinemann and T started 
on an e.xtended tramp through the mountains that encircle the southern end of 
Lake Tahoe. 
It was near the end of the trip, at Lake-of-the- Woods, elevation 80C0 feet, 
on July 1, that we saw our first Grosbeaks. It was a little after daybreak and, 
as the welcome rays of the morning sun came filtering through the trees about 
our camp, we became aware of the presence of a pair of these birds. The Pine 
Grosbeaks were watched with that extreme interest which must ever be given by 
the oologist to birds whose eggs remain unknown to science. The pair staid 
about our camp for .some time, feeding on the ground and in the trees. If the birds 
were nesting we failed to gain any clue of it from their actions, for they flitted 
from branch to branch and from tree to tree in a leisurely and unconcerned fash- 
ion, finally taking wing across the lake and disappearing in the heavy timber. 
While our eflforts in 1910 were principally confined to taking the eggs of 
the Gray-crowned Rosy P'inch, nevertheless it was on the two journeys to Pyra- 
mid Peak in quest of the.se eggs that we found more Pine Grosbeaks than in all 
the previous years combined. In 124 miles of fieldwork fifteen birds were seen, 
which shows, however, that the bird must be considered rare even in the most 
favorable localities. We found the bird absent in seeminglv suitable territory 
which would show its di.stribution to be rather irregular. During all the previous 
years that we traversed this same region w'e found only a small fraction of the 
number now observed, which would further prove the bird’s occurrence to be 
rather uncertain as well. 
W'C saw the first bird for the season of 1910 on the Pyramid Peak Plateau 
