May, 1901 I 
THE CONDOR 
69 
Bird Notes from Placer County, Gal. 
V ARIED Thrush {Hesperocichla 
ntrvia). In the Oologist for Jan- 
uary, 1901, Wni. L. Atkinson 
notes the occurrence and disposition of 
this bird as he hnds it in Santa 
Clara, but the habits of the birds here 
are so different that I give my notes by 
way of comparison. These birds arrive 
here about the end of October and seek- 
ing the seclusion of the dark, heavily 
wooded canyons or hillsides, are rarely 
seen outside of them. I have occasion- 
ally seen and secured specimens in the 
alders or brush along water-courses but 
have never found them within 1500 
yards of dwellings. In the wooded 
districts they may be found in small 
bands of six or more, finding their in- 
sect food usually among the fallen 
leaves and twigs. Later on in the 
spring they resort to the brushy side 
hills for manzanita blossoms and at such 
times leave their insect diet. Even in 
the darkest canyons they are shy and 
appear unused to the sight of human 
beings, peering at them curiously and 
flying away with harsh, mournful cries 
as if they were outcasts in a land of 
plenty. Their vocabulary is much less 
varied and not as musical as that of the 
Western Robin. The latest date I 
have recorded a specimen of the Varied 
Thrush is on March 23 of this year, 
when they became scarce and soon left. 
California Thrasher. Having read a 
good deal about the vocal powers of 
Harporhyncluis redivivt/s, with little in 
commendation of the bird’s abilit}^ to 
imitate the songs of other birds, I would 
like to pronounce a few words in his 
favor. Though he cannot compete 
with Mimns polyglottos he, in a more 
fragmentary manner, does imitate parts 
of other birds’ .songs. Audubon says 
that when these birds are happy they 
sing at their best and although I have 
infrequently heard them singing in 
light snowstorms, still the sunny days 
of spring are J:he time to hear them. 
Among the common and most perfect 
imitations of bird songs by the thrasher 
are “quare, quare, quare,” the usual 
cawing note of Aphelocoma califor 7 iica\ 
the quirring note of Sitfa c. aaileata and 
the cackling note of Colaptes cafer. 
Then at times I have heard the pleasant 
trill of Chamcra fasciata, imitated so per- 
fectly that wrentits have replied to it 
similarly. The note of Lophortyx c. 
vallicola is imitated well, but for some 
reason very rarely, and the “kwee- 
kwee-kuk” of Merzila rn. propi 7 iqiia 
makes one search the trees for the bird. 
The imitated notes are always woven 
into the thrasher’s own song, for nearly 
every thrasher has an individual song 
or songs and the rapid succession of in- 
dividual notes and imitated ones makes 
it difficult to separate and distinguish 
the one from the other, which may ac- 
count partially for the few people who 
consider this bird to be an imitator. 
American Pipit. The occurrence of 
A/ithiis pe 7 tsilva 7 iic 7 is here is of very 
short duration, in the spring at least, 
for they arrived this year on February 
26 and had passed on by March 21 and 
have not been seen since. Judging by 
their absence in previous years they 
are not very common in this section at 
any time, but on March 8 I secured an 
adult male out of a flock of 25 or more, 
after considerable trouble. They were 
feeding in summer-fallowed ground 
along the .side of a .smalb creek and 
kept flying ahead as we approached. 
They spent most of their time feeding 
in the bottom of the furrows, out of 
sight, usually walking rapidly. Their 
flight is undulatory and seemingly not 
strong. John J. Wilij.\m,s. 
Applegate^ Cal. 
W w 
The Wilso7i ]>ulleti7i is now issued from Ber- 
wyn, Pa. and Frank L. Burns assumes editorial 
control. The Bullet77i has grown into an ex- 
cellent and sul)stantial publication under the 
supervision of ProfessorLynds Jones and if the 
announced policj' of its new management is 
followed out, we bespeak for the magazine a 
still greater field of usefulness and influence. 
