102 
THE CONDOR 
Vol. VII 
Rocky Mountain form. They are readily distinguishable from zelotes, the breed- 
ing bird of the Sierras. Montana is probably a winter visitant, therefore, to south- 
eastern California from the northeastward. 
Sitta carolinensis aculeata. Slender-billed Nuthatch. Fairly common among 
the cottonwoods. 
Parus gambeli. Mountain Chickadee. Common in the brush and cotton- 
woods of the river bottom. 
Psaltriparus minimus. California Bush-Tit. Fairly common along the river. 
The specimens secured are quite like those of the southern coast district of Cali- 
fornia, and these in turn do not present tangible differences from Oregon skins of 
the same season. 
Auriparus flaviceps. Verdin. One specimen, secured by Dixon, was the 
only one met with. We found no mesquites in the vicinity of Victorville, and this 
evidently accounts for the absence of verdins. For farther down the Mojave 
River, at Barstow, both mesquites and verdins are plentiful. 
Regulus calendula cineraceus. Ashy Kinglet. Fairly common, mostly along 
the wooded bottom lands. But several were met with among ‘'sage" bushes out 
on the desert. All the skins secured show large size, and gravnesss of coloration 
conspicuous anteriorly. (See Condor VI, Jan. 1904, 25.) 
Myadestes townsendi. Townsend Solitaire. Solitaires were fairly numerous 
among the cottonwoods, where they were feeding on mistletoe berries. 
Hylocichla guttata nana. Dwarf Hermit Thrush. One specimen was taken 
by Finger near the river. 
Merula migratoria propinqua. Western Robin. Fairly common among the 
ci ttonwoods, where they were feeding on the mistletoe berries. 
Sialia inexicana occidentalis. Western Bluebird. Abundant along the river 
bottom where they were feeding largely on mistletoe berries. 
Sialia arctica. Mountain Bluebird. Two flocks were encountered out on the 
desert quite a distance from the river. 
The Sage Grouse, Centrocercus urophasianus 
BY L. E. BURNETT" 
EDITED BY S. ARTHUR JOHNSON 
I HAVE had the pleasure of giving the sage grouse considerable attention, for, 
owing to my residence where the species is very numerous, I have been 
enabled to observe the birds at all times of the year. It is worth a long trip to 
see the male in full plumage at mating season. His striking dress and yellow air- 
aThe author of this sketch was horn in I,uray, Missouri. His family moved to Colorado when he was a mere lad 
and settled near Loveland. After a residence there of several year.- they took up life on a ranch not far from I.ittle 
Medicine, Wyoming, which was his home until his death. From eaily childhood Mr. Burnett was a passionate lover 
of animal life. He was much in the field and sought tnanv times to tame his wild friends. One (all he had seven 
young antelope in captivity, hut the experiment proved a failure owing to lack of propet diet. 
I.ife in Wyoming gave him ample opportunity for observation and. hy familiarizing himself with the best litera- 
ture, he became imbued with the scientific spirit In order that he might collect and preserve, he learned the art of 
taxidermy and attained usual proficiency in that line. He -trove always for expression in his work, and secured re- 
sults through his large knowledge of wild life. 
The greater part of the 1 ist two years ol his life was spent in collecting and mounting material for the museum of 
the Colorado Agricultural College. It was while living here that a severe attack of his lifelong enemy, asthma, took 
him from us From boyhood he struggled with a body weakened by chronic pulmonary troubles. His ambition and 
love of his work often led him beyond ihe limits of' his strength His cheerful disposition and kindly attitude en- 
deared him to all with whom he came in contact Following plans laid by himself, his valuable private collection 
was presented to the public library ol Fort Collins, Colorado. — S A J 
