Sept., 1910 DISCOVERY OF NEST AND EGGS OF GRAY-CROWNED LEUCOSTICTE 
155 
our passage. The camp ax was brought into commission and when hand- and 
foot-hold had been chopt in the frozen wall we succeded in getting over it. At 
Lucile we made a campfire among the rocks, which the wind would not allow at 
Grass Lake, and prepared a late breakfast. About noon Lake of the Woods was 
reacht and camp establisht near Hell-Gate, the utensils and gear from the cache 
belonging to Prof. W. W. Price being used. 
All afternoon the wind kept blowing, and that night they made great sport of 
the camp-fire which we bilt in an effort to temper the rimy atmosphere. After a 
wild night the winds at dawn died down and the sun ushered in one of those 
royal Sierran mornings, calm, clear and magnificent. As early as four o'clock we 
saw the seemingly impossible had occurred and that the propitious time for the 
ascent had come. Hastily packing such supplies as were necessary we set out over 
that rough, glacier-hewn gorge, Desolation Valley, our trail lying along its 
southern edge. 
The beauty of Avalanche Lake with 
its rocky islets, foamy contributing 
streams and frame of green forest and 
glittering snow proved too great a 
temptation, however, for our photo- 
graphical contingent, and a short stop 
was made while views were taken. 
Rounding Crystal Lake, which also 
received its quota of film we started 
up the lofty cliffs which wall Desola- 
tion Valley on the west. The region 
now becomes trail-less, and for safely 
travel is made abrest, for often great 
rocks, becoming loosened and gather- 
ingmomentum, go tearing down carry- 
ing destruction in their path. Thus, 
one became his own pathfinder, and in 
this way each pursued a somewhat 
different course. 
Close to the top of Pyramid I visit- 
ed a spot which Carriger and I had Fig. 49. heinemann descending to secure 
previously markt with a huge monu- photographs of leucosticte 
ment of rocks. It was here we had 
noted a Leucosticte carrying material to an unseen nest. Now, however, no birds were 
about, nor could any be roused. All along I had not been over sanguine about the 
possible results of the trip, as so often nests are destroyed or deserted; and now, 
not finding a single bird on the east side of the peak, when but eleven days before, 
we had seen a dozen, made me feel that the prospects were gloomy indeed. 
We reacht the top of the peak at 11:40 and after a quick lunch, for a moder- 
ate breeze had begun blowing, we started down to the nesting site. By- chance 
more than from memory I came to the second pile of rocks from the nest. Like 
the east side, the north side of the peak appeared entirely bereft of its former bird- 
life; and it was with drooping spirits altho not entirely without a keen feeling of 
expectation that I approach! the nest. My hopes revived, however, as a Leucos- 
ticte flew out from some nearby rocks and it was an anxious moment when I reacht 
the aperture among the granit slabs and peered in. In the dim light, among the 
feathers of the nest, I could just discern three eggs which appeared dark with in- 
