5S 
THE CONDOR 
Vol. XVI 
possibilities of the region; for the few hours afield showed a wealth and variety 
of bird-life that few sections of the great woodland can equal. 
If I lacked personal familiarity with the region and its bii'd-life, I was fully 
acquainted with the work that had been done by others. Besides Barlow's fa- 
mous paper, “The Birds of the Placerville-Lake Tahoe Stage Road”, T had care- 
fully perused all other available bird literature on the region, and through the 
kindness of Mr. Henry W. Carriger I had also the opportunity of studying the 
daily field notes of Pemberton and Carriger covering a considerable period. A 
decided disappointment, however, was Carriger’s parting injunction as I left San 
Francisco on May 12: “You’re too early, Ray, I think, for nests of the Hermit 
Warbler. I wouldn’t advise spending much time in search of them” ; for I frank- 
ly admit the quest of avian rarities has always held for me a peculiar attraction. 
It is a rather long trip to Placerville, and I had ample time to read and re- 
read Fyft'e bird literature on the way. In glad surprise I stumbled upon this 
note on the Hermit Warbler, previously overlooked in Barlow’s paper: “A nest 
containing young about four days old .... at Fyffe on June ii, 1897”, 
and I saw a cbance existed, although rather remote, that after all I might still 
be m proper season to find a nest of that famous rara avis of Fyffian woodlands. 
The train had nov/ left the Sacramento Valley far to the west and by a tor- 
tuous route was toiling slowly through the winding canyons of the foothills. On 
gaining a sparsely wooded summit we were afforded a rare view of the distant 
and heavily timbered Sierran ranges, with Pyramid and other dazzling, snow- 
covered peaks towering in the back-ground. 
Placerville was reached in the afternoon, but old friends luring me to a ham- 
mock swung in the shade of cherry trees, the bird-life out in the hot sun on the 
adjacent hillsides was left unmolested and unchronicled. Early next morning, 
however, bird-song and balmy air without, had me abroad at four o'clock, and 
before the stage left at 6:45 a. m. I had time to venture some distance out of 
the town itself, to cross a number of grassy fields, wet with dew, to ford a small 
stream and reach a group of scattered oaks, and later a thicket of pines on a steep 
hillside. Altogether, I noted fifteen different species ; among them and exceed- 
ing all others in interest and rarity was a flock of ten Cedar Waxwings {Bom- 
hy cilia cedroruvi) in a line of thorny roadside trees. 
WTile waiting for the stage I noted the old-time colony of Western Mar- 
tins {Prague suhis hcsperia) circling about the eaves of the Cary House, or 
sweeping through the village streets melodiously twittering, just as I have seen 
them in numerous seasons before, just as Barlow, with graphic pen, describes 
them, and, perhaps, just as they did in the golden days of ’49 when this little 
mountain town was the cynosure of all eyes. 
By one day I had missed the through stage, which goes at this season as far 
as Echo, at the base of the main Sierran summit; but I was enabled by another 
line to go on to Camino from where, leaving my equipment to be forwarded, I 
walked on leisurely to Eyff'e. Arriving at 10:15 a. m., I registered at that fa- 
mous hostelry of Welch’s “Sierran Echoes”, Sportsman’s Hall; and, as it was 
still some time until noon, I had opportunity before lunch to take a short walk- 
in the immediate vicinity. A Western Lark Sparrow- {Chondestes grammacns 
St ri gat us) flushed from her nest in an apple tree, and disclosing three scrawly- 
marked eggs, led off the season’s tale, while near at hand was a newly built nest 
of the Western Chipping Sparrow {Spisella socialis arizonae), and one of the 
Western Robin {Plancstkns migratorius propinqitus) with three eggs. Homely 
finds, rather savoring of youthful experiences, yet still of value as indicative of 
