breeds every year, but their nests are so well hidden that I have found only one. This was built in a small bush and held three slightly incubated eggs, May 9, 1898. The old birds were feeding their young a kind of yellow spider, June 23, 1892.

Melospiza fasciata samuelis. Samuel's Song Sparrow.

Samuel's song sparrow is a very common resident. It nests in bushes, usually within a foot or two of the ground, though sometimes at a height of more than ten feet. Its three or four eggs may be found from the first week in April (April 4, 1889) to the last of June (June 29, 1889). Very frequently one of the eggs fails to hatch. Discarded snake skins are sometimes used in constructing their nests. This song sparrow daringly enters all sorts of holes and dark corners about woodpiles and under boxes, where no other bird except a wren would think of going.

Melospiza lincolni. Lincoln's Sparrow.

My experience would lead me to believe that Lincoln's sparrow is a rather rare winter visitant, though it may, perhaps, prove to be fairly common in the low-lying portions of the valley. One was shot February 21, 1891.

Passerella iliaca unalaschcensis. Townsend's Sparrow.

This is a common winter resident in the foothills. It usually arrives in October and stays late in March.

Pipilo maculatus oregonus. Oregon Towhee.

To this name I refer the common "black-headed" towhee resiIdent in the foothills west of Los Gatos. It is not typical oregonus, but approaches that form far more closely than it does P. m. megalonyx. Probably in winter some nearly typical P. m. oregonus can be found. What the bird of the eastern side of the valley is I do not know, but I shall not be surprised if it prove much closer P. m. megalonyx.

This bird almost invariably builds on the ground, though in a few instances I have found its nest in bushes. Its eggs are usually four, sometimes three, in number, and may be found from late in April (April 24, 1889) until the middle of July (July 11, 1888). April 30, 1888, I found a nest of this bird containing four eggs of the towhee and one of the California quail. Wishing to learn whether the towhee objected to bringing up other people's children, I took

her four eggs, leaving only the quail's egg in the nest. The next day the towhee was still sitting, though it cannot be supposed that she was unable to detect the great difference in size, color and shape between this egg and her own. The next year (May 17,. 1889) I found a nest of this species containing the usual four towhee's eggs and two quail's eggs, in addition to which there was a third quail's egg on the ground about six inches from the nest. The towhee was sitting.

Pipilo fuscus crissalis.

California Towhee.

This is a very common resident. The birds apparently remain paired through the year. Nesting begins about the middle of April (April 16, 1889), and young birds may sometimes be found still in the nest in September (September 3, 1899). The number of eggs usually is three or four, and one is laid each day until the set is complete. The period of incubation is fourteen days.

Oreospiza chlorura. Green-tailed Towhee.

One was shot in a river bottom near San José during the winter of 1889 or 1890.

Zamelodia melanocephala. Black-headed Grosbeak.

This grosbeak must be ranked among the very finest of our songsters. The song begins with a series of loud, clear notes, delivered, at considerable intervals, in a more or less declamatory style. These are followed at length by runs and trills fully as tender and liquid as the notes of a thrush, and quite as well executed as those of a well-trained canary. This song is repeated over and over again, almost without a pause. One that I timed sang nearly twelve minutes, with never a pause of more than ten seconds. This grosbeak arrives about the middle of April (April 16, 1890; April 15, 1892), and comparatively few remain until September. Nest building usually begins early in May, but the last of the young sometimes remain in the nest until the middle of July (July 12, 1888). The males assist in the duties of incubation.

Cyanospiza amœna. Lazuli Bunting.

This species arrives about the middle of April-the males always, I believe, coming a day or two before the females-and begins to build about the end of that month. I have found fresh eggs from May to June 23 (1888). Occasionally the eggs are dotted with

brown. The number laid is ordinarily either three or four. A caged male often sang until nine or ten o'clock at night during the breeding season, though in the dark.

Piranga ludoviciana. Louisiana Tanager.

This beautiful bird occurs only as a migrant-during April and May and again in August and September. At these times it is fairly common. Last seen in spring, May 29 and 30, 1898.

Progne subis hesperia. Western Martin.

The martin breeds in some numbers on the Mount Hamilton range. I have not noted it on the west side of the county.

This is a very common summer resident, appearing at Palo Alto about the middle of March (March 14, 1892), though it usually does not reach Los Gatos much before April. It breeds in June.

Hirundo erythrogaster. Barn Swallow.

For some years a colony nested at Alma.

Zachycineta bicolor. Tree Swallow.

Along the western side of the county this swallow breeds quite abundantly in holes in white oaks.

Tachycineta thalassina. Violet-green Swallow.

This gorgeous bird is an irregular summer visitant, probably from the redwood region nearer the coast. I have no knowledge of its breeding in Santa Clara county.

Stelgidopteryx serripennis. Rough-winged Swallow.

A number of these birds breed near San José.

Ampelis cedrorum. Cedar Waxwing.

This waxwing is an occasional winter visitant. for several years.

Lanius ludovicianus gambeli. California Shrike.

I have seen none

This is a common resident of the valley. I have not found it breeding in the foothills west of Los Gatos, though it is frequently seen there after the nesting season is over. On September 3, 1892, I observed one perched in the top of a cherry tree, singing very sweetly and with much power.

Vireo gilvus. Warbling Vireo.

It is usually early in April that this vireo arrives at Los Gatos. By the middle of that month it becomes common, and a little later nest building begins (April 18, 1890; April 27, 1889). Its eggs are usually four, sometimes only three, and may be found throughout May and the greater part of June (April 26, 1890; June 20, 1889).

This is a fairly common winter resident near Los Gatos. I believe it retires to the coast to breed.

Helminthophila celata lutescens. Lutescent Warbler.

It usually is not until about the 1st of April that this warbler becomes common, although individuals arrive a week or two earlier. In this vicinity their nests seem always to be built upon the ground, and those of several years often are not more than a few inches apart. Nestlings may be found from the last week in April until the end of June (April 25-June 30, 1889). Four or five eggs are laid.

This is a common summer resident and breeds abundantly, especially on the floor of the valley, in June.

Dendroica auduboni. Audubon's Warbler.

This warbler occurs in large numbers, from October on through the winter. It is most frequently seen in companies, often with the western bluebird and the various goldfinches, and feeds, to some extent, on grapes.

Dendroica townsendi. Townsend's Warbler.

A few specimens of this warbler have been taken at Santa Clara by Mr. J. M. Hyde. I regard them as stragglers from the redwood region near the coast, where this bird is common during migrations. Geothlypis tolmiei. Tolmie's Warbler.

I have only one record of this warbler. On May 17, 1890, I came upon a fine male in the foothills west of Los Gatos. Seven days later, in the same place, I saw both male and female carrying food. Doubtless they had a nest, but careful search failed

to reveal it.

Geothlypis trichas occidentalis.

Western Yellow-throat.

A number of these birds breed in the marshes south of San José.

Icteria virens longicauda. Long-tailed Chat.

This beautiful bird is not uncommon along the watercourses, but is so shy that it is rarely seen. It nests in May and June.

Anthus pensilvanicus. American Pipit.

This larklike bird is a very abundant winter resident, arriving usually in October.

Cinclus mexicanus. American Dipper.

One not infrequently meets this bird when wandering along streams in the rougher parts of the county, though it does not breed here in nearly such numbers as among the redwoods of Santa Cruz county.

Minus polyglottos. Mockingbird.

On February 17, 1893, I shot a male mockingbird that had been living for some weeks in a small grove of peppers and cypresses near Stanford University. This is the only one I have seen. bore no evidence of having been caged.

Harporhynchus redivivus. California Thrasher.

It

This common resident begins nest building usually in the first week in April. Its eggs-which sometimes are without markingsvary from two to four in number and may be found from the middle of April until the middle of May. The song is clear and powerful, and so frequently includes snatches from the songs and calls of other birds (among which are the flicker, housefinch, quail, goldfinch, black-headed grosbeak, etc.) that this species is often spoken of as the mountain mockingbird.

Thryomanes bewickii spilurus. Vigor's Wren.

Vigor's wren is a resident species, very common in winter and moderately common in summer. I have found fresh eggs as late as June 18 (1890).

Troglodytes aëdon parkmanii. Parkman's Wren.

The earliest of these wrens usually arrive at Los Gatos about the middle of March. By the end of that month they are common