invisible in the gathering dusk against the dark background of the moist rock wall. This species is following the example of the Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans) and is taking to building its nest on the timbers under bridges. In the Yosemite two cases of this sort occurred in the past nesting season. The rumble and jarring of the great stream of automobiles together with their strident honking seemed to have no effect in deterring these avian architects from taking advantage of such sheltered spots, nor even in disturbing their serenity.
The Water Ouzel, or Dipper, is rather common in the valley and in fact all along the Merced River from its sources in the higher Sierras down to where broken water ceases as the stream nears the lowlands. Several were noted from the car windows of the passing train far below the Yosemite Valley, and it has been variously reported from the very highest Sierras. It is never tame enough to permit very close approach, and yet sufficiently so to be easily seen and watched. A number of visitors to the valley have remarked upon its interesting habit of walking underwater on the bottoms of the streams, and have seen it close enough to notice some of its other peculiarities, such as its funny ways of "bobbing", and its manner of dodging around amid the spray of the waterfalls. The song of the Ouzel was not heard until the last days of September, by which time the birds seemed to have gotten through with their family cares and the troubles of the moulting season and once more to feel like expressing their happiness in song. A pleasant little song it is.
The tamest birds in the valley were the Western Robin (Planetians migratarius propinquus), Black-headed Grosbeak (Zamelodia melanocephala) and Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana). While the robins were probably the most fearless of these three varieties, there were times and places when the other two almost allowed themselves to be stepped upon. Robins breed in numbers in the valley, and become as sociable as they are in the eastern states.
Families of Black-headed Grosbeaks would gather on the ground where a little hay had been scattered and become so busy picking out the grains from the dried stalks of oats, wheat or barley that they would permit a person to approach within a couple of yards before troubling to get out of the way. Even then they would sometimes take only a few steps to one side and assume an injured expression. Instances were related of how they had flown on to camp tables when the owners were at meals, and had gotten away with the butter! In fact, from tales that were told, it would, seem that butter was one of their favorite articles of diet.
Western Tanagers also nest to some extent in the valley. They were occasionally seen in August, but grew more and more numerous, evidently gathering from far and wide, as the berries of the "cascara sagrada" became ripe, upon which they regaled themselves seemingly almost to the point of bursting. At the foot of a cedar tree close to the writer’s tent in Camp Curry was one of these bushes covered with fruit, near which many people passed in the course of the day along one of the camp avenues. Almost touching the bush was a round table three or four feet in diameter, and beside it a rustic rocking chair. In spite of people passing, tanagers would drop down from the cedar tree, even when the chair was occupied, and if the occupant kept still and was apparently indifferent to their actions, would go so far as to alight on the table. Had there been sufficiently strong light, good snap shots could have been taken of birds feeding inside of six feet, but it was too dark under the trees.
