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 x54 THE CONDOR I Vol. III I would suggest a delightful side-trip and a climb to the summit of Pyramid Peak. To accomplish this a side-road is followed at Georgetown Junction (between Slip- pery Ford and Echo) which leads to the sumnfit of Peavine Ridge. This ridge runs easterly to the main, mountain chain, and supports a fine grow,th of timber and many glacial meadows, in which birds abound. Several mountain dairies, de- serted excepting during the summer months, may be relied upon to furnish shel- ter as the nights are much too cold for comfortable out-door sleeping. A party of four, including myself, camped at the western base of Pyramid Peak in 9oo aud found the country all too interesting for the brief inspection we could give it. The ascent of Pyramid Peak (altitude o,oo feet) is well worth the climb, and here the Clarke nutcracker (Vucifraga columb(aua), the gray-crowned leucGsticte (Leucosticte tephrocotis) and other species of the higher altitudes are met in their summer home. A panoramic view from the summit of Pyramid Peak will ever main fresh in the writer's memory; far away to the south extended a solidly snow- capped ridge as far as the eye could see; close at hand great snow-banks reached down the steep eastern slope of Pyramid a thousand feet in unbroken w. biteness, while far below beautiful mountaiu lakes and the dark-green forest combined to form a pleasing setting for these lofty mountain peaks. GENERAL CONSIDERATION OF THE REGION AND ITS ZONES. In traversing the region from Placerville to the summit one is impressed with the abundance of warblers and sparrows,--indeed, in numbers, they seem to out- rank all the other species combined. Scarcely a patch of deer-brush is passed that does not resound with the bold, liquid song of dozens o thick-billed sparrows, vhile each clearing bas its quota o warblers. Each species of warbler seems to show apreference for some particular type of country. For instance, I have ound Audubon warbler colonizing to quite an extent in areas covered I,y a dense growth of cedar saplings. The Cataveras and Tohuie warblers seem always prefer the seclusion of brushy hillsides grovn up to Ueanothtts velttliittes or cordttlattts, while the black-throated gray 5varbler.haunts the ope, ridges where the deer-brush has attained a height of eight or ten feet, affording a feeding- ground and frequeutly nesting sites. The hermit warbler shows a decided pre- ference for the clear, tall timber, where the males, at least, usually kee 1 ) well up in the trees. The brushy billsides afford seclusion for the uumerous Fringillidve, including, Passerella, Pipilo, Spizella. Zonotrichia and Oreospiza, and the entire region can conservatively claim a generous population of birds. In this respect I should judge it is more favored than either the country to the north or south, from which have come reports of the scarcity of nountaiu bird-life. Judging from a casual view of the country contiguous to the Central Pacific Railroad I should consider the Placerville-Tahoe region mre condncive to bird lie than the former, but this is merely a surmise on my part. In so brief a consideration of the life zones of this regio it .is impt)ssible to give more than a mere outline of the general limits of each zone without making an extended study o this feature, which the writer has not thus far done. (gen- erally considered, the Upper Sonorau zoue extends thrt,ngh the region of the dig- get pine and blue oak up to within a few miles o Placerville, and is marked by the presence of such birds as Mphe/ocoma ca/!?(?a, Uhama'a fisciata heshau and ica tzdtalli. Placerville with its altitude off ,8oo feet may be aonsiff'{: tbe lower limit of the Transitiou zone, which exteuds up to about 5,ooo feet on the stage road to the vicinity of Georgetowu Juucti(m where the black'ak gives out. In this belt a