is short conical and of a brownish color varying from light to a darker color. The tail is rather short about two inches, I should judge and truncate in form. The bird is somewhat larger than a Gambel's Sparrow. Nov.28. A number of Condors and Turkey Vultures have been flying about a dead mule which is lying a little way up the canon from the camp. Nov.29. Observed a number of Brewer's Blackbirds alighting upon hogs backs. There only ob- ject so far as I can see must be that they wish to devour the ticks on the hogs. These parasites seem to infest all of the animals upon the coast. Dec.6. One day while going to school