NESTS AND EGGS OF SOME CALIF ORNI AN BIRDS. 23 



fully developed egg, apparently the last of a set; size 19.5 x 16 

 millimetres. 



The first nest obtained was found by a Mexican boy at 

 Comondu, March 27, 1889. It was built less than one metre 

 above the ground, in a thick growth of ''cat-tails." The 

 situation being quite similar to the sites chosen by Belding's 

 Yellow-throat. 



The nest is composed outwardly of narrow, loosely laid 

 leaves of "cat-tails." The interior is first lined with a thin 

 covering of fine strips of "cat-tail" leaves and a few fibres; 

 over this is a thick covering of hairs. In size the nest is 

 like the usual build of song sparrows. 



The eggs, four in number, contained large embryos. They 

 are pale, greenish white, thickly speckled and blotched with 

 reddish brown, forming a dense ring about the larger end. 

 Underlying the brown markings are irregular spots of pale 

 lavender. 



This set (So. 882, coll. of W. E. B.), measures 21.5x15.5, 

 21.5x15.5; 21x16; 21 x 15.5 millimetres. 



On April 21, 1889, I found a set of three (No. 891, colL 

 of W. E. B.), in a nest built amongst " cat-tails " half a 

 metre above a pool of water; it has the appearance of a 

 double nest, l^eing about twice the usual height. The eggs 

 vary so much that they look like a composite set, incuba- 

 tion was equally advanced in all. They measure 20 x 14.5; 

 19x14.5; 18.5x14 millimetres. Five other specimens, two 

 from Comondu and a set of three from San Iguacio, have 

 an average size of 19.5x15 millimetres. 



Carpodacus frontalis ruberrimus ^Ridgw. 



Eidgway's House Finch. — Most of the nests of this 

 variety at Comondu were in palm trees and well nigh inac- 

 cessible. A nest containing two fresh eggs (set No. 885, 

 coll. of AV. E. B.),was collected March 31 from the under side 

 of a veranda awning of an adohe house; it was built amongst 

 thick vine branches at an altitude of about four meters. 



