The Eagle of Mission Ridge 245 



a bulbous plant, commonly known as the Spanish soap- 

 root, and every year they adorned the nest with the large 

 hairlike top of this plant. Another case is on record 

 where the eagle had a peculiar liking for grain sacks, which 

 were used in the lining of the nest. The first time this nest 

 was discovered it contained a large grain sack, but the 

 storms of the following winter dislodged the nest. The 

 new nest that was built the following year was again lined 

 with a grain sack. 



It is often the case that a pair of eagles will inhabit 

 the same locality for several years and make no attempt 

 at rearing a brood. Perhaps these are young eagles ; many 

 birds do not breed till after the second or third year. In 

 other instances, a pair will repair an old nest and stay 

 about all the nesting season, and yet not go to housekeep- 

 ing. In a few rare instances the golden eagle has been 

 known to lay three eggs, but two is the usual number. 



What does such a series of pictures represent ? Three 

 months of patient waiting, varied by six long mountain 

 trips of two days each ; backaching tramps up trails to the 

 summit of a rock-strewn ridge, with a heavy camera equip- 

 ment; and the snapping of over a hundred 5x7 plates, ex- 

 posed at every available view of the stronghold from terra 

 firma to tree-top. 



We made a careful study of the nesting habits of a 

 finch to serve as a comparison between the small seed- 

 eating birds and the largest birds of prey. I found the 

 finch building its nest and watched It closely. The home 

 was lined and completed June 24th. It contained three 

 eggs on the twenty-seventh. On July 6th the eggs 

 hatched, and the young were able to leave the nest July 



