LAZULI BUNTING 119 



E. C. Kinsey (letter, 1955) reports finding nests at higher elevations. 

 "The nest is usually situated 2 to 4 feet above the ground, well con- 

 cealed and strongly built and attached to a supporting foundation 

 * * * I have found a nest situated within approximately 9 or 10 feet 

 off the ground * * * I have also found nests in willows and in scrub 

 oaks considerably higher than usual. One nest located in a young 

 peach tree on a small branch was situated beyond my reach which 

 would be almost 8 feet. Of course, this was most unusual, as was 

 the nest situated 10 feet above the ground." 



In California nesting occurs in May and June and on into July. 

 In San Diego County C. S. Sharp (1907), on the basis of 16 years' 

 observation, lists April 30 as the earliest date for eggs showing no 

 (or slight) incubation and June 2 the latest record. Florence Merriam 

 reports a nesting completed in May and another in June in the Twin 

 Oaks area of San Diego County. In the Pasadena area George 

 WiUett (1933) likewise reports nesting as early as April 30 and in 

 San Bernardino County, as late as July 4. Other dates for this 

 area are O. Davie (1889) May 4 and June 13, 1883, J. Grinnell and 

 T. I. Swarth (1913) July 7 for incubated eggs, J. Grinnell (1908) for 

 the San Bernardino Mountain region, one begun about the end of 

 May and another which contained three heavily incubated eggs on 

 July 10. W. C. Hanna (1918) found fresh eggs as late as July 4 in 1918. 



In the Santa Barbara area Cooper found a nest with fresh eggs as 

 early as May 6. In the Santa Cruz area he reported finding a nest 

 May 7, while R. C. McGregor (1901) states that they "nest from 

 June to the middle of August." 



In the San Francisco area J. Grinnell and M. W. Wythe (1927) 

 and others state that the nesting season "extends through May and 

 June," and others concur. J. GrinneU (1914a) notes a nest with 

 small young as late as July 3, 1909. In the Yosemite area nesting 

 appears to begin in late May or June. In the Mount Shasta region. 

 Miss Merriam observed young being fed in mid-July. 



In the Grand Canyon area of Arizona M. H. Lee (1920) saw 

 adults feeding a fledgling on June 4. W. E. D. Scott (1887) took 

 a young male on July 27, 1884, and states that "Mr. Brown has 

 found it breeding, but not common, about Tucson * * *." 



J. K. Jensen (1923) describes a nest he found in Santa Fe County, 

 N. Mex., placed "eight feet up in a bunch of willows on the river 

 bank above Santa Fe. It was built of the same material as the 

 nest of the Blue Grosbeak and although it looked small I set it down 

 as such. June 19, I happened to pass the place again and to my 

 surprise found the female Lazuli Bunting on the nest. * * * The 

 nest contained a set of four eggs in which incubation had just com- 

 menced." H. Lacey (1911) found nests with four eggs May 13 and 



