106 U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 211 



with fine grasses, and they were not decorated like those described 

 by Roberts. 



We noticed that many nests were abandoned because of unfortunate 

 location in growing tules; the nests had been attached to several 

 stalks which had grown unevenly, overturning the nests and rendering 

 them useless. 



In Nevada, Linsdale (1938) found these blackbirds nesting in 

 willows. "In the early summer of 1932 water from streams in the 

 Toyabe Mountains flooded parts of Smoky Valley. Within the 

 flooded area was a patch of willows 5 to 7 feet high and approximately 

 100 by 50 yards in diameter. At this place the water was 1 to 1% 

 feet in depth. Yellow-headed blackbirds took over the willow patch 

 and nested there." On June 3, he counted 30 nests there, all but 3 

 of which contained eggs or young. 



Ammann (MS.) gives a very lull account of the process of building 

 the nest: "Once a nest is begun the female works feverishly, picking 

 up long wet strands from the surface of the water and bringing several 

 at a time, in her bill, to the nest site. These are suspended between 

 conveniently arranged stems of vegetation several inches apart- — some- 

 times as much as six inches. They are probably wound around the 

 supporting stems singly or a few at a time and the loose ends attached 

 to other supports. 



"Soon a number of nearby stems are connected by a loose network 

 of these coarse, wet fibers. At first 4 or 5 supporting stems are used 

 bat as the structure grows, more are included — sometimes as maxiy as 

 25 or 30 — if the nest is built in bulrushes or quill-reeds. * * * 

 This frail network is reenforced by more fibers until a strong saucer- 

 shaped base with a rather angular outline is formed. * * * As 

 soon as this structure can support her body, the female begins adding 

 material around the margin for the outer wall, the next stage in con- 

 struction. It is that part of the nest which envelops the supports and 

 forms its main bulk. After gathering suitable material in her bill 

 from the surface of the water, the female flies straight to the edge of 

 the nest, jumps into the cavity, drops her load on the edge, and 

 immediately begins to arrange it. With quick, deft movements of 

 her head, she snatches individual strands and winds them around the 

 nest supports that have already been included in the construction of 

 the base. Usually the strands are given a half twist around each 

 support as follows: an end is pushed beyond the rim adjacent to the 

 support, then the female reaches around and snatches this end from 

 the other side, pulls it down and anchors it with a thrust of the bill to 

 the inside of the nest. The other free end may likewise be anchored. 



"Often the strands are given a complete turn around each of several 

 nest supports in a row, or may be placed along the rim and woven in 



