552 



THE TLRKEV \ ULTURH. 



rocks on hands and knees wliilf peerins^ in thi'n the senii-dai'knt'ss. The sardonic 

 eve of a rattlesnake, coldly flittering at twn I'eet. was all I saw. In the next 

 hftli of that same second I seemed to hear a \oice from the imd of the clitt 

 calling', "Willeee. Alamnia wants }nn I" Thoughtlessly I forsook the quest. 

 In western Washington the N'uhiues ajjpear to nest chiefly upon the 



ground. Xo 

 nest is made, 

 hut the pro- 

 tection I if ,1 

 hush - cluni]) 

 o r log is 

 sought. Two 

 eggs are laid, 

 dull white, or 

 light cream- 

 colored as to 

 ground, with 

 niucli hand- 

 some blotch- 

 ing of choco- 

 late, the first 

 laid usually 

 having the 

 lion's share 

 of the pig- 

 ment and the 

 second some- 

 times none at 



all. The _\iunig are clad in while dnwii. with whicli their headx- eves and 

 iet l)lack' hills cnnirast slrikingi}-. Tltey are demure little fellows, and 

 ajjpcar to deser\'e a l)etter fate. They are fed 1)_\- regurgitation: what, were 

 l)etter not s])ecified. A A'ulture's e\rie is a shameful place at best, and at 

 its wiM>t, when the season is adxanccd, it is awful. 



The |)arent birds are \erv solicitous fo|- their young, Init are not brave 

 enough to come t(_i l)lows. Tf caught u])on the nest the female will hiss 

 (lefiantlv. Besides this, the birds ha\ e oul\- one note, a low. guttural croak — 

 of alarm, rather than warning. If closely beset the bird is said to eject the 

 cotitents (if its crop — an eflectual defense, in \ery sooth! 



Tat 



hy Fiiilcy and Bohhium. 



\of.\T, Tl•|;K^:^■ xti.i'imo-;. 



