THE OSPREY. 



29 



tops, often reminding one of the sudden outbreak of 

 Myiozetef-es. 



"Their nest, of which several were seen in course of 

 construction and a completed one, without eggs, 

 secured, is so unlike that described by Messrs. Salvin 

 and Godman as belonging to this species, that I can- 

 not but believe these authors were misled by a col- 

 lector's error. They write of a ne.st, evidently re- 

 sembling that of a Vireo, open at the top and about 

 two inches deep. Whereas that l)uilt by P/dljipsdri.^ 

 at Jalapa, wliere both the bird (called 'Mosquero 

 degoUado') and its home are well known, is some 

 fifteen inches long and about eight in width, with an 

 entrance at one side near tlie middle. It is a re- 

 markable structure, composed largely of coarse 

 weed-stalks and gra^'ses, in part coveretl with fresh 

 green mosses, the walls of the cavity being lined 

 with mud. These nests are attached to the end of a 

 liud) of one of the taller trees, and sometimes over- 

 hang a public road." Plate III of his paper illus- 

 trates this interesting and little-known structure, 

 whose owner is called the "cut-throat flj catcher," 

 because of the red spot on the throat. 



AlTTMKNTIC EfiliS OF THE CuRLEW SaNDPI I'ER. — 



"For the discovery of this long-sought for treasure, 

 egg collt ctors have to thank Mr. Hugh Leyborne 

 Popham, whose perseverance in a second time visit- 

 ing the valley of the .Jenisei (the Yenesay of some 

 writers) has met with a fitting and (according to my 

 preconceived notions), an almost unexpected re- 

 ward. . . . His pleasure may be imagined 

 when, on the 3d of July, he watched a Trhiga sub- 

 (ir(jiiaUi go three times to her nest on an island in 

 the mouh of that river, and from that nest he took 

 the four slightly incubated eggs which he has kindly 

 entrusted me, in bis absence, to exhibit tonight. 

 The note with which he has favored me states that 

 the nest was 'a rather deep hollow in the reindeer- 

 moss on a low ridge of ground somewhat drier than 

 the surrounding swampy /(//idrn., in much the same 

 sort of ]ilace that a Grey Plover would choose. To 

 ensure the identitication of the eggs Mr. Popham 

 shot the hen binl frrm the nest. These egus meas- 

 me from 1.47 to 1.4 by 1.02 to 1 inch, and can be, 

 I think, best described by saying that except in size 

 they closely resmble tho.se of the conmion Hnipe, 

 GaUimKjo c:rlest(x; but it would be quite in accord- 

 ance tvith experience to find that others should 

 exhibit a considerable departure from that pattern.'' 

 — Alfred Newton, in Proc. Zool. iSoc. London for 

 18'.I7, pp. 690-894, with a plate. Communicated by 

 Chas. VV. Kichmond, Smithsonian Institution, 

 Washington, D. C, May 28, 1898. 



Early Nidificatiox of California Vulture, — 

 An early nesting date and a decided dill'erence in 

 the nesting site clu^sen, tnirn that recordetl in my 

 previous notes, mark with special interest the two 

 eggs of the California Condor which I have secured 

 this year. Karly in February a naturalist of south- 

 ern California in my employ wrote: 



"The Vultures ought to lay early this year on 

 account of the dry season, which seems to sometimes 

 induce early nesting. In Ajiril of three years ago I 

 found two nests, each containintr an egg; in the fol- 

 foUowing year the nests contained young at an 

 earlier date." 



From the information concerning the taking of 

 JMr. A. .M. Shields' egg of the Caliloriiia Cuudur,and 



others, I had supposed that April 20 was not a late 

 nesting date, so aiy surprise was great to learn that 

 my collector, during a ten days' trip into northern 

 San l.uis Obispo County, had taken an egg of the 

 California Vulture on March 9, which had been incu- 

 bated about 15 days. This egg had been laid about 

 February 24, which is two days later than the earliest 

 record which I have for eggs of the Golden Kagle. 



In the late Major Bemlire's Life Histories of North 

 American Birds he was unable, from the few auth- 

 entic observations at hand, to give any nesting date, 

 although stating his belief that their mode of nidifl- 

 cation (and by implication their nesting time) was 

 similiar to that of the conunon Turkey Vulture. It 

 may be noted in this connection that the col- 

 lector after securing a California Vulture's egg with 

 incubation well advanced on March 9, took his first 

 set of the Turkey Buzzard's in Monterey County on 

 March '2'.i, incubated about five days, indicating that 

 these eggs, although an early set, were laid about a 

 month later than the one of the Condor. 



This Condor's egg was found in a cave measuring 

 four feet long by two feet wide. It was about 150 

 feet from a creek and on the side of a steep moun- 

 tain. Writing of the nesting site the collector says : 

 "The egg was laid on the bare ground. The cave 

 was sheltered on the north by a broken ledge and 

 on the south by a large cedar tree with low branches, 

 protecting the bird from all storms. I saw the Vul- 

 ture go to the nest and then scared her ofl" again. 

 She sat on a rock not more than fifty yards from 

 me while I was at the cave. I saw her about the 

 nest for two days following." 



Here we have an instance of nesting after the 

 fashion of the Turkey \'ulture, in a situation ea.sy of 

 access, although well chosen to avoid the inclement 

 weather. All the other recorded eggs taken of late 

 years were in holes or caves in cliffs, making it nec- 

 essary for the coHector to use the rope. Bendire's 

 supposition that the birds favored the mode of nid- 

 ification of the Turkey Vulture is thus proven to be 

 at least in a measure correct, but I question very 

 much they ever lay their eggs in I he abandoned nests 

 of the Golden Eagle, as suggested by Beiidire. 



The secoiul egg secured for me the present season 

 was taken on March 2(), with incubation about one 

 week a'lvanced. Although a later set, considering 

 incubation, than the first, this is still about a month 

 earlier, if I mistake not, than any set hitherto 

 recorded, .showing that in early nesting this giant 

 Vulture will often rank easily wtth the Eagle and 

 other large Jlnjitorcs. 



The site of the secon<l set taken was siunlar to the 

 other recorded in recent years. A "pot bole" one- 

 third way up the the face of a slanting bluff over 400 

 feet high hail been selected. The entrance of the 

 hole measured about 'S by oG inches and the interior 

 was about four feet across. The egg was deposited 

 on the bare sand. The bole vias easy td reach with 

 the aid of a ro])e, as the small cave was in a cement 

 or conglomerate bluti of hard pebbUs, furnishing a 

 good foothold. 



The two eggs I have secured are perfect specimens, 

 typical of the species in coloration and deeply pit- 

 ted shells, and show some varation in the shape of 

 One of the siiecimens is retainefl in my collection, a 

 rarity which will undoubtedly increase in value and 

 interest. The other egg has been purchased by .Mr. 

 A. H. Fiust of New York City. — II. K. T.^vior, 

 Alameda, Cal. 



