78 



THE OOLOGIST. 



aad stay over niglit, in order to have 

 more time to devote to our searcli. 



Accordingly the latter part of the fol- 

 lowing Saturday afternoon fouutl us on 

 our road, provided with a corpulent- 

 lunch basket and a blanket apiece, 

 which were stored away under the 

 seat. We arrived after a long, dark 

 and not over warm drive as near our 

 destination as it was possible to 

 take a team, and with considerable 

 trouble succeeded in tinding a suitable 

 place to camp. After building a small 

 tire to warm our feet and selecting as 

 smooth a;spot as Avas possible in the 

 dark, we rolled ourselves in our blank- 

 ets and prepared for sleep. As this 

 Avas our first night of camping out for 

 the season, our rest as might be expect- 

 ed, was neither profound nor I'efresh- 

 ing; but after waking up and turning 

 over a score or so of times to ease the 

 salient points of our anatomy, we were 

 at length gladdened by the break of 

 day. 



As I lay on my back in a semi-con- 

 scious state, trying to get the knots out 

 of my shoulders, and dreamily watch- 

 ing the sun creeping down the moun- 

 tain side opposite, I became suddenly 

 aware that a Rufous Hummer was 

 greatly excited about something, and 

 Hying nervously about some blackberry 

 vines not six feet from my head. This 

 effectually waked me, and we were 

 soon up. I found the nest after a short 

 sejrch and it contained two fresh eggs. 



After swallowing a hasty breakfast 

 we started down the canon following 

 the stream. The canon was well 

 wooded with oaks and sycamores, with 

 a variety of underbrush, and as small 

 birds were plentiful we were in high 

 spirits. After going a few luuulretl 

 yards my attention was attracted to a 

 fresh looking Woodpecker's hole in a 

 dead sycamore stub, and scrambling 

 through a thick tangle of underbrush 

 I reached it in time to see a California 

 Woodpecker leave the hole. With 



considerable exertion the ascent was 

 accomplished, and five beautiful, fresh 

 eggs secured. Shortly after my friend 

 flushed a Red-shafted Flicker from a 

 hole in a sycamore stub, and took seven 

 perfectly fresh eggs, and not far away 

 a set of three of Heermanu's Song Spar- 

 row, and three of California Towhee. 



About this time ■ we sighted our 

 Herons' nests in some tall sycamores on 

 the opposite of the canon. We im- 

 mediately started across, taking a set 

 of seven of Pai'kman's Wren on the 

 way. 



Soon after, while passing through a 

 patch of blackbeiry vines I heard a 

 rustle at my feet and immediately com- 

 menced a search, but not being sure of 

 the precise spot, although I sejirched 

 diligently, I was obliged to retire van- 

 quished. 



When we reached our rookery we 

 found the ground under the trees cover- 

 ed with a tangle of pines, nettles, poison 

 oak and weeds which almost delied our 

 efforts to penetrate. We soon saw our 

 nests; there were eight of them, and 

 all in the tops of the trees. We lost no 

 lime but each took a tree and started 

 up. After an extremely laborious 

 climb, urged on by the tremendous 

 noise made by the old birds, we finally 

 reached our nests and peered into them. 

 Young birds! I can't say I was exact- 

 ly disappointed for 1 hail half expected 

 as much, but still it was rather dis- 

 heartening; though the sight of those 

 extraordinarily awkward and homely 

 squawkers, with their very evident 

 astonishment at our sudden appear- 

 •anfee, was enough to highly excite one's 

 sense of the ludicrous. 



From our elevated positions we 

 could see into several of the other nests 

 and all contained young. In a near- 

 by tree, and probably occupying one 

 of the old Heron nests, was a family of 

 young Red-tail Hawks, and while we 

 were looking about us the old Hawk 

 came swooping down with a defiant 



