THE OSPREY. 



21 



THE TAKING OF A CALIFORNIA CONDOR'S EGG. 



K. P. SHARPLES, WEST CHESTER, PA. 



ON March 1 1 of this year, the egg of a Califor- 'The bird alighted on various rocky points on the 



nia Vulture was taken from a nest in the opposite side of the canyon. The poses were varied, 

 mountains not far from Monterey, and it is but all were similar to those of Cathartes aura, except 

 now in the writer's collection. The bird is reported that when turning her back to the sun with spread 

 to have bred in this same deep, narrow canyon for wings, the wings were not spread as much and were 

 several years. The collector 

 writes as follows : " We first went 

 to the rocky point on which was 

 the old nest. This they appear 

 to have abandoned, the new nest 

 being on the opposite side of the 

 stream. I had a hard climb ; but 

 the noise of the rushing water 

 drowned slight sounds, so the bird 

 did not hear my approach 



" Rounding a little point I saw 

 the Vulture sitting about fifteen 

 feet distant on the floor of a small 

 cave, a little below my level. She 

 lay perfectly flat as if feigning 

 death, — and I thought she was 

 dead at the time, — though prob- 

 ably she was asleep. I could not 

 get nearer in this direction, so 

 'pressed the button' where I stood. 

 The click of the kodak roused the 

 bird, and as soon as she caught 

 sight of me she ran out and flew 

 across the canyon. As she flew off 

 I got a second picture. 



"When my companion first 

 found this nest the bird hissed at 

 him, and he got almost into the 

 cave before she flew off 



' ■ Working around into the cave 

 I saw the egg lying on the level 

 floor of soil and gravel. Near by 

 were a few small twigs, probably 

 dropped there by a wood rat, but 

 no bones, fur, feathers or other 

 evidences of a previous year's use 

 of the nest site. 



" The egg laid in the shadow, 

 and I threw light at it with a 

 pocket mirror, making an exposure 

 with and without the reflected 

 light. Then I examined the egg, which had not been held so but a few moments. None of the poses 

 touched thus far : it appeared glossy and scratched, were as upright as those shown in Cooper's 'Or- 

 as if incubated for some time. At the small end a tiny nithology of California ' or Coues' ' Kev. ' The neck 

 bit of the shell was broken in, as if the egg had was usually much retracted, the head being held 

 dropped on a bit of gravel in extrusion. The lining close to the shoulders. The wings were held close 

 was not broken and the bit of shell remained nearly to the body, though being so long that the carpus 

 in place The egg was addled, showing that the in- was some distance forward of the base of the neck, 

 jury had probably prevented its hatching. The little "A Prairie Falcon, which probably had a nest near 



defect on the end of the egg would indicate that the by, frequently pestered the Vulture, who, however 

 smaller end was extruded first. paid very little attention to the Falcon." 



PIED-BILLED GREBE. FROM 'BIRD-LIFE. 



Copyright, 1897, by D. Appleton & Co. 



