114 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 7-No. 15 



base consisting' of a platfoi-m of small 

 sticks and twig-s, mostly of the white sage, 

 which are laid on a sufficiently strong pine 

 bruinch and generally as far ont as possible. 

 On this the nest pro2>er is placed, which is 

 composed of diy grasses, vegetable fibres, 

 hypnum moss, and the fine inner bark of 

 the western juniper {Juniperus occidentn- 

 lis.) These various materials are well in- 

 corjjorated together and fastened to the 

 branch and pine needles on which it is 

 placed, and makes a warm and comfortable 

 structm-e. The outer diameter of the only 

 nest measured by me (that is, the compact 

 portion of it) was eight and one-half inches ; 

 inner diameter, four and one-half inches ; 

 depth inside, three and one-half inches: 

 outside, five inches. As a rule the nests 

 were well concealed from view below, and 

 almost invariably placed on or near the ex- 

 tremity of a live limb at various heights 

 from the ground. 



Isolated clumps of pine trees growing 

 near the edges of the forests or mountain 

 valleys, as well as among juniper or moun- 

 tain mahogany groves, seemed to be the 

 favorite localities frequented by these birds 

 during the breeding season ; in fact, I have 

 scarcely ever noticed them any distance in 

 the forest unless there were frequent open- 

 ings, small valleys, etc., interspersed with 

 timlier. These birds api>ear to raise but 

 one bi'ood during the season, although they 

 commence breeding early enough to raise 

 two or even three nests easily enoiigh, 

 and in the vicinity of Fort Harney they 

 disappear about the end of May or early 

 in June, gathering about that time in con- 

 siderable flocks, and are not seen again till 

 about October. They probably spend the 

 Summer months in the higher mountain 

 regions in the vicinity. 



At all other times a social, inquisitive 

 and exceedingly noisy bird, the Clarke's 

 Crow during the breeding season is ex- 

 actly the reverse. In vain one may watch 

 and listen to hear their usual and by no 

 means musical call note, " chaar, chaar, " 



which so easily betrays their presence at 

 other times. I have listened in vain and 

 been disappointed. Theii' whole character 

 seems to have undergone a sudden radical 

 transformation. They remain perfectly si- 

 lent, seem to hide and would scarcely be 

 noticed, even where comparatively abun- 

 dant, unless closely looked after. 



They are certainly most devoted parents, 

 sometimes even allowing themselves to be 

 captured rather than leave the nest. Their 

 habits otherwise are sufficiently well known, 

 and I have nothing new to add thereto. 



Large-billed ^A^ate^ Thrush. 



l\Iy private collection contains not only 

 my best work and the finest specimens I 

 can procure, but also those which have 

 associations connected with them that I 

 wish to remember. A pair of this species 

 ( Sixrus motacilln) holds all the above hon- 

 ors. May 11, '77, while five miles west of 

 Providence, in a place known as the Snake 

 Dens, I saw a pair of Water Thrushes run- 

 ning around on the stones in the bed of a 

 pretty brook that nishes between rockj' 

 banks. On a nearer approach they flew to 

 the top of the opposite bank, giving at in- 

 tervals their sharp chip. I shot one from 

 the top of a large rock, and going to the 

 place found no bird, but just back of 

 where it had been was a crevice loosely 

 filled with leaves. I pulled out a lot and 

 finding no bird arose to leave, but imme- 

 diately decided not to give up so quickly 

 and returned to work, and took out all the 

 leaves I could reach, and among the last 

 the bird, which I dropped mto ray basket 

 without putting into a paper contrary to 

 my usual custom. After tramping about 

 two hours and ha^^ng several birds, I sat 

 down to put them in papers. Had made a 

 cornucopia and tipped the bird's head back 

 preparatory to sliding him in, when for the 

 first time I noticed what I had. I had 

 made the acquaintance of this species at 

 Mt. Cnnnel, 111., when collecting there with 

 E. \V. Nelson in '75, but had thought un- 



