IIP. 



THE OSPREY. 



the Violet-green Swallow | Tachycineta tlialas- 

 sina) were taken from holes in pile,-, of an old 

 wharf. Two sets of six eggs were found. 



During our stay we observed 4X species. 



On June 15th near Fallen Leaf Lake a nest of 

 the Blue-fronted Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri fron- 

 talis) was found. It contained four large young, 

 and was placed on the branch of a small fir in 

 plain view, 8 feet up. 



Between Bijou and Tallac at the mouth of the 

 Little Truckee River is an extensive marsh 

 running about five miles along the lake shore, 

 and from two to three miles inland. Here an 

 immense aggregation of land, marsh and water 

 birds keep the place resonant with their mingled 

 cries. I observed two species of Terns in the 

 marsh, and both were already laying. The 



in the background. This light, portable 

 canvas boat enabled us to go through the 

 thickest tules, over pond lilies or shallow 

 water, with ease. The length of this article 

 will not allow more than a passing notice 

 of the numerous nests of the American Coot 

 [Fiilica ainericand) in the tides and those of 

 the Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularia) and 

 Killdeer [jEgialiti's vocifera) on the sand-pits, 

 or the large flocks of Culls (Larus califor- 

 nicus) and American White Pelican (Pele- 

 cantis eryl/trorliynchos) which evidently do not 

 breed here. 



A noticeable bird was Wilson's Phalarope 

 (Phalaropus tricolor) which was undoubtedly 

 breeding. I shot one for identification and it 

 was pitiful to see how the mate would not 



NEST i IF Pi IRSTEH S TERNS. 



nests of Forster's Tern (Sterna forsleri) were 

 placed in the highest tules or among marsh 

 grass or water lilies at their edge in deep wati i 

 They were uniformly the same, composed of 

 dried tules containing one, two or three egg-. 

 Quite a number of nests of both Terns contained 

 but one egg in which incubation was advanced, 

 so I regard this a- a set. .Most of the Terns 

 nested in small colonies, two dozen nests or so 

 together. A small abundant fish in the marsh 

 called ••(."hub" seems to be the principal food 

 of forsteri. The Black Tern \Hydrochelidon 

 nigra surinamensis) occasionally nested in the 

 above situations, in which case they were 

 almost as large and a> substantially built as 

 those of forsteri, but the majority were placed 

 on floating drift-wood in a foot or so of water, 

 carelessly made of fine tules and marsh grasses. 

 The picture shows a Few nests with our canoe 



forsake the spot, bui continued circling around 

 uttering its almost human cry. 



Of the ducks, the Mallard (Anas bosclias) was 

 by farthemost abundant. I was shown a nest 

 among the willows on a sand-spit which con- 

 tained eggs in May. (>n my visit a few stray 

 feathers and egg -.lulls were left. I noticed a 



W 1 Duck i . // i sponsa) swimming in the lake 



off the mouth of the river with her numerous 

 family on her back. 



The Blackbirds, and it is difficult to say which 

 was the most numerous, were nesting in count- 

 less numbers. The Yellow-headed (Xanthoceph- 

 alus xanthocephalus) placed hers a foot or so 

 up in the high tales, while those of the Red- 

 winged i. Xgelaius phoeniceus nutralis) were built 

 among the willows or marsh grass in the water. 

 ( in account of the unusually heavy fall of snow 

 this year the lake continued to rise rapidly in 



