THE OOLOGIST. 



185 



Blip out popped Mrs. Eaglo, giving me a 

 full view of hei' coal-black under parts, 

 and gracefully soared out over the can- 

 on enabling nie to see the sheeny cop- 

 per color of her back and wings. 



Now fully assured that the nest con- 

 tained eggs. I pushed on with new vig- 

 or and soon reached the top. There I 

 Avas doubly thrilled — first at sight of 

 two beautiful eggs reposing so innocent- 

 lently in the nest and second at the 

 yawning ab3'ss which now la}^ directly 

 below me. 



Thinking it the safest way I lowered 

 the eggs in a small cloth bag which I 

 had brought for the purpose. 



The.v Avere cream colored, blotched 

 with light brown and measured 2.69 

 X 2.18 and 2.68x2.12 which is rather 

 small I think. 



The nest Avas about five feet in dia- 

 meter made of oak sticks and lined 

 Avith long dry grass. After bloAving tlie 

 eggs that they might be more safely 

 carrried, Ave hunted around for some 

 time and managed to find another nest 

 but sad to relate it Avas empty. I was 

 consoled hoAVCA^er, by finding several 

 emi^ty, but fresh nests of the Western 

 Red-tailed Hawk Avhich Ave remember- 

 ed and put doAvu for our next trip. 



While returning to our conveyance 

 Ave noticed a number of the pretty lit- 

 tle Califoruian Bush Tits and searched 

 a fcAv moments for nests but failed to 

 find any, and so concluded it to be tod 

 early for them. We returned home 

 Avell satisfied in a tired but most jubi- 

 lant mood. 



WiLFKKi) H. Osgood, 

 San Jose, Cal. 



Among the "Blue-jrays." 



Of all the birds that frequent the 

 woods, the streams and tlie meadoAvs of 

 this dear old state, at least of this part 

 of it. I do not knoAV of a single species 

 that I like Ijetter than this diminutive 

 specimen of bin! life. 



Although a number of birds begin 



building before the "Blue-grays" come 

 (which is about March 20tli). I never 

 feel that the collecting season has real- 

 ly begun until I hear tiieir Avell-kuoAvu 

 notes coming from the top of some tall 

 gum or pine, as they are rather timid 

 about coming down in Ioav trees until 

 later in the season. 



At this lime they have a rather dis- 

 contented note, but a little later, when 

 Mr. Bluegray begins courting his best 

 girl, his notes, though subdued, are 

 very SAveet and nvusical and much more 

 contented. 



By the by, dear reader, are all the 

 birds mated off in mating season? Or, 

 are there somn who can find no mate? 

 Did you eA^er see an old maid or an old. 

 bachelor among the feathered tribes? 

 I am quite sure I never did. 



But I am Avandering from my sub- 

 ject. If A'on listen very attentiA^ely you 

 Avill hear him singing. He don't seem 

 to1)e singing to any])ody but himself, 

 as he hops around among tlie branches 

 of that oak, engaged in hunting insects. 

 I expect the secret of his happiness is 

 that he is engaged in another Avay, or 

 pei'haps is already married. 



But the busiest time of his life is 

 Avhen he is preparing a home for his 

 family. We Avill watch that one over 

 there in that gum tree. See hoAv he is 

 tugging at that stubboi-n piece of lichen 

 but he perseveres until he pulls it off, 

 and then away he flics to his nest on 

 yonder oak limb. 



He jumps on the nest, re-ai'ranges 

 Avhat his mate has just put there, 

 changes his own piece several times 

 'til he gets it just right and then doAvn 

 he darts to tlu^. ground to gather some 

 fine gra.ss within tAvo yartls of Avhero 

 Ave stand Avatching him, then back to 

 the nest again. 



The next minute Ave lose sight of him 

 in a clump of briars, but soon see him 

 return to his nest, Avith his bill full of 

 si)ider-wel)s, Avhich he proceeds to stick 

 on the nest here and there. 



Then perhaps, Ave will see him fly 



