THE OOLOGIST. 



195 



a portion of the mountains near here. 



About tifteen miles to the eastward 

 lay the hills and further on, the blue 

 Santa Cruz range running from east to 

 west in several chains, forming numer- 

 ous valleys and canons my destination 

 lay in one of these. 



I had a pleasant ride, the road ex- 

 tending first through lields of green and 

 oak gi'oves, then among the hills cover- 

 ed with wild tiowers and lastly through 

 grey canons at tha bottom of which ran 

 noisy mountain streams. 



As dusk approached I came to a rus- 

 tic little cabin where I decided to pass 

 the night. It was situated far in among 

 the hills, Avithout a habitation within 

 many miles. A creek ran near tne 

 house where I caught a mess of moun- 

 tain trout which added greatly to my 

 supper. 



Next morning I set out over the hills 

 on foot, just as the sun was rising, and 

 had walked about a mile when I saAV a 

 Magpie and soon after found a nest, 

 from which I saw several others, and so 

 was sure that I had found the desired 

 colony. The nest was placed in the top 

 of a white-oak, about thirty feet from 

 the ground. When about half-way to 

 the nest the Magpie flew off. I was ex- 

 cited and somewhat aggravated when I 

 reached the nest, as I could not tiud the 

 entrance from which the bird had just 

 flown, but when I did find it, seven eggs 

 resting upon a bed of horse hair and 

 pine needles, met my gaze. The nest 

 was over two feet high, and eighteen 

 inches wide. 



I found many more nests during the 

 morning. They are a model of work- 

 manship and cunningarchitecture. The 

 outside appears like a mere mass of 

 sticks al>out a foot long and as large as 

 a lead pencil, but the nest properis only 

 about live inches wide and four deep 

 inside, and is nicely lined willi pine 

 needles, and horse hair if accessible. 

 Just outside of this is a layer of mud 

 and then the .sticks, which cover it en- 



tirely, excepting an entrance for the 

 parent bii'cl. Altogetther it is a very 

 comfortable domicile for the young 

 birds; a cool place in warm weather 

 and a nearly dry place on a rainy day. 



More than this, it shields them from 

 the attack of hawks and auinials. 



They ai'e exceedingly cunning as a 

 story shows. A pair of Magpies in 

 England built their nest regularly in a 

 small bush in a farm yard. As there 

 were no trees in the neighborhood, the 

 birds Avere obliged to seek this spot, and 

 to to guard against all intruders they 

 scattered thorns around the bush Avhieh 

 w'ould have baffled the slyest fox. 



The nests are often l)uilt in mistletoe 

 wliich makes them diliicult to observe, 

 and if they should be .seen would be 

 taken for old affairs. 



When climbing the ti'ee the Magpie 

 very quietly leaves the nest, but when 

 taking the eggs both parents will often 

 fly around close to you, uttering their 

 harsh note. The denominating colors 

 are black and white. 



The birds are about sixteen inches 

 long but their tail occupies one-half of 

 this length. It is w^edge-shaped, the 

 two middle feathers being longest, and 

 black in color. 



The wdngs are short and I'ounded, 

 black above and white on the edges be- 

 low. Head, neck. In-east, and back, black 

 with a few small greyish streaks on 

 throat. Below breast and shoulders 

 white. The wings and tail especially, 

 display several iridescent colors. 



The distinguishing features between 

 the California species and the conunou 

 Magpie, are in one the yellow bill and a 

 bare yellow space al)Out the eye, 



In the American si)ecies the bill is 

 l)lack. 



Tluiy have a dipping flight similar to 

 a Jay. 



I found the average set of eggs to be 

 six or .seven, although less and occa- 

 sionally eight or nine are laid. The 

 gnnind color is a very I'ghl «lrali. thick- 



