The Oologist. 



VOL. XVI. NO. 2. 



ALBION, NY., FEB., 1899. 



Whole No. 151 



Nesting Habits of Two California 

 Birds. 



PiLEOLATED Warbler, Sylvania 

 pusilla pilcolata. The Western Black- 

 capped Warbler is found breeding quite 

 abundantly along the wooded streams 

 of Santa Clara Co., Calif., but on ac- 

 count of its retiring disposition, it is 

 seldom noticed; unless persistently 

 sought after. 



Although I have been collecting in a 

 locality frequented by this bird for the 

 last seven years, I never succeeded in 

 discovering a nest until 1896; but since 

 then 1 have examined quite a number. 



I find, by consulting my note book, 

 that my earliest set was taken on the 

 29th of April, 1898, and my latest set 

 taken May 29, 1897; at which time I 

 found uncompleted nests and nests con- 

 taining incomplete sets, which leads 

 me to the conclusion that they rear at 

 least two broods in a season. 



The nest is a beautiful little structure 

 composed of leaves, bark-strips, grass 

 and sometimes tules lined with tine dry 

 grass, horsehair or feathers. 



It is almost invariably placed in wild 

 blackberry vines, the heighth varying 

 from 6 inches to 4 feet above the 

 ground. The only exception I have 

 ever found was a nest built in a clump 

 of weeds and nettles two feet from the 

 ground. 



The eggs range from 3 to 4 in num- 

 ber, the first set of the season being 

 generally of 4 eggs and the second set 

 of 3 eggs; although on May Day, 1897, I 

 did find a nest containing 5 eggs which 

 at that date were so badly incubated 

 that they could not be blown. 



In color the eggs are white or creamy 

 white with a pinkish tinge before blow- 

 ing and are sprinkled with lilac, laven- 



der and reddish brown. In some sets 

 the markings, which vary in size from 

 minute specks to spots the sizei.of a pin 

 head, are in the form of a wreath 

 around the larger end; in others the 

 eggs are thickly speckled all over. 



The birds are very tame during the 

 nesting season, protesting vigorously 

 if anyone approaches the nest; their 

 warning cry being quite similar to that 

 of the Yellow Warbler. This is the 

 only note I have ever heard them utter, 

 so I am positive that they do not sing, 

 at least not during the breeding season. 



They feed on the various worms, 

 bugs and Hies with which the thickets 

 along a stream abound, and it is quite 

 an interesting sight to see one of these 

 little black-capped fellows carrying a 

 worm almost as big as himself to his 

 young in the nest. They are very par- 

 ticular and if an incompleted nest is- 

 at all disturbed it will be immediately 

 deserted. 



Taken altogether I think that this is 

 one of our most interesting birds if we 

 will take the time to see him as he is in 

 his summer home. 



Spdrred Toavhee, Plpilo maculatus 

 megalonyx. This beautiful black and 

 orange Towhee is a common summer 

 resident wiih us. He is sure to be 

 found in thickets along the bank of a 

 running stream, where his harsh note 

 which resembles the mewing of a cat, 

 may be heard from morning till night. 



The nest is quite a bulky structure, 

 closely laid together, and is composed 

 of twigs, leaves and grass, lined with 

 fine dry grass, rhorsehair and rootlets. 

 It is usually placed in a blackberry 

 thicket, the height differing from 9 

 inches to 8 feet above the ground. 



The eggs are 3 or 4 in number and 

 are of a pinkish whiti; ground color 



