THE OOLOGISr 



179 



In exact, locHiion, the sites vary. The 

 ^ommoiie&t, perhaps, is, a bunch ot 

 prone dead grass; by the upper layers 

 of which the nest and eggs are well 

 concealed. Less often, the nest is 

 placed in the crotch of a very small 

 rose, or hack-berry, or "buck-bush;" in 

 cases where these loca are well conceal- 

 ed by the surrounding dead or alive 

 vegetation. When the nest is placed 

 upon, or sunken into, the ground, it is 

 genernlly placed beneath the shelter of 

 a fallen stick or bush; or else at the 

 base of a small willow. 



The nests nt pallida differ, quite, from 

 normal nests of socialis. More weed- 

 stems are used, and not so much horse- 

 hair; more of tine grass being usually 

 mingled with the lining. Occasional 

 nests, far out from civilization, will 

 have the lining wholly made of fine dry 

 grass. I have observed, critically, too, 

 few eggs of the Chipping Sparrow to in- 

 stitute a satisfying comparison with 

 thosQ oi pallida. As a rule, however, 

 the spots on the eggs of. pallida are 

 paler; and more blotchy. The color 

 often pales into the most delicate cin- 

 namon; with frequent specking of the 

 same, or of darker, colors. The ten- 

 dency would seem to be toward a 

 rounded outline, in shape. The normal 

 set consists of four eggs. Yet, in 1898. 

 itseemed, from the comparatively small 

 number of nests observed, as if most 

 sets consisted of three. Sets of five are 

 rare. 



No bird, in all this region, (which is 

 the chiefest paradise, one would judge, 

 of that arrant i>neak thief, and vandal, 

 the cow-bird,)— is quite so much parasi- 

 tically imposed upon as is the Clay- 

 colored Sparrow. One nest, perhaps, 

 in every four, is preyed upon; two, or 

 even three, of the rightful eggs uncere- 

 moniously dumped; and one or two of 

 the grey intruders left behind, while 

 madame j9aZ/i(/a is gone for a breakfast. 



The Clay-color lays two broods. Am- 

 bition rises in her, with the second. For 



she no longer needs the lowly covert of 

 last year's dead grass. The dense leaves 

 of the thorn and the burr oak are now 

 fully grown, by the end of June; and in 

 them she therefore builds And now 

 she varies, sometimes, her nesting 

 material; not from choice, however, but 

 from convenience. The hits of weed 

 that she readily finds in latter May, are 

 now concealed by growing plants. She 

 therefore avails herself of hazel and 

 willow twigs, for the foundations of her 

 second nest. 



The location is, — naturally, — higher 

 than for the first nests. Average heights 

 are from two feet to eighteen inches 

 above ground. But, in any case, the 

 nests are invariably close concealed. 



One point, observed this season, has 

 puzzled me not a little. Out of five 

 nests, found between June 25 and July 

 15, — all second nests, of course,— two 

 contained five eggs, each. And yet, in 

 1896, I found but one set of five, out of 

 forty-four; in '97, but one out of thirty- 

 two; and in '98, but one out of sixteen. 

 All birds have their freaks. Pallida 

 seems to have as few as any. Yet I 

 have noted two or three; as shown, for 

 example, by one nest found in coarse 

 grass, over water, in a little slough; and 

 by another,— a first nest,— in the very 

 top of a hazel bush, in a thicket, four 

 feet up; this being the most elevated 

 nest I have ever found; and the only 

 nest discovered in a thicket. Pallida 

 seems to hate the thickets with a hatred 

 that matches her love for the weedy, 

 willowy meadows. 



Almost, it seems, before the exquisite 

 blue eggs are laid, in early June, the 

 little black-downy, oranged-mouthed 

 young are squirming in the nests. And, 

 before one can catch his breath, and 

 bring his camera, to catch a picture of 

 those gaping mouths, the streaked 

 fledglings are on the wing. And then, 

 almost before we have grown to feel 

 that the full tide of summer is upon us, 

 it is the first of October; and the last of 



