THE OOLOGIST 



187 



A FEW DESERT SPECIES. 



In April, nt05, I made a hurried trip 

 througli the Colorado desert and added 

 a few rare sets to my collection. 



April 19, collected set 1-5 Leconte's 

 Thrasher, nest In ocatia three feet 

 up; composed of dried catclaw and 

 mesquite twigs lined with sage fibres. 

 Bird very shy, as it scuttled off 

 through brush and cactus as I draw 

 near nesting site and at a distance of 

 one hundred feet stopped and peeped 

 at me from behind a sage bush utter- 

 ing a plaintive "whuee, whuee." 



April 20, took set of 1-6 Rock Wren; 

 nest in ledge of rock outcropping on 

 hill side, composed of sticks lined with 

 fur and feathers. At entrance to hole 

 in which nest was situated the bird 

 l)iled a layer of pebbles. Also found 

 a Reck Wren's nest about a hundred 

 yards east of above, containing four 

 young about one day old. and one in 

 fertile egg. Entrance to nest was also 

 nicely paved with pebbles. 



April 24, collected set of 1-5 Verdin; 

 nest located in mesquite tree eight 

 feet U;), a small ball of mesquite thorns 

 and twigs lined with feathers and fi- 

 bres. Four inches in diameter. 



April 25. took set of 2-6 of the Ver- 

 din. Xest in choUa four feet up com- 

 posed of thorns and catclaws lined 

 with fur and feathers. Also found 

 Verdin's nest with young but did not 

 ascertain how many as I was afraid 

 parent bird might desert them. 



Same day took set 2-3 Lecontes 

 Thrasher, nest in cholla cactus two 

 feet 111) composed of dried twigs, lined 

 with bard fibres. Heard bird calling 

 several hundred feet away but could 

 not get a glimpse of her. On a still 

 morning it is i)Ossible to hear these 

 birds singing at least a mile distant. 



Ai)ril 26, found Lecontes Thrasher's 

 nest in sage bush three feet up, con- 

 taining three young about one week old. 



Bird was much more an.xious about 

 her young than the two birds above 

 of their eggs as she approached very 

 near me, although always keeping a 

 cactus plant or sage between us, and 

 at intervals uttering a pitiable "whuee- 

 ee-ee." 



April 26, found seven nests of the 

 Cactus Wren within a radius of one 

 hundred fifty feet, only one containing 

 eggs — ^1-5. Nests all in cactus, three 

 or four feet up, composed of dried 

 buffalo grass lined with feathers. Nest 

 containing eggs had a little thicker 

 padding of feathers and was a little 

 longer than the others, all globular in 

 shape with a hole near top. Have no- 

 ticed in several instances, that there 

 are from four to five extra nests very 

 near at hand to one containing eggs; 

 probably birds are very particular as 

 to nest or nesting site, or maybe using 

 them for roosting places or even de- 

 ceptions. 



April 28, found nest containing four 

 young of the Scott oriole hanging from 

 blossom of the yucca palm about six 

 feet up. At first 1 was not sure of iden- 

 tity cf bird so hid myself nearby and 

 took close observations. Very rare in 

 this locality. 



Chas. S. Moore. 



COMPLAINTS. 



We have received a number of 

 comi)laints regarding failure on the 

 ])art of some to balance exchange ac- 

 counts. One or two charge fraud; the 

 others seem mere misunderstandings 

 of a mere or less serious nature. All 

 arc being carefully investigated and 

 our iletermination in resiiect to them 

 will be made known in due time. If 

 fraud is established, the culprit will 

 be fully exposed. Better settle all 

 matters of exchange account ])r()mi)tly. 



Another good rule — .Never offei- any- 

 thing for exchange unless you have it 

 on hand at the time. This will avoid 

 a lot of trouble. 



