38 



THE MUSEUM. 



and then began a chase for the owner- 

 ship of the rot just eaten by the vul- 

 ture. Round and round they flew, 

 the Caracara continually alighting up- 

 on the back of the vulture and worry- 

 ing him in every way possible, until at 

 length, in despair the vulture disgorged 

 his putrid carrion, . so coveted by his 

 relentless pursuer. In an instant the 

 Caracara discontinued his pursuit of 

 the vulture and darted at the second 

 hand meal and actually caught a dor- 

 tion of it before it struck the earth, 

 and then proceeded to eat the remain- 

 der which he had failed to catch "on 

 the wing." Many times I have noted 

 these robbers intently watching a feast 

 of the vultures, I sincerely believe 

 with no other intention than to de- 

 spoil them of their horrid food after it 

 had been swallowed. 



For audacity the Caracara almost if 

 not entirely equals the much abused 

 Blue jay. On one occasion I remem- 

 ber having thrown some ducks out in 

 front of the camp. They were quick- 

 ly discovered by a swarm of vultures 

 and were being rapidly picked to 

 pieces and eaten. Three or four vul- 

 tures were occupied in picking at the 

 carcass of a large duck, when a Cara- 

 cara pounced down upon it and taking 

 it firmly in its beak, flew away, leav- 

 ing the vultures to mourn their loss, 

 with only a few consoling feathers to 

 show them there was something there 

 one time. 



In making a few remarks upon their 

 habits of nidification, I make a few 

 extracts from my field book. 



Feb. 27, 1896. Three fresh eggs. 

 Bird sitting on nest. Situated in 

 small oak tree in motte near Chiltapin 

 arroya in San Patricio Co. Nest com- 

 posed of weed stalks, twelve feet from 

 ground. 



March 2, 1896. Three fresh eggs. 

 Bird in the tree. Nest composed of 

 weed stalks. Had evidently done ser- 

 vice before as it was freshly lined, the 

 lower part showing age. Not very 

 neatly constructed and rather small. 

 Situated fifteen feet from the ground 



in hackberry tree in clump or motte 

 of trees in San Patricio Co. (This 

 motte is known as "Rattle Snake 

 Motte;" so named because of the great 

 number of these venomous reptiles in- 

 festing it. Being many miles from 

 other timber these few trees are thick- 

 ly populated. In the few minutes I 

 spent there while in camp for dinner, 

 I found nests of Bald Eagle, Horned 

 Owl, Red-Tail and Harris' Hawks, 

 Caracara, etc.) 



March 3, 1696. Three fresh eggs. 

 Situated thirty feet from ground in 

 inossy oak bordering on prairie. Com- 

 posed of weed stalks throughout. 



March 3, 1896. Three eggs, far 

 advanced in incubation. Bird on nest. 

 Composetl of weed stalks ("as usual). 

 Situated sixteen feet from ground in 

 oak tree in belt of oaks. 



March 3, 1896. Three eggs, in 

 which incubation had begun. Bird on 

 nest. Composed of weed stalks and 

 situated on small branch of hackberry 

 tree near top. 



March 7, 1896. Three eggs, incu- 

 bation commenced. Birds seen. Com- 

 posed of weed stalks and situated 

 twenty feet from ground near top of 

 hackberry tree. 



March 7, 1896. Three eggs in 

 which incubation had advanced about 

 one week. Birds seen. Composed 

 of weed stalks and grass, situated 

 fourteen feet from ground in oak tree, 

 near Souse creek. 



March 10, 1896. Three fresh eggs. 

 Bird on nest. Composed of weed 

 stalks, nicely shaped, about eighteen 

 inches in diameter. Situated in thorny 

 chaparal bush on prairie, ten feet from 

 the ground. 



March 19, 1896. Two eggs, incub- 

 ation started. Bird on nest. Com- 

 posed of weed stalks. Situated four- 

 teen feet from the ground on horizon- 

 tal branch of mossy Black Jack. 



March 20, 1896. Three eggs, fresh. 

 Birds seen. Composed of weed stalks, 

 situated fourteen feet up in small tree. 



March 24, 1896. Two eggs, one 

 third advanced in incubation. Birds 



