THE OREGON 
raised in a season, and it is possible that 
two may occasionally be reared, but au- 
thentic cases of three have yet to be 
corded. In confinement the hen will lay 
60 eggs, (average) if they are removed’ 
Crows and hawks are their greatest 
enemies, robbing their nests at every op- 
portunity, having found a nest they do 
not desist until every egg is destroyed and 
eaten: The clutch is hatched -early, 
and it is an erroneous idea, that the cock 
cares for and hovers the chicks while the 
hen lays her second clutch. I am in re- 
ceipt of correspondence from many observ- 
ers in Several localities where the pheasants 
are plentiful, not one claim the 
bove to be a fact not one have 
ever observed such a case and all qies- 
tion it. The Denny Pheasant have become 
a source of revenue and are now general 
and plenty through cut the Willamette 
Valley, Southern Oregon, both sides of 
the Columbia River, have been introduced 
to severai localities in Eastern Oregon and 
are extending their range each year. This 
species is without question Oregons finest 
and best game bird, and to the inhabitants 
of Oregon, if to no other people, should be 
known by no other name than ‘‘The Den- 
ny Pheasant.’’ 
bes 
2- 
a 
A. B. AVERILL. 
The dates of the three shipments as given in this 
article are correct, and were received from Judge Den- 
ny in an interview for that purpose. 
GAMBEL’S SPARROW. 
(Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelt.) 
Being a part of the result of the month- 
ly work for February of the Northwestern 
Ornithological Association. 
(Prepared by the president.) 
Articles on the second month’s work 
were received from Fred H. Andrus of 
NATURALIST. 57 
Elkton, Ore. BD. Franklin Weeks of Port- 
land, Ore. and Ellis F. Hadley of Dayton, 
Ore. Gambels Sparrow is an abundant 
summer resident of the Willamette Vailey, 
but is not common in winter. Mr. Hadley 
says, ‘‘In the fall they gather in bands of 
from ten to twenty-five and select some 
rosebrier thicket as their home, leaving 
it only a short distance in a band to hunt 
food.’’ Mr. Weeks says, ‘“‘This sparrow 
is a migrant, coming in small flocks of a 
dozen to twenty-five about the first of 
April, and leaving again in the latter part 
of the fall, —as late as the last of October. 
Mr. Andrews has crowded so much of 
interest into his article that | cannot do 
better than quote it in full. ‘*This species 
is, during the summer months, one of our 
most common birds, breeding abundantly, 
but is not often seen in winter. 
‘“‘Of ten sets collected in the last three 
years five are of four eggs, four of five, and 
one of three. Also found a set of three 
eggs which was not collected. 1 should 
give the number of eggs as four or five, 
sometimes three. A curious thing about 
the number of eggs is that all sets collected 
in ’92 and ’o94 are of four eggs, while all 
sets collected in ’93 (except one set of three) 
contain five eggs. 
‘““My earliest set is May 21st ’94 about 
one-half incubated: latest set July roth 93, 
nearly fresh. ‘‘The nest is rather a bulky 
affair, usually a little above the ground, 
composed of grass and moss in most cases, 
and lined with finer grass. The majority 
of nests contain hair in lining. | have 
found three nests which contained three 
distinct layers — the outside being coarse 
grass, next fine grass and the inside lining 
of hair. Nests range from 24 to 3 inches 
in diameter inside, and from 4 to 5% out- 
side, depth 14 to 2 inches inside and from 
2to 4 outside. Three nests out of ten 
were on the ground, the rest varying from 
g inches to 34 feet from the ground.” 
Mr. Weeks records a set of three fresh 
eggs taken on April 12795, which is the 
