THE OREGON NATURALIST. 49 



and are seen no more until the following On the eleventh of July, 1893, a nest 



spring. containing an egg was found; the possession 



Fratercula corniculata, was desperately contested by the parent bird; 



HORNED PUFFIN. on investigation, the egg was found to contain 



Summer migrant, arriving about the first of a cl»ck ready to hatch, which was covered 

 June, and remaining until September. On with a heavy black down, 

 first arriving, these birds do a great deal of The same burrows are used year after year, 

 flying; they gather in bands, and sit perched but whether by the same birds or not was not 

 on the rocky face of some high bluff, and keep ascertained. Some burrows have by long 

 up a continuous whistling call, at irregular usage become as large as rabbit holes, while 

 intervals the whole band will leave the newly made ones, are only just large enough to 

 bluff and fly a short distance out to sea and admit the birds. Both entrances are used in- 

 return. discriminately by the bird, and it is surprising 



The eggs of this species are laid in a tunnel, to see with what accuracy they can fly directly 

 or burrow, dug in the ground by the bird, and into the holes in the ground, 

 afewhandfuls of dry grass and feathers consti- Bernard J. Bretherton. 



tute the nest. (From my own experience, I • 



have never known the nest of this species to be MOUNTAIN PARTRIDGE. 



in crevices in the rocks). 



The construction of the tunnel is unique; it 

 always has an opening at both ends. The 

 nesting site, is some high rocky bluff overhang- 

 ing the sea, and near the top where the soil 

 lies on the rock, the bird commences its exca- 

 vations, first constructing a sort of runway for 

 a few feet along the face of the bluff, then go- 

 ing directly inward, sometimes in a straight 

 line, while others are crooked. In the same 

 way, the length of the tunnel is very variable, 

 and the nest may be at most any distance from 

 two to ten feet from the face of the bluff. 



[The work of the N. O. A., for February.] 



The members of the Northwestern Orni- 

 thological Association, living near Portland, 

 held their monthly meeting Friday evening 

 March, 2olh. 



The subject under study for the past month, 

 was the Mountain Partridge; after a well pre- 

 pared article had been read by Mr. Rey S. 

 Stryker, the topic was thoroughly discussed. 



The ]>rincipal characteristics and nesting 

 habits of this bird, are probably too well 

 known, to need publication again. 



Mr Stryker, records this bird as very com- 



From the nest, the tunnel passes on inland, , ■ ^1 • /-, a 



moil several years ago in soutliern Oregon, and 



making a sharp upward turn to the surface of , c .. • ^ 



^ says that as many as twenty-five or thirty, 



the ground. Only one egg is laid; it being of , , , • . 



"^ / ss . «. L.t:iiig ui j^^^g y^^^^ caught in traps at one time. 



a dead white color and lusterless, havine much ^ , • , ■ / . u- u 



' ^ "^ Several times he rememoers of catching the 



the appearance of chalk. The surface is verv ^ ,-r • t^ . ■ j -.i ^u ht ♦ • 



^^ ^^ California Partridges, with the Mountain 



rough. , . ^ , ^ 1 



Partridges, so that in Southern Oregon these 



Both parents assist in incubation, and the , ■ , • • 1 t> ^ ^ * ^u 



r , ^iiu me j.^^^ \yixA's, intermingle. But contrary to the 



chick is hatched about the the first part of Tulv r r.i 1 <-> -.i 1 



^ -''•'■ statements of some of the works on Oniithology, 



