MOCKINGBIRDS 579 



three feet up in the prickly cactus plants, and nests ranging 

 between these extremes may readily be found. The nests are 

 composed outwardly of small twigs and weed stalks, lined with 

 roots and vegetable fibers, and in size quite bulky, approaching 

 in general size to nests of the Loggerhead Shrike, but of differ- 

 ent appearance. The eggs are four to six, more often four or 

 five in number, pale greenish blue to bluish white in ground 

 color, spotted and blotched with cinnamon and reddish brown. 

 The spots are more numerous and larger towards the larger 

 ends of the eggs. In California the nesting season ranged from 

 late April to July, and at least two and very probably three 

 broods were reared. Four eggs taken by me near San Diego, 

 May 15, 1891, measure 0.95 x 0.73, 0.94 x 0.73, 0.95 x 0.73, 

 0.95 x 0.73. 



The female bird does nearly all of the nest building as far 

 as my experience goes, though rarely the male does lend a 

 hand. A week to ten days suffices for completion of the nest. 

 An egg is laid each day until the set is complete, though 

 incubation often begins with the first egg laid. The eggs 

 hatch in less than fourteen days, as far as my experience goes, 

 and the young do not remain in the nest over two weeks. 

 The male does his full share towards feeding the young and I 

 have strong reasons for believing that he shares the work of 

 incubation. 



The food of these birds is wonderfully varied. They eat 

 quantities of worms, beetles, grubs, moths, caterpillars, grass- 

 hoppers and other insects, feeding both on the ground and 

 in trees. When the fruits are ripe they generally take their 

 full share, eating figs, grapes, strawberries, blackberries, dew- 

 berries, prickly pears, mulberries and a far larger range of 

 the softer cultivated and wild fruits and berries. At such 

 times of course the species is a nuisance and does in some 

 instances considerable damage, but on the whole is beneficial. 



