THE ROCK WRK.X. 



317 



dozen of ihe likt'licst. And wlicn il ciimcs Id liniii<; the a]>|)r()ai-lu's of ihe 



chosen ca\ily, wliat do you Mipjiitsc they use.'' Why, rocks, of course; not 



large ones this time, hut flakes and pebbles of basalt, which fattle pleasantly 



every time the bird goes in and out. These rock chii)s are sometimes an inch 



or more in diameter, 



and il is difficult to 



conceive how a bird 



with such a delicate 



beak can compass 



their removal. Here 



they are, however, to 



the quantity of half 



a pint or more, an 1 



they are just as much 



a necessity^ to ever 



well-regulated Sal 



pinctean househoM. 



as marble steps ar, 



to Philadelphians. 



The nest itself is 

 rather a bulky affair, 

 composed of weed- 

 stalks, dried grasses, 

 and fine rootlets, 

 with a scanty lining 

 of hair or wool (all 

 East-side birds are 

 enthusiastic advo- 

 cates of sheep-rais- 

 ing), "Two broods 

 are raised in a sea- 

 son, the first set of 

 eggs appearing early 

 in May, the second 

 about the middle of 

 June. It is possible 

 that even a third set 



may sometimes be laid still later in the season, but these late sets are more 

 apt to be due to the breaking u]) of the first or second. The eggs vary from 

 five to seven, and are pure white in color, sjjrinklecl rather sparingly over 

 the surface with dots of a faint iirownish red, most heavily about the larger 

 end" (Bowles"). 



Douglas County. Photo by the Author. 



NESTING-SITE OF KOCK WKEN I.\ B.\S.\LT CLIFF. 



XEST OCCiriES THE UPPEK CKANNY BUT THE "FRO.ST WALK" IS 



