1112 I'lnrcrsih/ of ('alifoniia I'lihUratioiis in Zooloijij [Vol.12 



Not one was observed anywhere below the hi.st-iiained station, and this 

 fact we ascribed to the lack of mesquite at the remainder of the points 

 visited, this wood having been cut out for fuel. 



It was a particularly R'ratifyinii' circunistancc that a nest of th(> 

 Lucy warbler was I'diiikI by us ou California territory, thus adding' 

 a species to the state list of brci'diui;- birds. As al)ovc' implied, indiv- 

 iduals were encountered in fair numlun-s at our station twenty mik\s 

 above Pioaclio. Here, as usu.-d. they atfected the mes(|uit(' belt, but 

 strani;i'l\' emiui^h the nest I'onud was situated in a nearly dead iron- 

 wood, at the base of a hill risini;' abruptly from the river l)ottom. This 

 tree (see pi. 12, fig. It)) evidently owed its failing coiulition to tlu' 

 rising water level in the ground in which it grew, a circumstance as 

 fatal to an ironwood. as it is. uj) to a certain degree, propitious to a 

 mes(|uite. 'rhi're were young mes(|nitcs in the inunediate \iciiiity. 



The nest was built thirty-five inches above the gi-ouiid in the croteh 

 where a .steeply inclined branch sprang from the main truid<. which 

 was here about one foot in diameter. The nest was sheltered from 

 above by a two-inch strip ol' loosened bark and an outstanding twig. 

 The nest was thus practically within a closed cavity save for an 

 approach in one direction, as slu)\vn in the plu)tograph (pi. 13, fig. 20). 

 This falls within the known predilection of the species elsewhere, as in 

 the upper (^lila Valley of south central Ai-izona (Gilman, 1909, p. 168). 

 where out of "twenty-three nesis obsei-ved, twelve were in natural cav- 

 ities, four unilcr loose bark, four in woodpecker holes, and three in 

 verdiu's nests." 



The nest in f|uestiou was evidently a relining of a previous year's 

 structui-e. tlu> latter being distinguishable by its compactness and 

 ailmixture of dried nuid, as if it had been sifted full of wind-blown 

 dust and then drenched by heavy rain. There was no evidence that 

 the tree had been submerged to this depth. The new portions of 

 the ne.st (no. 754) are loosely fornunl of various feathers (mostly 

 down-feathers of desert c]uail). mingled with weathered shreds of 

 grass. There is a scanty liniui; of fine hairs. The cavity of the 

 nest is 45 mm. across, by 22 nun. deep. 



The three eggs, taken April 12. were considerably incubated, and 

 thus constituted a full complement. The shells are pure white, with 

 a fine and abundant speckling of vinaceous. vinaceous-cinnamon and 

 cinnamon-rufons. chictly in an agglomerated ring about the large 

 ends. Some of \\\o markings n(>arest the i>ole at the large end are 



