^^^19^2^^'^] Stafford, Notes on Palmer's Thrasher. 367 



distance, singing a little, sotto voce.'' They were constantly in 

 company after this, having little pursuits and " tiffs," and the male, 

 after two weeks of silence, sang of tener and with greater force than 

 before. 



On February 16 I watched the female gathering nesting material 

 in the yard — a big beak load of straws, strings and odd bits. 

 Having collected a full freight she flew up to a fence post, paused 

 to look suspiciously at me, and then took flight over the shed and 

 to the cholla where their nest is. On examination it proved that 

 she was replenishing the old lining, which much use had deprived 

 of softness. Twice afterward, on the 22nd and again on the 27th, 

 I saw the female with nesting material. Regarding the latter 

 occasion my notes say: "Just saw the female Thrasher with a 

 small collection of straws and what-not in her beak. The male 

 ran into the middle of the yard, snatched a piece of dry bread, 

 and, running back to the wood-pile with it, began eating it by 

 hammering off bits. Seeing this the female quietly let fall the 

 nesting material and approached her mate with low begging notes. 

 He avoided her at first, but as she followed begging he finally 

 permitted her to carry oft" the greater part of the piece. She made 

 no further pretense of gathering material, appearing to have 

 forgotten the matter for the afternoon." In this easy and desultory 

 fashion did the Thrashers enter upon their nesting duties. While 

 instinct appeared to overcome any propensity for delay they may 

 have had, they did not seem to have the active enthusiasm charac- 

 teristic of birds that select a new site and build year after year. 



The next day, February 28, was exceptionally spring-like, and 

 on going to the cholla I flushed the female from the nest. She 

 dropped silently to the ground and ran a few paces, turning to look 

 back anxiously. During the next few days I flushed her in like 

 manner, and the male was of tener seen on fence posts near the nest, 

 although both birds continued to make visits to the yard. 



Although the pair continued to use the nest at night, and the 

 female was found on it frequently during the day for the following 

 week or so, no eggs were laid, and I was obliged to leave the ranch, 

 on March 9, without seeing their nesting underway. No doubt 

 they were somewhat delayed by a very backward season. How 

 long these birds had been on the ranch I do not know, but its 



