1890.1 Bendire on Pipilo fuscus mesoleucus and Pipilo aberti. 2Q 



feet up. After willows, a species of ash was the next favorite, 

 and I found one nest in such a tree fully twenty-five feet from the 

 ground, placed in a fork in its topmost branches. Now and then 

 a nest was placed in a bushy mesquite tree, and a couple of nests 

 I found in wild currant bushes. 



The usual number of eggs laid by Abert's Towhee is three, 

 sets of only two are by no means unusual, however ; in but a single 

 instance, already mentioned, I found four. Their ground color is 

 a pale clay-blue, paler than in the eggs of 'Pipilo fuscus crissal 'Is 

 and P. f. alblgula. The markings, as in those, are sparse, 

 sharp, and well defined, generally heaviest about the larger end, 

 in color very dark brown, almost black in some, in others these 

 dark spots are less intense and margined with vinaceous and 

 rufous about the edges. In some specimens these spots are con- 

 nected with each other by fine hair-like lines and tracings of dif- 

 ferent shades of brown or vinaceous, giving a very pretty effect. 

 There are also some paler shell markings of lavender and purple 

 to be found on some specimens, but in a majority of eggs these 

 are wanting. The shape of most of the eggs is ovate, a few are 

 elliptical, others elongate ovate. The average size of eighty- 

 three specimens, all but six collected by myself, is .94 x .70 

 inch. The largest egg measures 1.08X.70, the smallest .82X.69 

 inch. 



I believe fully three broods are raised during the season, as I 

 found a perfectly fresh set of eggs on Sept. 10. Several other 

 species also were laying then. Abert's Towhee has many ene- 

 mies to contend against during the breeding season, and it is 

 questionable after all, if they ever succeed in raising more than a 

 couple of full broods. Small parties of Arizona Jays, from the 

 mountains in the vicinity, were more than once met with by me, 

 evidently bent on an egg-hunting expedition themselves, and no 

 doubt some of the numerous species of Hawks, Owls, squirrels, 

 and snakes, especially some of the latter, destroy a good many 

 of their young as well as the eggs. The shrill cry of alarm 

 uttered by these birds when in distress, was more than once heard 

 by me, when still quite a distance from the nest, due no doubt to 

 the presence of some other intruder than myself. I frequently 

 found broken eggshells lying at the foot of the empty nest, where a 

 day or two previously I had seen a single egg and had left it for 

 the set to be completed. 



