40 BULLETIN FERGUS COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL 



grass. The nest was two and three-eighths inches average diameter, and 

 cne and five-eighths inches deep, made of dried grass, with several pieces 

 of soft napkin paper in bottom for bedding. Nest No. 2, May 4, 1900, was 

 at the head of a small run leading to the foot of the bench. The brim of 

 this nest was built above the surrounding level, and the elevated walls 

 vrere banked up with coarse pieces of cow chips. On the north side were 

 seme grass and tanzy several inches high. This nest was of size similar 

 to No. 1, and was made of dried grass with cottony fibers in the bottom 

 for bedding. Nest No. 3, May 5, 1900, w.as on the same bare bench, where 

 a lot of refuse consisting of old tin cans, rags, bones, and other rubbish 

 had been strewn. This nest was snugly made against the base of a sin- 

 gle weed-stem, which bent over somewhat to resemble a tuft. As in the 

 preceding instance, the brim was slightly elevated, and banked around 

 with dirt and fragments of cow chips. The nest was made of dried grass, 

 with a bedding of cottony fibers. In size it was two inches and two and 

 one-half inches minor and major axes, and one and three-fourths inches 

 deep. Behind this nest, lying beside the weed-stem, was a piece of old 

 white cloth, which served to mark the site. The complement was three 

 eggs in which incubation had begun. Nest No. 4, May 8, 1900, was about 

 ten feet from an old road, made in a hoof-track beside a tuft of moss 

 which was level with the brim of the nest, though between the brim and 

 the moss was the usual bank of cow chips. This nest was made entirely 

 of dried grass, and contained four eggs advanced in incubation. 



On May 20, 1900, I found a nest of the desert horned lark contain- 

 ing four eggs advanced in incubation. Upon visiting the nest the next 

 day, I found that two of the eggs had hatched, and later a third young- 

 ster was found, the fourth egg being infertile. I inspected the house- 

 hold regularly in the following days, and on May 27 I noted that the 

 three nestlings about filled the nest, and were feathering out nicely. 

 Both parents attended them assiduously, but the elders made no demon- 

 strations whatever when the nest was visited. The well-fledged young- 

 lings left the nest about noon on May 30, exactly nine days after they 

 emerged from the shell. It is noticeable that the male seems to assume 

 entire charge of the young birds for the first few days after they leave 

 the nest, while they are learning to care for themselves. 



Data of nests found the following season are quite similar to those 

 already given. One found May 6, 1901, was in a round hole sunken beside 

 an insignificant tuft of moss, in dried cow chips, on the sunny side of the 

 ECOSS tuft. It contained four fresh eggs. Another on May 8, 1901, con- 

 taining three half-incubated eggs, was in a cavity sunken beside a stone. 

 This nest was made of dried grass and lined with downy pistils, and 

 retained its shape when removed from the depression. A third nest, found 

 May 12, 1901, was in a cavity sunken on the sunny side of a moss tuft, 

 and was banked around with cow chips. It was made as usual of dried 

 grass, and was lined with downy pistils. It contained three eggs far 

 advanced in incubation. A fourth nest May 14, 1901, held four fresh eggs. 

 It was in a depression on the sunny side of a tuft of moss in an old road, 



