PLATE VIII. Egg of Clarke's Nutcracker 



(Nzuifraga coin inbi anus) 



THE egg of Clarke's Crow shown on our Colored Plate was taken with 

 the nest on March 23rd, 1900. Locality, Wasatch Mountains above 

 Alpine, Utah County, Utah. Altitude about 6,500 feet. Collected for H. 

 C. Johnson. Female taken by hand from the nest. The data reads as fol- 

 lows: " Nest placed in a pronged fork of limb (growing upward) of a black 

 balsam tree 50 feet high. Three feet from the body of the tree, 16 

 feet from ground on a side hill with southern exposure. One thousand 

 feet from another nest of the same species. When collector climbed near 

 the nest the bird would not fly. On putting his hand near her she made a 

 slight hissing sound and opened her bill. She was sent alive to me. Nest 

 taken could not have been procured in an ordinary winter. The present win- 

 ter is free from snow, except at great altitudes. Snow line begins a few yards 

 up from this nest." 



We also have in our cabinet a set of four eggs taken by the same col- 

 lector on the same day and in the same locality. Incubation known to be 

 five or six days, yet eggs appeared fresh. Concerning nest data reads: " Nest 

 placed on a horizontal limb six inches in diameter in a black balsam tree, 

 70 feet high and 30 inches through at the base. Many small limbs were 

 growing about the nest which protected it from dislodgment by winds. 

 Tree on a side hill just below present snow line; hill facing south. Collect- 

 or tried to get bird, but she invariably flew as he climbed out on the limb 

 near nest, but as he descended would fly back to the nest. After several at- 

 tempts to capture bird the eggs were secured with the nest. The bird on 

 leaving would disappear completely and on returning would come straight 

 as a bullet and fly directly to and into the nest." 



The color of the egg is accurately represented on our plate, and is the 

 same as all other specimens of this species we have seen; the size is also ex- 

 act, 1.32 x .95. Nest composed of small sticks with a lining of bark fiber. 



