Gbe XIMarbler 37 



als included very fine plant stems, a few dry rootlets, and several slender 

 shreds of cedar bark. A few feathers were also woven in, one large horned- 

 owl feather projecting conspicuously above the rim on one side. The meas- 

 urements of the nest were outside, diameter 3.00 inches, depth 3.30; inside 

 diameter 1.80 and depth 1.60 inches. This nest contained four eggs with in- 

 cubation well advanced, though not so far but what they were safely blown. 

 This set with nest and female parent are now in the collection of Mr. John 

 Lewis Childs. 



The second nest discovered was within 50 feet of our camp at the mouth 

 of Fish Creek, 6500 feet altitude. On June 15 it contained three newly- 

 hatched young. By July 2 these had flown. This nest was located in 'a 

 willow clump up the side of the canyon 50 yards from the stream, and was 

 saddled into the upright crotch of a good-sized stem, about two feet above 

 the ground. On account of its handy location this nest was under frequent 

 observation. The most remarkable thing about it was the wonderful har- 

 mony in coloration between the gray nest, the silvery gray willow trunks 

 surrounding it, and, when on the nest, the parent bird with its gray head 

 and upper surface. I would repeatedly have to look for the nest quite a 

 while, although I knew for several moments before discovering its outlines 

 almost exactly where it was. This was certainly of protective service, as 

 far as human beings were concerned anyway. It was only by continued 

 watching of the parent birds as they brought food to the young that the nest 

 was discovered in the first place. The old birds did most of their foragino- 

 among the thickets down along the creek. From there they would fly close 

 along the ground directly up to the nest. When leaving, they would fly up 

 into the pines above to preen themselves a minute, and in the case of" the 

 male (presumably) to sing a little. While brooding the young the parent 

 bird at the nest would indulge in faint mellow twitterings, so that we knew 

 of each visit, although we may have been out of sight in the work tent. As 

 the young grew older the parents became quieter, maybe because thev were 

 kept busier. 



The third nest, found on June 17, contained four eggs on the point of 

 hatching. These could not be saved though the nest was. The latter was 

 located in a willow clump on the side of a small canvon near Fish Creek, 

 6 5 co feet altitude. By the way, this species of willow (Salix ^lanca ml 

 losa) is not the same as that growing along the water courses {Salix lasio- 

 lepis), but affects dryer places, such as shaded hillsides and semi-wet pockets 

 in the mountain side from 6000 to 9000 feet altitude. The Gray Flycatch- 

 er has especial regard for such willow thickets, and doubtless a 'large pro- 

 portion of nests are built in them. Though this willow is not a dense-foli- 

 aged one the nests are difficult to make out among the gray trunks, as pre- 

 viously explained. 



The present nest was three feet above the ground, resting against an 



