1912] Taylor: Birds and Keptiles of Northern Nevada. 381 



of the birds were seen on a fence near the road. The male left 

 the vicinity, but the female allowed of my approach to within 

 eight feet. 



The cowbirds seemed to offend the sensibilities of the Brewer 

 blackbirds in some way, as the latter were not infrequently 

 observed giving vigorous chase to males or females of the former. 

 The greater proportion observed were males. 



On June 15 a single cowbird's egg was found in a song 

 sparrow's nest, together with two eggs of the rightful owner. 



Twelve specimens (^nos. 8822-8833) were preserved. 



Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus (Bonaparte) 



Yellow-headed Blackbird 



Distrihntion. — Observed at Tregaskis Well and Quinn River 

 Crossing only. 



Habits. — While we were stopping over between stages at the 

 Well, a yellow-head flew in and perched on a haystack near the 

 barns. The locality is in the middle of a very wide expanse of 

 extremely arid desert, and it seemed strange to encounter here 

 such a denizen of the tules. 



Two individuals were seen in company with a flock of red- 

 wings at Quinn River Crossing on May 20. A nesting colony 

 was discovered two days later in the extensive wild-hay fields 

 along the river, which are covered with a thin sheet of water in 

 the spring and early summer, but which are left high and dry 

 later in the season. During May and June various species of 

 water-birds take advantage of these intermittent marshes. Wil- 

 lows, Avild hay, many small species of water-loving plants, and 

 a very few tules make up their flora. A few pairs of yellow- 

 headed blackbirds were nesting in the solitary tule patch discov- 

 ered here. 



Two nests were found May 22, one 152 mm. (6 inches) above 

 the water, the other almost touching its surface. They were 

 made entirely of dry strips of tule, being lined with very fine 

 shreds of the same material. The nests were fastened in such 

 a way that they could easily be slipped up and off the reeds. 

 The first contained one egg; the second three. The cavity of 

 the latter measured 76 mm. (3 inches) across and 72 mm. (2% 



