1912] Taylor: Birds and Reptiles of NortJiern Nevada. 415 



To a certain extent the sage thrashers were interested in each 

 other. When one of a company was shot, the others frequently 

 gave utterance to various expressions of excitement. 



According to our own observations and to those of Ridgway 

 (1877, p. 401) the sage thrasher exhibits a very quiet disposition 

 during the period of incubation. There possibly is sufficient 

 variation in the time of nesting to account for the fact that some 

 are singing while others are silent. At all events there are 

 numerous individual exceptions to the general statement. Ridg- 

 way has added that the males become perfectly silent the last 

 of April. 



The birds were evidently breeding in some numbers at Quinn 

 River Crossing during the latter part of INIay and the first of 

 June. A half-dozen nests were found, of which descriptions are 

 given below. The sitting bird's sudden bursting from the nest 

 most often led to its discovery. Our observations on method of 

 flight confirm those of Ridgway (1877, p. 400). One bird re- 

 treated in a vesper sparrow-like manner, flying low over the 

 sagebrush and suddenly dropping down either into brush or onto 

 the ground. Ordinarily if one is traversing sage-tracts several 

 of the birds are to be seen perched upon exposed twigs. 



The first nest, found May 17, was located in the middle of a 

 sagebush, being supported mainly by the largest stem, and 

 partly by four other branches. The second, found the same day, 

 was similarly located. Both nests were very carefully built, but 

 neither was especially well concealed. IMeasurements : the first, 

 two feet above the ground 95 mm. (3% inches) across the cavity, 

 and 57mm. (2*4 inches) deep; the second, twenty-two inches 

 from the surface, 95 mm. (3% inches) in diameter, and 50 mm. 

 (2 inches) deep. Coarse sticks constituted the foundation work 

 of both nests. The layer next within was of soft drj^ bark, the 

 innermost lining being of cowhair. In both instances four eggs 

 constituted the set. A somewhat deeper nest was found the next 

 day, twenty-two inches above the ground, the nest cavity 76 mm. 

 (3 inches) in diameter and 76 mm. (3 inches) deep. A slight 

 movement of the twigs of the bush and a barely perceptible 

 fluttering sound as the bird forsook the nest betrayed its pres- 

 ence. The fourth was discovered on June 6 near Quinn River 



