THE OOLOGIST. 



135 



"flip out popped Mrs. Eagle.giving me a 

 H full view of her coal-black under parts, 

 ■ and gracefully soared out over the can- 

 -on enabling me to see the sheeny cop- 

 per color of her back and wings. 



Now fully assured that the nest con- 

 tained eggs. I pushed on with new vig- 

 or and soon reached the top. There I 

 was doubly thrilled — first at sight of 

 " two beautiful eggs reposing so innocent- 

 lently in the nest and second at the 

 . yawning abyss which now lay directly 

 below me. 



Thinking it the safest way I lowered 

 the eggs in a small cloth bag which I 

 had brought for the purpose. 



They were cream colored, blotched 

 with light brown and measured 2.69 

 x2.18 and 2.68x2.12 which is rather 

 small I think. 



The nest was about five feet in dia- 

 meter made of oak sticks and lined 

 ' with long dry grass. After blowing the 



• eggs that they might be more safely 

 carrried, we hunted around for some 

 time and managed to find another nest 

 but sad to relate it was empty. I was 

 consoled however, by lincling several 

 empty, but fresh nests of the Western 



, Red-tailed Hawk which we remember- 



• ed and put down for our next trip. 



While returning to our conveyance 

 we noticed a number of the pretty lit- 

 tle Californian Bush Tits aud searched 

 ■ a few moments for nests but failed to 

 find any, and so concluded it to be too 

 •early for them. We returned home 

 well satisfied in a tired but most jubi- 

 lant mood. 



Wilfred H. Osgood, 

 San Jose, Cal. 



Among the "Blue-jrays." 



Of all the birds that frequent the 

 "Woods, the streams and the meadows of 

 "this dear old state, at least of this pail 

 •of it. I do not know of a single species 

 "that I like better than this diminutive 

 •specimen of bird life. 



Although a, number of birds begin 



building before the "Blue-grays" come 

 (which is about March 20th). I never 

 feel that the collecting season has real- 

 ly begun until I hear their well-known 

 notes coming from the top of some tall 

 gum or pine, as they are rather timid 

 about coming down in low trees until 

 later in the season. 



At this lime they have a rather dis- 

 contented note, but a little later, when 

 Mr. Bluegray begins courting his best 

 girl, his notes, though subdued, are 

 very sweet and musical and much more 

 contented. 



By the by, dear reader, are all the 

 birds mated off in mating season? Or, 

 are there soma who can find no mate? 

 Did you ever see an old maid or an old 

 bachelor among the feathered tribes? 

 I am quite sure I never did. 



But I am wandering from my sub- 

 ject. If yon listen very attentively you 

 will hear him singing. He don't seem 

 to be singing to anybody but himself, 

 as he hops around among the branches 

 of that oak, engaged in hunting insects, 

 I expect the secret of his happiness is 

 that he is engaged in another way, or 

 perhaps is already married. 



But the busiest time of his life is 

 when he is preparing a home for his 

 family. We will watch that one over 

 there in that gum tree. See how he is 

 tugging at that stubborn piece of lichen 

 but he perseveres until he pulls it off, 

 and then away he flies to his nest on 

 yonder oak limb. 



He jumps on the nest, re-arranges 

 what his mate has just put there, 

 changes his own piece several times 

 'til he gets it just right and then down 

 he darts to the ground to gather some 

 fine grass within two yards of where 

 we stand watching him, then back to 

 the nest again. 



The next minute we lose sight of him 

 in a clump of briars, but soon see him 

 return to his nest, with his bill full of 

 spider-webs, which he proceeds to stick 

 on the nest here and there. 



Then perhaps, we will see him fly 



