262 



THE OOLOGIST 



E. Kibbe, Truman R. Taylor, Nathan 

 Davis, L. V. Case, Bert Davis, Geo. 

 Guelf and Ernest H. Short. 



T. R. Taylor, Sec. 



Two Western Birds. 



Western Wood Pewee. (Contopus 

 richardsonii.) 



This is a rather common bird of this 

 locality inhabiting the yonng groves of 

 willow and other small ti'ees which 

 grow in abundance along the brooks 

 and river bottoms. The dull colored 

 birds may be seen during the breeding 

 season perched upon some twig watch- 

 ing for his breakfast or flitting through 

 the green foliage after insects . or with 

 material for the nest. 



The nest a is a cup shaped structure 

 placed from 5 to 20 feet from the ground 

 in some young tree or among the wild 

 grape vines, always near a stream and 

 usually in some dark recess. Of about 

 twenty nests I have examined all were 

 placed either in an upright crotch or 

 saddled onto the side of an upright 

 branch. Nearly all were composed of 

 the bark of the wild grape vine or of 

 the inner bark of box-elder bushes 

 and coarse grasses, occasionally lined 

 with wild cotton and does not present 

 so loose and flimsy an appearance and 

 is also much deeper than that built by 

 the eastern Wood Pewee, although I 

 have never taken one covered with 

 lichens. 



Fresh eggs may be taken from the 

 first of June to the fourth of July. 

 Three eggs generally constitute a set 

 and I have never taken more from the 

 same nest. They are of a beautiful 

 creamy or yellowish tinge sparingly 

 spotted near the larger end with red- 

 dish-brosvn or lilac, I have taken some 

 specimens that were unmarked. They 

 vary greatly in size and shape, some 

 being nearly round while others are 

 quite long and drawn out but never 

 pointed. An average specimen will 

 measure .6i)x 53 inches. 



The birds do not remain long with us 

 after nesting but leave during the first 

 half of August for their winter home. 



Western Yellow-Throat. Geoth- 

 lypis trichas occidentalis . 



This beautiful warbler with its bright 

 yellow coat and black trimmings may 

 be seen in this locality flitting along 

 close to the ground wherever there is 

 water and plenty of tall grass. Its 

 favorite haunts are along some stream 

 or lake over-grown with tule beds and 

 enough trees around to darken the spot 

 and make it picturesque. 



The nest is usually placed near the 

 ground among the high grass and there- 

 fore hard to find. And then it is often 

 placed above the water and not a few 

 times have I been lured away by the 

 bird to soon find myself caught in a 

 mud-hole with my boots full of water; 

 but that matters but little to the col- 

 lector who desires to add another set 

 to his collection. The bird when flush- 

 ed stays near the nest flying among the 

 grass and tules continually uttering a 

 plaintive '■'peep peep." The nest is us- 

 ually composed of dry tule stems heavi- 

 ly lined with fine dry grass or bark 

 and is extremely large for so small a 

 bird. 



A set of four eggs is the largest I have 

 taken from one nest and I find it to be 

 the usual number deposited although 

 most authorities give four to six, I have 

 found fresh eggs from the last of April 

 to the middle of June. They are clear 

 white with black and brown spots and 

 streaks usually formiug a distinct 

 wreath around the larger end. A set of 

 four in my collection measures; 70x53, 

 69x52, 71x53, 72x53 hundreths inches, 

 which is somewhat larger than the av- 

 erage. 



Most of the birds leave for the south as 

 winter approaches but I have observed 

 a few that remain with us during the 

 winter. 



H. M. Hall. 

 Riverside, Cal. 



