90 



THE OOLOGIST 



eight to ten pairs of nesting Magpies. 

 All the nests I have examined were in 

 haw trees, with one exception , which 

 was in a low willow. 



The nest which furnished the set of 

 eight eggs was exceptional in its un- 

 usual size. Its base was nine feet from 

 the ground and was formed of a mass 

 of stout twigs, within which was a 

 basin-shaped layer of reddish clay, 

 somewhat mingled with the twigs. The 

 clay layer was about an inch in thick- 

 ness. A foot ruler, placed over the 

 clay basin, easily rested within the brim 

 in any direction, showing an unusual 

 measurement in Magpie nests, if it 

 could be removed without destroying 

 its form, would with difl5.culty be con- 

 tained in a clothes basket of average 

 size. In the clay basin was an inner 

 nest, formed of coarse rootlets and a 

 few horsehairs, the cavity being six 

 inches across and two inches deep, re- 

 markable in its shallowness. The in- 

 ner portion of the Magpie's nest bears 

 a general resemblance to the nest of the 

 Brown Thrasher, and if placed alone in 

 a hedge on a base of small twigs the 

 similarity to the Brown Thrasher's 

 nest would be striking. Extending up- 

 ward on all sides from the twigs, 

 around the clay basin was a loose lat- 

 tice-work of twigs, and over the whole 

 affair was a thick canopy of twigs. 

 There was no noticeable opening for 

 entrance or exit, though in several 

 places the lattice -work was open enough 

 to admit the owners. The space with- 

 in the 1 attieed sides of this nest was 

 large enough to allow the bird to turn 

 without injury to its long tail feathers, 

 this being the only nest I have ex- 

 amined thus roomy. The nest was 

 started in crotches, and extended to all 

 available supports within a foot or two 

 of it. One branch of the main stem 

 ascended obliquely through the space 

 enclosed by the lattice-work of the nest. 

 Most of the eight eggs showed a trace 

 of incubation. During the examination 



of the nest the owners flew about 

 in the adjacent trees, uttering harsh 

 chattering cries. 



On April 23rd, while prowling about 

 in a drizzling rain, I found a Magpie's 

 nest in a coulee within one hundred 

 yards of the slaughter-house. One of 

 the birds was on the nest, from which 

 I could see her tail projecting between 

 the latticed side as I drew near the 

 structure. As I straightened up under 

 the tree, she flew out with loud chatter, 

 which she kept up while I remained 

 near. There were only three eggs in 

 this nest, so I left them undisturbed 

 and made it a second visit on April 30, 

 expecting to find eight or nine eggs, 

 but found only six eggs in the comple- 

 ment, incubation begun. The base of 

 this nest was seven feet from the ground, 

 where it was placed among upright 

 haw stems, having the usual basin of 

 reddish clay worked among the basal 

 twigs. The basin was nine inches from 

 brim to brim. The inner nest was near- 

 ly seven inches across, and nearly four 

 inches deep. This nest had a roundish 

 opening on one side, not leading direct- 

 ly into the nest, but entering the thick 

 lattice-work obliquely, and leading 

 along the brim. Even by the use of 

 this door, though, the bird would gen- 

 erally turn around upon the nest, as 

 she was setting facing the door on both 

 occasions when I approached. It does 

 not appear that the birds use one open- 

 ing regularly for entrance and an op- 

 posite one for exit, for in all instances 

 where I have found regular openings, 

 the same one was used for both en- 

 trance and exit. 



The second complete set I found con- 

 sisted of nine eggs, incubation well be- 

 gun, April 25th. The base of this nest 

 was ten and a half feet from the ground, 

 in a haw ticket. The lower portion of 

 the structure was unusualiy deep. This 

 nest was also much narrower than other 

 nests examined, the latticed sides rising 

 almost upon the brim of the clay basin, 



