THE OOLOGIST. 



91 



which was well mixed with the sup- 

 porting? twigs. No regular openiug for 

 entrance was noticed. The inner nest 

 was made entirely of rootlets. 



The third complete set, consisting of 

 nine eggs, incubation begun, was taken 

 on April 27th. The base of this nest 

 was 10 feet from the ground. Like 

 others described, it was in a haw tree, 

 with thick canopy and loosely latticed 

 sides. The inner part was seven inches 

 in diameter and five inches deep, made 

 of rootlets and horsehair, the founda- 

 tion being made in the usual style of 

 Magpie architecture. The female, 

 presumably, was on the nest when I 

 approached it, and remained until I 

 started to climb to an old nest in an ad- 

 jacent tree, when she flew out with a 

 loud chatter. While I was examining 

 the nest, the other bird, which I took 

 for the male, alighted near the nest 

 with a large grub or caterpillar in his 

 bill; but seeing the situation, he gulp- 

 ed down the morsel and joined his pro- 

 tests to those of his mate. 



In the same coulee, on the same after- 

 noon, I found a nest containing se-ven 

 eggs. Not being able to see the con- 

 tents of this nest fully on account of its 

 depth and the thickness of the surround- 

 ing sides, I mistook the number for a 

 larger complement, and began to re- 

 move them. I took out three without 

 mishap, but broke the fourth egg on a 

 protruding thorn. It was quite fresh, 

 and feeling the three eggs remaining, 

 I concluded that the set was incomplete, 

 and returned the three I had removed 

 to the nest. I had some doubt as to the 

 result, but visited the nest on May 2nd, 

 finding the pair of Magpies in contented 

 enjoyment of the eix eggs, no more 

 having been added to the seven origi- 

 nally found. 



On April 27th, I also found an incom- 

 plete set of two eggs. Re-visiting the 

 place on May 5th, I found only six eggs, 

 incubation well begun. ^My son, who 

 accompanied me on this expedition, was 



entrusted with the care. of this set; but 

 in descending a juniper-carpeted slope, 

 he slipped several feet, and three eggs 

 survived the mishap. The set is men- 

 tioned to show the size of the comple- 

 ment. There was nothing unusual in 

 the nest or its situation. 



On May 8th, I took a set of seven 

 eggs well advanced in incubation, from 

 a low willow in a coulee frequented by 

 cattle. The nest was within plain view 

 of a bridge crossing the coulee, tie base 

 being ten feet from the ground. It was 

 a well-built affair, though made in the 

 prevailing style. This nest had two 

 openings in the latticed sides, though 

 not directly opposite, and the tail of 

 the setting bird was not protruding 

 from one as I approached, for it showed 

 plainly at a place about midway be- 

 tween the openings. As she frequently 

 alighted near with loud chatter while 

 her home was being despoiled. I no- 

 ticed that her tail was badly frayed 

 along the sides. This set of eggs was 

 the finest I had taken, being short and 

 thick, having a greenish-gray ground, 

 heavily blotched with dark markings, 

 and brightly polished surfaces, the lat- 

 ter being lacking in other sets mention- 

 ed. 



Re-visiting the first nest, mentioned 

 under date of April 21?t, I found a set 

 of seven eggs on May 9th, incubation 

 begun. I can not say whether these 

 belonged to the pair which had first 

 used the nest, but mention the fact of 

 the nest's being occupied the second 

 time, which I find not unusual. How- 

 ever, I have not found any instances of 

 nests of the proceeding year being used 

 by the Magpies. 



It would be interesting in this con- 

 nection to note characteristic traits in 

 the behavior of the Magpies, but this 

 article has already exceeded its intend- 

 ed length; and craving the obliging ed- 

 itor's pardon for taking such undue 

 liberty, we leave the Magpies until 

 another season. 



P. M. SiLLOWAY, 



Lewiston, Mont. 



