THE OOLOGIST 



127 



the mountains back of Escondido and 

 my work took me daily past the nests 

 of a pair of these birds; over the 

 mountain and about 1000 feet higher 

 another pair had their nests. The 

 two nesting sites were only about 

 two miles apart but their hunting 

 grounds were in opposite directions. 

 A peculiar habit these birds had, and 

 I presume it to be common to all of 

 them, was to steal sticks from a nest 

 not belonging to them and carry it 

 to some one of their own nests and 

 leave it. One morning one had stolen 

 a dagger stalk from its neighbor 

 above, and dropping down the moun- 

 tain with its wings half closed, made 

 a very strange sight, the dagger 

 stalk being nearly as long as the 

 bird's wing spread. Often the four 

 of them fought over their stealings 

 and it was very interesting to watch 

 them diving and circling in the air 



and sometimes clashing together and 

 falling thus several feet before break- 

 ing away from each other. Often 

 during this performance uttering 

 short rattling screams. The only 

 note I have ever heard them utter 

 aside from this is their penetrating 

 scream while perched on some moun- 

 tain top. These birds always carried 

 their nesting material in their claws, 

 although others noticed carried it in 

 their beaks. 



I have noted Eagles from within 

 one-half mile of the ocean at only a 

 few feet above sea level to 9000 feet 

 elevation above sea level, and resi- 

 dent in all cases where found. 



Their nesting sites here are usually 

 in cliffs, but I have also noted them 

 nesting in cak trees and sycamores. 

 Their nest is invariably placed at an 

 elevation exceeding that of the sur- 

 rounding country. They often build 



Golden Eagle Nest on Rocky Cliff — Nearer View 



— Photo by J. B. Dixon. 



